Chapter 221: You are higher than others in my heart (5k)
When Shaya walked out of the bedroom, he noticed that the study downstairs was still lit.
The faint, exotic fragrance that drifted from within immediately brought the image of the silver-haired empress to Shaya’s mind.
“Isadorella hasn’t left yet?”
Shaya was somewhat surprised.
In the past, due to her busy schedule with imperial affairs, Isadorella would usually only stay for one night and return to the royal palace the next morning to deal with the mountain of military and political matters, as well as playing bureaucratic games with the scheming nobles in Parliament.
To his surprise, it was already noon, and Isadorella was still at his house.
“Duke Leo has personally volunteered to take on the position of Inspector of the Empire’s Southern Region?”
In the study, Isadorella squinted as she looked at the scroll in her hand.
“This is the first time I’ve heard… that the position of Imperial Inspector holds such great appeal for the high-ranking nobles in the Imperial Capital.”
The Imperial Capital was the Imperial Capital precisely because it was unique.
It was also the hub of the entire empire’s power.
To voluntarily exile oneself from the center of power and go to the border…
This was quite a rare occurrence for those high-ranking nobles who were greedy for power and considered it their lifeblood.
“Yes, these were Duke Leo’s exact words in Parliament.”
“Currently, Fiolen, the former Imperial Inspector of the South, is in closed-door cultivation in the Imperial Capital, trying to cross the chasm between Titled and Legendary.”
“And if Fiolen successfully breaks through to the Legendary stage, Her Majesty will likely not allow her to hold her previous position. She will undoubtedly be appointed to an important post in the Imperial Capital’s military or Directorate… Therefore, the position of Southern Inspector is currently vacant.”
Beside the study, Diris reported respectfully, looking at the document in her hand.
These were all the current realities of the Imperial Capital.
As a former member of the White Tower, Fiolen, who was now a high-ranking official in the empire, could be considered an extremely lucky person, riding a favorable wind in life.
After all, it was Fiolen’s voluntary return to the White Tower to report Shaya’s whereabouts that led to Azure Silver Witch Sylvia being awakened from her deep sleep in the Netherworld. If not for that, Sylvia and Shaya might have reunited much later.
Shaya’s first appearance in the border city of Lesa, which caught Isadorella’s attention, and his subsequent recruitment as the new Sword Holder, all stemmed from Fiolen’s unintentional report and recommendation.
It could be said that for the two throne-level powerhouses at the pinnacle of the Western Continent, the Master of the White Tower and the Empress of the Empire, Fiolen was akin to a matchmaker who helped them find the other half of their lives.
A true great contributor.
Although it was not explicitly displayed in their daily interactions, a little guidance and reward were enough for Fiolen to quickly complete the foundation that would normally take decades to accumulate at the Sixth Ring, directly reaching the threshold of Legendary.
Of course, compared to Fiolen, who received overwhelming fortune, Diris was not far behind.
She had risen from a mere pawn casually placed by the Princess in Saint Roland Academy to a confidante now serving Isadorella.
Her own rank had also made significant progress.
Thinking this, Diris also extended her hand, as if unconsciously stroking the desk and chairs beside her.
Then, she quietly spread her mental power, meticulously recording the scents and imprints on the furniture in the study.
This was Shaya’s study.
In other words, every piece of furniture, including the desk and chairs, had been personally used by Shaya countless times.
Every detail and aura of Shaya on them was excellent material for dreams.
Normally, with Aerora present at this residence, Diris would not dare to come here alone to collect materials for weaving dreams. She could only seize the opportunity to collect them when visiting with Isadorella.
Then, she would use these materials to fill her self-woven dreams.
To make the human youth in those full of desire daydreams more real and vivid…
Diris, being an extremely rare pure love warrior among the Royal Succubus Clan, did not wish to draw upon the desires of others without restraint like her kin. Otherwise, she would not have been able to contract with a pure white unicorn.
Therefore, only this method of self-woven dreams remained.
Now that she was only one step away from achieving Legendary, and to truly achieve Legendary and make the Succubus clan great again… Diris had gone all out, collecting Shaya’s materials right under the nose of her superior, the Empress.
Of course, if Diris knew what the Dragon of Darkness had done not long ago, she would probably only sigh.
They all played with dreams, so why was the gap between them so large?
She was still racking her brain to collect materials for daydreams, while a certain ancient dragon had already secretly reached the final base in dreams.
“The Southern Region of the Empire, governed by the Southern Inspector.”
“If I recall correctly, it was primarily controlled by the Borgia Family before, wasn’t it?”
Isadorella looked at the scroll in her hand, crossing her slender legs. The black and red Black Vulture military uniform accentuated a graceful curve.
With her mental power, it was impossible for her not to notice Diris’s small actions.
However, she didn’t mind.
A ruler should naturally possess a corresponding magnanimity.
Ultimately, Diris was just her subordinate, perhaps even a piece of dowry.
As long as she didn’t overstep her bounds in reality, Isadorella didn’t care about Diris’s little dreams.
Her opponents, from beginning to end… were Sylvia, Aerora, and the Golden Elf from the Black Tower, whom Isadorella had never met but had heard of countless times.
“Yes, now that the Borgia Family’s influence throughout the empire has been eradicated… the Southern Region has fallen into a state of chaos to some extent. After all, the Borgia Family’s influence in the Southern Region was deeply rooted for many years, and its uprooting inevitably caused upheaval.”
“The cults are still wary of the might of Your Majesty’s victory during your ascension to King, so they dare not show themselves in the Imperial Capital… but in the border regions, they have not given up their probing.”
“Coupled with the rampant banditry, wanted criminals, and roving robbers from the Lost Domain, the Empire’s control over the Southern Region has indeed declined.”
Diris reluctantly withdrew her hand from the wooden table and replied.
“Duke Leo’s reason is to represent the central government in quelling the riots of cults and bandits in the Southern Region and to share Your Majesty’s burdens.”
“Of course, Duke Leo has also put forth corresponding demands—”
“To quell the rebellion, the Inspector’s authority needs to be enhanced. They will no longer have only supervisory power over the local Directorate and military branches in the Southern Region, but will possess full command authority, placing the Inspector above all official organs in the Southern Region.”
“Heh—”
“To say it’s to share my burdens.”
“That last sentence, placing the Inspector’s position above the local military and Directorate, that is his true objective, isn’t it?”
Isadorella picked up the coffee cup on the table and blew gently on the hot liquid.
Suddenly, her lips curved into a smile, and her pair of crimson eyes looked towards the hallway outside the door. “So, what do you think?”
“My dear Empress’s Husband.”
Shaya, who had been observing secretly outside for a long time, coughed and pushed the door open.
“Why is Your Majesty at home today?”
“It doesn’t matter where I handle political affairs, the result is the same.”
“Moreover, staying here, I at least don’t have to see the grotesque and ugly faces of the nobles in Parliament striving for power.”
Isadorella stretched lazily and took a sip of coffee. “Besides, didn’t someone complain in their heart earlier… that I spend too little time with you due to imperial affairs?”
“If there are misunderstandings, they must be resolved earnestly.”
“Although I know you’re joking and not taking it seriously… often, the future divergence and estrangement of lovers… all originate from trivial misunderstandings and petty squabbles.”
“In the beginning, no one pays attention, but eventually, it will escalate with time, to the point where it can no longer be salvaged.”
Isadorella looked at Shaya, her crimson eyes sparkling with seriousness.
“I never wish for the day to come when we part ways and become strangers whose life paths can no longer intersect. That is something I absolutely cannot accept.”
“So, you might think I’m being too serious and can’t take a joke… but I still want to repeat myself.”
“The identity of Empress is a responsibility bestowed upon me by my father and elders… and I deeply care about this responsibility.”
“However, more than the rise and fall of the empire, I care more about you.”
“I will strive to balance my duties to the empire and the preservation of our relationship.”
“But, if one day these two cannot be reconciled, cannot be balanced… then I will not hesitate to abandon the former and stand by your side, Shaya. Whether it’s eloping or falling into the abyss, I don’t care.”
Shaya sat down beside Isadorella.
Immediately, he felt the Empress’s slender leg resting on his lap.
“This is my promise.”
“Not just here, but when I face you.”
“Even in front of my ministers, family elders, or my father, this promise will never change.”
Listening to Isadorella’s firm and unwavering words, Shaya couldn’t help but be moved.
He had met quite a few women.
But he had to admit that the former princess, now empress, still possessed a beauty unlike any other.
The solemn majesty when she made such a promise was as awe-inspiring as when the Black Knight Cain first encountered the King of Knights at the end of the Third Era in Escarnia.
“You’re right.”
Shaya nodded.
“If there are misunderstandings, then work hard to resolve them.”
“I also don’t want us to be unable to communicate frankly due to pride when conflicts arise, and only regret it when the cracks become irreparable in the future.”
“However, Your Majesty, you’ve missed one point.”
He smiled.
“Maintaining a relationship doesn’t just rely on the efforts of one party; it requires mutual protection.”
“Although Your Majesty is willing to give up the entire empire for me… if it truly reaches a point where you are in a dilemma, it would precisely indicate my failure and incompetence.”
“This is not only Your Majesty’s territory, but also the home of Little Ai and me.”
“And I am, after all, your Sword Holder, your Black Knight.”
Shaya reached out and caressed the long, silk-clad legs resting on his lap.
Among the women he knew, each had her own merits.
But at least in terms of long legs, Little Ai and Sylvia were slightly inferior to Isadorella.
Perhaps only his Golden Elf Shī Jiang in her mature form could be compared, but unfortunately, Shaya hadn’t seen his mature Shī Jiang for a long time.
His main impression of Heiser when she was young was her flat chest, similar to Little Ai’s, and he hadn’t paid attention to such minor details.
“So, Your Majesty.”
“If you feel tired, you can also try to lean on me.”
While enjoying the pleasure of caressing the Empress’s thighs, Shaya took the scroll concerning Duke Leo’s application to become the Southern Inspector from Isadorella’s hand.
Isadorella did not resist, and merely accommodated by resting her other leg on him as well.
She leaned on Shaya’s shoulder, slightly closing her crimson eyes, as if resting.
“Yes… I almost forgot.”
“Back in the chaotic era before the founding of the empire, ‘Black Knight’ Cain was praised as ‘talent for aiding the king’ by the Knights of the Round Table.”
“Not only did you kill enemies on the battlefield, but you also handled many affairs within the allied knights, including military deployment and governing the people’s livelihoods within your territory.”
“Such a talented individual, capable in both civil and military matters, lived a life like a salted fish after returning to the Fourth Era, never interfering in imperial affairs…”
Isadorella gently hugged Shaya’s neck.
“May I interpret this as someone feeling they have maxed out your affection points, successfully conquered me, and therefore decided to lie flat and slack off from then on?”
Shaya felt a few drops of sweat slide down his forehead.
He had to admit that he did have some of that thought in his subconscious.
It was like beating a heroine’s route in a GalGame, unlocking the ending CG, and then naturally being able to lie flat.
It was just that reality was not a romance simulation game, and the Empress before him was not a flat paper character in a GalGame that could be put aside once her affection points were maxed out.
“I’ll look at the scroll for Your Majesty first.”
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and looked at the scroll in his hand.
However, shortly after reading about Duke Leo, Shaya felt he could no longer maintain composure.
“Your Majesty, I am guilty.”
“Guilty of what? Riding the Sovereign?”
Isadorella asked softly without opening her eyes.
“No—”
“Your Majesty, have you read a fictional historical novel recently published by the Royal Publishing House called ‘The War of the Three Nations’?”
“I haven’t. I haven’t had time to read novels recently.”
Isadorella’s beautiful eyes remained closed. It seemed that dealing with imperial affairs had indeed exhausted her.
“That is a novel I wrote. To be precise, it’s a piece of unknown history passed down in my hometown, and I’m merely a transporter.”
Shaya sighed. “The beginning of that book describes an ambitious man who, realizing his dynasty was declining and the court was in turmoil, resigned from his court position under the guise of quelling rebellions and stabilizing the region, requesting to be appointed as a provincial governor.”
“The position of provincial governor is above all local officials, which is known as abolishing the provincial system and establishing the governor system.”
His mind flashed to a certain Mr. Liu brandishing his Zhangba Snake Spear and slamming the floor. “Of course, his true purpose was simply that he felt the country was about to fall apart, so he went to the local area in advance, wanting to become a warlord in a chaotic era.”
Could this great genius Duke Leo have been corrupted this way?
Diris said thoughtfully, “In that case, the Sword Holder did collect some intelligence…”
“Duke Leo once got drunk at a noble’s banquet and blurted out, ‘I’d rather be the local emperor of the Southern Region than a dignitary in the Imperial Capital.'”
Although the Empire had no such position as “three dignitaries,” Diris had read the book and naturally knew what was meant.
There was no help for it; it was a novel written by Shaya, and it was also precious material for Diris’s dream weaving.
She had already paged through it countless times in secret and could even recite it by heart.
“Hopeless, this great genius.”
Shaya held his forehead.
Mr. Liu’s premise for abolishing the provincial system was a world without supernatural powers.
To play the game of warlordism in this Western Continent, where supernatural powers existed and strength was paramount.
Was he not afraid that Her Majesty the Empress, in her Heavenly Sovereign’s wrath, would unleash the Holy Sword’s energy for three thousand miles and directly sever his head in the Imperial Capital?
“So that’s how it is…”
Beside Shaya, Isadorella nodded.
Although she had not read “The War of the Three Nations” mentioned by Shaya and Diris, with her throne-level mental power, it was not difficult to analyze and understand what they were discussing from their conversation.
“I understand.”
Her words were casual and indifferent.
At the same time, several silent telepathic messages were transmitted to Diris’s ears, to which Diris responded respectfully.
“Then, student Shaya.”
“Please allow me to take my leave.”
The Royal Succubus, dressed in a white dress, spoke softly, casting a reluctant glance at Shaya. She lifted the hem of her skirt and bid farewell to Shaya and Isadorella with a standard noble bow.
The next moment, her figure quickly faded and disappeared.
Shaya silently mourned Duke Leo, whom he had never met, for a second.
“Farewell, brother.”
“I’m happy that the book I plagiarized from Earth has such influence in another world, and even has a practical master like you.”
“But unfortunately, you have disturbed my number three tigress.”
“The trivial matters are concluded.”
“Now, let’s talk about the main business.”
Only now did Isadorella open her crimson eyes.
Then, she gazed at Shaya before her.
It was as if a duke’s rebellion was a trivial matter in her eyes.
“The First Era, and the matter concerning the Eternal Page of the Black Tower, and your Golden Elf teacher, have not yet been resolved, right?”
“Shaya, what do you plan to do?”
