Chapter 88: Waiting for Him to Confess First
If it were before, when Empress of Eternal Night heard Roger using “Empress” as a derogatory term, even if she didn’t say it out loud, she would have thrown a little tantrum in her heart.
But now that the Path of Extreme Self had been achieved, she chuckled, feeling nothing and even wanting to hear more creative ways to start a conflict.
So what if she stopped thinking? Did she eat your rice?
The cabinet she hired with her own money, why should she still think for herself?
Isn’t it more satisfying to just copy their homework?
It’s not just anyone who can stop thinking and live as splendidly and casually as she does, hum.
Thinking this, she straightened her back and felt proud.
It’s not that I don’t have a brain, it’s just that it hasn’t reached the critical moment for it to be used.
You guys figure out the small matters, Roger, and I’ll make the decisions when major issues arise.
However, the Empire has had no major issues so far, lalala~
Her mood was cheerful, completely unshaken by someone’s complaints. A faint smile played on her lips, and she said lazily:
“My dear Roger, don’t linger. There will be no shortage of opportunities for battle in the future. Now, I have another important matter to entrust to you.”
As she spoke, her eyes flickered, glancing at Roger with a look that was both coy and pleased.
This glance made Roger’s heart skip a beat, and he instinctively replied, “Please, Your Majesty, command me!”
After speaking, he reflected, wondering if he had been charmed by the Empress of Eternal Night, agreeing so readily.
She didn’t even use magic!
At this moment, the Empress of Eternal Night, unable to distinguish between her emotions, stood casually, yet exuded an air of supreme authority and a dashing demeanor that commanded the World.
She was so proud, indifferent to the opinions of others, only doing what she pleased.
The Empress of bygone days was breathtakingly beautiful, but always possessed an unreal, overly perfect quality.
Now, she unashamedly displayed the strengths and weaknesses of her personality, utterly devoid of modesty.
Such an Empress was like the night enveloping the world, eclipsing the light of the sun and moon, leaving only the shadow of night in people’s eyes.
Her beautiful facade might be updated monthly, but this Path of Extreme Self, forged through countless trials, had turned her into a being that could captivate hearts without any sorcery.
[Does breaking through a mental demon also increase this woman’s charm value? I fell for it just like that!]
[This is insane, the dignified Empress has turned into a siren fairy, the kind that drives people to their deaths with no return… Is this reasonable?]
[But I have to admit, it’s addictive! Please look at me more!]
The Empress of Eternal Night felt smug. If you have something nice to say, say more!
You used to complain about me every day, now you know the real charm, right?
If you’re happy saying it, I’ll even give you a reward!
She no longer cared about right or wrong, good or bad. As long as she wasn’t wronged and her goals could be achieved, they were all good methods.
If seducing the man in front of her yielded benefits, then what was wrong with being a siren fairy?
Though smug in her heart, the Empress of Eternal Night didn’t forget the main issue: “While you were fighting just now, I discovered something interesting: the original body of Princess Tassika’s soul is still alive.”
“Your Majesty means that the powerful being sent by the Goddess of War did not devour her original soul? That’s not reasonable!”
Having two souls in one body would cause conflict, so usually, the stronger one would directly devour the weaker one to achieve more perfect control.
The Empress of Eternal Night said, “I’m too lazy to care if it’s reasonable or not. I now order you, as a special envoy, to find a way with this little princess to reduce the bloodshed between our two countries.”
Roger was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with joy. He agreed without hesitation: “Your Majesty is wise! I will do my best to persuade Princess Tassika and secure more benefits for the Empire!”
He was very surprised that the Empress of Eternal Night had actively proposed this seemingly “soft” solution.
But softness had its advantages.
The Kamsak Desert was resource-poor, and the Orc Tribes fought over limited resources.
Moreover, orcs were naturally rebellious. The cost for the Empire to establish this as a new province would be high, with low returns, and blood conflicts would continue for a considerable time.
The Empire had yet to fully absorb its seventeen conquered nations and truly did not have the capacity to rule over the orcs.
Thus, the powerful being sent by the Goddess of War, failing to achieve her goals and suffering losses, had gifted Skrena City and two hundred thousand elites to the Empress of Eternal Night. However, this also presented the Empire with a dilemma.
In the past, the Empress of Eternal Night had conquered in every battle. The militaristic nobles of the Empire were even more convinced that after a war, land, money, and women would be divided.
How could they possibly return land they had already obtained?
Benefits must be taken, even if they couldn’t be fully grasped!
The people of the Empire fought fiercely, but their post-war actions were not so “clever.”
Roger had considered more suitable solutions for the Orc Tribes, but he truly dared not propose them casually.
It was not that Shady looked down on the imperial nobles, but they were truly parvenues, having been elevated to this status by the Empress of Eternal Night.
Of course, the Veronika family was no better, just fifty steps away from a hundred.
But now, the Empress of Eternal Night had actively proposed this possibility, which was a pleasant surprise.
Had her rigid mindset suddenly started to bend?
As long as His Majesty was willing to push for it, even if the imperial nobles had objections, they would amount to nothing.
The biggest advantage of the Orc Tribes was their rapid reproduction. Establishing a puppet regime to capitalize on population growth was the optimal solution.
[Your Majesty’s kingly demeanor after breaking through her mental demon is becoming more far-sighted and strategically insightful!]
The Empress of Eternal Night listened to Roger’s flattery and, despite being happy, almost couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
What is strategy, is it delicious?
My dear Roger, you suffer from overthinking, making simple matters complicated.
This situation arose because the Empress of Eternal Night heard Roger’s analysis that there was a powerful being descending upon Tassika.
At that time, she was just an idle magical energy source, bored and so out of curiosity, she peeked into the alternate dimension.
She wanted to see if there was anyone she knew among the Angels, perhaps to reminisce and mock them a bit…
Then she saw a vulgar man picking his toes and felt utterly unimpressed.
However, she did unexpectedly discover that the real Tassika’s soul was still alive.
Thinking about the girl’s predicament, she realized that Tassika had watched the Goddess of War operate through her body, completely wrecking the Orc Tribes.
In the end, all the blame would fall on Princess Agave, while the Goddess of War would always be hailed as brilliant, right?
Princess Octavielle began to feel sorry for Princess Tassika.
Their experiences, while not exactly the same, were remarkably similar.
Just then, Roger’s idea of an orc vassal state flashed through the Empress of Eternal Night’s mind. She felt that if they could indeed negotiate, it would be helping Tassika.
Wouldn’t a puppet Empress be better than losing her country and her home?
Anyway, Tassika had already fallen into the Empire’s hands and couldn’t escape. Sending Roger to try wouldn’t incur any losses.
If it succeeded, she’d copy Roger’s homework.
If it failed, she’d copy the cabinet and military’s homework.
In the past, she might have worried about her momentary soft-heartedness leading to “reckless behavior,” and that the imperial nobles would strongly oppose it, calling her overly benevolent.
But now, let them think what they want~
Whether it’s benevolence or inhumanity, it actually depends on whether it affects the nobles’ interests.
Reputation alone is not worth keeping!
As for discovering that this approach unexpectedly improved Roger’s evaluation of her, it was a delightful surprise for the Empress.
However, upon deeper thought, she began to feel a headache.
This man before her, he’d be happy giving him Magic Power to kill orcs, and he’d also be happy giving him a chance to save them.
So, did he want the orcs dead or alive?
This was truly a difficult person to please!
Impatiently, she raised a finger and gently tapped Roger’s forehead: “My dear Roger, you can discuss freely on this trip. Once it’s settled, you can report back to me together.”
With that, her Magic Power flickered, and she sent Roger into Tassika’s ocean of consciousness.
If I can’t figure it out, I won’t think about it.
Anyway, with my charm, can a mere useless little brother escape?
This Empress only needs to continue displaying her charm and wait for him to confess.
As for confessing first?
Impossible, never in this lifetime.
Teacher Tai said, the one who confesses first is the loser!
The Empress of Eternal Night felt that the situation on her side was overwhelmingly good, even the Rommel Legion, which was on the verge of annihilation, had been salvaged by her.
However, at this moment, she still ordered Rommel to halt his offensive and await further instructions after resting in place.
His five subordinate legions were indeed at their limit, having lost over five thousand men, with almost no magical support. Further pursuit would be risky.
This was also a way to give Tassika some breathing room. Sister, I can only help you this much. I hope you can understand.
The Empress of Eternal Night, with the unconscious Roger teleported back to the Maple Moon Shadow Palace, handed him over to Madame Mosconi for care.
Madame Mosconi was greatly astonished to see her Majesty returning with a handsome young man.
“Your Majesty, weren’t you at the front lines? This, this is…” She truly didn’t know whether to be happy or worried at this moment.
Happy that Her Majesty had finally opened up and knew she liked men?
Worried that without any formal status, bringing him back completely knocked out was improper!
The Empress of Eternal Night saw her head maid’s composure about to crumble and couldn’t help but laugh: “Madame, just arrange a room for him. It’s not what you think.”
Madame Mosconi breathed a sigh of relief and subconsciously said, “That’s good, that’s good. I thought Lord Brandon had no hope… *gasp*!”
“Hmm? What does he have to do with it?”
The Empress of Eternal Night was slightly puzzled, then suddenly realized that Madame Mosconi had been “inadvertently” speaking well of Duo these past few days.
Oh, so Madame had such intentions…
Madame Mosconi also realized she had let slip a word.
The Empress of Eternal Night didn’t seem angry and was still smiling, but Madame Mosconi didn’t relax.
Before, she could accurately judge Her Majesty’s mood, as she had watched her grow up. This girl’s emotions were all written on her face.
But recently, she inexplicably felt that her Majesty had changed.
She always smiled, but it often felt like she wasn’t smiling.
It was a kind of serene smile, telling her to “sleep soundly while I depart,” lazy and seemingly content and enjoying the present.
But if a person remained like this regardless of what happened or what they heard, it was actually a bit frightening.
Because you couldn’t guess her mood from her expression.
Such composure was, in a way, a necessary skill for an emperor, but her young Octavia hadn’t needed it before. Now, she was forced to learn it…
It must have been those ministers and nobles who angered her, forcing her to become like this, she thought.
Madame Mosconi felt a mix of emotions, both fearful and heartbroken for her Majesty.
But her personality was rigid and she took responsibility. To prevent Her Majesty from developing ill will towards Brandon, even without knowing her mood, she said honestly: “Your Majesty, the words just now were my personal subjective judgment, a moment of confusion. Lord Brandon is unaware of this.”
This was telling the Empress of Eternal Night that Lord Brandon had not bribed her, nor had he used any back channels. If you are angry, please hold me accountable.
“Madame, you don’t need to think so much. I trust you absolutely.” The Empress of Eternal Night’s smile slightly faded. “I am also truly happy that you, with your high standards, recognize a young man.”
Although Madame Mosconi was only a head maid on the surface, she was the only one left from the Azurevine Kingdom era who had served the Empress of Eternal Night.
She had taken care of the Empress wholeheartedly since she was an infant, and in terms of time spent together, she had been with the Empress longer than her own birth mother, the Queen.
The Empress’s feelings for her had long surpassed those of a master and servant. In some respects, she respected Madame Mosconi as a mother figure.
That Madame approved of Roger, even with a false identity, was good news.
Girls, in matters of love, always hoped for the blessings of their family, not for scenarios like “Here’s ten million, please leave her,” you know clichés!
So how could she possibly be angry at Madame for playing matchmaker?
This is not playing matchmaker, you did very well, please continue your efforts!
Seeing Her Majesty’s reaction, Madame Mosconi rejoiced, but couldn’t help looking at Roger.
Since Her Majesty favored Lord Brandon, what was this young master’s situation?
The Empress of Eternal Night revealed a cunning smile, deliberately teasing her: “Isn’t it simple? Only a pure white lotus makes choices. A bad woman like me wants them all!”
Madame Mosconi’s legs went weak, and she almost fell!
Her Majesty, now that she had awakened…
She had awakened too grandly!
The Empress of Eternal Night dismissed Madame Mosconi and showed a hint of hesitation regarding her next course of action.
In principle, she should be supporting Ashford City at this time.
But Marguerite reported that the situation there had temporarily stabilized.
The opportunistic nobles who had surrendered from the Yamant Empire, under Marguerite’s scolding, had rallied considerable morale. They had gathered their forces and, with the aid of imperial reinforcements, successfully halted the westward advance of the undead army.
The super-expert from the Tianming Army had not reappeared and his whereabouts were unknown.
The Empress of Eternal Night going there now would be somewhat redundant.
Seek out Mentor Tianming for a decisive battle?
But Roger held information on Shady, meaning Mentor Tianming was essentially an informant for the Empire.
Engaging in a battle with the gods before eliminating one’s own informant was, without thinking, even a fool would realize it was foolish.
But the old woman sacrificing commoners, though a usual practice for cultists, was an outright provocation… I…
I’ll wait for Roger to wake up and discuss further before making a decision!
She decided to take a break and entered the magical laboratory beneath the imperial palace.
She reached out and grasped at the void.
A small, silvery-white cicada, about the size of a fingertip, appeared in her palm.
It remained motionless, its limbs tightly clutching its chest.
The Empress of Eternal Night’s eyes twinkled, and she said regretfully: “Oh dear, I accidentally crushed it. It seems I can only use it to refine a nourishing medicine for my dear Roger—”
“Chirp— Chirp—”
The Eris Demon Insect suddenly chirped with all its might, indicating that it was very much alive.
“Lucky for you,”
The Empress of Eternal Night smiled.
This demonic creature had lived for an unknown number of years and was quite intelligent. It knew that if it continued to pretend to be dead, it would truly die!
The Eris Demon Insect had suffered greatly at the hands of the Empress of Eternal Night. Unable to control herself, the woman docilely lay there, cooperating with her commands and posing in various ways, allowing her to conduct examinations.
After a long period of tinkering, the Empress of Eternal Night began to draw in the void with her bare hands.
A magic array, similar to the one left by Mentor Tianming but with many modifications, enveloped the Eris Demon Insect.
The mental demon domain of this little creature was indeed hateful and had caused her significant trouble.
But its innate abilities were very powerful. If utilized properly, it could lead to many beneficial applications.
It could be a shortcut for the Empire’s mages to gain practical combat experience!
It’s just that the process might be a bit… emmm, enjoyable?
The Empress of Eternal Night gave her concept a thumbs-up, having found another good place to spy on when she was bored in the future.
