The Miserable Liana

Xia Lun looked at Liana's miserable appearance and ultimately could not help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

Aina, on the other hand, sat on the sofa unconcerned, leisurely enjoying the tea and pastries served to the guests.

This was the royal palace of the Elven race. Even for Xia Lun, it was his first time here.

It was not Aina's first time. Back when she had just lost her husband and was ruling the world, she had intruded here once as an uninvited guest...

The entire hall was unimaginably towering. What supported this massive space were not cold stone pillars, but living, ancient tree trunks so thick it would take several people to encircle them. The floor beneath their feet showed not the slightest seam; it was completely unified, with the clear texture of tree rings faintly visible inside.

Thick veins stretched out across the dome like an open umbrella, forming an emerald green vault. The air was also filled with the aged scent of ancient trees.

The profound nature magic of the elves had directly transformed the interior of the giant tree into such a palace, like a relief sculpture painstakingly carved by the most outstanding artist.

Living in such a place was something others could not even dream of, but to Liana, it felt like a torturous execution ground.

"Xia Lun... take me away..."

Sletta stood upright to the side and shook her head. "Do not say such unrealistic things, Lady Liana. You are already the next Elven Queen. Until you fulfill your duties, I will not allow you to leave here."

Liana broke down a bit, saying, "What duties do I even have!"

"To save the Elven race."

"Will learning court etiquette save the Elven race?"

"No."

Liana's eyes went wide. "If it won't, then why are you forcing me to learn it?"

Sletta thought for a moment, then revealed a bright smile again. "Because we have nothing better to do."

"Sletta! You can't do this!"

The Astrologer Sletta replied, "These are the basic qualities an Elven Queen should possess... If you are to sit on the throne for a long time, these are things you must learn."

"I am not going to stay here forever!"

Sletta clapped her hands, changing the subject. "Alright, Lady Liana, the time has come. You should come with me to practice the new court dance steps."

"Wait... I am the Queen! How could anyone possibly dance with me?" Liana suddenly looked up, discovering a blind spot. "I am not learning it!"

"You cannot be so willful, Lady Liana. The purpose of learning to dance is not actually for you to dance with someone, but to cultivate your elegance."

Her features obscured by the shadow of her hood, revealing only a smile, Sletta slowly leaned in to Liana's ear.

"I get it! I will learn! Ugh—" Liana wore an expression of tragic resignation, completely wrapped around Sletta's finger.

"If you two wish to rest here, please feel free," Sletta said, giving a slight bow to Xia Lun and Aina.

Grabbing the back of Liana's collar, Sletta dragged her away amidst her wailing.

Liana was completely and utterly outmatched by Sletta's scheming nature.

As soon as the two left, Aina immediately crawled over from the sofa, lay in Xia Lun's arms, and rested her head on his lap.

When outsiders were present, she still needed to maintain her image.

"This place is actually quite nice... Xia Lun, should we renovate our house like this in the future?" Aina lifted her head and looked at Xia Lun's chin, seemingly very fond of the Elven Palace's layout.

"Of course, as long as you like it." Xia Lun kneaded Aina's cheeks, which felt like dough, absurdly soft.

"However, about Liana..." Xia Lun's attention was clearly still on the conversation the two had just had.

Aina reached out both hands straight and also cupped Xia Lun's cheeks.

"What are you worrying about, Xia Lun? You should know Liana best. It is not that she cannot do it; she just does not want to."

"Is that so?" Xia Lun completely could not imagine Liana elegantly performing court dance steps.

Elegance and Liana—these two words should not even be associated with each other.

It seemed Liana was meant to lean against a carriage, snoring loudly, and after waking up, pick her feet and then pick her teeth... That was what Liana should be like.

"Xia Lun, I think you spoil Liana too much." Aina sighed. "You should spoil me more."

"Do I not spoil you enough?" Xia Lun could not help but pinch Aina's little face again.

Last night, even though Aina had used that perception-lowering magic, he had still satisfied her completely.

Perhaps it was because of pent-up feelings finally bursting forth? Aina's reaction of breaking down like a burst dam last night was more intense than ever before, truly giving Xia Lun a fright.

Aina immediately puffed out her cheeks, blushing slightly. As Xia Lun's wife, she could guess what he was thinking with her toes.

"I was not talking about that kind of thing!" Aina scratched at Xia Lun's chest, baring her fangs and brandishing her claws.

"What kind of thing?" Xia Lun narrowed his eyes, a teasing smile hanging on the corners of his mouth, exactly like Sletta's.

"Hmph!" Aina felt inexplicably annoyed in her heart. She sat up and gave Xia Lun a headbutt.

Their foreheads met with a dull thud.

Xia Lun fell back onto the sofa dizzily, and Aina revealed a smug smile.

"A mere Hero, recognize your place!"

Naturally, Xia Lun could not have actually been knocked out; playing along was quite important.

After exchanging a glance, the two could not help but laugh at their childish behavior just now, and then began to be affectionate with each other again.

...

Nighttime.

Caranris.

An unnoticed alleyway somewhere.

A tall silhouette slowly emerged from the shadows.

Luo Lun frowned slightly.

It was a bit strange. She had clearly placed a mark on that guy, but his aura had suddenly vanished.

Even if the target had suddenly died, the mark should not have failed.

The location where the aura disappeared was the territory of the Leis family... That was quite an influential Elven family, and Luo Lun did not plan to intrude recklessly.

She was the president of the Blood Alliance. If she were discovered, it would definitely be quite a troublesome matter.

Thus, Luo Lun had been staking out outside, only for the target to completely disappear.

That guy... seemed to be named Jerome. He had hooked up with that guy Ned and started selling drugs on a massive scale within the Elven territory...

That guy Ned had started to get carried away after coming to the Elven side, attempting to break the branch away from the Blood Alliance. And now, the Blood Alliance's branch here had practically become the largest drug trafficking syndicate.

As the president, Luo Lun decided to handle this matter personally.

Ned had quite a few loyal subordinates around him, so it was inconvenient to make a move on him for the time being. Therefore, the first target was naturally that guy named Jerome. He was the source of the drug supply; once he was eliminated, Ned's expansion would be temporarily halted.

However, that guy's sudden disappearance had disrupted Luo Lun's rhythm, leaving her momentarily unsure of what to do next.