The next morning…
“Princess, breakfast has been prepared. It is time for you to rise and eat.”
Fei Yi knocked gently on the door.
“… Come in!”
As soon as Bai Li finished speaking, Fei Yi pushed the door open and entered, skillfully beginning to help her dress.
“Fei Yi… as a Battle Maid, you have been following Mother for many years, right?”
“Princess, why do you ask?”
Fei Yi had always been swift and decisive in her actions — otherwise, she could never have held the position of Head Maid — so she asked back quite directly.
“I was just asking casually. Uh, after all, you are my exclusive maid now…”
“We Battle Maids serve the Imperial Family from the moment we are born. It has been over seventy years.”
“Seventy… seventy years? Do you not need to retire?”
“Princess, I am dull-witted. What is ‘retire’?”
“It means to quit your job and go home to rest.”
“Our clan has served the immortal Imperial Family for generations. Our lifespans exceed those of ordinary Vampires by hundreds of years. We have never had a concept of leaving our posts.”
‘Sigh… isn’t that just being a lifer employee for your entire existence…’
“Our clan serves the Imperial Family so that the Queen can rest easy and focus on handling the affairs of the state, making the Vampires stronger. This is for the great justice of our race, not the forced labor of a simple worker.”
‘When she puts it that way, it does make sense…’
Bai Li thought to herself as her clothes were finally arranged neatly.
“It is finished, Princess. Please go downstairs to dine with the Queen.”
“Is something wrong, Princess?”
“Well… Fei Yi, can I wait until Mother finishes her meal before I go down?”
“Princess, I have no right to influence your decisions, but Her Majesty is likely waiting to dine with you.”
“Then help me pass along a message. Tell her that after I finish my meal, I will go to her office to find her myself.”
“As you command.”
Fei Yi walked out of the room quickly and returned a moment later.
“Her Majesty has agreed. She asks that you go to her office in one hour. However, I must be so bold as to ask: Princess, why are you avoiding Her Majesty?”
“… I just do not feel very well today. I am afraid of passing it on to Mother.”
“I understand, Princess.”
Fei Yi knew well that Vampires were immune to all diseases, but since the Princess did not wish to speak plainly, it was not her place to pry further.
She believed the Queen would have her own considerations.
Bai Li sat idly in her room, waiting.
The experience of soaking in the spring last night was stuck in her mind, refusing to leave.
After much thought, she decided it was best to have as little contact with Baining as possible for the time being.
She did not know if she was overthinking things.
If matters truly were as she suspected, then that love was far too heavy and twisted — perhaps even a violation of natural order.
She truly could not accept it…
Even Baining’s simple hug from the night before had made her entire body feel uneasy.
The notion of a ‘rebellious daughter’s transgression’ circled relentlessly in her head.
‘I hope I really am just misunderstanding. But regardless, it is better to avoid physical contact with Baining as much as possible…’
“Princess, after you eat later, you will still have some free time. Do you need me to introduce the layout of the rooms to you?”
“Oh, right! Sure!”
—
Inside the Royal Palace of the Human Empire, within a hall of carved beams and painted rafters, the King sat upon a gilded throne.
He listened with a calm expression to the weekly report of Sok, the Minister of Internal Affairs.
“Your Majesty, according to secret reports from the front lines, the movements of the Demon Race seem to have gradually calmed down. It appears they are not aimed at our Human Empire.”
Sok bowed low, his waist bent deep.
His tone was filled with extreme reverence, as if fearing even the slightest mistake.
“It is for the best if they are not… Sok, have you thought through what I said to you last time?”
The King raised his eyes, his gaze like a torch as he looked directly at Sok.
His tone was flat, yet it carried an indisputable power.
Sok’s heart tightened, and he quickly lowered his head, his voice tinged with earnestness.
“I was foolish. Previously, I failed to realize that Your Majesty possessed such an enlightened vision for our system. It was only because no one dared to implement it for you. I am willing to lay down my life to sincerely assist Your Majesty!”
“Whether you are sincere or not will be revealed in time.”
The King nodded slightly, his fingertips tapping the armrest of the throne.
“However, Sok, I am indeed quite pleased right now. At least you are willing to be honest about your thoughts to my face, unlike those old officials in the Senate who say one thing to my face and another behind my back while acting with hypocrisy.”
Sok felt a chill in his heart and quickly followed up.
“Your Majesty is wise. Previously, I was merely blinded by the chaos of the court. Now that I see Your Majesty’s grand ambitions, I naturally do not dare to have any divided loyalties.”
“Oh? Then tell me, what grand ambitions of mine have you seen?”
The King raised an eyebrow with interest, his tone carrying a hint of a test.
Sok took a deep breath and looked up to meet the King’s gaze, speaking word for word.
“What Your Majesty desires has never been to simply settle for a corner of the world, but to bring reform, wealth, and strength to the Human Empire. However, those old fools in the Senate only care about guarding their own tiny plots of land and obstructing Your Majesty’s New Policy. I saw this and felt anxious in my heart.”
Hearing this, a faint smile curled at the corner of the King’s mouth.
“You see through things quite clearly. Then, do you know why I chose you specifically instead of the other ministers in the court?”
“I… I do not know.”
Sok was nervous, but he did not dare to hide anything.
“Because you know how to judge the situation and are socially graceful, yet you are not entirely without a bottom line,” the King said bluntly.
“Those people in the Senate promised to let you replace me only because they wanted to prop up a puppet king who would follow their every word. You know better than anyone that instead of being a chess piece at the mercy of others, it is better to be a capable official who can do real work for the Empire. In this regard, perhaps I have not misjudged you.”
A storm surged in Sok’s heart.
The King’s words had struck his innermost thoughts.
He was naturally a person who sought benefits and avoided harm, yet he also did not want to leave behind a name cursed for a thousand years.
Now, the King’s words allowed him to completely let down his guard.
“Your Majesty has eyes like a hawk. I am ashamed.”
Sok bowed again.
“I did indeed think before that the high position promised by the Senate was something to strive for, but that was nothing more than a fleeting dream. Now that Your Majesty is willing to entrust me with heavy responsibilities, I will surely give my all until my dying day.”
“What I want is not for you to work until you die, but for you to withstand the pressure of the Senate and push the New Policy through.”
The King’s tone turned serious.
“These old officials have deep roots. If I act directly, it will only alert the enemy. But you are one of their own in their eyes. If you propose the New Policy, they will be more deliberate in their considerations even if they oppose it.”
Sok suddenly understood.
It turned out the King had planned this long ago, and he was merely a key piece in this grand game of chess.
However, he was willing, for following a wise ruler was a hundred times better than being a puppet.
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. I will not fail my mission!”
Sok’s voice was firm.
The King nodded with satisfaction.
He reached out and picked up a scroll of parchment from the desk, handing it over.
“Take these proposals. These are the details of the New Policy I have considered for a long time, covering livelihoods, the military, and the bureaucracy. Every single point concerns the future of the Empire. You shall be the one to propose them in court.”
Sok took the parchment with both hands and unrolled it.
He saw that the policies written within were of high intent and transformative nature.
Their foresight caused his pupils to shrink slightly in shock, and his admiration for the King grew even deeper.
He quickly stored the scroll away, his right hand gripping it tightly as if he were holding the entire future of the Empire.
Immediately after, he knelt on the ground with a loud thud, his voice echoing through the hall.
“As you command, Your Majesty!”
Outside the hall, the sunlight spilled through the window frames, falling upon the two of them.
A pact between sovereign and subject, one that would determine the rise or fall of the Human Empire, was quietly forged.