The room was eerily silent, not a sound to be heard.
Colin and Queen Midela stood in an uncomfortably ambiguous position, similar to a pair of lovers sharing their deepest feelings.
Colin could distinctly feel the warm and fragrant breath of the queen gently caressing his cheek, yet, his heart stirred no romantic feelings.
He never expected that Queen Midela would corner him as if she wasnât going to rest until she had a hold on him.
The so-called bloodline examination, Colin really dared not undergo.
Whether the Blood Clan was the heritage of the Druids, Colin wasnât sure now, but the violent reaction of the ancient oak tree indicated that the Blood Clan must have some connection with the Druids.
Colin felt that he might not be pure human anymore.
If this is confirmed, his future in the Glorious Empire would be over.
Perhaps he could only flee to Silver Moon City and depend on Queen Isaâ¦
Thinking of this, Colin, staring at the delicate, fair neck of Queen Midela, couldnât hide the murderous intent in his eyes.
Yet, Queen Midela seemed unaware, continuing to talk to herself:
âCount Angler, in fact, when the Winged Knight first appeared in Silver Moon City, I began to secretly pay attention.
Later I discovered that wherever the Winged Knight appeared, your figure was there, so I speculated that this Winged Knight must be you, Count Angler!
Donât be in a hurry to deny it, otherwise, I may request a bloodline test on you to see if you are a pure human!ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Colin no longer rebutted, but just smiled faintly, âYour Highness, I donât think we have any grudges, do we?
Moreover, not to boast, but the fact that the St. Hilde family still controls the North Territory, Iâm quite responsible for that!
Why are you so obsessed with destroying me?â
âHow can I want to destroy you.â Queen Midela flicked a charming smile and said, âYou know I like to hold peopleâs handles, but my aim has never been to threaten or even destroy them, I just want to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with them.â
Hearing this, Colin was reminded of that night in Phoenix Palace a year ago, the exchange of âconfrontationâ between them.
But that time, both of them, cunning and conniving, didnât disclose their true handles.
Unexpectedly, Queen Midela was relentless, she has been monitoring Colin, and got hold of Colinâs true handle.
However, hearing that she had no intention of breaking off relations, Colin relaxed a bit and momentarily concealed the murderous intent in his eyes.
Until the last resort, of course, he wouldnât dare to kill the queen of the empire.
âYour Highness, now you have my handle. As an exchange, isnât it time for you to come out with your handle?â With the experience from last time, Colin emphasized it again, âYour true handle.â
Queen Midela giggled, leaning her upper body against Colin.
âToo bad, I donât have a true handle.â
This instantly jolted Colin back to reality from his brief trance. Suppressing the raging passion within, he coldly replied:
âYour Highness, if youâre so insincere, we have no need to cooperate.
Whatâs more, I can seriously tell you that I am unwilling to be a chess piece manipulated by others. Whoever thinks they can threaten mes or control me with a handle is too naive!
Rather than being manipulated, I would rather knock over this chessboard!â
âOh, quite a temper!â Queen Midela teased Colin while casting a flirtatious glance at him, saying, âEven though I lacked a handle before, it doesnât mean that I wonât have one in the future, nor does it mean that we canât forge one now.â
While speaking, Queen Midela reached her hand into Colinâs nightgown, slowly drawing circles on his chest with her finger.
If Colin still couldnât understand Queen Midelaâs insinuation after hearing this, that would be too stupid.
Last time in Phoenix Palace, Colin recoiled not because the queen wasnât tempting enough, but because he thought the queen was Veraâs biological mother.
Although he was not a paragon of virtue, Colin did have his limits.
However, he now knew that Queen Midela was not Veraâs birth mother, soâ¦
A volcano of desire within him, once liberated, surged into Colinâs mind like a raging tide, shattering the remaining vestiges of his crumbling sanity.
Queen Midela was on her tiptoes, throwing herself onto Colin, like a young girl seeking a kiss from her lover.
In the next moment, she felt a pair of strong, powerful hands firmly encircle her waist, her startled cry trapped in her throat.
â¦
Gulp ⦠gulp â¦
Colin downed a cup of water, yet he still felt thirsty, so he downed another three cups before he finally started to feel better.
Afterwards, he walked to the window, opened it, letting the chilly night breeze flow into the room.
His fevered emotions finally began to cool down.
Outside the window was pitch darkness, the darkest hours just before dawn.
Only the ancient oak standing in the middle of the manor, under the moonlight, reflected a cold halo.
As a human, Colin could only feel a subtle connection with the ancient oak tree.
But he dared not reveal his true blood form in Oak Manor anymore.
As for the secret behind the magical connection between the ancient oak and the blood clan, he could only wait for a chance to explore it in the future.
Lost in thought, Colin suddenly felt a pair of slender arms wrap around his waist and a warm, soft touch against his back.
âWhat are you thinking about?â
The indolent and slightly husky voice of Queen Midela sounded from behind Colin.
âNothing much.â Colin said offhandedly.
âLiar.â Queen Midela gave a light huff, then moved to Colinâs front, resting against his chest and giggled, âMenâs lies, always lacking in creativity.â
Colin gave a slight smile, holding onto the voluptuous body in front of him, saying, âI was just wondering, how many men have you enticed this way?â
âYouâre actually jealous.â Queen Midela giggled.
Colin huffed, immediately capturing her lips with his own.
âOuch! You really bit me!â Queen Midela swatted Colinâs chest then defended herself, âI must say, Iâve only used such seduction on you, would you believe it?â
Colin raised an eyebrow, not replying, but the disbelief was written all over his face.
Queen Midela swatted Colin once more, saying: âNot everyone is worthy of being seduced by me.â
âIs that so? I didnât realize I was that important in your heart.â
âOf course.â Queen Midela drew closer, giggled seductively, âNot everyone can command twenty thousand cavalrymen to rule the East Territory.â
Colin raised an eyebrow, quite appreciating Queen Midelaâs compliment. But soon, he realized the insincerity in her words, saying:
âBack in the Phoenix Palace, when I hadnât yet conquered the East Territory. You also threw yourself at me then, didnât you?â
Queen Midela gave a smirk, cunningly replying:
âDo you know, if you hadnât backed off at the last moment that time, I would have screamed.â
Colinâs body stiffened instantly, and a rush of cold sweat broke out on his back.