At that point, she felt the piercing stares of Chalen and Rose.
Parnes, who had been quietly listening, twisted the corner of his mouth as if amused.
“What a capable maid you have. So knowledgeable that she knows the country’s affairs better than ‘someone’.”
Parnes mockingly complimented her, putting Chalen to shame. Chalen bit his teeth in humiliation but managed to maintain his composure.
How admirable, in a way.
But his self-control soon shattered with Parnes’ next words.
“Such a wise maid, with a broader perspective than many court officials, could be quite helpful for the interaction between our countries, don’t you think? Perhaps we could take her along and use her assistance during the celebration period?”
The first to react to the Emperor’s unexpected proposal was his aide, Duke Ludwig, who stood nearby. He looked incredulous at hearing such words from the Emperor.
Chalen, straining to maintain the calm and composure befitting a king, looked stiffly at Parnes as if he were a broken marionette.
“Well… It’s true she is capable, but whether she can actually be of help…”
“Then let’s hear the opinions of others. What do the lords think?”
Parnes asked the nobles for their opinion. Although they found the strange conversation between the two men perplexing, there was no real reason to oppose.
When a tentative wave of approval emerged among the gathered attendees, Chalen’s lips tightened with anxiety.
“It seems the guests see no reason to object,” Parnes commented.
He turned towards Kasalyn and continued, “The most important thing is the will of the person involved. Kasalyn, what do you think?”
“I…”
“For the exchange and progress between our Rennel Empire and the Kan Kingdom, would you occasionally come to me for assistance?”
Kasalyn was bewildered by how the situation had unfolded; she had merely written the document on behalf of Rose and dealt aptly with Chalen’s attack. It was unclear why things were taking this turn.
Despite Parnes’ seemingly innocuous proposal, there was something suspiciously alluring about his words.
Parnes waited quietly for Kasalyn’s response. His soft amber eyes, which seemed to freeze one’s fingertips upon touch, repeatedly blinked, hiding and revealing themselves under his eyelids.
Kasalyn nodded cautiously in his direction.
“If my limited insight can be of any help to the royal families of Kan and Rennel, I see no reason to refuse, Your Majesty.”
Instantly, the fortunes of Parnes and Chalen intertwined.
There was clearly another inappropriate intent hidden beneath the seemingly plausible excuses of aiding the development of both countries. It was evident to her that they might end up having pointless conversations under the guise of meeting for no specific reason.
Chalen wanted to confront Kasalyn with an accusing look of ‘how could you agree to this?’ but couldn’t dampen the festive atmosphere created by the majority of the guests who seemed to approve.
Chalen knocked on Kasalyn’s door, nearly at midnight.
He had planned to study as usual, but the events of the reading session left him feeling uneasy, aimlessly downing bitter coffee.
“Kasalyn, open the door.”
He had come unannounced, knocking abruptly and demanding entrance.
Judging by Chalen’s agitated voice, Kasalyn didn’t need to ask why he was there.
Reluctantly, she set down her coffee cup and walked to open the door.
Chalen barged in before the door fully opened and locked it behind him.
Kasalyn’s eyebrows slowly furrowed.
“Even for a king, it’s hardly gentlemanly to barge into a lady’s room at this late hour.”
Chalen, unfazed by Kasalyn’s calm and rational remark, glared at her.
“Shouldn’t you, as a lady, maintain your dignity so that I can treat you with the respect of a gentleman?”
“Have I ever failed to uphold my duties as a lady?”
“You’ve certainly degraded yourself.”
Chalen looked at her with a pitying gaze, shaking his head in disbelief. It was a look that reminded her of the time he broke off their engagement, bringing a sensation like blood slowly seeping from a hole in her heart.
“I’ve degraded myself?”
How dare he say that? After forcing his former fiancée into the palace and shamelessly engaging in indecencies with her younger sister, without regard for time or place.
Kasalyn felt dizzy from the strong scent of Rose’s perfume emanating from Chalen’s neck.
“This is your last chance to justify yourself. Let’s hear a plausible excuse.”
“I don’t recall doing anything wrong. What am I supposed to justify?”
Chalen stood there, his presence filled with the heavy scent of betrayal and misplaced accusations.
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
