Three Things

After only a light hug, Dairila hurriedly let go.

She explained, slightly stammering, "Of course, I'm not colluding with the enemy, nor am I putting personal feelings above national interests. Using you to attack the Council in Twilight Moon's best interest!"

Kang De said bitterly, "Indeed, this cold world has no warmth whatsoever. Friendship, faith, and ideals are all illusory illusions; only self-interest and exploitation are eternal..."

"Ah?"

The noble Phoenix King is undoubtedly a qualified monarch, possessing the suspicion and shrewdness that a great king should have, but these qualities and characteristics seem to fail in the face of Kang De.

She looked anxious, wanting to explain, but unable to bring herself to do so. Her eyes, as green as distant mountains, held a conflicted expression. "Ah, well, actually it's not like that. Heroes exist, and justice and righteousness exist too..."

"My act of saving lives is misunderstood. Despite the threat from outer space, nations harbor ulterior motives and fight their own battles. They arrogantly place life on a scale, distinguishing between high and low, noble and base, taking it all for granted. I, on the other hand, have become an outcast..."

Kang De turned to look at the elf, his gaze filled with sorrow and bewilderment.

"I thought you understood me, but it turns out you're still acting in the best interests of the elves..."

He sighed, his tone filled with desolation and weariness, shook his head sadly, and turned to leave.

Dairila felt a surge of anxiety, and a mix of grievance and worry welled up inside her.

The Phoenix King could no longer care about the elves' reserve and pride, and extended Erkang's hand.

But the next moment, as she gazed at Kang De's lonely figure, her expression shifted slightly.

Kang De had just turned around when he silently counted to three.

Women in this world are all a little bit proud and arrogant. Among the women he had seen, the Phoenix King Dairila was particularly so, because she habitually kept her true thoughts to herself, and the dignity of an elf and the pride of a king also hindered her, making it even more difficult for her to be frank.

The charm of arrogance lies in the fact that it's quite fun to tease it.

He silently counted to three, and the haughty, pointed ears were sure to take the bait. But when he counted to two, he felt a weight on his shoulder, and an irresistible, skillful force turned him around.

Then I saw Dairila's face coming right in front of me.

That elegant, noble, and strikingly beautiful face was so close, her bright green eyes sparkling with life. The dazzling light she dazzled Kang De for a fleeting moment made him gasp—was she really being so proactive?

However, even though he ate the peach, Dairila did not kiss him.

Instead, she looked at him suspiciously.

"Are you kidding me?"

Kang De turned his face away, his eyes shimmering with a deep sadness. "You don't believe me..."

It was this expression that made Teacher Li believe the shady picture book hidden behind the Zizhi Tongjian belonged to Engineer Kang; it was this expression that made Engineer Kang believe the picture book Teacher Li found was Xiaoman had asked Kang De to help her keep; it was this expression that made Xiaoman believe Kang De was taking the blame for her father.

Therefore, Teacher Li believed it without a doubt, because Engineer Kang confessed with tears in his eyes.

Moreover, Xiaoman came to testify privately.

Now, Kang De uses the same trick again in another world, his facial expressions perfectly controlled, his micro-expressions masterful, perfectly presenting the bleak sorrow of utter despair.

Then, Phoenix Fire ignited in Dairila's eyes.

With her Phoenix Eyes, she pierces through illusions and concealments, discerning the subtle and knowing the coming of autumn from a single leaf. She can see through the performances that foolish Earthlings cannot comprehend, and she can expose the lies that foolish Earthlings cannot puncture.

Seeing through acting skills and recognizing scumbags—that's Phoenix King.

Kang De realized something was wrong and turned to run away, but Dairila grabbed him by the collar.

He reached out to block and struggle, but the mere Fire Thief's rudimentary fists honed on the battlefield over the past year, along with the grotesque and flawed creatures Extraction, were no match for the Phoenix King, whose martial prowess was unparalleled in the Twilight Moon and who led thousands of troops.

In a single blow, the Dragon of Cathay was overturned to the ground by the Phoenix of Twilight Moon, and Dairila straddled him, grabbing his arm and pulling it upwards.

"Oh crap, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts! I was wrong, I was wrong!"

Why does this scene look so familiar?

Dairila grabbed his hands with one hand and began slapping the back of Kang De's head repeatedly with the other, the force and movements like a meow. "Deceiving and mocking the Queen! A capital offense!"

Kang De, a fine young man, was being ridden by a mere woman. He disliked being passive and felt extremely uncomfortable, so he struggled fiercely. However, his hands were firmly held by Dairila, and he could not break free even a little. The Phoenix King sat on his lower back, her thighs clamping tightly around his side, making it impossible for him to move for the time being.

He could only be humiliated and pinned down, his head constantly being patted and poked by Dairila's small hands, while her smug laughter emanated from above, filling him with immense shame, anger, and anxiety.

Wait a minute! Where's my wife?!

This was the first time Dairila had ever done something like this.

After all, she had been raised as a queen since childhood. Every move and word was strictly regulated. If she overstepped the rules, the etiquette teachers and palace servants would panic and collapse as if they had encountered the end of the world. Even when she was with her younger brother in private, that little brat always had the same grumpy face as he had ever had, staring at her with the eyes of someone looking at a big monkey. If she tried to make a move, he would scream loudly and call for the elf to come over.

This is the first time I've ever seen anything like this.

Especially since Kang De was a special human, oh, a particularly wicked human, having seen all her ugly forms, the Phoenix King's noble status held no sway over him. He, as the Elf Queen, was constantly being overshadowed. And now, this despicable, wicked human was being suppressed beneath her with sheer power. Just a wall away were busy elites from various nations, even elven scholars...

The thought filled her with an intense sense of excitement, and Dairila's smile grew even brighter and more triumphant. She lightly flicked Kang De's head and giggled, "Crawl, crawl, crawl!"

Kang De angrily retorted, "Don't go too far!"

Dairila found it quite amusing, so she loosened her grip on her hips and legs slightly. Kang De immediately sensed the relaxation of her restraints and began to struggle again.

The empress was rocked back and forth by the struggles beneath her, which made her laugh even more. It felt like taming a horse; no matter how unruly, bumpy, or struggling the horse was, it was all in vain because everything was under her control, and all the other party's efforts were futile.

She stroked Kang De's head and laughed, "Horse, horse, stop fooling around. Say one word and you'll submit, then I'll give you grass."

"..."

The unyielding Kang De remained unmoved, and struggled fiercely for his dignity.

The humiliation of being forced beneath a mere woman was etched into his heart. Dairila's round, soft thighs cruelly clamped around his waist, and no matter how hard he struggled, her plump, pert buttocks continued to grind viciously up and down his waist, more cruel than a branding iron. All his efforts were in vain, but for the sake of his dignity, Kang De still fought back with all his might. The mocking laughter of his evil enemy echoed incessantly. He swallowed his tears, his face hidden in the Shadow, revealing an expression of unbearable pain.

--This is so much fun!

Our ancestors were right!

Dairila had learned all of this from the Parrot. She recalled the strangely enthusiastic expression on her ancestor's face. At the time, she was quite surprised and instinctively felt that this cunning and lazy ancestor had ulterior motives. Now it seemed that he had misunderstood her. Then, the Phoenix King's expression changed.

Etc.

Why were our ancestors so skilled?

How many times did she do it with Kang De?

Thinking of this, Dairila suddenly lost interest, got up, and sat down on the ground to one side.

Kang De, still instinctively bowing, turned his head and said, "Ah?"

"I'm not playing anymore," Dairila said in a muffled voice. "It's not fun."

Ah?

Kang De looked at Dairila, puzzled.

The Queen was a proud and aloof woman, unable to speak her mind about many things, and this time was no exception. However, seeing Kang De's infuriatingly innocent and bewildered expression, coupled with her own boldness and indulgence earlier that day, she acted impulsively and finally opened up, slapping the ground in dissatisfaction. "You did this kind of thing with our ancestors, didn't you!"

--ah?

"And game consoles!"

"And Coke! Chocolate! Biscuit! Jerky! Jelly! She's eaten them all, hasn't she!"

"How come it's always her first! How many things have you two actually done together?!"

Later on, she even unconsciously kicked her legs a few times, just like a little princess throwing a tantrum.

Kang De finally understood.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "There is one thing I've never done with her."

Dairila's expression shifted. "What?"

Kang De said seriously, "She rode me, but I never rode her, you see..."

"... Insolent! Shameless! You wicked human being!"

Dairila's face flushed red as she reached out to grab Kang De's neck. "Don't even think about it!"

In a few quick movements, Kang De was pinned down again, this time face to face. Their eyes met, and Dairila's hair fell loose, her cheeks flushed. She was startled and quickly moved away, hiding to the side.

Kang De shook his head and slowly stood up. "There are many."

The Empress looked over in confusion.

The Fire Thief smiled at her, "Things we did together, but not with her."

Dairila was momentarily dazed.

Their first meeting outside Valentan, the initial negotiations and tense standoff, the subsequent open communication, and then the resurgence of troubles, intertwined fates, separations and reunions, national interests, higher interests, and private matters...

Her heart pounded with emotion, and she glared at Kang De again. "It's all my fault for making a fool of myself."

She cried in front of him, ate and drank heartily in front of him, cried in front of him, cried in front of him, watched him kiss Tina, heard him make a vow with the dragon girl, and heard her ancestors talk about their happy times together...

--Ugh, thinking about it now makes me so angry!

Kang De was completely oblivious to Dairila's change in expression, and even less could he fathom what the Queen was thinking. In fact, he wasn't looking at her at all; instead, he was gazing up at the ceiling and murmured, "There will be many more in the future, won't there?"

The empress, who was feeling jealous and resentful, was taken aback.

"Unique memories shared and created together."

Dairila was startled.

The human before her lowered his head, looked at her with a warm expression, calm gaze, and a smile.

She heard Kang De say, "For example, standing shoulder to shoulder to greet..."

"--shut up!"

In that instant, Dairila had a sudden inspiration and shouted out, startling Kang De into shutting his mouth. "Huh?"

"My gut tells me I'll be so angry I'll chop you up after you finish speaking, so you'd better shut up!" Dairila glared fiercely at Kang De. "Three things?"

"Ah?"

"This is the Queen's order! You must prepare three things! Things you must do with me! Things you haven't done with our ancestors before, and you must never do with her again! Things you can't do with anyone else! Only things with me!" Dairila shouted, pointing at him. "Otherwise I'll... I'll..."

She hesitated for a moment, then said fiercely, "In short, I will definitely punish you with the most severe torture!"

"..."

Kang De looked at Dairila and laughed, "Alright."

The other person, embarrassed and annoyed, said, "What are you laughing at?"

"I remembered something happy."

"What's making you happy?"

"I saw the cutest side of a good friend."

"... rude!"

After a while of commotion, Dairila realized with a start, "What's going on with the Broken Isles..."

Kang De scoffed, "By the time you figure it out, it'll be too late—don't worry, I've already given the orders. The transport planes are heading to the Azure Fleet's location; I'll go check it out when they arrive."

Dairila breathed a sigh of relief, then felt embarrassed. She'd gone too far without realizing it; this wasn't like her at all— Dairila, don't get carried away in front of him...

I've already lost enough face in front of this awful human... Waaah...

She composed herself, quickly regaining the composure and dignity of an elven queen, and said, "I'm a little surprised that even in your anger, you haven't reduced your support for the Azure Fleet."

Kang De shook his head and said, "One thing at a time. Rescuing the Azure Fleet was my decision. I will not hold the fleet's officers and soldiers responsible for the Starry Sky Council's and that idiot's stupidity. There is no connection between the two. Those soldiers are also pitiful people, paying the price for the selfishness and arrogance of those in power..."

He sighed. "It's always been like this."

Dairila's expression darkened; she thought of many things.

The Queen said softly, "You did very well, I like it very much."

She blurted it out unconsciously, then panicked and blushed. Just as she was about to cover it up, she realized that Kang De hadn't taken her thoughtless remark to heart. For a moment, she felt a pang of annoyance.

Then Kang De slowly said, "Not good enough... far from good enough."

The elf was taken aback.

"I'm still hesitant about the decision I just made... it doesn't seem rational." Kang De looked at Dairila. "I'm not even sure if it were the elven fleet in danger, and if it weren't those idiots from the Council pleading with me, but you... I don't know if I would refuse you."

He hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I don't know what will happen after I reject you. I also don't know what I would choose if my decision stemmed from a more difficult dilemma. Sometimes, the greater the ability, the more painful it is, because when you have no ability, you can't do anything, and when you have ability, sometimes you can't do it well..."

He spoke softly, then his warm fingers pinched his cheek.

You underestimate me.

Dairila grabbed his cheek and pulled him around.

"Kang De, I didn't want to be the Phoenix King. I was forced into it, and I have to do it well."

She looked at the humans before her. "For this, I gave up so much, but there are also things I absolutely cannot give up, a truth I've only recently come to understand."

"--If I have to give up everything, then what's the point of being an empress?"

Kang De's expression faltered slightly.

"So do you understand now? How dare you, a bold human, question the great Phoenix King."

Dairila tightened her fingers, pulling Kang De's face into a comical expression. "If I were as arrogant, short-sighted, and foolish as that short-lived Council, how could I be sitting with you now? I would mobilize the royal court to wage war, killing you at all costs, to avenge the soldiers who died in the Goth-Moon War... But I didn't, because I know who truly killed them."

"So, if you're worried about the next difficult choice or dilemma, it's simple—you don't need to choose; you can do both, and that's it."

"Do you understand? Like this time, if you had enough time to prepare, you could actually do both, right? Evacuate everyone from the Broken Isles while simultaneously rescuing the Azure Fleet, right?"

Kang De nodded slowly.

This time, the limited capacity per unit time made it impossible to attend to both sides. The fundamental reason for this is not the limited capacity of Horus or the insufficient number of aircraft.

The problem is that there aren't enough runways and the airports aren't big enough.

If he had started conscripting laborers and spellcasters to build a large airport after arriving at Distant Harbor, this mess wouldn't exist. He wouldn't have had to break with the Arcane Council over his own bottom line and the lives of innocent people. Instead, with the fervent support of the Broken Isles' people, he could have happily squeezed a large sum of money out of the Council, making them pay with tears in their eyes and even thank him.

But that's just a hypothetical.

Two weeks ago, Kang De must have been bored out of his mind to think about building an airport. The infrastructure was far from that stage; they hadn't even finished installing all the utility poles, let alone building something of such a large scale. What a joke! It was completely unnecessary.

Now he understands.

"See, isn't that enough?"

Dairila smiled brightly, "Remember the lesson, prepare more, and strive to become stronger so that in the future you won't need to make decisions or sacrifices, and can have it all."

She took Kang De's hand. "Let's do it together."

Kang De shook hands in return. "The first thing?"

The Queen's smile remained radiant, "Are three mere matters causing you such a headache?"

"Understood."

"Hmph."

Horus's transoceanic message rang in his ears. "Father, the airlift plan has been optimized again, and the plan to rescue the Azure Fleet has been finalized. The air rescue operation on the Broken Isles is about to enter its final sprint. Are you ready, Father? The real challenge is about to begin."

Upon hearing this, Kang De shook Dairila's hand and pulled her up with him.

I'm leaving.

"Go ahead, I'll go check out the Broken Isles too," she chuckled. "We'll be there soon."

Want to try the plane?

"Aren't you afraid I'll discover something?"

"Found randomly."

"Hmph."

Kang De released the Empress's small hand, pushed open the door, and the people passing by outside were stunned for a moment before bowing. Hong San, who were in the distance, stepped forward to pay their respects when they saw him come out.

"Take me to that O'Malley."

Upon seeing the temporary envoy, whose face bore fresh scars and whose expression was grim, Kang De skipped the pleasantries and cut to the chase. "As the first reward and condition for rescuing the Azure Fleet..."

He said, "Tell me the last coordinates of your submarine before it sank, including its depth."

Although we can't get our hands on the submarine, sinking a few oil tankers filled with plastic explosives nearby is still an option—just as Horus said, the real battle is about to begin.

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PS1: It's cracked... Damn, the air conditioner broke this morning, and I was woken up by the steam...