Confession

After the opening ceremony, Zala saw off the guests and returned to her castle. As soon as she entered, she collapsed onto the sofa.

"It's finally over, I'm exhausted."

Zala sat there, picked up the teapot, but instead of pouring the tea into the teacup, she put it directly to her lips, tilted her head back, and drank it.

"Call."

After finishing her tea, Zala placed the teapot on the table and lay there lazily, intending to rest for a while.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Zala called out lazily.

Squeak.

The door opened, and a guard in a black suit walked in. As a member that Zala brought from Baroque Works, he was already used to Zala's appearance.

"Your Majesty, Minister Dalton has arrived," the guard said earnestly.

"Just let him in," Zala said irritably. "I've told you so many times, if he wants to see me, he can just come in."

The guard said somewhat helplessly, "That's what we said too, but Minister Dalton insisted that we report it."

"Okay, okay."

Zala waved her hand and said, "Let Dalton in."

"Yes."

The guard immediately went out, and then Dalton opened the door and came in. When he saw Zala's appearance, he looked somewhat helpless.

"Your Majesty, you need to be more dignified," Dalton said irritably.

Zala said lazily, "There are no outsiders here."

"I am here, you cannot do this in front of your ministers," Dalton said helplessly.

"What's the difference between us?" Zala looked at Dalton, reached for the kettle, and said, "Speak, what do you want?"

"I have a question for Queen Zala."

Dalton took a breath. Hearing her say that there was no distinction between them warmed Dalton heart, but he still asked, "Are you a member of the Baroque Works?"

"Puff."

Zala sprayed a mouthful of water directly into Dalton's face, and asked in a panic, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Dalton wiped the tea off his face and said, "It seems so."

Zala straightened up, placed the teapot on the table, and looked at Dalton, asking, "How did you find out?"

Dalton thought for a moment and said, "It's easy to see that Heckle followed you and us ashore to fight, and he even fought me. Although he left before I fought Mr. Christmas, I remembered his name. And Mr. Christmas disappeared several times. The time eleven months ago was exactly when Heckle was being hunted, and it was also the time when senior executives of Baroque Works left. In addition, you received some extra money, which made me realize that you must be a member of Baroque Works."

As Dalton spoke, Zala nodded and looked at Dalton, saying, "I am indeed a member of Baroque Works."

"Is that really true?" Dalton, his expression turning somewhat saddened after receiving a definite answer.

Zala then asked, "But what's the problem with that?"

Dalton paused for a moment, looked at Zala, and said blankly, "Baroque Works is an evil organization, and many of its members are wanted by the police."

"Evil? That's a relative term," Zala said. "And am I even wanted?"

"No." Dalton shook his head.

Zala added, "Alken and Mr. Christmas are not wanted either, and those who are wanted will never appear in this country again. Baroque Works has been destroyed and will never appear before the world again."

"But I know you're still here," Dalton said, looking at Zala.

Zala nodded and said, "That's right, but you should also know that our arrival saved the entire country and brought it to a new level. At least without my connections at Baroque Works, our medical center simply wouldn't have had the funds to be built."

"You're right," Dalton nodded.

Zala then asked, "You noticed something was wrong a long time ago, so why did it take you so long to come to me?"

Dalton said, "I am worried about the consequences of angering you and the disruption of our plans. This is the best time for the Sakura Kingdom to rise."

"We have done good for this country, and that result is enough."

Zala looked at Dalton and asked, "What are you planning to do now?"

Dalton said with some distress, "I don't know either, I just want to..."

"You don't trust us, yet you can't deny our role, and you hope this prosperity can continue." Zala leaned back, crossed her legs, and said, "Ultimately, you just want things to stay the same."

Dalton hesitated for a moment, then said, "It would be best if it remained like this."

Zala looked at Dalton and said, "Don't worry, Baroque Works will never appear. They will remain hidden in the shadows, and their share of the profits is only twenty percent. With a billion dollars in investment and armed protection, this share is already the biggest concession we've made. I can guarantee that."

Dalton nodded and said, "That's good."

Zala looked at Dalton and said, "And I want you to remember that this is not just your country, it's my country too."

"I understand," Dalton replied.

Zala asked with a smile, "Have you told anyone about this?"

"No."

Dalton shook his head and said, "Only I know."

Zala said, "So you're not afraid I'll kill you to silence you? That's not a difficult thing for me."

Upon hearing this, Dalton opened his mouth and said, "I believe Queen Zala would not do such a thing."

If this were to get out, all of this would be for naught, so Dalton had to keep it a secret.

"You actually believe me..."

Zala looked at Dalton, a smirk playing on her lips, then suddenly nudged Dalton with her foot and asked, "Do you like me?"

"How... how could this be?"

Dalton shrank back and said with a flicker in his eyes.

Zala laughed and said, "It's easy to tell. You often look at me, and when I look at you, you lower your head. Every now and then, you bring me gifts. Something like a good game you caught while hunting, or some newly harvested fruit that you send me, or a coat that you make."

Dalton coughed and said, "You, you are the Queen, and I am a subject. Of course, I should present good things to Her Majesty the Queen."

"Last time you went to Alabasta to discuss business, you bought flowers and came back without stopping to give them to me, insisting that you were delivering them for Vivi. Have you forgotten that Vivi and I are good friends? You can understand this kind of thing with just one question, right?" Zala asked with a smile.

"This, this..." Dalton wiped the sweat from his forehead, unsure of what to say.

Zala looked at Dalton and asked with a smile, "Do you know why I know you like me?"

"Why?" Dalton looked up and asked curiously.

Zala smiled and said, "It's simple, because I like you too. Because I like you, I can naturally feel what liking someone is like."

"Hmm?" Dalton looked at Zala and asked in a trembling voice, "You like me?"

"That's right."

Zala nodded and said, "I admire your selflessness in fighting for the people of this country, even when you were so badly injured. I admire your support for me and your telling the people that they can trust me. I admire your thoughtful gesture of sending me gifts, and I admire how you gave me flowers but pretended you didn't send them yourself."

"I..." Dalton blushed deeply.

Zala looked at Dalton and asked with a smile, "So, would you like to be my man?"

"This, this..." Dalton panicked even more when he heard this.

Even though he was brave and resourceful, he was still at a loss when faced with the love shown by the person he loved.

"Why are you being so fussy?"

Seeing this, Zala said irritably, "I'm a woman, and I've said all this, and you're still unmoved? Are you even a man?"

Upon hearing this, Dalton gritted his teeth, clenched his fist, and said seriously, "I do."

Upon hearing this, Zala stood up, walked over to Dalton, sat on his lap, cupped his face, and slowly leaned down.

Dalton closed his eyes, and their lips drew closer and closer until they finally kissed.

Feeling the warmth of each other's lips, both of them felt incredibly warm inside.

But after a while, a voice suddenly rang out, "Kissing isn't just about touching lips together. You two should kiss! Haven't you ever kissed before? Oh my, you're both over thirty, right? Is this your first time? Hahaha."

"Get the hell out of here on Mr. Christmas!" Zala yelled at the distance. "If you keep peeking, I'll gouge your eyes out."

"Okay, okay, okay, I'll leave now."

Mr. Christmas vanished in a flash, and nobody knows if she ever left.

Dalton's face had turned bright red as he sat there, feeling the pressure of Zala's sexy, plump buttocks against his thighs, too afraid to move.

"Ignore her."

Zala snapped out of her daze, looked at Dalton's face, and leaned down again.