The Queen's Affection (3)

Hearing the Second Elder's words, she did not continue speaking. Instead, her gaze swiftly swept over the guards standing watch in the hall and the other servants. Though she said nothing, her hesitant expression conveyed a clear message—this concerned the Queen's privacy, and too many ears should not be allowed to hear of it.

The Second Elder understood at once, and his curiosity only deepened. Without betraying a hint of it, he merely raised a hand slightly, his voice steady and authoritative. "You may all withdraw for now. Without my orders, no one is to approach the main hall."

"Yes!" The guards and servants answered in unison. Well-trained, they filed out one after another. The heavy doors slowly closed with a dull rumble, thoroughly sealing off the space within from the outside.

At that moment, only the Second Elder, the Great Elder, and the maid who understood the gravity of her duty remained in the vast chamber.

Even the air seemed to freeze. Seeing that all unrelated people had been dismissed, the maid finally took a deep breath, lowered her head once more, and spoke in a soft yet clear voice. "It was like this, Second Elder. By the Queen's command, I went to invite Mr. Su... After I brought Mr. Su there... Her Majesty was not dressed in royal attire, but rather... Then she immediately signaled with her eyes for all the accompanying maids to withdraw."

"And she explicitly ordered that we need not wait outside the door. Unless summoned, we were not to come within half a step of the bedchamber."

After repeating the entire sequence of events word for word, the maid stood solemnly with her hands lowered, not daring to say another word.

After hearing her out, the Second Elder's fingers, which had been unconsciously tapping against the rosewood armrest, came to a stop. He leaned back slightly in his chair, his deep gaze fixed on empty space as he sank into a long silence.

Even the Great Elder, whose temperament was comparatively straightforward, sensed something extraordinary within that brief account.

He waved a hand, his tone unusually gentle. "All right, you have done well. Go rest now. Remember, what happened today concerns the Queen's reputation. It leaves your mouth and enters only our two pairs of ears. There must not be a fourth person who knows of it."

"This servant understands. Thank you, Great Elder, Second Elder." Greatly relieved, the maid bowed, then left the hall with light, swift steps.

Silence returned to the hall, so complete that a falling needle could have been heard.

The instant the doors closed, the Great Elder abruptly turned his head and leaned eagerly toward the Second Elder. His face was a mix of disbelief and barely restrained excitement as he lowered his voice and nearly whispered, "Second! Did you hear that? Closing the doors, dismissing everyone, being alone together in one room! Could it be that the Queen has truly taken a liking to Mr. Su?!"

The Great Elder's voice brimmed with uncontrollable delight.

Countless scenes flashed through his mind. If Her Majesty could truly marry a powerhouse of unfathomable strength and a high-level alchemist like Su Baichen, it would be a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for the Snake-People Tribe to rise!

Hearing the Great Elder's guess, the Second Elder slowly withdrew his gaze and nodded gravely. "Elder Brother, that is precisely what I have inferred. The possibility is extremely high! And if it truly succeeds, it would undoubtedly be a blessing for our Snake-People Tribe."

"Exactly! Isn't that a wonderful thing?" The Great Elder excitedly slapped the armrest of his chair, but then noticed the worry on the Second Elder's face. He asked in confusion, "Why do you look so troubled instead? I support this with both hands!"

The Second Elder gave a bitter smile and let out a long sigh. "The matter itself is indeed a good thing. But the key lies in the person who has to carry out this good thing—something is wrong with her!"

"What could be wrong with Her Majesty?"

"Our Queen was raised by us old men. We taught her everything by hand. Her strength, beauty, talent, and ability to govern are all first-rate. She is the pride of our Snake-People Tribe."

The Second Elder abruptly changed his tone, speaking with heartfelt distress. "But! When it comes to interpersonal matters, especially love between men and women, we completely neglected her! Her emotional intelligence is probably infinitely close to zero!"

"Our Queen is practically a blank sheet of paper when it comes to romance! If she develops feelings for someone, she will most likely only express them in what she considers the most direct way. To outsiders, that method will probably sound no different from issuing a military order!"

The more the Second Elder spoke, the more agitated he became. "Even Second Young Lady Caidie, who spends all day fooling around, has far better instincts about romance than Her Majesty! Her Majesty is a complete novice in love! Sending someone with no experience at all to handle such an important task... I truly cannot put my mind at ease!"

As he spoke, the Second Elder covered his face in anguish, regret radiating from his entire body.

After hearing this analysis, the Great Elder froze in place, his mind buzzing. Only then did he realize that he had overlooked the most fatal link—the Queen had absolutely no experience in matters of the heart!

At that moment, for the first time in his life, the Great Elder desperately wished he could return to the past and slap himself across the face several times!

A miscalculation! What a colossal miscalculation!

The two elders, who held immense authority within the tribe, faced each other without a word. Only anxiety and unease filled their hearts.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere within Queen Medusa's bedchamber was completely different.

The moment Su Baichen stepped into this private space filled with exotic charm, a sense of awkwardness quietly began to grow within him.

Beneath his feet lay a soft snow-fleece carpet. The air was suffused with a cool yet cloying fragrance, while glass lamps cast hazy halos of light, lending the entire room a touch of intimacy.

What made Su Baichen most uncomfortable was Queen Medusa herself. Today, she had shed her royal robes and changed into a neatly tailored, brightly colored pale-purple outfit. It gave her less majesty and more allure.

She invited Su Baichen to sit on a low couch while she reclined some distance away, those pale-purple eyes seeming to sweep over him now and then.

Her gaze was complex and sharp, carrying undisguised admiration and a possessiveness determined to claim him. It actually made even Su Baichen, a mighty Dou Zun, feel a faint chill in his heart.

The feeling was utterly absurd. Stranger still, that gaze felt strangely familiar, yet he could not recall where he had seen it before.

"Um, Your Majesty, you..." Su Baichen instinctively reverted to the formal address.

"Mr. Su is too polite." Queen Medusa immediately seized the opportunity, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. "Since we are in private, call me Cailin, after my younger sister's surname. Calling me Your Majesty is far too distant."

She said those words smoothly and naturally, as though she had considered them carefully. Yet the name "Cailin" had been entirely improvised—she simply instinctively felt that an intimate form of address was the first step toward closing the distance between them.

"Um, all right, Cailin." Su Baichen readily went along with it, then brought the conversation back on track. "I already understand what you wanted to discuss."

Naturally, he assumed the Queen had arranged this private meeting for the sake of this major matter concerning the fate of the Snake-People Tribe.