Chapter 180

As Cyrus left, the leader of the Kadi Tribe, Brali, brought Shamir to say goodbye. They were preparing to return to Cardy, and of course, they would also take Shamir's father, Marquis Galli, with them.

Brali: "My lord, thank you again for your care of the Kadi Tribe..."

He said a lot, the gist of which was that if the Desinia Territory needed help in the future, the Kadi Tribe would definitely help without hesitation. Finally, the topic turned to the black panther.

"Afra seems to get along well with Black Sugar, so I'll leave Afra with the lord. I hope she and Black Sugar can have some adorable leopard cubs."

Cyrus nodded and thanked Brali.

He then looked at Shamir; this was the first time the two had met since Shamir had come here with Brali.

Since Shamir was willing to follow Brali back to the Kadi Tribe, it meant that she had absolutely no feelings for Brali.

If Brali had just put in a little more effort, the final outcome for both sides would have been a beautiful one.

He said, "I wish you all the best. If you hold a wedding, please let me know so I can send you a wedding gift."

This is probably the best ending in the original book.

Shamir and Brali seemed to get along well and appeared quite close.

After smiling and thanking Cyrus for her blessing, she stood quietly beside Brali, her gaze fixed on Cyrus with unwavering intensity.

When the two parted, Cyrus personally saw them off.

After that, he prepared to set off, first to the Anas Kingdom to see Queen Minina, and then return to Par Mountain.

Before this, Orville bid farewell to Cyrus and returned to the Achiyoli Territory.

Before leaving, he said, "If Black Sugar Guo has a child, please be sure to let me know."

Cyrus: "... Hmm."

The matter that Cyrus and Queen Minina discussed personally was to build a reservoir dam on the lower reaches of the Volri River to help prevent drought.

This is a small-scale water storage project.

The ponds and dams are built against the mountain, taking advantage of certain natural conditions.

Moreover, the dams built by the dams serve two purposes: as bridges during droughts and as dikes during floods.

The completion of the dam will allow for water storage during droughts and the diversion of water to irrigate surrounding fields and crops.

Secondly, the people walked back and forth on the dam.

The reason Cyrus wanted to consult with Queen Minina was because the location of the Volri River estuary was within the territory of the Anas Kingdom, and the right to use it was with him.

However, he wanted to give the project of building the reservoir dam to the Anas Kingdom.

Cyrus wanted to keep it under his control—after all, part of the territory of Desinia Territory lay in the lower reaches of the Volri River.

The function of reservoirs and dams is not temporary, but extends into the future, bringing immense benefits to the surrounding areas.

Its value has already been demonstrated by its ability to address future drought situations.

However, it would be difficult for Cyrus to gain control of the dam, because he might be able to arbitrarily construct projects within the territory of Queen Minina in the Anas Kingdom.

Unless, of course, the territory of this location on the lower reaches of the Volri River belongs to the Desinia Territory.

Cyrus decided to exchange territory for territory, precisely because she didn't know Queen Minina's intentions.

That's why he personally came to the Anas Kingdom to discuss the matter.

When he finally arrived in the Anas Kingdom and told Queen Minina about it, she was surprised and hesitant.

She hesitated and did not answer.

However, Minina did not immediately reject Cyrus's suggestion, but hoped to give her some time to think about it.

During this period, Cyrus and the others may stay temporarily at Archibald's residence.

After a long time, Minina gave an affirmative answer.

She was willing to exchange a portion of the territory.

This was solely because Cyrus had once given her a precious gift that helped her regain her confidence at the banquet and indirectly helped her and Archie overthrow the king.

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Furthermore, the Desinia Territory is now the largest in terms of land area in the entire Western Continent.

Cyrus's power and status were enough to allow him to easily make decisions about anything.

Even if she disagrees, so what?

As long as Cyrus relinquishes his claim to the location on the upper reaches of the Volri River, he will eventually achieve his goal through other means.

And this "other solution" must be one that Minina can afford...

Cyrus left the Anas Kingdom, Archibald sought him out hoping to speak with him alone.

It's right there in the courtyard, which is filled with greenery.

Cyrus was pleased.

"Are you already with the Pope?" Archibald asked directly, without beating around the bush.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, the atmosphere between the two sides had clearly changed.

"Yes." Cyrus nodded in agreement.

Archibald seemed to simply want a definite answer. After receiving Cyrus's reply, he exhaled, leaned against a pillar in the courtyard, and appeared somewhat lost in thought.

After a long pause, he said, "I should wish you well, Little Zuoyi, but I have something else to say."

Archibald paused, then gave a wry smile, "I still feel bad about this... Give me some more time."

"I will gradually let go..."

Cyrus didn't say anything, but gave him a comforting pat.

Archibald suddenly laughed and said, "I don't want to put you in a difficult position, nor do I want to hurt you. If the Pope treats you well, remember that you still have me."

"Thank you, Archie."

That was probably the end of their conversation; the two then stopped talking and began discussing their previous matters.

They had a pleasant chat and Cyrus didn't leave until the sun was setting.

Dinner was served in the room, and breakfast and lunch were the same. After all, on our first day staying at Archibald's, the atmosphere between His Holiness the Pope and His Highness the Prince at the dining table was... quite awkward and oppressive.

After that, Cyrus decided that they would each have their own meal in their rooms.

He returned to his room and saw Judas standing at the door. He couldn't help but ask what was wrong.

Judas said, "My lord, His Holiness the Pope is inside. He said he wants to dine with you. What do you think...?"

Dinner has already been prepared in the room.

Cyrus understood. "I understand, you can go now, Judas."

"Yes, lord." Upon hearing this, Judas immediately left.

Cyrus pushed open the door and entered, where he saw His Holiness the Pope smiling and waving at him, "You've been chatting with Cavendish so long, the food is almost cold."

Are you hungry?

Cyrus selectively ignored his words, patted her stomach, and nodded. "I'm hungry."

Come and eat.

As Cyrus walked away, his steps faltered; he had a feeling that the Pope seemed...

He coughed lightly and said, "Archie could tell that there was something between you and me... He just wanted to talk to me before I left, that's all."

"Archie and I talked for quite a while, and I didn't keep track of the time. Your Majesty, are you... perhaps a little bothered by that?"

They all looked happy.

Segalot smiled gently, "How could that be? You're overthinking it. Let's eat first, you must be hungry."

"You really don't mind, and you're not happy either?"

Cyrus had already walked close to Segalot and was about to sit down when, unexpectedly, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms, causing her to sit on the Pope's lap.

Segalot leaned in and kissed the other's soft, tender lips, entwining them with his warm, tantalizing tongue...

Then, in a hoarse, low voice, he said, "I mind, but I'm also happy. Little Zuoyi, you'll have to coax me a little."

Cyrus, slightly out of breath, asked, "Is this some kind of coaxing?"

"Well, it was my initiative," Segalot said with a smile, lightly tapping his rosy cheeks.

Cyrus struggled to sit up from the Pope's embrace, giving him a perfunctory kiss on the forehead. "Okay, that's enough. Let me go, I want to eat."

Segalot shook his head helplessly and then let him go.

It might be bad to let the baby go hungry.

Dinner was very lavish and included red wine.

Cyrus Zuoyi really enjoyed the sweet soup she made today, and after finishing her main course, she poured herself a glass of red wine to quench her thirst.

He finished his drink, licked his lips, and boasted, "I feel like my alcohol tolerance has increased a lot."

While one may have reached the point of drinking alcohol like water, one is no longer at the point of getting drunk after just a little bit.

Segalot said meaningfully, "Yes."

"Of course," Cyrus confirmed, then put down her empty wine glass.

Segalot poured a little more of the mellow wine.

His slender fingers pinched the delicate base of the wine glass, gently swirling it. The beautiful color of the wine reflected the warm light, creating a hazy glow that made his fair hand appear even more beautiful.

Cyrus stared at it involuntarily.

Then, one hand slowly held the wine glass to his face.

Cyrus looked puzzled.

Segalot chuckled, "I'll feed you."

As she spoke, the rim of her wine glass brought close to Cyrus's lips, and the intoxicating aroma of the wine instantly filled her nostrils.

Cyrus opened her mouth and drank it down.

"Hmm."

The last drop of bright red wine spilled and dripped from Cyrus's lips... Segalot lowered his head, his eyes deep and unfathomable...

After what seemed like an eternity, Segalot gently pecked at his neighbor's shoulder and pulled away slightly. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "Are you drunk?"

Cyrus hummed softly, her eyes glazed over like a cat smelling catnip.

He followed Segalot, capturing the other's lips and gently biting them a few times, then mimicking his previous actions by probing with his tongue...

He seems to be drunk.

Segalot froze, his heart began to pound, and a powerful tremor seemed to surge through his body. At the same time, an undeniable heat rose from his chest...

He adored Cyrus's bold and undisguised behavior.

This allowed him to truly feel that the other person shared the same feelings and the same passionate love for him.

After another lingering kiss, Segalot looked at the girl in his arms and softly asked, "Are you drunk?"

He didn't drink, but he was still drunk.

Segalot whispered in his ear, "Of course."

After he finished speaking, he picked up Cyrus and carried her to the large bed...

The next day, Segalot sighed; he still hadn't gotten to eat it.