Chapter 125: The Queen's Intentions

Chapter 125: The Queen’s Thoughts

“Your Majesty, would you like to have lunch now?” Ye Tian saw Reissina sipping red tea in the courtyard and approached with a smile, gently asking.

“You’re back. Is everything alright?” Reissina immediately stood up.

“All good. Mind your posture!” Ye Tian said with a grin. Reissina then gracefully sat back down. “I’m hungry. Let’s have dinner instead. You handle it as you see fit.”

“No problem. Please, Your Majesty, follow me.” Ye Tian extended his hand. Reissina hesitated for a moment but then smiled warmly and placed her hand in his. “Gel, you’re doing well!”

“It's nothing!” Ye Tian chuckled. “What would you like to eat?”

“Just surprise me. But make sure I’m satisfied today, or else—hmph!” Reissina gave a soft warning.

“Consider it done!” Ye Tian said confidently. “Tonight, we’ll have something special!”

“Uh, what is this?” Though Reissina was eager for Ye Tian’s special dinner, when he brought a steaming pot to the table, the queen couldn’t help but ask.

“This is called hot pot!” Ye Tian said cheerfully. “The broth is pre-seasoned. Once the water boils, you just cook the ingredients beside it for a while. The taste is guaranteed to be unique!” After speaking, Ye Tian returned to the kitchen and shortly brought out a large pot.

“This one is spicy, this one mildly spicy, and this one is not spicy. Remember that,” Ye Tian explained, pointing to several pots. “Each has a different flavor. Meats need to be cooked longer, but vegetables just need a quick dip.” He smiled brightly.

“Is this... even edible?” Reissina asked doubtfully.

“You all eat raw beef in your territory; how could you not handle this?” Ye Tian said with a sigh. “Let me show you a demonstration.”

He placed prepared slices of lamb into the mildly spicy broth, waited a moment, then gently lifted them out with tongs. “Try it!”

Though suspicious, Reissina took a bite. “Mmm, it’s delicious!”

“Told you!” Ye Tian grinned. “It really has a distinctive flavor.” Reissina quickly dipped slices into the different pots, tasting each as they cooked. “Delicious, spicy, delicious!”

“So spicy!” The girl kept sticking out her tongue. Ye Tian poured a cup of red tea and gently handed it to her. “Take it slow.”

“Gray, this is really fun!” Reissina smiled at Ye Tian. “If only there were more people!”

“This was meant for a group,” Ye Tian said with a smile. “In the cold winter, a group of people sitting around a hot pot—that feeling, I don’t need to explain, right?”

“Mm-hmm,” Reissina immediately fantasized. “It must be such a pleasure!”

“Eating is meant to be a pleasure!” Ye Tian cheerfully refilled her tea. “Don’t eat too much spicy food; it’ll upset your stomach.”

Reissina blinked her big eyes. “But it tastes really good!”

“Wow! So adorable!” The surrounding maids and chefs had stars in their eyes. The high and mighty queen showing such a girlish side was irresistibly cute.

“Hey, hey, mind the image!” Ye Tian reminded helplessly.

“Heehee!” Reissina didn’t care. Ye Tian had just said eating is a pleasure—why should she keep up the queenly façade? That was exhausting! No way, absolutely not!

After dinner, Reissina leisurely sipped her red tea and let out a satisfied burp. “Gray, I’m so full!”

“Who told you to eat so much!” Ye Tian glanced helplessly at the nearby maids, then quietly suggested, “How about a walk?”

“Okay!” The two left the dining hall and strolled leisurely along the winding paths of the campus.

“Gray, what should I do about today’s matter?” When it was just the two of them, Reissina dropped her queenly guise and sighed.

“Don’t worry about it now. I have some ideas,” Ye Tian smiled. “Trust me, as long as your brother is on your side, you’ll sweep away all the scum. That way, your claim to the throne will be even more secure.”

Reissina looked up at the stars. “You know, I don’t want this throne at all. Not even a little.”

“Well, you have no choice. If you don’t want it, who knows what others will do once they get it,” Ye Tian shrugged.

“Gray, what’s that?” Reissina pointed at a tall building.

“That’s the clock tower,” Ye Tian explained. It was the emblem of Feepley Academy but rarely used.

“Can we go up and get some fresh air?” the girl pleaded.

“But the door’s locked,” Ye Tian said, pointing to the adjacent building.

“I just want to go up!” Reissina pouted.

“Well...” Ye Tian looked around. It was late and few people were nearby. He quickly scooped Reissina up in his arms. “No noise!” Then he ran swiftly and leapt onto the wall.

“Wow!” The girl, sitting in Ye Tian’s arms, felt like she was flying.

“All right, get down now.” Ye Tian climbed onto the clock tower and gently set her down.

“It’s so high!” she exclaimed.

“Be careful!” Ye Tian warned, startled to see Reissina sitting at the window’s edge.

“You come here too!” Reissina pulled Ye Tian to sit beside her on the window ledge. Ye Tian chuckled silently when he saw a two-foot-wide walkway outside the window and felt safe sitting next to her.

“Gray, the view from up here is really nice!” Though it was dark, the academy lights shone brightly. Looking down from the clock tower, the glow intertwined beautifully.

“Maybe it’s better during the day,” Ye Tian said.

Reissina said nothing, gazing at the sky. Ye Tian stayed quiet, quietly keeping her company.

“Gel, why did you leave back then?” she suddenly asked.

“Well, I planned to come here all along,” Ye Tian replied.

“That’s not an answer,” Reissina stared at him. “Do you dislike me?”

“No way!” Ye Tian laughed softly. “How could I dislike you?”

“Then why were you unwilling when Father ordered you to marry me?” Reissina asked suddenly.

“Why should you marry me?” Ye Tian laughed. “Is it because I saved you? Or because I stopped your brother’s scheme? None of that matters.”

“Then what does matter?” Reissina asked.

“What matters is that we don’t really know each other,” Ye Tian sighed. “It’s not that you’re not beautiful or lovable. Even if you were an ordinary girl, if I loved you, I’d be willing to marry you. But do you love me?”

“I don’t know,” Reissina hugged her knees. “Maybe I fell for you the moment you saved me, or when you said you’d help me gain freedom, or maybe when you left. I really can’t tell anymore.”

“Fool,” Ye Tian gently patted her head. “That’s not love! If I had to say, it’s admiration—placing impossible hopes on someone else. That’s admiration.”

“But it feels different,” Reissina suddenly said. “When I saw you, my heart raced! Really, Gray, when I saw you again, my heart pounded fiercely. I was confused and nervous, so I wanted to hit you.”

Tilting her head, she continued, “That must be love, right? When I don’t see you, I think of you. When I see you, my heart races, I get scared and lost, but I look forward to being with you. That should be love!”

“You’re wrong. That’s still admiration!” Ye Tian grinned. “True love isn’t like that. And there won’t be only me in your life, so I can’t joke about your future.”

“Tell me, Gray, what is love?” Tears welled in Reissina’s eyes.

“What is love?” Ye Tian gently looked up at the sky. “Love is when someone occupies this place inside you and never leaves.” He pointed to his chest.

Reissina nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Gray.”

Ye Tian gently wiped away her tears. “Silly girl, I’m only a passerby in your life. Your future is still long. One day, someone will appear who doesn’t care about your status, only about you. When that time comes, remember to give him your hand.”

Reissina threw her arms around Ye Tian and sobbed loudly. Ye Tian softly stroked her hair without speaking. After a while, she stopped crying and buried her face in his chest.

“I haven’t thanked you yet,” she murmured.

“Thank you, Gray, thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Thank you!” Then she looked up shyly. “Gray, could you kiss me?”

“Okay.” Ye Tian gently cupped her face and kissed her forehead softly. “No, not there!” she interrupted, leaning in to press her lips to his.

After a moment, Reissina pulled away, puckering her lips. “Tastes good!”

Ye Tian immediately gave her a playful flick on the forehead. “What are you imagining!”

“Heehee, it’s nothing. Let’s go back!” The girl’s eyes flickered with a brief sadness before she smiled brightly.

“Yeah, it’s getting late. You should rest early. I have things to do tomorrow, so I won’t come over,” Ye Tian said.

“No need. I’ll be busy too!” Reissina tilted her head. “You go take care of your stuff.”

“What are you busy with?” Ye Tian asked curiously.

“Actually, the vice principal is my teacher. He taught me magic when I was little,” Reissina whispered into Ye Tian’s ear. “Don’t tell anyone!”

“Really?” Ye Tian was surprised.

“Really, but that was a long time ago,” Reissina said sadly. “If only my brother were still in the palace, maybe none of this would have happened.”

“Fate only reveals itself after it happens, and you never know the final outcome!” Ye Tian smiled. “Hold me tight. Let’s go down.”

---