The three months spent under house arrest in the basement, subjected to Cinderella's obsessive love, were a period Faust would never forget in his eternal life.
How should he describe it? Simple disgust or fear didn't quite cover it; Faust wasn't exactly intimidated by it, but rather, he was profoundly shocked.
You see, in the past, while Faust claimed to despise his own 【mystery】 trait, he secretly enjoyed it. He basked in the eyes of others filled with worship, adoration, and awe.
Whether it was the maidservants who frequently attended his bed or the noblewomen who occasionally stayed the night, which of them hadn't been utterly devoted to the prince?
It wasn't until he collided with "Cinderella" that he truly met his Waterloo.
His prideful mechanics were utterly insignificant in the face of her absolute numerical values!
I am truly sorry for not being able to fully satisfy Lady Cinderella!
He had never seen anyone who could be so suppressed; it was terrifying.
Viviana was indeed suppressed, but it was never a suppression of lust; it was a suppression of love.
Faust's long-standing indifference was the root of her suppression. As long as the Qingxi prince no longer held onto that former utilitarian mindset of treating emotions as bargaining chips, Viviana was satisfied.
As for his philandering and debauchery? What did that matter? It would be for the best if the prince truly became obsessed with love!
Mystoria, hearing this pair's conduct, showed a look of confusion on her handsome, elegant face as she furrowed her brows.
"I don't quite understand, but I feel like your conduct isn't exactly like the one in the prophecy..."
The elf imagined if Faust and her princess were to mess around like he did with the maidservants...
Slap—
Mystoria gave herself a harsh slap, the force so great it sent ripples through the air.
Faust was struck with alarm. "Teacher Mi, what's the meaning of this? I really don't mind you seeing my private life."
If anything, knowing a beautiful elf was watching actually gave him a bit of a performance boost.
The elf mentor clenched her fists, her face showing an expression of regret and agitation for the first time as she shook with anger.
"Truly deserving of ten thousand deaths... I actually... actually had such a blasphemous delusion toward Her Highness..."
Faust raised an eyebrow at her words.
"Hmm?"
The "Her Highness" the elf martial saint spoke of certainly wasn't referring to himself. In that case, did she mean... the princess of Zhexuan Kingdom?
Judging by Mystoria's reaction, she held this princess in extreme reverence, unable to tolerate even a hint of disrespect.
This made Faust curious, but unfortunately, Mystoria never discussed the internal affairs of the elf kingdom.
Zhexuan Kingdom was quite mysterious to the outside world and located so far away that even with Faust's well-informed intelligence network, it couldn't exactly spy on the news of the elven court.
In the past, Faust hadn't cared. After all, Zhexuan Kingdom was too remote; even in the grand hegemony he envisioned in his dreams, he wouldn't have included it. The antiquity of the latter was beyond what any short-lived human kingdom could compare to; it remained standing despite the winds and rain.
But since he had been loaned into an unknown destiny script by Mephistopheles, he had to pay some attention.
Mystoria patted her slightly puffed cheeks with both hands, then gave her head a vigorous shake.
"In any case, this is not for me to consider. All I must do is believe in the fairy's revelation and pass my martial arts on to you. Continue your training, Faust."
"Yes, please guide me, Teacher Mystoria."
Faust also cast aside the curiosity in his heart. Whatever fate awaited him in Zhexuan Kingdom, if it was something even an elf martial saint found daunting, it certainly wasn't something his current self could resolve.
Mystoria's training continued. While Faust actively learned the skills of his elven mentor, he also constantly absorbed knowledge. Without the worries of government affairs or the scheming of politics, it was a rare, fulfilling, and leisurely time.
In the afternoon, Faust walked on the path toward the Regent's Hall.
Mystoria hadn't called him for drills today, giving her apprentice a rare day off, saying that one needs to balance work and rest. Even asceticism shouldn't be constant tension.
She had already fully recognized the Qingxi prince's self-discipline and enthusiasm, so there was no need to watch him at all times.
Thus, Faust planned to inquire about government affairs for the first time in a long while. Ever since he handed the burden over to his sister, he had only felt a brief moment of discomfort before thoroughly enjoying the leisure.
He heard Yusewood was doing quite well. The powerful calculation power of a high warlock allowed her to optimize the inner court's bureaucracy all by herself.
Just as he entered the silent palace, the prince of Qingxi heard his royal sister's cold voice.
"Faust, you still dare to come see me."
The silver-gray-haired princess was standing by a pillar. Her cool, elegant figure looked like a physical incarnation of moonlight. A beige trench coat was draped over her shoulders, and a pair of sage-blue, clear, beautiful eyes glared unpleasantly at the prince.
Faust didn't hesitate and immediately apologized. "Sorry, I've been too busy these days and ignored the affairs on your side. It was indeed wrong of me."
"If you had truly ignored them, that would be fine."
Yusewood looked at the prince with a contemptuous gaze that asked 'what are you trying to pull'.
"But you really went and did something big without saying a word, didn't you?"
What did I do now?
Faust thought that during this time, he had either been training his martial arts or immersing himself in library books. He had been incredibly diligent and had no idea why Yusewood would be angry.
Seeing that her brother seemed intent on playing dumb to the end, the royal sister pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed.
"Do you know that the Empire sent a letter to Qingxi?"
"The Empire?"
Faust's voice rose first, then he asked, "Which empire? The original one, or the Second..."
"The Second Empire, of course. Otherwise, they wouldn't acknowledge the independence of the Qingxi Kingdom at all. Stop talking nonsense."
Yusewood's delicate brows furrowed slightly. She seemed unwilling to dwell on it further with Faust and explained helplessly:
"The Second Empire sent a letter expressing their desire to form an alliance with the Qingxi Kingdom. As for the specific terms, they have already dispatched a special envoy who is on the way."
Huh? What's going on now?
"Does our Qingxi have anything worth allying with?"
Faust said in confusion. Although the Qingxi Kingdom was a nation that gained independence by resisting the original empire's tyranny, there were over a dozen such nations. Qingxi's geographic location wasn't important enough, and it didn't have any special resources. There was no reason to attract the empire's attention.
And they weren't talking about making it a vassal, but an alliance of a more equal nature?
"Who knows?"
Yusewood lifted her snow-white, exquisite chin and glanced at him with a meaningful look.
"They specifically named you. The letter stated that they would only talk to you and that you are to represent the kingdom with full authority. Perhaps they didn't come for Qingxi, but simply for you."
"In any case, I haven't even told Father about this. Since you attracted this trouble, solve it yourself."
The silver-gray-haired princess handed the letter to Faust, turned, and left.
Just as Faust was completely baffled, Mephistopheles spoke up.
【I authorized this.】
Rate on N.U.
