As a villain, he could do whatever he wanted.

Page 84

"Control?"

Lius asked again, and Flora nodded slightly.

"Two years ago, the border rebellion had just ended, and the military strength in the capital had been greatly depleted. In addition, in recent years, there have been several famines, and the grain production was no longer sufficient to support such a large army. You should also know this, Lord Lius."

"Your Majesty, you told me about these things when you last came to the palace. Since that discussion, Your Majesty has been sighing non-stop, and you couldn't help but sigh again just now."

In a rather lively tone, Lius reminded the queen in front of him, and Flora coughed lightly twice, exhaled, and nodded to Lius.

"I remember that when you suggested, Lord Lius, that we reduce our troops and expand the national treasury, and use the national silver to purchase food and pay for the remaining troops, I did as you suggested and it was effective. This led to the final victory in the war. Many soldiers returned home to farm after receiving their pay. The vast majority of our troops were concentrated on the southern border, and only a minimum number of troops were left in the capital and inland areas."

"So, does Your Majesty believe that the current military strength is insufficient?" Lius asked in return.

"That's only part of the reason. More importantly, we recently received intelligence that a group of rebels that should have been eliminated two years ago have now regrouped in the south."

"Oh? More rebels?"

"Yes, it's the same group of rebels from before, and for some reason, their forces are much stronger than before. The kingdom is currently gathering troops on the southern border to prevent chaos. Even if we want to assist you, Lord Lius, in your search, we can only limit the scope to the southern border. As for the east, west, and north, we can only have local nobles lead troops to investigate; we cannot conduct a large-scale search."

"What an interesting 'coincidence'... So many crises have occurred during this period, it seems there must have been some kind of agreement between them. Hmm... In that case, we'll have to activate another plan."

The Queen nodded, and Leus muttered something to himself before speaking to Flora again:

"In that case, let's search the southern border first. I'll think about the rest of the place later. Please allow me to stay in the palace for now. I have some other things I'd like to learn more about and I need the help of the advisors here."

"Oh? That's rare. It's quite unexpected that Lord Leus seeks help from others."

"Hehe, Your Majesty is joking. If I couldn't solve the problem myself, I wouldn't force myself into a predicament where there's no one to turn to for help. Please keep a close eye on this matter, Your Majesty. If you find anything out during the investigation, please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you."

As he said this, Lius bowed again and gave a slight bow in Flora's direction, and Flora nodded slightly and extended her hand to Lius in return.

"Please wait a moment, Lord Leus. We will arrange for rooms to be prepared for you two shortly. Also..."

The Queen paused, then her gaze drifted slightly to a snow-white tower outside the throne room window, and she softly made a request to Leus:

"Also, if you have time, Lord Lius, you might as well go and see Noelle; she would also like to meet you."

"Princess Noelle...?"

Hearing Flora's words, Lius paused for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully, seemingly recalling his past interactions with the little princess...

Chapter 156 Honey and Dagger (Part 1)

It was half an hour later when I walked out of the throne room.

"..."

As the two stepped out of the golden, shimmering door and back into the corridor outside the throne room, Leah's body trembled slightly, and she could still hear a series of restless chirping sounds in her ears.

As if struck by some immense shock, the meeting with the Queen left this naive white-haired girl still caught up in the tense and bewildered atmosphere of the past. Even her steps as she followed Lius became hesitant, as if each step she took would be like being torn apart, and her legs would become weak.

More importantly, looking back now, the inexplicable hallucination that suddenly came when she first met the Queen made Leah very uneasy, as if she had touched on a secret that she should not delve into, leaving Leah in a state of anxious panic.

"Lia, are you alright?"

Holding Lia's little hand, and noticing his adopted sister's still shaken appearance, Lius gently pulled her into his arms and asked her with concern. He then stroked Lia's little head and gently comforted his trembling adopted sister.

"Relax, you've already seen it. Although Her Majesty the Queen seems cold and likes to make dangerous jokes, she is actually a very kind person, especially towards us. Her Majesty the Queen takes great care of us. Leah, you don't need to be so nervous."

"Brother..."

After swallowing hard, Lia gently raised her head and looked at Leus with a pitiful expression.

"Waaaaah, elder brother..."

Her eyes sparkled, and her ruby-like pupils, combined with the girl's adorable "seeking comfort" expression, involuntarily evoked a sense of tenderness in one's heart. It was as if she was coaxing Levi, which made Levi's heart beat a little faster, and he immediately realized what Levi meant.

"Ha... You want a hug from your brother, right? No matter how much you grow up, in some ways, Leah is still a child..."

Lius stroked the girl's head and smiled helplessly. Then he gently bent down, lifted Lia's petite and light body into his arms, and held his white-haired stepsister in a princess carry.

"Is this alright? Can you comfort my little Lia?" Lius asked with a smile, stroking the girl's back.

"Hmm... Thank you, elder brother. I feel much more at ease. I'm sorry to have troubled you..."

Lying in Lius's arms, Lia blushed and nodded slightly, her little nose twitching as if she were smelling Lius's scent. This gradually calmed the white-haired girl's flustered heart, and a look of contentment appeared on her face.

"Ah...it smells like my older brother, it's so comforting..."

As she pondered this in her heart, Lia tightened her grip on Lius's arm, as if she didn't want him to leave her. After leaving the throne room, she kept her arms tightly wrapped around his shoulders as they strolled down the corridor. Their intimate posture attracted the attention of passing servants, who were filled with doubt and curiosity about the relationship between the brother and sister.

Just then, as they passed a corner, a maid stood in front of a gate leading to the rear garden of the palace, looking at Lius with a serious expression.

"..."

Seeing Lius walk by, she stepped forward and spoke to him in a respectful tone:

"Young Master Fren, Princess Noelle requests your presence and is already waiting in the room, ready to receive you at any time."

"Oh? Your Highness?"

Thinking of the sixteen-year-old princess with long purple hair, and recalling Queen Flora's instructions to him, Lius thought for a moment and finally nodded. He looked at Lia in his arms again, gently bent down, and put the slightly struggling Lia back on the ground.

"Hmm...Lia doesn't want to leave her brother's arms..." Lia murmured, pursing her lips.

"Alright, alright, I'm going to meet the princess later, so I can't be too frivolous. Lia, you should go to your room and tidy up first. If you get lost, ask the servants for help. Once I'm done here, I'll go back to my room to find you."

"OK, all right……"

Lia nodded slightly, then seemed to think of something, and looked up at Lius with a slightly puzzled look.

"Eh? Brother, are you... going to see Her Highness the Princess alone? Don't you need Lia to come along?"

"No need, after all, the princess only invited me. If I brought you along, it might displease the princess, and besides..."

Lius paused slightly, then smiled helplessly.

"Besides, given the princess's personality, it's best if too many girls don't accompany me, otherwise... who knows what terrible things might happen."

"Horrible things..."

Lia's eyes were still full of doubt, while Leus gently stroked the girl's head and continued:

"Anyway, Leah, you can go back to your room first. I'll follow you shortly. Don't wander off, okay?"

"Ah... well... Leah understands..."

Feeling the trust in Leus's eyes, Leah hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded, gently took Leus's hand, squeezed it tightly, and then released it, gently opening her mouth to her brother in front of her:

"...Hurry up, don't keep leaving Leah alone in the room."

"Okay, okay, go ahead, I'll be right back."

After saying this, Lius summoned several servants and asked them to accompany Lia to the arranged room. He himself, led by a maid, walked out of the palace, through the lush green gardens and blooming flowers, and arrived at a white ivory tower that was more than ten stories high, located at the far end of the palace.

"Let's go, Young Master Furen, Her Highness the Princess has been waiting upstairs for a long time."

"Ah."

Gazing at the towering white towers that seemed to reach into the clouds, Leus swallowed hard, nodded slightly, took a step forward, bid farewell to the maid, and entered through the doorway, ascending the winding spiral staircase.

The bronze doors of the white tower opened automatically in front of him, and a sweet, honey-like scent seeped out from the cracks, constantly wafting into Lius's nostrils, which was utterly intoxicating.

As Lius stepped onto the first step, the rose relief on the handrail suddenly burst forth with countless rays of light, as if to welcome him in a special way. The emerald-inlaid patterns continued to spread with his steps, casting spiderweb-like shadows on the wall, as if to trap the blond boy within them forever, giving him no chance to escape.

The light in the tower wasn't very bright, and the lingering scent of irises in the air suddenly became pungent—this was a perfume Noelle had learned to use when she was ten years old, specially recommended by Lius, who said it suited her very well. The little girl had remembered it and continued to use it on herself.

Following the fragrance upwards, finally reaching the top of the tower, and looking at the heavy door before him, Lius took a deep breath, then made up his mind, gently placed his hand on the doorknob, and pushed forward forcefully, calling out to the girl inside the room:

"Your Highness, I...cough...come in."

"Ah, is that my brother? Great! Hehe, come in, please come in, my dearest brother~"

The way he said "brother" was filled with a seductive and alluring quality, making Leus swallow hard. A wave of tingling and numbness washed over him, and he shivered slightly.

"Her Highness's personality... is exactly the same as before, even stronger than before..."

Thinking this through, Leus composed himself, made up his mind, pushed open the door, and with what he could have been a warm smile, looked at the silver-haired girl inside and began his greeting as a "subject"...

Chapter 157 Honey and Dagger (Part Two)

"Good afternoon, Your Highness."

"Hmm! Hehe, good afternoon, Brother Leus, welcome home!"

Noelle's small, white-stockinged feet shuffled across the floor, stepping over the handicraft tools scattered everywhere. The hem of her semi-transparent nightgown was stained with patches of indigo paint. In her arms, she held a small, exquisite chibi-style Lius doll, its chest adorned with countless heart-shaped stickers. The doll was something the girl had made herself a few years ago, with Lius's guidance.

"Come here, Noelle has been waiting for you for a long time. It's been so long since you played with your brother. Knowing that you were coming today, I immediately sent someone to summon you. Tell you to come and play with me as soon as you finish talking with Mother!"

"Ha...Your Highness, you are so hospitable..."

"I'm only warm towards you, brother! After all... you are the most important person to me and Mother, and also Noelle's favorite older brother. You are my treasured... possession."

Looking at Lius, Noelle's voice was filled with unreserved sincerity and fervor. Her two delicate little hands tightly gripped Lius's arm, pulling him directly towards her and pressing him down in front of her, so that they faced each other and looked at each other at close range.

Looking at her up close, Lius once again felt the beauty of the little princess.

Her long, silvery-white hair cascaded down her shoulders like silk, spilling onto the bed beneath her. Smooth and smooth, her delicate, fair skin was like jade, crystal clear and flawless. Her facial features were arranged in perfect proportion, paired with her crystal-clear black eyes, making her look like a fairy descended from heaven, beautiful and captivating. She was almost identical to her mother, yet possessed the lively innocence of a teenage girl.

Compared to Queen Flora's maturity and charm, this little princess exudes more innocence and purity. The contrast between the mature young woman and the innocent little girl creates a sense of wonder and evokes a sense of wonder.

The Queen's appearance was even well-maintained, and when she was with her daughter, it was impossible to tell that they were mother and daughter. When Lius met with the two of them, he often felt that "the two were sisters".

Now, in close proximity to Noelle, Lius was momentarily dazed, having the illusion that he was pinning the queen, who had been sitting on the throne, beneath him, and "enjoying" her at will. Moreover, he was playing with the young queen, observing her delicate and innocent posture to his heart's content. Using a daughter instead of a mother filled him with a sense of immorality and offense...

Oops, I've gone off-topic.

"Oh dear... Brother's breathing has become quite heavy, hehe, is he attracted by Noelle? Is he going to 'attack' this princess here? Hehe, how perverted..."

Deliberately emitting soft, alluring calls, Noelle exhaled breaths that were sure to captivate.

On the surface, she pretended to struggle and be unwilling, but in reality, her eyes held an undisguised fervor and love for Lius. Her two beautiful legs, encased in white sheer pantyhose, wrapped around Lius's waist, tightly imprisoning him within them, allowing Lius to fully experience this fragrant and tender "shackle."

It was at this moment, amidst the fragrant breaths, that Leus once again truly felt the fervent affection this silver-haired girl held for him.

In fact, he had been able to sense it from the moment he entered the room.

Noelle's room is like a museum frozen in time. The east wall is covered with portraits of Lius on his birthdays over the years, with dried rose petals nailed to the edges of the frames. The glass cabinet on the west side displays his lost pocket watch, used tableware, and even clipped nails. Each item has a neat label below it: "The date my brother first smiled at me" or "The moment my brother praised the sweetness of the muffins I made."

"Brother Lius... Brother, you know how Noelle feels about me, right? Whether it's money, power, or my most precious 'thing,' it all belongs to you alone. It's your privilege, and it's how I feel about you. I wonder if you like it?"

Leaning against Lius, Noelle's cheeks were slightly flushed, making her look extremely delicate and lovely. She slowly uttered sweet and soft sounds, causing Lius's heart to beat faster and his defenses to crumble.

“Your Highness, I feel the same way… I will always keep Your Highness in the deepest part of my heart, in the most important place.” Holding Noelle’s small hand, Lius spoke slowly.

"The most important place? Hehe, I know how much you feel about me, but... well, that makes a problem."

"Hmm? A problem?" Lius asked again.

"Yes, after all, there's only one most important place in your heart, and there should only be one person you love the most, brother. If there are many people in your heart, wouldn't it be impossible to choose who you love the most? Right, brother? After all, there have been similar situations around you..."

At this point, Noelle's expression suddenly turned cold, and a strong sense of hostility flashed in her eyes.

"For example, there's that white-haired, philandering little wildcat that my elder brother brought to the palace..."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Lius was stunned, taken aback by Noelle's words.

Just then, twelve chimes suddenly sounded outside the window, indicating that it was noon.

In the princess's room, many small wax figures dressed in formal attire were placed on the table, emitting pre-recorded music that filled the entire room.

"This is……"

Upon closer inspection, the faces of these dolls depicted Lius at different ages, with silver springs inserted into their joints. They emitted soothing and sacred songs, surrounding the two people on the bed as if blessing them, appearing very solemn and dignified.

"So, brother, do you like these dolls? Noelle made them all herself!"

"What...are these doing?" Leus asked, looking at the little dolls with some surprise.

"Hehe, this is our wedding march rehearsal~ We have to prepare in advance for our future wedding~" Princess Noelle hugged Lius's arm, her face showing an undisguised and expectant smile.

"marry……"

"Yes, it's about marriage. Brother, you've come all this way to the capital, and I'm not going to let you go so easily. Especially since there are always a few nasty thieves around you. To prevent this from happening again, I have to make you understand my feelings. Today, I'll make you... completely my toy!"

Noel leaned against Lius's chest, gazing at him with intense emotion, while occasionally nuzzling against the boy's chest.

This was Lia's favorite spot, but now, as if to assert her dominance, Noelle had taken it over, and was deliberately looking at Lius with a smug gaze, as if to show him that she would serve him even more diligently than Lia.