As a villain, he could do whatever he wanted.

Page 90

Before Leus could react, Lia took a sip of the mild tea and, with an ambiguous smile, pressed her lips to Leus's, passing the tea, which carried a hint of girlish flavor, into Leus's mouth.

"Mmm... glug glug..."

Seeing this, Noelle swallowed hard, then clenched her fists and imitated Lia's actions, taking a sip of tea before snuggling up to Lius.

The three of them kissed passionately, and Lius could feel the two sensations alternating on his lips. The combination of Lia's gentleness and Noelle's passion was incredibly addictive.

Lius also gently closed his eyes, using all his energy to savor the delicious taste, and occasionally took the initiative to "tease" the two girls, causing Lia and Noelle to let out ecstatic sounds.

Finally, the three of them stopped their interaction with the sound of footsteps outside the door. Then, a knocking sound came from the door, drawing their attention.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty the Queen requests that Prince Fren and you come over. She says that all the ministers have arrived and are waiting in the throne room to discuss Prince Fren's plans."

"Oh, they're already here? Okay, we'll head over now."

Noelle greeted the maid outside the door, then quietly rose from in front of Lius and stood on the ground with Lia. They straightened their clothes in front of the full-length mirror, making sure that no one else would notice what had happened in the room.

"These saliva stains, the places where my brother bit me, and these torn stockings, hmm, they're all covered up... Alright! No one can tell, perfect!"

Muttering to herself, Noelle exhaled, flexed her wrists, and a dignified glint flashed in her eyes. Her expression instantly became serious and solemn, giving the silver-haired princess an air of nobility.

With an elegant demeanor, the young woman took a light step, beckoned to Lius with her finger, and gently pointed towards the door.

"Then, Lord Lius, let's go and meet with Her Majesty the Queen Mother and the ministers."

"Yes, please go first, my dear princess."

Watching the silver-haired princess leave the room, Leus smiled and nodded, giving her a respectful bow. Lia, standing beside him, blinked slightly in surprise, looking curiously at Noel's retreating figure, and whispered to Leus:

"Wow... Brother, I didn't expect Her Highness to be so amazing when she gets serious. She's so majestic and handsome, just like Her Majesty the Queen."

"Yes, hehe, Lia, don't underestimate Noelle. Although she is very young, she has undergone a huge amount of training and learning since a very early time. It can be said that she has absorbed all the knowledge that a queen should have. She is extremely talented and experienced. You will understand Noelle's abilities when you go to the throne room later."

As he spoke, Leus gently stroked Lia's hair, making her even more curious about Noelle. Then, the two of them followed behind Noelle, the princess of the kingdom, towards the throne room to meet the ministers who were waiting there...

Chapter 170 Three Nobles (Part 1)

"Okay, we've arrived."

Back in front of the throne room, Lius and Noelle exchanged glances and nodded in tacit agreement. Noelle then led the way, guiding Lius and Lia inside.

"Your Majesty, we've arrived."

As soon as he stepped inside, Lius was met with a barrage of gazes directed at him like sharp arrows.

"..."

On either side of the throne, leading towards the palace gate, stood a row of ministers in official robes. There were about twenty of them, all women, standing neatly on either side, forming a long corridor of people guarding the silver-haired queen on the throne.

Most of these ministers were in their prime, around thirty years old, with graceful figures and beautiful faces, displaying the charm of true beauties.

Several younger girls followed behind the young women as assistants or servants, quietly waiting for what was to happen with slightly nervous and solemn expressions.

If you look further into the lines on the left and right, you can see three leaders at the very front of these ministers, exuding an aura of authority.

"..."

Three young women, each with a distinct expression, stood at the forefront of the ministers. They were dressed in more exquisite clothes than the others and held documents and materials that they wished to deliver to the Queen. It seemed that they had been temporarily gathered here.

Upon closer inspection, the documents in their hands appeared somewhat messy, and some of them had dark circles under their eyes, suggesting they had been staying up late for a long time and looked as if they were about to faint at any moment, which was enough to show how busy and hard-working they had been recently.

These three are the most famous nobles in the kingdom, and together with the Freun family to which Lius belongs, they are known as the four great noble families in the kingdom.

They cooperate and compete with each other, and each has outstanding influence in different fields such as commerce, magic, and education. They are directly managed and summoned by the Queen, making them the most solid backing of the kingdom and even the Queen.

Upon noticing Princess Noelle and Lius behind her, the ministers immediately adopted a serious demeanor, with the leading nobles acting as spokespeople, bowing and greeting Noelle as she entered.

The first to step forward was a tall, elegant woman with long, silver-white hair.

"Your Highness, Leon Serafina, head of the Serafina family of the North, on behalf of the Serafina family, offers our sincerest blessings and greetings to Her Majesty the Queen and Your Highness."

Under the gaze of the crowd, this graceful and serious-looking woman lowered her head slightly and offered her greetings to Noelle in a solemn and earnest tone.

Her silver-white armor-like attire shimmered under the lights, and the lion-shaped tattoo on her chest accentuated her capable and dashing demeanor. Her crisp, powerful voice, coupled with her impeccable manners, perfectly showcased her military bearing, while also exuding a touch of androgyny, making her incredibly handsome and captivating.

After Ryan, the next person to step forward was a character with a completely different temperament from this female soldier.

"Your Highness, it's been a long time! You are still as enchanting as ever, hehe... Aurora Valenti, head of the Valenti family, offers you her sincerest blessings."

A beautiful woman dressed in a violet high-slit dress, revealing her long, slender legs and full breasts, smiled gently. She held a very delicate feather fan in her hand and bowed slightly in Noelle's direction, concealed by the fan.

"It is a great honor to see Your Highness again. In addition to my greetings, I have a special gift from our Eastern territory: exquisite pearls from the depths of the ocean. They would certainly suit Your Highness's appearance perfectly. I would be honored if Your Highness would accept them."

As she said this, Aurora smiled slightly, then looked at Lius, who was following behind Noelle, her face still bearing that meaningful smile.

"Hehe, Young Master Furen is here too. I didn't expect that it was you who requested the Queen to summon us this time. That's quite rare. Last time, you maintained a very firm stance with our family regarding the ownership of the brewing rights, and you didn't back down at all despite encountering so many problems. Why are you taking the initiative to seek our assistance this time? It seems that you are not as strong as you thought, Young Master Furen."

The beautiful young woman named Aurora chuckled softly, her words revealing no attempt to conceal her mockery of Lius, which seemed to be specifically targeted at him.

As she spoke, Aurora's gaze remained fixed on Lius, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, as if awaiting his response. Her fingers lightly caressed the fan handle, the movement elegant yet provocative, silently challenging Lius. A hint of amusement lingered in her eyes, as she relished Lius's predicament.

The sarcastic tone made Leah frown slightly, feeling quite uncomfortable. She gently tugged at Leus's sleeve from behind and whispered to her older brother:

"Brother, do you know this aunt? And she seems to have a problem with you... Did she do something before that caused your relationship to sour?"

"Ha...it's nothing. Just like Ms. Aurora said, Her Majesty the Queen signed some contracts with us regarding brewing. I managed to get a little more, taking a portion of Ms. Aurora's share. She's still a bit angry. Don't worry, she'll be fine after we appease her." Lius shrugged and smiled helplessly.

"Go and coax them more... Hmm? Brother, you... don't have an affair with these aunties, do you?"

Upon hearing this, and recalling the previous interactions between Lius and Noelle, Lia blinked slightly and asked with some wariness.

"Not yet... I'm just an acquaintance with these ladies for now. We've been doing business together for a long time. Although there might be some conflicts sometimes, we're mostly on friendly terms. They even invite me over occasionally. Don't worry, I don't fall in love with every girl I meet. My favorite girl will always be you, Leah~"

"Hmph, it's really hard to believe what my brother says. Sometimes what the princess says is absolutely right. My brother is always full of sweet talk... a heartbreaker..." Lia pouted and said with some dissatisfaction.

"Uh... haha... be good, be good. I'll take good care of you, Lia, from now on. Don't be angry. Come on, rest in the back for a while. I'll finish taking care of things right away."

After calming down his slightly jealous stepsister, Leus patted her head and then looked towards Aurora, giving her an awkward smile.

"Ha... Regarding the brewing rights between our families... some things are just too complicated to have both ways. I know Ms. Aurora is the best. Didn't I open up a few more western trade routes for you to make up for your losses before? That should be enough to make up for it, Ms. Aurora, don't be angry."

"Oh? So, Mr. Leus, you think the conflict between our two families can be easily resolved? As long as we make amends, that's enough? In business, profits are certainly important, but personal relationships are equally important. Your actions this time have really disappointed me," Aurora continued with a smile.

"Well... since it's an economic loss, as long as the economic loss is compensated, the conflict can naturally be resolved. As for the human aspect... Ms. Aurora, you are so intelligent and generous, and you have a good relationship with our family. I have always admired you, Ms. Aurora, since I was a child. I'm sure you won't hold a grudge against me, a junior, right?"

As Lius spoke, Aurora paused, seemingly surprised by his reaction. She then looked away, her fake smile vanishing, replaced by a helpless expression. She gave a soft snort to Lius, crossed her arms, and turned her head away.

"Hmph... That's true. If I were really going to hold a grudge against you, I wouldn't even bother with you today, let alone greet you like I did before."

As she said this, Aurora turned back to Lius, put away her folding fan, and revealed her helpless expression to him, looking at him with a stern gaze like that of a mother:

"I was just reminding you, Young Master Lius. You are still a young man. Our families have been cooperating for decades, and you are still quite inexperienced. You should show more respect to us elders, Young Master Furen, and stop trying to take advantage of us. This applies to both me and my daughter. Do you understand?"

"Of course, of course! I'm someone who respects elders the most. If you don't believe me, Ms. Aurora, you can go to my territory and ask Aunt Anne and Aunt Diana. They both speak very highly of me!"

“Anne and Diana…”

"Yes, yes, they are all the aunties who have been by my side all along, and they are all very satisfied with me! I believe that I will be able to satisfy you even more, Ms. Aurora, in the future. In my heart, I have always regarded you, Ms. Aurora, as a mother figure, so of course I must respect you properly!"

Lius smiled and nodded in Aurora's direction, looking exceptionally obedient. Aurora, however, rolled her eyes at him helplessly, seemingly speechless at his sweet talk. She then decided to end the topic for the time being and turned to Noelle, showing her a gentle smile again.

"Then, Your Highness, these gifts will be left outside for now. If you need them, you can send someone to retrieve them at any time. This is the sentiment of our Valenti family, and we hope Your Highness will give us your guidance."

As she spoke, Aurora maintained a gentle yet wicked smile, unfolded her feather folding fan, bowed once more in the direction of Princess Noelle, and then quietly retreated into the crowd, standing in her place to await further instructions.

Now, there's only one nobleman left who needs a proper introduction.

"Ms. Roy, it's your turn."

Looking at the last brown-haired woman, Lius opened his mouth and gently greeted her.

However, upon closer inspection of the remaining lady, it was discovered that she had lowered her head slightly and was completely hidden in the shadow of the pillar next to her, making it impossible to see her expression. Even after being greeted by Lius, she showed no sign of wanting to move.

"Ms. Roy, Her Highness the Princess has arrived. Ms. Roy? Are you listening?"

She called out several more times, but even after hearing the news that the princess had entered from outside, she remained still, like a wooden figure, showing no sign of reaction. She gave people a feeling of keeping people at a distance, deliberately not showing favor to the princess who had entered, appearing indifferent and making people nervous.

"..."

In the awkward silence, everyone's eyes were drawn to the young woman with her head bowed, each person holding different emotions as they stared at this seemingly out-of-place figure, awaiting what might happen next...

Chapter 171 Three Nobles (Part Two)

An awkward silence hung in the air. At that moment, everyone—the queen, the princess, the ministers, and the servants—remained still, staring at the brown-haired woman standing with her head bowed, each lost in their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Lia, looking at the brown-haired young woman in the distance, felt a slight unease. Her gaze, fixed on the woman's grey robes, revealed a mixture of embarrassment and anxiety. She couldn't help but tug at Leus's sleeve again, and asked softly, in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Brother...Brother, what's wrong with this aunt? Why is she ignoring Her Highness the Princess? Is she dissatisfied with Her Highness...?"

"Ha...no, don't worry, this is normal, it's nothing serious."

"Hmm? Normal?"

Hearing Lius's words, Lia blinked with some regret. Lius, however, did not offer any further explanation and decided to take the initiative to break the deadlock.

"Lia, stay here and I'll be right back."

"Eh? What do you want to do, elder brother...?"

Seeing Leus's actions, Lia blinked in surprise, while Leus waved to the girl behind him, walked straight through the middle of the two rows of women walking side by side, and gently approached the brown-haired woman at the very back. Looking at her lowered face, he patted her shoulder and softly greeted her:

"Ms. Roy, Ms. Roy, wake up! Her Highness the Princess is here!"

"..."

The young woman named Loy swayed her shoulders slightly, her head still bowed, but her expression was revealed as Lius shook her.

"Eh?"

The moment she was revealed, Leah blinked in surprise, only then noticing the weariness on the brown-haired woman's face.

Soft, slow breathing came from her mouth and nose, and a distinct dark circle surrounded the corners of her closed eyes. This was the first impression this brown-haired young woman gave, and it was also the most obvious expression on her face at that moment. A glistening trail of drool dripped from the corner of her mouth, and she made a bubbling sound in her throat, like a cat purring, which sounded cute and suggested that she had already fallen into a deep sleep.

"Huh...huh..."

The brown-haired beauty was sleeping soundly, displaying a very charming and delicate posture. She also looked very tired, her body swaying as if she was about to fall over at any moment. It was really hard to feel any desire to disturb her, and she was quite pitiful.

However, at this moment, Leus could not simply give in to her. He grasped the young woman's delicate hand with a little force and shook her again, raising his voice slightly.

"Ms. Roy, wake up! Get up! We're in front of Her Majesty the Queen and Her Highness the Princess! It's very embarrassing if you do this..."

"Huh...huh..."

"Your magic potion is going to be taken away! It's that potion that's been brewing for a month. If you don't wake up soon, I'm going to smash it all up and let you taste the bitterness of despair."

"Ugh! Medicine... medicine! Don't move!"

Upon hearing this, the young woman, who had been fast asleep, suddenly trembled. She then abruptly opened her eyes and looked around in a panic. When she saw Lius and Noelle in front of her, she blinked slightly, realizing what she had just done. Her fair face instantly flushed red.

"Ah... Young Master Furen, and Your Highness the Princess, when did you arrive before me? How come I didn't notice you..."

"You've been here for a while now. Did you not realize it yourself, Ms. Roy? You're sleeping so soundly. Did you stay up all night making medicine again last night?" Lius asked with a smile.

"Ah... that's right. I just concocted a new medicine that can be used by the soldiers in the southern region to quickly heal their wounds. These prescriptions are what I wanted to present to Her Majesty the Queen today. I almost forgot..."

As he spoke, Roy shook his drowsy head, revealing a rather adorable expression. He took out a scattered document and several bottles of thick, blood-red potion from his pocket and handed them to Queen Flora on the throne.

"Your Majesty, please take a look..."

“Ms. Roy… now is not the time to do such things, and Her Highness the Princess has just arrived. Shouldn’t you hurry up and greet her?”

Seeing Roy's dazed and confused state, Lius touched her arm repeatedly and whispered a reminder to her.

Just then, the atmosphere in the throne room gradually recovered from the awkward silence. Roy's awakening made the previously stagnant air flow again, and everyone's attention shifted from her to the Queen and Princess, as if the scene just now was just a small interlude.

After a brief moment of thought, Roy bit her lip to clear her mind, then nodded thoughtfully, maintaining a serious expression as she looked at Noelle beside her.

"Princess Noelle, good afternoon. It's been a long time since I've seen you. You haven't changed at all compared to a year ago!"

"Hmm, good afternoon, Luo Yiqing. You haven't changed at all. You're still as unpretentious as ever, and your mind is only on magic and potions. In the Southern Fortress, you must have been immersed in research and study day and night, right?"

Noelle asked this question, and Loy, upon hearing about magic, immediately showed an excited smile and nodded vigorously, appearing very interested in the subject. He pulled Lius over as well and told him and Noelle together:

"Yes, yes, we recently discovered a new magical herb in the border region that can elevate existing potions to a new level. We also found magical flowers from neighboring countries, which are excellent materials for making potions. And recently, I've developed a new spell that can continuously boost one's magical power—it's incredibly powerful..."

Roy's eyes gleamed with excitement as she lingered before Noelle, her words flowing effortlessly, revealing her fervor and passion for the subject. Just as Roy reached the climax of her story, Lius leaned closer and whispered a reminder in her ear:

"Alright, alright, after court, I'll have a proper discussion about magic with you, Lady Roy. As for now, Your Highness wants to ask you whether you've managed the army on the southern border while studying magic, how the recent battles against the rebels have gone, and whether the rebellion has been kept under control."

"Oh, is that what you wanted to ask?"