Chapter 37: Tonight will not be too peaceful

Chapter 37: Tonight will not be too peacefulNoon, at Queen Catherine’s office. Not only Catherine but also four other people were in the room, all of whom held important positions in the Kingdom. BAM! Catherine angrily threw a scroll to the ground, her eyes looking as if they were about to spit fire, her voice filled with killing intent as it rang out, "Damn that Church! Do they think I’m a puppet?" "How dare they kill my people in my own Kingdom! Have those fanatics gone mad?" "Your Majesty, please calm down." At that moment, one of them suddenly spoke up. His expression was incredibly calm and indifferent, his eyes half-closed, giving the impression that nothing could possibly frighten him. "Borok? What do you mean?" Catherine asked with a frown, her voice transforming into an invisible force that pressed down on the shoulders of all four people present. Borok clearly felt that terrifying pressure, hot as if a fire were burning around him, and heavy as if a large rock were pressing on his shoulders. However, his expression didn’t change much. He took a deep breath, clasped his hands together, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, we cannot lose our composure at this time, nor can we afford to provoke the Church." "Borok, I hope you have a reasonable explanation for me, or else..." Catherine said, her voice chillingly terrifying. Borok slowly knelt on the ground, bowing his head, his expression so composed and rather indifferent that it startled the other three. They knew that their power levels were not that different from each other. While they were struggling to endure the terrifying pressure from Catherine, Borok’s relaxed demeanor was beyond their imagination. It was as if Borok wasn’t suffering any pressure or killing intent from Catherine at all. Borok paid no mind to the other three; he simply said softly, "Your Majesty, if the Church has publicly killed our people on our own territory, it means they have demonstrated that they have the ability to overthrow this Kingdom." "After all, the Church is a giant monster; they would not act so recklessly without a clear understanding of the situation." "Besides, this is a good thing for us. We don’t need to be concerned." Catherine frowned, her killing intent about to explode, materializing into red wisps of smoke like flames. The atmosphere was tense to the extreme, thick with the smell of gunpowder. It seemed as if a single spark could cause the place to explode. Suddenly, a knock came from outside the door. Knock! Knock! Knock! Catherine frowned and shouted, "Who is it?!" "Your Majesty, I apologize for disturbing you. However, I have a letter from Prince Lathel. The Prince said that this letter is very important and hopes that Your Majesty can read it right now." The maid’s voice came from outside. When Catherine heard the maid mention Lathel, her killing intent immediately vanished, and her face showed a hint of gentleness and joy, completely different from before. "Come in!" Catherine called out. The door opened gently, and the maid entered the room, carrying a letter on a tray. She brought the letter to Catherine and then repeated, "Your Majesty, the Prince instructed me... to hope that... Your Majesty would read it immediately." Catherine nodded lightly, her heart feeling more at ease as she looked at the letter sealed with the royal seal. The royal seal was a seal that only members of the Royal Family had the right to use. Other nobles and court officials, no matter how high their rank, could not possess the royal seal. Catherine took the letter in her hand and asked softly, "When did the Prince leave?" "Your Majesty, the Prince has... has already left," the maid said fearfully, her voice stammering slightly, so worried she didn’t dare to look up at Catherine. "Ah! He left so early? His wound hasn’t even fully healed yet," Catherine frowned, her eyes showing clear worry and indulgence. The maid said, "Your Majesty, the Prince told me that he didn’t want to disturb you, and besides, he said that... he... he will be back soon, and that Your Majesty need not worry about this small matter." Hearing this, Catherine sighed, a hint of petulance in her eyes, but thinking of Lathel now possessing the spear Celesthalis and a new special ability, her heart eased considerably. Although in her eyes, the special ability Lathel possessed wasn’t strong, against an ordinary person like Lucien, that ability would create an immense gap. Catherine glanced at the four people in the room, then looked at the letter. She broke the seal and took out the paper inside. At first, Catherine’s expression grew annoyed, her brow furrowing. Her expression made the other three fearful and anxious; only Borok remained kneeling on the floor, head bowed, his thoughts unknown. However, the more she read, the more Catherine’s expression shifted in a positive direction, her face becoming much gentler. A moment later, she folded the letter, placed it in her pocket, and treated it like a treasure. Catherine slowly sat down, sighed, and said, "Borok is right. The Church is a giant monster; we cannot be reckless." The other three, including Borok, were all surprised by Catherine’s change. It was as if the furious person from before and the Catherine of this moment were two completely different people. Catherine continued, "I have built this Kingdom from the blood and tears of many people, including myself. Therefore, I cannot afford to lose this Kingdom." "The Prince is also very kind; he expressed his condolences for those who died. Although they are believers of the Church, they are still the people of Terith." "This matter ends here for today. Provide support to the families of those killed by the Church, 100 gold coins for each family. The money will be taken from the Prince’s funds and is in no way related to the National Treasury." All four officials in the room expressed their joy and admiration for Prince Lathel’s kindness, bowing their heads and saying, "Prince Lathel is so benevolent; the gods will surely bless him." Kneeling on the ground, Borok’s eyes suddenly flashed with a terrifying killing intent; however, the look lasted only for a moment before disappearing. He stood up, his face as indifferent and calm as before, and said respectfully, "The Prince is truly kind. This is a blessing for the people of this Kingdom." Catherine nodded lightly, her gaze flicking towards Borok as she said, "You are right; we cannot act recklessly. For now, calm the populace. Tell them that only the believers who betrayed the Church were targeted by the Church." "Alright, you are all dismissed. I wish to rest for a bit." The four of them knelt, bowed respectfully to Catherine, and then withdrew. After the door closed, Catherine’s weary expression completely vanished, replaced by one of infinite joy and affection. "Lathel... you truly surprise me," Catherine murmured. However, just a second later, the expression on her face changed again. "Ah! I truly wish he were my biological son. However, he is not..." Catherine leaned back, her eyes gazing into the distance. Suddenly, as if remembering something, her face flushed, and she muttered, "Could it be... that this is destiny? He is not my biological son... why... am I a little happy?" ... Outside, Borok glanced back at Catherine’s office, then frowned and quickly departed. Seeing this, the other three didn’t dare to follow him, only whispering among themselves, "Is Borok mad? He..." "Shh!" another one said. "Quiet! Who doesn’t know that Borok supports the Church’s activities in the Kingdom." "This man seems to want..." "Be quiet! This doesn’t concern us. Let the Queen handle this trouble." "That’s right, I’ve already prepared an escape route. As long as the Church truly rises and overthrows the Royal Family, I can flee to another kingdom." "Ah! Which kingdom are you planning to go to? I’ve already bought a castle in a kingdom nearly a thousand miles from here." "Damn it! You guys are all prepared? No, I have to prepare a little too. Otherwise, when this Kingdom falls, where will I run?" "Hahahaha..." ... That evening, as everyone was falling asleep, Lathel was in his carriage, holding a beautiful woman in his arms, his eyes gazing outside through the carriage window. "Lathel, aren’t you sleeping?" Selvia rubbed her eyes, hugging him tightly, her expression a mixture of worry and sadness. "Are you still thinking about what happened this morning?" Hearing this, Lathel shook his head and said, "I want to forget, but I can’t. They are citizens of my Kingdom, after all. I... I can’t help but think about it." Selvia bit her lip, her face showing clear disappointment. It was a disappointment in herself. At that moment, she silently vowed in her heart that when she got to the academy, she would do everything she could to learn magic, to become more useful to Lathel. "Alright, let’s sleep. Tonight will not be too peaceful." "Heh?!" Selvia was a little confused by Lathel’s words, but his face showed such tenderness that she found herself lost in it. "Lathel..." Selvia murmured, her eyes half-closed, offering her fragrant lips for him to enjoy.