Morningwind Harbor was as busy as ever. The white sailboats of the Elven Race wove through the water, carving elegant wakes across the azure waves.
On the pier, merchants from various races bustled about, their clamorous voices rising and falling.
When Lin Qingyue and her party of five walked out from the halo of the Teleportation Array, the clamor abruptly fell silent.
Everyone's gazes focused on Aeldara, who was walking at the very front.
Her pitch-black heavy armor was deep and dark, seemingly able to devour light, and her crimson eyes, which did not look like those of the living, naturally carried an absolute oppressive aura that could drop the temperature of the summer harbor out of thin air.
Meanwhile, Lin Qingyue and the other three behind her had long become living legends in the mouths of the harbor merchants after the battle at Frost Path.
Especially Lin Qingyue.
That overly bright pink hair had already become a symbol.
A symbol firmly tied to outrageous terms like "Walking Natural Disaster" and "Singing Divine Punishment".
Their appearance caused the surrounding discussions to subconsciously drop an octave, with the gazes directed at them mixing awe, curiosity, and deep-seated fear.
"This way."
Aeldara turned a blind eye to everything around her, leading them toward the grandest white building in the port district—the Foreign Guest Council Chamber of the Elven Race.
Lin Qingyue keenly noticed that ever since they left the Royal Palace, the cold aura exuding from the Commander had dropped several degrees further.
That icy gaze would inadvertently sweep over her from time to time, carrying a sense of scrutiny and wariness.
That look was exactly like looking at a wild boar with ulterior motives, about to ravage her family's tender little cabbage.
It shouldn't be that bad...
Lin Qingyue muttered in her heart.
I just acted as a human body pillow for one night, and the generational hierarchy is already this messed up?
An absurd thought boldly took shape in her mind.
If we go by the setting where the queen is the mother and the Commander is the daughter, wouldn't that make me... her future stepmother?
Hiss... exciting.
She quickly shook off the increasingly boundless thoughts in her head and quickened her pace to keep up.
"Commander Aeldara, the delegation from the Human Kingdom has been waiting for quite some time."
An Elf guard came forward and bowed respectfully.
Aeldara gave a slight nod and pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the Council Chamber.
The scene inside the door almost made Lin Qingyue burst into laughter on the spot.
"Creak—"
A harsh sound of chairs scraping against the floor echoed in the spacious Council Chamber.
More than a dozen human envoys, led by a white-haired Old Duke, bounced up from their seats as if their buttocks had been pricked by needles.
They bowed and placed their hands over their chests in unison, their movements so standard they seemed to have been practiced countless times, their faces piled with visible flattery.
The Old Duke's forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and his face was pale, clearly indicating that his psychological pressure had reached its limit.
"Respectful Commander Aeldara, good day."
The Old Duke's voice was dry and astringent, every word trembling.
His gaze quickly swept over the four people behind Aeldara, including Lin Qingyue. When he saw the faces that matched the Magic Images, his eyes twitched violently, and he bowed even lower.
Aeldara walked to the main seat and sat down with a composed posture, her cold gaze slowly sweeping over every human present.
"It seems that His Majesty has thought it through."
Her voice was not loud, but it weighed heavily on everyone's heart, making the room full of human envoys careful even with their breathing.
"Yes, yes!" the Old Duke answered hastily.
"His Majesty is deeply ashamed and enraged by the foolish actions of His Highness the Prince and Her Highness the Princess!"
"He has profoundly realized his mistake and sent us here to return the stolen ancient tomes, and to offer our most sincere apologies to the great Elven Race!"
As he spoke, he winked fiercely at the attendants behind him.
Several attendants immediately carried forward a few magically sealed chests and carefully placed them in the center of the Council Chamber.
The Old Duke stepped forward himself, trembling as he undid the seals, revealing the perfectly preserved magical books inside.
"All the ancient tomes are here, not a single one is missing!"
Aeldara, however, didn't even glance at the books.
Her gaze swept past the Old Duke and landed on the young man and woman behind him.
Prince Alex and Princess Liliana.
Princess Liliana was nothing like the "bisexual, promiscuous" playgirl Alex had described.
She wore a pale blue dress, her long blonde hair cascading down like a waterfall of light, her skin as white as snow.
She just sat there quietly, like an exquisitely beautiful statue without a soul, completely unresponsive to all the tension and clamor around her.
Good lord, with this Appearance, no wonder she has the capital to be a player.
Lin Qingyue roasted frantically in her mind.
If she were back where I'm from, relying solely on this face, the line of "simps" behind her would reach all the way to the moon.
Alex, on the other hand, stood quietly to the side, his face still wearing that compassionate smile of someone who had seen through the vanity of the mortal world.
His eyes were clear, yet empty; it seemed as if absolutely nothing in this world could be reflected in them, nor stir up the slightest ripple.
This holy appearance formed a sharp and bizarre contrast with the envoys beside him, who were so nervous they looked ready to pee their pants.
Lin Qingyue looked at him, her thoughts frantically spamming across her mind.
Good grief, this "Holy Blessing" isn't Purification, it's a direct hard drive format and System reinstall, isn't it? Did they just select Saint mode for his factory settings?
If he doesn't inherit the throne, he'll probably just become a monk and found the "Saint Alex Sect"!
"Commander Aeldara..." The Old Duke wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke up tentatively, "Regarding the 'Blessing' on His Highness the Prince..."
"Since the book has been returned, this matter ends here," Aeldara said flatly.
"As agreed, I will lift it for him."
Her gaze turned to Alex.
Everyone's eyes instantly focused on His Highness the Prince, who still maintained his holy smile.
Alex bowed slightly to Aeldara, his movements elegant and composed. His face showed not the slightest joy at having the "seal lifted," but rather a faint hint of regret.
"Commander Aeldara, I have a presumptuous request," he said gently.
"Speak."
"Could this 'Holy Blessing'... not be lifted?"
The entire room was shocked at his words.
The Old Duke's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Your Highness! What nonsense are you spouting!"
A Prince, the future King, with absolutely no desire for women? How would he continue the royal bloodline? This was simply the biggest joke in the history of the Kingdom!
Alex, however, paid no mind to the Old Duke's outburst. He continued to look calmly at Aeldara with his clear eyes.
"Commander, please let me explain."
"Before receiving your 'Blessing', my life had always been dominated by various base and superficial desires."
"I was addicted to lust, lingering in false flattery, and wasting countless precious hours."
"It is your 'Blessing' that allowed me to break free from that quagmire of desire."
His face was filled with sincere gratitude, his expression as devout as a believer who had just listened to a divine oracle.
"Now, my heart is completely clear, my mind has become incredibly sharp, and I will no longer be tempted by those superficial women."
"I can finally devote all my energy to truly meaningful things—such as learning how to govern the country and how to give my people a better life."
"As for continuing the royal bloodline..."
He paused, a trace of pity appearing on his face.
"I will treat it as a 'responsibility' that must be fulfilled. I will no longer seek any pleasure from it; to me, it is merely a job that must be completed for the continuation of the Kingdom. Nothing more."
He spoke these words with absolute righteousness and an awe-inspiring sense of duty.
Lin Qingyue was left completely dumbfounded.
Holy crap! What a talent!
She applauded wildly in her heart.
Isn't this the legendary "permanent Sage Mode"? Treating reproduction as a quest, girls as NPCs, and having kids as grinding a dungeon!
"This level of enlightenment is high! Truly high!"
Lin Xiyue beside him couldn't hold it in anymore.
She bit her lip hard, her face holding back a bright red flush, her shoulders shaking violently. Finally, she simply covered her face, her whole body trembling madly under the table like an electrified sieve.
Su Wan sharply turned her head away and picked up her teacup to pretend to drink. However, the violently trembling rim of the cup caused the tea to spill all over her hand. Completely oblivious to it, she just desperately tried to maintain her final dignity as an aloof Young Mistress.
Xia Lian, on the other hand, looked bewildered, her small face flushed red. She looked at the Prince, then at Aeldara, feeling that this world was too surreal and had completely exceeded her comprehension.
The Old Duke opened his mouth to retort, only to find himself unexpectedly speechless.
A Prince who wasn't obsessed with women and wholeheartedly wanted to focus on his career—for The Kingdom, this seemed... actually like a tremendous blessing?
Aeldara's crimson eyes scrutinized Alex.
She could feel that when he said those words, his mental fluctuations were incredibly steady, without the slightest trace of hypocrisy.
He genuinely thought this way.
"Are you sure?" Aeldara confirmed one last time.
"I am absolutely certain." Alex bowed again. "Thank you for your 'blessing'. It has given me a new lease on life. I will carry this 'holiness' to fulfill my mission as a prince."
Aeldara fell silent.
She had imagined countless scenarios: the human prince crying and begging her to dispel it, or the human king offering all sorts of terms in exchange.
The only thing she had never expected was for him to actively request... to keep it permanently.
Eventually, she nodded.
"As you wish. Then, this matter is closed..."
"I have an objection."
A cold, resolute voice instantly sliced through the oppressive silence of the Council Chamber.