After that day, everyone who had secretly been harboring restless thoughts felt as if a bucket of blood had been poured over their heads. They were so frightened by Hu Chen and all one hundred thirty-seven of his family members' tragic fate that they couldn't sleep at night, and no one dared to entertain any bad intentions again.
Every day during court, the officials would see Hu Chen's pitiful corpse hanging along the path they walked. The timid ones didn't even dare lift their heads. Most of them even began memorizing the laws of the new Plumera Kingdom as if their lives depended on it, terrified they might one day break the law and have their entire family wiped out, their corpses hung in the street as a warning.
Many officials who had come from Belladonna couldn't help but recall the story of how Elara had killed Hua Qiong and other corrupt officials right after arriving there and hung a long row of severed heads in the city center.
When the officials from places other than Belladonna heard this story, they felt an even deeper respect and fear toward Elara and the laws of the new Plumera Kingdom. Their attitude toward work became even more serious and cautious. No one dared step out of line, not even a little.
Inside the imperial palace,
After finishing her duties, Elara finally left the court hall.
Oswyn followed behind her. For once, he didn't immediately grab her or act too forward. Instead, he simply trailed behind her, quietly glancing at her now and then.
Until Elara turned around helplessly to look at him. "What are you doing?"
He smiled, his tall and slender body walking toward her. His pale hands held out something that looked like candy or a soft pastry, bringing it to her lips.
"Eat it. I made this calming medicinal jelly myself. It's your favorite flavor."
Elara saw the fragrant and slightly sweet-smelling jelly at her lips and instinctively opened her mouth and ate it from his hand. It really did taste quite good.
Oswyn saw that she had eaten it and didn't seem angry anymore, so he finally couldn't help but step forward and hug her. He held her in his arms, lowered his head, and gently nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, sighing softly.
"When you get angry, it's really scary, but also kind of... hmm, there's something unique about it. It's oddly attractive."
Elara didn't push him away while he hugged her. Hearing what he said, she only wanted to roll her eyes. Scary and attractive? Who describes someone like that when they're mad?
Oswyn held her tightly. He couldn't see her expression and just kept rubbing his face against her neck like a cat, staying there for a while. "Still, try not to get too angry in the future. It's bad for your health. You probably scared those people to death today. I doubt they'll dare mess around again anytime soon."
Elara chewed the sweet jelly in her mouth. She didn't have high hopes for human nature, but after today's warning, things should stay peaceful for a while. "Let's hope so."
After speaking, she seemed to remember something. She reached into her sleeve, pulled out a pair of thin gloves, and pushed Oswyn away to hand them to him.
"These gloves are called Shadowhands... or you can rename them if you want. From now on, when you're making medicine or handling anything dangerous, wear these. They protect against fire, water, poison, and corrosion. Whatever you're doing, your hands will be safe."
Elara had chosen Shadowhands specifically for Oswyn. He was always making medicine, and these gloves were perfect for him.
Besides that, she had also prepared a lie detector for Kristof and an auto-search device for Mathias.
But she had been too busy since coming back, so she hadn't given them out yet.
Oswyn took the Shadowhands. They were as thin as a cicada's wings. Once he put them on, they felt like a second layer of skin. Very comfortable and snug.
He looked at the gloves on his hands, his face full of joy. His bright almond-shaped eyes looked at Elara, and his tone lifted uncontrollably. "You remembered to bring me a gift."
Elara answered with a simple "Mm." Oswyn couldn't hold back anymore. He hugged her again, buried his face into her neck, and smiled happily. "I'll always wear them. Thank you, my Empress. I really like them."
As he held her and poured out his happiness, Oswyn's behavior started to become a little less proper again. With his lips brushing against her skin, he began to kiss her neck and collarbone gently. His voice turned hoarse and sticky, filled with a strong emotion.
"Elara..." He really liked her so much...
Elara felt a little ticklish from his touch and pushed him away. "Alright, by the way, come with me to see someone."
She pulled his hand and led him to the Ning Shou Palace behind her sleeping quarters, which was reserved for the former emperor.
"Okay, who are we going to see?" Oswyn's face still held a bright smile. His tall figure was obediently dragged along by her.
"The former emperor."
Elara calmly said those three words.
Oswyn suddenly stopped, even his steps froze.
"Ah... the former emperor... is it your mother or your father?" Oswyn was a little flustered by the unexpected news. Was she bringing him to meet her parents? But he was still in his official robes and hadn't prepared any gifts...
His expression became a mix of happiness and anxiety. "Wait, let me change first..."
Just as he was wondering what valuable pills he should bring to meet Elara's parents, she turned and looked at him again with a helpless and speechless gaze.
"Oswyn, did you forget that only my brother and I are left in the Plumera royal family? What are you thinking?"
Oswyn paused and finally remembered the current state of the Plumera royal family.
His expression grew complicated again. He hugged her gently as a comfort and said, "Alright... then who is the former emperor?"
"My uncle from another family branch."
Inside Ning Shou Palace
As soon as Elara and Oswyn entered, a palace attendant came forward to greet them. "Your Majesty, Chief Healer Oswyn, the prince just went to sleep."
Before Elara could respond, a soft and slightly weak voice came from inside.
"Has Her Majesty arrived?"
The palace attendant immediately bowed and lifted the curtain, guiding Elara and Oswyn into the sleeping chamber.
Inside, Commander Shu was half-reclining against the headboard. He was still covered in a thick white tiger fur cloak, and his lower body was covered by a heavy velvet quilt. The silk inner robe he wore made his body look very thin.
His pale jade-like face turned toward Elara and Oswyn as they walked in. His light-colored lips curved faintly. "Your Majesty, Chief Healer, forgive me for not being able to rise and greet you."
Oswyn didn't understand why Elara had made Commander Shu, a prince from another family, the former emperor. And this uncle looked so young, almost like he wasn't much older than them. But since Elara was willing to treat Commander Shu as the former emperor, Oswyn naturally had to regard him as a future... well, elder of the family.
With that thought, Oswyn quickly stepped forward and sat beside Commander Shu, smiling at him. "It's fine. Prince, Her Majesty is worried about your health and asked me to check on you."
Commander Shu also smiled and nodded at Oswyn. His thin hand reached out from under the velvet quilt. "Thank you."
As soon as Oswyn took his pulse, his expression became much more serious. His brows furrowed slightly, and his face grew increasingly grim.
Elara sat in the chair brought over by the palace attendant, watching Oswyn take Commander Shu's pulse.
The more he checked, the more serious his face became. But Commander Shu seemed not to notice and slowly looked Oswyn up and down. Then he turned to Elara and said with a faint smile:
"Speaking of which, Your Majesty, I remember you haven't taken any consorts yet. But there are already quite a few beauties living in the inner palace."
Oswyn, focused on taking his pulse, paused slightly when he heard this. He couldn't help but glance up at Commander Shu's calm and smiling expression... He didn't know if it was his imagination, but he felt something odd about that comment.
Though he couldn't say what was strange, something felt off...
Still, considering Commander Shu's status as Elara's elder, showing some concern about her harem seemed normal.
Oswyn pressed his lips together, thinking about how to gently explain that he currently lived here and was determined to live in the palace permanently in the future.
Then Elara replied to Commander Shu, looking at him calmly and speaking in a very natural tone.
"They're all here for different reasons, just like you, Uncle."
Oswyn's words got stuck in his throat. He saw Commander Shu's lips curve into a wider smile after hearing what Elara said.
"Oh... I see... cough, cough..."
Oswyn frowned even more. He felt Commander Shu's response was even stranger than before.