"My beloved Consort?"
Those words were like a feather, precisely scratching the corner of Lin Qingyue's heart.
Beneath the itch, a dense numbness exploded.
She lowered her eyelids.
Her long eyelashes cast a faint shadow, concealing a dangerous, faint glimmer burning deep in her eyes.
Very good.
It seemed the World Fragment's fusion had not only caused Her Majesty the Queen's strength to skyrocket, but her boldness had also surged with it.
When Lin Qingyue raised her eyes again, the usual lazy smile had completely faded from those shimmering, peach-blossom eyes.
In its place was a deeply settled, highly aggressive possessiveness.
Ilanier's heart skipped a beat.
This gaze...
It was the gaze of an apex predator about to feast on its locked-on prey.
But instead of retreating, she pressed forward. The curve of her lips quirked higher and more daringly, fully relishing the rare serious expression on Lin Qingyue's face.
She felt certain of her victory.
Just a few days ago, she could fight this human on equal footing.
Now that her strength had taken a qualitative leap, this was the perfect opportunity to completely reverse the situation and become the one in control!
The next instant, the wind roared.
Lin Qingyue moved without warning, her figure a pink blur.
Ilanier felt her waist tighten as an irresistible force swept her off her feet, the world spinning.
With a short gasp, she fell into a solid and scorching embrace.
A textbook princess carry.
A classic opening move.
Yet Ilanier showed no panic. Instead, she draped her snow-white arms lazily around Lin Qingyue's neck, adjusting her posture to press her body closer.
Their chests met, squishing and distorting, sending an electric shock through them both.
She tilted her head back to meet those bottomless eyes, her own gaze hazy as mist.
"Why?"
The Queen's red lips parted, her voice carrying a playful rasp.
"My little pink demon is dissatisfied with the title 'beloved Consort'?"
"Are you... planning a rebellion?"
"Rebellion?"
Lin Qingyue lowered her head, her nose almost touching the Queen's high bridge. Their hot breaths mingled and heated up in the inches between them.
"No."
She breathed out the word, clear and filled with power.
Then, still holding that irresistibly charming body in her arms, she strode forward with a clear target: the massive bed in the depths of the bedchamber, large enough for several people to roll around on.
"I'm not here to rebel."
Her voice was low and carried an aggressive force as she declared each word directly into the Queen's ear.
"I'm here... to correct your misconception."
"Tonight, I will carve it into your very soul and body, over and over again,"
"who truly calls the shots on this bed!"
Hearing this utterly domineering declaration, Ilanier froze for a moment before bursting out into laughter.
The laughter echoed through the empty bedchamber, trembling with pleasure and undisguised anticipation.
"Alright."
Far from being afraid, she instead tightened her arms, offering herself up without reserve.
She pressed a light, fluttering kiss to Lin Qingyue's lips, then quickly pulled away, her wine-red eyes burning with a fierce fighting spirit.
"Perfect. You can pay me back for all the 'tribute' you missed these past few days, with interest!"
-
The moon slid from the center of the sky toward the western horizon.
Inside the bedchamber, light and shadow intertwined.
The massive floor-to-ceiling window remained uncovered, allowing the cool moonlight to pour in unhindered, coating everything in the room with a hazy silver glow.
The soft silk duvet was crumpled into a ball, curled at the corner of the bed, leaving a large expanse of the smooth mattress exposed to the air.
Ilanier lay on her side, her wine-red hair spreading out like wet seaweed. A few sweat-dampened strands clung to her cheeks, making her exquisitely beautiful face look more stunning than ever.
Her breathing was shallow and ragged, her chest heaving violently.
The eyes that once held such majesty were now veiled with a heavy mist. The crimson flush at the corners of her eyes refused to fade, and her gaze remained unfocused, clearly not yet fully recovered from the sensory storm that had just passed.
The Queen had obviously endured a grueling "battle."
And the victor was now holding her from behind with complete satisfaction, her hands applying moderate pressure to various acupoints on her body, helping to soothe her post-battle exhaustion.
Lin Qingyue buried her face in the fragrant hollow of Ilanier's neck, feeling the incredible heat of her skin and the wild heartbeat that had yet to settle.
As it turned out, a Priest's endurance, when enhanced by the[ Adeptus Breathing Method ], was simply unreasonable.
"Now..."
She deliberately drawled, her voice low and lazy with a nasal undertone, as she whispered into Ilanier's ear.
"Your Majesty, do you remember now?"
"Who, exactly, is in charge?"
Ilanier closed her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly. In this moment, she didn't even have the strength to lift a single finger.
She managed to squeeze out a few words through her clenched teeth: "...You've won."
Yet she simply couldn't understand it. Her unfocused eyes struggled to open just a sliver, filled with utter confusion.
"Something's wrong... My strength clearly skyrocketed... Why..."
Why did it feel like... she had lost more completely than ever before?
Could it be that strength was useless in this matter?
Hearing this whisper full of unwilling resignation, Lin Qingyue let out a low, delighted chuckle in her chest.
My foolish Queen, did you think this was just a simple contest of stamina and skill?
You've had a version update, but I've activated an exclusive cheat for the new expansion.
Her newly acquired Authority of "Desire" might have limited effects on the battlefield, but in this sort of matter, it was an absolute dimensional strike!
Under the power of this Authority, her every touch and every breath could precisely ignite the most hidden flames deep within Ilanier's soul, leaving the latter utterly defeated in a wave of uncontrollable emotion.
This is what you call the right tool for the job!
"About that..."
Lin Qingyue deliberately breathed against Ilanier's ear, watching with satisfaction as the small auricle instantly flushed so red it looked like it might bleed.
"You could say... it's a case of the demon growing an inch taller, but the Dao growing a whole foot higher?"
"...You're the one who's a demon," Ilanier reproached feebly, though her body honestly snuggled into her embrace, seeking support.
The curve of Lin Qingyue's lips deepened as she added another line.
"And oh, I recently unlocked an even more thrilling new ability."
"Would you like to... be the first to try it out, my Queen?"
The moment her words fell.
The slender body in her arms, already melted into spring water, went instantly rigid.
Ilanier's eyes snapped wide, the moisture in them completely evaporated by sheer terror.
She shook her head like a rattle, her voice cracking with a sob.
"No more!"
"I really don't want any more! I'll die if we do it again!"
"Please spare me!"
Lin Qingyue gave her a few more playful pinches on the body, feeling far from satisfied. "Alright then! Let's save it for next time."
She sat up and put on her clothes. "It's getting late, I should get going. See you tonight!"
Ilanier struggled to sit up, her eyes full of anticipation.
"Good! See you tonight! The lavish reward for helping me 'reconquer my lost territory' should be ready by tonight. Just you wait, my little pink imp!"