The Interrogation and the Brewing Storm

Inside the royal palace, Lisa Kael sat in a chair, her chin propped in her hands, observing the young loli before her with keen interest. Standing beside Lisa, Jiu Hui also fixed her gaze upon the child.

“Tell me,” Lisa Kael inquired, a faint smile playing on her lips, “who sent you?”

“Hmph!” the loli scoffed, lifting her chin defiantly, her small face etched with disdain. “Don’t even dream about it. There’s no way I’d tell you, you old hag!”

Watching Lisa Kael, whose forehead seemed to have snapped a nerve, Jiu Hui instinctively took several steps back, distancing herself from the queen.

At that moment, a vein throbbed violently on Lisa Kael’s forehead, her lips twitching uncontrollably as dark tendrils of aura seemed to emanate from behind her. Her head slightly bowed, her face was a mask of ominous gloom. “An ‘old hag’?” she seethed. “You certainly have courage, you flat-chested brat.”

“‘Flat-chested brat’??!!” The loli’s expression shifted dramatically upon hearing Lisa Kael’s retort, as if flames were erupting from behind her.

She glanced down at her own regrettably modest chest, then up at Lisa Kael’s ample bosom, which threatened to burst the seams of her gown. A vein pulsed furiously on the loli’s forehead.

“Old hag, do you truly believe that such a vulgar bust size is something to be proud of?!!”

“Hmph hmph,” Lisa Kael purred, rising to her feet and proudly thrusting out her chest. She cast a disdainful glance at the loli’s ‘landing strip.’

“How could a flat-chested brat possibly comprehend the wonder and comfort of ample breasts?”

Meeting Lisa Kael’s scornful gaze, the loli let out another snort, then fixed an expression of utter revulsion upon Lisa’s chest.

“Are large breasts truly something to be proud of? They’re nothing more than two useless lumps of flesh, serving no purpose beyond attracting men. They disrupt balance, add unnecessary weight, and hinder movement. As an assassin, I have no desire for such superfluous things.”

“Ha? Useless lumps of flesh? As expected, you truly are just a flat-chested brat. Perfect breasts are the very essence of a woman’s allure. It’s one thing to lack them, but to also lack any self-awareness of what it means to be a woman is simply pathetic.”

“Is a woman’s charm solely defined by her *breasts*? If so, I’d rather do without! Even without such things, I can still be a captivating woman!”

Beside them, Jiu Hui watched the two bickering incessantly, a metaphorical sweatdrop forming on her brow.

‘Why had a perfectly serious interrogation devolved into a debate about flat versus ample chests? And Queen Lisa, what exactly were you trying to achieve by discussing the essence of a woman’s charm with a twelve or thirteen-year-old loli?’

Observing the pair, who showed every sign of continuing their heated argument, Jiu Hui could only sigh and press a hand to her forehead.

****

Leaving the two still embroiled in their spirited debate about bust sizes, the scene shifts to another part of the royal capital, within a private chamber.

A man with long, deep purple hair reclined in a chair, leisurely sipping tea, a satisfied smile gracing his features as if the brew in his cup was perfectly to his taste.

“Bang!” Just then, the chamber door was abruptly flung open with a violent shove. A middle-aged man strode in, his face already contorted with fury. Seeing the other man’s placid demeanor, his anger flared even brighter. He slammed his hand down hard on the table before the seated man, roaring,

“You’re still sitting here drinking tea! I told you from the start that imbecile would never succeed, but you wouldn’t listen! Now look! Not only did that fool fail, but they were also captured. Are you pleased now??”

The man regarded the bellowing middle-aged figure before him, his expression unperturbed, a faint smile still playing on his lips. He slowly set down his teacup, then addressed the furious man.

“There’s no need for such a temper, now. Come, have a seat first,” he said, gesturing to a nearby chair. He then produced another teacup, poured a fresh serving, and placed it before the man. “Drink some tea to cool your head. This is exquisite tea I only acquired today, you know.”

“You!…”

Just as the middle-aged man, still fuming, prepared to unleash another tirade, the other man’s slender eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within their depths.

“I said, *calm down*.”

Instantly, the middle-aged man’s words caught in his throat. His legs suddenly gave way, and he collapsed onto the chair.

Observing this, the man resumed his earlier relaxed demeanor, pushing the teacup further across the table. “That’s better, isn’t it? First, sit down and enjoy your tea, then we can discuss matters at our leisure.”

The middle-aged man eyed the teacup before him, took a moment to compose himself, then spoke. “Hmph! Very well, let’s hear what brilliant explanation you have!”

The man watched from his chair as the middle-aged man opposite him picked up the teacup and took a sip. A faint curl touched the man’s lips. “How is it, Count Kael?”

“I didn’t come here for tea,” Count Kael stated, setting his cup back down and meeting the man’s gaze.

At this, the man waved a hand dismissively, a hint of boredom in his expression. “Ah, what a pity. Very well, let us move on to the actual matter at hand.”

“It’s about time,” Count Kael retorted with a cold huff.

The man chuckled softly at Count Kael, then began, “In truth, my dear Count, there’s no need for such agitation. That imbecile’s failure and capture were entirely within expectations. Moreover, that fool knows absolutely nothing, so we haven’t suffered any actual loss, have we?”

“Lost nothing? We’ve already alerted the enemy! How can you say we’ve lost nothing?” Count Kael roared, slamming his hand on the table once more.

“Calm yourself, Count. The idiom ‘to beat the grass and startle the snake’ only applies when the target is unaware of impending action. When the target already anticipates an attack, there is no ‘snake’ to startle.”

The man’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he observed the agitated Count Kael, then he spoke in a measured tone.

The Count’s own brow furrowed slightly upon hearing the man’s explanation. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

“My meaning is this: Her Majesty the Queen placed that personal attendant, Jiu Hui, openly in the public eye precisely because she knew someone would make a move. Therefore, the concept of ‘startling the snake’ is entirely irrelevant. I merely dispatched that fool to test the waters. Success would have been welcome, of course, but even in failure, that imbecile would have nothing to confess, thus incurring no actual loss for us.”

The man concluded his explanation calmly, then slowly took another sip of his tea.

“Test the waters?” The Count nodded subtly. “And what, precisely, did you discover?”

The man chuckled softly. “Quite a few interesting pieces of intelligence, actually.”

“The attendant herself possesses no combat capabilities; she is merely an ordinary person. That alone is intriguing. Furthermore, the protective force around her is astonishingly robust. I initially assumed the two other attendants by her side were her only guards, but it appears Her Majesty has even assigned one of her own elite Shadow Guards to her.”

“What?!” The Count’s expression drastically shifted upon hearing the man’s words. “A Shadow Guard?! Are you certain it was one of her Shadow Guards?”

“Naturally,” the man affirmed, his lips curving into a smirk, his eyes glinting with sharp intelligence. “One could hardly mistake such an intimidating presence.”

Upon hearing the man’s confirmation, the Count’s face immediately darkened. “If even a Shadow Guard has been deployed, just what is the true identity of this Jiu Hui?”

“Who can say?” the man replied with a dismissive wave. “No matter how I investigate, I uncover nothing. Her Majesty seems to have sealed off any information regarding her quite thoroughly.”

Count Kael fell into a thoughtful silence for a moment, then spoke. “Given this, you are to cease all further action for now. I will inform you of our next steps in due course.”

“Very well, Count Kael,” the man replied, taking a sip of his tea and smiling faintly.

Count Kael rose to his feet and departed, his face now grim and pensive where it had once been flushed with anger.

After Count Kael’s departure, the man gazed at the now empty room, an expression of keen interest spreading across his face.

‘Her Majesty’s moves this time are quite intriguing,’ he mused. ‘It seems the Kael Kingdom is on the cusp of a brewing storm.’