Seeing the dim light slowly return to the depths of Mathias's dark green eyes as she spoke, Elara reached out and gently pinched his cheek with a smile. "Besides, you're the head of the Ministry of Sciences in Plumera Kingdom. If I really thought you were that useless, would I have let you sit in this position?"
She reached out and pulled up the man who was staring blankly at her. Mathias was clearly a smart man, but in certain moments, he always seemed to lose perspective.
Elara led him back to the desk.
But this time, she didn't let him sit to the side. Instead, she directly pulled him into the wide main seat, half-leaning against him, holding one of his hands.
"I remember your condition can be eased just by touching me, right? Stay with me a little longer and help me go through the records. Don't go back tonight. Stay here and I'll detox you."
Mathias looked at the woman holding his hand and opening the record book again. Warmth kept flowing from where she held him, like a gentle current gradually spreading through his entire body, suppressing the restless urges inside him.
He couldn't help but lean forward too, wanting to be closer to her, also hoping she could lean against him more comfortably.
For some reason, his voice had gone hoarse. Looking at her delicate, beautiful profile, a feeling of peace and rare contentment rose from deep inside.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Mathias couldn't help wrapping his arms around her from behind. When he sensed she wasn't resisting his closeness at all, he slowly tightened his grip around her waist. Unable to control himself, he softly kissed her cheek.
To have met this version of the Empress was his greatest fortune.
...
Elsewhere—
An hour ago, Oswyn had been dragged out of the imperial palace by Kristof using every excuse possible. Now, he was glaring furiously at the man fanning himself carelessly in front of him.
"Kristof! You actually dragged me out of the palace for this kind of nonsense?! Do you think there's no one else by Her Majesty's side if I'm not there?! Doing this only gives others a chance!!"
Kristof waved his fan and rubbed his ear, irritated by the yelling, then said righteously, "Head Doctor Oswyn, how can you say that? These are matters that concern the people. None of them are trivial. And besides, you're the head of the Medical Department. You're a top-ranking official, yet you live in the imperial palace all the time. That's one thing. But if you start slacking off on your duties too, that won't do."
Oswyn was nearly choked with fury by the casual tone of Kristof's words. His anger exploded.
"Slacking off?! When have I ever left the Medical Department before nightfall over the past three months?! Kristof, you crafty, sly old fox, don't you dare slander me in front of Her Majesty! You're just jealous that I get to live in the palace and you can't! Ha! Let me tell you! The palace is my home in Plumera City! Her Majesty agreed to it long ago! You can be as jealous and manipulative as you want, but that fact isn't going to change!!!"
Kristof rubbed his ear again and didn't bother responding to Oswyn's outburst. He just kept fanning himself and turned to walk slowly back toward the Justice Department.
"Head Doctor Oswyn, better finish verifying the rest of those medicines quickly. I'm heading back to the Justice Department now. Every half a quarter hour, someone will come to collect your results. If they find you've disappeared, then I'll just have to visit the palace again. I haven't had a proper audience with Her Majesty since she returned. And the Justice Department has plenty to report. If you don't mind, how about we enter the palace together?"
"You! Don't you dare!!"
Hearing Oswyn's furious voice behind him, Kristof let out a low chuckle while fanning himself.
There might be many people by Her Majesty's side, but since he wasn't one of them, it only made sense to pull someone else out to wait with him, right?
Early the next morning,
Elara woke from her sleep to find Mathias, now back to normal, lying beside her.
Because the cravings in his body had been building up for almost three months, she had spent quite a bit of energy and time detoxifying him last night. By the time they finished, it was nearly dawn. Mathias had collapsed in her arms, fast asleep, tightly holding her.
Now, he was sleeping peacefully with his eyes closed. The morning light shining through the window fell on his gentle and handsome face, making him look even more refined and otherworldly, completely different from the haunted expression he had during the attack.
Elara looked at his peaceful face and couldn't help but smile slightly. She reached out to touch him, confirming that his body temperature was back to normal and the craving had been completely suppressed. Only then did she sit up from the bed.
She had intended to dress and leave quietly, but even in sleep, Mathias remained sensitive to her movements. As soon as Elara got up, his eyelashes fluttered, and he woke up. Seeing her already sitting up, he immediately supported himself and sat up as well. Without caring that he had nothing on, his long, smooth black hair cascading down, he carefully helped her get dressed.
"You said you'd sleep a little longer."
Elara turned to glance at Mathias, who was kneeling by the bed, helping her dress piece by piece.
Mathias smiled softly. After helping Elara finish dressing, he returned to bed and started putting on his own clothes, piece by piece, over his bare body.
"Last night, Your Majesty helped me sleep very well."
Mathias had always been thorough and thoughtful. Seeing his warm smile, Elara didn't say anything more.
After having breakfast delivered by the palace servants, Elara looked at the sky outside. She calculated the time, stood up, and walked out of the bedchamber, preparing to attend the morning court meeting for the first time in three months.
But just after stepping out of her chamber, her gaze suddenly landed on the special residence behind it, the one meant for the "Retired Emperor" — the Taihe Hall.
After returning to the capital, she had arranged for Commander Shu to live in the Taihe Hall.
Yesterday, after she came back, Oswyn had clung to her for a while. In the afternoon, she reviewed the examination results, and at night she detoxified Mathias, so she hadn't had a chance to visit Commander Shu.
Elara looked at the quiet and silent Taihe Hall for a moment... then gave up the idea. Morning court came first.
She would handle the major affairs that had piled up over the past three months before dealing with anything else.
Inside the grand hall,
Elara sat high on the throne, wearing her magnificent imperial robes decorated with golden phoenixes.
Below, all the court officials stood respectfully in clean and formal attire, bowing with heads lowered.
After months of careful medical care, Mathias had mostly recovered. Today, he came to the court with Elara, wearing the official robe of the Ministry of Sciences. He stood in front of the ministry officials, representing his father, Minister Old Pei, and his brother, Maurice, to report on the ministry's work over the past three months.