Avoid 19-rated content

Chapter 23

I walked towards the Queen and held her hand, gently placing a kiss on the back of it."

<"If you wish, I will come to the Queen's Palace often. At that time, we can only speak in Teheit>

A slow sense of joy spread across the Queen's face as she was about to say something.

"To witness my fiance seducing my mother, what a sight."

Hunter's voice suddenly cut through.

Turning around, I saw Hunter standing at the entrance of the walkway. It seemed like he ran in quite a hurry.

"Hunter, what brings you to see the Queen at this hour?"

He couldn't possibly admit that he came after receiving reports from those who were monitoring me.

Nonetheless, Hunter casually lied with a calm expression on his face

"After finishing work, I thought of walking in the Queen's garden so I came."

He brushed aside his slightly disheveled golden hair with his hand while walking towards us.

"What were you talking about?"

As he spoke, Hunter released the Queen's hand from my grasp and used his thumb to vigorously wipe her hand.

[Hunter Melian's favorability has dropped by -2!]

Mama's boy bastard...

As I secretly glanced at Hunter, the Queen spoke in Teheit.

<Your fiance speaks Teheit!>

She said in a very excited and happy voice. Hunter looked at her in surprise after hearing his mother make such a voice in a long time.

<It's much better than you, It's at the level of a native speaker.>

"Did you know how to speak Tehitian?

Hunter looked at me and asked sharply. He seemed to be thinking this wasn't a coincidence. I answered quickly before the favorability dropped below 0

<I learned it from my mother when I was young. I heard your Royal Highness also knows a bit, doesn't he?>"

<Speak in Teheit, Hunter>

The Queen intervened, encouraging me. As our eyes met, she raised her eyebrows playfully, and with pursed lips, she seemed to ask, 'Go ahead.' With that delightful expression, the Queen momentarily looked like a very young girl.

<I can't believe it. Why do you do it? You say Teheit?> (*speaking Teheit incoherently*)

Listening is one thing, but speaking is another.

I opened my eyes wide and tilted my head slightly. Whether it looked like I was expressing sympathy or not, Hunter spoke a bit faster.

<Please don't be fooled!> (*speaking Teheit incoherently*)

At his words, both the Queen and I burst into laughter.

"Why are you laughing? Mom, please don't laugh either."

<I'm sorry, Your Royal Highness, It's just too amusing. What were you doing instead of diligently learning Teheit from the Queen>

I was laughing so hard that tears formed at the corners of my eyes

The Queen also held her stomach and smiled

<Didn't I tell you, Hunter's Teheitian language skills are at the level of a baby's babbling>

<Its really true>

The Queen and I continued laughing about Hunter. Later, when the laughter subsided, the Queen said to me while holding her stomach with one hand.

Hunter glared at us with a dissatisfied face at first but his expression slowly relaxed when he saw the Queen laughing breathlessly. Then a notification appeared.

[Hunter Melian's favorability increased by +3!]

After our laughter died down a little, the Queen spoke to me.

<Will you come to the Queen's Palace officially when the sun rises tomorrow? Would you like to talk more with me>

"Is that okay, Hunter?"

The Queen turned to look at Hunter.

Hunter observed the lingering traces of laughter on the Queen's face. A delightful smile, that he hadn't seen since he was very young. The Queen's eyes were shining brightly with joy. It had been almost 20 years since she showed interest in people, not just plants.

He gently rubbed the back of the Queen's hand with his thumb once again, this time the movements were much softer and gentler.

<Of course, Mom.>

Hunter's remark made the Queen burst into laughter again. She didn't forget to make eye contact with me. I also smiled at the Queen again.

[Hunter Melian's favorability increased by +1!]

I promised a visit to the Queen's Palace then went back to the palace. Hunter and I returned to the trail and started walking toward the Crown Prince's Palace.

"It's good to see the Queen smiling. She suffered from severe depression for a long time."

Hunter said. I pretended not to know and smiled slightly.

"I've heard that the Queen doesn't come out of the palace, but I didn't know she had depression. She seems to be laughing well."

"She laughs in front of you. More precisely, in front of someone who knows Teheit."

Living in a foreign country, there are times when the language feels like everything in that country. Hunter added with a low, dark voice.

"No matter how hard I tried, freely speaking their language was difficult. I could understand everything I heard, but speaking it out loud... The Emperor disliked any mention of Teheit."

If that's the case, I could understand a bit. When Hunter was outside the Queen's Palace, he might not have had the opportunity to study or practice Teheit separately. In a situation where his mother was an outcast even from the Emperor's eyes, he probably couldn't afford to provoke further disapproval.

Suddenly, I felt sympathy for Hunter. A man with a tough and firm face, who never revealed his inner thoughts, where could he possibly release his sadness? Has there ever been such an opportunity?

As I gazed at Hunter in silence, he turned his gaze towards me.

"I can see what you're thinking."

In the darkness filled with blooming roses, the thick and elegant lips, reminiscent of the Queen, moved quietly.

"Don't do that. Don't pity my mother and me."

"I... didn't think that way."

Upon hearing this, Hunter faintly smiled.

"Lies."

Then, an alert popped up above his head.

[Hunter Melian's favorability increased by +1!]