Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 925 - 926: Truth or Lie?

In the dining hall of the Purple Night Palace, under the service of two attendants, two stunningly beautiful girls took their seats at a rectangular long table. A variety of dishes, as exquisite as works of art, were quickly placed on the dining table.

"Ah~" Mengxi picked up a piece of pink cake and smilingly brought it to the black-haired girl’s mouth.

At this moment, Yumo, who had changed into a silver-white court dress and donned a crown, looked at the cake presented to her mouth and the silver-haired girl with an expectant face, feeling somewhat conflicted.

"Hmm..." Glancing at the eagerly awaiting maids and head chef nearby, Yumo hesitantly pursed her lips.

Originally, Yumo had planned to have a direct conversation with Mengxi about the current situation of the Church Nation after waking up early. However, Mengxi was not very cooperative...

A few minutes ago, upon seeing Yumo looking at her with a serious expression, Mengxi tilted her head and asked in puzzlement, "Discussing serious matters? So suddenly?"

"Yes, it’s about the recent developments in the Church Nation..."

"Let’s talk about those things later."

"Huh? Why?"

"I can tell at a glance that you want to discuss some tedious and serious topics. In that case, it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to discuss them in bed in our disheveled state, right? Why don’t we change our clothes and chat while enjoying breakfast later?"

Mengxi suggested, pointing at Yumo’s delicate figure clad only in underwear.

"Hmm, okay." Considering that her embarrassing attire was indeed unsuitable for discussing serious matters, Yumo nodded in agreement with Mengxi’s proposal.

Soon, with Mengxi’s assistance, Yumo put on the court attire that Mengxi had prepared in advance and wore the crown symbolizing her status as the Empress. Looking at herself in the mirror, Yumo was momentarily stunned. The silver-white off-shoulder long dress, adorned with black stars, had lace cutouts on the hem and subtle floral patterns on the fabric. A unique snow-fur shawl not only showcased Yumo’s beauty but also exuded an elegant and noble aura.

More importantly, the dress fit perfectly.

As if guessing Yumo’s puzzlement, after helping Yumo tie the ribbon at the back, Mengxi affectionately hugged Yumo from behind and rested her chin on Yumo’s shoulder.

"I prepared several hundred sets of dresses for you in the Purple Night Palace, using your old clothes as a reference. Since they were specially made for you, of course they fit perfectly."

"S-Several hundred sets?"

Looking at the evidently expensive attire in the mirror, Yumo couldn’t help but frown, "Such precious dresses, prepared in such large quantities? W-What if I hadn’t come to find you? Wouldn’t it be too wasteful?"

However, Mengxi shook her head nonchalantly in response to this question and whispered in Yumo’s ear, "That won’t happen. Because I believe that you will come back sooner or later. Now, hasn’t you returned?"

"Still, there’s no need to prepare so many. It’s wasteful..."

"If you think that way, then stay with me longer. If you wear them all, it won’t be a waste."

"You little..."

"Hehe~" Mengxi laughed mischievously, then took Yumo’s hand and led her towards the dining hall. "Let’s go, we’ll chat while having breakfast."

-_-

…

Back to the present, faced with Mengxi’s feeding behavior, Yumo hesitated and glanced around. Being fed like a child in public at her age felt a bit embarrassing...

Yumo felt a little resistant.

However, Mengxi had no intention of giving up. She whispered, "Yumo, in the eyes of the people of the Church Nation, we are a very loving couple. If you don’t eat, it would be quite awkward for me."

"Hmm, alright..." After a resigned sigh, Yumo slowly opened her pink cherry-like lips. Seeing this, Mengxi happily placed the cake into Yumo’s mouth.

Instantly, the coolness of the cake, the aroma of the cheese, the sweetness of the whipped cream, and the freshness of the fruits exploded in Yumo’s mouth, continuously stimulating her taste buds. Unconsciously, Yumo revealed a blissful smile.

"Mmm~"

"It’s delicious, isn’t it?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Hehe, Yumo still loves ice cream cake." Mengxi, satisfied with the response, smiled contentedly. "That’s great. Head Chef Demiz will be very pleased."

"Head Chef Demiz?"

"Oh, him. He’s the one who just pushed the food cart. I hired him five years ago specifically to make desserts for you. He has been honing his skills for a long time, and today his efforts finally paid off. He must be very happy."

"For me?"

Mumbling softly, Yumo glanced behind Mengxi. She then noticed that the head chef who had just served the food was already excited and even had tears of joy upon seeing her eat the ice cream cake.

The cake, the clothes... Moreover, this room...

Glancing around, Yumo realized that the style of the Purple Night Palace bore a striking resemblance to her house in the western part of the Winter Forest. The decorations, murals, chandeliers, sculptures, and such inside the room were all in the style she liked.

"This Purple Night Palace wasn’t built specifically for me, was it?"

"Of course it was. It’s a palace meticulously crafted for you," Mengxi said with a hint of pride. However, as she finished speaking, a chilling glint flashed in the depths of the silver-haired girl’s eyes. "A ’birdcage’ just for you."

"Huh? A what?"

"Nothing." Mengxi regained her previous blissful and sweet smile and gently shook her head. After feeding Yumo a few more bites of cake, Mengxi asked curiously, "So, Yumo, what was the serious matter you wanted to discuss earlier?"

"Hmm, about that..." Yumo didn’t answer directly but hesitantly glanced at the servants and guards around.

Understanding Yumo’s intention, Mengxi smiled calmly, "You may leave now. I want to have a private conversation with the Empress."

"As you command." The crowd responded in unison and orderly withdrew from the dining hall. With the closing of the doors, only Mengxi and Yumo were left in the spacious dining hall. Since no one was around, Mengxi snuggled up to Yumo even more unrestrained, hugging her arm without hesitation.

"So, can you tell me now?"

"Well, I’m a bit curious about what the Church Nation is trying to do recently."

"Hmm? What do you mean by that?"

"Uh, how should I put it? Hasn’t the Church Nation recently cut ties with the Sadik Empire, Holy Lomari, and the Night Wish City? Moreover, they even sent people..."

Facing Mengxi, Yumo quickly informed her about the recent events she had learned, including the attackers possessing Holy Energy appearing in various parts of the Ancita continent, the hostility from the official level of the Church Nation, and the assassins attempting to kill Marquis Xiumu...

As Yumo recounted these incidents one by one to Mengxi, the silver-haired girl’s expression gradually changed from initial calmness to surprise, and finally to solemnity and gravity.

Especially upon hearing the news that Yuan’er’s grandfather had nearly died, Mengxi’s eyes narrowed. She slowly released Yumo’s arm and covered her mouth in disbelief, her light purple eyes filled with shock and anger.

"H-How could this be?! It was done by people from the Church Nation?!"

"They all used Holy Energy, so it’s very likely."

"How could this happen... Could it be that someone took advantage of my seclusion to cause trouble?"

"Perhaps, right?"

"Damn it..." Mengxi clenched her fists. After taking a few deep breaths, the silver-haired girl managed to stabilize her state of mind. "From the looks of it, the serious matter you mentioned is quite troublesome. I’m sorry, Yumo. I might not be able to accompany you for now. I need to arrange for people to investigate and find out who has been causing trouble behind my back."

With those words, after casting an apologetic gaze at Yumo, Mengxi put on her coat and hurriedly left the dining hall, leaving Yumo alone at the dining table.

In response, Yumo didn’t show any displeasure.

After witnessing Mengxi’s shocked expression and her hasty actions, Yumo inexplicably felt a sense of relief.

Thank goodness. It seems that she was unaware...

Although Yumo had always believed that Mengxi couldn’t possibly do such things, seeing Mengxi’s reaction in person still brought a sense of relief to Yumo. The heavy burden that had been weighing on her chest for a long time crumbled into pieces.

"Phew~" Now that no one was in the dining hall, Yumo couldn’t help but let out a long sigh and slumped over the dining table in an unladylike manner.

"With this, once the culprit is caught, I’ll bring Mengxi back and reconcile with the children."

….

On the other hand, enveloped in a silver-white light, Mengxi quickly left the Purple Night Palace. However, as soon as she stepped out of the palace in a hurry, Mengxi abruptly stopped in her tracks. The previous solemnity and anxiety on her face had vanished, replaced by a chilling calmness.

At the same time, a slightly hoarse voice echoed from behind Mengxi, "Good morning, Your Majesty."

Glancing to the side, a man with greyish-white long hair, looking extremely fatigued, stood with his arms crossed, leaning against a stone pillar in front of the main entrance.

"Zuoben?"

That’s right. The person who had been waiting at the entrance of the Purple Night Palace for a long time was none other than Zuoben, the current prime minister of the Church Nation.

"Where is Your Majesty heading in such a hurry?"

"Just to conduct some investigations. Investigating the recent Holy Energy attacks occurring in various parts of the continent."

"Oh?" Looking at the cold-faced silver-haired girl, Zuoben raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Investigate? Are you going to investigate yourself?"