The opening ceremony concluded, and Pola saw off the guests before returning to her castle. The moment she stepped inside, she collapsed onto the sofa.
"Finally, it's over. I'm exhausted."
Pola sat there, picked up the teapot, but instead of pouring it into a cup, she brought it directly to her lips and tilted her head back to drink.
"Hoo."
After finishing the tea, Pola placed the teapot on the table and lay back lazily, intending to rest for a while.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Pola called out lazily.
Creak.
The door opened, and a guard in a black suit walked in. As a member Pola had brought from Baroque Work, he was long accustomed to her current state.
"Your Majesty, Minister Dalton is here," the guard said seriously.
"Just let him in," Pola said irritably. "How many times have I told him he can just come in if he needs me?"
The guard said helplessly, "We told him that too, but Minister Dalton insisted on us announcing him."
"Fine, fine."
Pola waved her hand. "Let Dalton in."
"Yes."
The guard immediately left, and then Dalton opened the door and walked in. Seeing Pola's appearance, he looked somewhat exasperated.
"Your Majesty, you need to be more dignified," Dalton said, not unkindly.
Pola replied lazily, "There's no one else here."
"I'm here, and you can't act like this in front of your minister," Dalton said helplessly.
"What's there to distinguish between us?" Pola looked at Dalton and reached for the teapot. "Go on, what is it?"
"I want to ask Queen Pola something."
Dalton took a breath. Hearing her say there was no distinction between them warmed his heart, but he still said, "Are you a member of Baroque Work?"
"Pfft."
Pola sprayed water directly onto Dalton's face and asked in a flustered tone, "Wh-what are you talking about?"
Dalton wiped the tea from his face. "It seems so."
Pola sat up straight, placed the teapot on the table, and looked at Dalton. "How did you find out?"
Dalton thought for a moment. "It was easy to tell. Hecate fought alongside you and us when we came ashore. He even fought me. Although he left before I fought Christmas, I remembered his name. And Christmas disappeared multiple times; the one eleven months ago coincided with Hecate being pursued and the time when Baroque Work's high-ranking executives left. Coupled with the extra money you received, it made me realize you must be a member of Baroque Work."
As Dalton spoke, Pola nodded and looked at him. "I am indeed a member of Baroque Work."
"Really?" Dalton's expression turned somewhat sad upon receiving a definite answer.
Pola asked again, "But what's the problem with that?"
Dalton was slightly taken aback and looked at Pola blankly. "Baroque Work is an evil organization, and many of its members are wanted."
"Evil? That word is only relative," Pola said. "And am I wanted?"
"No," Dalton shook his head.
Pola continued, "Alcan and Christmas aren't wanted either, and those who are wanted will never appear in this country. Baroque Work has already been destroyed and will never appear before the world again."
"But I know you're still around," Dalton said, looking at Pola.
Pola nodded. "That's right. But you should also know that our arrival saved the entire country and elevated it to a higher level. Without my connections in Baroque Work, our medical center wouldn't have had the funds to be established."
"You're right," Dalton nodded.
Pola then asked, "You discovered something was amiss long ago, so why did you wait so long to come to me?"
Dalton replied, "I was worried about the consequences of angering you and disrupting the plan. For the Sakura Kingdom, this is the best time for it to rise."
"We are beneficial to this country, and that outcome is enough."
Pola looked at Dalton and asked, "And what do you plan to do?"
Dalton looked troubled. "I don't know. I just want to..."
"You don't trust us, yet you can't deny our usefulness, and you hope this prosperity continues," Pola leaned back, crossing her legs. "In the end, you simply want things to stay the same."
Dalton hesitated. "It would be best if things could stay this way."
Pola looked at Dalton. "Don't worry, Baroque Work will never reveal itself. It will always remain hidden in the shadows, and their share of the profits will only be twenty percent. With a billion investment and military protection, this stake is the biggest concession we could make. I can guarantee that."
Dalton nodded. "That's good then."
Pola looked at Dalton. "And I hope you remember, this is not just your country, it's my country too."
"I understand," Dalton replied.
Pola smiled and asked, "Have you told anyone else about this?"
"No."
Dalton shook his head and said, "Only I know."
Bora said, "So you're not afraid I'll kill you to silence you? That wouldn't be difficult for me."
Hearing this, Dalton opened his mouth and said, "I believe Queen Bora wouldn't do such a thing."
If this matter got out, everything would turn to dust, so Dalton had to keep it a secret.
"You really trust me..."
Bora looked at Dalton, a smile playing on her lips. She suddenly nudged him with her foot and asked, "Do you like me?"
"H-how could I?"
Dalton flinched, his eyes darting around as he spoke.
Bora laughed. "It's easy to tell. You often look at me, and when I catch your eye, you look away. Every few days, you bring me gifts. Whether it's a good catch from a hunt, new fruit from somewhere, or a coat you made."
Dalton coughed. "You... you are the Queen, and I am your subject. If I have something good, of course, I must give it to Her Majesty the Queen."
"Then last time, when you went to Alabastan for business, you bought flowers and rushed back, claiming they were a gift for Vivi. Did you forget that Vivi and I are good friends? This kind of thing is obvious if you just ask, right?" Bora asked with a smile.
"This, this..." Dalton wiped the sweat from his forehead, unsure what to say.
Bora looked at Dalton and asked with a smile, "Do you know why I know you like me?"
"Why?" Dalton looked up, asking curiously.
Bora smiled. "It's simple, because I like you too. Because I like you, I can naturally sense what liking someone feels like."
"Huh?" Dalton looked at Bora, his voice trembling as he asked, "You like me?"
"That's right."
Bora nodded. "I like how you'd risk everything for the people of this country, how you'd stand up to fight even after being so badly injured. I like how you stood up to support me and told the people they could trust me. I like how you meticulously plan to give me gifts, and I even like how you pretend you didn't give me flowers."
"I..." Dalton's face turned bright red.
Bora looked at Dalton and asked with a smile, "So, are you willing to be my man?"
"This, this..." Dalton's heart raced even faster at her words.
Even though he was brave and strategic in battle, he was still flustered in the face of the affection shown by the one he loved.
"Why are you being so wishy-washy?"
Seeing this, Bora said irritably, "I'm a woman, and I've said this much, and you're still unmoved? Are you even a man?"
Hearing this, Dalton gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and said seriously, "I am willing."
Upon hearing this, Bora stood up, walked over to Dalton, and sat on his lap. She cupped his face and slowly leaned in.
Dalton closed his eyes. Their lips drew closer and closer, finally meeting.
As they felt the warmth of each other's lips, their hearts felt incredibly warm.
But after a moment, a voice suddenly rang out, "Kissing isn't just touching lips, actually kiss! Haven't you two kissed before? Oh my, you're both over thirty, aren't you? Is this your first time? Hahaha."
"Christmas, get lost!" Bora yelled into the distance. "If I catch you peeking again, I'll gouge your eyes out."
"Okay, okay, okay, I'm leaving now."
Christmas vanished in a flash, and no one knew if she had truly left.
Dalton's face had turned completely red. He felt the pressure of Bora's alluring buttocks against his thighs and sat there, too stunned to move.
"Don't mind her."
Bora collected herself, looked at Dalton's face, and leaned in again.
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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