V2: Chapter 16: Tensions Rise, Who Will Prevail?

"Miss Liang Di, there's trouble at the dessert shop!"

In her haste, Bellica didn't knock, bursting in breathlessly.

Liang Di put down the portrait in her hand, calmly looking up. "Is it Miranda and Edwin's doing?"

"Yes, yes."

Seeing her mistress's natural expression, and knowing she directly identified the culprit, Bellica's anxiety eased slightly.

"I knew they'd cause trouble someday. I thought it would be much sooner. It's amazing they've endured this long; they're quite patient, that's a virtue."

"Though that they'll just die a little later..."

Liang Di stood up.

"Bellica, why do you think... they're so patient?"

Bellica hesitated.

"Because of... the Queen?"

Liang Di smiled.

“That’s right.”

“A few months ago, when we entered the palace, weren’t their actions obvious enough? They all had their own agendas. The King and Queen both had their own agendas, though their thoughts differed, but they were both trying to harm me.”

A few months ago, at a ball in the palace.

Liang Di, wearing a stunning gown custom-made by her family’s noble tailor shop, lifted her skirt and walked into the magnificent palace. Almost instantly, everyone’s eyes fell on the girl’s face. She had snow-white skin, and her round, sapphire-blue eyes sparkled with innocent light. Her small nose and mouth revealed a tranquil temperament. Her long, silver-white hair was as smooth as silk, exuding a unique charm.

She walked slowly, and everyone’s gaze followed her. Liang Di was beautiful, but unlike Liang Lin’s domineering beauty, she seemed easily controlled, which was why she attracted so many suitors from noble young men and received so many letters from them.

The young noblemen all thought that a woman like Liang Lin, violent and vicious, would be difficult to control even after marriage. But Liang Di seemed to be the complete opposite; she was gentle, intelligent, and embodied all the virtues of womanhood. Everyone thought she was the best marriage prospect, a perfect mother, a perfect wife, and a perfect matriarch. She also had a keen business sense and would surely manage the household impeccably.

Liang Di found a corner and stood there steadily, not engaging anyone in conversation. She knew that soon someone would approach her.

As she expected, many young noblemen, holding wine glasses and swirling them, approached her with what they thought were charming smiles.

"Miss Liang Di, it's an honor to meet you."

Liang Di politely nodded to the young noblemen.

Meanwhile, several young noblewomen around her whispered amongst themselves, their jealousy overflowing, impossible to conceal.

Liang Di shrugged indifferently. After all, her target wasn't them, but their parents' generation.

Soon, the parents of the noblemen's sons gathered around, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at Liang Di.

"Miss Liang Di is truly a rising star!"

"Miss Liang Di is quite the celebrity lately."

A sweet smile immediately bloomed on Liang Di's face, like a budding flower.

"Madam Daphne, your nails are truly beautiful. Those diamonds must have cost hundreds of gold coins, right? Did you get them done at our nail salon?"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately cast envious glances at Daphne, instantly boosting her vanity. She basked in the attention and praise, but one lady didn't compliment her. Daphne's smile turned cold. She raised her hand and began a friendly exchange of compliments with Liang Di.

“Of course, Miss Liang Di, your family's nail salon is the best. As for the others… haha~ they still have to learn a lot from you. Sometimes, just copying blindly will never capture the essence.”

Daphne's gaze fell on Lady Alfred beside her. In their youth, they had fought fiercely over a nobleman's son, an incident known throughout aristocratic circles. Therefore, the two ladies had remained at odds ever since. Recently, Alfred's family had followed suit, opening several nail salons like the Langwendi family. While their business wasn't as booming as Liang Di's, it was still quite good.

This was why Liang Di had chosen to praise Lady Daphne among the crowd. Both ladies were duchesses, but in reality, Daphne's house was far wealthier and more powerful than Alfred's. However, there was no real conflict between the two dukes, so there was no tension.

Now, Liang Di was deliberately sowing discord.

To be fair, the Duke and Duchess slept in the same bed a few days each month, so a little whispering in their ears was still effective. As long as the conflict between them was escalated, everything would be easier to resolve.

Sure enough, Alfred noticed Daphne looking at her and instantly understood that Daphne had been subtly mocking her. Her face darkened immediately, but there were too many people around. If she spoke up now, it would be like taking offense, and she would lose face. Besides, Daphne's status was indeed slightly higher than hers, so she couldn't afford to make a scene here.

The animosity between the two women deepened further.

Liang Di watched all this, secretly amused.

Then, she casually said a few words to the noblemen and ladies around her, specifically targeting those with whom she had a grudge. In less than ten minutes, the atmosphere among the group became extremely tense.

Only Liang Di, with an air of "hiding her merits and fame," swirled her wine glass, smiling as she observed her surroundings, nodding in satisfaction.

That's right, the more these nobles fight, the less united they become, and the more fiercely they scheme for their own interests, the faster their system will collapse. This is especially true for those powerful nobles within the royal family with deep-rooted ties; even a slight deterioration in their relationship is detrimental to the royal family.

Just as Liang Di moved her lips, as if about to say something more, the eldest prince, Gael, descended the stairs. He was dressed in a white tuxedo, and it must be said, when he wasn't greasy, he was quite handsome—blonde hair, blue eyes, truly embodying the demeanor of a prince.

The gazes of many noble ladies were all drawn to the eldest prince. Many wore expressions of infatuation, whispering amongst themselves, some even opening their fans to shield their flushed faces.

"The eldest prince is still as handsome as ever."

"I heard he's going to the ball to find his fiancée, one of the other princes' female classmates."

"My goodness, if any young lady catches the eldest prince's eye, she'll be incredibly lucky."

"No, it's more important to be favored by the queen or the king. Even if the eldest prince likes you, you won't be able to enter the royal family if the king and queen don't approve."

“Good heavens, that's even harder…”

Liang Di remained silent, taking a sip of her drink, her gaze fixed intently on Gael.

She had seen him once before in the palace's back garden, but the distance was too great for her to see clearly. Now, however, she could see him more closely. She put down her glass, left the corner, and took a few steps forward to get a better look at Gael.

Hmm… this guy doesn't seem to have anything unusual about him. He doesn't seem to have monster blood, nor does he appear to have any abnormalities.

In other words, he's just an ordinary person with a particularly strong physique.

Children born from the union of a monster and a human will always inherit the monster's genes. However, if a monster and a human's child then falls in love with another ordinary person and has children, they may not inherit the monster's genes, and their bodies may not mutate. Therefore, only a portion of each generation has the monster's genes. Clearly, Gael isn't one of those individuals.

His mother, Doris, was born from a monster and a human. Liang Di had initially thought that Gael's chances of mutating were higher, but now it seems that wasn't the case.

"Good, he's one less threat."

Perhaps it was her gaze that was too direct, too intense, but Gael felt a chill run down his spine. He instinctively looked towards Liang Di, their eyes meeting directly. Liang Di didn't panic and look away; instead, she smiled at Gael and then tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Gael was momentarily stunned. He was dazed for a moment, then snapped back to reality, hastily averting his gaze. His face flushed, and even his ears turned red.

Damn it, Mother was right, Liang Di is a monster. Why does just one glance at her feel like my soul has been sucked away?

Gael still doesn't know that his mother is also a monster.

"Heh," Liang Di lowered her head and gave a cold laugh.

Octaville had observed Gael long ago and deduced that he most likely didn't know his mother, Doris, was a monster. Liang Di glanced at Gael again with pity, thinking him a fool kept in the dark.

What was Doris afraid of?

Was she afraid that Gael would reveal her identity to others after she told him?

Or was she afraid that Gael would hate and fear her after learning her true identity?

Or perhaps, Doris had her own plans?

Liang Di had no idea. The only information they knew within the Magic Tower was that Doris had suddenly appeared at the beach one day. When they found her and tried to take her back to the Magic Tower by the sea, Doris escaped. Her body was as limp as an eel; the ropes couldn't bind her at all.

The next time they heard news of her was when the king announced the new queen.

That day, everyone inside the Magic Tower was in a panic. They couldn't understand why the King would marry a monster as his wife, making her the matriarch of the Soteland Empire—it was a terrifying thing!

The Magic Tower had sent people to communicate with the King, but he didn't believe them. He said his wife was so beautiful, how could she be an ugly monster?

"Besides, monsters are blocked by walls; they can't get in at all."

The King, fat and bloated, spoke and did foolish things, leaving the people of the Magic Tower speechless.

"Alas, there are no monsters in this world, have you forgotten?"

The King's words were clearly laced with threat.

"Don't say things that cause panic, otherwise… you all know best what magicians fear most, and our royal family knows it all too well."

The people from the Magic Tower were helpless and could only swallow their anger and go back to complain to the former tower master.

Back to the present, behind Gael were the King and Queen, and then the eldest and second princesses.

The eldest and second princesses were both born to the former queen and were of high status. However, the second and third princes were not, so they did not attend the ball. They were illegitimate children, and only because of their royal blood were they given the status of princes and allowed to enjoy the "luxury and privilege" of the palace.

"Good evening, everyone."

The King smiled, maintaining his usual cunning demeanor, appearing kind and approachable, but only those close to him knew just how ruthless he could be.

Upon seeing the King arrive, everyone ceased their whispers, stood respectfully at attention, and bowed to him as he ascended the stairs.

"Alright, alright, everyone, no need to be so formal. This is just a very ordinary ball." The King paused, then added, "Haha, quite a few young, unfamiliar faces indeed. It seems... your children have all grown up."

The King's implication was that his children were ready for marriage, for business dealings, and for consolidating their family fortunes.

"This ball is for the young! Haha~ The future of our Soteland Empire still depends on these young people!" The King's speech was impassioned.

Doris simply stood to the side with a smile, quiet and beautiful, appearing like a gentle woman. Of course, this was all an act.

The ball officially began.

The king waved to Gael, signaling him to come closer.

Gael walked over, and the king's mouth opened and closed as if he were saying something. Then, Gael glanced at Liang Di, his eyes filled with disgust yet also a hint of anticipation. Liang Di, however, inwardly felt a sense of foreboding; this wave of disgust was directed at her.

Sure enough, a short while later, Gael strolled towards her. Many noble ladies, captivated, covered their chests with their lace-gloved hands, blushing and whispering amongst themselves, wondering who Gael had come to see.

Gael walked past the crowd to Liang Di's side. His smile was forced, but his reddened ears betrayed his current shyness.

"Miss Liang Di, may I invite you to dance?"

Liang Di felt utterly disgusted.

She politely took a step back and bowed.

“I’m so sorry, Your Highness, but I cannot accept your invitation. My leg has only recently recovered, and I still have some lingering ailments. Furthermore, I haven’t attended many classes at the academy, and I know absolutely nothing about court ballroom dancing. I wouldn’t want to embarrass you or myself.”

Having said that, Liang Di glanced around, gesturing to the prince, “Your Highness, look, there are so many beautiful young ladies around.”

Having had her invitation rejected, Gael’s face darkened; he felt his authority had been challenged.

The surrounding girls, hearing Liang Di’s refusal of the prince’s invitation, began to whisper amongst themselves again.

"Wow~ She actually dared to refuse the prince's invitation!"

"Heh, this girl is really good at pretending."

"She deliberately refused, playing hard to get, just to attract the prince's attention, right?"

Liang Di, hearing these explosive comments, twitched her lips, feeling utterly astonished.

These noble ladies were truly hopeless, their minds only filled with love and romance.

Well, Liang Di's mind was also full of love and romance, but only towards Liang Lin.

Gael froze in place, neither staying nor continuing the invitation, nor turning away. As for why he came and took the initiative to invite Liang Di, that was, of course, his father's idea.

Otherwise, why would Liang Di say that the Queen and the King each had their own ulterior motives?

Doris wanted to eliminate her, the reasons being obvious. Liang Di was a monster cultivated by the Magic Tower, and Doris was a half-blood monster from across the sea; it was perfectly normal for Doris to want to eliminate her.

The King, seeing the Langwendi family's recent resurgence and even recapture of their former glory, has begun to seek a marriage alliance with them. He hopes to leverage the Langwendi family's wealth and prestige to further strengthen the royal family.

How pragmatic!

When the Langwendi family was in decline, not only the royal family but also other noble families refused to associate with them. Now, seeing their business flourishing, their reputation growing, and their wealth increasing, both noble families and the royal family are flocking to curry favor, hoping to get a share.

Gael stood there motionless, like a wooden stake.

Liang Di frowned. She watched as more and more people gathered around, the whispers growing louder, and even several couples stopped dancing and stared at them. Liang Di felt a chill run down her spine, a feeling of being publicly humiliated.

Just then, Queen Doris walked over, stood between Liang Di and Gael.

This is the first direct confrontation between the two hybrid monsters.