106: Chapter 106 The Cunning Succubus! Unfathomable Thoughts! The Princess's Invitation!

In the quiet room.

Aria listened expressionlessly to Rowan's rebellious yet seemingly logically consistent interpretation of the doctrine.

She stared blankly at him.

She seemed to be wondering how he could say such things without even blushing or losing his breath?!

She certainly understood what he meant.

Immediately, a surge of indignation, a mix of absurdity and shock, began to ripple in her eyes!

Insolent!

Too insolent!

"You..." Aria's red lips parted slightly, and the sharpness in her eyes began to coalesce!

However.

At the very threshold where her anger was about to erupt—

A strange and familiar sensation, without warning, slammed into the lake of her heart, which had lost the suppression of the Source Fire!

In that subtle moment of her mental fluctuation, Rowan fully activated his [Charm] skill, striking from within and without to take advantage of her vulnerability!

A cunning incubus is best at amplifying emotions.

He had been silently guiding that long-suppressed, Blazing lake of her heart.

The sharpness Aria had just gathered suddenly stalled.

An unnaturally bright crimson, like rouge dropped into clear water, suddenly spread up from her jade-white neck, slightly staining her cheeks and the tips of her ears!

Her eyes, which were always clear and cold, were now somewhat dazed, even carrying a hint of confusion she hadn't noticed herself, as she looked at Rowan right in front of her.

In the silent room, her heartbeat suddenly became clearly audible, its rhythm chaotic.

Rowan had been watching her reaction closely; at this moment, alarm bells and burning anticipation were intertwined in his heart.

Now is the time!

It's now or never!

He didn't hesitate for a second. The moment those beautiful eyes showed that rare daze, he stood up abruptly!

His movements were crisp and decisive.

In a few steps, he crossed the short distance between them and arrived in front of Aria.

Aria didn't seem to have fully recovered from the trance of her mind being struck by Blazing emotions; she just subconsciously tilted her head slightly, looking at the figure suddenly looming over her.

Rowan leaned down directly.

That exceptionally handsome face magnified before Aria's eyes. His amber eyes were as deep as a vortex, swirling with complex meanings that made her heart race even more out of control.

Noses touched lightly...

Warm lips pressed against her red lips, which were slightly parted in shock.

The touch was soft and slightly cool...

She... did not resist...

Time seemed to stand completely still at this moment.

Short, scorching breaths began to rise...

Her delicate, small nostrils flared slightly...

After an unknown amount of time...

Rowan slowly straightened up.

Aria still sat quietly in the chair, the collar of her Sacrificial Robe slightly disheveled.

Those eyes, usually calm and waveless, were now misty with a rare layer of moisture.

Her red lips were slightly swollen, gleaming with an enticing moisture.

It took a long time for Aria to suddenly snap out of it, her vacant gaze quickly focusing.

But that focused gaze was complex to the extreme.

Shock, anger, shame, confusion, and a trace of lingering palpitation—various emotions clashed violently.

She jerked her head away, avoiding Rowan's downward gaze. Her chest heaved several times as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, it only turned into a command for him to leave, still trembling despite her best efforts to suppress it:

"You... should leave, Baron Flynn!"

Her voice had lost its usual cold stability, carrying a hint of depth and an imperceptible tension.

Rowan's eyes flickered. He knew it wasn't wise to push further here and now, or he might actually get thrown out.

That would be far too unseemly.

"Yes, Priestess." He took a step back, bowed respectfully, and said with a smile, "I look forward to the next time we meet, when you can answer the questions of a devout believer..."

Click—

The door was opened.

Creak—

The door was gently closed.

The heavy oak door separated the inside from the outside.

Complete silence returned to the quiet room.

Only the daylight outside the window remained, along with Aria, who sat alone in the main seat, not moving for a long time.

She just stared blankly at the empty space in front of her, the light and shadows from the window flickering across her stunning profile.

The burning heat on her cheeks hadn't completely faded, and the scalding touch seemed to linger on her lips.

In her mind, his previous bold, almost blasphemous interpretation of doctrine, precepts, marriage, and childbirth replayed uncontrollably.

After a long while, she lightly brushed her slightly swollen lips.

Deep in her eyes, the storm of clashing emotions seemed to gradually subside.

Replaced by... a subtle flutter of the heart.

Suddenly, without warning—

The corner of those beautifully lined lips twitched upward ever so slightly.

A faint, inexplicable smile flashed across her exquisite face.

That smile—

Was light yet lingering, elusive, and beyond words...

...

Rowan walked out of Dawn Cathedral.

The winter daylight was at its peak.

Under the clear, azure sky.

He licked his lips, feeling in a good mood.

The air was cold, still carrying a faint scent of blood and the strange smell left after purification by holy power.

He walked down the white stone steps in front of the cathedral, his eyes calmly scanning the surroundings.

The cathedral had tightened its security. Temple Knights stood tall like a forest, cordoning off a large open area.

Crowds were still gathered in the distance. Several gazes projected onto him like physical things, filled with shock, awe, curiosity, and inquiry.

Just as he was about to call for his carriage—

A knight wearing a deep blue royal cloak with gold trim stepped forward to meet him.

The knight stopped three paces in front of him, his right hand over his chest, performing a standard knightly salute with a respectful posture.

"Good day, Baron Flynn." The knight's voice was clear and powerful. "Her Highness Princess Alice Tudor requests your presence for a conversation at Tinglan Manor."

He handed over a gold token engraved with an exquisite iris crest as a token of identity.

Rowan's gaze paused slightly on the token.

He was a direct vassal of the royal family; he could not refuse, nor did he have a reason to.

"Lead the way." He took the token, checked it briefly, then nodded and agreed with a calm expression.

"Please follow me. The carriage is ready."

The royal knight stepped aside to lead the way. A magnificent carriage decorated with royal insignia and drawn by two spirited white horses was waiting quietly at the corner.

...

Tinglan Manor.

This manor was located in a quiet lakeside woodland in the eastern district of Gino City. It belonged to the royal family's assets in Gino City and was currently being used as Princess Alice's residence.

The manor wasn't particularly large, but its design was exquisite and elegant, with changing scenery at every turn.

Even though it was winter, the garden was still decorated with carefully maintained cold-resistant plants, snow-covered lawns, frozen fountains, and the quiet lake in the distance.

The main building of the manor was a three-story structure with excellent lighting and a fresh, bright style.

At this moment, in the sunroom on the top floor facing the lake, Princess Alice was pacing slightly.

She wasn't wearing the solemn court dress she had worn at the welcome banquet, but a well-tailored goose-yellow wool dress with a light, warm silver-gray fur shawl.

Her golden hair was pinned up, revealing her long neck.

Without the constraints of complex headpieces and heavy gowns, she looked a bit less imperious as royalty and a bit more soft and beautiful as a young woman.

Her hand unconsciously fingered a warm white jade pendant. Her iris-purple eyes looked out at the frozen lake, but her thoughts had already drifted far away.

"Truly... unexpected."

She whispered to herself, a trace of complex emotion flashing across her beautiful face—shock, realization, and a kind of excitement from being struck by an unexpected surprise.

She had never imagined that Baron Flynn, who came from the northern countryside and was originally only listed by her as a "potential subject for observation," would hide such terrifying strength!

To be able to single-handedly shoot and kill a notoriously powerful High-Order Grand Knight as a Low-tier Great Knight in front of everyone!

This achievement was very dazzling in the North, even among the younger generation of the Empire!

More importantly, his identity—

A direct vassal of the royal family!

Although White Cliff Territory was remote and impoverished, that ancient contract of loyalty to the royal family was still valid.

This meant that legally and emotionally, Rowan Flynn should naturally be closer to the royal family and was a trustworthy person of their own!

"Loyal, powerful, young, with potential, and a clean background... is there a more perfect... subordinate?"

The corners of Princess Alice's mouth curled up unconsciously into a moving smile, and the light in her eyes grew brighter and brighter.

She could almost sketch out a beautiful picture of the future in her mind.

She would fully support Rowan Flynn in taking Golden Flame Territory and cultivate him into her most loyal confidant in the North.

With his strength and influence, she could join forces with Marquis Lance and gradually reverse the royal family's weak position in the North...

She had even begun to conceive the details of how to win him over.

Promotion of title, rewards of land, allocation of resources, or even... marriage?

Promising a noblewoman from a branch family wasn't impossible.

As long as he could be firmly bound to the royal family's chariot...

However, just then—

"Your Highness."

A maid in simple court dress walked silently into the sunroom and bowed respectfully.

She presented a parchment letter sealed with wax, which bore the unique secret crest of the royal family.

"An urgent secret letter from the Imperial Capital, just transmitted over."

Princess Alice's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

At this time, a secret letter from the Imperial Capital?

What could it be?

She took the letter, unfolded the parchment, and her eyes quickly scanned the concise words on the paper...

The bright smile on her face froze instantly, replaced by a layer of frost.

The content of the letter was simple.

But it was direct and left no room for negotiation:

"Ordered: Regarding the disposal of Golden Flame Territory in Gino County, the royal family's recommended candidate is set as Viscount Willis."

"This is the final decision; there must be no error."

At the bottom was a mark representing a certain powerful royal institution and a signature abbreviation she was all too familiar with.

...

Viscount Willis?

That Viscount Willis who was likely deeply involved with Count Farrell and whose family was being investigated by the Church?

He had also broken through to become a Great Knight?

The royal family actually wanted to fully support such a person to fight for Golden Flame Territory?!

This was simply absurd!

"What is going on?!" Princess Alice suddenly looked up at the maid who had delivered the letter, her voice losing its usual gentleness due to shock and anger, carrying a hint of sharpness.

Her eyes were cold and piercing, and the pressure belonging to an Imperial Princess instantly filled the room.

The maid trembled and quickly lowered her head, saying cautiously, "In reply to Your Highness, the chamberlain who delivered the message hinted... that this seems to be the intention of Lord Mason."

"And... it has received the approval of several important figures in The Senate as well as some factions in the military..."

"Brother?!" Princess Alice blurted out, her face turning even more unsightly.

Mason Tudor, the Dawn Knight, her elder brother, and one of the representative figures of the conservative faction within the royal family.

Although he wasn't in the same camp as her and their political views often clashed, such direct and crude interference in the affairs she was managing still shocked and angered her.

But immediately following that—

A deep sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart.

The faction Mason belonged to was currently the most powerful within the royal family, with complex relationships intertwined with all parties.

He himself had once been hailed as the number one knight of the royal family's younger generation. Although he had failed to become a Sky Knight, his prestige remained.

With him so clearly stating his support for Viscount Willis, there must be a more complex plan behind it, far beyond what she, a princess acting as an observation envoy, could easily contend with.

"Brother... what exactly are you trying to do? Viscount Willis... is he even worthy?"

Princess Alice tightly clutched the secret letter in her hand.

She thought of the previous rumors about Viscount Willis having close contact with the Duke of Wheaton's estate, and her mind was filled with suspicion.

She felt a bit of a headache.

She couldn't blatantly disobey a royal secret order; it would make things very difficult for her within the royal family.

But giving up on Rowan Flynn made her extremely unwilling; this might be her best chance to open up the situation in the North.

While she was weighing the pros and cons, another maid walked in quietly and reported:

"Your Highness, Baron Flynn has arrived."

"He is waiting in the front hall."

Hearing this, Princess Alice's brow furrowed slightly.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down.

The shock and anger on her face receded like a tide, and a flawless, elegant smile reappeared.

Only... deep in her eyes, a lingering shadow remained.

"Please invite Baron Flynn to the small meeting room..."

...