Chapter 580 - 576 – THE INVITATION OF THE FIRST PRINCESS AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE QUEEN

Several days passed in extreme calm in the Holy Capital of Tianhua. For Sylvia, this leisure time was a true luxury that she thoroughly enjoyed. She spent her days exploring various corners of the Upper District, the gigantic floating land island suspended in the air and pulled by magic chains to the earth pillars while pampering her tongue with various street foods and high-class restaurants.

Of course, during those few days, there were always a few "flies" that tried to disturb her. Various noble factions, trade guilds, and even shadow organizations attempted to approach her. Those curious about the identity of this Rank 7 mage and Tamer tried using subtle intimidation tactics, bribery, and even threats. Yet Sylvia handled them in an extremely simple manner. She did not need to raise her hand or chant a spell; she merely gazed at them with her restrained Authority of Death, allowing them to feel absolute terror. Those arrogant flies instantly turned into cowards, trembling in fear, wetting their pants, and fleeing without daring to look back again.

After that, absolute calm truly became hers.

However, this morning felt a little different. Just as Sylvia stepped out of the main lobby of the Grand Elysium Hotel, the most elite and expensive lodging in the Holy Capital that resembled an ancient palace, her steps halted. Sol, the pure Golden Dragon disguised as a smoothly glowing golden-furred cat, and Noir, the true Black Dragon disguised as a pitch-black cat, also stopped their steps beside Sylvia’s feet.

The natural-stone-paved street in front of the hotel, which was usually only traversed by a few floating trains on transparent light rails or upper-class pedestrians, was now completely blocked. More than a dozen futuristic black cars floating 30 cm above the ground were neatly lined up. Those vehicles were Titanium-Mithril Anti-Gravity Limousines powered by Rank 6 Magic Cores, equipped with one-way privacy glass layers. The convoy formation radiated an aura of luxury and absolute power that far surpassed the level of ordinary nobles.

Sylvia tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled. Heavy-armored guards bearing the silver dragon emblem stepped out, securing the perimeter with swift efficiency. Then, the door of the largest limousine in the center of the convoy slowly opened.

From within that luxurious vehicle stepped out an extraordinarily beautiful young girl. The girl had jet-black hair that shone under the morning sunlight, clear and sharp dark eyes, and wore a white silk gown adorned with magical silver-thread embroidery of lotus motifs. She radiated the elegance of a highest-tier noble, yet at the same time her face looked extremely pure and soft, like a white lily blooming in the morning.

The beautiful girl walked closer to Sylvia, escorted by two Rank 7 female knights behind her. She offered a slight respectful bow by gracefully bending her knees.

"Greetings, Honorable Miss Sylvia. Please forgive me if my sudden arrival has startled you a little," the girl said in a voice as melodious as the chime of silver bells. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hua Zhaoyue. First Princess of the Tianhua Kingdom."

Hearing that extremely grand title, Sylvia’s face showed not the slightest ripple of surprise. In her original world, before the dimensional apocalypse occurred, or within her own continent where she was the absolute Queen of Death and ruler of Nocture, human noble titles held no meaning whatsoever. To her, a First Princess of a kingdom whose highest power standard (Rank 9) could only level a hill was not something to be feared.

Yet Sylvia did not reject this girl’s presence. In fact, the corner of her lips lifted slightly, forming a thin smile that was difficult to interpret. The main reason was extremely simple: the girl in front of her was very beautiful and refreshing to the eyes.

Ahem, I hope Sofia doesn’t get angry if I play around a little today, Sylvia thought while scratching her cheek with her index finger. Sometimes the remnants of her past mentality as a human male before transmigrating in the zombie apocalypse era still liked to surface uninvited, especially when seeing a beautiful woman who caught her attention.

"First Princess? An honor," Sylvia replied casually, without returning the respectful gesture. "Is there something I can help with?"

Zhaoyue smiled brightly. "I have heard a great deal about you lately. If you do not mind, I would like to invite you for a casual chat while enjoying a lunch banquet at the Sacred Cloud Pavilion. I guarantee the dishes there are the best in the entire Capital."

Hearing the words "best dishes," Sol’s and Noir’s ears immediately twitched with full enthusiasm. Sylvia chuckled softly and nodded. "Very well. I truly have no plans for today."

Sylvia then entered the anti-gravity limousine together with her two dragon cats. The journey to the restaurant proceeded smoothly without any turbulence thanks to the advanced anti-gravity suspension of the vehicle. Upon arrival, they were immediately directed to a private VIP dining room located on the highest floor of the crystal building, offering a breathtaking view of every corner of the Upper District.

While waiting for the food orders to arrive, Zhaoyue began chatting cheerfully with Sylvia. She discussed the beauty of the city, the latest magic trends, and how cute Sol and Noir were even though the two dragons regarded the princess with bored expressions because they were not ordinary pet cats.

Sylvia listened while sipping lotus-scented tea. On the surface, Zhaoyue appeared like a naïve, pure princess raised in a greenhouse. Yet through a slight sensitivity from her True Sight, Sylvia could read the girl’s gaze. Behind that innocence, those clear eyes held a turbulent sea of ambition. There was sharp intelligence, cold calculation, and a desire for power that was concealed with extreme neatness.

A very interesting girl, Sylvia assessed in her heart. She liked people who possessed real ambition and did not rely solely on inherited status. Zhaoyue’s ambition reminded Sylvia of the harsh evolutionary struggle she herself had endured, crawling from a lowly zombie until she held the Authority of Death and conquered the world with her own blood and sweat.

Not long afterward, the servants began serving the dishes. True to its reputation, the food served was extraordinary. There were various cuts of rare mutated monster meat, pure-energy broth soup, and desserts made from exotic fruits coated in magical honey. Sylvia, Sol, and Noir ate calmly and thoroughly enjoyed every bite. The atmosphere inside the VIP room felt extremely peaceful and elegant.

After some time and all the plates had been cleaned, the relaxed atmosphere gradually began to change direction. Zhaoyue set down her teacup and looked straight into Sylvia’s eyes with a smile that now appeared far more serious and measured.

"Miss Sylvia," Zhaoyue began, her voice a little heavier. "I will no longer beat around the bush. The Tianhua Kingdom is vast; the distance from the border to the capital reaches 50,000 km, yet power within it is divided among many factions that undermine one another. As the First Princess, I need a strong ally who is not bound by the shadows of the old nobility."

The girl leaned her body forward. "I wish to invite you to join my ranks. If you are willing to become a pillar of strength for my faction, I will guarantee that you receive all the best resources. I can grant unlimited access to Rank 7 mana crystal mines, magical medicinal plantation territories the size of a city, privileges above the law, and wealth that will never run out for seven generations. You and your pets will never lack anything."

Zhaoyue listed those fantastical rewards with full confidence. She knew that no independent mage could refuse an offer from a candidate for the throne.

Yet instead of giving a long-winded answer or appearing tempted, Sylvia slowly set down her cup. She gazed into Zhaoyue’s eyes with a strange intensity. A cold yet seductive aura gradually enveloped the room.

Sylvia suddenly stood from her chair and walked casually around the table. The two female knight escorts of Zhaoyue who stood in the corner of the room tensed, their hands reflexively reaching for their sword hilts, yet for some reason their bodies went limp, pressed by a tiny fragment of demigod aura released by Sylvia.

Sylvia stopped right beside Zhaoyue’s chair. She bent down slowly, bringing her flawless porcelain face closer until only a few centimeters remained between them. The scent of lavender and Sylvia’s mysterious aura instantly enveloped the First Princess’s senses. With an extremely bold yet elegant motion, Sylvia’s slender index finger and thumb lifted Zhaoyue’s chin upward.

Zhaoyue’s clear eyes widened in shock. Her heart suddenly pounded at an abnormal speed. Her snow-white face instantly flushed like a ripe tomato. She had never been at such close distance with anyone, much less been stared at with a gaze so sharp and dominant by another woman whose beauty even surpassed that of a goddess.

"Mana crystal mines? Territories of power? Wealth?" Sylvia whispered in a husky, intoxicating voice, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. "An interesting offer, Your Highness. But... what if I am not interested in all those lifeless things?"

Zhaoyue swallowed hard, her body stiff under the soft touch of Sylvia’s fingers on her chin. "Th-then... what does Miss d-desire?" she asked in a trembling voice.

Sylvia gazed at Zhaoyue’s lips for a moment, then returned to looking into her eyes that radiated ambition now buried beneath shame. "What if... I want you?"

Those words were like a high-level charm magic that exploded inside Zhaoyue’s brain. The princess’s face, which had previously only been blushing, now truly turned crimson all the way to her ears. Her breath caught, and she had no idea how to respond. The images of political alliances and the struggle for the throne evaporated instantly, replaced by the lethal gaze of the Queen of Death.

Seeing the girl’s extremely adorable reaction, Sylvia’s defenses against laughter finally broke. She released Zhaoyue’s chin, pulled her body away, and laughed freely.

"Hahaha, relax, Your Highness. I was only joking," Sylvia said while casually waving her hand and walking back to her chair. "As for the requests and conditions for joining... let’s just see later. Honestly, I’m simply bored staying at the hotel. Because you are quite interesting, I’ll go along with you for a while in search of amusement. Let’s see whether your faction is capable of entertaining me."

Zhaoyue, who was still trying to regulate her heartbeat and breathing, could only nod lightly in a mechanical manner. Her thoughts were still in complete chaos from the earlier teasing. With a face that was still flushed and her head slightly lowered, the princess rubbed her chin that had just been touched by Sylvia, then murmured in a voice that was extremely, extremely soft, almost resembling a breath of wind.

"If... if you want me... I don’t mind..."

To ordinary people, especially the guards in the corner of the room, that murmur was impossible to hear. Yet for Sylvia, who possessed god-level perception that had evolved across stages too numerous to count, every syllable sounded clearer than thunder on a clear day.

The movement of Sylvia’s hand that had been adjusting her jacket instantly froze. Her eyes widened slightly.

Wait. What?

Sylvia immediately diverted her gaze, pretending not to have heard those words, even though her own heart for some reason also beat one second faster. A small yet tickling sense of panic attacked her mind. She was extremely afraid that if she reacted, she might lose control of herself.

Damn, Sylvia cursed inside her heart, feeling extremely confused. Why did the situation become like this? I feel that all this time I have already carved my nature into that of a cold, cruel, and absolute girl. Why have the instincts of my past and the male hormones buried for years suddenly rebelled just because this ambitious girl teased me back? Sofia, forgive me the charm of this body is apparently too lethal for others as well as for myself!

A thick and silent awkwardness suddenly descended to envelop the VIP room. Zhaoyue lowered her head to hide her embarrassed face, while Sylvia was busy berating the playboy side of her past inside her head. Sol and Noir merely exchanged confused glances, not understanding the complexity of romance between humans (and a former human).

Exactly when the air in the room felt almost choking from the awkwardness, the sound of a door knob clicking was heard.

A servant entered carrying a tray of additional desserts, opening the door with a professional smile. "Excuse me, Misses. These are special crystal-fruit sweets from our chef."

The presence of that servant was like a hero who arrived to save the situation at exactly the right time. The strange atmosphere that had built up earlier instantly shattered. Zhaoyue cleared her throat softly, fanning her face with her hand to drive away the red flush, and once again put on the elegant smile of a princess, although her eyes still did not dare look directly at Sylvia.

"Ahem... y-yes, th-thank you," Zhaoyue said rather stammeringly to the servant. After the servant left, she turned toward Sylvia with a smile forced to appear as natural as possible. "Since we have already agreed that you will join me in searching for amusement today... how about we continue by going shopping? There is an exclusive dress boutique belonging to one of my relatives that has just released a collection of cloud silk."

Sylvia, who also felt grateful that there was a way out of the earlier awkwardness, immediately nodded with full enthusiasm. "Shopping? A good idea. I also need a few new pieces of clothing for these cats of mine if they return to their original forms later."

The two women finally began chatting again more cheerfully, setting aside the heart-pounding incident from earlier, at least on the surface.