Chapter 588: How To Flirt With A Queen

The dining hall of Gold Palace was an elegant chamber lined with golden pillars and polished marble floors, its tall arched windows overlooking the magnificent city beyond. Crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling, casting warm light over a long dining table covered with exquisite dishes, including roasted meats glazed with honey, golden crusted pastries, fresh fruits, fragrant rice, and delicately prepared seafood.

Crystal decanters held golden wine and rich crimson liquor, while silver goblets and porcelain cups were arranged neatly beside the plates. Despite the grandeur of the room and the abundance of food, only Damian and Elsa occupied the table, seated opposite each other.

Damian’s enormous frame made the ornate dining chair seem almost comically small beneath him, while Elsa sat with effortless royal elegance, occasionally glancing toward her husband.

Beside Damian stood an old elf named Lareth, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit adorned with golden embroidery. Golden spectacles rested on his nose, and his hands were folded neatly behind his back as he silently attended to the two rulers, his composed expression concealing the sharp intelligence in his aged eyes.

"Once again you are shaking up another realm with extreme violence..." Elsa said, cutting through a piece of roasted meat with her silver knife.

Her tone was calm, but the faint crease between her brows betrayed her concern.

"Because violence is the only language all demons understand. Anyone who condemns me is simply jealous I beat them at their own game." Damian shrugged indifferently while cutting through a steak.

He seemed entirely unconcerned with the consequences of his actions, concentrating instead on the food before him.

Lareth remained silent beside him, though the faint movement of his eyes suggested that he was listening carefully to every word.

Elsa leaned back in her chair, twirling the wine in her cup and staring at her reflection on the surface.

"I understand but your method is not effective on the long term. The day you show weakness, they will remember their greviances and swarm you." There was genuine worry in her voice.

She wasn’t defending the patriarchs or regretting their loss of authority. She simply understood the kind of resentment Damian had created. Fear could force obedience, but it rarely erased hatred, and the nobles he had humiliated would remember every insult for as long as they lived.

Damian shrugged and speared a piece of steak with his fork before bringing it to his mouth. He chewed with a smile, savouring its rich taste, then swallowed and took a leisurely sip of wine before finally returning his attention to Elsa.

"Even if I’m kind to them, they will still strike me dead the moment they see weakness. Demons are not known for being loyal and honorary so it doesn’t matter." Damian shrugged indifferently.

Elsa let out a loud sigh while Lareth nodded in agreement with those words. The old elf had witnessed enough political struggles to understand the truth behind Damian’s reasoning.

The only difference between rulers who governed through force, like Damian, and those who inspired genuine affection, like Lin Qui, was the number of people willing to betray them when an opportunity arose.

One ruler might have a thousand traitors waiting for the right moment, while another might have only a hundred. The numbers differed, but the outcome remained the same.

Among demons, loyalty was often conditional, and even devotion could crumble when ambition promised a greater reward. Whether a ruler was feared or loved, betrayal was never entirely avoidable.

"Alright... If you say so." Elsa let out a heavy sigh before setting her cup down.

She had married Damian knowing he was not the sort of man who could be persuaded to change his nature through a few words, but that did not mean she intended to stop expressing her concerns. At the very least, she hoped he would occasionally consider the long term consequences of his decisions rather than treating every political problem as an opportunity to demonstrate his strength.

"So what’s your purpose... I almost thought you had no intention of checking on your wife and your new empire." Elsa asked, her expression becoming more curious as she studied him.

Damian rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "After my victory and my quick stop at my home planet, I had a lot of people reaching out to me and even calling out my soul. I left many people in behind just to be here and see you this morning."

He spoke casually, as though abandoning numerous obligations to visit his wife was the most natural thing in the world for him.

Elsa didn’t look convinced. She leaned forward and placed her elbow on the table, looking Damian in the eyes from across the distance.

"Or maybe. You simply got tipped off by Biron and raced here to save your precious God crystals." She searched his eyes for deceit, refusing to let him escape the accusation so easily.

Biron was hardly the sort to keep valuable information to himself when it concerned wealth, and Elsa knew perfectly well that the God crystals stored in Gildreach were among the most valuable cultivation resources in the realm. If Damian had discovered that she possessed a substantial supply, it would hardly surprise her if that knowledge had influenced his decision to visit.

Damian laughed loudly and shook his head, maintaining a calm expression throughout. After living with seven women for so long, the scrutinizing gaze of one woman was hardly enough to bother him. If anything, he found Elsa’s suspicion amusing. She was perceptive enough to recognize his interests, but she had yet to understand just how openly he was willing to pursue them.

"Actually, I came here to cultivate with you..." Damian said with a seductive smile that made Elsa’s heart skip a beat.

"With who?" she gasped, momentarily forgetting the accusation she had just made.

"I already asked Lareth here to create a chamber fitted with these God crystals... I always want to have you for the entire duration of the cultivation." Damian smiled.

Elsa flinched slightly as the meaning of his words settled in. A blush spread across her cheeks, but she did not shy away from his gaze. Unlike many women who might have lowered their eyes or pretended not to understand his intentions, Elsa met his stare with a mixture of embarrassment and curiosity. There was a boldness to her that Damian found rather appealing, especially since she seemed determined not to let him have the satisfaction of making her uncomfortable without a fight.

"Aren’t you being a bit too greedy?" Elsa asked, raising an eyebrow in an attempt to recover her composure.

Damian shook his head. "What’s wrong with having the most exquisite cultivation resource, alongside the most exquisite woman of the realm... The two of you combined will definitely boost my growth very fast. And I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I do."

Elsa exhaled loudly, her body trembling lightly as her imagination betrayed her composure. She had spent a long time alone even before the end of her marriage to Lazarus, and the prospect of spending an extended period in Damian’s company stirred feelings she had not expected to confront so soon. She took another sip of wine, hoping the drink would help her regain control of her thoughts, but the warmth spreading through her face made it difficult to pretend his proposal had left her unaffected.

"We have three years worth of supply. Do you really plan to stay locked up with just me for three years?" She asked cautiously, searching his expression for any sign that he was exaggerating.

Damian leaned forward and placed his jaw in his intertwined arm, his golden eyes fixed on her face. "Thats three years of heaven to me. I wish it could be much longer."

Bam!

Elsa stood up and began walking away without hesitation, leaving her wine and unfinished meal behind. Her steps were quick, and the blush on her face had deepened considerably by the time she reached the end of the table.

Damian chuckled lightly, watching her retreat with obvious amusement. The hunger for intimacy he sensed from her was unmistakable, and it left him wondering just how long it had been since anyone had touched her with genuine affection. Given how long she had endured life beside Lazarus, he suspected the answer might be far longer than he had imagined.