Him and their stars.

Chapter 2194 Take Responsibility for Me and the Empire

Yu Lian turned his head and saw King Brunhilde of Suliuka sitting upright on another luxurious recliner next to him, his posture as natural as that of an old married couple.

Well, if you include the virtual timeline, they really are an old married couple.

She had changed out of her gorgeous and elaborate marshal's uniform and was now wearing a simple silver-gray casual suit. The soft fabric clung to her slender and upright figure, and her long, golden hair was not elaborately braided but casually draped over her shoulders, shimmering with a molten gold luster in the sunlight.

Brunhilde tilted his head and looked at Yu Lian: "It's good that you're awake, so you can listen to the debate in the Regency Council. They believe that our duel for honor is invalid."

Her smile contained a clear hint of mockery.

"So? You woke me up for this?"

"No, actually it's this." She produced a porcelain plate as if by magic, on which sat a cake that looked rather... well, rather simple.

The cake itself looked fairly fluffy, but the cream layer spread on it was slightly uneven in thickness, and the berries were piled up too much.

However, overall, it at least looks like a cake.

"A dessert after your afternoon nap, it'll get cold if you don't eat it now. I baked it myself, a battlefield honey cake specially supplied to the Imperial Armored Grenadiers. According to the Palace Steward, the ingredient ratios and baking time strictly follow the most fundamental ancient methods. This is something that can be sent to the warriors on the Imperial front as front-line rations." She deliberately added a subtle pause to the words "fundamental ancient methods," probably with a hint of pride.

Yu Lian's gaze shifted from the cake to her face, scrutinizing her carefully for a moment.

Miss Xuan's spirits had long since recovered; her eyes were bright, and her fair face radiated a healthy glow.

It's obvious that she's in a much better state than you are right now.

She said, "It was my first time doing it, and I was halfway to success, but I also think that she has the potential to be a very promising wife and mother."

"Didn't you add anything extra?" Yu Lian asked, squinting.

Brunhilde blushed instantly, as if not smashing the plate in Yu Lian's face was already a very polite gesture.

"I was just joking," Yu Lian laughed. "I was just thinking, if the elders and your opponents saw this, wouldn't some of the rumors become true?"

"What rumors?" Brunhilde blinked her large golden eyes, looking genuinely innocent.

"His Majesty the Emperor perished due to collusion between internal and external forces; the two of us are the real masterminds." Since the other party dared to ask, Yu Lian certainly dared to answer.

“In a way, that’s true,” Brunhilde laughed heartily. “But such rumors won’t last long. My opponents will be more anxious than I am. None of the imperial nobles, or even anyone qualified to participate in the election of the emperor, will agree with this.”

Yu Lian smiled knowingly: "Indeed, how could the supreme ruler of the empire die such a humiliating death? He could fall to protect the people, but he cannot die from an ambush."

“But he did indeed fall while protecting the people and the future of the empire,” Brunhilde said solemnly.

Yu Lian nodded. Sacrificing everything to escape the control of the Void Crown could, in a way, be considered protecting the people. While the logic wasn't entirely sound, at this point, it was something he could reluctantly accept.

"So, the cake... are you still going to eat it? You can think of it as a reward for the victor, or an offering from the loser to you." Brunhilde tilted his head slightly, a strand of golden hair slipping off his shoulder, his tone leisurely.

"Offerings from the losers? Hehehe~~~"

"Have you thought of some exciting new game? Sounds more thrilling than cake?" Brunhilde licked his lips with great interest and a carnivorous grin.

Yu Lian, expressionless, picked up the small silver fork that came with the cake, cut off a piece, and put it in his mouth.

The texture was firmer than he had expected, with a very rich and sweet honey aroma that blended with the grain's own fragrance, creating a layered flavor profile. It even carried a hint of the unique aroma of imperial court spices.

The flavor wasn't particularly refined, but it was substantial and quite appealing.

Well, it is indeed a pastry that can provide enough sugar for the soldiers on the front lines.

To be fair, it's still a cake, at least. As long as the sugar content isn't excessively sweet and it's not burnt, the taste is at least passable.

Yu Lian put down his fork, met the other person's gaze, and said sincerely, "Very good, very energetic."

Brunhilde chuckled. "But I drugged it, didn't you feel it?"

Yu Lian was shocked. He truly hadn't detected any unusual odor: "Colorless, odorless, formless, and invisible—is there such a potent poison in the world? Could it be that you've gotten involved with the Ringing Serpent again?"

"Aphrodisiacs aren't poison, so of course you can't feel them." She continued with her carnivorous smile.

Yu Lian gasped, pointing tremblingly at the latter, having made an outstanding contribution to the increase of cosmic entropy.

"Whether the Regency Council launches a campaign or not is irrelevant; I'm already planning to resign anyway. I can foresee that I'll be quite free for the next two to three years." Brunhilde shrugged. "Since I'm finally getting some free time, I might as well prepare an heir for the future empire."

“The imperial throne was also chosen,” Yu Lian said irritably. “Come on, Lian Qing. In another timeline, we spent half our lives finally managing to replace all six children of the Eighth Prince’s family with our own.” Brunhilde shook her finger, looking as if her conviction was the absolute truth. “Furthermore, Lian Qing, you should know that King Suruka’s title ‘Safna’ comes from ancient mythology from the time of the Tirelo people’s homeworld. In the mythology, Safna is a goddess of war and also a goddess of safe childbirth.”

"so what?"

“He actually really enjoys having a football team, raising his children, training them into excellent warriors, and leading them to conquer all corners of the world.” Brunhilde’s expression seemed to be reminiscing about his childhood dream.

Putting aside the virtual timeline, in your previous timeline you seemed to have married yourself off to the Empire, and were actually preparing to be all alone. This timeline doesn't seem to have this unfulfilled desire. Yu Lian thought.

"so……"

"so?"

"Don't you think I'm beautiful right now?"

Yu Lian scrutinized the other person again.

The so-called "celestial light" represents both her innate talent and her stunning beauty. In the imperial court of Suruka, renowned for its abundance of handsome men and beautiful women, King Brunhilde was undoubtedly the most beautiful and talented.

And now, she is indeed breathtakingly beautiful. The sunlight gilds her with a golden edge, her long, golden hair flows like a molten epic, and her figure beneath her silver-gray casual clothes is a masterpiece meticulously sculpted by the Creator, every line containing a perfect balance of strength and elegance.

Her face was fair and flawless, her features deep and ancient like a deity, and the color in her golden eyes was even deeper and more dazzling, as if sealing in the brilliance and mystery of the entire nebula.

This is an ultimate sculptural beauty, so beautiful it's like a dream, so beautiful it's like a divine statue.

"You've improved again?" Yu Lian found this state quite admirable: "Could it be that you've once again heard the call of the Void Crown?"

“What serious psychic would improve their abilities by relying on mere external objects!” Brunhilde puffed out his chest proudly, but then deflated: “Well, as expected, this kind of ‘Kiss of the Stars’ is useless against demigods! Honestly, even if you only had seven rings, you would have pounced on me like a beast by now.”

Yu Lian once again put on a poker face, expressionless.

"Or is that Konami swindler trying to scam me? Tsk, he dared to charge me 10,000 gold dragons? It's getting cold; perhaps the Republic of Konami should just be destroyed?"

Yu Lian immediately expressed considerable sympathy for the Konami people. However, while he did find Brunhilde's stunning beauty pleasing to the eye, he genuinely had no such thoughts.

It wasn't that Commander Yu was no longer capable, but rather that he practiced self-discipline and adhered to proper etiquette.

“That was just a joke, of course.” Brunhilde shrugged again, and after confirming that Yu Lian’s expression looked like he was constipated, she chuckled a few times to indicate that she had successfully gotten her revenge before continuing, “Don’t worry, when all the members of the Regency Council are in place, that will be the time for me to leave the Heavenly Realm. Until then, I will make sure you are safe.”

“Ensure safety, not freedom,” Yu Lian laughed.

“If you wanted to leave, how could we possibly stop you?” Brunhilde covered her face with a shy smile. “You clearly love me, which is why you decided to help me put on this act. You clearly want to be responsible to me and the Empire!”

You can't take responsibility for that!
Before Yu Lian could voice his objection, she changed the subject again: "Won't the Regency Council lead the Empire to continue this war?"

Brunhilde shrugged: "The scale of the war will gradually be brought under control. Once the sole will, the strongest will, the most authoritative will, is lost, even the Tyreiro people will begin to tremble with fear and hesitate to act. Lianqing, in the current empire, everyone is pursuing a dignified and satisfactory ending."

Yu Lian's smile was quite cold: "But you know, so-called dignity is a false proposition."

Brunhilde paused briefly. "Yes. At least you certainly won't give it to me. What a cruel man. But isn't that why the White Fox and I are both infatuated with you?"

“Breen, this is actually a strategic retreat, and they can guess it.”

"Even if they could guess it, they would still have to take on this responsibility. Every elector of emperors would think that they are ready for that position."

Brunhilde stood up, walked to the edge of the garden, and leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance. Her silhouette appeared long and resolute in the halo of light.

“The gaps in the storm are always brief and precious, Lian Qing. The brief tranquility is fulfilling and luxurious. I also need to take some time to see clearly which way to go in the future.”

Yu Lian didn't reply, but just quietly watched her slender back.

In the garden, only the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard.

He could vaguely hear the entire Sacred Tree Palace slowly operating, emitting a low hum.

He lowered his head, stuffed the remaining half of the cake into his mouth, and let the sweet fragrance explode on his taste buds.

He heard Brunhilde's voice again: "As long as you are in the Sacred Tree Palace, you are a guest of the Empire. Many people are waiting to visit you. Would you like me to make a schedule for you?"

"I don't want a schedule that's too busy. I can get together with my old comrades, and I can chat with that old dog occasionally. But at least I need to make time for Prince Androuge to go fishing with me."

“My brother really enjoyed fishing with you.” Brunhilde smiled warmly, but then gritted his teeth and said, “Besides, I’ll put some ‘pheromone honey’ in your dinner later. I refuse to believe that using all the secret medicines in the universe won’t work!”