My front door leads to a comic strip

Chapter 207, page 206: The truth about the Emperor's Wine; What does it mean when there is only one bed in the room?

As Gu Yuan led Milie Aldet back to the bustling hall, the coronation ceremony of the new emperor was reaching its climax.

On the high platform, the eldest prince, now Herbert III, dressed in imperial robes, was giving a speech.

His gaze swept across the entire room, quickly settling on Gu Yuan, and he gave him a slight nod in greeting.

Gu Yuan noticed the gaze and calmly returned the greeting with a nod.

In that instant their eyes met, the new emperor subtly summoned his trusted aide and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, earnestly instructed, "When distributing the Emperor's Wine later, the wine prepared for the hero and his companions must be the finest from the cellar; absolutely no inferior wine will be used."

He said in a serious tone, "While the late emperor's methods could test the loyalty of his ministers, the brave were not included. We must not leave him with any bad impression, understand?"

The trusted aide bowed immediately and whispered, "Yes, Your Majesty, please rest assured."

Soon after, elegantly dressed waiters carried silver platters covered with velvet cloth and moved among the guests.

Gu Yuan, Milie Alde, and Celia each received a drink that appeared to be no different from the other guests', but was actually completely different inside.

Gu Yuan picked up his wine glass and took a small sip.

The wine is mellow on the palate, with a refreshing aroma of fruit and wood. While the taste isn't top-notch, it's certainly not an unpalatable or inferior product.

A question arose in his mind:

This taste—it seems quite different from the outrageous stuff described in the original work that could make Milie Aldebaran "lose the meaning of life"?

He looked at Milie Alde and saw that she had also carefully taken a bite.

But what was shown on his face was not disgust, but disappointment—the disappointment of finding the actual product to be mediocre after having high expectations.

Wait a minute—Gu Yuan immediately realized something was wrong.

He looked around, carefully observing the expressions of the other guests.

The noble ministers all tried to remain calm, some with furrowed brows, some with twitching lips, and others exchanging knowing, awkward glances.

The way they drank that glass of wine looked like a reluctant act of facing certain death.

After a moment's thought, and by recalling his memories of the original work, Gu Yuan instantly understood.

"Calling a deer a horse —"

He frowned slightly, and a classical allusion immediately came to mind.

He said, "Why is it that even the wine served at the emperor's enthronement ceremony in an empire is brewed to be so unpalatable?"

This so-called "Emperor's Wine" is probably just a tool used by the new emperor to test his ministers after he ascends the throne.

Anyone who says the wine tastes bad is either "disloyal" or "incompetent".

Having figured this out, he was speechless for a moment.

On the high platform, the new Emperor Herbert III took in the reactions of the crowd below.

With a perfectly measured smile, he asked in a clear voice, "My esteemed ministers, what do you think of the taste of my 'Emperor's Wine'?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a quick-witted nobleman slammed his wine glass down on the table with a sharp "bang."

The sound successfully attracted everyone's attention.

His face flushed with "excitement," and he exclaimed, "Your Majesty, this wine has a mellow taste and a long finish; it is truly a peerless brew!"

"We are truly honored to receive this drink from Your Majesty! Thank you for your kindness!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and, in an almost heroic manner, drank the indescribable liquid in the cup in one gulp, while trying to maintain an expression of intoxication on his face.

Seeing this, the other nobles cursed the man inwardly for his shamelessness, but also suddenly realized what was going on.

In an instant, flattery poured out, and everyone rushed to down their glasses of wine, praising the "unprecedented" "fine wine" in unison.

The new emperor wore an extremely satisfied expression, nodded slightly, and prepared to proceed to the next item on the agenda—

"It tastes awful."

At that moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out.

In an instant, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

All eyes, whether in astonishment or sympathy, turned to the source of the voice—Milialda beside Gu Yuan.

She hadn't really thought too much about it, but the huge disappointment from her unmet expectations, coupled with the obviously fake praise around her, made her feel particularly stifled.

She's always been straightforward, and because she couldn't help but say what she was thinking, she blurted it out.

Only after she had spoken did she belatedly realize that the occasion seemed rather inappropriate.

The emperor's smile froze. He looked at his trusted confidant in charge of the matter and asked with questioning eyes, "What's going on?"

Didn't I tell you to change it?

The confidant, looking utterly dejected, desperately pleaded with his eyes, "Your Majesty, it really has been changed! It's already the best wine in the palace! It's just that this young lady—she's asking for too much!"

The new emperor felt a lump in his throat, unable to breathe or let it out.

He turned his gaze to Miliald, trying to keep his tone calm and tolerant: "Oh? Does this elf lady find—something wrong with the taste of my wine?"

Now that Miliadé had spoken, she no longer held back.

She spoke frankly, her disappointment evident: "It's bad in every way. I thought it was some kind of amazing, unparalleled wine, which is why I had such high expectations. But the taste is very ordinary, not much different from what I usually drink."

To Gu Yuan, her expression was like the frustration of being served a bland and tasteless feast after a long-awaited grand banquet.

The new emperor was completely speechless. He wondered what kind of magical drink the elf usually drank, and then turned to Gu Yuan for help.

Gu Yuan sighed inwardly, knowing that Milie Alde was just telling the truth, but in this arena of power, the truth is often the most jarring.

He stepped forward, took Miliald's hand again, and gently squeezed it to signal her to calm down. Then he stepped in to smooth things over: "Ladies and gentlemen, the Elven race has its own traditions and standards for drinks. My words were frank and meant no offense. Please forgive me."

Milie Alde was still unhappy because her expectations had not been met.

But feeling the warmth and comfort of Gu Yuan's palm, she calmed down, pursed her lips, and said nothing more.

Upon seeing this, the new emperor felt a great weight lifted from his heart.

He quickly followed the trend, a smile returning to his face: "Haha, I see. I was so ignorant. I must learn about the Elven drinking culture in the future."

He immediately signaled to his trusted subordinates and secretly ordered, "Quickly! Take the hero to the prepared guest room to rest!"

"Make sure they are treated with utmost hospitality—and do not invite them back to the venue before the ceremony concludes!"

He specifically emphasized "before the end," fearing that something might go wrong again.

About five minutes later.

A palace attendant led Gu Yuan and Milieard through the silent palace corridors.

Finally, he stopped in front of a door inlaid with jewels and engraved with the imperial emblem.

"Gentlemen, we've arrived. Please ring the bell if you need anything."

The eunuch bowed deeply and then slowly pushed open the heavy door.

Squeak—

The cool moonlight, accompanied by the evening breeze, poured out, dispelling the darkness of the corridor and illuminating the interior of the room.

The room was exceptionally spacious, like a small palace, and its furnishings were extremely luxurious.

In the brightest center of the moonlight, there stood an enormous bed, its curtains hanging down like mercury.

The air was filled with an extremely pleasant fragrance.

The moment the door opened completely, Gu Yuan clearly felt that Milield's hand, which was holding his, tighten suddenly.

The moonlight outlined her slightly flushed and somewhat stiff profile, and her elfin, pointed ears were also tinged with a thin blush.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, spreading a silent, subtle tension.

Millie Alder wondered aloud, "A bed?"