It was Cynthia’s bedroom again, on the same magnificent and soft bed. A sliver of bright moonlight shone in, splitting the vast room in two. The large bed, far from the window, was hidden in shadow. Through layers of curtains, two figures could be faintly seen, intimately embracing and kissing.

A pure white dress was carelessly tossed at the foot of the bed. Her skin, without any barrier, was in direct contact with the sheets below. The soft, comfortable sensation made it difficult for Olivia to distinguish whether it came from Cynthia’s delicate kisses or the bed itself. She tilted her head back slightly, running a hand through her messy, light-green hair. Her rosy lips were slightly parted, and faint red marks were visible on her pale neck.

The window was half-open, and an occasional breeze would drift in, carrying away the room’s heat. As an elf with an innate ability to control the power of nature, Olivia rarely felt hot. But now, she felt as if a fire were burning inside her, scorching and unbearable.

A hand suddenly grabbed Cynthia’s arm, halting her exploration. Cynthia looked up slightly and saw Olivia’s brow furrowed in an expression of unbearable intensity. A smile touched Cynthia’s red lips as she leaned in to kiss Olivia, but the gentle, soothing kiss eventually turned into a forceful nibble.

Olivia’s usual cool demeanor had melted away in the room’s heated atmosphere. Her exquisite and perfect face, now flushed with passion, was even more captivating than Cynthia had imagined.

Cynthia had always considered herself a person with strong self-control. From her first kiss with Olivia to the intimacy they shared after confirming their feelings, she had always been gentle and restrained. But now, she was discovering that her gentleness and restraint might have been a pretense.

When it came to Olivia, she had no such thing as self-control.

Her restraint might have just been a way to ‘coax’ Olivia into taking the initiative and giving her tacit approval. Cynthia pressed her forehead against Olivia’s shoulder and suddenly let out a low laugh. Olivia turned her head to glance at her, a flicker of confusion in her light-green eyes. “What is it?” she asked softly.

“It’s nothing.” Cynthia lifted her head to kiss Olivia’s lips, then sat up straight. She slipped off her half-unfastened robe, tying back her cumbersome silver hair with a ribbon. All the while, she kept her gaze fixed on Olivia’s eyes and said with a gentle smile, “I just suddenly realized how much you truly like me.”

Having her hidden feelings pointed out so unexpectedly made Olivia’s eyes widen slightly. The heat rushed back to her face, and she turned her head away, trying to cover it up. “…What nonsense are you talking about at a time like this.”

“Alright, I misspoke.” Cynthia took Olivia’s hand, brought it to her lips for a kiss, her golden eyes filled with a deep smile. “It’s I who likes you very much.”

She was restrained, but she hadn’t held back. She was somewhat glad that she had chosen to confess directly after Olivia sensed her feelings, giving her no chance to retreat.

The flower crown Olivia had given Cynthia had been removed during their kisses and placed carefully by the bedside. As Olivia turned her head away, her eyes fell upon it. She stared at the crown for a moment, and the vexation of having her feelings exposed slowly gave way to warmth. She turned her head back, tugged Cynthia’s arm down with her other hand, and offered her lips.

The gentle nibble on her lips stunned Cynthia for a moment, but her eyes quickly darkened, and she seized the initiative once more. For Cynthia, Olivia’s forwardness was a catalyst; her reason was completely consumed by a surge of passion.

The deep night faded to dawn and finally gave way to day. Outside the window, the chirping of insects and birds announced the night’s departure. On the street below the castle, one or two members of the God Race would occasionally pass by. A massive, snow-white wolf lay alone on the ground, its sky-blue eyes half-closed. It seemed to be sleeping but was, in fact, watching a particular room in the castle. At the slightest sound, it would lift its head for a glance, only to lie back down when the figure it hoped to see did not appear at the window.

After spending a few days in the God Race territory, Hanni had thought it over and decided she had to ask Cynthia about Joanna. Although it was an internal matter for the Wolf Race, for some reason, Hanni felt that Cynthia must know something.

And even if Cynthia didn’t, Queen Olivia, who was on good terms with Clan Leader Helen, surely would.

Although her relationship with Joanna had never been as harmonious as that of other mothers and daughters, Hanni couldn’t bring herself to simply ignore the matter.

Cynthia and Olivia had been living in the woods outside the city, but when Hanni went to look for them there yesterday, she couldn’t find a trace of them. Left with no other choice, she had come here to wait.

She could sense Cynthia’s aura of light here at the castle.

The gentle sunlight gradually grew more intense. Hanni didn’t know how long she had been lying there before the window in the farthest corner of the castle finally opened. Cynthia appeared, her robe worn casually with a loose collar, her silver hair not as smooth as usual. Holding a cup of nectar, she leaned against the windowsill, exuding an air of languor. “What are you doing here, Hanni?”

Hearing Cynthia’s voice, Hanni suddenly perked up. She stood up from the ground and was about to speak, but she froze the moment she saw Cynthia.

Seeing her suddenly spacing out, Cynthia raised a fine eyebrow and asked with a smile, “What’s wrong?”

In her mind, Cynthia’s image had always been sacred and noble. To suddenly see her like this made Hanni’s heart beat much faster.

Hanni snapped back to her senses, lowering her gaze with a hint of guilt. “It’s nothing,” she mumbled. She cleared her throat. “I came here because I have something to ask you.”

“What is it?”

Hanni took a deep breath to calm herself. “It’s… it’s about my mother, Joanna,” she said, a little nervously.

A flash of white light enveloped the great wolf, and she transformed into her human form. Hanni looked up to meet Cynthia’s gaze and asked tentatively, “Did my mother do something?”

The hand Cynthia was using to swirl her cup paused. She lowered her gaze to study Hanni’s expression, noting her tension and unease. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke slowly, “If she did, what would you do, Hanni?”

Hanni’s face paled, her eyes flickering with unease. Her lips parted, but she didn’t know what to say.

Cynthia sighed inwardly. She told Hanni about how Joanna had arrived early to provide support during the attack on the Elf Race and about the various suspicious things discovered in the Forbidden Land. “Although there’s no proof,” she said, “the timing of Joanna’s appearance was far too suspicious.”

“Clan Leader Helen must have also grown suspicious, which is why she ordered her to remain confined to the territory with her clansmen.”

“She is your mother, so I’ve been debating whether or not to tell you this.” Cynthia chose her words carefully. “Colluding with the Vampires, coveting the Elf Race’s Tree of Life-if these two things are true, neither Helen nor Olivia will spare her.”

“One must face the consequences for their wrongdoings.” Cynthia rubbed the rough surface of her cup, her tone calm. “Unless this was all truly just a coincidence.”

Having received her answer, Hanni departed, looking completely distraught. Cynthia watched her back until it disappeared from view before looking away. She leaned against the window with a placid expression, sipping her nectar for a while. Suddenly, a faint sound came from behind her. She turned to see a fully dressed Olivia getting out of bed. The corners of Cynthia’s lips curved up, and her expression softened once more.

“I was the one who took those clothes off, so I should be the one to put them back on.” Cynthia walked to the table, poured a cup of nectar, and handed it to Olivia. “Her Majesty the Queen has deprived me of my pleasure,” she teased.

“Then let me do it next time.” Olivia took the nectar and drank a mouthful. Her hoarse voice became clear again. “I’m not afraid of being deprived of my pleasure,” she said lightly.

Olivia had deliberately changed into a high-collared outfit, her slender neck completely covered. But the garment was so form-fitting that it left her exceptional figure on full display. Cynthia wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her lips, her golden eyes full of amusement. “Alright. We can do it right now.”

She took Olivia’s hand and placed it on her own collar.

Olivia: “…”

Whether in words or actions, she was always at a loss when it came to Cynthia. Olivia shook her head slightly, hooked a finger around Cynthia’s unfastened button to straighten her clothes, and then changed the subject. “Has Hanni left already?”

Cynthia was more than satisfied with the previous night’s indulgence, so when Olivia deliberately changed the subject, she simply smiled without calling her out on it. “She went back to rest. The matter with Joanna was a bit of a blow to her.”

“Joanna is very smart. She’s on alert now, so we might not be able to find any evidence.” Olivia finished the nectar in her cup and stared down into it. “Without proof,” she said in a low voice, “Helen won’t move against her.”

They had grown up together; a bond of several hundred years couldn’t be broken so easily. It was impossible for Helen to decide to punish Joanna based on suspicion alone. Besides, given Joanna’s status within the clan, she couldn’t be dealt with casually.

It was indeed a tricky matter. Cynthia leaned against the table, lost in thought. But if Joanna wasn’t exposed, the entire Wolf Race would become untrustworthy. She didn’t want an ally who might betray them at any moment, and Olivia certainly didn’t want someone who coveted the Tree of Life to be able to appear before her as if nothing were wrong.

A white dove suddenly flew in through the window and landed on Cynthia’s shoulder, interrupting her thoughts. She glanced at it, then reached up to stroke its feathers, and a piece of parchment appeared between her fingers.

She unrolled the parchment. There were only a few lines of text, but they made Cynthia’s brow slowly furrow.

Olivia glanced up at the parchment. “Whose letter is it?” she asked.

“Chelsea.” Cynthia read the letter’s contents one more time before handing the parchment to Olivia. “When the Sethite wizards attacked the God Race, the other witches were also ambushed,” she said softly. “Chelsea and her people are looking for the Anderson and Garcia families, who have fled to an unknown location.”

The Anderson and Garcia families had never contacted the Morgan Family. Chelsea had been relying on divination to determine their location, but since those two families were also skilled in divination, it added a layer of difficulty to the Morgan Family’s search.

And now, Chelsea’s message said that even divination could no longer pinpoint their location.

Olivia scanned the contents of the parchment. “It seems the Garcia Family has no intention of handing over the Anderson Family,” she said in a cool tone.

They must have found something out; otherwise, they wouldn’t be hiding their tracks from the Morgan Family.

“The Sethite wizards’ ambush also caused heavy casualties among the witches, so the Anderson Family won’t be able to stir up any trouble for a while.” Cynthia reached out, took a strand of Olivia’s light-green hair, and toyed with it. “We can set aside the matter of the witches for now,” she said in a low voice. “The temples cannot be destroyed again.”