"Prince," Richard replied.
He himself wasnât sure what kind of emotion he felt when he saw the son of the Red Star Empress.
Still, he was quite certain that he didnât feel awkward or uneasy. That was why he could remain relaxed.
"Did you meet my mother?" Prince Alex asked.
"Yes." Richard nodded without denying it.
"For what purpose?" Prince Alex was merely puzzled and didnât think too deeply about it.
Even so, his instincts told him that something might be unusual.
Naturally, Richard needed to think before answering the question.
"I think it wouldnât be appropriate for me to tell you," he said after a brief moment of thought.
"Why? Is there some crucial issue?" Prince Alex was very surprised by that answer.
"Itâs not a problem... Well, it wouldnât be suitable for me to say it. You should ask the Empress directly."
After saying that, Richard left, leaving Prince Alex in confusion.
Alex then stepped into the house.
At the moment, the Red Star Empress was spacing out on the sofa, wearing a variety of expressions.
Fortunately, nothing about her appearance looked disheveled.
However, the way she was sitting was somewhat unusual for someone who always projected an elegant image.
Even when she saw Alex, she was clearly startled.
"Alex, youâre back," she said.
Even her tone of voice wasnât like her usual self.
In truth, the Red Star Empress was panicking, thinking that if she and Richard had been intimate for any longer, they might not have noticed Alexâs returnâand Alex could have witnessed their actions.
"Mother, whatâs wrong with you?" Alex asked, noticing that his mother was very different today.
"What do you mean? Why are you asking that?" the Red Star Empress replied, pretending to be confused.
"Iâm the one who should be asking," Prince Alex said.
"Is there a problem? Richard said I should ask you directly."
Red Star Empress, "..."
"Youâre overthinking it. Thereâs nothing serious... Anyway, tomorrow Iâm going to Boundless City. While Iâm away, donât go anywhere unless you ask the elders to escort you. I wonât be able to help if something happens."
After saying that, the Red Star Empress went to her room.
She couldnât feel at ease with anyone and preferred to be alone.
Once inside her room, she locked all the doors.
Phew!
She let out a relieved sigh, sat on the bed, then lay down.
And once again, the scene of Richard sucking on her nipple surfaced in her mind.
She still had clear memories of when Richard was just a little boy. Now he was grownâand that was what he had done to her.
The Red Star Empress knew she couldnât keep thinking about whether it was appropriate or not. The problem was that she couldnât refuse, and she had already decided to go to Boundless City tomorrow.
---
DING!
(Your mastery of the Codex of the Dragon Emperor has increased from 65% to 80%!)
Codex of the Dragon Emperor (80%)
This notification surprised Richard a little, as it had been a long time since the System had increased the mastery of one of his Codices.
It was quite pleasing.
After all, if it reached 100%, the innate Arcane Art of that CodexâDragon Transformationâwould be unlocked.
However, Richard wasnât sure the System would help him reach that point, considering that even the Dragon Knight himself hadnât achieved it until becoming a Grand Sovereign.
One thing was certain. After his mastery of the Codex of the Dragon Emperor reached 80%, Richard felt he had much better control over his current power. He even felt that breaking through the final bottleneck of this realm would be much easier.
It was already night, and he decided not to return to the palace.
Instead, he went to one of the cityâs military headquarters near one of the gates.
This wasnât without reason. The headquarters was led by Augus himself, who now held the rank of deputy commander.
From afar, Richard could already see the blond young man on the balcony of the headquarters, discussing something with several soldiers, some of whom were older than him.
A large mapâthe map of the capitalâwas laid out on the table. They seemed to be discussing improvements to the capitalâs security, which was indeed part of Lilithâs current program to prepare for the arrival of the Order of the Heaven Emperor.
When Richard flew toward the balcony, he didnât conceal his presence.
Augus and his soldiers immediately noticed him.
Almost instinctively, they all stood up with frozen expressions.
Realizing that Richard had come to see him, Augus quickly gestured for his soldiers to leave.
They understood that their deputy commander was a friend of the current king, so they didnât hesitate to go.
After all, it was impossible for the king to come for themâhe must have come to see his friend.
"Richard!" Augus greeted him warmly.
Richard immediately took a seat.
"How are these new recruits?" Richard asked, gesturing for him to sit as well.
"Very good. I like them a lot. Itâs thanks to you," Augus replied. "Who wouldâve thought Iâd be so lucky to be your friend at the orphanage?"
"If I remember correctly, we didnât become friends naturallyâI forced you into submission," Richard replied.
Augus, "..."
He gave a helpless, bitter smile.
"Thatâs true. That was the event that changed my fate," he said, unable to deny it.
"Howâs your married life with Emma?" Richard changed the topic, immediately making Augus grin widely.
"Brother Richard, you know, Iâm almost as handsome as you," he said excitedly, even adding the word Brother when addressing Richard.
"Emma rejected me many times. But after our relationship became official and she had no choice but to share a room with me, I only needed a little touch to make her spread her legs for me. Yesterday, she even came to me herself to have sex. But once she calms down, she usually turns cold againâeven toward me."
Augusâs story sounded amusing to Richard, making him smile. He replied, "Women are always like that. Actually, itâs very easy to make them spread their legs."
"You must be having wonderful nights, Brother Richard." Augus couldnât help but grin broadly upon hearing those words, knowing that Richard was happy with the queen.
If Augus knew that Richard had been intimate with the Red Star Empress, who knew how he would react.
That was certainly not something Richard would tell anyone.
And so, the night passed with him spending time chatting with Augus.