47. What are you worth?
God knows how I managed to hold on under the “seduction” of a wealthy, powerful, and adorable elf loli until now, but when it came to the plan to “escape,” I finally held my ground and didn’t tell Adéve.
Perhaps staying in Pluriss and returning after Kefiel had had enough wouldn’t be bad either, but now Nilu, who was almost at max level, was clearly coming for me. Sneaking away with Kefiel now would shift Nilu’s “target” away from the affected Kingdom of Pluriss, which would be beneficial for both me and Adéve.
Earlier, when I met up with Kefiel, even if we had that idea, we were powerless. But now it was different; because of some “helpers” showing up, I finally had the chance to elope.
The next day, in the capital of the Kingdom of Pluriss.
Under the sunlight, Pluriss Avenue was like paradise for those who loved elves! After all, everywhere you looked, you could see those golden-haired beauties with long ears! Moreover, the gender ratio in the Kingdom of Pluriss was already unbalanced, with not many male elves around. Even when you occasionally encounter some male elves, they could easily be mistaken for girls if they took off their glasses, providing a blessing for those with special preferences.
At this moment, I was wearing a hat, dressed in a coat, looking anxious, and hurriedly walking down Pluriss Avenue! In the script, since I left my place, there had been two elves “following me,” but Adéve’s little tricks were no match for my script. Soon, with the script’s hints, I managed to shake them off in the crowd on Pluriss Avenue.
Then, I sat down on a bench in a crowded area.
Turning my head to look at the “mysterious person” behind me, who was similarly dressed in a coat and hat.
“Ma’am, I would like to get a key made.”
“A key made?”
The other party didn’t turn around and replied in a muffled voice.
—
“How many keys do you need?”
“I…how many keys do I need?”
Wait, isn’t this code supposed to disappear when it comes to key duplication? I shouldn’t have misremembered, right? Why is there still more?
“Based on the Queen’s attitude towards you and your response to her, you indeed need a few keys.”
The person behind the chair mocked me as they stood up, and I finally saw her face clearly—it was Professor Moriarty, the most trusted person beside Her Majesty Queen Louise IV of the Great Yng Empire.
By the way, I have my own grievances too, Professor. Could you not be so blunt in your mockery?
“The code is correct, follow me.”
Moriarty waved me over, glanced around, and lowered her voice, “Kefir and Her Majesty the Queen are already waiting for you.”
I took a look at the script, confirmed there were no “followers” around, and hurried to catch up with Professor Moriarty as she left.
And this was supposed to be the so-called “opportunity” for me to escape from the Kingdom of Prussia.
Earlier, when I was in contact with Queen Louise IV through the Kingdom of Prussia, Her Majesty didn’t mention anything dangerous, but I never expected dear Miss Louise to be so insidiously clever. She didn’t directly say anything like “get me out of here” that could be overheard by Adelf, but instead took advantage of the opportunity to “send me some old antiques for disguise,” turning herself into a courier and bringing Moriarty along!
At first, she wanted to take me away directly, but I refused because I needed to deal with Nilu’s matter first. Now that it’s resolved, it’s time to accept the Queen’s less-than-pure help and find a way to leave the Kingdom of Prussia with Kefir.
Following Professor Moriarty, I arrived at the top floor of the tallest and likely the most expensive hotel in the Kingdom of Prussia, said to be—the royal suite. The price for such a place in a day probably exceeds what many people earn in a year, right? Truly worthy of Her Majesty the Queen of the Great Yng Empire! Just looking at it fills one with admiration, a reverence as endless as the flowing river, akin to the Yellow River flooding uncontrollably!
I had prepared to flatter her a bit, but when I saw Queen Louise IV’s radiant smile again, I failed.
In the spacious, luxurious room with a panoramic balcony overlooking most of the Prussian royal city, Queen Louise IV was happily enjoying snacks with Kefir to pass the time.
“Kefir, don’t be so nervous. Sister Wang isn’t angry at all; she doesn’t mind that ‘you all secretly ran away and got into trouble, only to find me for help’ at all~”
“Sister Wang, considering you’ve described it to this extent, how credible is it to say you’re not angry…”
Louise laughed joyfully, and upon seeing me, she picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth and stood up from the table.
“How great you are, Your Majesty the Queen!”
Before I could even say this, I already knew I had lost.
“Mr. O’Keefe, the sword you borrowed and broke is a treasure from the Victorian era of the Great Yng Empire, highly symbolic in history and infused with magical technology. The price of such an item, even at a black market auction, would likely be more than enough to sell hundreds of you as free labor until you die, and still not be able to pay it off~”
What can I do? Kefir has started to play dumb; what else can I do!? I was the one who ran first, I was the one who sought help, and the item was borrowed by the Queen without holding grudges. Now that I see Louise IV, I feel like a facing mouse a cat, unable to lift my head.
“Your Majesty, let’s not discuss money, such a vulgar and filthy topic filled with the stench of copper, shall we?”
“Sure~”
Louise IV clapped her hands, “As long as you marry me~ then it wouldn’t count as breaking the item I lent you, but rather as a husband accidentally damaged the furniture, and of course, I wouldn’t make you pay for it~”
Kefir finally panicked.
“Sister Wang!”
Only then did Her Majesty become slightly serious. After sitting down, although she maintained her elegant demeanor, there was a hint of schadenfreude in her smile, transforming her into a female version of a scheming, dark-hearted CEO.
“What’s this? When you ran away back then, it seemed so beautiful, and now you want me to take you back?”
Your Majesty, you’re playing with fire.
—
Kefir was about to lose her patience.
There was no choice; I had to speak the truth.
“Do you think it doesn’t matter if I stay here?”
“…”
Queen Louise IV suddenly fell silent, casting a reproachful glance at me as if to say, “Only you know so much.”
As I expected, the queen firmly stated that it was impossible for me to remain in Prussia. After all, her original intention was to make Adéle dislike me, but who would have thought that the elf would directly force a marriage?
This completely unexpected turn of events must have made Louise IV wish she could tie me up and drag me back to the Great Yng Empire.
“In any case, Your Majesty, I will definitely return, so please don’t entertain any crooked ideas.”
Leaving Prussia as soon as possible would be good for me and for Adéle, preventing her from continuing to be targeted by Nilu. Once we returned to the Great Yng Empire, that would be Kefir’s home turf, and we could confidently wait for Nilu’s appearance!
“Hmph~ You think you can run away after getting entangled in a romantic debt? What a sinful man you are, O’Keefe.”
I had agreed, but the queen’s attitude… was clearly one of jealousy. Even Professor Moriarty couldn’t help but facepalm, probably wondering why his wise and intelligent queen had turned into this.
Because, Your Majesty, that remark you just made—were you talking about Adéle, or were you talking about yourself…?
—