In the Name of Empress-Chapter 374 - 259: Roland, You Don’t Understand Love

Chapter 374: Chapter 259: Roland, You Don’t Understand Love

In life, there are always things we have to face sooner or later.

For example, the minstrel Adam who was about to report personal issues to the leadership.

Standing outside Roland’s temporary office, Adam inexplicably felt nervous, his heartbeat particularly erratic.

He had to speak unspeakable words in front of Governor Roland.

He wanted to marry a Jin Yuan girl.

This was not originally a big deal, but she was a spy, at least she once was.

An accidental encounter while on a mission led to a fleeting romance that he couldn’t eventually let go of with the female spy.

He dared not imagine how Roland would respond.

Would it be anger, shock, or disappointment?

He knew very well that Governor Roland had high expectations of him.

If Roland didn’t value him, he wouldn’t have risked crossing the Vladimir Empire to take him in back in the Imperial Capital.

This special expedition tasked Adam with the main mission of spreading the story of the return of Saintess Fuchou, which he did very well.

The side mission was to gather as much intelligence as possible, and he excelled at this.

He not only infiltrated the blockaded West City but also got hold of the city defense map and information on numerous city defense military leaders.

This city defense map played an important role in coercing West City into surrender.

When the Fourth Fleet approached the city walls along the wide West River, setting up cannons, and the enlarged city defense map was hoisted on the mast, the morale of the defending army instantly collapsed.

The defenders of West City did not disappoint, feigned contemplation, and then decisively opened the city gates to surrender.

Except for a very few hardliners who attempted to resist stubbornly, everyone else obediently laid down their arms.

Roland spoke highly of Adam, and Her Majesty the Empress, playing the role of Count Sif, generously expressed that he would be made a Baron upon returning to the country.

Besides that, he also received a special reward of five hundred pounds.

This was a huge sum capable of buying four houses in the wealthy district of the Imperial Capital.

Back when Governor Roland won the essay contest, the prize money was about the same.

In this adventure, he achieved both fame and fortune.

However, he soon faced a soul-searching question: Should he insist on his "love" with Miss Lilith?

Or rather, was the spark between them passion or love?

Adam fell silent.

Her Majesty the Empress and the Governor are generous and lenient, but they would never allow an important subordinate to marry a foreign spy as a wife.

Even if she was a former spy.

The political review would not pass.

No one would be willing to take this risk.

Who could see through a woman who was once a spy, who would dare to absolutely trust her?

Adam is an important piece in Roland’s future blueprint, allowing no room for error.

Two paths lay before Adam.

Either choose Lilith, and face a dim career and lose the opportunity to avenge his family.

Or give up Lilith and reach the pinnacle of his career.

To be fair, Lilith is a gentle, romantic girl, and an excellent wife, especially her exquisite cooking, which takes Adam back to the tastes when his mother was still around.

How to choose?

Perhaps to others, this is just his affectation; there’s no hesitation at all, surely give up.

Three-legged salamanders are rare, but there are plenty of beautiful two-legged girls.

With power and influence, a man can have as many beauties as he wants.

Adam clenched his fist tightly.

No, that’s not it, Lilith is different from them!

He silently screamed in his heart, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

"Lord Governor, are you there? It’s Adam."

"Come in." After a brief silence, a gentle voice came from inside.

It wasn’t Roland, it was Her Majesty the Empress’s voice.

Adam wasn’t surprised, everyone knew that Empress Sif and Governor Roland were lovers.

Gently pushing open the door, Adam slid into the room, standing not far from the entrance.

"Have a seat, help yourself to some tea."

Sif didn’t look up, continuing to browse the documents on the table.

Three minutes later, she finally finished reading the document, leaving a graceful signature at the end, before lifting her head.

Seeing Adam’s cautious demeanor, Sif smiled warmly and comforted him:

"General Adam, there’s no need to be so restrained. Is there something you wish to discuss?"

The title of General tightened Adam’s heart.

Due to his outstanding contributions, his rank had been promoted to Brigadier General.

The Three Provinces Army only had one legion, and a Brigadier General was a senior officer, comparable in value to a Vice Admiral on the Empire’s mainland.

He was previously just a Lieutenant Colonel, and this sudden promotion was equivalent to skipping a level, demonstrating the vast grace of the Imperial favor.

Adam felt a headache. If Her Majesty the Empress knew he was going to give up his future for a woman, he couldn’t imagine how disappointed she would be.

He was brewing his words but found he couldn’t speak at all.

Her Majesty’s eyes were full of joy, and she seemed to be in a great mood; he shouldn’t dampen her spirits at this time.

But this was the last chance to confess.

The punitive expedition was returning home tomorrow.

A small part of the elite would move with the fleet, while most of the army would leave along the main road.

Adam’s orders were to follow the fleet.

If he didn’t clarify, he wouldn’t even have a reason to take Lilith with him.

For ordinary people, marriage is a private matter, but clearly not for the officials around the Empress.

Seeing Adam hesitating, Sif smiled and asked, "Adam, now that you’re my direct vassal, you can tell me if there’s anything personal. I’ll do my best to help."

Unlike his time in the Imperial Capital, Sif was now very adept at winning people’s hearts, no longer making the foolish mistake of refusing the Minister of Justice’s bribery.

Faced with the care from the leadership, Adam was naturally overwhelmed and flattered.

He gritted his teeth and said softly, "Lord Count, do you have time to hear a story? It’s something genuine that happened during this mission."

Sif’s eyes lit up.

She enjoyed listening to Roland tell stories, but unfortunately, everyone has been busy lately, and the frequency and duration of Roland’s storytelling have significantly decreased.

Adam is the best minstrel; his stories may not be as imaginative as Roland’s, but they’re certainly worth listening to.

"It is my honor." Sif smiled as she gestured for him to begin.

Adam’s heart stirred; Sif was the Empress, but she was also a young girl who might understand him?

He quickly gathered himself, cleared his throat, and entered storytelling mode.

To be fair, Adam truly was a top-tier minstrel; his stories were captivating, and had there been a few young girls listening, they would have been moved to tears.

However, Sif was no ordinary listener; she was experienced and wouldn’t be moved by such matters. She simply listened quietly until the story ended.

Seeing no change in the Empress’s expression, Adam felt a bit dejected, and by the end, there was a touch of desolation in his tone.

"Lord Count, as you have heard, this matter..."

Adam found himself at a loss, unable to find the right words.

A confused encounter touched his heartstrings.

It was all the moon’s fault, shining on Lilith’s soft body, stealing his heart away.

After hearing Adam’s story, Sif calmly asked:

"So, during your mission, you met a girl with... a special profession?"

"Yes." Adam lowered his head, his voice becoming softer.

"And then you had a one-night stand?"

"Yes." Adam hung his head even lower, his voice barely a whisper.

"Then you both went to West City, staying together every night?"

"Yes..." Adam’s face burned with embarrassment, his voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum.

He couldn’t hold back and lifted his head, pleadingly whispering: "Lord Count, I..."

"This is love!"

Sif slammed the table, interrupting Adam’s words.

Adam: "..."

What does Her Majesty mean by this?

He looked at Sif, dumbfounded, his sturdy frame swaying like a wind chime.

Sif raised a finger and softly said, "Your actions defy all logic. If this isn’t love, then I don’t know what is."

Huh? What kind of logic is that?

Adam’s mind went completely blank.

Sif smiled at Adam and gently reminded him, "Go invite that girl. I want to see who could captivate your heart."

Though his mind was still blank, Adam resolutely followed the order.

He left swiftly, nearly knocking off half of the doorway as he exited.

Seeing his excited demeanor, a smile appeared at the corners of Sif’s lips.

She could bet with anyone that this was indeed love.

Shortly after Adam left, Roland appeared at the door.

He glanced curiously down the hallway and jokingly remarked, "Did Adam get provoked? He even forgot to greet me just now."

"It’s nothing; he was just robbed of his senses by the god of love." Sif smiled as she stood up, offering the chair in front of the desk to Roland and moving to sit on the sofa, pouring herself a cup of tea.

Seeing Sif smiling so brightly, Roland was puzzled, yet he didn’t know how to inquire further.

Sif couldn’t help but gesture for Roland to sit, "Roland, want to hear a story?"

Roland wanted to explain that he had to set off tomorrow and still had many tasks to complete, but he couldn’t refuse the anticipation in Sif’s gaze, so he returned to his seat, pretending to relax.

Feeling the lingering warmth on the cushion, Roland’s heartbeat quickened fiercely.

"Of course, I want to hear."

"This is a pure love story defying societal norms." Sif’s gaze softened gradually.

Her storytelling skills were far less than Adam’s and not as creative as Roland’s, but her voice was melodious, as pleasant as singing. Naturally, Roland loved listening to her.

However, the content of the story made Roland somewhat dismissive.

To hear Roland’s genuine thoughts, Sif replaced the characters’ names and locations with aliases to retell Adam and Lilith’s story.

"Roland, how would you rate this love story?"

"That’s not love." Roland shrugged dismissively.

Isn’t this just an urge to visit a brothel? It’s the first time I’ve seen someone describe lust in such an elegant way.

Sif didn’t like hearing that.

She slightly frowned and retorted displeased, "This young man is bright. If he loses his mind over something, isn’t that love?"

Of course, it’s just a case of strong lust.

Roland almost blurted it out but, considering Sif’s good mood lately, he decided to express it more tactfully.

"Being attracted to a girl’s beauty doesn’t count as true love."

Sif disliked hearing that even more; beauty isn’t a crime.

She stood up, her expression extraordinarily serious, and began an Empress’s love lecture.

"Roland, you don’t understand love. The initial form of love is attraction between opposites."

"Whether it’s talent, knowledge, identity, status, these external conditions, or character, personality, these bonus factors, they all refine that primal attraction."

Sif’s eyes sparkled with a dazzling light, speaking softly but firmly:

"Only when you strip away external factors and are drawn to each other, that’s the purest form of love. While growing affection over time is certainly love, is love at first sight not as well?"

Roland was stunned.

He felt there was something wrong with what Sif said but couldn’t find a flaw.

He quickly figured it out.

He was used to linking love and marriage, while Sif spoke of love beyond marriage.

Faced with Sif’s clear eyes, he chose to surrender.

"Alright, I admit you’re right, but in reality, such love doesn’t exist. Your story is beautiful, but it doesn’t happen in real life. Why would anyone give up a title bestowed by the Empress for an unknown girl found by the roadside?"

"This is a love story, not reality."

Sif asked with a smile, "What if it does happen in reality?"

"Then I’ll concede that’s true love, does it exist?" Roland asked dismissively.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway.

Two people, one light, one heavy, their steps disordered, sounding anxious.

Sif pointed toward the entrance with her delicate fingers and softly said, "Love has arrived."