In the Name of Empress-Chapter 375 - 260: Rules Matter Most

Lilith stood cautiously behind Adam, clutching his sleeve tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably, her once rosy lips devoid of any color.

When Adam grabbed her hand and walked towards the palace, she was completely dazed.

Ever since hearing the good news of Adam being ennobled after returning to the country, she had abandoned all hopes of becoming Adam’s wife.

Of course, she wanted to marry Adam, but she wasn’t a fool, she was very aware of how troublesome her identity was.

So she didn’t dare to hope.

She had long decided to enjoy this time before Adam returned home, so as not to have any regrets when he did.

She planned to find a quiet countryside to peacefully spend the rest of her life.

She would not be lonely.

Adam didn’t know yet that the seed of life had already taken root within her.

This was a gift from the Goddess of Fengrao and also the fruit of their love.

However, Adam had just rushed in like a madman, dragging her away, saying that their love had been recognized by Count Sif.

Lilith didn’t quite believe it, but she couldn’t resist, so she followed Adam.

She was anxious and even more nervous.

If there was a glimmer of hope, of course, she didn’t want the child to be born without a father; she was simply in despair over the cruel reality.

She originally held no hope, but Adam rekindled her longing.

Once a person has hope, they will worry about gains and losses.

Half an hour ago, she was still thinking about how to be a good single mother, and now she was waiting for Count Sif’s final judgment.

Lilith cautiously glanced at Sif and Roland with the corner of her eye, her heart skipped a beat.

If it were only Count Sif, she might have some hope, but Roland was the one in charge.

She had heard Roland’s name and knew about his deeds.

Seemingly kind yet actually ruthless, she was savvy in political calculations.

This was Lilith’s objective assessment of Roland.

The moment she saw Roland, the flame of hope that Lilith had just ignited was extinguished.

She was terrified beyond measure.

At this point, she wasn’t thinking about whether she could marry Adam but whether she could preserve her own life and protect the poor little one.

Roland was a ruthless politician; he would never tolerate any issue with Adam, someone so close to him.

Adam originally had no issues; the problems started after he met her, and she was the root of these problems.

As long as she disappeared from the world, all issues would vanish into thin air.

With this thought, Lilith was overwhelmed by fear, her face turned ashen, and her legs trembled.

If she were alone, she might have the courage to die heroically.

But now, she couldn’t.

She now had a reason to live well even if she had to leave Adam.

Roland’s polite smile appeared to her like the sinister grin of a Demon King before devouring a baby.

Lilith almost fainted on the spot, she forced her body to hold on, with sweat rolling down her cheeks.

Seeing her soaked in sweat and desperate appearance, Roland squinted his eyes, examining Lilith with a suspicious gaze.

What was she afraid of?

There must be a problem!

A murderous intent flashed and disappeared, sinking deep into his eyes.

Roland had already doubted Lilith, and now he was even more convinced that she had significant problems.

He was contemplating how to resolve this hidden danger and wasn’t even paying close attention to the conversation between Sif and Adam.

He was lost in thought.

Adam was not an ordinary person but a Transcendent with unlimited growth potential.

Even in facing Sofia, he was by no means useless.

As long as he could help deal with Sofia, even being of little use was good.

Of course, he didn’t want Adam to be ruined by a bad woman.

He needed Adam to grow quickly, just like this tour of Jin Yuan Kingdom.

Roland wanted to laugh, the world was so absurd, having to deal with Sofia and protect his own woman ended up requiring him to erase Adam’s lover.

But he couldn’t bring himself to laugh.

His eyes narrowed further and further, filled with murderous intent.

Although Adam frequently visited the Red Light District, those women, akin to sex toys, were merely pure tools for release.

Roland merely turned a blind eye to Adam often visiting brothels.

Artists, with their lively minds and unrestrained demeanor, having a bit of a rich private life wasn’t an issue.

But this time was different.

This time Adam had truly fallen.

When a man who plays with the world falls, he falls deeper than a regular person.

A capable subordinate falling in love, under a woman’s seduction, wielding a backstabbing dagger against his liege. This kind of story was abundant in history books, too frequent.

Even if there was only a one percent possibility, it had to be eradicated.

Amid Roland’s pounding heart, Sif over there had already completed her observation.

Lilith was indeed a spy, and a seasoned one at that.

With Sif’s power, even under Insight, there was a small area that remained unclear.

She could see no malice but Lilith’s struggle, bewilderment, and helplessness.

Unlike Roland’s wild speculations, Sif comprehended Lilith’s emotions completely.

Upon activating the Eye of Insight, she not only saw the frightened Lilith like a startled rabbit but also sensed a pure life energy.

Full of curiosity and love for this world.

People always think babies know nothing, yet they also possess souls.

Unborn, not even a formed embryo, a young life’s soul is naturally entirely pure.

Lilith’s mindset was too easy to understand; she was just a mother wanting to protect her child.

After figuring this out, Sif’s gaze towards Lilith softened greatly.

Before Lilith came, she also worried about seeing the red light representing hostility.

But she had long made up her mind; if Lilith did bear malice, she would deal with it decisively, even if it meant utterly disappointing Adam.

Fortunately, there was none.

Understanding everything, Sif’s lips gently curved upward, and she softly said:

"Congratulations, Adam, you will become a father in a few months."

Adam only felt a buzzing in his head, utterly dumbfounded.

He laughed foolishly out of composure, receiving the definite answer from Lilith’s eyes, almost unable to resist picking up his lover and spinning around.

Realizing that both the Governor and the Empress were present, he restrained his excitement and looked nervously at Roland.

"Lord Governor, I..."

"Roland, we should congratulate Adam and Lilith."

Fearing Roland’s opposition, Sif spoke first.

Pregnant?

Roland fell into silence.

With Lilith taking a hostage in a critical position, the situation had completely changed.

Even if she had problems, it couldn’t be dealt with anymore.

Perhaps some men would painfully sacrifice love for power and status, but as long as they were not beasts, they wouldn’t tolerate their unborn child disappearing.

Roland laughed self-deprecatingly; in this situation, he couldn’t raise a hand.

Sif’s eyes told him that Lilith bore no hostility.

Insight was indeed useful, but not omnipotent, Roland thought silently.

Lilith was an undercover agent, only following orders without independent thought; how could she bear hostility against the head of state of a neighboring country?

Even if she had no issues, what about the ones who trained her?

What if someone coerced Lilith into action in the future?

All of these are latent threats.

Roland withheld the sigh in his heart, smiling as he clapped his hands.

Given the situation, it’s better to offer blessings first.

Lilith’s issue had to be set aside for now as well.

"Adam, congratulations. You’re about to become a father. Pursue some easier work, the military is too dangerous and not suitable for you."

"Report to the Culture Department when you return home; they are short of a Deputy Minister, and you are quite suitable."

Roland spoke calmly.

With flawless reasoning, he reassigned Adam from a significant post to a more relaxed, though relatively less important, position.

Is culture important? Of course, it is.

But during turbulent times, it pales in comparison to the military.

Adam breathed a sigh of relief and quickly thanked both Sif and Roland.

After some polite exchanges, he sensibly left with Lilith.

Though a little disappointed at being reassigned from an important military post, what did it matter compared to his wife and child?

Having the whole family together was more important.

Watching Adam leave, Sif remained silent for a long time before saying in a quiet tone, "You still don’t trust Adam. No, it’s Lilith you don’t trust."

"Quite the opposite, actually, I trust them very much. The latent threat with Lilith isn’t her but the intelligence organization behind her; she herself is quite problem-free."

"Then why let Adam retreat to the second line?" Sif expressed some confusion.

Roland smiled without speaking; it was evidently yet another impromptu test.

Sif’s gaze suddenly sharpened.

She greatly enjoyed Roland’s random questions.

Such questions often had no ready answers for reference, demanding her to think.

Needing to think meant first excluding conclusions that required no thought.

First to be excluded was that Roland expelled Adam from the core circle out of anger.

Roland wasn’t someone who acted on impulse.

Sif’s mind raced, considering various possibilities, yet she still found nothing.

Accepting Lilith, allowing Adam and Lilith to marry was a kindness.

Reassigning Adam from the military to the powerless Culture Department, nominally a lateral move, but in reality a demotion.

Though the level remained the same, the power and prospects were vastly different, possibly leading to marginalization.

No matter how magnanimous Adam was, he would feel uncomfortable inside.

Roland acted this way because he had more important objectives than caring about Adam’s feelings.

Sif’s eyes took on a peculiar look, and she said softly:

"To uphold rules, to consider others’ feelings, right?"

This time, it was Roland’s turn to be surprised.

His expression went from astonishment to gratification, finally to a sense of relief.

Sif had indeed grown.

He nodded approvingly and said with a smile, "To lead the team well, rules are paramount. Our team now has four provinces, and in the future, it may encompass the entire Empire and even the continent’s various countries. Without rules, chaos ensues."

"Adam indeed merits reward, hence the honors. But marrying a foreigner without informing us beforehand and only mentioning it after the fact is irresponsible, if not deceitful."

"Adam must face punishment, or he won’t command respect."

Sif sighed in relief, yet still felt a pang when considering the outcome.

She lightly sighed, "It’s a pity Adam won’t be as dedicated anymore."

"Who said that?"

Roland slowly shook his head, speaking sternly, "If Adam can’t grasp this basic principle, then there wouldn’t be a place for him in the Culture Department either."

Though reassigned from an important post, Roland was genuinely considerate toward Adam.

Preserving his administrative level, securing his wife and child, and light punishment for the hidden transgression.

If someone harbors resentment despite generous rewards and light penalties, then that’s a typical ingrate with ulterior motives, someone unusable at all.