Night fell.
Vera, who had just finished her bath, changed into a silk nightgown, her snow-white slender feet lightly tapped on the pine floor, her slender body sat obliquely in front of the dressing table, facing a bronze mirror, her hair coiled in a bun.
A pretty face was reflected in the mirror, hazy like a rose just moistened by rain and dew, unparalleled in beauty.
There is a faint fragrance in the room, fresh and meaningful, lingering.
Colin was half lying on the sofa, quietly admiring the expression of Vera's little wife, and suddenly asked with a smile:
"What's with the golden mark on your chest?"
Vera tilted her head, also with doubts on her face: "I don't know, it seems that it just appeared today, maybe it has something to do with the baptism ceremony."
Ke Lin gradually restrained his smile, frowned and said, "Baptism?"
"Well, but I don't feel anything abnormal about my body." Vera didn't care.
Seeing that Colin was worried about herself, Vera came over on tiptoe, flung herself lightly on the sofa, and slipped into her lover's arms.
"Then let me take a closer look." Colin put his arms around Vera's slender waist, and stretched out his hand to untie her nightdress.
Vera giggled and didn't stop her.
But at this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Ke Lin could only stop what he was doing, and asked angrily, "What's the matter?"
The maid's voice came from outside the door: "Master Viscount, Your Royal Highness invites you to give lectures to Prince Harrison and Princess Judy."
Ke Lin was speechless for a while, what class is he teaching now!
Vera lightly kissed Colin on the cheek, and said with a smile, "Go, don't keep auntie waiting."
Ke Lin had no choice but to get up and said, "Okay, if I come back late, you can go to bed first."
Vera nodded and began to help Colin change his clothes.
After tidying up, Ke Lin went out and followed the maid all the way to the main hall.
As he went forward, Colin found that the guards here became stricter.
About a quarter of an hour later, the maid finally stopped, stretched out her hand and gently pushed open the gorgeous gold-wire wooden door, and the maid bowed to Ke Lin.
Colin nodded and walked in.
What caught the eye was a dark red round table, a snow-white cashmere carpet, and an exquisite crystal chandelier, but there was no one there.
"His Royal Highness?"
Colin called out tentatively, and then heard a soft voice: "Viscount Angelet, please go inside."
Colin walked a few steps forward, and after turning a corner, he found the door leading to the inner room.
Lifting the veil hanging from the door, Colin walked into the room.
With pink curtains, a luxurious ivory bed, and an exquisite dressing table, Colin immediately realized that this should be the queen's bedroom.
A gentle night wind blew in, and the curtains on the balcony moved with the wind, revealing a slender figure looming.
Ke Lin hurriedly saluted and said, "His Royal Highness!"
Queen Midella turned her head, smiled at Ke Lin, and said, "I'm looking for you so late, I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not. I don't know where Prince Harrison and Princess Judy are now, and where do you want me to start teaching them?"
"It's not urgent, I have more important things to talk to you about."
"Please tell me." Colin suddenly had an ominous premonition in his heart, but since he had been fooled, he couldn't turn around and run away.
"Relax, sit down."
Colin looked around and found that there was only the bed and the dressing table where he could sit... But he obviously didn't want to sit in these two places, so he had to stand there in embarrassment, pretending not to hear.
Fortunately, Queen Midella didn't mean to make Ke Lin too difficult, and she didn't force her when she saw this, and asked, "What do you think of this morning's baptism ceremony?"
Colin's heart moved, and he immediately thought of the staring gaze that seemed to fall from the sky, and the appearance of Baron Heidegger, the prime minister of the empire at that time, who hesitated to speak.
"I think it's very good." Colin pretended to be stupid. "It's a great honor for His Majesty the Pope to baptize Vera in person!"
Queen Midella looked at Colin with a half-smile, as if she wanted to see his true thoughts.
But Ke Lin lowered his head, unmoved by the queen's scrutiny.
"Hey~" Queen Midella sighed, and there was a trace of resentment in her voice, "It seems that you still don't trust me."
"Of course I trust Your Highness." Colin immediately interjected, but there was not much sincerity in his words.
The room fell silent, only the slight sound of the night wind blowing the curtains could be heard.
After waiting for a long time without hearing the queen's voice, Ke Lin couldn't help but raised his head, and then met the other party's calm eyes.
The evening wind blew the light dress tightly against her body, outlining a graceful curve.
Ke Lin immediately withdrew his gaze and returned to the original state of looking at his nose, nose, nose, and heart.
Queen Midella finally spoke again, but this time, her voice became a little dignified: "Colin, you may not realize the seriousness of the matter."
"Your Highness, please forgive my ignorance!" Ke Lin still looked the same, as if he was determined to keep a distance from this beautiful queen.
There was no joy or anger on Queen Midella's face. She left the balcony and walked slowly towards Colin, saying in her mouth, "I remember the first time we met, it was in Winter City. I was going to attend the Wei It's a coming-of-age ceremony."
"Yes, Your Highness." Ke Lin became more and more confused about what the queen wanted to do.
"I remember, that coming-of-age ceremony was really wonderful! The troll prince, the half-elf prince, and you, the three of them proposed to Vera at the same time, but my brother chose the half-elf prince in the end, and you two almost got into a fight... "
Listening to Queen Midella recalling the past, Ke Lin remained silent, but kept guessing the queen's real purpose in his heart.
"... Oh, by the way, a major event happened at that time—" Queen Midella had already walked in front of Colin, exhaling like a land, "Marquis Adams, he was poisoned to death!"
Ke Lin lowered his head, watching the pink toenails shining like crystals on the queen's white and slender feet, he couldn't help narrowing his eyes slightly.
Empress Midara supported Colin's chin from behind, forced his gaze to her, and asked with a smile, "Do you know who poisoned you?"
Colin's heart finally had waves of waves, and thoughts kept appearing in his mind, but he couldn't grasp the most critical one among them.
This puzzle has puzzled him for a long time.
At that time, his first suspect was actually Marquis Garcia.
Because the Duke of St. Hilde had just betrayed his younger brother at that time, and instead of keeping his promise to let Vera inherit the position of Marquis of the East, he chose his second son, Adams.
Colin's first reaction, and perhaps the first reaction of most people at the time, was that the death of Adams was the Marquis Garcia's revenge on his brother!
But later, Colin felt that with the character of Marquis Garcia, he should not be able to do such a sinister thing.
When he was in Silvermoon City, when he guessed the Duke of St. Hilde's series of plans against the half-elves, Colin felt that the Duke of St. Hilde might have staged a bitter trick and poisoned his second son to death.
But when Colin learned that the Duke of St. Hilde was a paladin, he immediately overturned his guess.
After all, the Duke of St. Hilde, who has the strength of a paladin, would not resort to such means to achieve his goals.
Originally, Colin had already given up, thinking that the death of Marquis Adams might remain an unsolved case forever, but now, Empress Midella unexpectedly raised the matter again.
This made Colin couldn't help but have an idea in his heart...
Queen Midella looked at Colin whose expression had changed, and finally showed a satisfied smile, but she seemed to be more than satisfied with this, and said again:
"There is also the will left by the Duke of St. Hilde. Guess why he named Vera as the first heir?"
Colin opened his mouth, but didn't know how to speak.
The smile on Queen Midella's face grew brighter, and she threw a bombshell again: "Do you know, Your Majesty tried to veto Vera's inheritance twice, but I stopped them both times.
Do you know why? "
Colin looked at this charming and pretty face close at hand, and his heart almost jumped out of his chest.
Thousands of thoughts converged into an answer in his mind, but this answer made Colin couldn't help but want to run away.
Queen Midella admired Colin who was in a tangle, and said with a smile: "Colin, do you know, the person in this world who most wants to see Vera become the Duke of the North, besides you, is me."
At this time, Colin calmed down instead.
He knew that Queen Midella had already had a showdown.
This can only show that the situation is indeed as severe as she said.
She no longer allowed Colin to be close to her, she said she trusted her on the surface, but when she turned around, she began to be suspicious.
"Your Highness, I understand." Colin said in a deep voice, no longer avoiding Queen Midella's gaze.
"What do you understand?" A trace of surprise flashed in Queen Midella's eyes.
"I see why I should trust you."
"Why?"
Ke Lin gently pushed away Queen Midella's hand, stepped back slightly, and said respectfully:
"Because you are Vera's biological mother!"
(end of this chapter)