...
Liu Wei spent a long time chatting with Mrs. Chun, and even Anna joined in on their conversation. They laughed and exchanged stories on a variety of subjects, many of which inevitably turned to the topic of children.
Liu Wei herself had never been one to dream of having children; it had simply never been one of her wishes. Still, she was young, and perhaps that could be something to consider later, right?
In contrast, Anna had always longed to become a mother.
Unfortunately, due to work demands and the constraints of her age, pregnancy had remained elusive, even after several years of treatment, her wife had been unable to conceive.
Deep down, Anna was beginning to wonder if motherhood simply wasn't in her destiny. This thought made the princess's heart ache, for if anyone were meant to be a mother, and possibly the best mother in the world, it was undoubtedly Anna.
As dusk fell and twilight quickly enveloped the day, dinner approached.
Anna retired to her rooms to enjoy the rest of her day off, while Liu Wei headed to the dining room. At the table, only Li Zhang was present, dining alone, so the young princess decided to join with her.
Liu Wei settled into one of the several empty chairs beside another omega and watched as one of the maids set a plate before her. "Today feels so empty," remarked Li Zhang with a gentle smile. "Yes, most of our companions had to rush back to their own countries or chose to dine in their rooms," Liu Wei replied.
After all, many of the Blood Spring participants were busy with their own territories, the work never stopped just because they were here in Wang's country.
"I'll accompany you for this meal," Liu Wei offered.
"Thank you, Liu Wei… By the way, how was your meeting with the queen?" Li Zhang asked.
Since everyone was either busy or exhausted, with the Sabbath now designated as a free day and two more stages of the Bloody Spring ahead, any rest was welcome.
Liu Wei smiled softly and said, "We went on a picnic."
Li Zhang, who was known to get carried away in conversation, exclaimed, "Really? I did something similar!"
"Oh, yes..." Liu Wei continued, "..I discovered a little house nearby and hosted the picnic there. I even prepared all the food, it was really delightful…" Noticing the admiring look in Li Zhang's eyes, Liu Wei teased, "Can you cook? I wish I had the time to learn."
Li Zhang's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'd love to learn, I spend most of my day writing and barely have time for anything else."
"It must be challenging, especially considering you're also the head of the Li family, right?" Liu Wei remarked.
"Indeed," Li Zhang replied. "I share the responsibilities, so I can't manage everything on my own. And what about you, over in Martana, what are you up to?"
"I was just in college," Liu Wei said with a slight laugh.
"Really? What did you study?"
"Art. But I dropped out to come here," Liu Wei admitted.
Li Zhang nodded, understanding all too well the importance of Martana's presence at the event. "We're almost halfway through the Bloody Spring, it'll be over soon…"
Both fell silent for a moment, lost in their thoughts. Li Zhang pondered how strange it would be to return to the old routine after seeing the queen nearly every day, while Liu Wei silently wondered how her life might change if she were truly chosen by the queen.
The thought made her sigh with both longing and uncertainty.
"I'm going to miss seeing the queen every day," Liu Wei confessed softly. "I wish she would choose me… But I know it's really hard to choose an omega."
Deep inside, Liu Wei knew this wasn't entirely true, after all, she and the queen were already involved in an affair.
"You don't think it's possible?".
"I've heard that the queen and Yang Fan are very close. I even overheard some employees gossiping about how romantic their meeting was, they went diving in the high seas," Li Zhang explained.
"I see…" Liu Wei murmured.
Yet, as Liu Wei mulled over these words, a sour taste of jealousy began to creep in, a disagreeable flavor that made her feel uncomfortable as she munched on her food. Sensing the change, Li Zhang smoothly shifted the conversation, commenting on a new novel she was writing.
Meanwhile, back at the palace, Wang Zheng was waiting for Hui Xu and growing impatient with the delay. Her head ached slightly and she felt drowsy; the heavy wine from the previous night still clung to her senses, and the lingering hangover refused to subside. Huan Yang had gone to fetch something for the queen to eat, she had managed only a few fruits with some water. Wang Zheng was notorious for eating very little after a night of drinking, a habit that complicated matters during banquets and festivals. Knowing this, her secretary had already been in the kitchen searching for something that might entice the queen to eat.
Not long after, Huan Yang reappeared in the office carrying a tray. From afar, one could see a teapot with steaming tea and a cloche covering a dish. "Your Majesty, Mistress Chun specifically requested that I deliver this…" he announced.
"What is it?" the queen asked, pushing aside her paperwork to make room on the table. Raising your gaze, she discovered a generous slice of strawberry cake, the very same cake Liu Wei had baked for their picnic.
"I mentioned to Mistress Chun that Your Majesty had lost your appetite, and she said that Liu Wei had baked three identical cakes, one of which still had a slice left over. I hope you don't mind a change from your usual fare," explained Huan Yang.
At the sight of the piled-up cream and strawberries, the queen's mood lightened, and the alpha smiled at her excited reaction. "If Liu Wei made the cake, it must be delicious. It was kept in the fridge, correct?"
"Correct," Huan Yang confirmed.
"Was Liu Wei here?" the queen inquired.
"No, she's in the dining room with Li Zhang," he replied.
"I understand…" the queen murmured just as the phone on her desk began ringing. Huan Yang answered promptly; after a few seconds, he thanked the caller and hung up.
"Sir Hui Xu has arrived," he announced.
Taking a deep breath so as not to spoil her appetite, the queen said, "Leave the food; I'll speak with him first." Huan Yang nodded, and soon the entire tray was neatly arranged on a small table in the corner of the office.
A couple of knocks at the door preceded the entrance of a thin, slender man dressed in a fine suit and silk blouse. A strong scent of sweet grass permeated the room, a fragrance so potent that it nearly made Wang Zheng nauseous. He smiled at the queen, and she returned a polite nod, motioning for him to sit beside her.
"How are you doing? I hear you've had a busy week with the Bloody Spring," he began.
"Perhaps I'll take two days off after the event, but nothing out of the ordinary… What brings you here?" the queen replied, her tone measured yet curious.
He stroked his white beard thoughtfully, clearly intrigued by her calm demeanor. "I understand that yesterday marked the end of the first phase. I imagine Your Majesty must already have an idea of which alpha would be most suitable for the realm."
"I have my own sense of the characters of alphas, omegas, and betas," the queen replied dryly.
The man made a humorous expression. "No, no... Your Majesty shouldn't waste time on betas, let alone omegas. I believe that Chen Fu is the best option among the candidates."
It was evident that Hui Xu, as he was known, already favored Chen Fu, his nephew. Hui Xu had once been married to an alpha, and she was the sister of Chen Fu's mother.
"Why do you think that?" the queen asked.
He stroked his beard, his eyes thoughtful for a moment before he smiled broadly. "He is at a prime age to be the father of the future heir, and with the excellent relations between our countries, he stands out as a natural choice."
"But our relations with Yang Fan's country are even stronger, and since she is the heir to the throne, wouldn't she be an ideal candidate for my wife?" the queen countered.
"I've heard that Liu Wei's father is considering a future marriage between the two of them. It isn't for us to interfere…" the man replied in a somewhat disdainful tone, implying that Liu Wei was seen merely as an omega, second in line to the throne.
Wang Zheng couldn't help but feel irritated. "It's too early to make any decisions…" she interjected.
The man smiled and feigned agreement, though it was clear his decision had already been made on the day he initiated the Bloody Spring, that Chen Fu would eventually become the future king of Wang's country.
"Yes, Your Majesty, you are correct," he said, adding, "and as I was passing by, I did not dare to stop my visit."
"Clear. Thank you for your kindness," the queen replied graciously.
They both stood, and the queen motioned for Huan Yang to open the door so the man could leave promptly. Bowing slightly, he kissed the queen's hand in farewell.
Quietly, she watched him depart, then let out a weary sigh and reached for the remaining piece of cake.
Carefully picking up her spoon, she bit into the slice, the sweetness of the strawberries and cream lifting her spirits. Settling down at the table, she ate slowly, savoring every bite before finally allowing herself to rest.