"My lord?"
Bayev looked at Eden with some suspicion.
Since awakening his psychic powers, Eden's senses had become much sharper.
He immediately noticed something was off with Bayev; the steward must have sensed something.
"I'm alright physically," Eden decided to reveal the truth. "If I hadn't awakened my psychic powers, I would have died at the hands of the heretic."
Although his inherited memories were incomplete, he was fortunate to have access to the memories of his steward and the guards.
Their sole mission was to protect Eden, the last bloodline of the Grant family, and they were absolutely loyal.
These people were Eden's final line of defense, and there was no need to deceive them.
Upon hearing Eden's response, Bayev breathed a sigh of relief.
"Praise the Emperor! As long as you are safe, my lord!"
He then continued:
"Tonight's attack was premeditated. Someone used the heretic monster to lure the guards away, putting you in danger!"
Internal strife or an assassination attempt by rival forces?
The fog of missing memories left Eden with no clue. This was clearly a dangerous situation.
He looked at Bayev and asked, "Who do you think is behind it?"
"I've already sent people to investigate. It must be those damned Homan family bastards!"
Bayev spat out angrily, "A bunch of treacherous scum! The Emperor will punish them!"
Eden tried to recall information about the Homan family, but nothing came to mind. He decided he'd look into it later.
He nodded along, mimicking Bayev's righteous tone. "The Emperor will indeed punish them!"
Eden underwent a check-up by the apothecary, who confirmed that aside from some weakness, he was in no serious condition.
After confirming that Eden was fine, Bayev and the others finally left, reassured.
Since the room was no longer suitable for sleep, Eden was led by the maids to another equally spacious bedroom.
Eden opened the stained-glass windows and stepped out onto the balcony, gazing at the pale red moon in the sky. He sighed deeply.
This wasn't Earth anymore, nor was it the universe he was familiar with.
The moon of this planet appeared to have been struck by some kind of weapon, with a small chunk missing, and a narrow belt of debris forming a meteorite ring around it.
The scene before him served as a stark reminder of the brutality of the Warhammer universe.
Whether it was fighting aliens, Chaos gods, or even civil wars, each conflict claimed countless lives, and entire planets were often destroyed.
Even as a Planetary Governor, Eden couldn't guarantee his safety.
But as the highest-ranking person on this planet, he was still far better off than the workers who toiled day and night in the lower hive, or the scavengers in the underhive sifting through toxic waste.
He lived in the palace at the top of the hive, in the tower of the royal court, enjoying the best resources and overlooking the masses.
Eden looked toward the large square of the royal court district. The lights were dim, the ground pockmarked, and the towering statue of the Emperor seemed to be missing a piece.
Further out, in the residential areas, vast sections were completely dark, with only faint glimmers of light visible here and there.
Eden was surprised. This infrastructure is really bad, I'll have to find an opportunity to renovate this place.
As the face of the planet, the royal court district couldn't look so shabby.
Suddenly, a faint flash of light appeared in the residential area. With his psychic sensitivity, Eden realized it was the flash of a bomb.
Someone's fighting!
"Is the upper hive's security this bad?"
Eden was puzzled. The upper hive, where nobles and officials lived, shouldn't have such poor security.
Are the enforcers just slacking off?
"The enforcer's discipline needs some serious reform!"
Since Eden had inherited everything from Eden Grant, his fate was now tied to this planet's. He had to maintain and develop it well.
At the very least, he needed to strengthen the upper hive's security and maintain order, so Chaos cultists or heretics wouldn't one day storm the royal court and take him out.
Eden felt that something was off, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Was it the missing memories causing his discomfort?
As he pondered, Eden felt the strange presence in the Warp calling to him more strongly.
At the same time, an overwhelming sense of exhaustion washed over him.
It was clear he needed rest. Being mentally drained made one more vulnerable to Chaos corruption.
Eden turned and walked back into the bedroom, where the head maid, Linda, had already led the maids in tidying the room.
These maids, all clad in black stockings, had been handpicked and trained by the Grant family from a young age. Both their figures and appearances were top-notch.
They stood in a neat line and bowed to Eden. "My lord, everything is ready for you to rest."
"Good work."
Eden nodded and waved them off, intending to let them leave.
But to his surprise, the maids' eyes gleamed as they rushed forward, stripping him down and wiping his body with warm, soft towels.
Is this part of the process too?
Eden didn't quite understand, but he dared not resist, lest they notice something strange.
Damn these otherworldly rulers!
The maids looked at Eden with eyes full of longing, their hands roaming over his body, testing his resolve.
The situation was almost out of control, but fortunately, Eden was no ordinary man.
Having survived the Palace of Slaanesh, this was nothing he couldn't handle!
After they helped him into his pajamas, Eden finally breathed a sigh of relief.
For some reason, he felt the maids were a bit too enthusiastic.
Linda, the head maid, gazed at Eden, her heart racing and legs pressing together. "My lord, you seem different… so much more attractive!"
Eden's charm had indeed increased, a lingering side effect of being marked by Slaanesh.
After following Slaanesh, a follower's personal charm would gradually grow, especially attracting those of the opposite sex.
This was one of the lures Slaanesh used.
However, as their faith deepened, Slaanesh's followers would slowly mutate, lost in their desires, until they became twisted abominations.
But Eden had resisted the corruption and escaped, yet that increased charm had remained.
With his current looks and allure, few women could resist him — and Linda was no exception.
Noticing Linda staring at him, Eden was a bit taken aback. "What's wrong?"
Under Eden's gaze, Linda pressed her legs together even tighter, her eyes moist with desire. "My lord, I always stayed with you at night, you said it helped you sleep better."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, you said you liked my scent, that holding me helped you fall asleep."
Eden glanced at the head maid, Linda, with her sultry appearance and curvaceous figure, and couldn't help but swallow.
Sleep better? You've got to be kidding me.
If you lie down next to me, who's going to be able to sleep?
Seeing Eden remain silent, Linda nervously clutched her chest, her face turning red.
She glanced at the other maids. "If you feel it's not enough, you can have everyone join in..."
The maids nearby blushed and stared at Eden with wide, watery eyes.
Is the Governor's nightlife really this exciting?
Eden Grant sure knew how to have fun. No wonder he ended up in Slaanesh's palace!
But I'm not Eden Grant, I'm an honorable man!
Besides, having just escaped Slaanesh's palace, there was no way Eden dared to mess around.
"Go, go, all of you, out!" Eden ordered firmly.
"Yes, my lord!"
Disappointed, Linda bowed deeply and turned to leave.
A flash of white caught Eden's eye, and he took a sharp breath.
As Linda walked away, Eden couldn't help but admire her soft figure wrapped in the maid uniform.
Slaanesh was right to pick me...
At this rate, I'll have to return to that palace one day...
As night deepened, Eden lay down and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Suddenly, his consciousness was forcefully pulled by something, and when he regained awareness, he found himself in the Warp once again.
Once more, he saw the massive, cold sun in the endless void.
This is strange... is the Emperor sending me a dream?
(End of Chapter)