Vol 3. Chapter 61: Brimming with Confidence
Within the Imperial Palace of Skyvault,
inside the Emperor's private residence—the Xuanyuan Palace—
every attendant, servant, trusted subordinate, including Toma, and even Xue Tianao's favored consorts had all left the palace after receiving his orders, though each of them did so in confusion, retreating beyond the outer walls.
The vast Xuanyuan Palace was then enveloped by the pale golden magic radiating from Xue Tianao, almost completely isolating it from the outside world.
For a time,
the palace, once heavily guarded and bustling with servants, became so silent that a pin dropping could be heard.
Only one person remained inside.
Xue Tianao.
Which was exactly what he wanted.
He could not allow anyone to disturb him now.
He needed his full concentration.
It was time to use the synthesis scroll granted by the System...
to refine medicine.
The plain-looking magical synthesis scroll suddenly disintegrated, transforming into an enormous magical furnace.
Xue Tianao's eyes narrowed.
A pale golden radiance filled with "holy" power erupted from within, while overwhelming pressure and immense magical energy swept through the entire palace hall.
Even the supposedly indestructible palace walls began to crack beneath the force of his aura.
Strictly speaking,
ordering Toma and everyone else to leave had been a wise decision.
None of them possessed the strength to withstand the pressure released by Xue Tianao himself.
Keeping them here would only have gotten in the way.
Heh... it's time to begin.
His gaze became resolute.
The blond man slowly raised a hand.
Golden energy gathered around the magical furnace.
Ice Dragon Horn,
Tears of Nature,
Black Coral Root,
Confusion Flower Bud,
Ghostflower of Heartbreak Leaves,
Crimson Dew of Summer,
along with every expensive ingredient he had purchased from Noya,
all flew continuously into the furnace under the guidance of his power.
Inside the blazing heat,
they melted apart,
gradually condensing into drop after drop of concentrated essence...
...
The high-grade synthesis scroll exchanged from the System Shop with points boasted an almost perfect success rate.
Even when several unexpected complications arose during the refinement,
Xue Tianao remained perfectly calm.
As time passed,
the golden light became increasingly brilliant.
Then—
the magical furnace exploded.
The condensed essence slowly floated before Xue Tianao,
settling into the exquisite crystal vial he had prepared beforehand.
"Heh... finally finished."
Staring at the crystal-clear crimson liquid inside the bottle,
Xue Tianao couldn't help revealing a satisfied smile.
As always,
his smile remained extraordinarily charming.
Yet somehow,
there was now something deeply unsettling hidden beneath it.
Those possessing "Beyond-Standard" value were undoubtedly the people Xue Tianao desired above all else.
In his opinion,
with his current strength and influence,
if he could secure the support of someone with Beyond-Standard value like Mengxi or Miss Yu,
then completing the trial mission and saving this world would become practically inevitable.
At that point,
he would surpass the rank of the God of Magic,
reaching the legendary realm no one had ever attained.
As the heroine,
Mengxi was, in Xue Tianao's eyes, someone who was destined to be conquered.
After all,
he was the Child of Destiny,
favored by fate itself.
The genuine protagonist of this world.
Wasn't it only natural for the male lead and female lead to end up together?
He had absolute confidence in that.
However...
when it came to Blood Butterfly,
he wasn't quite so certain.
Whether a beautiful villainess like her could be won over...
was much harder to say.
Especially after his previous discourteous behavior,
the difficulty had increased dramatically.
Although he believed that, given enough time, his charm and intelligence would eventually win her over,
the problem was...
he didn't have enough time.
Once the coronation ceremony concluded,
the Black Rose Family would most likely return to the Sadik Empire.
By then,
trying to pursue Blood Butterfly would become unimaginably difficult.
On the other hand,
winning her over within just a few days before then...
was equally unrealistic.
Left with no alternative,
Xue Tianao decided to rely on the System.
Using points,
he exchanged for a rare ancient scroll from the System Shop,
one capable of refining a special spiritual medicine.
If he couldn't conquer her willingly...
then during the dinner banquet,
he would simply make Blood Butterfly consume the medicine.
Whether she wanted to or not,
that Demon King girl would have no choice but to submit to him.
"Hehe... I really can't wait~"
Recalling Miss Yumo's breathtaking beauty and the unique mixture of innocence and sinister charm she had displayed during the welcoming banquet,
an irresistible desire welled up inside him.
A strange laugh gradually echoed throughout the palace.
Outside,
Toma, standing guard, frowned unconsciously.
He cast a puzzled glance toward the tightly sealed doors of Xuanyuan Palace.
Thus,
filled with thoughts of conquering Blood Butterfly,
time flew by.
Two days later,
the evening banquet they had agreed upon finally arrived.
—
During those two days,
although he had learned of Marquis Keweibote's death and the explosion involving the Soul Pearls,
the investigation had yielded nothing.
Coupled with his countless official duties and the careful preparations for the banquet,
Xue Tianao had neither the time nor the inclination to dwell on what had happened at the Marquis's estate.
After assigning Toma to continue the investigation,
he devoted himself entirely to preparations for the coronation ceremony—
and to choosing what he would wear when meeting Miss Yumo.
As it turned out,
his preparations had been extremely successful.
At that moment,
inside Crimson Moon Splendor Palace—the imperial reception hall—
a handsome blond man with his long golden hair braided neatly down his back stood while several maids dressed him in an elaborately tailored ceremonial robe.
His features were as perfectly sculpted as if carved by a master craftsman.
His cold, aloof eyes seemed unfocused.
His deep sapphire-blue gaze remained tranquil.
Golden hair framed his face,
while the golden earring at his ear emitted an elegant glow.
Handsome.
Cold.
Proud.
Those qualities were written plainly across his face.
This man, who had captivated every woman around him,
was none other than the current ruler of the Snow Night Empire—
Xue Tianao.
Standing before the mirror,
the Emperor admired the luxurious ceremonial attire painstakingly crafted by dozens of the empire's finest tailors.
"Excellent."
"Very nice."
He was extremely satisfied with the result.
With this,
Miss Yu would surely be captivated the moment she laid eyes on him.
Or so he believed.
This outfit had not been designed merely according to his own preferences.
It had been tailored specifically using intelligence gathered by Moxiao.
He had to admit,
Moxiao truly deserved his A-Rank value as an information broker.
As for Moxiao's failure to fully uncover Blood Butterfly's current intentions,
Xue Tianao considered that understandable.
After all,
very few people would ever believe that Abyss Demons could actually stand on humanity's side.
Aside from that,
however,
the intelligence Moxiao had obtained was invaluable.
Especially the information regarding Miss Yu's personal preferences.
Those details would undoubtedly become a tremendous advantage in conquering her.
Take this outfit, for example.
It had been specially designed according to Miss Yu's tastes.
Without question,
the moment she saw him,
she would be amazed.
Perhaps she'd even gain a little favorable impression of him.
Although the spiritual medicine had already been completed,
Xue Tianao still wanted to try winning over the black-haired girl he genuinely admired through his own charm first.
After all,
this current body of his
was the most handsome vessel he had ever possessed across all his lives.
The embodiment of masculine charm.
Just as Xue Tianao was admiring his own appearance in the mirror,
a petite young girl suddenly rushed into the room,
throwing her arms around his.
"Brother Tianao! Didn't you promise you'd spend tonight with us? Why did you suddenly..."
The girl spoke in a sweet, spoiled voice,
though her tone carried obvious dissatisfaction.
Her call finally brought Xue Tianao back to reality.
His brows furrowed slightly.
Then,
the handsome blond man deliberately put on an apologetic expression and looked toward the adorable blue-haired girl before him,
along with the beautiful orange-haired woman in luxurious court attire who had just entered the room.
"I'm sorry, Lillian."
"And Olivia."
"I have something important to take care of tonight."
"I won't be able to stay with you."
The two women before him
were beauties he had worked hard to win over.
Yet compared with that breathtaking black-haired girl,
their appeal paled into insignificance.
Compared to accompanying them,
winning over Miss Yu was obviously far more important.
Although inwardly irritated by their arrival,
Xue Tianao still wore the warm, gentle smile he always used to charm women.
"The person I'm meeting tonight is incredibly important to the entire Snow Night Empire."
"I hope both of you can understand."
"Understand... b-but..."
"We already agreed..."
Lillian puffed out her cheeks unhappily.
Olivia, meanwhile, frowned.
"Tianao..."
"You don't have feelings for that woman, do you..."
Hearing that,
an almost imperceptible glint flashed through Xue Tianao's eyes.
They're worried I'm chasing another woman again?
Figures.
I did promise them before that I wouldn't pursue anyone else.
Still...
smiling faintly,
he quickly waved a hand.
"Hehe."
"Don't worry."
"I don't have any feelings for her."
"I'm only having dinner with her for the sake of the country and its people."
If he managed to conquer Miss Yu,
her value would far exceed that of the two women before him.
Even if it meant ruining those relationships later,
it wouldn't matter.
But for now,
he still needed to reassure them.
"Lillian."
"Olivia."
"You two are enough for me."
As he spoke,
a faint golden light slowly flashed through his eyes.
The displeased expressions on both women's faces gradually softened after meeting his gaze.
They soon revealed expressions of complete understanding.
"We understand, Tianao."
"We trust you."
"I know, Brother Tianao..."
"Go take care of your work first."
"Thank you for understanding."
...
...
Just as Xue Tianao continued soothing the two members of his harem with gentle words,
Toma,
one of his most trusted subordinates,
quietly pushed open the door and approached.
"Your Majesty."
"Miss Yu of the Black Rose Family has arrived."
"Very good."
"I understand."
Xue Tianao nodded.
Then,
he once again turned toward his two wives with a warm and considerate smile.
"I should get back to work."
"You two head back first."
"I'll come see you later."
After offering what sounded like caring words,
though they were little more than perfunctory reassurance,
Xue Tianao left under Toma's escort.
As he walked,
he adjusted the collar of his robe,
quickening his pace toward the palace entrance.
His sapphire-blue eyes were filled with excitement...
and an intense, deeply unsettling greed.