Hearing Verena's introduction of his next target, Konrad was perplexed. Although cultivation talent had nothing to do with disposition, there weren't that many fools among highly talented cultivators.
Moreover, the empress was describing someone haughty enough to reject the one in a lifetime opportunity of becoming the Celestial Church leader's disciple! Who was the Celestial Church's leader? The Holy Continent number one expert and most influential character.
Such an individual personally made the trip to receive a serpent noble as his disciple and was rejected?
That alone was testimony of how conceited a person that Yvonne was. How could such a person fall for a mere von Jurgen prince?
"It's not just you. Up to this day, no one understands how Olrich managed to pull it off. Back then, he was nothing more than a mid-level Semi-Saint. An almost six-hundred years old mid-level Semi-Saint. Although in lesser families, he might have been hailed as a great talent, as an imperial prince, with the resources at his disposal, that was far from being satisfactory.
You must understand that although Semi-Saints have five thousand years of lifespan, someone still stuck in the middle stages at the age of six hundred has virtually no hopes of reaching the Holy Rank in a lifetime. At that time, his two older brothers were already Saints."
Verena's words only further confused Konrad who couldn't understand the reasoning behind Yvonne's choice.
"Unless, in his youth, the emperor was the world's number one smooth talker, there must be a more profound reason."
Konrad declared, causing Verena to shrug.
"If there is, it is buried between them. No one else is aware of it. In any case, the facts that remain are these. Failing to cross his last tribulation, the previous emperor died. That sudden death took the whole empire by surprise. However, we had a crown prince, the eldest prince, who like I said before was already a Saint.
Following customs, he should have ascended to the throne. Although the previous emperor's sudden death was a crushing blow to imperial power and an unsolved mystery, there should not have been any problem.
However, at the critical juncture, Olrich and Yvonne announced their marriage, shocking the world. On the day of their wedding, unbeknown to Hubert, Yvonne led the elite guard of house Voight into the imperial palace, slew the eldest and second prince, suppressed the von Jurgen elders, and helped Olrich onto the throne, making him the new emperor.
Her deeds and the tyrannical strength she displayed at that time were her downfalls. The head exarch, Gerhard could no longer sleep at night. The dowager, my aunt, burned with hatred at the loss of her children while Olrich…well he soon became terrified. Fearing that as quickly as she put him on the throne, she could take it from him.
I don't know the details, but although they couldn't kill her, the three successfully plotted the destruction of her cultivation. Making her drop back to the Semi-Holy Rank, forever unable to return to sainthood."
Regarding the past events, Verena said nothing more. Konrad understood that she didn't wish to further dwell on them and didn't pursue in that direction.
"To device the proper plan, I need to learn more about her personality, likes, and dislikes."
The words were sensible, Verena had nothing to say against them. She paused for a brief instant, then replied.
"Although the sixth prince is her son, they are not blood-related. His mother mysteriously died a few days after his birth, and out of pity, she adopted him. She's the type of person to always repay favors, but at the same time, is haughtier and more unbridled than her father.
Although her current cultivation has dropped to the ninth step Semi-Holy Rank. Frankly said I'm not confident in my ability to defeat her."
Konrad's eyes widened in disbelief. The empress, an outstanding Profound Saint, didn't have the confidence to deal with a peak-level Semi-Saint?
No sane person would believe such words. After all, the gap between every Saint level was astonishing. To bridge them required heaven-defying talent, constitution, and foundation.
Konrad didn't believe that besides people like him, anyone could fight above their level within the Holy Rank.
However, it seemed he would have to revise his thoughts.
"What do you think of the task? Afraid?"
"Since I've decided to do your majesty's bidding for a year, I will naturally not shirk from my duty. Your majesty needs not worry. In less than three months, you shall obtain the Voight consort's loyalty."
But although Konrad said those words, his thoughts wildly differed. Regardless of her misfortunes, Yvonne's cultivation talent should remain. If he could trap her in a Master-Servant contract and obtain it, his cultivation speed would undoubtedly reach a brand new level.
But first, he would need to find out why her cultivation dropped and if that somehow affected her talent.
"If your majesty has nothing else to say, I will take my leave."
Verena said nothing further, and without further ado, Konrad took his leave.
Stepping past the palace's gates, he headed straight toward his quarter. There, the two eunuchs Ralph and Alan awaited.
"Boss, welcome back!"
Their appearance didn't sit well with Konrad who couldn't understand why those two kitchen eunuchs were waiting in front of his quarters.
His face contorted into a frown that made the two understand his concerns.
"As soon as you returned to the palace, the empress dispatched messengers to have those she deemed closest to you wait here. There is someone else inside."
The list of individuals Konrad had interacted with in the imperial palace wasn't that exhaustive. Besides Ralph and Alan, the only low-level staff with whom he had a good relationship was…
As the possibility struck him, Konrad bypassed his former eunuch coworkers and stepped into his quarters. When the empress promoted him to head eunuch, she also bestowed new quarters upon him. However, he had not even spent an hour within them before escorting Iliana back to house Kracht.
Therefore, they still appeared quite foreign to him.
As Konrad moved past the halls to step into the inner chambers, he realized that although he'd been gone for weeks, the place remained neatly kept. As if someone tended to it on a daily basis.
"Maybe the empress assigned a maid to take care of the place in my absence?"
He inferred as he reached the door leading to the small greeting hall.
Without ceremony, he pushed the door open, stepping inside. His eyes fell upon a slender teenaged woman of mesmerizing beauty whose looks pointed to human ancestry. However, within her eyes, Konrad clearly felt the hidden demonic energies that revealed her infernal lineage.
"Long time no see."
Jasmine said while adjusting her long jet-black hairs with a wave of her hand. As soon as he stepped in, her eyes had fallen upon Konrad with a piercing intensity he didn't know they possessed.
"Indeed. Jasmine, have you missed me?"
"Not one bit."
She straightforwardly replied with her legs crossed, and her demonic eyes still locked onto his.
On her lap rested a blue-eyed cat with pitch-black fur that at first glance looked like a Javanese. However, it seemed a bit shorter than the average Javanese, and its eyes rippled with conceit.
With just a glance, Konrad hated it.
