Yvonne turned toward the two consorts who laid unconscious on the ground.
"You can also get lost."
She stated then sent them two kicks, that propelled them in the air and threw them back into their respective palaces.
"Neat."
Konrad couldn't help but say as Yvonne now turned toward him.
"Follow me."
Yvonne turned heels, stepping back into her palace where she had her maids clean the aftermath and tend to the injured eunuchs. Then, with Konrad at her heels, she returned to her chambers.
The door closed behind him, and Yvonne spun to face him.
"Konrad, I assume you know the consequences of your actions."
"They may cost me my life."
Konrad straightforwardly replied.
"And still, you chose to obey. Would the empress be pleased by hearing this?"
"Her majesty would certainly not protect me in this matter. From now on, I can only rely on your grace."
Yvonne's lips curled into a mesmerizing smile.
"Boy, you're smart, but be careful that you end up outsmarting yourself."
Konrad's face contorted into a frown.
"You and I both know that when this matter is reported, for the sake of their dignity, those consorts would never dare say that they got slapped into a bloody pulp by a trivial eunuch boy.
They will naturally shove all the blame on me. Otherwise, that matter would disgrace them for their entire lives.
At the end of the day, getting shamed by Yvonne is still a much better deal than getting shamed by Konrad."
Yvonne had clearly seen through Konrad's mind. Indeed, the worst his deeds were, the least likely those consorts were of reporting his name. They would definitely look for ways to retaliate from the shadows. However, allowing such a shameful matter to spread wasn't something they could endure.
"Your grace is wise."
Since Yvonne could think to this stage, there was no point in trying to deceive her. Yvonne eyed Konrad from head to toe, trying to find some extraordinariness within him.
"Oh? First step Transcendent Priest, Half-Step Transcendent Knight?"
A seventeen years old Transcendent level cultivator didn't exist within the Holy Flame Empire. This was already the Celestial Church's level. Where did Verena find such a human boy?
Konrad could use his Transformation Skill to conceal or change his outer cultivation level at will. However, since he wanted to gain the other party's attention, he should at least show his worth.
However, he'd overestimated his effect on Yvonne.
"Not bad."
Yvonne rarely gave such an assessment. However, in Konrad's ears, those two words were almost derisive, and he struggled to not let his face contort into a grimace.
"Why did Verena send you to me? She never bothered with me before."
"Her majesty wanted me to break your ties with the holy consort and lead you to her camp."
That Konrad so straightforwardly answered her question, took Yvonne aback.
"What camp? I'm merely repaying a favor. Since Else helped my waste of a son, lending her a hand here and there is not excessive."
While Wenzel was only Yvonne's adopted son, she'd raised him with utmost care and high expectations. Unfortunately, as children often did, he proved to be a great disappointment.
If it stopped there, it wouldn't be that problematic. However, not content of disappointing her at every turn, he also grew into a degenerate who only knew how to abuse women.
Yvonne had long since considered castrating him herself. For Olrich to think such a thing capable of disturbing her only proved how little of her he understood.
As for joining Else in her endeavors, those were words they spread to deter Else's opponents. While Yvonne didn't mind helping her here and there, to go as far as to fully embrace her side was utterly ridiculous.
"And what do you want from me?"
From Konrad's behavior, Yvonne could see he merely used Verena as a stepping stone to gain access to her, and should have his own motives.
Konrad straightened his back, staring right into Yvonne's slit silver eyes. And while maintaining eye-contact, replied:
"I want you."
"Come again?"
Yvonne arched her brows, doubting her ears.
"I want you."
It seemed she'd heard right. Following the initial surprise, her lips curled into a smile while her eyes trailed Konrad from top to bottom.
"It seems I underestimated your appetite. Are you not afraid of death?"
Yvonne's suppression force burst from her body, locking Konrad from all sides. However, he didn't flinch.
"Death should be afraid of me. Not the other way around."
"Hahahaha!"
Yvonne burst into laughter, rarely had she seen such a conceited youth. In a way, it was refreshing.
"You are not man enough for me….in this world no one i-"
As Yvonne's words left her lips, Konrad's twitched, but soon he realized something wrong was happening.
Yvonne's eyes twitched while she failed to finish her words and stared blankly for a second. Her body then trembled, and she dropped onto her knees, shivering like a victim of extreme cold.
"Not…now…I didn't even…
AAAARGH!"
Konrad was completely baffled. One moment she still stood with might and arrogance, the next she was on her knees, screaming in horrendous pain while her entire body shivered.
What was the meaning of this?
Alarmed, he knelt by her side, but even though he wished to help, he couldn't even grasp the cause of the sudden change.
"What's wrong with her?"
"She's suffering from the same poison that destroyed her holy foundation. It not only obliterated her Pure Selves but corrupted her body, lingering within and relapsing at random monthly intervals.
Normally, if she avoids using her powers, she shouldn't suffer it more than once a month."
At that time, Konrad recalled Hubert's words.
"The content of this box is of no use to anyone besides her."
Without further delay, he pulled out the box from his space pouch, presenting it to Yvonne.
"Your father asked me to give you this!"
Konrad tried to open the box, but all his attempts miserably failed.
Struggling to lift her bloodshot gaze toward the box, Yvonne cut open her thumb and pressed it onto it. As soon as it came into contact with her blood, the box opened. Dark fog spread from within, diving into Yvonne's pores to spread within her body and target the root of the poison.
She sat crossed-legged, working alongside Hubert's gift to suppress the poison. Her eyes twitched while droplets of sweat slid down her forehead and pulsating veins became visible all across her body.
"What a ruthless poison. If this is what he does to the woman he loves, what does he do to those he hates?"
Although Konrad had heard from Verena that Olrich collaborated with Amalia, the dowager and Gerhard, the head exarch to plot the destruction of Yvonne's cultivation, he'd never expected they'd resorted to such cruel means!
If Olrich could bear harming her to this degree, what else wasn't he capable of?
No wonder his own mother couldn't endure his sight.
