Afterward, they left the throne room and dived into various tasks. Else started restructuring both the imperial palace and the church while Yvonne solidified her cultivation breakthrough. In the meantime, Konrad sat within his new chambers with Verena on his lap.
"Now that only the two of us remain, there is no need to restrain yourself. Mourning is your right."
He whispered while stroking her silver hairs. Though in public, she always maintained stately elegance, Verena was by no means aloof and deeply cared for kinship. The loss of her father was no trivial blow. And Konrad could see that the depth of her silence mirrored the profundity of her grief.
"Sovereign Prince Thorwald Kvass was a terrible father and an even worse husband. In his life, he only loved one woman:
His elder sister, the dowager, Amalia. A pity that in her eyes, only the previous emperor mattered. He could only suppress his feelings and live in frustration…until that day when in a drunken stupor, he held onto her waist and professed his love."
While mortal brewed alcohol had no effect on cultivators above the True Rank, many brands of cultivation beverages helpful in breakthroughs and enhancing cultivation speed existed.
Therefore, drunkenness wasn't uncommon among affluent cultivators.
Konrad and Yvonne's drinking sessions were a perfect example of that.
"My mother and I stumbled on the scene, a scene that plagued the remainder of her life. Although father treated her with respect and gave her due honor as his princess consort, she could never forget that sight, and soon fell into depression.
A depression that ultimately took her life. A Saint dying of heartache, a joke, really."
Verena reminisced in an emotionless tone. Most well-informed individuals knew of Thorwald's profound affection and absolute loyalty toward his sister. However, in their eyes, it was nothing more than a little brother's devotion. Never did they expect that it already stepped into that territory.
"But I couldn't resent him. If anything, I resented my mother for being so weak. To let her affection for a man rule and ruin her life. For that reason, I resolved to never be ruled by emotions. A cultivator's life is far too long to wallow in such a quagmire."
"But emotions make individuals. Without emotions, there is no existence. Only the slow passing of identical days."
Konrad declared while still stroking Verena's hairs.
"Indeed. Afterward, the church's decree to marry me to Olrich came. And seeing in there an opportunity to both consolidate his house's power and bring himself closer toward his sister, my father didn't hesitate.
Again, I didn't resent him, because having enjoyed the glory, splendor, and wealth due to a Kvass princess, I knew it was my duty to pay back what I owed through that marriage. One cannot be too greedy.
At the same time, I believed it was a good opportunity to leave my father's sight. Never did I expect that his demise would be so hard to digest."
As Verena's words ended, her eyes moistened.
"In the end, he raised you from the cradle, taught you cultivation across decades, granted you the best resources at his disposal, and helped you lay down your foundation. Though he may have done this as an investment for his house's prosperity, he still did.
You say he was a terrible father, but I only see a man that couldn't have it all. And therefore, set his priorities. Your grief is the proof that you're no ingrate, and that on the road of cultivation, you didn't lose that little bit of humanity.
And sometimes, that little bit is the reason why we're worth loving. Could you stare at his fall with an impassible look, without an ounce of pain or regret, I could value you, but I couldn't treasure you."
Hearing this, Verena closed her eyes, and from them, two watery lines trickled onto the ground. Her tears then flowed.
For a brief instant, Konrad considered using the Heart Mending Kiss to directly erase all grief from Verena's heart. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, it vanished.
…
After spending several hours in Verena's company, Konrad stood up and headed into Else's chambers.
There, she sat on a tall throne-like red chair holding a red candy lollipop in her right hand, while the left rested on the chair's arm.
"I didn't know you had such a hobby."
Konrad stated while Else brought the lollipop to her lips. The two's colors matched perfectly, and while having a taste of the candy, Else shifted her eyes toward Konrad.
"It's a special brand with rare properties. Try it."
Afterward, she pulled the lollipop out of her mouth and tossed it toward Konrad. Catching it between his right index and middle finger, Konrad brought it to his lips and sampled it. The candy's taste meshed with Else's saliva to sneak into his throat.
As it did, he felt a mild relaxing sensation spread within his mind and body while his cultivation experienced a nigh-imperceptible growth.
Clearly, this candy was an alchemical product able to soothe the being while increasing cultivation. Perhaps it even influenced cultivation speed. However, due to his Supreme Dao and Saint-level cultivation base, Konrad could barely feel any effect.
On others, the results might be different.
"Impressive."
He appraised while stepping toward Else.
"My mother was a Profound Alchemy Master who enjoyed inventing and refining all kinds of odd things. This was one of her creations."
Else explained while Konrad brought his face closer to hers and pulled out the lollipop to press it against her lips. In silence, she took it in, and Konrad then pulled her by the waist, snatching her seat, and having her rest on his lap instead.
Straddling him, she wrapped her left arm around his neck while her right hand still held the candy. Their faces grew increasingly closer, but before their lips connected, Else set the candy in-between, having them kiss the opposite sides instead.
"Naughty."
Konrad commented.
"Coming from you, that's undoubtedly a praise."
She replied, before setting the candy aside and wrapping both arms around Konrad's neck to pull him into a languid kissing session. Simultaneously, he ground his thigh against her fold. Konrad was pleased to see that no underwear lied in his way, and the Metze's juices freely dropped on his thigh.
Their arousal peaked, and the kissing session grew more heated. Else untied Konrad's belt, worming her hand into his pants to free his cock before setting it against her flower bud.
"Oooh…"
Without hesitation, she impaled herself on his rod, riding him hard and fast, and only stopping to relish in the blissful sensation of her own orgasms while clenching on his hairs.
Soon, the unrestrained sound of her moans slammed against the walls and stretched toward the outside. And feeling Konrad's face pressed against her chest, Else slammed her butt even faster on his shaft, as if possessed by the desperate need to keep him trapped on and within her.
"Ahhh…ahhh…ahhh!"
While she rammed herself on his meat-rod, Konrad removed her mini dress and carried her onto the bed for two hours of sexual passion and dual cultivation.
…
Holding the now naked Else in his arms, Konrad rested his head against hers and kissed her cheek.
Then, he stood up, walking toward his final destination for this long night.
