Chapter 248: Trial Marriage
The so-called courtyard was located in the heartland between Alaye and the Imperial Capital.
From the perspective of the Empire’s map, Alaye was situated within its borders. However, unlike the Imperial Capital, the thousand miles surrounding Alaye were under the jurisdiction of the Temple.
Kailun carefully observed the surroundings. He could hear birds chirping, smell the fragrance of flowers and herbs, and see rare and exotic trees encircling the courtyard in a semi-circle.
After surveying the area, he shifted his gaze to the courtyard itself. A pure white stone table stood in the center, with two maids standing beside it, awaiting further instructions.
“Please have a seat. This is my private courtyard. You are the first guest to visit this place.”
Empress Galina gestured invitingly.
“It seems I’m quite fortunate.”
Kailun smiled and walked towards the table. One of the maids pulled out a chair for him, allowing him to sit comfortably.
“You are indeed fortunate, Mr. Kailun, not only for being here but also for receiving the favor of that entity. In fact, if you think about it carefully, there are no irreconcilable conflicts between us. Cooperation can bring us greater benefits, wouldn’t you agree?”
Galina rested her chin on her hand, tilting her head as she observed Kailun.
Just a few days ago, she had hated him to the core for the heavy losses he had inflicted on the Empire.
Many of her plans had been disrupted by Kailun, and the resentment in her heart burned like a raging fire.
But after her contact with that entity, temporary gains and losses no longer affected her state of mind.
In Galina’s view, as long as that entity achieved final victory, everything Kailun did was just a pointless struggle.
However, Fate valued Kailun’s abilities and wanted him on her side, hence the marriage proposal.
But this was only a secondary reason.
Kailun was much younger than Empress Galina had imagined. His appearance and demeanor were both impressive, and his manners were impeccable.
They belonged to different factions, so even though she admired him, she didn’t have any feelings for him, unless he agreed to their demands.
Kailun’s smile remained unchanged. “Are you sure there’s no conflict of interest? I’m not so sure. I’m curious about what that entity truly desires.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that.” Empress Galina frowned slightly. “I can only tell you that she won’t harm your interests. I can guarantee that.”
“Oh, I see.”
Kailun nodded, his expression unchanged.
He didn’t believe her words. Frankly speaking, the Empress’s guarantee was worthless.
Fate could abandon the Holy Temple, and she could also abandon the Empress. Kailun wouldn’t gamble everything on her.
Moreover, setting aside whether there was a conflict of interest between him and Fate, Carol and Fate definitely had a serious conflict. Even if he didn’t consider himself, he had to think about Carol.
Now that he had a chance to start over, he wouldn’t be stopped by an Empress.
Galina sighed. “It seems I can’t persuade you. I can help you contact that entity. I hope you two can have a good talk. Instead of fighting each other, I hope we can negotiate peacefully.”
“When can I meet this entity?” Kailun’s eyes flickered. His purpose for this trip was to meet Fate.
“Soon. She promised me she would be here soon. Perhaps she’s almost here.” Galina looked around and replied, “While we still have some time, I want to ask about your thoughts. What do you think of me, for example?”
Kailun first sensed the changes in his surroundings and then replied, “You’re great, Miss Galina. You’re beautiful, capable, and strong enough to rule a nation. You’re excellent in every aspect. Without any additional conditions, I would naturally be willing to befriend you. But if you’re considering this as a bridge between our factions, I’ll need some time to think about it.”
This was a rather official and noncommittal response. Kailun didn’t want to anger Galina, nor did he want to deliberately lower her goodwill rating.
Fate was the key to everything.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t even seen a shadow of her.
He indirectly asked some questions about Fate, but Galina didn’t give him any satisfactory answers.
“Sigh, it seems you’re not willing to take any risks. Alright, I’ll ask her for you.”
Galina took out her communication device in front of Kailun and wrote a magic letter to Fate without any concealment.
Kailun sensed the magic fluctuations of the device with his powerful mental power. The distance between them seemed incredibly far.
This wasn’t good news. Logically, Galina and Fate should be close to each other, at least within the Empire.
But the distance between them exceeded the Empire’s borders. Kailun felt a sense of unease.
He couldn’t help but suspect that Fate was using Galina to stall for time. Galina had mentioned “we have plenty of time” several times before.
His powerful mental perception made him incredibly sensitive. His suspicion wasn’t unfounded.
About five minutes later, Galina received Fate’s reply. She generously showed the magic letter to Kailun.
“That entity said that to show the Temple’s sincerity, she can let me have a ‘trial marriage’ with you. If you’re not satisfied, you can refuse anytime. You don’t have to fulfill any responsibilities or sign any contracts. On the contrary, you can enjoy everything you deserve, whether it’s power or resources.”
Galina first repeated the content of the magic letter, then couldn’t help but comment, “She really thinks highly of you. Even I’m envious. I can’t believe she’s willing to offer me to you. What’s the difference between this and giving me away for free?”
Kailun pretended to be engrossed in the magic letter, letting his gaze linger on Galina’s face and chest. “That entity is indeed generous. But are there any restrictions on this ‘trial marriage’?”
Galina looked at him with a helpless expression. “I know what you want to ask. As you can see, you won’t be restricted in any way. As long as you agree to the trial marriage, you can enjoy the intimacy between husband and wife with me tonight. I believe the kind Mr. Kailun wouldn’t use me and then abandon me, right?”
She rolled her eyes at Kailun and then licked her lips seductively, the pure Pope imitating the poses she had seen in books to tempt him.
This was her mission. She had to use every means to keep Kailun here.
Whether it was through force or beauty, as long as she could keep him here, she would have completed her mission.
Having gathered a lot of information, she knew that Kailun’s strength wasn’t as simple as it appeared. So she chose the path of seduction.
Kailun was greedy for beautiful women. This information was highlighted in red in the intelligence reports.
“Who knows?”
Kailun leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed.
Things were getting interesting. This entity called Fate was even more intriguing than he had imagined.
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