Chapter 67 Partner
"I have met Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, this is..." The head eunuch hesitantly raised his eyes to survey the familiar blue-haired woman before him, uncertainly inquiring, "How should I address the young lady?"
Lu pressed her lips together and cast a sidelong glance at the smiling Sebastian, remaining silent.
She had clearly expressed her desire to avoid the human continent, yet this shameless dragon had still brought her here.
Naturally, it was he who had to resolve these troublesome matters.
"The future empress; you may address her as you see fit," Sebastian arched an eyebrow.
With that, he waved his hand, signaling the astonished head eunuch and the bystanders to withdraw.
"B-but, Your Majesty…" The head eunuch hesitated, glancing toward Lu, as if he wished to say more.
"I command you to withdraw," Sebastian shot him a sidelong glance, "If there are any issues, come back after dinner."
"Yes."
Once the hall was clear of all its occupants, he leisurely extended his arms, pulling the little mermaid into his embrace.
"...I'm hungry." Lu sat on his lap and directly pushed away the eager head that had leaned in closer.
Sebastian: …
Did he seem so oblivious to her disdain?
"Do you... not want me to kiss you?" he feigned a hurt tone, leaning in to whisper in Lu's ear.
Taking a deep breath, Lu silently warned herself not to be swayed by this dragon, maintaining a calm demeanor as she replied without mercy, "What else would it be?"
"Are we really that close?" she retorted coldly.
Sebastian smirked, unperturbed, "Not to worry; in five days, we shall be."
"...What do you mean in five days?" Lu blinked, her blue eyes reflecting a hint of confusion.
Wasn't the wedding date set for a year from now?
Why was it suddenly in five days? She had received no notification.
"In five days, it will be the most auspicious day for marriage on the human continent this year. It is also the day of our wedding," Sebastian explained, running his fingers through Lu's long hair, savoring its texture.
"Whose wedding are you talking about?" Lu reached to reclaim her hair, frowning.
Sebastian's dark eyes flickered, yet he repeated, "...Naturally, it is our wedding."
"When did I ever agree to that?!" Lu widened her eyes, questioning him.
Moreover, this man actually wanted to hold the ceremony here among humans?!
What about her father, mother, and brothers?
How could her first wedding be on the human continent, devoid of her parents?!
Sebastian had anticipated that this little mermaid would not easily acquiesce, patting her head, "It's merely a formality."
"I mentioned this to you before."
Though they hadn't quite settled it at that time.
"...But I never agreed!" Lu maintained a stern expression, struggling to get off his lap.
However, Sebastian effortlessly held her in place, a hint of exasperation in his voice, "I said it's just a formality. Be good."
"Then why aren't you being good?" Lu retorted angrily.
She despised it when others made decisions for her!
How dare he lecture her!
Sebastian pondered seriously and then proposed, "If I behave, will you also behave?"
"When have you ever been good?" Lu shot back, unimpressed.
How shameless!
Sebastian maintained a straight face, "You simply haven't seen me being good."
"How shameless," Lu finally voiced her inner thoughts aloud.
"Only shameless towards you," the young man chuckled lightly, unfazed.
Lu: …She was utterly helpless against him!!
Yet, since she was already here, it seemed unworthy to return to the depths of the sea over such a trivial matter.
Thus, Lu contemplated and confirmed, "You mean it's just a pretense?"
Upon reflection, if it was merely to accompany this dragon in a charade... it didn't seem like an unreasonable request.
After all, her grandmother had said that being an emperor was quite burdensome.
"Indeed," Sebastian tightened his embrace around the little mermaid, whispering softly in her ear, "Then I shall trouble my future lady."
…He was truly easy to placate.
That night.
Lu had intended to sleep in the palace she had grown accustomed to, yet she was forcibly kept in the Yangxin Palace by someone.
Two thick quilts effectively trapped her on the inner side of the dragon's bed.
Holding one quilt, Lu glared at the other that lay atop her, puffing her cheeks in annoyance, "This is so inconvenient; I don't need the warmth."
"Let's just sleep here; after all, it's still a bed. But why on earth did they have to stuff me with such thick, oversized quilts?
Do they not realize that a mermaid cannot be warmed by blankets?
Sebastian sat at the table, reviewing a pile of unfinished memorials—
Most of them trivial matters, yet he felt compelled to examine each one.
"Covering oneself with a quilt is a human tradition," he glanced at her with a smile, "Moreover, the purpose of the quilt is not merely warmth, but to maintain your body temperature."
Lu pouted, "Then can you guarantee that you won't sleep under the same quilt with me later?"
Sebastian's smile dimmed slightly as he gazed deeply into her eyes, speaking each word deliberately, "We are partners, or to put it another way, husband and wife."
"Sharing a bed is only natural." Furthermore, it would also imply the possibility of engaging in more intimate activities...
"Yet that pertains to future spouses, not the present." Lu struggled to kick aside half of the quilt, collapsing onto the other quilt with a hint of grievance, "There's no water here; I don't like it."
Sebastian paused with his vermilion brush, rising from his seat and approaching the dragon bed.
"What are you going to do?" Lu looked up at him, her azure eyes blinking innocently.
"Get up," he sighed, extending a hand toward her.
Lu furrowed her brow, hesitating before reluctantly offering her hand, "Get up for what?"
"Didn't you want water? I'll accompany you to the Nine Dragons Spring to sleep."
"However, we can only do this for a few days; I cannot afford to act spoiled on the night of our wedding." Sebastian pulled Lu up from the bed, half-embracing her.
"...I am not acting spoiled."