Chapter101

Elara came back at noon. After sleeping until evening, she felt much refreshed.

She looked at Mathias kneeling by her bed and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I am counting the number of people from each province participating in the national exam."

Elara propped herself up on the bed. It had been a long time since she had slept so comfortably. Back in her own "nest," her whole body relaxed, and the tension she had kept on the foreign battlefield faded from her face. Her expression softened as she stretched and yawned lazily.

Mathias looked at her, so relaxed and carefree, and his eyes grew gentler.

He put down the paper and pen, picked up the soft silk clothes by the bed, and draped them carefully over Elara's shoulders. He took his time dressing her properly.

After finishing, Mathias brought over the meal that the palace attendants had kept warm.

"Your Majesty, please have some dinner first."

Elara nodded and sat down at the small round table. Watching Mathias bring the food, she asked, "Have you eaten?"

Hearing her question, Mathias showed a faint smile on his face. "Not yet, but Your Majesty need not worry about me. I…"

Elara grabbed his wrist and pulled him to sit beside her. "Then sit down and eat with me."

Mathias swallowed the words he had not said, feeling the softness in her eyes as she held his hand. "Yes, Your Majesty."

After they finished eating, the palace attendants came to clear the table. Elara stood and walked toward the study outside the bedroom.

"You said you were counting the people for this exam? How is the preparation going? How does this number compare to the last exam?"

Elara sat at the desk, and Mathias handed her the list he had counted so far.

"Currently, the total number of registered participants is almost ten times more than last time. These days, people are still arriving continuously from various provinces to register. We expect the total number of participants to exceed ten thousand before the exam starts."

"No need to worry, Your Majesty. The Ministry of Examinations has already assigned more staff to expand the test sites. The exam papers are also being urgently prepared. Everything will proceed smoothly once the imperial exam begins."

Elara nodded while looking at the clear and concise list of applicants in her hand.

With the changes brought by the last exam and the major transformations in Plumera City over the past few months, the number of people coming to take the test this time far exceeded the previous one. And unlike before, when Elara had to send people to the regional cities to force others to participate, now people from all cities, counties, and states were coming eagerly on their own.

Elara flipped through the booklet in her hands while listening to Mathias explain the various matters related to this exam in his calm and gentle voice.

Though many had registered for the exam, they were mostly from the south of Plumera City, Belladonna, and the former Edelweiss Kingdom's three major districts.

As for the areas north of Plumera City, including the former countries and the northern border regions like the former Salvia Kingdom, although they had been incorporated into Plumera Kingdom, they were still newly reclaimed territories. The people there were still unsettled by the sudden change of rule and were unfamiliar with the laws and systems of Plumera Kingdom, so no one from the northern areas had come yet.

Elara continued flipping through the thick list, and her expression grew increasingly satisfied.

With so many new talents joining the examination, the shortage of officials and capable people across Plumera Kingdom would definitely be eased after this exam.

Thinking of how more talented people would soon be working in the court to help her develop the country in all aspects, Elara felt even more at ease.

Her flipping through the booklet became faster. When she reached the middle pages and saw three names marked with "female," her eyes brightened slightly.

"There are finally women registering this time?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Mathias picked up a cup of tea and placed it beside Elara. "You previously said we must strongly encourage talent from all cities and regions to participate, especially women. So I asked the Ministry of Examinations to write an announcement encouraging women to take the test and become officials. It was distributed across all cities and counties. I also asked the Ministry of Rites' musicians to compose a song to inspire women to become officials and scholars."

"That song is now being sung in all major regions. However, maybe due to long-standing beliefs, only these three women have registered this time."

Before Elara's reign, Plumera Kingdom had always been a male-dominant country.

But since men outnumbered women in this world, women were seen as rare and valuable. Although men held more power, there was still a sense of reverence toward women. Even in shared marriages, women were often protected by all members of the family. Only those with extremely high status, like Lord Gregory, could afford to have many spouses.

Influenced by traditional ideas, most women in Plumera Kingdom, even though they often had multiple husbands, rarely stepped out of their homes or sought greater power in society.

Even those with high status who were naturally the heads of their households usually only held authority within their own homes.

But besides male-dominated countries, there were also many female-dominated ones in this world.

When the Carnation Kingdom envoy came last time, Elara couldn't find a single female officer to negotiate with them. Since then, she decided to promote and train female officers.

Otherwise, in the future, she would definitely have more and more connections with various countries. If one day a matriarchal country sent someone to negotiate with her Plumera Kingdom, but she didn't even have a female officer to talk to, that would be a problem.

Looking at the list with three women applying, Elara smiled a little more. She gently patted Mathias's hand.

"No worries, you have done very well. Many ideas can't be changed overnight. Now that someone is willing to take the first step, more women will gradually step out from their homes. Take your time."

Elara smiled and finished speaking, suddenly noticing that the hand she was patting was warmer than before.

She paused and turned to look at Mathias.

Mathias had withdrawn his hand and sat a little farther away, lowering his eyes.

"To be honest, I have been away from Plumera City for almost three months. When Oswyn helped you adjust your body, she said your body also needs to be detoxed once every three months. During these months I was gone, did you have any attacks?"

Elara looked at Mathias, who was lowering his face and sitting aside.

Mathias lowered his face more, his lips pressed thin, voice slightly hoarse. "Your Majesty, don't worry about me. I just have this every night."

Three months ago, when Lord Gregory had ruined his body to this state, he didn't even think about living anymore.

But Your Majesty saved him, continuously comforting him gently, pulling him to keep living.

After Your Majesty left Plumera City, under Oswyn's treatment, except for the suppressed craving that flared at night, he was basically recovering.

But because he was recovering, he became more aware of how shameful he looked during those attacks.

Even men from a true matriarchal country probably were not as shameless as him.

Even though Your Majesty had told him it was not his fault, Mathias had been a refined young gentleman for over ten years, strictly taught about manners and shame since childhood.

Suddenly realizing that both his body and mind were no longer what they used to be but had become more depraved than the cheapest male prostitute in the brothel.

Thinking about how he had already shown that... almost like the lowest kind of male servant in front of Her Majesty several times, Mathias shivered inside with a cold chill. He did not want her to see him like that again. He feared that from now on, in her heart, he would completely become that low and shameful figure.

"What is wrong with you?"

Seeing Mathias's face grow darker and more silent, Elara put down the book in her hand and reached out to hold his hand again.

Sure enough, it was hotter than before. She frowned. "Are you having an episode?" It had been three months since she left, which was indeed a long time.

Mathias's eyelashes trembled as he quietly pushed her hand away, his face lowering even more.

"Your Majesty, please don't worry. I will go…"

Elara keenly sensed something was wrong with him.

She frowned and instead of stepping back, she moved closer and pressed her hand against the palace wall beside him. She blocked any chance he might have had to retreat.

"Just tell me, are you having an episode?"

Hearing Elara's voice turn serious, Mathias's lashes trembled. He could no longer hide it. "Yes…"

"Then why are you pulling away? Shouldn't you be closer to me to ease the poison?"

Three months ago, Mathias was clearly much calmer and obedient under her care. He never hid his addiction.

Three months later, his body should be better than before, so why was he avoiding her now?

Elara did not like leaving problems unsolved. Seeing Mathias keep his face down and avoid looking at her, she reached out and grabbed his chin. She forced him to look at her.

"What are you thinking? Tell me."

Her voice turned cold and serious, carrying a weight that had not been there before.

Mathias looked up at her from under her grip. His burning body trembled slightly under her intense gaze.

He pressed his lips together and lowered his eyes again but finally gave in to her questioning. He opened the deepest, darkest part of his heart to her.

"Your Majesty... don't you think I am... low... shameful... and dirty...?"

Even though Elara had thought of many possibilities, she never imagined that Mathias, now clearer and more normal three months later, would see himself this way.

She was stunned for a few seconds, looking at the man whose chin was slightly red from her grip. On his delicate face appeared a few faint traces of hidden insecurity and self-hatred.

Elara loosened her grip slightly. Her eyes and voice softened as she looked down at him with helplessness.

"Mathias, I thought I made it very clear three months ago. Your addiction is not your fault. And..."

Her gaze swept over his face and body, her tone full of helplessness. "You have this face and this body, so why worry about those things?"

Mathias's episodes were indeed different from his usual clear and elegant look, but they were not as shameful as he thought.

With this face and body, when Mathias had an episode, he became even more breathtakingly attractive.

Thanks to Elara not caring much about love or desire, otherwise she might never have felt safe treating his poison.

"Mathias, listen," Elara gently raised his chin so he could meet her eyes again. "I don't think your episodes make you low or dirty. On the contrary, you... are beautiful. So never think too much. If you feel uncomfortable, come to me. If I'm not here, go to Oswyn for medicine to control it."