Man on the ark, forced to become king

Seeing the burning color on Xi's face, Lin Lu's heart skipped a beat. If she hadn't just had a 'battle' with Lani, she might have been burning with anger again.

The soft mane brushed against the back of my hand, the tip of its tail trembled slightly, and Xi turned its head away, its pointed ears drooping down, shining red.

"Woo~"

When you pinch it with your fingers, it feels cool and soft. It looks smooth, but it is actually covered with tiny, plush-like scales, which feel very comfortable to the touch.

To be honest, although this world is full of all kinds of kemonomimi girls, this is the first time I've played with a tail so closely since I came to this world, and it feels... very strange.

Xi lowered her head, letting out a soft moan. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of shyness in them, as if she were enjoying being touched.

What's with this feeling of having your private sensitive spots touched even though there's no actual physical contact?

While holding the tail in her hand, Lin Lu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

"Waaah... Stop, stop."

The tail, with its blue mane, detached from the palm, nimbly twirled, and coiled around the wrist.

"Of course, it is an honor to be your partner."

He touched Xi's head, the soft strands of hair passing through his fingertips, carrying a faint, ink-like fragrance, a strong scholarly scent that was very pleasant.

The woman in the painting, the fairy in the painting—if we were to use Yan Kingdom's terminology, Xi would be a typical beauty from Jiangnan. Apart from being a little timid, this fairy in the painting is almost flawless. She is a top choice in both appearance and personality, and she would attract countless eyes if she walked down the street.

Who could bear to refuse such a partner?

Anyway, Lin Lu can't.

Under the girl's expectant gaze, Lin Lu smiled and nodded, saying softly, "Then, starting today, we can try to get along in a different way. The sacred golden tree connects us, and I will be your strongest anchor."

"Change it, try a different way...?"

Meeting the smiling gaze, Xi hurriedly waved her hand, her panic evident in her expression.

Her rambling and suggestive tail-beckoning had probably exhausted all the courage she had accumulated over the past few centuries. The intense shyness was causing her brain to overload—she was reminded of those strange comics she had recently bought!

It was because she had seen too much of that kind of stuff that she started having inappropriate thoughts because of Nian's ramblings, and ended up doing something so shameful!

When I bought them, I just thought the paintings were strange, and the people around me were looking at them strangely too. But who could have imagined that in a hundred years, paintings would look like that?!

How could they have the nerve to draw that kind of thing on paper and then sell it?!

The more one resists, the more memories flood back, making it impossible to remain calm. The master's state of mind cannot be stabilized, and the world in the painting constructed through authority is directly affected—the most obvious manifestation being that the originally clear sky suddenly darkens, the light dims, and rolling dark clouds gather from nowhere, with faint sounds of thunder.

In the blink of an eye, a gust of wind swept by, and suddenly the sky darkened, as if the world had changed.

Seeing this, Lin Lu shook her head, quietly approached, and hugged the girl from behind who was frozen in place, her expression constantly changing.

The relaxed tail instantly straightened, and Xi let out a soft hum, twisting her body as if trying to break free. However, she didn't use much strength; rather than trying to break free, she was just being affectionate.

Compared to the overly lively Nian, Xi behaves like an innocent young girl, reserved yet shy, unconsciously giving people the urge to hold her in their arms and cherish her.

The body, wrapped in a tight cheongsam, felt limp and boneless, almost melting in her arms. Feeling the slight trembling of the delicate body in her arms and that pitiful expression, Lin Lu couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke the slightly twitching nose, while hugging her even tighter. Suddenly, her arms wrapped around her head sank into something soft.

"Ceqi... Ceqi ceqi ceqi ceqi ceqi!"

Perhaps the extreme shame had reached an unbearable breaking point. The girl who had been nestled in his arms like a kitten just a moment ago suddenly became fierce. Like a startled deer, she leaped away in a few steps, her delicate hand waving, and the surrounding space seemed to melt into ink, enveloping Lin Lu in the area.

A gentle force pushed against my body, and the feeling of being grounded disappeared, replaced by an empty, downward sensation. Ink mixed with blurry colors flashed before my eyes, and in a few breaths, my feet were on solid ground again, having left the world of the painting and returned to reality.

"What, did you get kicked out?"

Theresa, being gentle and mild-mannered, didn't speak up immediately. Melina, who had been watching the scene closely, came over as soon as she heard the commotion, a smile playing on her lips and a hint of amusement in her eyes. Lani also poked her head out of the bathroom, curiously looking in their direction.

"I was indeed kicked out, but I succeeded."

Lin Lu glanced back at the ink stains on the wall, waved her hand dismissively, completely ignoring Melina's desire to see some fun, and remained remarkably calm.

He was indeed kicked out, but he also achieved his goal.

Once Xi calms down from her ostrich-like burying-in-the-heads in her own little world, she will naturally come out of that painting. It's just that she couldn't take advantage of the moment to get intimate, but that's alright.

Since it's all our own property, why rush it? We'll be able to eat it sooner or later.

"Sister and younger sister together, you really are a beast."

The voice trailed off in a sarcastic tone, as if a sour smell permeated the air—of course, it was fake.

Melina wouldn't be jealous or angry about this. The worldview of long-lived species is different from that of short-lived species, and they don't care too much about the number of partners.

On the contrary, it should be a good thing to find more companions who are willing to walk with you through a life that is so long that there seems to be no end.

The prerequisite is that you find it appealing.

That's why Lin Lu didn't hesitate much when facing Nian and Xi's direct approach.

Faced with Melina's teasing, Lin Lu remained unmoved, knowing it was a joke, and her expression didn't even change.

"Perhaps you should express your dissatisfaction with concrete actions?"

Not only was she unmoved, Lin Lu immediately turned the tables, opening her arms and beckoning with her palm.

"You think beautiful!"

Melina rolled her eyes, unmoved, and casually changed the subject.

"I heard there's an ice lantern concert tonight, wanna go?"

"An ice lantern concert?"

Scratching her head, Lin Lu thought carefully for a moment and remembered what had happened.

To host this ice and snow music festival, the nobles of St. Petersburg have sent out invitations all over the world. It's not just about putting up decorations and letting the public have a blast. In order to attract tourists and investment, many world-renowned musicians and singers are also on the invitation list, such as the Emperor.

Their arrival certainly brought a lot of popularity to St. Petersburg. Of course, they couldn't be neglected. The Ice Lantern Music Concert was the opening ceremony prepared for these stars. To be precise, the Ice and Snow Music Festival can only be considered to have truly begun after the Ice Lantern Music Concert.

"Go for it! How can you not go to such a lively scene?"

When Lin Lu remembered when the Ice Lantern Music Festival was, she nodded naturally. One of the reasons they came to Ursus was to attend the music festival, so how could they miss the most exciting scene?

I definitely want to go, but...

Thinking of a certain black snake that brought both wealth and people, Lin Lu's lips curled up wildly, and she turned her head to look in one direction.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night. He's going to attend the lantern festival, and of course, he can't forget his brothers, his beloved family and friends. Black Snake must have been looking forward to this meeting for a long time.

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"Whoo~"

In the ornately decorated reception room, leaning against the exquisitely crafted leather sofa, the black snake occupying the middle-aged Li Boli's body suddenly shivered, feeling a chill run down the back of his neck, as if he were being watched by someone.

Looking up, he saw that the few seats in the reception room were already occupied, making a total of four people, including himself.

Ordinary nobles were not qualified to participate in meetings of this level, so only four dukes were seated here.

Kosiché remained silent, observing the other old men discreetly—compared to the age of this body, the other three dukes were indeed old men, much older than this one.

They are all old nobles who have lived from the time of the previous emperor to the present day. The wealth they have accumulated is far beyond what the new nobles who rose to power during the great purge after the new emperor's ascension to the throne can compare with. Without exaggeration, even if Kosichrie excludes himself, the remaining three are capable of influencing half of Ursus. Even the young emperor sitting on the throne now does not dare to be too harsh on them.

With their strength, wealth, and ambition, Kosicé saw them as the best partners and the most useful pawns.

However, to move the chessboard, there is always a price to pay, and today's meeting is precisely for this reason.

The young emperor inside Saint-Germain Castle displayed unprecedented rage, making the situation in the empire even more unpredictable.

The unknown enemy invading the southern border, the casualties of the internal guards, and the mobilization of two army groups—each of these was a matter of great importance.

Anyone with a modicum of sense could realize that a storm sweeping across the entire empire was about to break out, and in the midst of such a tempest, no one could remain unaffected.

Chaos is inevitable.

The lesser nobles and officers were terrified, fearing they might be swept up in the storm and crushed to pieces. Some of the more capable nobles rushed to curry favor with those in higher positions in order to protect themselves and minimize their losses in the impending storm.

Dukes, however, need not do this.

The emperor's authority never falls on the Grand Duke. Even the supreme imperial power must consider the consequences of turning against the Grand Duke, who holds real power in the military and finances. Unless it comes to a point where the two sides are irreconcilable, the emperor's sword will never fall on the Grand Duke's head.

Therefore, they only need to consider one thing—the redistribution of benefits.

Chaos may cause turmoil, but it also creates many extra opportunities for profit—unclaimed fat meat that can be seized on a first-come, first-served basis.

However, Kosiché wasn't very interested in this. He knew who had caused the empire's turmoil and had ways to resolve the situation, but all he wanted now was to stay far away from that man and, ideally, never see him again.

Chapter Ninety: Treasures of the Southern Ice Plains

The reception room was unusually quiet. The waiter poured red wine into the wine glasses and then carefully withdrew, not daring to make the slightest noise.

The blood-red liquid swayed gently, reflecting the dim yellow light.

Being able to remain calm and composed is a necessary condition for becoming a leader, so the dukes were all very composed and no one was the first to speak.

Perhaps it's a way to put pressure on opponents? Or maybe it's a habit to flaunt one's authority in front of subordinates.

It's like whoever speaks first loses.

Koschke found it childish; such behavior was no different from children playing around. A true strongman never needs to flaunt himself in this way.

...like that man.

Normally, he might have been willing to play the "silence is golden" game with these old guys who should have been lying in their graves long ago, just to make his son seem more sociable.

But right now, he doesn't have that time.

The threat from that man was like a thorn in his side, making him restless. His 'golden tree phobia' worsened. Sitting in the living room, Koschke even began to feel that Lin Lu was hiding in some corner, or standing openly in a place where they couldn't see her, watching them and thinking about how to make a move.