Quentin Hua pulled out the silver needle that glinted coldly, his lips twitching with annoyance as he shouted, "You're showing favoritism!"
He staggered to his feet. Though slightly more sober, his limbs still refused to obey. After a few steps, he suddenly halted, gazing at the person before him and chuckling, "Ha... twin sisters? You’re both beautiful... but sadly, neither is the beauty I’m searching for." With that, he pushed the person aside, wobbling down the mountain while muttering, "Poor me, no one cares... Where are you, my beauty?"
Sophie Qiu watched his figure fade into the distance, softly murmuring, "Quentin Hua..." She let out a cold snort and gazed quietly at Qingyin Temple below the mountain, her thoughts unreadable to anyone.
The so-called twin sisters were merely a drunken illusion—Quentin Hua had simply mistaken one person for two.
As dawn broke, Morgan Shangguan awoke to find Damien Gray still present. She couldn’t help but smile, "You’re not going back yet?"
Damien Gray raised an eyebrow. "Is my princess consort trying to send me away?"
Morgan smiled and kissed his lips, but before she could say anything, someone knocked at the door. Damien’s face darkened. "My princess consort certainly attracts quite a few admirers!"
Morgan arched her brow. "You haven’t even seen who it is yet, don’t blame me. Besides, when have I ever tried to attract anyone? Even you—I didn’t seek you out in the first place!"
Damien gently stroked her face, sighing helplessly. "Even without trying, you’ve made all these flowers and butterflies desperate to cling to you. If you really tried, I’d be in trouble! Looks like I have to keep a closer eye on you."
Morgan got up and dressed, smiling as she said, "If someone manages to cling to me, that’s quite a feat! So far, only you’ve pulled it off—and I don’t intend to let anyone else try!"
Damien Gray pulled her close, took over her task, dressed her himself, and kissed her again before finally letting her go.
When the door opened, there was no one at the threshold—only Sophie Qiu standing in the courtyard. Morgan’s eyes flickered. Why would Sophie seek her out at this hour?
Morgan stepped forward and stopped a few paces from Sophie Qiu, asking, "Miss Qiu, what brings you to me today?"
Sophie didn’t answer, simply gazing at her as if trying to see through her completely. Morgan didn’t rush her—patience was always her strength.
They stood quietly, just a few steps apart, yet Sophie seemed to keep everyone else at bay. Her aloofness made her hard to approach, but she constantly drew the eye. Even as Silvermoon’s most beautiful woman, Sophie couldn’t help but admire and want to understand Morgan—just what kind of woman was she?
Sophie drew closer, and Morgan didn’t back away. When only a single step separated them, Sophie finally halted. Yet, she felt the distance between them hadn’t changed at all—no matter how close she got, she remained outside the boundary Morgan set. She didn’t force it, but lowered her voice and said, "By His Majesty’s order, you are to approach Adrian Yarrow and obtain evidence of his collaboration with Crown Prince Adrian at all costs."
Morgan paused, puzzled. "How can His Majesty be so certain Adrian Yarrow will cooperate with the Crown Prince?"
At this, Sophie Qiu frowned at her, as if trying to discern if Morgan was feigning ignorance. But in the end, she saw nothing and gave up, softly replying, "Because Crown Prince Adrian is a fool." Despite the words, her voice remained gentle and melodious.
She shot Morgan a glance and added, "Just follow orders!" Then she turned and left without another word.
Morgan watched her departing figure, thoughtful. It seemed Sophie must have witnessed Adrian Yarrow visiting her last night and reported it to Emperor Alexander.
Just what role was Sophie Qiu playing? She didn’t seem like someone who simply followed orders.
Anyone with a bit of sense knew Sophie Qiu belonged to Emperor Alexander. For Adrian Yarrow to willingly keep a spy by his side was no easy feat. Emperor Alexander sent Sophie to Adrian more as a gamble—after all, even Damien Gray was bewitched by Morgan Shangguan.
Though Emperor Alexander hadn’t noticed the issues between Damien Gray and Morgan Shangguan, he wasn’t truly oblivious. If Damien didn’t treat Morgan differently, it wouldn’t be so easy to fool him. His only mistake was underestimating Morgan—perhaps because she was a woman, and one who seemed to rely on him for survival, so he let his guard down!
As for Adrian Yarrow, Emperor Alexander never fully relied on the beauty trap. He calculated that even if Adrian knew Sophie was his agent and guarded against her, he wouldn’t outright reject her at this moment, thus giving Sophie the chance to get close. Sophie’s abilities were in no way inferior to a man’s—her selection was based not only on her looks, but also her skill. She was a significant piece in this game, and Emperor Alexander had invested heavily to deal with Adrian Yarrow this time!
Yet, these past few days, Sophie had made no progress. Now, learning of Adrian Yarrow’s closeness to Morgan Shangguan, Emperor Alexander naturally thought of using Morgan as his next pawn.
Emperor Alexander had his own plans, and Adrian Yarrow had his calculations too. Adrian came to Silvermoon for the throne, and if he were to cooperate with anyone, it would be Crown Prince Adrian. Prince Ethan’s abilities far surpassed Crown Prince Adrian’s, and Damien Gray was completely inscrutable. From all indications, Damien was unfathomable—if Adrian tried to work with either Damien or Prince Ethan, neither would trust him. Only Crown Prince Adrian was someone he could use.
Adrian Yarrow wanted to get close to Morgan Shangguan to use her, hoping to drive a wedge between Prince Ethan and Damien Gray—ideally, to make them fight until both were exhausted. Morgan was now the Ghost King’s consort, and it seemed Damien doted on her. In this contest for the throne, Damien and Prince Ethan were already rivals. If Prince Ethan did anything to Morgan, Damien would never let it go. Even if they didn’t break openly, they’d clash in secret. At that moment, Adrian could fan the flames and let them fight to the bitter end, allowing Crown Prince Adrian to reap the rewards.
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