Even if Zhen Gu, the current emperor of the Chenriver Empire, were here, so what?
The golden-haired noblewoman's voice was icy as she stared at Suweng. She was indeed qualified to say such words—even Zhen Gu would have to yield, for she was a Void Rift Tier lifeform from the Verlon Winter Empire.
Beside her.
The coquettish young woman standing next to the noblewoman looked slightly pale, gently biting her lower lip.
"Suweng." She hadn't expected Suweng to dare refuse her face to face, but it didn't matter. The young woman blinked, gazing at Suweng, growing more satisfied the longer she looked. "I'll have to marry sooner or later. I've played enough these years, it's time to settle down. I'll listen to Grand-Granny."
Thinking this,
the young woman felt at ease.
Her Grand-Granny had always been domineering, never allowing anyone to refuse her.
In fact, the golden-haired noblewoman Yvonne Verlon and the coquettish young woman Lila Verlon were both members of the Verlon Winter Empire's royal family.
As everyone knew,
Members of the royal family hold extremely high status.
The royal family of the Verlon Winter Empire is entirely different from that of the Chenriver Empire. In Verlon, the Emperor is never replaced by appointment; instead, the throne is always inherited within the family, following a system of strict hereditary centralization—'the imperial throne passes only by family succession, never by transfer or abdication.'
The Emperor is the ruler of the empire.
At the same time, the Emperor is also the head of the family.
The throne is always inherited within the family, supreme power passed down through the generations.
In this way, a single family comes to rule an entire stellar system. Suweng understood this well and let out a sigh: "Lady Yvonne, I, Suweng, respect your Verlon royal family. But this is the Celestia Stellar System, the Chenriver Empire. Here, we do not value royal bloodlines."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
Yvonne Verlon narrowed her eyes and tapped the table again, this time with more force than before.
"It's nothing," Suweng shook his head. "I cannot possibly agree to this marriage alliance."
In the endless starry sky, only strength is eternal, ruling over the rivers of stars.
Why should royal bloodlines be considered noble or superior?
In other words: before true strength, mere bloodline means nothing.
So-called noble bloodlines are nothing more than an illusory gimmick... After countless years of propaganda, the Verlon royal family has deliberately cultivated an image of supreme authority and inviolable sanctity, gradually embedding it in people's hearts. This has led ordinary citizens to revere the royal family.
However!
This only applies to ordinary citizens, and only within the Verlon Stellar System!
Any lifeform above Starlight Tier understands that power is above all else—they pay no attention to imperial supremacy or the mythologizing of royal blood. Especially someone like Suweng, who has truly seen the world.
Lady Yvonne Verlon.
Suweng cupped his hands. "I, Suweng, am loyal to the Chenriver Empire. I do not wish to join the Verlon royal family."
By this point, his refusal was perfectly clear.
How infuriating.
The coquettish young woman, Lila Verlon, bit her lip lightly and stared intently at Suweng.
Hmph!
Yvonne Verlon snorted coldly, her face darkening as she raised her eyebrows, no longer concealing her aura.
The hall, usually used to receive foreign guests, was decorated with colorful stones that reflected light, but now it suddenly felt deep and oppressive, as if an unfathomable pressure had descended, shrouding the world in dark clouds.
This was the aura of the Void Rift Tier.
Yvonne Verlon—a genuine Void Rift Tier powerhouse.
Loyal to the Chenriver Empire, how interesting.
Yvonne Verlon spoke coldly: "Your Chenriver Empire is so weak, it's not even worth mentioning. Even with the Tianyu Empire added, you are still feeble. How could you ever compare to our Verlon royal family?"
The Chenriver Empire only controls a small portion of the stellar system.
Moreover.
The Celestia Stellar System has been divided for a long time and is truly vulnerable.
The Tianyu Empire and the Chenriver Empire have long confronted each other, constantly competing and draining resources, leaving both empires relatively weak.
The Verlon royal family has unified the entire stellar system, accumulating strength over countless ages to forge an impregnable starry kingdom. In terms of territory, resources, and population, they are unmatched.
The strong remain strong, and so it is with powerful nations.
The hall's atmosphere grew cold, chilling all who were present.
"Suweng." Yvonne Verlon frowned, tapping the table as if giving friendly advice. "The Chenriver Empire's technological development is extremely weak and lacks basic communication with other stellar systems. Problems are inevitable. Leaving Chenriver now and joining our Verlon royal family would be the wise choice."
The Celestia Stellar System truly isn't very developed.
There's nothing to be done.
Between stellar systems lies a pitch-black void, so vast that even Void Rift Tier beings must travel with caution.
This was an objective fact, but hearing it from Yvonne Verlon made Suweng pause, doubt flickering in his heart.