He rubbed his temple, shaking his head as if trying to erase the memory when suddenly Rodion’s voice chimed in his ear, the tone ever so dry, yet unmistakably amused.
<Congratulations, quest completed: The Legendary Sex Beast. Requirement: Have intercourse with two of the royal aides of the queen.>
Mikhailis let out an exasperated sigh, muttering under his breath, "Shut up, Rodion." He didn’t need the AI rubbing salt in his wounds.
<You got seduced by her body, and got over the line. And now, you ended up making yet another convenient ’pleasure relationship,’ this time with the strongest court magician of the kingdom. Now that is interesting.>
"Rodion, I swear, shut it." Mikhailis clenched his teeth, glancing at his glasses display. He knew Rodion was right, of course—he had let things get way out of hand, and now here he was, navigating relationships that were spiraling into chaos.
But, at least, there was a silver lining. At least now Serelith wouldn’t say anything to Elowen about what happened between him and Lira. The thought gave him a small sense of relief, enough to momentarily soothe the turmoil in his mind.
He finally reached the ornate wooden door of the royal chamber, the intricate carvings on the surface looking almost inviting. He paused, collecting himself before pushing the door open.
Inside, Lira was seated comfortably, her eyes fixed on the display in front of her. She was watching the same political drama she seemed to have been obsessed with lately. When she heard the door open, she turned her head slowly, her indifferent expression meeting Mikhailis.
There she was, in all her usual composed grace, her black hair tied back in a long ponytail, her eyes as unreadable as ever. She put her hands on her hips, her lips forming a pout.
"Where have you been, Your Highness?" she asked, her voice laced with subtle annoyance.
Several excuses appeared as text overlays on his glasses screen, each one neatly compiled and categorized based on their effectiveness. He scanned the list quickly before choosing the most plausible one.
"I met with Serelith and ended up discussing some things," he said, trying to sound casual, though he couldn’t completely mask the unease in his voice.
Lira narrowed her eyes at him, her expression unchanging. She had that stare—piercing, as if she could see right through him. Mikhailis swallowed, knowing that look all too well.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice as calm as ever, but there was something behind her words—a curiosity, a probing.
"Well," he started, scratching the back of his neck.
"luckily, she doesn’t know about what happened between us. I spent a long time making sure of that."
He tried to keep his tone light, though the awkwardness between them weighed heavily. There was a moment of silence, Lira’s eyes still fixed on him as if trying to judge whether he was telling the whole truth. Then she let out a sigh, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
"Even though I had already prepared a full meal for you," she said, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Mikhailis blinked, momentarily taken aback. He glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing how much time had passed. His stomach rumbled in response, a reminder of just how much he had neglected his own needs amidst the chaos of the day.
Mikhailis couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. No need for the lecture," he mumbled, his voice tinged with annoyance.
He took another bite, savoring the taste, his gaze falling on Lira, who was watching him with her usual indifferent expression. He smiled at her, his eyes meeting hers, and she gave him a slight nod in return.
Just as he was about to let out another sigh, Rodion’s voice came again, this time carrying a hint of something almost akin to excitement.
<Good news, Mikhailis. The worker ants remain stable at seventy, and the soldier ant count remains at thirty. But, most importantly, the queen has laid a new batch of eggs. And congratulations, one of the variant eggs has hatched. The one with the genetic mix from the frog has emerged successfully.>
Mikhailis paused mid-bite, his eyes widening. He quickly swallowed, his heart giving a small leap at the news.
"A frog variant?" he muttered, his voice low.
<Fully confirmed. Genetic traits include enhanced jumping abilities and a highly flexible body structure. This opens new possibilities for mobility and reconnaissance tasks. A potentially valuable addition to the colony.>
Mikhailis couldn’t help but smile, a sense of excitement rushing through him. He leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling for a moment, his mind racing with thoughts of what this could mean. This new variant could be a game-changer—it could offer him a new level of tactical advantage.
"Well, at least something good came out of today," he muttered, shaking his head as he took another bite.
Lira watched him from the side, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if trying to figure out what he was thinking. She didn’t say anything, though, simply standing by and waiting patiently, her expression as calm and collected as always.
Mikhailis glanced at her, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
"Hey, Lira," he said, his tone light, "seems like today might be turning out alright after all."
She raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. "If you say so, Your Highness," she replied, her voice carrying its usual hint of sarcasm.
Mikhailis just laughed, shaking his head as he continued eating, his thoughts shifting between the events of the day, his complicated relationships, and the newly hatched frog variant chimera.
It was a lot to juggle—a kingdom, a growing colony of chimera ants, and relationships that were getting more convoluted by the day. But somehow, despite it all, he felt a sense of determination, a drive to make it all work.
As he finished the last bite of his meal, he looked up at Lira, giving her a playful grin.
"You know, Lira, with everything going on, I think I’m gonna need a lot more of this delicious food. Keep it coming, alright?"
Lira sighed, shaking her head.
"I’ll make sure the kitchen knows, Your Highness," she said, her tone dry, though there was a small smile on her face.