My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 166

Chapter Four

--Feel sorry.

When Yang Hao reached out an apologetic hand to the girl who seemed to have been accidentally knocked to the ground and was heading towards the courtyard, and helped her up, he smelled a familiar scent—similar to the scent emanating from Koschche's body.

He paused, recalling the day he first noticed this detail—the very day Koschke replaced Miss Green. That day had brought him so much shock and surprise that he almost didn't want to remember what happened...

so...

Is this the person in question?

That one, Karina—

"...Thank you, it was my oversight."

The Ursus girl, pulled up by Yang Hao, nodded slightly. Her long, greyish-white hair, azure eyes, and the fixed, indifferent expression on her face gave Yang Hao the impression of a cold, aloof beauty. She seemed unaware of who was pulling her up, or perhaps she had heard of Yang Hao from Kosicheal but, having never met him, couldn't recognize him...?

No.

She recognized him. She paused for a moment when she saw Yang Hao's chubby face, then her expression instantly calmed. Her eyes held a resigned acceptance of everything, but even beneath that unfathomable calm, she still harbored a deep curiosity about him...

Just as she gently withdrew her hand from Yang Hao's palm, Sonia, standing behind Yang Hao, frowned and picked up her communicator.

"Yes, it's me. Hmm? Something you need me to handle...? Sigh, I'll be right there."

Sonia hung up the phone. She told Yang Hao that her juniors had encountered a matter that "had to be handled by her," so she had to go back now.

Before returning, Sonia whispered to Yang Hao about the problem R'lyeh was facing—basically, the second-floor floor had collapsed while the younger generation was playing around.

As the clan matriarch, she now had to go back immediately to discipline the disobedient children. Then, she also had to use the budget to buy new flooring and see if there was anything else that needed to be added.

"Well, in short—Mr. Yang Hao, I'll head back now."

"Okay, be careful on your way back—and if you're short on budget, just let me know, okay?"

"I will."

Sonia left due to an unexpected event. Duke Yang Hao remained where he was, somewhat at a loss. He looked at Miss Karina in front of him with a complicated expression. He had once imagined that one day in the future, when Koschie was changing bodies, he might talk to the dying possessed people she had abandoned, and accompany them on their final journey.

But he really... never expected that he would meet them while the heir was still conscious and had his own life.

This left Yang Hao with mixed feelings. On one hand, he knew about the relationship between Koschke's heir and her. On the other hand, he admitted that if he had to compare the two, he would always care more about Koschke than the heir, but...

...It really is complicated. Just as he sighed softly, intending to go straight back—Miss Karina suddenly spoke in a somewhat cold and clear voice:

"...Won't you join me for a walk, Mr. Yang Hao?"

"...what?"

Yang Hao was stunned for a moment, looking at the girl who had extended the invitation to him.

"...Although I am well aware of what will happen next, if possible, I still hope to get to know you and Lady Koschche's husband through my own will. After all, I don't know if I will have this opportunity again."

"But do you really want to do this? If your body is inherited by Koschicchi—"

“Yes, I know very well.” Miss Karina nodded. “Lord Kosichä will use my body to share pleasure with you. But I don’t mind. Like every successor of Lord Kosichä before us, we all believe that Lord Kosichä’s every move will make Ursus better and stronger, so if it is necessary, none of us will object to it.”

"...Sigh. That's why I feel so conflicted right now."

"And what is your reply?"

...never mind.

why not?

Yang Hao accepted Miss Karina's invitation. They then walked together towards the courtyard, just before dinner time.

... .....

While Yang Hao was chatting and strolling in the courtyard with Miss Karina, whom he had just met—and who would definitely become very familiar with her in the future.

The Duke of Kosiché welcomes His Majesty the Emperor.

Moreover, it wasn't a public welcome. Although His Majesty the Emperor had indeed brought his entourage, the official announcement was that he was merely making a routine visit.

Therefore, the Duke of Kosiché received him twice.

The public welcome has just ended.

Now, the private welcoming ceremony, held in the secret meeting room of the audience hall, has only just begun.

"I was also wondering why there wasn't even a sofa in Duke Kosiché's private reception room, but I suppose that's not my business, so I won't ask any further."

Sitting on a single sofa, Her Majesty Catherine, dressed in an elegant formal suit, looked with interest at the person sitting opposite her. Although she was not very welcoming, she could only force a smile because the most urgently needed resources were still in transit. Compared to an immortal, she was more like a kitten whose important man had been taken away, yet she could only rage helplessly.

She noticed the head maid behind the kitten looking helplessly at her lower abdomen, but Ekaterina didn't blame her—after all, even she hadn't expected to be shot after that night.

At first, she thought it might require several years of long-term effort, but it worked out on the first try? His Majesty was delighted, but the trouble that followed was enough to give her a headache. So, after temporarily assigning her generals to oversee the cleaning of the Carnival nightclub, which could be completed within the last year, she hurried back to Saint-Germain Castle, lest her hard-won child suffer any mishap because of her presence.

"—I don't want to say much about the sofa. In short... Your Majesty Catherine, are you really sure..."

When Her Majesty Catherine saw the ugly smile on Duke Kosiché's face, she couldn't help but feel the urge to flirt with him.

"If you mean my pregnancy, I'm quite certain—and don't get any dirty thoughts. In the past few months, aside from the weapon I've been holding, the only man who has had intimate contact with my body has been your husband. Or has Duke Kosiché ever seen such an extremely rare case in all these centuries of history where someone has made love to their weapon and ended up getting pregnant?"

"...You still know that's my husband?"

“That was his own request.”

"...Gurgle..."

Her Majesty Catherine could hear Duke Kosiché's threatening snoring. This seemed to be a characteristic of the Felin people—though it was unclear whether Duke Kosiché was doing it intentionally or if she truly couldn't fully control the body, but... what could Her Majesty Catherine do?

She was just stating the facts, okay? And it's true she had dirty thoughts, but it was your husband who asked me to do it!

In the Ursus Empire, a position second only to the emperor—what else could it be but a king? I've already given him the promised position of Imperial Speaker, and I've also given him the right to educate the Crown Prince. Under these circumstances, what else can I offer besides the title of king?

I can't exactly make him my son, can I?

Her Majesty Catherine raised her eyebrows to the sky. She truly hadn't expected that a perfect opportunity would come knocking on her door right then and there—really.

So, as she smiled and watched Duke Kosiché's tail slowly rise and bristle, then slowly lower again, Her Majesty Catherine knew that Duke Kosiché had used his centuries of accumulated experience to force himself to calm down.

See? The forced smile on her face has vanished without a trace, and her eyes, as if plotting something, have begun to wander aimlessly.

But Her Majesty Catherine wouldn't allow Duke Kosiché to wander off like this. She took a sip of the black tea offered by the head maid, and then began to explain:

"In short, setting aside the fact that Saint-Germain-de-Cathay will need to be pieced together with the Duchy of Kosiché for a long time to come, Duke Kosiché, Ursus will enter a period of stable recovery that could last for decades due to this civil war that has caused the loss of a large number of people and resources—but I do not intend to give up the interests in Casimir. Now that Columbia has declared war on Casimir, I will leave the matter there entirely to you or the Duke."

“I’ve never heard of Saint-Germain being to be fought over in my territory for a long time. And Your Majesty—that’s my husband.”

"He is also my king. That's all."

"..."

Duke Kosiché took a deep breath, and Her Majesty Catherine could see the utterly helpless expression on the face of the maid standing behind her.

After a while.

They knew there was no way the situation could be reversed.

The immortal black snake could only try every means to bite off more flesh from His Majesty the Emperor—otherwise, she would not be willing, she was truly unwilling!

I was here first! How dare you, a lottery winner who's suddenly rich, show off in front of me?!

and also!

That's my husband, not yours!

She took another deep breath. Then she revealed a smile that was more unsightly than crying, more furious than rage, yet still polite and dignified:

"—I understand. In short... my husband and I will handle everything regarding the Kazimir situation. But aren't you going to offer something? Your Majesty, who dumps so much on us and then has to spend your days idly in my territory?"

She emphasized the phrase "wasting time," showing no mercy to His Majesty the Emperor.

"Hehe. During this period, Saint-Germain's resources and status will be shared with the Duchy of Kosiché."

But His Majesty the Emperor didn't care—you're already like this, what's wrong with giving in a little? So she just smiled and gave more things, even though these things would seem to belong to our family in the future, so what?

Is it reasonable for me to write you a check for our future family's things now?

"--That's it? Your treachery is more despicable than the worst Colombian I've ever met."

"But if you don't tell me, how will I know what you want?"

"..."

Duke Kosiché fell silent.

After a moment, with her brows furrowed, she presented the following condition to His Majesty the Emperor:

"To my husband, the Ursus Empire, with eternal honor. The highest honor he should enjoy even if he no longer serves the Ursus Empire."

Permanent honors—this is a very rare privilege in imperial states. Generally, it is only awarded to certain nobles who bring great benefits and advantages to the empire.

However, Yang Hao did indeed have the qualifications, so His Majesty the Emperor won quite directly.

Subsequently, the Duke of Kosice presented His Majesty the Emperor with a second condition:

“Besides that, the Ursus Empire cannot interfere with any of my husband’s actions. Not any of them, not even if he wants to assassinate you.”

"No, Duke Kosiché? The new Speaker of the Imperial Council, a Duke, and the right to educate the future Crown Prince—with these three rights combined, who else but me would dare to interfere with him?"

"What I want is for you not to interfere, and for the future emperor of Ursus not to interfere either."

"That's fine."

Her Majesty the Emperor shrugged, thinking that by then she would probably be nearing the end of her life, and the heir to the empire would either be her child or her grandson. Giving it to her was not out of the question—anyway, she didn't think those children would disobey their parents by then.

So, after these two conditions were agreed upon, His Majesty the Emperor asked with a smile, "Does Duke Kosice have anything else to say?"

...

She truly had nothing more to say. Now that things had come to this, and there was no way to change the facts, all the Duke of Kosiché could do was try to salvage the situation for her and her husband—and now that he had secured most of the benefits, there was nothing left to salvage, so she could only sigh.

"I truly never imagined you could be such a despicable and shameless person." Before ending the meeting, Duke Kosiché glared at the still-smiling Emperor with murderous intent. She was jealous! She envied him! But what could she do? "You despicable and shameless bastard..."

The only consolation is that she might still be able to try harder...sigh.

"I'll say it again, it was Mr. Yang Hao who requested it, so in a sense, the fault isn't mine, is it?"

But faced with the Duke of Kosiché's disdain.

His Majesty the Emperor simply smiled and said nothing more.

chapter Five

-

Yang Hao and Miss Karina sat on chairs in the courtyard. For some reason, he suddenly had a terrible premonition...

It seemed that a premonition of something big was about to happen to him made him very nervous. However, because he did not show it on his face, Miss Karina, who was not familiar with him, did not notice his unusual behavior through his subtle movements.

She simply looked at his profile with calm curiosity, and then asked:

"So... it was you who approached Lord Koschei, not the other way around?"

"...yes."

But then again, how long will it take for others to finally stop gossiping about my bumpy road to marriage?

Every time this matter comes up, Yang Hao feels very sorry for Margarita... but it's something he can't avoid when people ask him about it, so what can he do?

Perhaps this matter will only settle down once Margarita arrives... But what about discussing this with others in front of Margarita then?

Why does it feel like we'd die an even more horrible death?

Yang Hao was very confused about this... but soon, Miss Karina's series of questions and remarks made him throw these confusions far away and make them disappear without a trace.

"...I really can't understand why Lord Koschei, who has lived for so long, would suddenly have this idea... I mean, I can understand the possibility that Lord Koschei might suddenly become interested—but I can't understand why Lord Koschei would actually consider someone as his life partner..."

"Actually, I didn't expect things to turn out this way before I figured out her true identity. But things have already developed to this point, so there's no point in dwelling on it any longer."

"...That's true."

Miss Karina nodded. She looked down at the staff lying flat on her lap, then sighed.

"...Although I shouldn't say such things given my status, Mr. Yang Hao, do you think that as the successors of Lord Kosiché, besides our shared goal of making Ursus strong, we have the right to pursue our own happiness?"

...

Yang Hao opened his mouth with difficulty, carefully choosing his words, but in the end, he could only utter this sentence: