Chapter 194: Chapter 194: No Audience.

Following a series of reports on the Fifth Research Institute and the S-Class Shelter, the citizens of the Empire learned that a major breakthrough had been made regarding the mental instability that had plagued males for years. It was no longer an incurable disease that doomed them. The earlier it was detected and treated, the greater the chance of recovery.

The S-Class Shelter was suddenly flooded with inquiries from males and applications for admission.

Looking over the information, Admiral Hans felt conflicted. Seeing him sigh, his adjutant asked, confused, “Sir, isn’t this a good thing? It means more and more people are taking the S-Class Shelter seriously. Why are you still sighing?”

“I’m sighing because if Lu Xiao’s speech hadn’t brought the shelter’s work to light and shown our results to the citizens of the Empire, would these hidden S-Class males still be refusing to seek treatment out of fear? Would they still be too afraid to face their condition, or be looking for other methods of treatment?”

Shady organizations like the Black Tower are a dime a dozen.

One Black Tower might fall, but thousands more just like it exist.

And those people don’t value the lives of these males one bit.

They only care about profit, not whether others live or die.

Now that these people saw a glimmer of hope and were finally willing to apply to the S-Class Shelter, Admiral Hans was filled with a complex mix of emotions.

If this had all been made public sooner, some of them might have already recovered and been discharged.

“Bring me the files I prepared. I’m going to see Her Majesty the Queen.”

Hearing this, the adjutant was taken aback. “You’re going now, sir?”

“Yes. After something like this, Her Majesty the Queen is certain to know about it. We can’t just do nothing,” Admiral Hans said, putting on his coat, clearly preparing to depart at once.

The adjutant said no more. He turned, placed all the data Admiral Hans had prepared over the past few months into a briefcase, and handed it to him. “I wish you the best of luck, sir.”

“Let’s hope you’re right.”

When he arrived again at the gates of Sofie Royal Manor, the one who came to greet him was the same old female who served at Her Majesty the Queen’s side.

Seeing Admiral Hans, the old female spoke with a cold indifference. “Admiral Hans has certainly been enjoying the spotlight these past few days.”

Admiral Hans detected the sarcasm in her tone. “I am merely serving the Empire. All glory belongs to Her Majesty the Queen. I wonder, is Her Majesty available at the moment?”

“Her Majesty the Queen is not seeing visitors today. You should go back,” the old female said, turning to leave.

A knot of anxiety tightened in Admiral Hans’s chest, and he quickly asked, “Then when might Her Majesty have time? I will come again.”

The old female looked at the deferential admiral, remaining silent for a long moment before speaking. “Admiral Hans, do you still remember Prince Li Ke?”

The sudden mention of Prince Li Ke sparked a flicker of confusion in Admiral Hans. “Of course, I remember. How could anyone forget Prince Li Ke’s charisma?”

“Since you remember, you should also be clear on how Prince Li Ke departed this world. And do you also recall the entire reason the Shelter and the Fifth Research Institute were founded in the first place?”

At the mention of the past, it suddenly dawned on Admiral Hans: the S-Class Shelter and the Fifth Research Institute were originally established for Prince Li Ke.

At the time, Prince Li Ke had just entered the Early Stage of his S-Class condition.

With a jolt of realization, Admiral Hans finally understood the reason for the Queen’s strange attitude back then.

The Shelter and the Fifth Research Institute, built for Prince Li Ke, had failed to become his salvation. Instead, they were now becoming the salvation of the Empire’s citizens.

’Her Majesty the Queen adored Prince Li Ke so much that after he passed away, she moved into his former residence to spend her days in mourning. Could she really accept this outcome?’

’If there had never been any progress, it might have been one thing. But now, with these outstanding results, wouldn’t Her Majesty be reminded every day? If only Prince Li Ke could have held on until now, or if their breakthrough had come sooner… would he still be alive?’

Once he grasped this, a cold sweat broke out on Admiral Hans’s forehead.

Seeing that he understood, the old female spoke again. “Her Majesty the Queen is in no mood for visitors these days, and it’s not entirely because of you. You should go back for now. Sooner or later, Her Majesty will summon you.”

Admiral Hans gave a slight bow. “Thank you for the warning.”

“It’s nothing. I simply don’t wish for Her Majesty to be hurt by this any further.” With that, the old female turned and walked away.

Admiral Hans, however, remained standing in place for a long time before finally turning and returning to his hover car.

’From the Queen’s perspective, he could understand how she felt. But from the perspective of the public, her actions were a dereliction of her duties as Queen.’

’How could all the Empire’s resources and interests be devoted to just one person?’

’Besides, Admiral Hans knew perfectly well that if Her Majesty had been willing to perform Spiritual Soothing for Prince Li Ke during his Early Stage, instead of cavorting with her other consorts and expanding her harem, his condition would never have progressed so rapidly.’

’In his view, the person Her Majesty the Queen should resent most is herself.’

’She knew full well that establishing the S-Class Shelter and the Fifth Research Institute couldn’t possibly produce a miracle overnight to solve a crisis that had plagued the Empire’s males for centuries. Yet, she did it anyway. And for what?’

’Wasn’t it all for the sake of her reputation as a devoted lover?’

’No matter how beautifully she spoke of it now, no matter how profound her actions seemed, in Admiral Hans’s eyes, it was all just an act.’

But the old female’s words had indeed given him a stark reminder.

’The S-Class Shelter and the Fifth Research Institute needed to keep a low profile for the time being.’

’After all, she was Her Majesty the Queen—the most capricious female in the Empire, bar none.’

Admiral Hans rubbed his aching temples, started the car, and headed for the Fifth Research Institute.

Teacher Ai Li had just seen off a group of reporters and returned to her office to catch her breath with a drink of water when she saw Admiral Hans burst in.

She asked in surprise, “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be swamped at the Shelter? Did something happen?”

The two of them had worked together for many years, after all; they had a certain rapport.

’The S-Class Shelter was at the peak of its momentum right now; Admiral Hans should be at his busiest. Why would he have time to come here? And if something really was wrong, a simple message would have sufficed.’

’Was it really necessary for him to come in person?’

Lu Xiao stood up and poured Admiral Hans a glass of warm water.

Admiral Hans accepted it with a word of thanks, downed it in one go, and then said, “I went to Sofie Manor today. I had intended to report to Her Majesty the Queen, but she wouldn’t see me.”

“Her Majesty wouldn’t see you? Why?” Teacher Ai Li’s expression was one of shock. The recent events had caused a huge stir, especially since they concerned S-Class males. ’Does Her Majesty not even care about something this important anymore?’

Teacher Ai Li felt a knot of apprehension form in her stomach.

Admiral Hans nodded. “She wouldn’t see me, nor did she say when she would. But the old female who serves her asked me a question. She asked if I remembered why the Shelter and the Fifth Research Institute were established in the first place.”

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