Chapter 246: Chapter 246: Meeting

Everyone who knew Lu Xiao had been summoned by the Queen couldn’t help but be nervous for her.

Only Lu Xiao herself seemed completely unfazed.

Teacher Sherry couldn’t help but ask, “My dear Xiao Xiao, you’re going to meet Her Majesty the Queen tomorrow. Are you really not the least bit afraid?”

Lu Xiao smiled. “Being afraid is useless, Teacher Sherry. It’s not like being scared means I don’t have to go. Rather than getting worked up over it, I’d rather just let things happen naturally. Besides, I haven’t done anything wrong. Her Majesty the Queen wouldn’t summon me just to criticize me, would she? So, what is there to be afraid of?”

“But she’s Her Majesty the Queen! I get nervous just thinking about it.”

Lu Xiao could understand Teacher Sherry’s feelings. Most people would find the very title “Her Majesty the Queen” awe-inspiring, let alone meeting her in person.

After all, Her Majesty the Queen wasn’t someone just anyone could meet.

Being nervous was a perfectly normal reaction.

But Lu Xiao didn’t dwell on it. She truly wasn’t the type to waste energy worrying.

Teacher Ai Li listened to them chatting and added, “With Admiral Hans there, he’ll be able to protect Lu Xiao to some extent. Besides, just as Lu Xiao said, she hasn’t done anything wrong. Everything she has done has been beneficial to the Imperial people. No matter how muddled Her Majesty the Queen might be, she wouldn’t punish her.”

Teacher Sherry nodded. “I’ll be cheering for you, Xiao Xiao.”

Early the next morning, Admiral Hans arrived at Lu Xiao’s home.

Since it was still early, Lu Xiao invited Admiral Hans inside to rest and have some breakfast with them.

This was Admiral Hans’s first visit to Lu Xiao and Ares’s home.

As soon as he stepped inside, he noticed Ares, wearing an apron, busy in the kitchen while Lu Xiao changed the water in a vase.

The simple yet warm atmosphere made Hans feel instantly at ease.

“Admiral Hans, please have a seat. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

“Okay. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Seeing that Admiral Hans was a bit tense, Lu Xiao smiled. “Please, just sit and relax. It’ll be ready in a moment.”

Lu Xiao went to pour him a glass of water.

Ares was indeed quick. Before long, a steaming, fragrant breakfast was on the table, and he took a moment to greet Admiral Hans.

“I’ve long heard that Major General Ares is an exceptional cook. Now that I’ve seen it for myself, it’s truly impressive!”

“I learned it all from Xiao Xiao,” Ares said with a smile, handing the cutlery to Admiral Hans.

“That’s because my Ares is a natural,” Lu Xiao said, giving Ares a gentle smile and praising him without reservation.

Watching their incredibly natural and affectionate interaction, Hans felt a pang in his heart, which was quickly followed by envy.

’This is the first time I’ve seen how Lu Xiao and Ares act in private. Are they really this sweet?’

No wonder so many people couldn’t help but sound envious whenever they spoke of Major General Ares.

’You probably couldn’t find another male in the entire Empire as happy as Ares, could you?’

Before, the idea of a female having only one partner had always been an abstract concept to him. Now, seeing it with his own eyes, he was beginning to understand.

So this was what Lady Lu Xiao meant by “one couple, for one lifetime.”

It was a bond that would make any male’s heart race.

After breakfast, Ares saw Lu Xiao and Admiral Hans to the door. “Contact me anytime if something comes up, Xiao Xiao.”

Sensing that Ares was more nervous than usual, Lu Xiao reached out and hugged him. “Okay, Ares. I’ll contact you the moment the meeting is over. Don’t worry.”

“Okay.” Ares didn’t say anything more, not wanting to transfer his anxiety to Lu Xiao.

As he got into the car, Admiral Hans said, “Don’t worry, Major General Ares. I will look after Lady Lu Xiao.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

…

After they got in the car, Admiral Hans looked over at Lu Xiao. She was sitting beside him, already in the mood to flip through research reports from the last few days. He truly admired her composure.

’It seems she can handle anything with perfect calm, no matter what happens.’

Sofie Manor was quite a distance from Lu Xiao’s home, and the drive was just long enough for her to finish reading the research reports. Compared to before, progress at the lab had slowed, but she knew very well that this kind of work couldn’t be rushed.

All research breakthroughs required an accumulation of time.

When they arrived at Sofie Manor, they were greeted by the same elderly female who attended the Queen.

This time, upon seeing Lu Xiao beside Admiral Hans, the woman’s gaze fixed on her, scrutinizing her from head to toe. “You must be the legendary Lady Lu Xiao, I presume?”

“I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Lu Xiao replied, greeting the elderly female with a polite and poised demeanor that showed not the slightest hint of nervousness or anxiety about meeting Her Majesty the Queen.

This excessively young female was somehow putting the old woman on edge.

Although it was their first meeting, the old woman could already sense there was something different about her.

“You are indeed as special as the rumors say.”

Lu Xiao simply smiled. “I’m just an ordinary female, nothing special.”

Seeing her modesty, the old woman said nothing more and opened the door. “Her Majesty the Queen has been waiting for you both in the study for some time. Please, come in.”

Admiral Hans gave Lu Xiao a look, and the two of them boarded the shuttle cart that was there to take them into the manor.

Along the way, Lu Xiao noticed the manor’s landscaping was messy and overgrown, clear evidence that it hadn’t been tended to in a long time. It was quite unexpected that the place where Her Majesty the Queen lived would be in such a state.

But Lu Xiao couldn’t help but wonder if Her Majesty the Queen was doing this intentionally to show outsiders how gravely “injured” she was.

’I don’t want to think of Her Majesty that way,’ she thought, ’but based on everything I’ve heard about her, it’s something she is capable of doing.’

After disembarking from the shuttle cart, Lu Xiao and Admiral Hans followed the old woman all the way to Her Majesty the Queen’s study.

The old woman knocked on the door, then pushed it open and announced, “Your Majesty, they have arrived.”

“Let them come in.” Her Majesty the Queen’s voice carried out, tinged with a hint of weakness.

The old woman retreated from the study and gestured for Admiral Hans and Lu Xiao to enter.

After both of them thanked the old woman, they entered one after the other.

The moment they stepped into the study, they saw the Queen sitting elegantly on a sofa, brewing tea.

Her snow-white hair was tied back, and she wore a long red gown that gave her a regal and noble air. The only thing that felt unfortunate was how thin she was.

She was already so thin that she could barely fill out the magnificent, obviously priceless gown she was wearing.

“Her Majesty the Queen, good day. This is the therapist from the Fifth Research Institute, Lady Lu Xiao.”

“Greetings, Her Majesty the Queen. Good day.” As soon as Admiral Hans finished his introduction, Lu Xiao stepped forward to offer her greeting.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep