Chapter 269: Chapter 269: Meeting

Buck spent three days walking the familiar streets of Emperor Star. He ate a bowl of noodles he used to love at an old shop, then gathered himself and went to Sofie Manor—the home where he had lived for so long in his youth.

Only now, it had become a place for Her Majesty the Queen to mourn him.

Over these three days, Buck had learned a great deal about what Her Majesty the Queen had been doing all these years.

He learned that after his “passing,” Her Majesty the Queen had moved out of the Royal Palace, dismissed her harem, and come here to mourn him.

Listening to people talk about it, Buck felt completely calm, as if he were hearing a story about someone else.

Not the slightest ripple stirred in his heart, because this was exactly the sort of thing Her Majesty the Queen would do.

After all, even when he was “alive,” Her Majesty the Queen had always been very good at performing devotion.

So to Buck, this was nothing more than a magnificent performance.

Pressing the intercom button, Buck stood before the camera, his eyes on the overgrown greenery inside the manor. It was clear no one had tended to it for a very long time.

Buck stood his ground and dialed a number, hiring professional gardeners to come over. Now that he was back, there was no reason for Her Majesty the Queen to continue living here, occupying his house.

The place needed a good trimming. In the future, it could serve as another home for Ares and Lu Xiao.

This was one of his few assets on Emperor Star, registered in his name. Not even Her Majesty the Queen could take it away. It was to be left to Ares one day.

After a long while, an old female appeared on the intercom screen. “Who are you looking for?”

Buck recognized her. “Mapple, it’s me, Li Ke. I’m back.”

A single sentence left the old female before the camera stunned. She stared at the man on the other end, too shocked to know how to react.

Buck stood there calmly, giving her plenty of time to process it. After a moment, he said with a small smile, “If you don’t mind, I’ll let myself in.”

As he finished speaking, Buck placed his hand on the fingerprint scanner. CLICK. The manor’s security system recognized the owner’s information, disengaged with a sound, and a voice announced, “Welcome home, Master.”

“Alright.” Buck pushed the main gate open and walked in on his own, completely ignoring the old female’s situation.

When the old female snapped back to her senses, the man on the screen was gone. The moment she realized what had happened, she hurried toward Her Majesty the Queen’s study. “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

Her Majesty the Queen, who always read poetry at this time of day, looked up as the old female burst in, flustered and having lost all sense of decorum. She spoke with displeasure, “What has happened to make you act so rashly and lose your composure?”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty! It’s—it’s Prince Li Ke! He—he’s back! He’ll be here any second!”

“What?” Her Majesty the Queen froze, unable to believe what she was hearing. “Do you have any idea what you’re saying?”

“I am perfectly clear-headed, Your Majesty! I haven’t gone mad! I really saw Prince Li Ke! He’s not dead! He just used his fingerprint, the security system is open, and he’s coming in right now, Your Majesty!”

The old female was starting to lose control. Anyone would be unsettled to learn that someone who had been dead for years was actually alive.

’How is that possible? He’s not dead? How can that be?’ Her Majesty the Queen didn’t know what expression to make, looking visibly distraught.

’If he wasn’t dead, why did he leave me?’

’Why did he use death to deceive me?’

Just as Her Majesty the Queen was at a loss, Buck’s voice came from outside. “Is anyone here?”

The old female flinched at the sound of his voice and looked to Her Majesty the Queen, awaiting her orders.

At the sound of that voice, Her Majesty the Queen’s head snapped up, unconcealable shock in her eyes.

’It’s him. I would never forget that voice.’ Before the old female could react, Her Majesty the Queen had already rushed out and thrown open the door.

And there, outside the door, she saw Buck.

He looked completely different from the man in her memory, yet for some reason, watching him approach, she felt as if she had been transported back in time.

Seeing Her Majesty the Queen appear, Buck stopped. His gaze swept over the white-haired Queen, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

But it was only a fleeting surprise. Buck quickly regained his composure and gave a slight bow. “Greetings, Your Majesty. I wish you a good day.”

“Are you… really Prince Li Ke?” Her Majesty the Queen asked as if she couldn’t believe it, her eyes red-rimmed as she refused to blink.

“Can’t you recognize me? The changes these past few years have indeed been quite significant. But I am Li Ke. If you don’t believe me, I can submit to an examination. However, I don’t go by Li Ke anymore. I’ve changed my name to Buck. It’s been a long time. I never expected Her Majesty the Queen would be living here.” As he spoke, Buck walked right up to Her Majesty the Queen, his gaze gentle and open, allowing her to scrutinize him.

Her Majesty the Queen stared at him for a long time, finally seeing a flicker of the man she once knew. Tears instantly streamed down her face. “You’re not dead. You’re actually not dead… Why? Why did you use death to deceive me?”

Her Majesty the Queen lost control of her emotions. The old female rushed to support her, speaking reproachfully, “Prince Li Ke, do you have any idea how Her Majesty the Queen has lived all these years? How could you be so cruel? Why did you have to deceive Her Majesty with your death?”

Buck looked coldly at the sobbing Queen. “Because I wanted a divorce, and she wouldn’t agree. She didn’t want to lose her title as a devoted lover, and I no longer wanted to play along with her act. Death could give me freedom. She could not.”

As Buck said this, his tone was gentle and natural, without a hint of hesitation or euphemism. To him, everything Her Majesty the Queen had done was worthless.

Because he had never felt an ounce of genuine affection from her. It had all just been for show.

“No, that’s not it! I truly regret it! I regret it!” Her Majesty the Queen cried, grabbing Buck’s sleeve and looking at him. “If you were unhappy, if you were dissatisfied, you could have told me! Why did you use death to punish me and make me regret everything? How could you be so cruel? How could you just abandon me so coldly? Weren’t you even willing to give me one more chance?”

“I did give you a chance. I told you. I told you there was a problem with my Spirit Sea. But what about you? You were rushing off to pursue your new flame. You even told me that as the main husband, I had to be magnanimous, tolerant, and accepting. That I had to learn how to share my partner, not be jealous, and not control you. So, I let you go. I gave you back your freedom. Why are you here today, resenting me for it?” By the end, Buck even curled his lips into a smile, as if he found the whole situation laughable. He reached out, gently wiping the tears from Her Majesty the Queen’s face, and said with a smile, “I thought you would have been happy that I left.”

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