Chapter 126: Chapter-126

“Thank you,” he said finally. “For taking this seriously. For taking ’me’ seriously.”

Heena waved her hand dismissively, though she was secretly pleased. “It’s just practical. If I’m going to have a partner, I want everyone to understand exactly what your position is. No ambiguity, no room for people to undermine you.”

“Is that the only reason?” Larus asked, looking at Heena with a slightly hesitant gaze.

Heena’s expression turned playful. She leaned back in her chair slightly, crossing her legs elegantly and resting her hand on her knee as she said with mock seriousness, “No, actually I just wanted to test a new trap. That’s why I’m making this elaborate setup—to catch the Prince of Marus Kingdom in my clutches.”

Larus burst into laughter, the sound genuine and warm. “Made to set a trap? Your Majesty, with just one motion from you, I would walk into that trap willingly.”

Heena laughed as well, the sound light and genuine.

After their laughter subsided, she said more seriously, “Anyways, whatever you want—whatever your demands are—make a list.”

Larus looked confused. “List?”

Heena nodded. “Not things your empire needs, not things your family needs. As the groom—as *my* groom—my father established a tradition where we fulfill all our partner’s personal demands before the marriage. It’s like… a dowry that we give to the men’s family, but specifically for the consort themselves.”

“Oh, like a bride price?” Larus asked.

Heena looked surprised. “Yes, exactly. How do you know about that?”

“I’ve read about it,” Larus explained. “In some books about foreign countries. I heard that in certain places, they give a bride price to the bride’s family for the groom.”

Heena nodded. “Yes, but this is different. It’s said that whatever you demand—whatever you want—jewelry, clothes, horses, land, titles, anything—as your spouse, I will try to fulfill that demand.”

Larus paused, then asked carefully, “What if the demand is too big?”

Heena paused as well, looking directly into his eyes. “Do you think there would be any demand that I—an Empress, the ruler of this entire empire—could not fulfill?”

Larus shook his head slowly.

“But still,” he continued, “what if I make an outrageous demand that would cause the public to rebel or create problems?”

Heena’s expression became more serious. She looked at him steadily and said, “But as my primary consort, you will soon reach the position of Emperor Consort beside me. You will have authority over half this empire. So tell me—what outrageous demand could you possibly make that would be beyond that scope?”

She leaned forward slightly.

“And believe me, as long as the demand is reasonable—no matter what it is—I will try my best to fulfill it.”

Larus nodded slowly, processing this.

“Take your time to think about it,” Heena said.

But he shook his head. “I already have my demands.”

Heena was genuinely surprised. She hadn’t expected him to already have a list prepared. She looked at him with curiosity. “So, what is it? Some big demand like wanting soldiers or territory or something?”

Larus shook his head. “You just said that whatever I demand would be given to me—*only* me. Personal demands, correct?”

Heena nodded.

Larus met her eyes directly. “I want to always be adorned with the most beautiful gems and jewelry in this empire.”

Heena raised one eyebrow, but nodded for him to continue.

“I want my clothes to be top-notch quality—the finest available. And I want this guaranteed regardless of whether I have children or not. Even if someday I fall out of favor, I still want these things maintained.”

Heena nodded slowly. “Okay. What else?”

“I want a palace,” Larus said. “A separate palace.”

“That’s already standard,” Heena said. “Every Emperor Consort gets their own palace.”

Larus shook his head. “No, I want it to be filled *only* with my people. No matter who they are—even if someone of royal bloodline wants to place their servants there—no one can replace my staff without my explicit permission. No external power should have authority over it.”

Heena paused this time.

She looked at him with a suddenly cold expression. “So you want to say that the palace would be your separate sanctuary? Completely independent?”

Larus nodded calmly.

Heena’s voice became sharper. “Prince Larus, don’t you think that demand is too much? What if you try to gather a rebel army inside the palace, completely outside my oversight?”

Larus shook his head. “I never said the Empress couldn’t *touch* the palace. I just said that no one—absolutely no one—is allowed to interfere with my staff, replace them, or question my decisions within that space without going through me first. The Empress can enter anytime, investigate anything. But the *management* of that palace—the people, the decisions—that’s mine.”

“You want to create a space completely separated from my direct administrative power,” Heena said flatly.

Larus sighed. “It’s up to the Empress whether she wants to fulfill my demand or not. If not, it’s just a wish.”

The tension between them was palpable.

Heena picked up her teacup and took a slow sip, her expression unreadable. After a long moment, she lowered the cup and asked, “Well, what do you think my response would be?”

Larus looked at her with an expression that was both affectionate and challenging. “Who knows?”

Heena laughed—a sharp, genuine sound. “Well, it’s your right to make demands. But fulfilling them is my choice. So let’s see what you’ll get at your engagement ceremony.”

She set down the cup and stood gracefully. “Well, it’s time for my meeting. I hope your afternoon goes well, Prince Larus.”

Heena soon left. Larus remained in position for a while, looking at the purple dandelions, lost in thought.

As Heena walked down the corridor, the System floated beside her in silence until finally speaking up.

“Host, I cannot understand one thing.”

Heena turned slightly and said drily, “Well, there are thousands of things you can’t understand. I would be more surprised if you could understand anything at all.”

The System made a speechless expression and wanted to say, *Who can ever understand this black lotus?* But he didn’t dare—literally his salary came from her. She held his salary card. So he kept his mouth shut and said carefully, “Um, Host… why did you give Larus that demand thing? Is it really the truth? Was there really such a tradition?”

Heena looked at him like he was crazy. “Of course not. How could there be such a tradition?”

The System’s jaw dropped. “Huh?”

Heena continued as if it were obvious, “Of course my father was in love with my mother and everything, but he was still an emperor. What kind of emperor gives power to an unknown person based on demands? What if they asked for something really dangerous? That would be idiotic.”

The System looked at her speechlessly, then said, “Then… why did you tell him that?”

Heena laughed. “I wanted to see what this man would ask for.”

The System was confused. “Host, I cannot understand.”

Heena sighed as she opened her office door, nodding at the guard stationed outside. As she entered and closed the door behind her, she began taking off her outer coat.

“System, what did you hear in his demands?”

The System recited dutifully, “Of course what he said—jewelries, nice clothes, and a palace where no one else’s power is allowed inside.”

Heena settled into her chair, crossing her legs elegantly. “That’s very wrong.”

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