Chapter 266: Banners Flap in the Breeze

His words were as shocking as a thunderclap, leaving Lei En gaping in astonishment.

He stared blankly for a few seconds before snapping back, reached out to touch Viola's forehead, wondering if she was feverish or confused, and asked, "Are you alright?"

Bang!

"I'm perfectly fine." Viola brushed his hand away, sat up straight with arms crossed, and said seriously, "I'm serious, do you actually want a lover?"

Lei En didn't know how to answer.

He examined the Half-elf's soul closely; its hue had turned greener, showing she wasn't testing him and was speaking truthfully.

That only left him more baffled.

Although it gave him an advantage—allowing him to openly have multiple partners, the kind of life many men only dream of—Lei En still found it odd; are there really women so generous in the world?

Viola claimed she was normal, but to him she seemed anything but.

Lei En weighed his words and asked hesitantly, "Viola, what are you really thinking?"

"I only wish to fulfill Longhaired Lady's doctrine." Viola tilted her head slightly, extended her right hand in an elegant gesture—Lei En recognized it as the prayer of a Beauty and Goodness Church follower—and explained, "Longhaired Lady teaches us that pursuing beauty is our nature, creating art is our talent, and regarding love, it is sacred; we must feel it with our hearts, discover it, and share it."

"As a Divine Chosen, I naturally follow the Lady's teaching."

"Although love comes in many forms—not just romance, but familial affection, friendship, and even compassion for all beings are also love."

"But only the love I have for you is the most unforgettable to me; I'm willing to share it to please Longhaired Lady."

As Viola spoke, the aura around her gradually shifted, rising step by step.

Even though she was now naked, a holy radiance emanated, to be admired from afar, not defiled.

Lei En saw in Viola's soul a surge of divine power, a blazing fire of faith, opening a pathway in the void where a pair of terrifying eyes lingered at the far end, peering toward him.

Clearly, Viola's words had drawn the attention of a deity.

"Damn!"

A vulgar curse slipped out, leaving Lei En speechless.

He had long heard that Longhaired Lady's followers are very liberal; each year the "Green Grass Festival" and "Midsummer Night" are holy days of the Beauty and Goodness Church, featuring massive revelries that attract countless men and women, even beings from other planes.

Normally, Art Associations across the lands frequently host salons and numerous private gatherings to discuss music and art, watch dances, recite romantic poetry, and share beautiful love stories, among other things.

After the banquet, they also held secret activities.

These acts were meant to fulfill Longhaired Lady's doctrine, but they often got out of hand, turning into unrestrained gatherings, with even Lord of Chaos's followers slipping in to lure participants into the Abyss.

Thus the Beauty and Goodness Church's reputation is actually poor, always accompanied by rumors.

Viola had once kept herself pure; had Longhaired Lady brainwashed her, changing her? She said she would share love and allow herself a lover—does that mean she also intends to find one?

Lei En became alert instantly.

He seemed to already envision a vast meadow sprouting atop his head!

Viola's holy aura lingered only a few seconds before fading; she saw Lei En's expression shift dramatically, instantly read his mind, gave him a cold stare, and scolded, "Where were you thinking? My loyalty to you remains unchanged; I've never considered being with another man."

Her soul's hue remained steady; she was not lying.

Lei En let out a sigh of relief.

"You tell me to find a lover, yet you won't, that's unfair, right?" He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth, almost wanting to slap himself.

"True fairness doesn't exist in this world." Viola paused a few breaths, then said calmly, "Who made you stronger than me?"

Lei En roughly understood from her words.

In their relationship, what seemed equal was never truly so.

When they first met last year, he was still an ordinary person; even after becoming a transcendent, his power remained far below Viola's, and his birth, status, and wealth were far inferior, not even the same tier. She recognized his potential, so she chose him.

Thus in their relationship she was the conceding party, holding the initiative.

He, at the time, was the aspirant, also called the pursuer.

By now, he is the Earl of Glamorgan, Chairman of the Weizelan Council, has slain numerous legends, is famed throughout the Empire, his prospects boundless, and his strength has far surpassed Viola's, creating multiple tiers of advantage.

Thus their statuses reversed; he became the conceding party, holding the initiative.

In any world, among couples and spouses there are always conceders and aspirants; one side must compromise, a highly common, even inevitable, phenomenon.

If both sides are dominant and refuse to concede, the relationship seldom endures; even a forced maintenance leads to endless quarrels.

Ai Lun E Si's world is one of might above all, where this phenomenon is laid bare; from antiquity to now, there has never been any monogamous law.

Even the most faithful elves often commit infidelity, euphemistically calling it the pursuit of true love.

A typical example sits right beside them.

Silver Star Title: Duke has countless lovers; over several hundred years she has borne a dozen or so children, most of whose fathers are not a single man. Those lovers know this well yet continue to follow Silver Star Title: Duke, never causing any melodramatic scandals.

Do these men willingly become her consorts?

Of course not.

They certainly all want to monopolize Silver Star Title: Duke's body and soul, but that's impossible, because Silver Star Title: Duke is a Holy Soul Wizard, stronger than them, able to easily subdue a consort. If they cause jealousy or make her unhappy, she can easily kick them away; after all they're just playthings.

When Roger saw Flink beside Silver Star Title: Duke and refused to concede, he fled that night.

Because he didn't want to become a plaything.

Viola, being the great‑granddaughter of Silver Star Title: Duke, grew up immersed in that environment, likely being influenced, and with Longhaired Lady's doctrine guiding her, such thoughts seem understandable.

Lei En understood what she thought, yet still found it hard to accept.

That means, unless his own power grew extremely fast and surpassed Viola within a year, his head would likely already be green!

He might return from Mo Du to see several pretty boys.

As a man with a normal worldview, Lei En cannot accept this.

He would, like Roger, choose to leave.

Even though he now benefits, Lei En should be secretly pleased, but he feels little joy; if Viola's strength later surpasses his, could he also find a lover?

Viola has a deity backing her, and may someday ascend to the papacy of the Beauty and Goodness Church, possibly advancing to Holy Soul status.

She is sincere toward him, yet she can also be sincere toward other men.

"Damn, the otherworlder's odd worldview… No, it's Ai Lun E Si who has the normal worldview…"

Lei En truly is powerless to comment.

He thought for a long while, then said: "You should have confidence in me; I'm different from other men, not someone easily swayed."

Viola suddenly looked up, her expression shifting.

But Lei En saw her soul's color change quickly, clearly she didn't believe her own words.

"But I have no confidence in myself." Viola lightly bit her lip, "There are too many beautiful women in the world; in the future you'll face more temptations, women more beautiful and stronger than me. I'm grateful you reject them for me, but I also don't want you to grow resentful from love and eventually abandon me."

Although she didn't state it outright, the meaning of her words still shows she lacks confidence in Lei En.

"Moreover, I'm a Half-elf; the chance of bearing offspring is almost impossible." Viola shook her head regretfully, "You are the Earl of Glamorgan; you will have greater undertakings later, and you cannot lack descendants to continue your family, your surname, your lands."

"Sooner or later, one day you'll have children with another woman."

"Then I might as well let go proactively, allowing you to take lovers, but with one condition…" Viola moved closer, her gaze blazing, "No matter how many lovers you take, you must put my interests first, and must not affect my standing in your heart."

"Can you agree?" the Half-elf asked expectantly.

Lei En remained silent in response.

He suddenly felt that the Viola before him was unfamiliar; beneath her peerlessly beautiful appearance lay a rational, icy heart.

She pursues power, profit and status; love cannot be placed first.

To her, love is more like a tool, something used to please the gods; she enjoys the beauty and pleasure love brings, and can also use love to obtain further benefits.

Of course, this doesn't mean Viola doesn't love herself; it's just that her love is different from what I imagined.

As long as my future strength can keep Viola in check, she won't betray; moreover, with her rational mindset, the stronger my power becomes, the higher my status, the more she depends on me, the more loyal she'll be, and she won't, nor dare, have other thoughts.

Lei En's thoughts churned, finally turning into a sigh.

Facing Viola's expectations, he finally nodded in agreement, softly saying: "I accept you."

As those four words left his mouth, a once‑aspired beautiful thing faded away. Love mixed with profit inevitably turned sour; those three words may never be spoken.

Lei En felt a mixture of five flavors in his heart, unsure whether to be happy or sad.

What made him happy was that he actually obtained a permit; from now on he could have "the household's red flag never fall, while the outside's colorful flags flutter," a life many men have dreamed of.

What made him sad was that the beautiful, pure, sincere love he hoped for was shattered by his own hand, perhaps never attainable in this world again.

"Great." Viola, hearing Lei En's agreement, instantly felt at ease.

She was very pleased; she finally bound a future Holy Soul Wizard tightly to herself, surely gaining powerful support.

The Half-elf gave a charming smile, actively wrapped herself around to give a wet kiss.

Lei En was still conflicted; after a couple of attempts he could barely hold on, instantly tossed the ridiculous thought from his mind, then embraced the Half-elf: "Fine, I'm not some virtuous gentleman anyway; let's enjoy it from now on, and it wasn't a waste to transmigrate this time."

After the third round of couple's activity, Lei En had already forgotten what he had been thinking.

To soothe Viola's heart, he took a rectangular box out of his ring, only a few dozen centimeters tall, its shell made of metal, with a circular lens on the front, and smiled: "This is the gift I prepared for you."

Viola looked at it twice, surprised, "Camera?"

She had, of course, seen cameras; in the Empire's cities there are photo studios everywhere, and they've become increasingly popular these years, but aren't cameras usually bulky, with mobile photo tents needing horse‑drawn wagons? How could one make it so lightweight and compact?

"Can such a small Camera take pictures?" Viola was somewhat doubtful.

"Of course, and it captures more clearly." Lei En laughed twice, got up to pull the curtains open, letting the morning sun illuminate the whole bedroom, then turned back: "Don't move; I'll take a few shots to demonstrate for you."

Saying that, he raised the Camera and pressed the shutter.

(End of chapter)