Chapter 335

During her childhood, the Imperial Princess had an affinity for rare animals.

Born into the royal bloodline, she was a woman who could indulge in extravagant hobbies without raising eyebrows.

Especially during the time when she suffered deeply from a lack of trust in humanity.

Shi-en preferred animals over humans.

Humans adorn themselves with pretense, but animals are not capable of such. The princess admired this social innocence.

At the very least, she wouldn’t be betrayed by them.

The Emperor, aware of his daughter’s inclinations, tacitly allowed her to keep a few exotic animals.

Sometimes, foreign envoys who heard of this hobby brought creatures from their homelands as gifts.

The intention was obvious. By winning the favor of the princess—referred to as the “weak finger” of the Emperor—they hoped to gain slight advantages in their negotiations with the Empire.

Of course, the princess didn’t intervene.

In any case, the ulterior motives of everyone who approached the princess were much the same; the only difference lay in how well they concealed these intentions.

The princess preferred those who openly displayed their desires.

There was no reason for her to reject the rare spectacles that the envoys brought.

The only minor complaint she had was that some unwanted guests often came to see these spectacles.

These were usually members of the royal family or prestigious figures from the five great noble houses of the Empire.

The Emperor was fine.

He was a father who cherished his daughter and was one of the few anchors in her life.

The two people who trailed behind him, however, were not.

The First Prince Bulteon and the Second Princess Iris.

Among all her siblings, Shi-en disliked these two the most.

They were considered the closest contenders for the throne, and as such, they had lived their lives for power. It was unimaginable that their hands were clean.

Moreover, Shi-en trusted what her “eyes” revealed.

Bulteon and Iris were saturated with ambition—an overwhelming color that drowned out all other emotions.

Because of this, Shi-en would feel her breath choked away every time she faced the two of them.

People who could discard anything, even their own limbs, for their goals.

Surely, they wouldn’t think twice about murdering a half-sibling like her, whose claim to the throne was insignificant in comparison.

This was why Shi-en disliked her older brother and older sister.

They were terrifying.

At least, there was one fortunate fact: whenever the princess and the two of them met, the Emperor was almost always present.

No matter how formidable they were, the ruler of the Empire was still the Emperor.

And so, whenever Bulteon and Iris appeared before the Emperor, they would act like docile lambs. Their true intentions were unclear, but at the very least, they showed friendly attitudes toward their siblings in the Emperor’s presence.

Still, Iris, with her inherently cold nature, never truly appeared warm no matter what she did.

The cheerful and broad-minded Bulteon was the only one who made jokes with Shi-en.

“Shi-en, do you know which country the envoy came from today?”

This question was thrown out by Bulteon before the envoy revealed the animal, his eyes shining with mischief.

The man with dark blue hair and blue eyes was well-known for his chiseled physique and handsome features. There were rumors that he had already broken the hearts of several women.

Of course, Shi-en found none of this appealing.

Would the day ever come when Shi-en felt excitement over someone?

All humans were merely liars, after all.

But the person addressing her now was Bulteon, the man who could potentially become the next emperor.

There was no reason to upset him. If there were no fear of repercussions, it would be a lie.

Shi-en answered with a subdued tone:

“They came from the Kingdom of Trialde, as far as I know, Brother.”

The Southern Kingdoms were a sort of alliance formed to stand against the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.

Trialde was one of the smaller kingdoms within this alliance, renowned for the superior quality of timber harvested from their dense forests.

What kind of creatures could reside in such a place?

Shi-en’s curiosity was piqued by this alone, yet Bulteon seemed unwilling to let her go just yet.

He smiled mischievously and continued:

“I’ve heard that the snakes from Trialde are exceptionally beneficial. Especially married women are known to be eager to acquire them.”

“…Lewd.”

With a snap, Shi-en closed her fan and delivered her retort.

Bulteon’s gaze shifted momentarily to the side, where a woman with silver-blue hair sat with a cold expression.

The Second Princess, Iris.

Pale from a severe illness in her childhood, her complexion was always wan, a sign of poor circulation. Her hands and feet were just as cold.

Hence, all who had shaken hands with the Second Princess reported the same impression.

It was like touching an ice sculpture.

Shi-en silently agreed with this assessment. The woman’s countenance rarely wavered.

“Brother, please maintain your dignity… It’s embarrassing for me to see you making such crude jokes in front of your younger sister.”

Her tone was openly rebuking.

Nevertheless, Bulteon only shrugged, maintaining his lighthearted attitude.

“Ah, Shi-en is old enough to know about love now. That’s why I thought…”

It was then that the envoy from Trialde reached into the box and pulled out a wriggling mass.

It was an enormous snake, so thick in girth that even a sturdy adult male would struggle to encircle it with his arms. Its length was seemingly endless as it continued to emerge, unspooling itself from the large wooden crate.

Shi-en stopped herself mid-sentence, surprised.

Bulteon and Iris fell silent as well, though they didn’t show any signs of surprise.

Their knowledge was vast, as befitting those who vied for the Empire’s supreme power.

Bulteon mumbled, swallowing hard.

“Two-headed snake…”

“And one this size must be influenced by magic. Half of it might as well be considered a monster… If that’s the case, this must be a top-tier specimen from the center of the Great Forest.”

With Iris adding her explanation, Shi-en grew even more engrossed in observing the black-scaled snake.

It was immense.

Shi-en had seen all manner of reptiles, but she had never encountered such a large snake in her life. Not to mention, she wasn’t interested in raising something so terrifying.

What was even more astonishing was the absence of a tail.

Where the tail should have been, another head took its place. Shi-en’s eyes brightened. She wondered which head was in control.

As if to answer her query, the envoy prepared to unveil the mystery.

His voice grew louder, and soon cheers erupted from the audience. Some of the men laughed in anticipation of the spectacle.

Bulteon, however, wore a somewhat uneasy smile.

“Uh… Shi-en? Could you maybe look away for a moment?”

The request was unpleasant.

Shi-en’s voice, unusually sharp, responded:

“Why?! They’re about to show which head takes control…”

Still, Bulteon only exhibited a troubled expression, unable to provide a proper answer.

Iris intervened.

Exhaling deeply, as if resigning herself, she spoke to Shi-en:

“Well then, pay attention. It might be educational.”

“Hey, hey! Are you insane?! Shi-en is only thirteen!”

“Someone told me, Brother… That age is sufficient to understand love.”

As the siblings bickered, the two heads of the two-headed snake began to bare their teeth at each other. What happened next would prove Shi-en’s initial assumption wrong. Rather than physically fighting, the snakes extended their tongues, rolling them into spirals and jabbing each other.

Shi-en initially thought the heads were competing for dominance through physical combat.

But her simple thought was soon shattered.

When Shi-en realized what the spiraling tongues were actually doing, her eyes widened.

She was left speechless, watching as the two-headed snake entwined itself and radiated intense heat. The nobles around her burst into admiration, but Shi-en had no such luxury.

Finally, Bulteon covered his face with his hand and muttered with resignation:

“…Looks like it’s good for you.”

The mating ritual of the two-headed snake continued for hours.

It was said that the two-headed snake was originally a normal snake, but its tail began to fight with its head, leading to the development of a second head. Since then, the two heads constantly quarreled for dominance, and this was merely their method of conflict resolution.

According to myth, due to their endless lust and jealousy, they were considered servants of Delphrium.

Shi-en spent the entire day with her face burning red.

Bulteon silently patted her head, and Iris, as always, delivered her cold advice before leaving:

“Remember, Shi-en. This is the essence of life… There is always a hierarchy, even between males and females.”

A concise representation of Iris’ worldview.

Of course, Shi-en couldn’t accept this viewpoint. On the contrary, the passionate mating of the two-headed snake shocked her so deeply that she developed a strong aversion to sexual unions between men and women.

What an absurd act.

It was a behavior devoid of reason, reliant solely on physical desire, an act that merely pursued primitive pleasure.

At the very least, Shi-en resolved that she would never descend to that level.

And yet…

“Hhh… ugh… haaah…”

Shi-en was panting, releasing heated breaths.

Unquestionably the behavior of a female in heat.