Chapter 36: A Good Tussle
Loti Shana started to feel a bit jittery.
During her princess days, she was pampered to no end, and after becoming queen, countless people followed her. She had never faced a situation where she had to agree to anyone else’s request.
And this one was a no-strings-attached kind of request.
Given Night Star Lan’s earlier behavior, Loti Shana was genuinely worried she might propose something quite unsavory.
If that happens, she’d have no choice but to accept, right? Was she about to become someone’s plaything?
Countless thoughts swirled in Loti Shana’s mind as she tried to ease her anxiety.
Changing the subject seemed like a good strategy.
The longer she could drag it out, the better. It was certainly preferable to falling into a pit at that moment.
“Wait a minute, Night Lan, didn’t you mention earlier that eight people received blessings? You only listed five; who are the other three?”
“Well, they’re from the Eastern continent, pretty far from here, so we can’t meet them yet. Just focus on the five I mentioned.”
“I see! Then let’s carry on with the snacks!”
Loti Shana attempted to divert Night Star Lan’s attention back to the treats.
But Night Star Lan quickly caught on to her tactic, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons.
“Oh ho~ Trying to distract me, are we? Not happening! You’ll have to come up with something better than that!”
Loti Shana felt quite stimulated by Night Star Lan’s words.
Too naïve?
That was a comparison she simply couldn’t accept.
She had to regain some semblance of dignity.
“Gulp… as if you’re so much older than me! I’m the queen, obviously, I’ve experienced way more than you. In some ways, you should treat me like an elder!”
“Eh~ A mere queen… Do you really think you’ve experienced more than I have?”
Night Star Lan couldn’t even be bothered to criticize her.
Loti Shana was only in her teens. Even as a royal, her experiences were limited.
Only in the past year, when she became the first generation selection of Kuro and Luo Xi, did she start to broaden her horizons.
But Night Star Lan had her completely beat.
Not just her background.
She was in her twenties, a full-blown adult!
And she had access to a wish machine on par with the origin of the stars.
Most of her experiences involved grand spectacles. In terms of qualifications, Loti Shana couldn’t hold a candle to her.
But Night Star Lan didn’t even want to explain all of that to Loti Shana.
Although she was a noble queen and more mature than her peers, she was ultimately still just a teenager.
It was important to hold onto some moral high ground here.
However, there were plenty of ways to teach Loti Shana a lesson.
Night Lan wore a subtle smile.
“According to your reasoning, you’re my elder. And Luo Xi is my lover. Are you trying to be Luo Xi’s elder? You can’t just go on your own little tangent, can you? You’re small and delicate, yet you have quite the audacity~”
“Gulp! I don’t…”
Loti Shana quickly conceded, not daring to look at Bai’s expression.
This left her without a scrap of dignity.
Night Lan patted Loti Shana’s head.
“Alright, alright, don’t be nervous. I won’t make any outrageous demands. I’m not some kind of demon.”
“Really?”
“Of course it’s true! How could I possibly deceive you?”
Hearing this, Loti Shana temporarily felt relieved.
As long as it wasn’t something like sharing a bed…
As queen, she had never encountered such things, but she had heard rumors.
“So what is the request? I want to know now!”
“Well~ If you’re so eager, I’ll just spill it—how about we become good friends?”
Night Star Lan casually tossed those words out.
Loti Shana was immediately stunned.
“Friends?”
“Yes, friends! Your status is so high and you probably don’t have many friends, right? After becoming queen, it seems like even fewer people can reach you—you’re either out for solitary walks or stuck savoring afternoon tea on your own, like a lonely loli.”
After a lengthy observation, Night Star Lan had a clear grasp of Loti Shana’s social life.
Before she became queen, it was uncertain, but now… she often found herself alone.
The people she interacted with were mostly subordinates, bound by loyalty influenced by stellar power—they could never be friends.
Not having any friends was one thing. Not even having a confidant? That was bleak.
If loneliness continued, who knows what might happen?
But Loti Shana shook her head.
“I don’t need friends; kings are meant to be solitary. No one can truly understand me.”
“Is that so… Perhaps you still care about that so-called dignity? Well, let me give you an option—would you like to be my bed warmer or a good friend? Choose one~”
“Gulp…”
Was there even a choice?
There really wasn’t!
“Then I guess I’ll be a good friend…”
“That’s more like it~”
Night Star Lan pulled Loti Shana close, showing no hint of embarrassment.
“Since we’ve become good friends, we don’t have to bother with all that formalities. Let’s get close and cozy! We’re sleeping together tonight~”
This ‘good friend’ relationship opened up a multitude of possibilities.
Night Star Lan could definitely use this bond to get all handsy with Loti Shana without any backlash.
Requests?
Once they became inseparable friends, would she even need to make any specific demands?
She could just snuggle up!
With a good tussle, everyone would win!
“Gulp!”
Loti Shana was taken aback by Night Lan’s actions.
She felt like she’d been tricked.
This level of emotional leap was certainly not what she had anticipated.
Was this how friends interacted?
Did they all just embrace at the slightest disagreement and decide to share a bed?
Having never had friends before, Loti Shana had no point of comparison.
But her gut told her that Night Lan’s interpretation of ‘friends’ was completely different from what she had imagined!
Sleeping together wasn’t more like sharing a bed with a servant, right?
“Gulch~”
Loti Shana swallowed nervously, her royal demeanor completely vanishing.
“Uh… are all friends like this?”
“Probably, maybe, perhaps… right?”
“I feel like that’s not quite it…”
Loti Shana weakly countered, devoid of any remaining authority.
“Hey! I don’t care about what you think; I want what I think! So just look forward to tonight.”
But tonight was still a ways off.
Night Star Lan took Loti Shana’s hand and led her away from the table.
“While it’s still early, let me show you around. Although it’s just nature’s craftsmanship, it’s not any less amazing than your palace!”
“Gulp! Don’t drag me! I can walk on my own…”
In the end, Loti Shana was still enthusiastically pulled along by Night Star Lan.
Leaving Luo Xi and Night Star behind.
Luo Xi watched as Night Star Lan and Loti Shana walked away, then asked.
“You could have done anything with her without her consent.”
“But that’s just the same as playing with a puppet! Getting cozy with a puppet isn’t amusing at all. Do you want to be with a puppet-like me, Luo Xi?”
Luo Xi fell into momentary thought before shaking her head.
“Not at all.”
“So you see, a mutual relationship is essential. Otherwise, it’s just too boring.”
