บท 40: Planting Ideas
Irene froze in place, stunned.
"Think about it... When did I promise you anything?" Menma asked with a smirk beneath his mask.
He needed to catch her off guard if he wanted to affect Irene in any way. Knowing that her current state stemmed from boredom, it was easy to catch her interest when something surprised her.
Irene was shocked and found that, as Menma said, he had never promised herself anything from beginning to end.
The other party only told her his name and followed her.
Her eyes lit up, and she glanced at Menma with a charming smile before hiding it.
Irene bit her lower lip and put on a pleading look.
"Then, do you agree?"
"I'm afraid not, dear..."
Without the slightest hesitation, Menma denied her.
"But..."
Menma turned his head and dragged a long voice.
Everyone's hearts beat violently, and they couldn't help but hope.
"Man can resist all but temptation..."
Menma didn't clarify, but Irene already understood what he meant. The phrase "Man can resist all but temptation" already explains Menma's request.
He wants benefits.
Knowing this, Irene couldn't help but be disappointed. Nevertheless, Irene directly gave what she thought was the highest condition, "Lord Menma, as long as you are willing to protect our country, whatever you want, we can give it."
"Oh? Anything?" Menma asked curiously.
Menma feigned shock, knowing that things were going in the right direction.
"Okay, come up here, and I'll tell you," Menma spoke as he motioned Irene up with his hand.
Irene didn't think much about it, and under the attention of the surrounding Laffus and a group of ministers and soldiers, she walked up the steps and came to the throne.
"What exactly do you want... Mmph!? "
Irene was about to ask Menma what he wanted when, unexpectedly, the other party pulled her into her arms.
"You, what are you doing?" Irene said with a blush appearing on her face.
Never in her life had she been treated like this. She was the first Uzumaki Matriarch, the creator of the Demon Slaying Technique, and a genius in the path of enchantments.
When had anybody dared to do something like this?
Coming to her senses, Irene was already in the arms of Menma.
Menma raised a hand and held up Irene's chin, glancing into her eyes through his mask.
"Oh, isn't the Queen the most precious thing in this country?" Menma asked in a cynical tone.
Menma put an arm around Irene and supported her head with his other hand under Irene's embarrassed gaze.
"What sort of time are we in... With our little country about to go extinct due to demons, power is everything. Money? Fame? Status? It all means nothing right now. I can get whatever I want if I'm strong enough... Including you, Irene..." Menma said in a condescending tone.
Menma held her head high, emanating a sense of oppression that made Irene sweat coldly.
Irene should have been furious, but strangely, she couldn't help but be curious.
"He's right... All of my titles, wealth, and beauty mean nothing to him... Perhaps I should let this play out..." Irene thought as she gave a fake resigned look to Menma.
All of this was caught in the eyes of Menma, who smiled beneath his mask.
The first step to creation was destruction. If Menma wanted to become something in Irene's heart, he had to destroy everything she once knew.
It was only a matter of time now...
"Okay, if you all understand, you can leave now," Menma said as he waved his hand, signaling all the ministers and nobles in the palace to get out.
Others subconsciously looked towards Laffus, the Queen's fiance, a noble from the Land of Demons.
From the eyes of others, Menma also noticed the noble standing off to the side.
"Huh? Oh, isn't this the king of our glorious country?" Menma said in a joking tone.
Laffers stared at Menma with a mixture of anger and fear.
Menma let go of Irene and got up to walk towards the Noble.
"You seem uncomfortable... Do you have any grievances with me?" Menma asked jokingly as he walked towards him.
Laffers stared at him and was about to speak when the hall suddenly became cold. Laffers blinked and stared at Menma only to see a figure shrouded in cold purple-black chakra.
Laffer's back instantly became soaked in cold sweat. He barely raised his head and looked at Menma, who was walking towards him, and a shaky smile appeared on his gloomy face.
"None at all, Lord Menma..." Laffers said shakily.
"Is that so? Then why are you still here?" Menma asked with his aura slowly letting up.
"Y-Yes, Lord Menma... I'll be on my way..." Laffers said as he turned to walk away.
When Laffers and a group of nobles were about to leave the hall, Menma suddenly smirked underneath his mask.
"Don't worry... I'll take good care of your Fiance for you," Menma laughed.
Irene saw Laffers' footsteps stump and almost fell to the ground, and she couldn't help but feel odd. She wasn't nearly as calm as before after Menma had released his chakra at full power.
"Hahaha!!!"
Menma did not hesitate to open his mouth and laugh, and the harsh laughter, like a demon's curse, was deeply imprinted in Laffer's heart.
"Take me to your room..." Menma asked, looking back at Irene after Laffers had left the room.
A sense of humiliation rose in Irene's heart, even if her marriage to Laffers was motivated by political considerations. When had she ever been treated like this? She thought about resisting but knew she couldn't after truly feeling his strength.
She regretted letting her curiosity get the best of her.
"Better him than Laffers, I suppose... Perhaps he can also help my clansman..." Irene thought as she tried her best to convince herself.
Soon, they entered her bedroom, sitting in a small lounge. Knowing where this was going, Irene loosened the strap to her clothes.
"Oh Irene, why are you taking your clothes off?" Menma asked mockingly as he looked towards her from his chair.
Irene felt her nails digging into her palms. Still, she let them go after a moment and gave an enchanting smile in Menma's direction.
"Oh Lord Menma, you don't have to worry about me... I just thought I would get more comfortable for you..." Irene said as she covered her smile with her left hand.
Menma chuckled before getting up and taking off his mask. His mocking, cold blue eyes stared into hers.
"Oh, Irene... Put your fake smile away. Do you think I can't see the anger in your eyes?" Menma asked with a smirk adorning his face.
Irene's smile faded away, leaving only a blank face with cold eyes staring back.
"Haha... Is this your true face? I knew from the moment I saw you that we were similar..." Menma said with a laugh.
Irene's eyes widened in confusion.
"What do you mean...?" Irene asked with genuine confusion.
Menma only responded with laughter that echoed through the dimly lit chamber, filling Irene with unease. She had expected anger or fear, but his laughter sent shivers down her spine.
"What do I mean, Irene?" Menma's voice took on a seductive tone as he slowly circled her.
"I mean that you and I are the same. We're both trapped in this world of boredom. The only difference is that I've already woken up."
Irene watched him warily as he continued to speak, her blank face replaced by a mask of caution.
"You're tired of the mundane, aren't you?" Menma's words were like a whispered promise of something more.
"Tired of the politics, the obligations, the facade you must wear as a queen. You crave excitement, purpose, something beyond the boring reality you live in."
Irene's heart pounded as Menma's words struck a chord within her. She had always been bound by her duties and responsibilities towards her clan.
"And here I am," Menma said, his voice dripping with honeyed charm, "offering you a glimpse of a world you've only dreamed of. A world where you can be free from the shackles of your past, your obligations, and even your fiance."
Irene's thoughts raced. She knew she should be cautious that this man could be dangerous, but her curiosity had been piqued.
Menma stepped closer, his fingers gently tracing a strand of her hair.
"Irene, I can give you the answer to all your desires. I can give you purpose, excitement, and power beyond your wildest dreams..."
Irene's inner turmoil raged on. She couldn't deny the allure of what Menma was offering but couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that this was all too good to be true.
"How can I trust you?" Irene's voice wavered, revealing her uncertainty. "Why should you after everything that has happened..."
Menma's smile never wavered. His eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that was both captivating and unnerving. "You can't trust me... But think about it. What do you truly have to lose?"
Irene's mind raced as she weighed the possibilities. She didn't know why, but she felt faintly excited.
"You don't need to answer now... After all, you still have to report to your people tomorrow..." Menma said with a smirk.
Menma pulled away and placed his mask back on his face.
"I'll sleep in another room for tonight. You think over my offer."
**********
Menma woke up to the sun breaking through his window.
After he had left Irene last night, he had gotten a bedroom arranged for himself.
He was in no hurry with Irene. He had to stay with her for another two and a half years, and he was getting bored of killing demons.
Walking to the palace, he saw Irene standing waiting for him with a charming smile.
"To think the Queen would wait for me..." Menma said with a smirk.
"This morning, we are going to the central square to tell the people the news of the birth of our new protector," Irene said with a smile.
Menma laughed a bit and walked past her.
"I thought you were tired of living like this?" Menma asked as he saw Irene following behind him.
"... I am the Queen of this country, and before that I was the Matriarch of the Uzumaki. I have a responsibility." Irene replied after a moment of silence.
"Oh Irene, you're so naive," Menma replied but said nothing more.
"Hurry up. There should already be many people gathered in the square," Irene said, ignoring Menma.
"What's the rush, Irene..." Menma said as he put his arm around Irene's shoulders. Irene didn't resist and entered the palace's main hall with him.
As Menma entered, he saw Laffers and other nobles waiting for him and Irene.
Laffers, seeing Menma's arm around Irene, quickly felt his anger surge, but upon remembering last night, he calmed down and stared gloomily.
"Okay, aren't you going to give a speech to the people? I'm curious to see what kind of eyes those civilians will look at me with." Menma said with disdain.
They soon walked out with Menma and Irene leading with Laffers and the ministers behind them.
Menma had fully released his chakra and exposed his arm full of tribal markings that softly pulsed with energy.
The ominous aura coming from Menma's body was completely exposed, especially the arm still resting on Irene's shoulder.
The people of Dragonof would be unable to forget this moment for a long time.
In addition to the new protector, the image of Menma as a half-human and half-demon had been cemented in the eyes of the people.
What impressed them even more was the statement he made in the square.
"I have no interest in protecting you, and I participated in this war for my own reasons, but you can rest assured that at least your Queen has persuaded me to save your lives for the time being..."
In this passage, the hand that had been on Irene's shoulder during his time in the square with Menma, many people guessed what was going on.
Even more annoyed was Laffers, who clearly felt that everyone's gaze on him was becoming more strange.
Even if he didn't see it with his own eyes, when he thought of what might have happened in Irene's room last night, he would tremble in anger. As a man who had been in a high position for a long time, how could he stand it?
"Irene was supposed to be mine!" Laffers thought to himself.
Unfortunately, he didn't dare to stand up to Menma. The scene of the demon walking towards him gave him nightmares.
As the speech ended and the group walked back towards the palace, Menma couldn't help but glance at Laffers out of the corner of his eye.
"It seems that were one step closer..." Menma thought with a smirk.
************
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