Gathering Wives with a System

Chapter 704: Meeting Seventh Queen In Secret, Hero Unit

She immediately sent a message to Isaac and the others, informing them about the letter and where she was going. She did not wait for a response before leaving her room. Alice was not particularly afraid of an ambush, since anyone who wanted to attack her would have to be confident that they could actually defeat her.

Alice followed the directions written in the letter until she eventually arrived before a large door guarded by two automatons. It took her a few seconds to recognize the place as one of Jasmine’s private chambers, likely one of the several bedrooms the Queen possessed within the palace. The realization made her slightly more cautious, but she did not hesitate to approach the entrance.

"Please enter," one of the guards said as she reached the door. The guard opened it for her, allowing Alice to step inside without another word.

The chamber was considerably larger than the room she had been given, but it followed the same plant-focused style that she had noticed throughout the palace. Large wooden pillars supported the ceiling, vines climbed along the walls, and several indoor trees stood near the windows while small plants decorated the edges of the room. The arrangement was beautiful but practical, giving the chamber the feeling of a private garden rather than an overly decorated royal room.

At the far end of the chamber, Jasmine sat at a table with a cup of tea in front of her.

The Seventh Queen looked toward Alice as she entered, an unreadable smile resting on her face. Alice quietly closed the door behind herself and walked farther into the room, keeping her attention fixed on the Queen. There was something about Jasmine that made Alice annoyed, although she could not explain exactly what it was.

"My, my, you messaged everyone even though I told you not to," the Seventh Queen said with a light sigh and a small smile.

Alice felt that same strange annoyance again as she looked at her, and for some reason, she found herself disliking this woman more with every passing moment. Even Alice did not understand why she felt this way.

"It is not a good habit to hack into someone else’s device and look through their messages," Alice said as she sat down across from Jasmine. Her voice remained calm, although she made no effort to hide her displeasure.

"You are talking rather aggressively for someone who came here alone. Aren’t you afraid that I might do something to you while you are inside my chamber?" Jasmine asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Try me," Alice replied without hesitation.

Jasmine stared at her for several seconds and quickly realized that Alice was not bluffing. She covered her mouth with one hand and chuckled softly, seemingly amused by the complete lack of fear in Alice’s response.

"I suppose a Hero must have at least this much confidence," Jasmine said with a smile.

Alice frowned because the unfamiliar term immediately caught her attention. "A what?"

"A Hero unit. They are similar to Conquerors, but in certain ways, they are actually stronger. No, I should call them miraculous, instead of stronger. You are one of them," Jasmine explained.

Alice’s expression became more serious. She had heard many strange things, but Jasmine spoke about the matter as though she were explaining something that should have been obvious. Alice did not know whether to believe her.

"I wish to speak with you at length, Miss Alice. However, I would appreciate it if you stopped fiddling with that recording device because it will not send any messages, just like the ones you tried to send earlier—"

"It’s Mrs. Alice," Alice said, cutting her off.

Jasmine fell silent for a few seconds. She looked at Alice with an expression that suggested she was genuinely struggling to understand why that had been the part Alice chose to correct.

"...Is that really what you should be focusing on?" Jasmine asked.

Alice looked at her without changing her expression, making it clear that she believed the correction was completely reasonable. Jasmine sighed and shook her head as though she had just encountered someone whose priorities were impossible to understand.

"Fine, Mrs. Alice. Can you stop fiddling with the recording device now? I have already activated a jammer, so it will not be able to send anything outside this room. That said, the recording function itself will continue working, so you can show everything you record to the others after you leave," Jasmine said.

Alice continued operating the device discreetly despite Jasmine’s warning. She did not expect the Seventh Queen to overlook something like this, but she wanted to continue gathering information while they talked.

"What are you trying to do?" Alice asked, keeping her eyes on Jasmine.

"As I said, you are a Hero unit, so naturally, I want someone as precious as you to work for me. I am not asking you to join my city or abandon your husband, and you can continue living with Isaac if that is what you want. I only want you to complete a few tasks for me and come to my aid in the future whenever I ask for it," Jasmine answered.

Alice’s brows furrowed more deeply as she listened. She already knew that Jasmine possessed an ability related to seeing the future, although the visions she received were often incomplete or incorrect. Alice could not help wondering whether this sudden interest in her was connected to one of those visions.

"Why should I work for you?" Alice asked.

Honestly, she had already decided that she would refuse whatever Jasmine offered. Alice might have considered cooperating if Jasmine had simply proposed working together, but being asked to personally work for the Seventh Queen was something entirely different. As a dragon, Alice could not accept that, although she was willing to hear what Jasmine planned to offer as payment.

However, Alice stiffened when she heard the Queen’s next words.

"Have you ever thought about it, Mrs. Alice? Why are you so obsessed with Isaac? Even before your dragon bloodline awakened, your attachment to him was already far beyond what should have been normal," Jasmine said, her smile becoming slightly different.

Alice’s expression slowly hardened as Jasmine continued speaking. "What if I told you that your obsession with Isaac is not natural? What if the feelings you believe belong entirely to you were influenced by something else from the very beginning?"

Jasmine leaned slightly forward, her eyes remaining fixed on Alice. "The truth is what I will pay you with, Mrs. Alice, because I believe that once you learn why you became so obsessed with Isaac, you will understand exactly why I came to you."