Read Novel Full Chapter 226: Arrived
Chapter 226: Arrived
Richard felt that there was no point in strengthening his resolve. This did not require resolve—only action without hesitation.
He forced his hand and mouth to move. At the very least, he managed to place the bottle in front of his lips.
Hesitation surfaced again in his mind, but once more, he forced himself.
He pushed the bottom of the bottle, pouring its contents into his mouth.
With that push, a considerable amount of the potion flowed straight down his throat.
His eyes widened as even his throat felt intensely bitter.
He realized that it even flowed into his airway, heading toward his lungs.
Strangely, it did not make him cough.
Still, at least a fair amount entered his mouth.
He stopped when he could no longer endure it and saw that half of the bottle’s contents were already gone.
At that moment, he felt a sensation throughout his body—a sensation as if his body could now hold more Aether.
However, his head felt dizzy to the point where the world itself seemed to spin.
His mind swore that he would not drink any more. This was enough. After all, there was no point in drinking more since the effect diminished after the first cup. The second would only provide a supplementary effect.
Rather than tasting that bitterness again, Richard would prefer gaining nothing at all.
"Huh, huh!" He exhaled repeatedly as he began to feel short of breath.
Fortunately, he was a powerful Magus who could stabilize his body despite his brain’s strong rejection of what he had consumed.
"What is that, Richard?"
Grace, whom he had left downstairs, suddenly arrived and asked while staring at the wooden bottle in his hand.
Richard did not answer immediately, waiting until his expression stabilized.
"A good potion for the body, allowing us to hold more Aether. Try it," he replied as he handed the bottle to Grace.
Half of it would be for Grace. He wanted to see her expression when she drank it.
Grace naturally accepted the wooden bottle and examined its contents.
After confirming that it was safe to drink, she immediately tried it.
Richard, who had been expecting an expression of suffering on her face, could only freeze.
Grace was just like the Fire Spirit Queen—she drank the potion without any change in expression at all, as if it were nothing more than plain water.
She finished it quickly, then closed her eyes, seemingly trying to feel the potion’s effects.
Richard could not help but wonder whether it was his own tongue that was faulty.
"This is incredible," Grace said as she opened her eyes.
"Where did you find this? Is there more?" she asked Richard.
Richard fell silent for quite a while before shaking his head.
He was too lazy to ask the Fire Spirit Queen for more.
Grace looked disappointed but said nothing further.
She returned the wooden bottle to Richard, who still kept it even though it was now just an ordinary bottle.
Grace then sat on the balcony railing, crossing her long, pale legs so that they were revealed through the slit of her dress.
She took out some wine and began drinking again.
Apparently, she had prepared a glass for Richard as well.
"This won’t make you heavily drunk—just more confident. Let’s drink to the fact that tonight, you’ll be sleeping with the queen of this nation," she said.
Richard did not know whether to laugh or cry upon hearing that.
Feeling that it would be impolite to refuse, he accepted the wine.
Clang!
They clinked glasses before drinking together.
---
Time passed, and Richard remained on the balcony.
Grace was not always there; sometimes she wandered around, doing random things.
On the other hand, Richard began to feel uneasy.
It was already close to dusk, yet the Fire Spirit Queen—whom he had asked to find clothes—still had not returned.
There was no way she would deliberately not come.
The only reason she had not returned yet could be that she still had not found suitable clothes for him.
Richard realized that assigning her such a task might not have been appropriate.
Growing more pessimistic, he began thinking about which of his own clothes he would wear.
What he wanted was a white robe, as it symbolized calmness and benevolence—but when he thought about it, he realized that there was not even a single white outfit among his belongings.
While he was lost in thought, Richard was startled to see a white crow flying swiftly toward him.
Before he could even blink, the white crow had already arrived in front of him.
Richard immediately stood up.
"White Ancestor," he said. "Why have you come?"
Richard could not stay calm at his arrival.
If he also wanted to attend the wedding, Richard feared that he might even witness his first night with Lilith.
"Why can’t I come, boy? Are you not happy?" the White Ancestor replied.
Although Richard reacted normally, this crow clearly sensed his anxiety.
"Uhmm..." Richard cleared his throat and gave a wry smile. "It’s not like that. It’s just a bit surprising. After all, you’re an extremely busy master guarding the Skylight Clan."
"Hmph, hmph..." The White Ancestor snorted softly.
"I want to give you this ring..." The White Ancestor suddenly took out a golden ring that looked plain at first glance, yet shone with an intense luster.
However, Richard did not sense anything special about it.
It might be made of extraordinary material, but it did not seem to possess any power.
"Give this ring to your official wife. It has been passed down through generations to the wives of the heirs, starting from the founder’s wife, and even the wives of the other two Grand Sovereigns of the Skylight Clan."
"Ohhh..."
Richard was stunned, staring at the golden ring more seriously, filled with shock and awe.
If what the White Ancestor said was true, then this ring had been worn by extraordinary women of past eras.
"It is not without power. You simply cannot sense it," the White Ancestor continued.
"What kind of power does it have?" Richard asked.
"In times of danger, it will release the residual power of the previous ladies to protect the current one. Their combined strength is enough to withstand any attack in this world. This is the clan’s guarantee of safety for your official wife. You should be grateful," the White Ancestor explained.
After learning all this, Richard immediately stored the ring.
"By the way, if I marry again—" Before he could finish, the White Ancestor flapped his wings.
"There is only one ring. If you marry again, you must choose which woman to give it to. Of course, you may also keep it for another woman in the future... Hmph, hmph, boy, you’d better not be greedy. The Skylight Clan does not have the tradition of three wives and four concubines."
The White Ancestor flapped his wings toward Richard’s face and then shot away.
Richard was glad he had left, yet he could not help but roll his eyes at the White Ancestor’s words and actions.
He shook his head, stood up, and entered the room prepared for him at the inn.
To his surprise, the Fire Spirit Queen was actually there, sitting cross-legged on the bed.
"Queen, have you been here long?" Richard asked.
"Just arrived," the Fire Spirit Queen replied as she waved her hand, tossing a white robe out of her Storage Artifact.
It landed directly in Richard’s hands.
He was shocked by the softness of the fabric. Even silk was not that smooth.
The white robe looked plain yet had an elegant design, paired with a pale silver belt that would make its wearer appear both dignified and refined.
Richard had to admit that he was quite satisfied.
"Where did you get this, Queen?" Richard asked curiously.
"I bought it in the City Without Limits. And this—I think you’ll look better with it," the Fire Spirit Queen replied as she tossed over a pair of brown leather boots adorned with silver engravings.
Richard had not expected her to prepare shoes as well.
His gaze toward her could not help but turn warm, as he felt that this cold woman—who was of the same generation as his ancestors—was beginning to show care toward him.
He smiled brightly and said, "Thank you, Queen."
"If you want to thank me, then don’t ever make me do something like this again!" she replied, turning around and leaving through the window.
She vanished instantly, like a flame being extinguished.
Richard scratched his head.
Still, he did not think too much about it. The Fire Spirit Queen was always like that when responding.
Richard then went into the bathroom.
Although his body was already clean, he wanted to make sure he was even cleaner.
More importantly, he wanted to smell exceptionally good.
His appearance had to make everyone agree that he and Lilith were truly destined for each other—so much so that no one should object.
He bathed for quite a while, then dried his body without using a towel.
After that, he began putting on the white robe.
The size fit his body perfectly, and the belt sat snugly around his waist.
The shoes were also extremely comfortable.
Richard felt satisfied.
He did not look at himself in the mirror, as he did not want to indulge in self-admiration. Wearing the new outfit, he left his room.
Everyone was already waiting. After all, it was already night, and the wedding was about to begin.
Even Sister Lisa was wearing a gown today—a luxurious red dress paired with high heels that made her appear taller.
Although her beauty was not excessive, her aura as a powerful knight remained, easily drawing admiration from men.
Mrs. Wilson wore the same dress as before, but with makeup that made her look younger.
Only Grace did not change her appearance, yet even on ordinary days, she surpassed women who dressed up for parties.
If she dressed too flamboyantly, people might start wondering whether she was also the bride.
"Richard, the palace’s head butler is waiting for you outside. You must go with him. We’ll go to the palace as ordinary invited guests," Sister Lisa said.
"Sister, why don’t you come with me?" Richard asked.
"Lilith forbade it. She doesn’t want people to know that you have close companions who are important to you, as that would be dangerous for us," Sister Lisa replied.