The Hidden Monster of House Vale

Chapter 136: Chapter - 136 - Ambition and Seduction in the Palace

Lucien’s lips pressed against Celbeth’s, the kiss deep, heavy, and full of unrestrained heat. His tongue slid past her parted lips while his hand moved up, his fingers sinking into the soft flesh of her bare breast, squeezing it with firm, lingering pressure.

Celbeth shifted, her breathing shallow as she straddled him, sitting on top of his lap. Her outer robes had long since fallen away, discarded in a loose heap on the cold floor. She was half-naked, her upper body completely exposed while she wore only her delicate silk panties below.

”So, where are you planning to make this power base?” Celbeth asked, her voice carrying a quiet huskiness between breathless pauses. ”Are you going to conquer some new place?”

”Who knows?” Lucien murmured against her mouth. He didn’t break the connection for long, his voice dark and smooth. ”Don’t worry, we will have our own power base. It will be the main base for all our operations.”

As he spoke, his hand slid slowly downward, trailing over her flat stomach until his fingers slipped beneath the damp silk of her panties, lightly touching her sensitive core. Celbeth gasped into his mouth as he leaned back in to kiss her again, pulling her flush against his chest. Lucien himself was half-naked, stripped down to only his trousers, his bare chest pressed against her bare skin.

Just as the heat between them began to coil tighter, a sudden, sharp knock echoed from the heavy wooden door.

The heavy mood shattered instantly.

”Seriously?” Celbeth groaned, pulling back with a look of sheer frustration on her flushed face. ”Why do we never get time to finish what we start? It’s always like this.”

She let out an annoyed sigh and slid off him. Gathering her robes off the floor, she wrapped them around herself, tying the sash hurriedly before walking over to pull open the door. Lucien remained resting back, still half-naked in only his pants, watching her with an amused glint in his eye.

Standing in the hallway outside was Maisy.

”Lord Lucien,” Maisy began, her eyes immediately darting downward before bouncing back up as she swallowed hard. ”There are a few royal soldiers outside with a royal carriage. They said they are waiting for you.”

Celbeth turned her head toward Lucien, adjusting the neck of her robe. ”You have a meeting in the royal palace?”

Maisy stepped inside the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

”Yeah, Queen Cynthia called me to her private quarters,” Lucien said, standing up and reaching for his coat. ”Maybe she has something important to talk about.”

A dangerous, sultry smile crept onto Celbeth’s lips as she tilted her head. ”Oh? Something important? Are you sure she doesn’t just want to dual cultivate with you or something?”

Lucien slid his clothes over his shoulders, fixing his collar with practiced ease. ”No, I don’t think so. We aren’t that close. And why does your mind always go in that direction?”

Having put on his full attire, Lucien stepped past the bed toward the door. But before he could take more than a few paces, Maisy suddenly moved forward. She wrapped her slender arms tight around his waist from behind, burying her face into his back.

”Woah, someone is clingy today,” Celbeth remarked, leaning back against a wooden post and watching Maisy with an entertained smirk.

Maisy gripped his coat tighter, a deep crimson blush spreading across her pale cheeks. Her voice was small, almost trembling. ”Lu... Lucien... when will you give me a little of your time?”

Lucien paused. He slowly turned around within her grasp, bringing his hands up to gently cup her warm, soft cheeks. Tilting her head up, he leaned down until his lips were right beside her delicate ear, his breath lingering against her skin.

”Maisy, no one can replace you,” he murmured in a voice soft enough to send a shiver through her entire body. ”And don’t worry, we will soon spend more time together and focus on your cultivation, okay? I hope you’ll be waiting for me.”

He pulled back slightly, offering her a warm, reassuring smile that made her pulse race, before turning on his heel and walking out the door.

As soon as Lucien left, Celbeth slipped over to stand beside the blushing girl, nudging her shoulder playfully. ”Wow, you were very bold today. Seems like you caught him completely off guard.”

Maisy lowered her head, playing with her fingers as the warmth in her face refused to leave. ”Maybe... Lady Celbeth... does Lord Lucien like powerful women?”

Celbeth smiled softly, her eyes softening as she watched the doorway Lucien had just passed through. ”Maybe. But I feel like you are special to him.”

The royal carriage moved smoothly through the inner district, flanked on all sides by fully armored royal guards. Lucien sat comfortably inside, gazing out the window as they approached the looming architecture of the royal palace.

Upon arrival, he was escorted through long, quiet marble halls directly toward Queen Cynthia’s private chamber. The guards stood firm outside the heavy double doors. One of them stepped forward, knocked respectfully, and announced, ”Your Majesty, Lord Lucien has arrived.”

From within the chamber, Queen Cynthia’s rich, commanding voice cut through the silence. ”Let him enter.”

The guard pushed the heavy doors open and promptly bowed out, pulling the doors shut behind Lucien as soon as he crossed the threshold.

The private chamber was lavishly decorated, bathed in soft, glowing light. At the far end sat Queen Cynthia on her private throne. But as soon as the doors clicked shut and Lucien took a step forward, she stood up from her seat.

Her dark, elegant robes clung tightly to her voluptuous curves, trailing smoothly over the polished floor as she walked down the stepped platform toward him. She stopped just inches away, her rich perfume filling the narrow space between them. Her gaze was intense, tracing over his sharp features with an almost intoxicating weight.

”Finally, you came,” Cynthia said, her voice dripping with soft intrigue as she tilted her chin up slightly to look him in the eye. ”Aren’t you afraid?”

Lucien held her dangerous gaze without flinching, a smooth smile settling on his lips. ”Why should I be scared? I have done nothing wrong, so I believe if Her Highness has called me, there must be a good reason.”

Queen Cynthia let out a quiet sigh, the swell of her chest shifting beneath her fitted bodice as she looked at him.

”I was told that Princess Verna told everyone she is a demonic realm master... and that we have the blood of the Demonic Realm,” Cynthia murmured, her eyes searching his face for any sign of revulsion.

”Yes, Her Highness. I am aware of that,” Lucien replied, his expression remaining entirely calm and composed.

”And for some reason, you are not really surprised,” Cynthia said, moving a fraction of an inch closer, her soft breath brushing his neck. ”In fact, you were the only one who encouraged her. She is feeling much more confident now, and I am glad I sent her with you. She told me that even Norrik was surprised and took a few moments to reply after she confessed the truth. But you supported her without hesitation. For that... I am deep in your debt as a mother.”

She bowed her head slightly, her posture dropping in a clear sign of deep, genuine appreciation.

”Her Highness, I just said what I felt was right at that moment,” Lucien said smoothly. ”If anyone else had been in her place, I would have said the exact same thing.”

Cynthia slowly straightened up, her eyes locking onto his with renewed intensity. The grateful mother dissolved back into the powerful, calculating sovereign.

”Now, for the important matters,” she said, her voice dropping into a low, alluring murmur. ”I believe I told you I knew your secret after the Imperial Succession trial ended. And I also know that you carry demonic power. You are a Demonic Realm master, and I can see that you now possess a demonic physique that originates directly from the Demonic Realm... Am I right?”

Lucien gave a quiet sigh, shaking his head faintly.

”Seems like nothing can deceive your eyes,” Lucien admitted, his dark eyes gleaming. ”That is true. I do have an ancient demonic physique from the Demonic Realm. And I also found a path leading directly to the Demonic Realm. For now, I have sealed that path. But if Demonic Realm masters ever start passing through it, it could create a massive problem for this world.”

Queen Cynthia stood in deep thought, her brow furrowing slightly as her eyes swept over his body again, trying to read the hidden energy shifting beneath his skin.

”Which demonic physique do you have?” she asked, her voice rich with rising curiosity. ”I can feel that you possess one, but I cannot discern which one it is.”

”The Abyssal Demonic Buddha Physique,” Lucien said, a subtle smile spreading across his face.

Cynthia’s breath hitched. Her lips parted slightly in genuine shock, her regal composure breaking for a fraction of a second. ”The... Abyssal Demonic Buddha Physique...?”

She took a small breath to steady herself, leaning in close enough that her silken sleeve brushed against his chest. ”And... if you don’t mind me asking, Lucien... what realm are you actually in right now? I know you are not merely a Spirit Forge Realm master, because I am completely unable to see your true cultivation level.”

”Abyss Core Realm,” Lucien answered smoothly. ”I am still in the early stage.”

”What? Abyss Core Realm?” Cynthia repeated, her eyes widening. ”Even the most powerful Realm Masters here can barely reach the Spirit Forge Realm...”

”Trust me, Her Highness, I have seen people who are far more powerful than me,” Lucien said, his tone casual yet deadly serious. ”Whether they are from the Demonic Realm or the Heavenly Realm, it makes no difference. I believe if we do not make ourselves more powerful, a single Demonic Realm master could easily destroy the human realm someday.”

Though Queen Cynthia carried demonic blood, she did not side with the destruction of the human world. She wanted peace and stability for her kingdom, but as a ruler, she understood better than anyone that peace was impossible without absolute power to enforce it.

She stepped closer still, looking into his calm, unreadable eyes. ”And what is your goal, Lucien?”

”I am just a curious man,” Lucien replied, his usual calm smile remaining steady. ”I want to see the extent.”

Those simple words sent an unexpected chill straight down Cynthia’s spine.

To see the extent. It meant he wanted to know how far his power could reach, how many cultivation realms he could crush, how many worlds existed, and how far he could push reality itself. He didn’t just want power; he wanted to experience the absolute apex of existence.

Cynthia was far too intelligent to ever make an enemy of a man like him—especially now, knowing what he was truly capable of becoming.

Her gaze softened, carrying a subtle, seductive heat as she looked up at him, placing a soft, slender hand gently onto his chest. Her fingers rested lightly against his broad frame.

”Tell me what it is you need, Lucien,” she whispered, her voice low and intoxicating. ”I want to support you. I will do anything to save my kingdom... and my daughter.”

Lucien’s eyebrows raised slightly. ”Your daughter? What happened to Princess Verna?”

Cynthia leaned her head closer to his, her breath warm against his cheek, her darkeyes showing a rare trace of vulnerability mixed with desperate allure. ”She has a problem in her blood. Unlike our ancestors who possessed pure demonic blood, mine and her demonic blood is slowly fading. If we don’t do something about it soon, there is a chance she might die.”

Lucien remained silent for a moment, processing her words as he looked down at the queen standing so dangerously close to him.

”So how can she be saved?” he asked, his interest clearly piqued.

Cynthia looked up into his eyes, a faint, rosy flush spreading across her cheekbones, contrasting tantalizingly with her majestic demeanor. Her hand on his chest shifted slightly, her fingers pressing just a little firmer against him.

”She needs pure demonic essence introduced directly into her core,” Cynthia whispered, her eyes dark with a heavy, unspoken meaning. ”And... so do I.”

Lucien met her gaze, understanding the hidden depth behind her words instantly. A faint, knowing smile played on his lips.

”I understand,” Lucien said smoothly. ”I’ll find a way. But for now, I am planning to create my own power base.”

Cynthia tilted her face up, bringing her red lips lingeringly close to his cheek, her body pressing lightly against his as she whispered into his ear.

”I want to help you,” she murmured, her voice thick with promise and seductive temptation. ”And if that is what you seek... then perhaps I have something very valuable to offer you.”

Lucien’s smile widened, his eyes gleaming with dark intrigue. ”Interesting.”