"You reek of smoke. Stay away from ." Sang Luo wrinkled her nose in disgust at the sll clinging to him.
Duotu took off his jacket, bracing one hand on the headboard. With the other, he gently stroked her large belly and said with a smile, "Are you feeling better? I’ve been a bit busy lately and haven’t had ti to see you. Luoluo must be upset with ."
"You finally have a few days to rest. Your Majesty should focus on recovering. You don’t need to worry about ," Sang Luo pouted playfully.
After refining the Soul bone, her body felt fantastic.
Duotu, on the other hand, was always busy. He was either dealing with the tireso matters of the court, maneuvering with ministers from various kingdoms, or reviewing docunts late into the night. On top of that, he still had to find ti to care for her. This ti, he’d been seriously injured and unconscious for over half a month... Ever since he beca the Beast King, she had rarely seen him get any real rest. It was a world of difference from his carefree, prodigal days as a Prince.
’Being the Beast King isn’t so easy, is it?’ Sang Luo really wanted to ask him one question: ’Do you regret it?’
She could guess the answer of the man before her.
Never.
Only by ascending to the supre position could he obtain everything he desired.
His ambition was imnse.
If Duotu knew what she was thinking, he would probably give a wry smile. His ambition was imnse, but at tis, it was also very small—small enough to hold only a family.
Sang Luo was carving a small wooden doll that was nearing completion. A closer look revealed that it bore so resemblance to her. Duotu raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "What’s this?"
"I was bored, so I’m carving so little figures for fun. Your Majesty, my craftsmanship isn’t bad, is it?"
"It looks just like you," he said earnestly. "It’s beautiful."
"If Your Majesty doesn’t mind, I’ll carve one for you too~"
"Alright." He didn’t refuse. His handso, deep-set eyes shone with pleasure, and he looked quite expectant.
After finishing the one she was holding, Sang Luo had Amman bring another piece of precious Red Sandalwood from the storeroom. With her head slightly lowered, she began carving carefully with her knife.
Duotu sat quietly beside her, his gaze fixed on her. Her delicate, enchanting, and fair profile, her butterfly-wing-like lashes fluttering from ti to ti, a few strands of black hair scattered across her shoulder and neck, so soft it made his palm itch with the desire to touch... He watched, completely captivated.
As the sun slanted west outside the window, the piece in her hands was finished. Sang Luo picked up the small wooden carving to show him.
’Amateur work, nothing special and lacking in detail, but it does have a decent resemblance. Mm, not bad at all!’
Duotu accepted the wooden carving, then looked at the doll in her hand. "Carve one for the child, too."
"They’re not even born yet. I don’t know what they’ll look like."
"After they’re born."
"Mm, we’ll see when the ti cos." Sang Luo stretched lazily and snuggled into his arms. "Your Majesty, I’m sleepy."
"Let put on your oil first, then you can sleep."
Duotu had her lie flat on the bed, his movents exceedingly careful and gentle. Sang Luo’s belly was now about the size of a normal woman’s at seven or eight months pregnant. In the Beast World, this was considered very large, signaling that labor was near.
After rubbing olive oil on her belly as usual, Duotu massaged it gently for a while. As he stood up to leave, Sang Luo reached out, took his long, elegant hand, and placed it on her stomach.
"Your Majesty, I think it’s almost ti."
Duotu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He was clearly even more nervous now. "Mm, I heard from the witch doctor. It should be this week... You just stay in the palace. Don’t go out. There’s no need to socialize with those noble females."
"It’s not really socializing. They’re just eager to co and flatter . I just get bored staying inside all day and want to go out for a walk, to see more of the world. Your Majesty knows I’m a female from a small tribe. There are so many wonderful things in the Imperial City that I’ve never seen before."
"There will be plenty of ti for that later." His gaze was gentle and intoxicating as he looked at her, murmuring in a low voice, "Luoluo, after you give birth, I’ll have most of my affairs in order. I’ll take you out to have fun every day, alright?"
Sang Luo fell silent for a mont, then softly called out, "Duotu..."
She rarely called him by his na anymore, always addressing him as ’Your Majesty’. This revealed the true nature of their relationship beneath the facade of mutual respect, a fact Duotu was well aware of.
Suddenly hearing Sang Luo call his na for the first ti in so long, Duotu was stunned for a couple of seconds, unable to hide his delight. "Luoluo, what is it?"
But Sang Luo only looked at him for two seconds before smiling faintly. "After the child is born, you must take good care of them. Otherwise, I’ll get angry."
"I’ll take good care of both you and the child!"
...
Seven days passed in a flash, and the day of labor arrived.
Martha Brent, harboring certain intentions, had planned to pay a false-hearted visit but couldn’t even get through the door.
The entire Taoyuan Village was heavily guarded, sealed off completely.
All unrelated outsiders and servants were kept outside the palace.
The security was even more intimidating than when the Beast King had been injured!
Duotu was so nervous he hadn’t slept for several nights, staying by Sang Luo’s side and constantly monitoring her condition.
Sang Luo had been eating Beast Crystals since the morning, but by early evening, she couldn’t eat anything more. Clutching her stomach, she could feel the little one inside struggling furiously, trying to get out.
"It’s ti."
Sang Luo drew in a sharp breath, gripping Duotu’s hand tightly. Cold sweat beaded on her pale face as she forced a strained smile, saying with so embarrassnt,
"Your Majesty, you should go outside."
Duotu’s breathing grew heavy, his eyes turning red. "I’m staying here with you!"
"We must ask the Beast King to wait outside the hall. Otherwise, it may cause the mother emotional distress, making the delivery even more difficult," a witch doctor said.
No matter how worried Duotu was, hearing this, he had no choice but to go outside and wait.
He paced back and forth restlessly outside the hall, unable to sit still. He listened intently to the sounds from within, wishing he could press his entire body against the door.
Sang Luo watched the witch doctors bustling about, preparing various things. Her mood, however, was quite calm. Having given birth twice before, she was accustod to the whole process, and any trace of nervousness quickly dissipated.
After two or three hours, the movents in her belly grew stronger. "AH!" She cried out, grabbing the blanket in pain, the veins on the back of her hand bulging.
Hearing the sudden, blood-curdling scream from the delivery room, the color drained from Duotu’s face, and he almost burst inside.
"Luoluo!"
Soon, an extrely weak voice, one that would make anyone’s heart ache with pity, ca from inside. "Your Majesty... I’m... alright... Could you... go and pick an iris flower for with your own hands...?"
"Luoluo, you wait for ! I’ll be right back!"
Hearing the sounds at the door fade away, Sang Luo retracted her gaze and let out a long sigh of relief.
She quickly activated her Healing Technique, and her body instantly returned to its original state.
Without even changing her clothes, Sang Luo got out of bed and looked at the few witch doctors, who were all standing there as if their souls had left their bodies, completely controlled by her spiritual power.
Sang Luo walked over to a short, stout Old Witch Doctor, picked up a syringe from a tray, and squeezed out a drop of the liquid. This dicine was supposedly to aid her delivery, but it was actually a potent poison, capable of killing her on the spot.
Sang Luo put the syringe back, took a turn around the hall, and then returned to the bed. From the blood-stained sheets, she gently lifted a little ball of flesh whose eyes had not yet opened.
It was actually a lion cub, still without any fur.
Its skin was wrinkled, making it look rather ugly.
It was a male lion cub.
Sang Luo couldn’t help but smile. "So it was you, you little thing, who’s been tornting for so long. You’re definitely going to be mischievous when you grow up!"
On the table beside the bed was a basin of warm water and a towel. Sang Luo wet the towel and carefully wiped the little lion clean.
But her fingers felt two bumps on its back.
Startled, Sang Luo thought she had given birth to an unhealthy, deford cub with two tumors. She quickly turned it over and felt them carefully, only to discover they were a pair of underdeveloped wing bones.
This little lion was a true Angel Lion, born with the bloodline of the Angel Clan already awakened!
Surprise flashed through Sang Luo’s mind. Only now did she have a mont to look inward at the two new Talent Energies that had appeared within her.
[Ghostly True Fire] [Eye of Image Breaking]
She conjured a fla at her fingertip. It was no longer golden-red, but a translucent, ghostly blue.
It must have been because she refined that Soul bone during her pregnancy, which upgraded her Fiery True Fla into Ghostly True Fire.
Fiery True Fla could only burn physical entities, not obliterate souls. But Ghostly True Fire not only inherited the high destructive power of Fiery True Fla, but it could also completely annihilate an enemy’s body and soul! Reduced to dust and ashes! This power was simply terrifying!
As for the Eye of Image Breaking, Sang Luo couldn’t quite figure out this ability yet. Her initial guess was that it was so kind of extrely rare special Talent Power, likely for breaking through things like Illusion Techniques.
’This child’s talent is far greater than its father’s!’
Her own realm had also soared to the Half-King Peak, just one step away from reaching True King.
Sang Luo wrapped the little lion snugly in a clean, small blanket, leaving only its little pink head exposed. This was the first ti Sang Luo had ever truly looked at a cub she had given birth to. The corners of her eyes grew moist without her realizing it. ’He will surely grow up to be a very handso little lion. A pity... I probably won’t have the chance to see him grow up...’
She was about to leave.
In her final monts here, Sang Luo held the little lion, wanting to stay with him just a little longer. But when she heard sounds stirring outside the door again, the smile vanished from her face, replaced by a cold look of disgust. She knew she had to go now.
Sang Luo could feel that the longer she spent with Duotu, the more entangled they beca, and the deeper his obsession with her grew.
At first, she had truly believed Duotu’s promise was genuine. Now, thinking back, it was most likely just a tactic to keep her from leaving.
Sang Luo didn’t believe that he would really let her leave so easily and make a clean break after she gave birth.
She had been feigning compliance with Duotu for so long and was utterly sick of it. This was the perfect opportunity to make a clean break!
Sang Luo gave the little lion one last look and kissed its head. In the instant she was about to let go, the cub suddenly stirred, trembling, and licked her face with its tiny tongue, letting out a weak, milky whimper.
A pang shot through Sang Luo’s heart, and tears burst from her eyes. But she quickly composed herself and placed him back on the bed.
Power condensed into a blade, slicing through the Golden Lion-shaped Soul mark on her palm. Her figure then vanished without a trace...
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