The court immediately descended into chaos, with everyone accusing each other, spewing the most offensive words, unlike the nobles and gentlemen they claimed to be.
The Discipline Officer shouted, "Silence!"
But it was no use stopping the ministers. The Discipline Officer called out several more times, but no one listened.
He turned his head towards Salepais, and upon receiving a nod from Her Majesty the Empress, the Discipline Officer cast a Silence spell, instantly rendering the court mute.
All the princes and ministers focused their gaze on Empress Salepais’s face.
Salepais said expressionlessly, "This is a critical time for the nation. We must stand united against the enemy and prioritize the bigger picture. Mobilize all available forces. Issue my command: send envoys to contact all reachable allies and jointly resist the invasion of the Frost Clan."
All the princes and ministers nodded. Their mouths, including Xiao Xun's, were sealed together and could not be opened. If any minister happened to have a cold and a stuffy nose, they would surely suffocate.
After Salepais deployed the subsequent tasks and instructed the House of Representatives to select suitable envoys, she announced the adjournment of the court.
The Discipline Officer lifted the Silence spell, and the ministers resumed their endless bickering.
Xiao Xun followed them out of the hall and waited for Salepais on the staircase.
The two returned to the castle. The head butler, also known as the Chief Steward, bowed to Xiao Xun. "Your Majesty, Lord Swain, you two have returned."
Xiao Xun nodded and bowed to the head butler, then directly followed Salepais into the elevator to the master bedroom.
Upon entering, Mu Jiahe sat by the bay window with her legs drawn up, gazing at the moon outside, lost in thought.
"Your Majesty, the autumn wind is chilly, please come down!"
Mu Jiahe turned to look at Xiao Xun. "Do you think I should grow up?"
Xiao Xun didn't understand why Mu Jiahe said that. "What do you mean by that?"
Mu Jiahe, barefoot, walked over to Xiao Xun. "Before, even though I was the Empress, I didn't have to worry about anything. I was so carefree then. When I got tired in that world, I would come to this world to rest. Sometimes, I feel like I'm going crazy, unable to distinguish which world I truly belong to."
Xiao Xun looked at Mu Jiahe. "Yes! It's different now. Both worlds cannot do without you, and I cannot do without you."
After saying this, Xiao Xun's face blushed for some reason.
Mu Jiahe also lowered her head. "Are you confessing your love to me?"
Xiao Xun smiled and said to her, "What do you mean 'you are'? Didn't you tell me that rumors about us have spread throughout Saint Romaine, and I just haven't been legitimized yet? In that world, you've met my parents too."
As he spoke, Xiao Xun put his arm around Mu Jiahe, and she did not resist, enjoying the tenderness of the moment.
"Don't you mind that I'm older?"
Xiao Xun said with a playful tone, "You're only a few years older than me. Haven't you heard the saying? A woman three years older is like holding a gold brick, thirty years older you send..."
Mu Jiahe also joked, "Are you trying to build a wall with gold bricks?"
Then she sighed, "If only there were no war. Then I would definitely take you to travel every corner of Saint Romaine, to see the afterglow of the sunset, and to taste the unique flavors of each place..."
As she spoke, her voice grew softer, and she slowly fell asleep in Xiao Xun's arms.
Xiao Xun picked her up in a princess carry and gently placed her on the bed, kissing her forehead.
Although it had only been a day, this day had been exhausting, truly exhausting.
At some point, they returned to their current world and slept in each other's arms.
Xiao Xun's phone rang incessantly. He picked it up to see it was Chu Ningxiang.
He remembered that he had promised to meet her this week. Glancing at the sleeping Mu Jiahe, he sent Chu Ningxiang a message, a simple three words: "Meet at noon."
He thought that after the meeting, he would explain to Chu Ningxiang that they were from different worlds, then offer some comfort, and let time handle the rest.
Xiao Xun put down his phone and turned around, only to see Mu Jiahe staring at him with wide eyes.
"You startled me! Sleep a little longer. You must be exhausted lately. I'll make you two delicious dishes later to replenish you, how about it?"
As he spoke and was about to get up, Mu Jiahe grabbed him. "Don't go, I still have a lot to talk to you about."
Xiao Xun's face turned red again. "Alright, I'm listening."
"I suddenly remembered something I asked you to do yesterday, to contact the housekeeping company and not to send anyone into the house. Did you contact them?"
Xiao Xun didn't understand why Mu Jiahe suddenly asked this. He recalled yesterday's events. "I contacted them, and I understand your reason now. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to catch that housekeeper, Aunt Liu. Ten security guards couldn't catch her. Luckily, I'm smart enough to set a trap, and finally handed her over to the police."
Mu Jiahe pointed to the doorway. "Since you caught her, then explain to me what's going on with that pair of red high-heeled shoes at the door. You couldn't have brought another woman in here while I was away, could you?"
Xiao Xun looked at the red high-heeled shoes at the door, with the pointed ends facing inward. His scalp tingled, and a chill ran down his spine. "This is damned strange. I'm sure I threw these shoes away."
He walked over. With Mu Jiahe present, his courage had grown considerably.
He picked up the shoes and examined them closely. They were fine, the same pair he had thrown away. But why had they reappeared inside the house? Yesterday they were found on the stairs, and today they were at the door. So, tomorrow...
Xiao Xun dared not think further. This matter had reached a point where it absolutely had to be resolved.
Mu Jiahe had already picked up her phone and started checking the surveillance footage. A housekeeping auntie in a red vest, with a grim expression, her hair pulled back, wearing lipstick. As the sun had set, the room was completely dark, with only the light from the community outside making her face appear blue and extremely eerie.
She was wearing those red high-heeled shoes. She walked to the master bedroom door, took off her shoes, and went downstairs barefoot.
Continuing to watch the footage, the auntie entered Xiao Xun's bedroom. For some reason, out of the many rooms in the villa, she seemed particularly fond of that one.
Mu Jiahe sent the video content to Xiao Xun, and without even leaving the room, Xiao Xun called the police.
The police arrived soon after. It was the same two officers who had responded yesterday. Upon seeing Xiao Xun, they knew what had happened, and their expressions were not pleasant.
Xiao Xun first signaled the police to apprehend the housekeeping auntie from his room. However, after searching thoroughly, the police couldn't find anyone.
"Didn't you catch that woman yesterday? How did she appear in my house again today?"
Xiao Xun's tone was not good. Although the housekeeper hadn't stolen anything or posed any life-threatening danger, and apart from the day Xiao Xun caught her, he hadn't seen this woman, let alone Mu Jiahe, she had severely disrupted his normal life.
The police explained: she had an employment contract with the housekeeping company and had not committed any illegal acts. She had simply not left the premises outside of her contracted hours. Therefore, the police could only issue a warning and could not arrest her arbitrarily.
Xiao Xun heard this. "After what happened yesterday, I already told the housekeeping company that the contract was terminated and no housekeeping staff were allowed into this house."
The police asked him, "Who did you speak to at the housekeeping company?"
Xiao Xun took out his call records. "I spoke to the deputy manager of the housekeeping company at around six in the morning yesterday."