Matilda and Gabriel paused their discussion as Jinx approached. She placed the tray on the table, and Matilda raised an eyebrow.
"Iâm the only one who needs this. Why did you bring two?" she asked, looking up at Jinx.
"Empress, you and Sir Gabriel have been here for a while. I thought he might also need some water," Jinx replied in a calm tone.
Matilda stared at her for a few moments, then waved her hand dismissively. "Go. Donât disturb us."
Jinx nodded, bowed, and glanced at the tray. "Should I take it with me?"
"No need. Just go."
Jinx nodded again and walked away, heading back to the kitchen:
âAsking to take it away will remove their suspicion about the tray. This way, I can listen to everything,â she thought.
Jinx raised her hand and subtly touched the earpiece hidden in her right ear, completely concealed by her blonde hair.
"Why did you spend so much money? The treasury is now low on funds," Gabriel said coldly, his voice reaching Jinxâs earpiece.
Jinx entered the kitchen and surveyed the dirty plates. âStaying here without doing anything will make me look suspicious. I should wash the plates while I listen,â she thought.
âThis guy is the oldest senator in the Star Nation, but that shouldnât give him the confidence to speak to an empress in such a tone. Is something going on between these two?â
Jinx picked up a sponge and started washing the plates, her focus entirely on their conversation.
"I canât just let that God Wolf get the artifact!" Matildaâs voice rang out, filled with frustration.
"And why is that?" Gabriel challenged.
"I canât tell you that. I can only tell you it will greatly increase my strength."
Jinx listened intently, waiting for Gabrielâs next move.
"So you wonât even tell the father of your only daughter?"
".....!?"
Jinxâs movements faltered. âMatilda has a daughter?! And with this old man?!â she thought, utterly stunned.
"Quiet! No one should hear you!" Matilda warned, her voice laced with fury.
"Alright then, what will you do about the item tomorrow?" Gabriel asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Itâs not needed. I canât leave yet, so after the auction, Iâm gone," Matilda said calmly.
"And please, keep my daughterâs existence a secret. I have a lot of enemies."
âA lot of enemies? Come on, say more,â Jinx urged in her mind.
"I know that. On the day of the competition, she will make her entrance," Gabriel said.
"About God Wolf... have you sent the spies yet?" Matilda suddenly asked.
"Spies? Yes. Theyâre on their way to Planet Zax. We will get all the information before tomorrow morning," Gabriel answered.
"Good. My gut is telling me that God Wolf is after my seat as the strongest in the galaxy. He already took the title of wealthiest. I canât let him take that, too."
"Why donât you declare war on them?" Gabriel suggested.
"No. I need a valid reason for that. If I suddenly wage war against the Beastify Nation, the other nations wonât take it lightly," Matilda explained.
"I got news." Gabriel whispered, instantly piquing Jinxâs interest.
"I heard the Three-Eyed Nation is going to attack the Beastify Nation. What if we secretly assist them with foreign forces? That way, we will know the Beastify Nationâs strength and how to handle them in the future. If they are weak, the Three-Eyed Nation will wipe them out with our help. That way, we gain a grateful ally and also no God Wolf. Two birds with one stone."
âWhat a cunning man,â Jinx thought, placing a clean plate aside.
"The Three-Eyed Nation? Whatâs the reason behind their decision? They wouldnât just attack the Beastify Nation without a reason," Matilda stated.
"True. Iâve sent almost all my spies, but none of them got any news. Whatever made them take this decision must be precious to the Three-Eyed Nation," Gabriel replied.
"If they lose, the Beastify Nation will take over their seat on the ranking board."
"Thatâs why I said we should assist them."
âHe needs to know about this. If Matilda agrees to secretly assist the Three-Eyed Nation, weâll have a hard time dealing with them,â Jinx thought, putting another clean plate away.
"Okay... I will think about it," Matilda finally said, standing up.
"Come to my bedroom. I need to calm down." She then yelled, "Joyce!"
Jinx removed the earpiece, stored it in her storage, and quickly rushed out of the kitchen.
_
"Empress!" she bowed.
"Please, take this away. Iâm going to bed, and no one is to disturb me or near my room."
"Yes, Empress."
Jinx bowed again and began to slowly gather the items on the tray while Matilda looked at Gabriel and walked upstairs.
___
âHow strange. So these two are really... how disgusting,â Jinx thought, placing the tray on a kitchen table.
âWell, Iâm not staying to get any more details.â
She took a chip from the silver tray, moved to the side, away from the camera, and with a flick of her finger, sent a small burst of celestial energy that hit the CCTV camera, shutting it down.
"Matilda has four guards. Two are at the entrance, while the other two are in the buildings. I saw them both walking upstairs when I entered. Maybe Matilda asked them to leave her and that old man alone," she muttered in a low voice.
"Now, sheâs going upstairs, which means theyâll come downstairs any second now... Nope, I have to use this time." She quickly transformed into one of Matildaâs female guards and walked out of the kitchen.
___
"Why are you outside?" a guard asked in confusion.
"None of your business. I need some fresh air," Jinx replied, walking past the two guards at the door.
"...Huh?" The two guards looked at each other, then at their colleague in confusion.
"Fresh air? What about the Empressâs safety?" the guard on the right asked.
"Sheâs sleeping. Besides, you two are here," Jinx said, looking at them over her shoulder.
"Or... Are you two weak?"
The two heavenly rank guards looked at each other and smirked.
"No worries! We can take care of ourselves and the Queen!"
"Yes!"
Jinx nodded and continued walking until she reached the gate.
"Why are you two yelling at night?"
The two men turned to the voice, their eyes widening in shock as they saw their colleague. With a dumbfounded expression, they looked back at the gate, where not a single soul was in sight.
"What?!" she asked, a frown on her face.
"You...? How? We thought you... what just happened?" one of the guards stammered, while the other scratched his head in utter confusion.