Vol. 3 Ch. 66

The maids of the Silver Dragon Sanctum had noticed something peculiar this past week…

Ever since Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Prince returned with their daughters from the St. Heith Academy play, the atmosphere in the Silver Dragon Sanctum felt…off.

Sure, Her Majesty maintained her usual routine, working from dawn till dusk, sometimes even burning the midnight oil. His Highness continued his helpful, civic-minded duties, assisting Her Majesty with various external matters, like taking care of any dangerous intruders near their tribe.

They were a prime example of harmonious teamwork, reinterpreting the old adage of “the woman handles internal affairs, the man handles the external.”

But!

Beneath this peaceful surface lay an oddly unsettling undercurrent.

After several days of close observation, the maidservants, led by Anna, became convinced that Her Majesty and His Highness had entered a post-marriage "cool-off period."

So, what exactly was a cool-off period?

After the initial stage of infatuation, marriage, having children, raising children, and then another rekindling of passion—mind you, that second surge of passion is akin to a dying person’s “final burst”—

Once that phase ended, it often signaled the beginning of a cool-off period in the marriage.

Cool-off periods aren’t scary; in fact, books say that this is something every couple, even every pair of lovers, goes through.

It’s the natural progression from having endless things to talk about to…not much at all. Even for Her Majesty and His Highness, no matter how passionate they once were, such passion was bound to gradually cool off.

So why were the maids so convinced that the couple had entered this cool-off phase?

The reason was simple:

They hadn't had any juicy gossip in ages!

A ship you’re rooting for with no scandals or rumors—how is one supposed to live?

Therefore, as the head of the maids and the leader of their “couple fan club,” Anna decided—

“Milan, the task of reigniting Their Majesties’ passion is up to you.”

Milan: "Huh?"

“Wh-why me?” Milan’s pretty face filled with confusion.

Sure, everyone wanted to see the Queen and the Prince stay as loving as ever, but why did it have to be her leading the charge?

What if she messed up and upset the royal couple? She could kiss her paycheck goodbye!

“Because you’re the only one among us who’s actually been in a relationship,” Shirley, who was lounging nearby with an amused grin, chimed in before Anna could respond.

Arms crossed and ready for entertainment, she added, “We’ve all been single for over a hundred years. How are we supposed to help rekindle the royal couple’s spark?”

Milan quickly protested, “But I’ve been broken up for ages! Also, what’s a scout from the guard team doing hanging around the maids’ quarters?”

Shirley ignored the second part and replied to the first, “A breakup doesn’t erase experience. You still know more than we do.”

Blushing, Milan pouted, her mind racing with ideas.

After a moment, she let out a reluctant sigh, seemingly accepting her fate.

Fine, if I don’t take this on, who will?

“Alright, I’ll do it. But you need to tell me what to do, Head Maid.”

“Of course, everything’s prepared for you.” Anna produced two elegant tickets and handed them to Milan.

Looking down, Milan read the tickets:

“A Northern Territories Extreme Survival Adventure…limited edition tickets?”

“Exactly. Shirley had to pull a lot of strings to get those,” Anna replied with a proud grin.

Milan scratched her head, puzzled. “But what does a survival adventure have to do with rekindling passion in marriage?”

“Have you heard of the suspension bridge effect?”

Milan shook her head, baffled.

“It’s a phenomenon where, when someone crosses a dangerous bridge and their heart races, if they meet someone of the opposite sex on the way, they might mistake that racing heart for feelings of affection—and vice versa.”

Anna explained, “So, to help Her Majesty and His Highness rekindle their spark, we’re gifting them a thrilling trip to the North!”

Listening to Anna’s well-reasoned plan, Milan couldn’t help but mutter, “Head Maid, it sounds like you have way more experience with this sort of thing than me…”

Anna cleared her throat, “Hey, I’m just a strategist here. You’re the one who’s got to carry it out.”

Milan scoffed, pocketing the tickets. “Alright, I’m going. Wish me luck!”

“The entire maid team is behind you!” Anna cheered.

“And the guard team,” Shirley added with a raised hand.

With a sigh and a deep breath, Milan headed towards the hall, her steps heavy, like she was marching to her doom.

“Please, no pay cuts… please, no pay cuts…” she chanted silently, knowing full well that interrupting the Queen with non-work matters could easily mess with the efficiency of this workaholic.

Before long, she found herself in the grand hall.

Her Majesty sat on the throne, elegantly engrossed in her work.

Watching the Queen’s poised profile, Milan gulped.

She took a moment to brace herself, then stepped forward towards Rosvisser.

Yet, when she reached the throne, Rosvisser didn’t spare her a glance, still immersed in her paperwork.

Feeling a little lost, Milan ended up standing awkwardly in silence for several long seconds.

Finally, Rosvisser spoke first, “Is there something you need, Milan?”

Snapping back to her senses, Milan stammered, “Y-yes… Your Majesty, it’s nearly dinner time…”

“Mhm, I’ll be there soon.”

Rosvisser assumed Milan was merely reminding her about the dining arrangements.

In reality, Milan wanted to say, “It’s almost dinner time, so please take a break.” Then she could hand over the tickets in the process.

But the Queen was so engrossed in her work that Milan had no opening!

She was so flustered she almost started pacing on the spot.

Seeing her still standing there, Rosvisser set her pen down, looking over at her.

“Was there something else?”

“Uh…yes…yes, there was.”

“Go on.”

“Well, it’s just…”

Seeing Milan’s hesitation, Rosvisser tilted her head, “Love advice?”

“Ah, no, no, I broke up a while ago…”

“Oh~ so, breakup advice, then?”

Milan pressed a hand to her face, thinking, *We never pegged you for a counselor, Your Majesty, yet here you are slipping right into the role.*

“N-not quite…”

“Milan, I’m very busy.”

“Alright, um, Your Majesty, I have these two adventure tickets. I was originally going to go with my ex, but since we broke up, I figured…I’d gift them to you and His Highness instead.”

She crafted a believable excuse on the fly.

After all, who’d get mad at someone giving them a gift, right?

Indeed, Rosvisser showed no sign of displeasure at Milan’s interruption.

“An outdoor adventure? That’s for twenty-somethings.”

After saying it, Rosvisser paused, realizing something.

*Ugh, isn’t that man just in his twenties?*

Fine, she thought to herself. Perhaps from now on, when she wants to express her “Queenly maturity,” she shouldn’t use age as a benchmark.

Milan piped up, “Your Majesty, this isn’t any ordinary adventure! It’s an extreme survival trip to the Northern Territories! It’s seriously thrilling~”

Hearing this, Rosvisser raised an eyebrow. “The Northern Territories…”

Milan nodded eagerly.

The Queen wasn’t unfamiliar with that place. Her grandmother, Veronica, had worked on a project there with Academy Headmaster Orlette. But the results were snatched by a traitor placed in the team by the Empire, causing the project to be halted.

Upon learning her grandmother was in the Northern Territories, Rosvisser had thought about going there to see if there was any danger. But once the project stopped, she no longer needed to go.

Plus, that region was nothing but ice and snow as far as the eye could see.

Rumor had it that even Konstantin’s flames couldn’t melt through the ice layers—though that rumor was now impossible to verify (it was one of that guy’s favorite jokes about Konstantin’s “hell humor”).

So, going there for an adventure…would just be asking for trouble, wouldn’t it?

Rosvisser shook her head, “Keep them for yourself, Milan. You might still use them if you get back together with your ex.”

“Your Majesty…”

“If there’s nothing else, go wait in the dining hall. I’ll join you after I finish this.”

“Actually!” Milan’s voice grew louder as she straightened up.

Rosvisser blinked. “Actually?”

Lowering her head, Milan bit her lip.

“Actually…the truth is, everyone thinks that…you and His Highness have entered a cool-off phase. So we thought this adventure might help you both recapture that old spark…”

Rosvisser blinked, taken aback.

“Who? Cool-off phase? Me and Leon?”

Milan nodded sheepishly.

Rosvisser’s gaze flickered as she reflected on her interactions with Leon over the past few days.

The usual routine by day, the same “assignments” at night—

Their life was harmonious, their intimacy still very much intact, so where was the cooling off?

Okay, maybe…they’d kept their nighttime activities a bit straightforward lately.

But a full cool-off phase? Not quite.

She almost clarified, but then paused, considering

—could it be that she was too close to see it, while others could? Could it be that Leon was already growing indifferent to her?

Hmm…

Perhaps this was worth investigating.

“Thank you, Milan. I’ll skip dinner tonight. No need to wait for me.”

Putting her pen away, Rosvisser stood up and, as she turned to leave, paused as if recalling something.

“Oh, and His Highness won’t be dining either.”

“Wha—?”

Before Milan could ask any questions, Her Majesty had already lifted her skirts and dashed up the stairs.

“Your Majesty? Majesty, do you still want these tickets? Majesty!”