Chapter 835: Private Talk

Third Person’s POV"Yes, Your Majesty."

Elis respectfully bowed before quietly walking toward Ethan.

Without another word, the two of them left the study together, and the heavy wooden doors slowly closed behind them.

For several moments, no one inside the room spoke.

Only after Ethan’s footsteps had completely faded into the distance did Shixea shift her attention toward Aria.

"Niece Aria, why don’t you stay in the royal palace tonight?

I am sure you also require proper rest before tomorrow’s expedition."

Aria understood immediately that this was a polite dismissal.

Holding the blue spear tightly in both hands, she stood from her seat before forcing a faint smile onto her face.

"Thank you, Aunt."

She politely bowed before quietly leaving the study as well.

Even after stepping outside, however, her thoughts refused to calm down.

The mysterious violet-haired young man occupied her mind completely.

His indifferent attitude, his mysterious background, the priceless Bone Demon thorns he threw so casually.

And finally, the unexpected gesture of handing her the spear she had admired without asking for anything in return.

Everything about Ethan seemed contradictory, making him even more difficult to understand than before.

The moment the study doors closed once again, only Shixea and Erius remained inside the spacious chamber.

Neither of them spoke immediately.

Instead, Shixea calmly reached toward the elegant white fox ornament resting upon the table beside her and lightly tapped its head with one finger.

A soft blue pulse immediately spread outward from the decorative artifact.

Within moments, it enveloped the entire study.

As the wave of mana passed across the room, intricate runic patterns gradually emerged across the walls, ceiling, pillars, and even the floor before connecting together into a complete magical formation.

The surrounding mana instantly became isolated from the outside world.

Not only sound, but even aura fluctuations and soul perception were completely sealed within the room.

Recognizing the formation immediately, Erius understood that his mother intended for the following conversation to remain known only to the two of them.

The moment he realized that no one else could hear them anymore, the frustration he had suppressed throughout the entire meeting finally erupted.



His face darkened as resentment flashed across his eyes.

"What exactly is going on, Mother?"

His voice carried obvious dissatisfaction.

"When did that fellow even wake up?

And more importantly, how can you simply allow him to behave so arrogantly toward both you and me?"

He clenched his fists tightly as the scene inside the study replayed repeatedly inside his mind.

"You are the Queen of the Ice Emperor City, while I am the son of the Ice Emperor, yet he acts as though neither of us deserves even the slightest respect."

His breathing became heavier as he continued.

"And why did you place him in our group? You probably don’t know what happened inside the academy today."

Bitterness flashed across his face the moment Arlene’s image appeared in his mind.

"That fellow was smiling and chatting with that bitch Arlene as though they had known each other for years."

The jealousy hidden beneath his words was impossible to conceal.

"The very same Arlene from whom I stole him."

Remembering the events inside the Ghostpine Woods only made his resentment grow stronger.

He had planned every step with extreme care, successfully snatching away what should have been Arlene’s greatest opportunity and bringing Ethan back to their side.

After his maternal grandfather had personally transported Ethan to the FrostStar Palace, Erius had naturally assumed that the mysterious young man would remain unconscious for several days, perhaps even weeks.

Never had he imagined that, upon returning to the academy today, he would witness Ethan calmly walking beside Arlene, smiling and conversing with her as though everything he had painstakingly achieved inside the Ghostpine Woods had become completely meaningless.

That single scene had continued to gnaw at his heart ever since, leaving behind a frustration that refused to subside.

Seeing the conflicted expression upon her son’s face, Shixea’s own expression remained completely unchanged.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of impatience or disappointment upon her beautiful face.



Instead, her pale-blue eyes carried their usual calmness as she looked at him before speaking in a steady voice.

"You didn’t come to your mother’s palace after returning from the Ghostpine Woods, so naturally I never had the opportunity to inform you about everything that transpired after your grandfather brought him here."

Without waiting for his reply, she calmly began recounting the events that had unfolded throughout the day.

Starting from Ethan’s awakening within the FrostStar Palace, she explained his astonishing battle against Elis, his inexplicable combat strength despite every one of his mana veins remaining sealed, and finally the agreement she had managed to reach with him after their lengthy discussion.

Naturally, she omitted many of the finer details.

There was no mention of the numerous occasions on which Ethan had openly challenged her authority, nor did she speak about how difficult it had been to steer the conversation in the direction she wanted.

Those moments only made her appear passive, something she had no intention of revealing even before her own son.

Even with such omissions, however, Erius found himself increasingly stunned as he listened.

The resentment and anger that had filled his face moments ago gradually disappeared, replaced instead by disbelief and growing astonishment.

Several times, he instinctively wanted to interrupt his mother, only to restrain himself and continue listening until she had finished speaking.

When Shixea finally fell silent, the room became quiet once more.

Erius remained seated where he was, his brows tightly knitted together as he silently digested everything he had just heard.

For the first time since Ethan’s appearance, he truly understood why his mother had tolerated behavior that would ordinarily have been considered unforgivable.

Seeing his complicated expression, Shixea suddenly sighed.

"Has my son been frightened and cowed so easily by that boy?"

There wasn’t any ridicule in her voice, only faint disappointment.

"Do you truly believe I am tolerating all of Eryndor’s arrogance because I fear him?"