Chapter 662 --662

Chapter 662: Chapter-662

Samuel suddenly went pale, a horrifying thought striking him. "Wait. Does the Emperor know about his parentage?"

"No, of course he doesn’t," Heena replied, pouring herself a fresh cup of tea.

Samuel let out a massive, shuddering exhale, sagging against the stone table. "Oh, thank God. If the Emperor doesn’t know, then maybe we can—"

He stopped. His eyes widened again as the absolute, undeniable reality of imperial politics crashed down on him.

"Wait. No! No thank God!" Samuel yelled, grabbing the edges of his hair again. "That venomous Prime Minister! The Minister of Rites! We just extorted their academy and ruined their sons! Do you have any idea how many people are going to aggressively search into this guy’s past right now?! They are going to dig up every single record in the capital! Of course they are going to find out!"

Samuel pointed a trembling finger at Heena, who was currently reaching for a second cookie.

"You..." Samuel gasped, entirely overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the political time bomb sitting in his house.

Samuel was on the verge of a complete, hyperventilating meltdown, his genius brain practically smoking from the sheer political terror of harboring a treasonous heir.

Heena watched him pace for a few seconds. Then, she rested her chin on her hand, offered him a brilliantly sweet smile, and smoothly changed the subject.

"Honey," Heena interrupted gently. "How about we go on a date?"

Samuel froze mid-step. His golden eyes blinked rapidly as his hyper-analytical brain violently hit the brakes, desperately trying to process the sudden whiplash.

"Um..." Samuel stammered, the impending doom of family execution completely evaporating from his mind. "A... date?"

"Yes," Heena nodded, reaching over to pour him a fresh cup of tea. "Let’s go on a honeymoon. We literally just got married yesterday. Why are we acting like a stressed, elderly couple complaining about politics and taxes?"

As Samuel slowly sank back into his stone chair, entirely captivated by the idea of a romantic getaway, the System phased into existence right beside Heena’s ear.

Its digital blue interface was flickering with absolute, unfiltered disbelief.

"Are you two completely insane?!" the System hissed, pointing its pixelated arms at Samuel. "He was just screaming at you! He was literally just having a panic attack about your family’s reputation and impending treason charges! And now he is just... planning a vacation?!"

Heena took a calm sip of her tea and replied in her mind. ’Well, we need to prioritize the important things first, right?’

"You are both absolute maniacs," the System muttered, clutching its digital head. "You deserve each other."

Completely ignoring the invisible AI having a breakdown next to his wife, Samuel leaned forward, his scholarly elegance fully restored.

"Okay," Samuel agreed smoothly, resting his elbows on the table. "So, where should we go? Should we travel to one of the Vanguard’s countryside estates?"

Heena scoffed playfully, waving her hand. "Come on, why would we just go to our own estates? We see those all the time. Let’s travel South. I hear the scenery and the food are incredible down there."

Samuel paused, his brow furrowing slightly in thought. "Well, that is a brilliant idea, Wife. But... aren’t we currently in the middle of a massive political war? We are still working."

"Oh, don’t worry about that," Heena smiled, her dark eyes flashing with lethal confidence. "I am going to finish all my ’work’ this month. Once the civil court is completely eradicated, we will leave."

She leaned in closer, dropping her voice conspiratorially. "Besides, Grandpa and Grandma are going on their second honeymoon at exactly the same time."

Samuel’s eyes widened slightly in alarm. "Wait. Are we going together?"

"Do you want to go on a romantic honeymoon with my heavily armed grandparents?" Heena asked, raising an eyebrow.

Samuel aggressively shook his head.

"Good," Heena grinned, popping the rest of her cookie into her mouth. "Because we are absolutely not going with them. We are going South, and I am making sure they go North."

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On the other side of the capital, deep within the heavily guarded walls of the Prime Minister’s estate, an entirely different type of political game was unfolding.

Gu Chen sat alone in the center of his exquisite water pavilion. The morning sun reflected off the pristine lotus pond, casting a brilliant, divine glow over his flawless white robes. To anyone watching, he looked like a descending immortal, a benevolent deity sent to bless the earth.

Only a select few knew the horrifying truth of this specific pavilion: it was the exact spot where he had ruthlessly beaten his own wife like an animal just days prior. Beneath his perfect, angelic smile, he was still hiding the agonizing, invisible bruises Heena had inflicted upon him at the Imperial Court.

"My Lord," a servant bowed low at the edge of the pavilion. "Miss Lady Lou is here."

Gu Chen carefully suppressed a wince as he adjusted his posture. "Please, let her enter."

The wooden doors slid open, and the daughter of the Vice Minister of Works stepped into the sunlight.

Lady Lou looked entirely different from her last appearance. Today, she was dressed in a highly conservative, elegant robe of pale pink and pristine white. Her dark hair was swept up into a soft, elegant bun—not the complex, heavy style of a married woman, but adorned with a few simple, expensive jade hairpins. She looked the picture of aristocratic perfection.

She walked into the pavilion and bowed with flawless etiquette. "I greet My Lord, the Prime Minister."

"Miss Lou, please come in," Gu Chen smiled warmly, gesturing to the cushion across from him.

Lady Lou stepped forward and gracefully took her seat. As she settled in, the polite, aristocratic mask slipped just a fraction. A faint, perfectly polite smile remained on her lips, but her eyes were absolutely freezing.

"So, how are you, Prime Minister?" Lady Lou asked, quickly correcting her tone. "I mean... My Lord."

"I am perfectly fine," Gu Chen replied smoothly, pouring a cup of steaming, fragrant green tea and sliding it across the low wooden table toward her.

Lady Lou glanced at the tea but did not touch it. She looked directly into his eyes. "My father sent me here today, stating that you specifically wished to meet with me. May I ask what the reason is?"

Gu Chen paused, a hint of genuine amusement flickering in his angelic eyes. "It looks like the Vice Minister truly cares about you, to inform you of even these minor details before sending you into the tiger’s den."

Lady Lou did not flinch. "Please speak plainly, Your Lordship."

"Very well," Gu Chen smiled, leaning forward slightly. "I only asked because of the last time we... bumped into each other."

Lady Lou looked at him, her expression completely blank, devoid of any recognition or guilt. "I do not know what you are talking about, My Lord."

Gu Chen paused, his perfectly sculpted eyebrows raising slightly. He studied the young woman sitting across from him. She was playing an immaculate defense.

"Oh? Then it must have been my mistake," Gu Chen chuckled softly, seamlessly pivoting his attack. "Actually, the real reason I called for you is quite simple. I have heard whispers that you are exceptionally skilled in the engineering of waterways and public works."

Lady Lou’s cold eyes did not waver for a single second. She looked at the second most powerful man in the empire and delivered her response with absolute, unshakeable calm.

"I do not remember what you are talking about, My Lord."