21st Century Necromancer

Seeing Yu Chen walking hand in hand with Hiromi Jounouchi from the palace entrance, a trace of spirit finally appeared on Queen Mary's otherwise bored and exquisite face, showing an interested look.

She slightly raised the folding fan in her hand, made of ivory, red silk, and rubies, and the originally melodious music abruptly paused before ceasing altogether.

The men and women dancing in the ballroom, and the nobles conversing loudly around them, also stopped their actions and retreated to both sides, making way for a clear path.

Queen Mary stood up from her reclining chair, with a magnificent silk and lace gown studded with red gems that flowed like blood. The Queen's arm, as pale as ivory, lightly lifted the hem of her skirt and took measured steps towards Yu Chen.

Watching the queen approach him step by step, Yu Chen slightly adjusted his hat and greeted her, "My respects to you, Your Majesty the Queen."

"Welcome to your visit, Your Excellency the Demigod," Queen Mary also smiled at Yu Chen, gracefully extending her arm toward him, and on her fingers, a ruby blazed dazzlingly like a flame.

At the sight of this, Yu Chen's eyes subtly shifted, but he still bent down and gently kissed the large ruby ring on her finger.

As Yu Chen performed the hand-kissing ritual with Queen Mary, Hiromi Jounouchi also lifted the hem of her skirt and curtseyed to her in accordance with the court etiquette she had learned earlier.

This is not to say that Yu Chen and Hiromi Jounouchi had much respect for Queen Mary; it was simply basic politeness. There was no need to be rude before taking action as that would only make oneself appear shallow.

Moreover, Hiromi Jounouchi was surprised to find that as Queen Mary walked towards them, the warped and ghostly spirit-like palace slowly returned to normal, as if everything she had seen was just an illusion.

If it wasn't for the fact that what she had just witnessed had left such a deep impression and the nauseating feeling still lingering in her stomach, Hiromi Jounouchi would have thought she had been seeing things.

But Hiromi Jounouchi knew that what she had just seen and what was now before her eyes was all real, and that the source of all the changes lay in Queen Mary, standing before her.

Sensing Hiromi Jounouchi's gaze, Queen Mary turned her eyes toward her and asked Yu Chen, "Is this your wife? She is quite the beauty!"

"Thank you for your compliment, Your Majesty," Yu Chen replied, and once again took Hiromi Jounouchi's hand, shielding her behind him before he said to Queen Mary, "It is a great honor to receive your invitation to attend the banquet."

As Yu Chen expressed his gratitude to Queen Mary, he also scrutinized this "Bloody Mary." While Mary I was not known as a beauty in historical records, Elizabeth Bathory and Lee Kester were all renowned for their exceptional beauty in Europe, and the Crimson Queen who was born by fusing them also equally boasted a peerless countenance.

The fair and delicate skin, along with the blue veins underneath, was a symbol of the European Blue Blood Nobility. Her aquiline nose rose gracefully, her cherry lips a vibrant red, and her pair of blue eyes sparkled with alluring brilliance. Adorned with exquisite jewelry, her towering hair bun and the long gown she wore further accentuated the Queen's figure to perfection. Coupled with an aura of nobility that was beyond reproach, she undeniably became the undisputed center of attention at the banquet.

If it weren't for the knowledge of her being an incredibly dangerous entity and the various ghostly spirits he had seen on his way here, Yu Chen felt that even he would have found it impossible not to be captivated by Her Majesty the Queen's charm.

However, at this moment his wife was standing behind him, and even though Yu Chen was a Demigod with the Death Attribute, he dared not indulge in such thoughts and quickly purged his mind of distractions, focusing on dealing with Queen Mary before him.

"Hehe, His Excellency the Demigod is too kind. It is indeed an honor for you to come to this prison, as it has been quite a long time since we've had new guests here," Queen Mary said with a laugh, unfolding her fan to slightly shield her face.

Hearing Queen Mary say this, Yu Chen's expression shifted subtly as he asked, "Oh, is that so? It's been a long time since you've had new guests?"

"Yes, since Victoria ordered the Imperial Family's court mages and the Church's exorcists to seal this space, other than a variety of prisoners, we've had almost no new visitors. It does make me feel very lonely," Queen Mary revealed some very important information in her words, and then lightly chuckled, "After all, even the most luxurious banquet becomes tiresome if it remains the same for two hundred years, doesn't it?"

Hearing Queen Mary say this, Yu Chen asked tentatively, "Even the Immortal Blood Clan feel boredom and weariness?"

"Time is the enemy of all Long-Lived Kind, isn't it? The lengthy years wear away at all feelings and beauty, making us lonelier and more isolated," Queen Mary suddenly showed sorrow in response to Yu Chen's question, and in that instant, her originally noble and inviolable aura became weathered and lonely.

Sensing the change in Queen Mary's aura, Yu Chen showed no reaction, but Hiromi Jounouchi behind him clearly felt that as the Queen's mood shifted, the magnificent court and banquet around them instantly seemed to age hundreds of years, becoming pale and decayed, with only her, Yu Chen, and Queen Mary before them unaffected.

This surprised Hiromi Jounouchi. Clearly, the ghostly spirits and opulence she had seen earlier were manifestations of Her Majesty the Queen's shifting emotions.

When she was happy, it was a lavish palace; when she was bored, it would turn into a twisted nightmare; now that she felt lonely, it became a decaying graveyard.

The ability to change the environment with a single thought, and without even actively altering it, merely leaking emotions could cause such astonishing transformations—clearly, Queen Mary possessed truly formidable power.

Yu Chen, of course, noticed all of this. After neutralizing the effects brought on by Queen Mary with his own Demigod power, he responded, "Therefore, as Long-Lived Kind, we need a companion who can stay by our side for a long time. Even as the ages pass, we can still have someone with us so we won't feel alone or lonely."

Hearing Yu Chen's words, Queen Mary seemed momentarily stunned, and then her face revealed a slightly sorrowful yet somewhat envious smile, "It seems you have found a companion who can stay with you for a long time."