"Ehmmm… Ehmmm…" Augus cleared his throat several times before looking at his subordinates.

"What are you waiting for, hurry up and investigate and find the culprit," he said.

"Yes, yes…" The soldiers nodded and quickly left.

Even so, Augus still looked awkward in front of Richard.

"Richard, it's been a long time since we last met. I sometimes return to the village, but Sister Lisa said you were training. How about I treat you to a drink?" he said.

"Sure…" Richard didn't refuse since he had nothing else to do.

Augus looked very delighted when he agreed. He then brought him to a bar guarded by several beautiful women.

"Augus…"

"What do you want to drink, Augus?"

The women seemed familiar with Augus, but they didn't recognize Richard.

They were ordinary women, after all.

"Augus, who is this handsome man? Is he your friend?" They asked about Richard's identity.

Augus looked like he wanted to tell them who Richard was, but Richard nudged his palm, signaling him to act normal.

How could Richard not know that Augus wanted to show off their connection?

Because Richard stopped him, Augus could only stay silent and say that Richard was simply his friend without revealing his identity.

He then ordered the best drinks.

"Seems like your career is going well," Richard said.

Augus smiled when Richard mentioned it.

"Yeah, quite well. I've become the captain of one of the teams in the capital. If I return to the province, I could almost become a commander," Augus said proudly.

"Of course, compared to your achievements, mine is not worth mentioning…" he added.

At the very least, he knew how to be humble.

"What about that little girl who once came to the village?"

Richard knew Augus had feelings for that girl.

He remembered her name—Emma.

Now that they were grown up, the question was whether he managed to win her heart.

When asked about that, Augus suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Emma is still hard to approach. Her personality is a bit like a man. I doubt she likes men," Augus said. "She's also become a captain in the capital now. But she's more often assigned to villages around the capital."

"Maybe you're just lacking effort," Richard replied.

Augus scratched his head, too embarrassed to refute.

At this moment, their drinks finally arrived, delivered by one of the bar girls who looked at Augus as if sending a signal.

And Augus glanced at Richard, seemingly wanting to ask something but hesitating.

Naturally, Richard understood.

These bar girls were supposed to give special service to customers who were familiar with them.

But there was no way Richard would be interested in them.

The women around him were far more beautiful.

Besides, this was the capital. He could not casually show a naughty side so openly. If Lilith heard about it, their relationship could crumble.

Therefore, Richard remained indifferent, and Augus did not dare to say anything.

He ended up shaking his head at the bar girl, who then left after delivering their drinks.

Richard took a cup filled with wine that smelled sweet.

He wanted to relax tonight, so he didn't care if he got drunk.

Once he started drinking, he downed the cup immediately, making his head feel light.

Augus also drank, but he was more relaxed.

"How is it, Richard?" he asked.

"Not bad," Richard replied while signaling Augus to pour wine from the bottle into his cup.

Of course, Augus didn't mind acting as his servant. He filled the cup, and Richard emptied it again.

It was clear he was starting to get drunk as his expression loosened.

Augus was a bit surprised that Richard got drunk so quickly after only two cups.

"Richard, do you want more?" he asked softly.

Naturally, he worried that Richard might suddenly become heavily drunk.

At this point, he knew Richard couldn't drink much.

Considering his strength, ordinary bar wine should not be enough to make him drunk. But reality proved otherwise.

For Augus, it would be dangerous if Richard became uncontrollable.

If he accidentally released his power on him, he could die instantly.

"One more cup," Richard said.

Speaking softly, Augus hoped Richard wouldn't want any more, but since he still wanted it, Augus could only pour one more.

This time, Richard drank more slowly, focusing on the taste.

He was naturally still conscious.

But the drunkenness was enough to change his demeanor—evident in how he crossed his legs arrogantly.

"I must say, Augus, you're quite pathetic if you can only have fun with bar girls like them. Is it because you failed to get the woman you want?" he said, conveniently wanting to belittle Augus.

The man's face twitched instantly. If someone else said that to him, he would chase them anywhere. But Richard was the last human he dared to offend.

He could only nod while forcing a smile.

"Richard, surely the women around you are all extremely beautiful and extraordinary," he said, choosing to keep praising Richard.

"You know Grace Moonshadow, the miss of the Moonshadow Clan?" Richard said.

"Of course I know. She's a woman I can only admire from afar," Augus replied.

After that, he looked at Richard in astonishment.

"Don't tell me?" he said.

"You're right, she's my girlfriend. I didn't plan to date her, but she insisted on wanting me. As a man, naturally I couldn't resist, so I slept with her. She doesn't even mind that I'm going to marry Lilith."

Augus, "…"

The young man didn't know how to react.

But he did latch onto one name.

"Do you mean Queen Lilith?" he asked.

"Who else? You should know we're engaged. Soon, we'll be married. Tonight, she even invited the elders to discuss our wedding. Yeah, although I've never slept with her, I've kissed her before. She's actually quite shy, unlike Grace who's very aggressive during sex."

This time, Augus' face turned red.

Jealous? No, not jealousy—those women were far out of his reach.

But of course he was envious of Richard's life.

No wonder he looked down on the bar girls.

"By the way, Augus, what do you think about the Red Star Empress?"

Augus almost jumped when Richard suddenly spoke about the Red Star Empress.

Who in this kingdom didn't know her?

She was the empress with great influence and one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom.

But her husband had died, making her the widow of the king.

Augus did not expect Richard to bring her up when they were talking about women.

"R-Richard, what about the empress?" Augus asked, trembling.

"I met her today, and she was extremely drunk. Do you know what she did? She actually flirted with me. At first, her drunk friends asked if I was her new lover. Then afterward, she actually asked if I didn't want to date her. When I asked if she wanted to, she said she might accept me if I confessed. Even though she was heavily drunk, this only means the thought is in her heart."

Augus' mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he heard that.

It happened several times, and his breathing grew rapid.

"S-so do you want her?" Augus asked.

Everything shifted from envy to pure curiosity.

"I've known her since I was young. To me, she's a senior I respect. But I'm still a normal man, and she's a beautiful mature woman with an appealing status. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested. I believe being with a widow has its own kind of charm."

"Right, right, a charm of its own… especially a king's widow…" Augus nodded instinctively, breathing even harder.

"So what do you think? Should I try it?"

So far, Richard didn't seem to think it strange. But in truth, deep inside his mind, he had many thoughts about this.

Now, drunk, he talked about it with Augus—the friend around his age whom he felt was perfect for talking about women.

Augus' cheeks reddened when asked for his opinion.

He scratched his head and answered, "I can't give a clear opinion. I think you just need to follow what your desire—no, I mean, your heart—wants."

Augus covered his mouth with his hand.

He was starting to get drunk too, so his words became messier.

And Richard nodded and said, "I think my heart and desire are the same."

Augus, "…"

The man scratched his head again.

He wanted to say something, but couldn't decide what else was appropriate.

He thought it was natural that Richard's heart and desire were the same.

After all, what man wouldn't fall for and lust after the Red Star Empress—the most refreshing milf in the kingdom?

While Augus stayed silent, Richard continued drinking.

He wasn't satisfied with the wine in his cup, so he drank directly from the bottle.

It wasn't that he wasn't conscious—he just felt there was nothing to hold back.

On the other hand, Augus, though drunk, kept looking at Richard nervously.

He was actually worried Richard might suddenly go to the empress' residence that very night.

After all, a drunk man could do anything, especially when it concerned a woman.

But Richard only kept drinking, more like enjoying the sensation than wanting to take action.

And indeed, tonight, Richard only wanted to relax—something he had decided from the start. So even drunk, all he did was relax, even if his thoughts wandered everywhere.

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