Aldrian coughed, a slight redness appearing on his cheeks, then released a tired sigh.

"Queen Revania, please stop joking. It’s quite inappropriate for someone of your status."

Queen Revania kept her smile.

"Well, my apologies if I said something inappropriate. I was just so happy at this moment that I said everything on my mind to show my gratitude. Please don’t mind my words."

Aldrian released another sigh.

Isn’t the queen becoming much braver now? She already dared to flirt with him.

What the hell happened to her while she was completing her special physique?

At one point, he could not help but sense a sudden surge of emotion in her heart while he was supplying her with his energy. In that brief moment, he felt a trace of irritation from her before it vanished.

He thought that something might have happened in her mindscape, or her consciousness had been pulled somewhere else, since such things could affect her physical state and emotions.

Whatever it was, it made her much braver and far more confident. He could clearly feel the change in her.

This made him wonder if this woman was really a cultivator who used the ice element as her main element. An ice-element cultivator usually appeared cold, difficult to approach, and talk less.

His mother was exactly like that toward others outside the family or acquaintances. That was why she almost had no friends, and people could only admire her from afar.

It could not be helped that she, or any cultivator who used the ice element as their main element, would act that way. They were affected by the properties of ice, which was yin in nature. It made them colder.

But the woman in front of him at this moment was the complete opposite. She was the type who liked to act however she pleased. She did not hide her intentions, her confidence was high, and she could easily connect with others.

There was nothing about her that showed she was an ice-element cultivator unless she revealed her abilities. Even now, she possessed the Heavenly Ice Empress Constitution.

He truly did not know what to do with this woman who seemed hellbent on pursuing him, using whatever methods she could think of.

"Anyway, Your Majesty, how long have we been in seclusion?" Queen Revania asked, making Aldrian set aside his thoughts.

"It’s already been five days," he replied, which made Queen Revania slightly widen her eyes.

"Five days?" She then remembered something and bowed to him again.

"To think it has already been five days. My apologies, Your Majesty, for taking so much of your time. I know you must be preparing for your wedding with Saintess Angelica in a few days, yet you still helped me with my problem. Once again, I truly apologize."

Aldrian finally smiled. It did not matter even if the time was getting closer, since most of the time, she was being helped by his avatars. After all, he had many things to do, especially with his knight order, and he still had to free many of his followers from the time-stopping formation.

It was only today that he decided to pause all of that, as the time of his wedding was nearing and he needed to prepare himself. He preferred to take care of his wedding personally.

While he stopped his expedition across the First Heaven, he also decided to observe Queen Revania’s development while his avatars did other things.

"It’s okay. If I already said something, then I have to do my best to fulfill it. If I said that I would help you, then I will help you until the end. Fortunately, my method succeeded, and your special physique could be completed," Aldrian said.

Queen Revania could not help but blush slightly, and she then turned her head to the side to hide her shyness. In her view, what Aldrian said meant that he placed more importance on his promise to help her than on preparing for his wedding.

That meant he was a man with integrity, someone who could be trusted.

Her heart beat faster as her desire for him rose even more. His presence in her mind became more perfect, and her determination to pursue him grew stronger. A strange feeling rose within her heart, something unfamiliar to her, yet it felt good.

"Queen Revania, may I ask something? This might be personal, but I’m curious about it," Aldrian said, making her turn to look at him again.

She could see the curiosity in his expression.

"Please, Your Majesty, you may ask anything," she replied.

"May I know why you are doing this? I mean, why are you endangering your life by forcing yourself to awaken the Heavenly Ice Empress Constitution? You must know how dangerous what you did was, yet you still chose to do it."

"From what I see, you are already strong, even among peak pseudo immortal stage cultivators. You are talented, a true genius. Although you are confident, you do not seem like a reckless person. You also do not seem like someone who is desperate for more power."

"Sooner or later, you could become an immortal and ascend. I just feel that it would be a pity if something bad happened to you while you are still in your prime."

Queen Revania showed a beautiful smile.

"It seems that you understand what kind of person I am. I’m truly honored that Your Majesty has paid such attention to me."

Aldrian shrugged. "Well, that’s just my opinion based on our interactions since the first time we met. I don’t know if it is completely accurate. If I am wrong, then I apologize."

Queen Revania remained silent for a few moments, her smile still present. After a few seconds, she finally spoke.

"Well, let me clarify something, Your Majesty. I am actually quite an ambitious person. If I set my eyes on something, or if I want something, I will do my best to obtain it."

"A cultivator naturally pursues strength. I am no different. I seek to grow stronger, but the difference lies in how far one is willing to go for that strength. There are those who pursue power without caring about the cost."

"I seek strength so I can protect myself and my kingdom. A power strong enough to deter others from daring to provoke me or my kingdom." Her gaze was filled with confidence. She never looked away from his eyes, as if she wanted him to judge every word she said himself.

"But recently, I gained a new determination to grow even stronger. My resolve became so firm that I decided to risk my life to accomplish something that even some of my predecessors failed to achieve. To awaken a special physique using nether ice energy."

"And as if the heavens were supporting me, I actually succeeded in doing something my predecessors failed to do, even if it is not yet complete. And because of that, I can stand here now and take a step closer to the source of my determination." She then pointed toward Aldrian.

"Your Majesty, you are the reason why I decided to do this. You are the source of my determination to grow stronger and surpass my limits. Seeing how strong you are, I also want to be like you, to become someone who surpasses their limits." She then stopped.

Aldrian raised his eyebrows. He could feel that most of what she said was true, sincere from the depths of her heart, except for the last part. He sensed that she was not being completely honest. There was a trace of embarrassment within her.

It was as if she wanted to say something more, yet chose not to.

But a moment later, he finally understood. He caught the true thought hidden in her heart. He could hear her real desire, the words she did not dare to say, or more precisely, was too embarrassed to say. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

She did all of this to gain his attention. She did all of this so he would turn and look at her. She did all of this so he would take interest in her, even if only as a powerful cultivator, and not as a woman.

She did all of this to make herself more worthy to pursue him.

She wanted him to look at her.

Aldrian’s heart trembled after realizing it.

She risked her life just to gain his attention? Just to make him notice her?

He truly did not know what to think about it.

But he finally understood just how tenacious this woman was. Just as she said, if she wanted something, she would do her best to obtain it.

He had never experienced a woman who dared to risk her life just to gain his attention, even after he had already shown his disinterest.

He had already made his stance toward Queen Revania clear, yet she never gave up. Instead, she went to such extreme lengths.

Although he knew that he himself was the object of desire for countless women, he never thought it would reach the point where someone would risk their life just to gain his attention.

But the woman in front of him was different.

She was too extreme.

There was only one word he could think of to describe her.

Crazy.

She was truly crazy.