Make Me Forget Her

As the image on the magic mirror faded, Alan immediately set to packing his belongings to return to Ryan. Transitioning Ryan to a parliamentary system entailed countless considerations—far more than Alan could handle alone. He had to seek counsel from surviving elders of the older generation and tour every corner of the empire. With little time remaining before the World Council, Alan was bound to be even busier in the days ahead. Meanwhile, within the ethereal realm of the Synesthesia Dreamscape, Anbaixiu and the Rose of Decay were casually discussing Ryan. The two reclined intimately against one another. This particular dream was set upon a breathtaking beach where the sunshine and ocean breeze were just right, evoking an exquisite sense of lazy comfort. Perhaps because she had grown weary of a life consumed by hatred, the Rose of Decay always favored leisure in her dreams, and even the cadence of her speech had slowed by a few beats. With a beauty in his arms, Anbaixiu savored the peeled grapes she fed him and said gently, "Look at that. Alan clearly had every opportunity to become Emperor of Ryan, yet he let it go without a second thought. Neither the Lord of the Dawn nor Arthur Ryan misjudged his character." The Rose of Decay nodded and said placidly, "Then let him resolve it on his own. Why drag me into it again? I already told you, I harbor no hatred toward Ryan anymore." Anbaixiu's conversation with Alan had been broadcast live to her, so the Rose of Decay naturally knew that the 'important person' Anbaixiu mentioned was herself. Yet she truly felt nothing for Ryan anymore. "Books always say you have to let go of the past to embrace a new life. Regardless, you are still Her Majesty, the Queen of Ryan. Bringing complete closure to this chapter will do you good. No one understands souls better than I do—trust me on this." The Rose of Decay nodded. Right now, she had no desire to ponder such heavy matters; she only wanted to quietly relish this moment. Though this was hardly their first rendezvous in the dreamscape, they spent most of their time like ordinary lovers, strolling together, admiring the scenery, and listening to Anbaixiu chat about recently published knightly romances. Her previous life had been far too exhausting, her heart choked with excessive hatred. Now, the Rose of Decay only wished to slow time down and savor the moments she had once lost. "By the way, I heard the elves are preparing Catherine's ascension ceremony. Are you sure you won't go see her?" "Right now, I simply can't resist Catherine's charm..." Anbaixiu glanced at the Rose of Decay, as if testing the waters to see whether it was wise to say such a thing. The Rose of Decay smiled faintly. "Worried I'll be jealous? It's not as though I've never met the Elven Queen. I know you're merely speaking the truth." "I'd actually prefer if you got upset. That would prove your emotions are closer to those of a living person," Anbaixiu remarked. Although Anbaixiu had rekindled the soul's yearning for beauty within the Rose of Decay, her undead vessel inevitably continued to exert its influence over her spirit. It remained uncertain how much the experiences within the Synesthesia Dreamscape could truly accomplish, and Anbaixiu could make no promises even to himself. "Don't fret over that. Even if I truly became a living person again, I wouldn't mind it. Have you forgotten what the Ryan royal family did to propagate their bloodline? Jealousy was never part of my upbringing." Anbaixiu arched a brow. "Are you saying you wouldn't mind if I took a whole bunch of lovers?" The Rose of Decay looked directly into Anbaixiu's eyes. "You're welcome to try." "Haha, just joking. I wouldn't have the time for that anyway." Anbaixiu was no fool. Regardless of what crossed his mind, he would never openly admit to being a scoundrel. Pleased with his response, the Rose of Decay continued, "Still, the elves remain crucial. Your grand scheme in Hell is hardly something mortals can achieve on their own. You will need the aid of more deities." Anbaixiu had never kept his plans to end the Blood War a secret from the Rose of Decay. While the Undead Queen might not grasp every minute detail, a matter concerning all of Hell was certainly beyond the reach of mere mortals. Brilliant as Anbaixiu was, in the end he could only borrow power—and that power could only come from the gods. Though Anbaixiu had successfully established Hell Bank in short order, Zariel and Mammon would never aid him in such madness, while the newly recruited Hell scribe and that crazy woman were far from enough. The Elven Gods were an excellent alternative. If Corellon intervened, even the Lord of Hell would have to awaken and speak with the Elven King of the Gods in person. This was one of the paths Anbaixiu intended to pursue. When he had abducted the Kuo-toa Goddess, several deities had been mobilized. Now that he sought to end the Blood War in Hell, it was best to draw as many renowned greater deities to his banner as possible. If greater powers like Corellon, Lathander, Talos, and Oghma struck together, carving out a tributary of the River Styx would hardly be an insurmountable feat. While Anbaixiu had yet to meet Corellon, Catherine was the Elven Gods' most cherished follower. Through Catherine, opening a dialogue with Corellon would be guaranteed. The Rose of Decay believed Anbaixiu could not afford to pass up this opportunity. How could Anbaixiu not understand this? Catherine had even taken the initiative to invite him to meet, yet Anbaixiu genuinely lacked the confidence to keep his wits about him in her presence. Especially after enduring the crisis of his transformation into a mirror spirit, Anbaixiu had come to realize that his willpower was merely at the level of an ordinary mortal. He could not compare to heroes like Arthur Ryan, or even Alan. It could not be helped. What willpower could be expected from someone who had spent his entire life indulging in comfort and harboring no grand ambitions? Furthermore, Catherine's charm possessed a rather peculiar quality: she stunned upon first glance, and the better one got to know her, the deeper the infatuation took root. Outsiders who caught only a single glimpse might be enraptured at the time, but prolonged absence would allow the impression to fade. Those who spent extended periods around her, however, fell deeply under her spell. The current Elven King was living proof. In fact, the entire elven race served as the best testament. Catherine had afflicted half of the elven population with mana addiction, bearing the weight of an immense crime. Yet the punishment unanimously decreed by the Silvermoon High Court was merely house arrest. Had it been anyone else, they would have faced immediate execution, if not death by a thousand cuts. Anbaixiu and Catherine were already far too familiar with one another. Simply reminiscing about the time they had spent together was enough to make his heart flutter. And back then, Anbaixiu had been a lich, a state in which many subjective feelings were inherently suppressed. Once they met face to face again, Anbaixiu would succumb instantly, rendering the meeting completely pointless. He couldn't very well tell Catherine, "Could you perhaps turn into an ogre before we meet?" The Rose of Decay felt helpless as well. She offered a suggestion: "What if you sent an envoy to deliver a message? Would sending Melina work?" "The first time our daughter laid eyes on that Elven Queen, she declared she wanted to marry her. You'd better keep Melina far away from her. The more innocent someone is, the deeper Catherine's influence takes hold. Perhaps only a chaotic evil demon from the Abyss could resist her." The Rose of Decay sighed softly. "In that case, there's only one way. Let me go meet Catherine on your behalf." "You?" Anbaixiu looked at her in surprise, wondering if she was speaking in jest. "At least for now, I remain a lich. Catherine's charm has little effect on me. As long as the elves don't object to an undead visiting the Silvermoon High Court, I shall negotiate with the elven race on your behalf." The Rose of Decay was entirely serious. To her present self, nothing mattered more than Anbaixiu's affairs. Yet Anbaixiu countered, "I'm worried you'll be charmed as well. You aren't just an ordinary lich anymore. Though your emotions remain somewhat muted, Catherine's influence over you isn't negligible either." Catherine's charm made no distinction between male and female, nor did it differentiate between races. If the Undead Queen he had courted with such effort ended up charmed by the Elven Queen, Anbaixiu would truly weep. "Surely not?" Even as the words left her lips, the Rose of Decay could not help recalling the scene of her first meeting with Catherine. To her surprise, she realized she truly harbored a touch of fondness toward her. It was absurd—even reminiscing about the past was enough to stir her feelings? Alert to the subtle shift in her expression, Anbaixiu hurriedly remarked, "See? I told you it wouldn't work. I'll just write her a letter later; a face-to-face meeting is out of the question. Perhaps once she ascends to godhood and gains full mastery over her charm, we'll finally be able to converse normally." The Rose of Decay stared at Anbaixiu for a long while before suddenly declaring, "I cannot accept holding affection for an elf." Anbaixiu blinked, puzzled. "What do you mean by that?" "I said, I refuse to let Catherine's shadow linger in my heart, not even the slightest bit." Anbaixiu furrowed his brows. Something about this sounded off—was this jealousy, or emotional infidelity? The Rose of Decay bit her lower lip, gazing at Anbaixiu with smoldering, seductive eyes. Leaning close, she whispered against his ear: "Now... make me forget her." Anbaixiu looked down at the beauty in his arms. This time, he understood perfectly. Smiling faintly, he murmured, "As you command, Your Majesty."