A Pharaoh and Her Beloved Queen - Chapter 12

Edith stood tall and straight by the soft couch, silhouetted against the light. As the brilliant, dappled sunlight touched her, the stifling heat instantly vanished, replaced by a layer of pure, distant chill.

Beneath the deep shadows, her amber pupils forged bright, sharp, vertical golden flecks.

Mysterious and magnificent.

They tempted one to draw closer, yet her natural, innate majesty forbade anyone from overstepping even a hair’s breadth.

“What are you thinking about?” Seeing Ye Zhiqing remain silent, merely staring at her blankly, Edith asked again with great patience, the corners of her lips curving upward into a tiny arc.

In such a quiet environment, as their eyes met, Ye Zhiqing felt as if she could perceive a sliver of extremely faint concern within Edith’s emotionless eyes.

Vague and vast, impossible to fathom, yet strangely familiar—like that unique gaze on the battlefield and the arrow that had saved her.

A small ripple stirred in the depths of her heart. Ye Zhiqing suddenly stood up and took two steps toward Edith until their breaths mingled.

Edith was a head taller than Ye Zhiqing. Standing so close, Ye Zhiqing had to tilt her head back slightly to clearly see her full expression. At this proximity, the emotions in each other’s eyes seemed visible at a glance.

Ye Zhiqing’s gaze was like a torch, fixed intently on every subtle movement of Edith’s face.

In a tone of absolute certainty, she said: “Your Majesty Edith, that arrow that saved me on the battlefield—you were the one who shot it.”

Lowering her chin slightly, Edith met Ye Zhiqing’s gaze candidly. She admitted it nonchalantly, as if speaking of something utterly trivial: “Yes.”

A complex mix of hesitation and shock gradually surfaced in her black eyes. Ye Zhiqing was slightly horrified. Connecting this to the ceasefire documents she had read this morning—which were clearly prepared well before the war began—could it be that Edith had foreseen the outcome of this battle long ago?

The suspicion she had been harboring was confirmed, yet Ye Zhiqing felt somewhat lost instead.

Edith had indeed intended to use herself as bait to disperse the Hittite forces concentrated in the Kadesh sea area. But if the arrow that saved her was shot by Edith, it could only prove that Edith had never boarded the warships from the beginning, but had instead hidden within the army led by Heshi.

She had used some means of deception to make everyone, including the Egyptian generals, believe the Queen of Egypt was on those warships.

In reality, Edith had remained hidden in a place known to no one, indifferently watching everything unfold.

Edith’s mind was meticulous and treacherous, her temperament unpredictable. Ye Zhiqing felt a delayed chill climb up her spine, and she began to doubt whether she could emerge unscathed from her encounters with Edith.

Fragmented light outlined Ye Zhiqing’s facial features, making them appear softer. Beneath the fine, soft golden fuzz of her skin was the same determination and stubbornness as always, along with several strands of inexplicable bewilderment.

Edith stared unblinkingly at Ye Zhiqing, who had suddenly approached her on her own initiative. She was somewhat surprised that Ye Zhiqing would daze off right in front of her; however, those tightly pursed lips suggested she wasn’t thinking of anything pleasant.

Her brow furrowed for a moment before she turned and strode toward the room, the hem of her robe embroidered with fine gold thread swinging in a soft arc through the air. “Come in.”

Her pace was slow. Ye Zhiqing watched Edith’s retreating figure as it gradually vanished within the exquisite doorframe. With a complex expression, she took a deep breath and followed her inside.

From her interactions with Edith these past few days, this Queen of Egypt—who was seen by everyone as decisive in slaughter, tyrannical, and addicted to cruelty—behaved in a completely different manner when alone with her.

At this thought, the restlessness Ye Zhiqing couldn’t suppress strangely calmed down. At the very least, Edith’s current attitude toward her was not malicious; on the contrary, she always seemed to intentionally or unintentionally shield her from many unnecessary troubles.

The Queen of Egypt, usually high above and worshipped by the masses, seemed to be revealing her true nature to her bit by bit, and by tacitly allowing her to read Egyptian state documents, all signs pointed to the Queen’s attitude toward her being extraordinary.

Subtle and wordless. Ye Zhiqing knew very well that Edith’s attitude determined her situation in Egypt. While paying an equivalent price, she needed to bear risks of equivalent value.

Gathering her thoughts, Ye Zhiqing quickened her pace, her gaze resolute. Edith’s current attitude was precisely what confirmed her value to her.

The throne beneath Edith was built upon countless piles of blood and corpses; covetous eyes and scrutiny from all over Egypt were constantly waiting for an opportunity to overthrow her.

And Ye Zhiqing could very well become her greatest assistant…

“Heshi has already received the punishment she deserved.” Edith leaned back in the wooden chair behind the desk, watching Ye Zhiqing mildly as she dazed off again after entering. Clearly sensing her chaotic and unsettled thoughts, Edith spoke suddenly.

“Ah.” Realizing her lapse in composure, Ye Zhiqing snapped back to reality. Hearing Edith bring up the disposal of Heshi on her own initiative, she smiled. “Lamassu already told me. Thank you, King, for the rescue.”

After being rescued by Edith, Ye Zhiqing had been unconscious for three full days before waking up. Upon waking, she heard from Lamassu that General Heshi had been sentenced to flogging by the Queen, publicly punished in front of all the soldiers.

For an Egyptian general, this was undoubtedly an extremely severe punishment.

Ye Zhiqing’s reaction was very plain—so plain it somewhat exceeded Edith’s expectations. She could never quite guess what was inside Ye Zhiqing’s small head; her unheard-of depth of knowledge and wisdom, no less than that of the goddess Thoth, was captivating in every way.

Edith leaned her body forward, her elbows propping her up on the stone desk. “Zhiqing, come here.”

It was a rare, intoxicating tenderness belonging only to the Queen of Egypt.

When her stunning face shed its intimidating majesty and cold hardness, it was a radiant magnificence enough to stir the soul. Too much dazzling luster gathered in those amber eyes, making one willing to sink into them, unable to refuse.

Ye Zhiqing dazed for an instant, her body stalling for a moment before she walked toward the stone desk as told.

“Have you finished reading all these documents?” It was “finished reading,” not just “looked through.”

“No.” Ye Zhiqing tightened her hands hanging at her sides. Facing an Edith like this, she was clearly somewhat at a loss.

Edith pushed the documents on the desk forward, signaling Ye Zhiqing to look again. “This is the ceasefire agreement to be signed between Egypt and the Hittites. What are your views?”

This was the first time Edith had proactively asked for Ye Zhiqing’s opinion.

Blood raced uncontrollably to her face. Ye Zhiqing pursed her lips tightly. Within Edith’s focused gaze swirled a sincere earnestness; her seemingly unguarded inquiry silently enticed one to let down their guard.

The muscles of her face twitched uncontrollably.

Ye Zhiqing didn’t believe it. She didn’t believe it at all.

The more difficult Edith’s attitude toward her was to fathom, the only explanation was that her schemes ran deeper.

This was merely a transaction—a transaction based entirely upon interest. Her suddenly widened eyes felt slightly dry; the pain of a muscle cramp reminded Ye Zhiqing to remain clear-headed and restrained.

When she looked up again to meet Edith’s eyes, her quiet black gaze showed not a single ripple.