The Flower Of Eternity
Chapter 38: Disguise

Sun Palace, Shina, Orient

Two weeks later...

The rain is pouring on Shina. The Sun Palace which always looked bright now looked dark because the sunlight was covered with gray clouds. The heavy sound of rain falling soaking the ground in the grounds rang through the walls of the Palace. His voice somehow brought peace and tranquility to the soul. The air became cooler and smelled the smell of soil wet with rainwater, offsetting the perfume of the Queen Mother.

Reina was sitting in her room drinking tea that was still warm. He closed his eyes, enjoying the rain that afternoon. And enjoy a foot massage of one of his lovers.

Qin never liked the rain. Her thought. Somehow, her mind just thought of her late husband when he was surrounded by handsome young men who had chosen to be her lover. They fed her wine and adored her beautiful face that never faded time. Qin never praised my beauty. Every time he praised, he would say that I was smart and brilliant. He thought again with a smile in response to a compliment from one of his lovers.

But when it was calm it was suddenly scattered by the sound of someone outside the door. The voice he had long been waiting for.

"Your Majesty the Queen Mother, I have come to face."

"Please come in." Reina's Word.

The door was wide open revealing a young woman with torn clothes in some parts. Her skin that was not covered in clothes looked bluish, bruised and cut on her thighs, calves and arms. His long black hair dangled over his face, visibly wet by the rainwater. The young lady shivered and continued to duck.

When her steps were close enough to Reina, she looked up at the Queen Mother. It showed a face that was already very familiar to Reina. But now the face was full of wounds and blood. He looks scared. Her tears flowed without a sound.

"Emer..." Reina gasped when she saw him. His hands covered his mouth, shocked at the appearance of one of his confidants. "What is—“

Eri sobbed, his voice inaudible due to the wound on his lips but Reina was still able to catch his words. "I was kidnapped by the leader of the North Wolf, Your Majesty. Help me!"

"North Wolf Leader?"

Eri nodded, still crying and shivering. "really. Grand Duke Winterthur."

Reina then ordered all her lovers and all her servants and ladies and gentlemen to leave to empty the room so that only she was left with Eri.

"Sit down and tell me everything that's happened to you in these two weeks." Reina orders while allowing Eri to sit in a chair not far from her presence.

Eri sat in that chair. "When you sent me to go out of the Palace and look for the Heart of the Wind Dragon, suddenly a group of Wolves ambushed me. I tried to fight back, but they were too many and they were very strong. They then took me to their leader, the new Grand Duke of Winterthur. He's a cruel and cold man. He then took me to the Queen of North—“

"Tsarina Anastasia?" Cut Reina straight away impatiently.

Reina had indeed deliberately ordered Eri to go out of the Palace and look for hairpins belonging to the Wind Dragon because at that time she got information from one of her spies that Grand Duke Winterthur and his Wolves were being in the Orient. It is possible that the Tsarina sent the Grand Duke and his troops to find out what was being prepared by him. Perhaps Tsarina did already know about her Steel Dragon. Reina then accidentally sends Eri as bait for the Wolves. Reina assumes that if they bring Eri to Tsarina Anastasia, then Eri may be able to find the hairpin. Because it is likely that Kaze gave her hairpin to the Queen of the Dragons.

"Really... Tsarina Anastasia's. The woman tortured me because I once hurt the Wind Dragon and also to force me to open my mouth and dismantle our secret weapon, Your Majesty. I was locked up and mistreated and given no food or drink at all for days. They also did not give me thick clothes in that very cold air, Sire. I almost froze to death—“

"Enough. I don't have to listen to all that abomination." Cut Reina. "So say. You met the Tsarina? Then does he have a Wind Dragon hairpin?"

Eri took something out of her pocket to answer the question. A hairpin that was very familiar to Reina's eyes. Wind Dragon Hairclips. The old hairpin was given by the previous Emperor to the first Wind Dragon he caught. The hairpin was stained with Eri's blood, but it still seemed to glitter under the light of the lamp. And Reina's eyes looked glittering when she saw the hairpin. He smiled widely, unable to withstand the turmoil of happiness when finally his plan to obtain the power of the Wind Dragon by sending Eri as bait finally succeeded successfully. Eri was seriously injured, but that was not the case. Most importantly now he could use the Steel Dragon with the power of the Wind Dragon that was inside that hairpin.

Reina orders Eri to come closer and hands the hairpin to her. Eri. In Reina's hands, the hairpin seemed even more glittering, especially in the part of the jewel that Reina believed was where the Heart of the Wind Dragon was stored.

"Is this really the Wind Dragon's hairpin?" Reina asked to make sure. Although actually he himself was already convinced that it was a real hairpin.

"Yes, Sire. You can see it in the painting of the Wind Dragon past. Exact same. I stole it from Tsarina."

Reina seemed speechless observing Eri, figuring out if Eri might lie to her. "I only need to test it by flying the Steel Dragon. If you're wrong, you've betrayed me." Said. Then when he noticed something different from the dragon tracker when he gave her a hairpin, Reina asked again, "I noticed you're wearing a ring, Eri? Did I just see it?"

Eri immediately held the ring that wrapped around the ring finger of his left hand with a shy smile. The ring looked so simple with a small jewel that looked like a fake jewel. "Actually... I am engaged, Sire. It's her late mother's ring that she gave me. She is a witch. He helped me to come back here with teleportation magic." Eri's face was so radiant when telling about her fiance as if forgetting all the events of the past two weeks as well as the injuries on her body and face, she said, so Reina was so sure that the woman who had been single for a long time since her last lover ended up in Reina's bed was now really in love.

Reina raised her next eyebrow, "Witch?" when he said that word, it was as if he was sneering, "North Person, then?"

"No, Sire. He's an Orient man. The Ilbon tribe as well. But her grandmother used to be a witch in the Nordhalbinsel Magic Tower. She learned magic from her grandmother." Answer Eri.

"He's working?"

"Unfortunately, no. He's still looking for work, sire."

"You know, I wouldn't forbid the Torakkas from getting into a relationship, but don't let that interfere with your work. It's good that she can magic so she can help you with your work. Anytime bring him to meet me, I might be able to hire him at the Palace. I don't want one of my Torakka confidants to marry a man whose economic status can't guarantee their well-being."

"really? Thank you very much, Sire." Eri seems happy as if forgetting the fact that her last lover belonged to Reina because she was offered a 'job' by the Queen Mother.

"Now go. Take that hairpin with you and clean it from your bloodstains that stick there. Treat and clean your wounds and come with me this afternoon to test the hairpin on the Steel Dragon."

"Okay, Sire."

***

Eri walked in escorted by Reina's bodyguards towards her room. Arriving at her room, Eri asks all her guards to leave. He sat on the edge of the bed alone, watching the whole room. And after confirming that she was completely alone, she removed the fake 'engagement ring.

Because of course it's not an engagement ring. And he, of course, is not the real Eri.

His black hair turned as red as fire. The dragon's tracking eyes turned golden brown. Anna returned to her original form after removing the transformation ring that had been given Eri's blood.

"It's good to see you again."

Without turning her head, Anna already knew that Leon had already teleported into the room. Leon had indeed been watching him ever since he started entering the Sun Palace without being noticed by anyone. In accordance with their plans.

And if Leon had already come, it meant that the room had already been installed soundproof magic so that whatever their conversation would be no one could hear it. Leon had also made sure there was no one around Eri's room.

"It's nice to be me again." Anna said while wiping away the fake tears she had trained repeatedly before acting out to be Eri. Now he is quite an expert. Xavier would be proud of me if he knew, he thought.

Leon walks to the edge of the bed where Anna is sitting and helps her wear a kimono to cover up Eri's torn clothes in some parts to create a 'heinously abused effect over in the North'. Because that's what they want. Makes Reina think that Eri was tortured, instead of being offered cooperation. What actually happened, though, for the past two weeks Anna has been figuring out everything about Eri and learning to imitate the dragon tracker before she begins to disguise herself as Eri to infiltrate the Sun Palace where Reina lives. And after confirming that the Steel Dragon Ludwig and Selena had made was finished, and after making sure all the preparations were done, Anna used Ludwig's latest transformation ring and disguised herself as Eri. Meanwhile, Eri stays at Noord with Irene, who is left to look after Vierra and Elyan.

"Let me see." Leon was now kneeling before him, noticing the 'wounds' he had previously made with magic. And with his magic as well, Leon removes all those fake wounds. "perfect." He said with a smile on Anna.

It was hard not to blush embarrassed as someone like Leon stared up close while saying 'perfect' with such a dazzling smile. In addition to the atmosphere, dim room lighting and endless rain outside. So Anna shifted her eyes. "Thank you, Leon." Her speech.

Leon immediately backed away from her, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to flirt, but—I mean you're perfect. I mean, your wounds have been completely removed and—“

"I understand." Anna laughs. "God. Don't talk about it anymore. Please don't be awkward with me."

Leon laughed, "Alright, Your Majesty." Said Leon. He then took something out of the bag he was carrying. Lotus cake bag. He gave it to Anna and called it the world's most delicious cake.

Leon then looked back at Anna who was staring out the window in silence after finishing three lotus cakes. Anna was looking at the rain that was still pouring down the garden in front of Eri's room. "You okay?" Leon asked who had also stopped eating the cookies.

Anna turned to him, "Because of the rain?"

"Because the rain must remind you of Xavier." Answer Leon.

Anna nodded. Leon must have known about Xavier who had healed him so that the rain no longer made him hysterical due to his trauma after the death of his father. And Leon was right. The rain reminded Anna of Xavier because it was when they kissed for the first time, when a fake rain made by Eleanor fell on the Main Palace. "Now everything reminds me of him." Anna said, half-thought. "I'm fine, Leon. Thank you for worrying about me."

"So... You haven't answered my question. How can you get a house that big in such a fast time?" Leon turns the topic around before Anna is sad again because they are talking about Xavier again.

The house Leon was referring to was the house now occupied by the Wolf army. They were of course not just the two of them coming to Shina. Leon brings most of the Wolf army and the witches in preparation for the war if that's what's going to happen. And now the Wolves are preparing in a house so big that it can accommodate hundreds of people. The house is located on a hill and has a very large garden.

"The house is mine. Xavier bought it when we were newly married. It was going to be our vacation home. I guess for now the house will be more useful if it is used as the headquarters of the Wolves and witches." Answer Anna. He tried not to look sad. Because just then he remembered that Xavier had written in his journal that he wanted to someday vacation with Anna and their children in the house. That dream will never come true.

"God. I'll make sure none of the furniture they broke. I will order them to move very carefully and not nudge anything."

Anna laughed, "It doesn't need to be that hard, Grand Duke." Anna said that she finally decided that she was not yet full. Anna returns to retrieve the cake from the bag of cake that Leon is still holding. Leon smiled seeing it. He also took another cake to eat.

"You don't know how difficult it is to manage them especially the ones who are teenagers. The Wolves were so active and could not remain silent. If I don't live eternally, I'm pretty sure I'm getting old by those young wolves."

"Later they will also grow older and more obedient. You need to be more patient with them."

"Of course." Leon replied with a sigh. He then got up towards one side of the room to pour water in two glasses and gave one of them to Anna after he himself made sure that the water was really just plain drinking water without any mixture poison or something. Anna immediately downed the drinking water because after eating a lot of Lotus cakes she began to feel thirsty. "Remember, don't drink anything I haven't tasted. I'm not going to die from poison." Said Leon.

Anna did not answer him. Now the word 'poison' can make him think of Xavier.

Leon realized that immediately. "Sorry, I didn't mean—“

"I will obey your words. I will not eat or drink. Promises. But you don't have to taste everything like that. You're immune to poison or anything deadly, I know, but you have to be careful, Leon too. It could be sleeping pills or something, not poison." Said Anna.

"alright. Then we must be careful of all that we will eat and drink."

"Agreed."

Leon then put back their empty glasses, took a chair and sat down before Anna. "So after this you'll go see Reina's Steel Dragon?"

Anna nodded. "Reina will test the hairpin I gave her."

"Which isn't it actually a hairpin that contains the heart core of the Wind Dragon." Added Leon.

"true." Anna then pulled out two hairpins from her pocket. The hairpin he had shown Reina was the Wind Dragon's hairpin. The other is a hairpin given by Xavier. The hairpin that originally belonged to Princess Seo-Hwa. "The heart of the Wind Dragon is here." Anna points at Xavier's hairpin. "So every time Reina used this hairpin," This time she pointed at the Wind Dragon sign, "I'm the one who will use the power of the Wind Dragon with the pinch given by Xavier. He would have thought that he was the one who held the power of the Wind Dragon."

"Why are you so sure that you, I mean Eri, will always be by her side when she's going to use that hairpin? Isn't there Yi-Zhuo? He could have taken Yi-Zhuo next time."

"Indeed right. But I'll make sure Yi-Zhuo is banished. And I will make sure that Eri will be the only person Reina can trust."

Leon was confused. "How?"

"Eri told me that Yi-Zhuo, secretly, unbeknownst to Reina, was in contact with one of Reina's sons. The sister of Haru. Prince Yuza. They usually meet secretly in the garden behind the Palace."

"Oohs... Forbidden relationship." Leon nodded in understanding. "of course. It's not the Palace's name if there's no scandal whatsoever in it."

"Reina wouldn't be happy if she found out about their relationship. And you might as well be able to help me with this."

"alright. So when am I gonna get introduced to this awesome Queen Mother?"

"Suri's mother wants to meet with Eri's 'fiancee' as soon as possible. Whenever you're ready."

After making Reina trust him completely, Anna plans to meet Haru and show him evidence that the detonation of Morta's bomb in Jungdo that killed Yeon-Hwa was not the work of Ludwig or Anna's men, except for Reina. Anna found out from Aletha. It was Reina who put a spy in Smirnoff's residence and took Ludwig's Morta bomb and detonated it in Jungdo just as Haru was visiting Shina. Reina does so because she knows about Yeon-Hwa's pregnancy and because Reina also knows that Yeon-Hwa is pregnant with Elias' child, not Haru. Through Aletha too Anna would tell Haru that Reina had dropped bombs on Montreux and Schere so Anna had the right to seek compensation and make Haru stop the Steel Dragon project owned by Reina.

And in the meantime, Leon will distract Reina, so that Reina can't derail her meeting with Haru. That is why Anna disguises herself as Eri and declares that Eri is engaged. Leon will be Eri's fiancee. In accordance with the information provided by Eri, the man close to her always ends up being Reina's lover. So that's how Leon will distract the Queen Mother.

Before Leon goes with her, Anna warns him that the mission is dangerous enough and that Leon does not need to go with her. Anna was going to invite one of the Wolf squad members who were also Orient people to disguise themselves as Eri's fiancee. Leon insists on going with her and declares that he can't calm down if he can't ensure Anna's safety while in the Orient. They had a long argument and finally Anna had to give up. So Anna gives Leon a transformation ring to impersonate the Orient man who will become Eri's fiancee.

"You've taken a blood sample?" Ask Anna.

Leon also wore his transformation ring which he had kept in his pocket. The ring was similar to the one Anna used as Eri. Engagement rings. The real thing is the transformation ring. The difference is, the ring on Anna is the latest made of Ludwig who has been modified. The ring can now be used to teleport as well even though Anna has not fully mastered how to teleport using the ring. At least he can use it later in times of urgency.

And right after Leon put on his ring, he transformed into an Orient man in his twenties, complete with the typical Orient black eyes. The Orient man whose blood sample was taken by Leon was one of the members of the Wolf army who came from the Orient named Ren. Ren tells Leon that he and his mother left Orient when Ren was a baby, after his father's death. Her mother learns magic and becomes a tower witch, while Ren, after growing up, enlists into the Winterthur Wolf army.

"How's it?" Ask Leon.

"Please use the typical dialect of the Ilbon tribe that is not too raw, Leon. You're not a nobleman and you live in an immigrant village."

"Where?" Deuteronomy with a special accent of the Ilbon tribe.

Anna smiled in satisfaction and gave her two thumbs up. "I think Reina's gonna have a new boyfriend."

Leon laughs. He then faced the mirror in the room, noticing his reflection which now looked very different from his original appearance. Leon himself was amazed by the change. "So this is Reina's favorite type?"

Ren has a smooth milky white skin, a pointed nose and almond-shaped eyes. Overall, Ren looks good even for Reina's standards. Especially with perfect body proportions and a soft but heavy voice—Anna calls Ren's voice like the voice of a singer. So that while talking, Ren's voice sounded melodious. But there is something else that makes Anna choose Ren. That is the face of Ren who if smiling, similar to the face of the late Emperor Qin when young. Although Reina and Emperor Qin's relationship was not very harmonious, Anna was quite sure that choosing a face similar to Qin's as a young boy could attract Reina's attention more than any other beautiful face.

"I mean, obviously your handsome face would be much more like Reina. But this one is pretty convincing." Anna said when she saw the reflection of Leon—'s face Ren—'s face through the mirror.

Leon turned his gaze from the mirror and looked at Anna beside him. "Your majesty, do you realize you just called me handsome?" he said, as if he could not believe what he had just heard. Her face—face Ren—looks blushed.

Anna rolled her eyes, "You've been good-looking a long time, Leon. Don't pretend to be surprised to hear it. You must be tired of hearing that compliment every day of your life. I speak for all the women you've ever broken their hearts." Said Anna.

Leon couldn't help but smile, "Stay still. I'm glad you said it." Then in a dramatic gesture, he knelt before Anna like a commoner before the Empress. With the Orient language and the very distinctive Ilbon tribal dialect, he said, "Thank you very much for your praise, Your Majesty. Servants don't deserve it."

"alright. Stop the. You're too much into your role." Anna said with a laugh.

***