The Scorean

Overview

The Scorean is a mandatory main story arc.

Glossary Definition

The Scorean is a debut ceremony to present marriageable $women of 20 years old to society. Though infamous to all solfrey nobility world-wide, it is practiced only in some foreign cultures. In @mireota, the scorean is specifically a replacement ceremony where the new 20 year old $woman takes the place of the a noble's old $wife. The tradition is popular in that form in @mireota, but is assiduously followed by the royal family.

Common Perspectives and Opinions

The Scorean is said to be a crazy misogynistic practice. When the queen is "old" at 45 she would "retire", to be never seen again. The same is done for all her old close servants who would disappear, many say that they are killed.

It is strange how the process always goes perfectly and every queen accepts the outcome without a fight. People say that every queen must have been tightly controlled by the queen and was powerless from the beginning.

Hidden Real Truth of the Scorean

In reality the Scorean is a 700 year old tradition invented by R4 to give her some stability when she and the first King of Mireota founded the country. Her identities prior were unstable and in precarious positions, she wasn't necessarily queen, and had experienced many different social positions, move countries, and so on. The Scorean gave her a way to keep a lineage within one country, have children that she can watch over, stay on top status wise, while keeping her status as an immortal necromancer a secret.

The King is in her thrall (magic) and since the King is typically her own descendent, she doesn't care to sleep with him at all.

Unused Ideas

• An older Ji explains to Weilan. "A new girl can be prettier. A new girl can learn the same sex tricks. A new girl can get the same jewels. What she cannot do is create a shared history. She wasn't there when the master was sick. She doesn't know the story behind that scar on his knee. She can't laugh at the inside joke about the broken vase from three years ago. Your memories with him are the only part of you that is truly unique and irreplaceable. That is your only defense. It's the only anchor you have when he looks at someone new."
• Weilan looks on with interest as some merchants discuss the futures market. Here we can get maybe some hints on how people take the transition. Not sure yet what it should be though.
  • Could also be "Did you see the cost report for the Starfall Cascade Regalia? It's obscene. The entire budget for the Southern Sendway repairs... on a dress."
  • "Forget the dress. The magical pyrotechnics alone could have funded the harbor expansion. There's no oversight. The treasury is just her personal purse."
• Maybe in the conversation with Yaling she could make a remark that shows she knows what's happening in their household. Maybe a reference to Cinean.
  • "And I must commend you on your choice of companion. To find someone as brilliant as Cinean Sung... it is so wise. A husband with a mind like the Count's must be a challenge to keep engaged. You have found the perfect solution to ensure he always has a sparring partner."
  • But Yaling could rejoin that she's mistaken, Cinean was a gift from MC, not the other way around. Showing that she's not perfect and makes assumptions?

Events of the Arc

Event 1, Scene 1: Invitation

Scene 1 - Level 2 Outline

MC: I had no idea she was so young.

You can't help but express your surprise when you receive the letter, an invitation from the King and Queen of Mireota.

Yaling: What's that?

You hand her the envelop with invitation in it, "The Lord Chamberlain of the Royal House of Mireota cordially invite our good friend, the esteemed Count of Len along with Lady, to the Scorean ceremony of Princess Peizhi".

There was another RSVP letter, with a time and date. In about 2 and a half months.

Yaling: A good friend of the King and Queen of Mireota, I didn't know you were close to them like that.

Your wife is impressed.

Yaling: A direct invitation from a foreign court, how did that story come about, you'll have to tell me.

She pores over the letter, reading it carefully.

In your hand you hold a second letter, addressed directly to you from the Princess herself.

It reads:

Letter: Dear, MC, forgive me for never telling you. It's been my family's long standing policy for the next in line to the throne to have full privacy and never reveal $herself to society until her Scorean. It is my absolute desire for you to attend my Scorean. I will be able to be fully transparent with you then. It is my wish that we grow even closer after the ceremony.

Letter: Congratulations on your wedding.

You have known Peizhi for over a decade, talking, sometimes daily, on the SCN. You were a snooty little kid, often turning up your nose at the other, less academically gifted, more rambunctious noble progeny. There was little more pleasurable to you than making fun of the simple-minded and weak-willed while on the SCN.

But you were not isolated in your frivolous haughtiness. There was always that girl though besides you, who spoke as if she was mature beyond her age. A girl who was cagey about her identity but kept up with you in banter and laughed alongside you at the foolishness of others and built with you a collective aura of superiority. You encouraged each other on pursuing the study of your interests. Though you had never realized who she was until recently, she was for many years one of your best friends.

We need to introduce the Peizhi SCN dynamic here, with either a flashback scene or an extensive description.

Also need to make sure that Yaling knows of the SCN friend, even if not very in detail. We have mentioned her before how she was our best friend for a couple of teenage years. Also she should have no hint of jealousy, more excitement due to Peizhi being royalty. Quick mental mention that this sounds like one of those silly women's drama scenarios, but she quickly dismisses it as she's literally being invited to her WEDDING.

Scene 1 - Level 5

MC: I had no idea she was so young.

You murmur under your breath.

You can't help but express your surprise when you receive the letter, an invitation from the King and Queen of Mireota.

Yaling: What's that?

She asks gently.

You hand her the invitation.

Invitation: By decree of His Majesty King Loren Ping and Her Majesty Queen Cao Renjie of Mireota: The Lord Chamberlain, on behalf of Their Majesties, cordially invites our esteemed friend, the Count of Len, and his Lady, to the Scorean ceremony of Princess Peizhi Nam, to be held at the Heavenly Embrace Palace in Xinghai on the noon of spring.

There is an RSVP request, with a time and date. In about 2 and a half months.

Yaling: They call you a good friend of the King and Queen of Mireota.

Yaling says slowly.

Yaling: I didn’t know we were so close to them.

Yaling says playfully, impressed. Her eyes search yours intently.

Your wife’s incredulity is understandable. Neither of you has ever met the Mireotan royals.

Yaling: A direct invitation from a foreign court, how did that story come about, you'll have to tell me.

Her fingers trace the raised lettering, clearly admiring.

In your hand you hold a second letter, addressed directly to you from the Princess Peizhi Nam herself.

It reads:

Letter: Forgive me for never telling you. It has been my family’s long-standing policy that the heir to the throne remain anonymous to society until her Scorean. I’ve wanted to tell you so many times… Now at last I can. It is my greatest wish that you attend my Scorean ceremony. I will finally be able to be fully honest with you then. I hope we can grow even closer after the ceremony.

Letter: — Peizhi

Letter: P.S. Congratulations on your wedding.

MC: That earnest, familiar tone.

The note sounds nothing like the flowery formal voice of a stranger—it sounds like her, the witty friend you knew so well. And her—the mystery girl who matched you barb for barb, joke for joke, for years. The friend who vanished from the network some years ago without explanation, leaving you with a hollow absence you hated to admit.

For much of your teenage years, at least 9 years ago now, you would have called Peizhi your best friend. You were a snooty brat, often scoffing at the other, less academically gifted, more rambunctious noble progeny. There was little more pleasurable to you than making fun of the simple-minded and weak-willed while on the SCN.

But you were not isolated in your frivolous haughtiness. There was always that girl beside you, who spoke as if she was mature beyond her age. A girl who was cagey about her identity but kept up with you in banter and laughed alongside you at the foolishness of others and built with you a collective aura of superiority. You encouraged each other on pursuing the study of your interests. Though you had never realized who she was until this moment, she was for many years someone who you looked forward to speaking with every day.

MC: I can't believe it. All this time...

You hand the second letter to Yaling. She nods slowly, her expression thoughtful as she reads.

Yaling: So your old SCN friend—the one whose real name you never quite figured out- Yaling: Her name actually is Peizhi, the Princess... of Mireota. Incredible.

You recall a flurry of late-night SCN sessions in your teens: the two of you mocking shallow peers, exchanging half-baked magic theories, forging inside jokes in a coded dialect. It felt harmless fun at the time… and yet you remember being strangely protective of that friendship.

You: She never once said she was royalty. I thought she was using an anonymous avatar.

She continued studying the invitation, her interest clearly piqued by this unexpected connection to foreign royalty. It sounds like one of those frivolous women’s drama scenarios, but then, it's literally an invitation to her wedding, not something to worry about.

Yaling: That poor girl. To have to hide herself until being thrust into a ceremony like this… what a life.

Yaling: We’ll go, of course.

Yaling’s eyes shine with determination.

Yaling: How could we not? I always enjoy meeting your friends and hearing about you from their perspectives.

You laugh.

MC: Careful. She knows all my youthful misdeeds.

Yaling: Oh, I’ll get them out of her.

Yaling teases, flashing a grin.

You: If she has time... it's just the, oh, biggest moment of her life.

Then Yaling steps back, a regal air straightening her spine. Already, her mind turns to preparations—you can see it.

Yaling: We should have formal attire made, and an appropriate gift—if gifts are allowed?

The letter didn’t mention bringing gifts. Mireotan customs might differ.

MC: We’ll find out. Perhaps something symbolic… It’s a coming-of-age ceremony, essentially.

Yaling: Attending a royal Scorean will be quite the experience. And having personal connections to the new Queen of Mireota could be great for Len.

Yaling: Who else might be attending? The Scorean is a significant cultural event - especially in Mireota where it's so... distinctive.

A soft laugh escapes Yaling’s lips as another thought strikes her.

Yaling: I wonder what your princess friend will think of me.

She cocks her head, feigning a serious expression though her eyes dance.

Yaling: Was it already a mess with the women back then? She might have already read about me, the one who begged her father on bloody knees to marry you.

Yaling is practically glowing with anticipation. The shock has transformed into eagerness to support you—and to satisfy her own curiosity. She reads Princess Peizhi’s words again to herself, as if searching for the personality behind them. Yaling was the same eager way when she realized she was going to meet Zhenzhen or Yao Hong, every character from the life you've told her about. Peizhi is one she did not think she would be able to collect, but as it turns out...

MC: She'll be impressed. Anyone who knows me well enough would understand that you would be extraordinary. I have the highest standards for women.

MC: I should write back immediately. The princess—the queen-to-be—will be expecting our response.

Event 2, Scene 2: On The Way There to the Scorean

Scene 2 - Level 2 Outline

Setting: They're in an ultra large carriage, it's about the size of a city bus.

• You bring Weilan along, she's fun and just feels great to be around, easy company. You also think she's very beautiful, it's a nice status symbol to have such a beautiful Ji.
• You see her chatting with the Jingfei about the road and where it goes, Jingfei tells her about the Piyse-Mireota Master Road, Kpor Imperial Way, and how they'll pass through the "Boundary Causeway".
• You ask her if she's ever been out of Piyse and she says no. It's troublesome to get a solfrey or a loyalist to sponsor your visa. But she thinks if she kept on working at her old firm they would've surely sent her around for business.
• Yaling asks her if there's anyplace she would like to go and she says shyly... "not specifically, but the Thrones of the Eternal I guess..."
  • [A 500 year old concept prompted by various tourism corporations supposedly to mark the seats of power of the original Solfrey immortal angels. It started originally with 5 thrones but has somehow increased to 23 over the decades.]
  • A fairly generic and safe answer...
• Yaling says I haven't been to all 23 either, she says to Weilan, "Ask your master when he's going to take us." Yaling stares at you smiling.
• "Ahh, eventually once my affairs are more in order and... there'll be opportunities".
• Yaling turns to Weilan, "He's sooo busy, hey how about we go together, girls trip?"
• Weilan looks surprised and torn. "Ohh..." she says genuinely distraught at the question, "But what if... he needs me?" She blushes.
  • Weilan wants to support Yaling, instinctively. But she also knows she cannot be seen taking sides or used as a prop in a relationship dispute. She's saw that the Count's "busyness" was a point of contention with Yaling and if he perceived her as teaming up with Yaling in a 2v1... it would be the worst mistake of her life.
• Yaling laughs, "What a good girl you are Weilan."
• You decide to tease Weilan, "Oh, barely a couple of months and you think I can't live without you." [It's supposed to be teasing, like a neg. There's a bit of edge to it to get weilan off guard so you have an excuse to have a physical apology.]
• Weilan looks at you blankly, her eyes a hidden panic.
• Yaling gives you a look, "MC".
• You laugh and gesture for Weilan to come into your arms, which she does, sitting on your lap, facing Yaling. You smother her gently, nuzzling her ear, and you whisper softly, "I am so glad I took you, and I don't want you out of my sight," telling her that she is doing everything right, to never change, and you tickle her collarbone.
• Weilan giggles and feels your member below her butt, and wiggles her buttcheeks on you, "I can tell", she says giggling.
• You're getting aroused feeling her small, tight body rubbing against you, it's affecting her too, and she looks at Yaling, flushed.
• You meet Yaling's eyes across on the other seat, and you stand all of a sudden, and gently toss Weilan aside. [the power dynamics are the foundation of the world. the MC is supposed to heavily prioritize Yaling over Weilan, and overt displays like tossing weilan aside is what makes the whole Ji situation acceptable.]
• You walk over to Yaling, the intensity of your gaze making her breath catch. You stand imperiously over her, she smiles, seeing your lustful face, she licks her lips.
• "Take it off", you growl, and she readily complies, shedding her dress as you get on top of her.

Scene 2 - Level 3 Outline

Setting: A magecraft enhanced road (called a sendway) that drags any vehicle along it. They're in an ultra large carriage, it's about the size of a city bus. They're operated by specialized commoner drivers who use attunement magecraft to guide the vehicle.

From Len Passage they get into the Royal Road which is a Road system that connects the ducal seats to Yanezhou, the capital of Piyse. From there they get on the main sendway to Mireota.

The road is called the Piyse-Mireota Master Road, used to be part of the "Kpor Imperial Way", a continental sendway system built by the Kpor imperial dynasty. [None of the characters know this information: And though credit is given to Kpor for the original road, that's not quite accurate. this section of the Imperial Way was originally built over an even older Sica sendway.]

They pass through the "Boundary Causeway" that crosses difficult terrain.

Jingfei, Weilan, Yaling, and you are in an upper carriage. Below is Pinhan Zhilun, your Bodyguard, Nali your networker, and many other members of your retinue.

Scene 3: Entering the Ceremonial Palace

• Yaling feels sympathy to Peizhi initially as a victim of a cruel system.
• Yaling notices a statue of the King Loren Ping just inside the palace gates, and a missing spot of the queen. Other nobles notice as well, remarks how they removed all the statues, portraits of the old queen (Cao Renjie) from the city and moved them to a safe place in the city's museum to make way for the new queen.
• There are ambassadors, local lords, business leaders, and international representatives. There's a Piyse delegation too who remain separate from them, since their invitation came directly from the bride rather than as part of the state delegation, Yaling would rather focus on networking with other international lords than hanging out with the Piyseans.
• Weilan notices the missing queen's statue, whispers among nobles about how they've moved all traces of the old queen to museums, making way for Peizhi. The casual erasure of a woman's existence might have outraged a more political woman, but Weilan was tolerant of other cultures.
• Weilan is unsettled by the Scorean. It's unnatural, systemically nonsensical, crazy, destructive to the order of society - even among commoners, marriages are meant to last.
  • Thoughts: she's heard of the Scorean and how it influences Mireotan's culture. In Piyse people commonly say never marry a Mireotan man.
• Weilan wears your crest on her dress, it's a big design that goes across both the front and back of her shoulders. It marks her as part of your house. She also wears an elaborate armlet, as Ji does in the Piysean tradition.
  • She thinks it's beautiful and is proud to be wearing it. While Ji are of poor status among Solfrey, Ji of Solfrey nobles are considered high status among commoners, and as a commoner Weilan has that perspective and wear the title with some pride.
  • Commoner men do not have Ji, though they may have mistresses and such as in our society, the status of Ji is not a gender thing but a solfrey-commoner thing. Solfrey women also have male Ji.
• As you get into position for the ceremony, escorted by people from the The Crown's Order of Protocol who seats and announces guests by importance, Yaling chats up Lady Sewon Jho (62yo), the wife of Mireota's Foreign Minister.
• Lady Sewon Jho tells tells her how the transition is expected to go smoothly since the previous queen tragically had no children.
• Yaling tries to get answers to these questions: Who is this new Queen? What is her power base? What is the stability of this court? What are the implications of this attention on my family and my husband's position back in Piyse?

Scene 4: Queen Peizhi Enters

• It's a fresh faced 20 year old Peizhi Nam, she looks just like how you remembered her from 7 years ago on the SCN. You had always thought that she was a catfish, a beautiful avatar that anyone could don in the magical metaverse of the SCN. But seeing her in the flesh you realized that you were right, she is a catfish, she must've been projecting what she was going to look like at 20, and her age was much younger than you realized.
• Peizhi radiant with energy as she approaches throne, wearing the Starfall Cascade Regalia
• Yaling was shocked at how confident and imposing she actually was.
• Peizhi looks at MC, suddenly face brightens into a too eager smile.
• Peizhi demonstrates her magical ability by creating a specific pattern of light above the assembled nobles, a representative from each of the 10 houses join her in developing that light and supporting her magic with their own, it shines a few seconds before fading, with cheers from the crowd.
• she looks at you again, fighting back a smile before turning back around to proceed up to the dias where the king is waiting
• During the Scorean Yaling remarks how much the day is focused on the new queen. How the old King Loren Ping looks bored, how delighted the new queen looks, bustling with energy. The new queen just shares a chaste kiss on the lips with the king.
• Peizhi gives you another sly glance
• King kneels to hold up her crown (Regalia, Tri Ruby Diadem) to her, she crowns herself
  • Yaling thinks maybe the king is doing this display of focus on the new queen to wash away the whole misogynistic premise of the whole tradition.
  • She notes Peizhi's presence and bearing, though Yaling herself is great at that, she is still impressed by how Peizhi seems like she was made for the spotlight. This girl of just 20 is no sheltered noble suddenly thrust into the King's eye, she seems to belong, effortlessly.
  • How fearless she is (not worrying about the end of her term).
• Peizhi starts a speech.
• As Peizhi's speech begins, Yaling notices a minuscule, almost imaginary, wrinkle on your formal tunic's shoulder. She reaches up, in full view of the court, and smoothes it with a slow, deliberate motion. It is an act of casual, public intimacy—the kind of thing only a wife does. It is possessive, caring, and utterly unassailable.
• The speech's pretty short, only a couple of minutes long.
  • focuses on honoring Mireotan traditions
  • Glance at MC during a pause about "cherished friends"
  • Glance when speaking about future hopes
  • MC maintains composure but notices each look
  • Crowd clearly charmed by her youth and grace
  • Another glance during a pause for no reason
• At the first glance Peizhi evokes curiosity but Yaling had no outward reaction other than a questioning glance at MC
• After the last glance during the speech where the glance was just a tad too long:
• Yaling holds your hands tightly, rubbing them anxiously like shes having sex with it. This is something she does when you go to Peizhi R4's Scorean and she saw the way that the queen looked at you. [Drive up the erotic tension here]
  • The queen looks at you with overly friendly eyes and seem like she can't wait for the event to end to go talk to you.
  • Yaling looks to you to see your reaction. You are happy to see Peizhi. When you notice Yaling's questioning look, you sort of shrug and look confused. While yes, you have been invited and it seems like Peizhi does care about you still, it has been so long and she's now in such a high rank and position and newly married that you are genuinely surprised she's paying this much attention to you.
  • Yaling just feels uneasy about this whole thing, like there's undercurrents and oddities she's not grasping. But she doesn't know which direction to worry about or to even be worried, it just feels weird to her, and she believes that it's weird for you too.
• Yaling gets the impulse to strip down and suck you off right there, but dismisses the thought. She daydreams about having sex with you in front of everyone during the Scorean (playful). [This should be extra lewd]
  • first having him cum in her mouth and then drilling her from behind in the middle of everyone
    • [Showing everyone who he belongs to (this is marking of territory but in a general sense, as this is what Yaling's kink is, not aimed at a specific person yet)]
    • [Single explicit moment of fantasy, other moments are more subtle]
  • Prose test: Yaling catches herself gripping your hand too tightly and almost laughs at her own intensity. What would the perfect new queen think if she could see inside Yaling's head right now? The absolutely filthy things she wants to do to you, right here in front of all these stuffy nobles... She relaxes her grip but lets her fingers trail teasingly across your palm instead. You raise an eyebrow at her and she gives you her most innocent smile.
• At the end of the speech, a court official loudly instructs, “All hail Her Majesty Queen Peizhi! May her reign be prosperous!” The hall claps and cheers. Yaling notes this is where the court official would say “Long live Queen Peizhi" in another culture, but of course in Mireota that would be a faux pas.
• Peizhi gets ready to do the crown dance, One final glance at MC as music begins
• A local older noblewoman (Countess Mei Sovaron) remarks about the crown dance at the center of the ritual that symbolizes the coming age of a new youthful queen. Past queens are known for doing it perfectly, though it's exceedingly difficult. The queens of eras past has set a very high bar. Yaling watches as Peizhi flows through the intricate steps with grace, set to the tune of guqin and drums. The ladies in waiting who accompanied her did it much much worse. The local lady is amazed and says it really shows the excellence of the one who deserves to be queen.
• The guests bow deeply to the new monarch.
• The king present the new queen with official state gifts and order the city to be decorated with her image. No one else was allowed to present gifts.
• There are also some hints and clues as to the discontent against the new queen. Some people feel loyalty to the old queen and doesn't like the replacement without recourse. Just hints heavily at the possibility of future political upheaval against Peizhi.
• Lady Hewina Tao, wife of the Minister of Cultural Affairs tells Yaling and Lady Sewon Jho that the ceremony used to be much more extensive hundreds of years ago, but over the centuries has gotten streamlined (the blessing of vessels has been cut for example, and some other rites got moved into private), the reverse of other countries who have tacked on additional traditions over time and involvements of all kinds of special interest groups (eg the military, religious groups, etc are all absent from the ceremony), as Mireota believed in efficiency.

The scene should emphasize their history and chemistry while building sexual tension. During the formal ceremony, we see through both MC's eyes and others' observations:

• Brief meaningful glances exchanged
• Her perfectly maintained queenly composure slipping only when their eyes meet
• She's already attracted to him from their SCN interactions
• Meeting in person intensifies everything
• Their chemistry is electric, overwhelming her usual calculated approach
• During the ceremony, she keeps stealing glances at him

Scene 5: Meanwhile Weilan During the Ceremony

A very short scene in between scene 4 and 5 to:

1. Show the killing queen theories as a further red herring.
2. Expand the world a bit more with Soofi and Leiyang, so that it's not such a MC pander.
3. Observe that no king has ever not done a Scorean, setting up R4's power and control.
4. Show Weilan's views and optimism out in "the real world" and contrast it with Yaling, Soofi, Leiyang.
5. Set up the bullying in scene 7.
6. Show the social status of Ji and their desirability (they are the hot girls).
7. Show a Concubine and a Ji of the King Loren Ping.

But this scene has to be SHORT as it's an interruption form the "main story" and it's setup for other stuff down the line. Because we're aiming for this scene to be rather brief, let's TELL NOT SHOW much of it, eg the romance story is not fully fleshed out and so on.

• Setting: Ji are not allowed within the main ceremony hall itself, but watch through in another room through mage projections.
• The other room has the lower ranking solfrey and well connected commoners, other Ji among them. She notices the lower ranking solfrey looking down on her, while the commoners look at her covetously.
• Weilan finds herself with 2 other friendly Ji.
• She finds herself watching the old King Loren Ping during ceremonies, searching his face for signs of guilt or shame about replacing his wife. The new queen's youth and beauty feel almost obscene in contrast to the missing portraits of her predecessor.
• She meets other and talks with other Ji of other foreign nobles, and learn from their talk of the horrors of the Scorean.
• She meets Leiyang and Soofi who were apparently friends.
  • Leiyang is the Ji of the local Lord of the Manor in the palace, who was nice and offered her advice, and told Weilan to talk to her if she needs someone. This is merely to show that there are nice people out there and not to make the world sound absolutely horrible. This person Weilan consults later on for information on Mireota.
  • Soofi is a Ji from Piyse belonging to Duke Dan Dalo.
• Soofi groan of the ageism of the Scorean, how abusive it is that the king simply swaps out his wife for a girl in her low 20s when she gets old. How trashy that not a single Mireotan king has seen it fit to stand up for his wife and refuse the tradition.
  • Leiyang makes excuses for Mireota, saying having a young and dynamic queen is a big boon to the country.
• A commoner businesswoman say that even if they are removed after 25 years it may still be worth it to be queen for 25 years.
• A commoner businessman is like, nah they're probably killed when they're removed.
  • They discuss in hush tones that the old wife is probably killed as not one has ever been heard or seen from again. They wonder if it's the new queen's doing to secure the position or something the king orders. They say that rumors say the king kills her with his own hands as it has never been the case that the old queen is killed by an executioner.
  • [AN: Of course this is completely false, but it's a nice red herring so we can reveal the truth of the Scorean later.]
• Leiyang and Soofi compliments Weilan's youth and how beautiful she is and asks when she became a Ji.
• Weilan tells the true story, only a couple of months ago, how it's going for her so far (magical, fairytale sex), and the romantic destined library prank backstory while they listen in interest.
  • Leiyang and Soofi diarms her with many probing questions, and Weilan eagerly and somewhat pridefully shares her happiness.
  • She sees Soofi react negatively in subtle ways, and understood immediately that she shouldn't have been so effusive, but it was already done.

Scene 6: First Meeting With Peizhi During The Ceremony Reception

• Notice the old King's mistress, and her child with the King, a prince. It's very strange how they have such a place in the ceremony, it's quite disrespectful to the new incoming queen.
  • The prince's face is tight, while the mistress smiles politely. Yaling notes to herself on how this is more evidence of how impure and "complex" the whole situation is. Also makes her feel superior to the rather improper Mireotan culture.
• It's very strange the old queen didn't have a child and she's already gone. Wonder if Peizhi will be forced to get pregnant immediately.
• After the main ritual is complete the royal couple makes their way around the various dignitaries and nobles to talk to them.
  • You see a scene with Duke Dan Dalo greeting the King Loren Ping, and they talk about how great the 350 year alliance is, especially the personal relations between the King Loren Ping and King Augon Chao of Piyse. The twin star alliance is the underpining of peace in the lower Washan. The purpose is to establish how strong and tight the alliance between the two men are, making Peizhi's later betrayal of the alliance shocking. King Loren Ping promises to go to Piyse later this year to hang out.
    • Dan Dalo should also compliment Loren on his beautiful new young queen, but Loren Ping doesn't really seem excited by that, while Dan Dalo expresses some subtle, polite, sexual praise for Peizhi as a prize/object, Loren Ping seems more interested in hanging out with his buddies in Piyse.
  • As they're walking around you and Yaling have a small conversation about the ceremony. You ask her how it was, she said it was fine, Peizhi herself was impressive, but the ceremony itself was boring, the rituals lacked meaning and some of the actions felt pointless or at least not explained to the foreigners and doesn't inspire loyalty in the attendees. The idea is to use negative phrasing to throughly mock the ceremony. You agree.
    • Yaling is comparing to the celebrations, holidays, and rituals that the Chun family performs in Acasa, they're very big on festivities and storytelling through the ceremony, and making sure everyone viewing understands them. Comparatively, this is arcane.
    • Yaling also notes how streamlined it was, it wasn't very long, and as a combo coronation/wedding was surprisingly sparse. It was more about politics and the STATE than it was about her romance and the rest of her life.
      • No characters understand this, but this is because Peizhi has cut down on the various elements of the event because, 1. she doesn't care, 2. she has absolute control, 3. she wants to spend her time doing more fun things rather than this repetitive ritual that she's done multiple times.
        • She just keeps the elements that she thinks are fun like the dance.
      • Yaling thinks that's kinda tragic. She can't help but think back and compare to her own wedding to you. It was so focused on celebrating the new couple and their romance, the adoration of family and the union.
        • She remembered how much of it was about them expressing their love to one another, and her as the bride, being accepted made whole as a wife. Whereas Peizhi is much more about her position as QUEEN.
    • Showing off her social acumen, when Peizhi comes to talk to you and asks Yaling how she found the ceremony she managed to repeat the entire conversation with you by rephrasing it in positive words, such as ceremony rewards repeat attendance, makes me want to go home and read about the meaning behind the rituals. Inspired by: https://x.com/thefilmmemes/status/1845802749255971210
    • For some reason Peizhi just laughs, like she completely understood what Yaling was doing.
  • After a round with all the lords somehow Peizhi ends up with MC and Yaling, in almost a seclusion, sectioned off amidst all the people, with the king and her ladies in waiting acting as human shields, diverting attention from others.
  • There's this manufactured privacy amidst the crowd that feels both dangerous and thrilling.
  • Here Yaling gets confirmation that yes, it's a real situation. The queen is something else and it's not just a weird feeling, this woman is up to something.
  • Peizhi sees Yaling questioning all this, but reassures her by saying, it's okay. Giving this much attention to my old friend is fine, if it was any of our local lords people might question if I'm already favoring one faction over another, but since you're foreigners it won't cause too much trouble.
  • Yaling is all smiles as well but inside she's amazed that the new queen is handling the factional politics in her kingdom so confidently, or even recklessly.
  • Peizhi drops their formal titles immediately, speaking in their private language from SCN days. The contrast between the regal queen everyone else sees and this playful, intimate person only he knows is intoxicating.
  • He treats her like the girl he knew from SCN, not the new Queen
  • He teases her about some shared memory or inside joke from their past
  • This hits Peizhi hard emotionally - she's been playing a role all day and he cuts right through it
  • Yaling notes Peizhi’s body language – the way the young queen’s eyes shine, how she leans in toward you, nearly bouncing on her heels in excitement. Yaling hasn’t seen someone so thrilled to see her husband in quite some time.
  • Peizhi immediately drops the private language after a quick exchange to include Yaling in it.
• You talk to Peizhi normally and ask her about why she ghosted you for so long. Peizhi tells the whole Mariwen story and how she got banned from the SCN. Peizhi is unfailingly polite to Yaling, flattering her, making a lot of eye contact and addressing her.
  • But Yaling got the sense that Peizhi looks down on her, she later complains to you about Peizhi's attitude, that a woman can sense though you think Peizhi is kind and inclusive of Yaling in the conversation. Peizhi's treating her like Yaling would treat Cinean. It's unsettling and raises her hackles.

There's also:

• Charged silences where they're just looking at each other
• Testing boundaries of what they can say in this semi-public setting
• Her subtle implications about wanting more time alone with him

Scene 7: Weilan Gets Bullied After the Ceremony

• After the new Queen Peizhi is crowned people in the other Hall, Weilan among them, clap politely.
• While Peizhi is greeting the dignitaries, Weilan gets into a conversation with a Ji named Soofi.
• Weilan had spoken highly of you to her. It triggered Soofi to hear Weilan speak confidently about her relationship with you, her naive romantic outlook and adoration.
  • This is redirecting their own insecurities and fears of being replaced onto an easy target and being jealous of Weilan's beauty.
  • Soofi, whose own noble master barely acknowledges her existence when not using her for sex or as a trophy, finds Weilan's romantic outlook and confidence insufferable. Here's this newcomer Ji acting like she's special, like she's somehow different from the rest of them.
• Soofi responds, look around, why do you think he brought you here, it's a reminder. Do you think you would even make it to 45 before being thrown away.
  • Weilan truly thinks it's because she's your friend and you want her around to hang out. (and she's right), but she doesn't say this as she realizes it would just make Soofi more angry.
• Soofi makes fun of your grandfather (Ian Ming), saying that he is a very dishonorable person, she doubts the grandson of such a person would care for her.
  • However it must be made clear that Soofi's antagonism is non-political, this is just something Soofi finds a target-able spot.
  • Weilan doesn't quite understand the Piyse court politics that has people hating Ian Ming, though she picks it up quickly.
• Soofi had given Weilan a magical ward earlier that was supposed to show her around the palace, but actually used illusion to put a mark on her back as a slave. This embarrasses both Weilan and you by making it look like you have a slave as your Ji.
  • Weilan is more angry about the insult to MC than the personal attack, a realization that surprises her only momentarily, before she rationalizes it to be perfectly natural, happy that she has so fully adapted to her still-new situation.
• Leiyang finds her trying to dispel the mark in a quiet corner, and realizing what happened apologies on behalf of Soofi. She tells Weilan that Soofi is just jealous because of her own relationship with her lord is so unromantic. She tells Weilan that Soofi is someone who doesn't get it, why expect so much and then be let down when it doesn't happen. As a Ji, you're going to get a cushy life, a loyalist spawn, and maybe a stipend in retirement when you're old and decrepit, that's already better than anything a normal woman could experience. Why not just be happy.
• She helps Weilan cover up the mark temporarily.

Scene 8: Assaulted by Duke Dan Dalo

• Later that afternoon, as Weilan's trying to meet back up with you to leave the palace, Weilan is almost assaulted by Duke Dan Dalo from Piyse, Soofi's master.
  • Duke Dalo is one of the Piysean nobles who looked down on you and your family.
  • He corners Weilan and grabs her arm, then cups her face, Weilan can't resist, he's not just a larger man, but he is immovable, impenetrable, as a solfrey noble he is practiced in powerful magecraft.
• Yaling is the first one to show up to defend her, exiting the reception hall. Yaling is telling him off in a stern threatening tone.
• Lady Sewon Jho greets the Duke and mentions diplomacy between the two countries.
• He seems unrepentant but acts if nothing's happened/wrong and calmly talks to Lady Sewon Jho as Weilan backs off with Yaling.
• It didn't seem like the right place to disrupt Peizhi's party, meaning he seems to have not suffered any real repercussions for putting hands on Weilan.
• Weilan turns and sees Peizhi coldly staring at the scene from across an upper floor.
• Then later on you show up he's walked away already.
• As you lead her out, Weilan thinks about the possessive hand on waist, in front of everyone, how she's addicted to the feeling.
• Yaling discovers her slave mark and instantly dispels it, as a Solfrey elite mage it's trivial for her whereas it is not for Weilan.
• You/Yaling trade stories with Weilan as you leave the and realize the bullying.
• You suggest you want to get revenge on the duke while Weilan assures you she feels properly defended. You tell her that while your first priority of her safety, your second is correcting the affront to your property. She is yours.
• Weilan seems proud of you both though and feels like she can rely on you and be safe.

Scene 9: The Next Morning After, Preparations in Mireota

• The next day the queen summons you for a private meeting just the two of you.

• She wants to see you right after the traditional practice of the queen distributing royal tokens in the city square.

• A lady in waiting for Peizhi delivers the invitation, and offers Yaling and Weilan a luxurious girls day in the Palace.

• She also offers to move their whole party into living in the Palace instead of staying in the high end city hotel.

• You tell Yaling that it's a great connect, being friends with the queen. There are things she wants to tell me privately, because of the trust we've built for many years, things that she would consider secret.

• But you're no dummy, you see the twinkle in the queen's eyes. But you say that there's no way anything's going to happen, she's a queen now and literally just got married the day before, to a king who would probably chop her head off if she did anything crazy.

• Yaling agrees that you should see the Queen, but declines to go on the girls day with the Mireotan ladies. She also says she'll decide later on whether or not to accept the offer to move into the palace for the rest of the event. The lady in waiting waits in the Hotel waiting room for you.

• However Yaling insists on "wringing you out" before you go see her, making sure you come no less than 4 times before your meeting. This way that nothing can happen even if the queen turns out to be a whore.

• She says, as you're meeting her, keep in mind me spending the whole time in bed with your cum inside me. I'm not going to wash it up until you come back.

• She calls Weilan to come help to give you oral 3 more times after you finish in Yaling once.

Sunlight streams through the gauzy curtains of their hotel suite as Weilan watches Yaling and MC make love. Yaling straddles him, her elegant form moving with natural grace, soft moans escaping her lips as she takes her pleasure. There's nothing performative about it - just pure intimacy between husband and wife. Weilan feels privileged to witness such genuine passion, her own body responding to their beauty.

When MC finishes inside her, Yaling doesn't immediately move. She stays mounted on him, smiling down with such love that Weilan's heart aches. Sunlight catches the sheen of sweat on Yaling's perfect skin, making her glow. Even as MC's seed begins to leak from her, she maintains an air of aristocratic dignity that Weilan could never hope to match.

"Weilan," Yaling calls softly, finally dismounting. "Come help me make sure he's properly spent before his meeting with that queen." She stretches out on the bed, utterly unselfconscious about her nudity or the cum trailing down her thighs. "We can't have him getting any ideas during their 'private audience.'"

Weilan's heart races at being included in this intimate strategy. She crawls onto the bed, already wet from watching them. MC's cock is still slick with Yaling's juices when she takes him in her mouth, tasting their combined essence. The thought of helping exhaust him, of being trusted with this task, makes her moan around his shaft.

Weilan loses herself in the rhythm of pleasing MC, encouraged by his hand in her hair and Yaling's soft words of approval. Her jaw aches sweetly as she works him toward his second release, but it's a badge of honor - proof that she's worthy of helping Yaling in this intimate task.

"That's perfect," Yaling murmurs, running her fingers through Weilan's hair. "He loves it when you take him deep like that." There's no jealousy in her voice, just genuine appreciation for Weilan's dedication. "Make him cum for us again."

When MC tenses and floods her mouth, Weilan swallows eagerly, pride swelling in her chest. She keeps him in her mouth as he softens, looking up to see Yaling's approving smile. The wife lounges beside them, still magnificent in her post-coital glow, occasionally trailing her fingers over MC's chest.

"We should get him hard again," Yaling says thoughtfully. "Can't risk him having any energy left for that queen." She shifts closer, pressing her breasts against MC's side. "Keep sucking him, Weilan. I want to feel him get hard in your mouth."

Weilan moans around his shaft, arousal pooling between her thighs as she feels him slowly stiffen on her tongue. The intimacy of this moment - being trusted to exhaust him, to protect their relationship - makes her dizzy with desire.

As MC hardens again in her mouth, Weilan feels Yaling's hand slide down to check her wetness. "You're soaking," Yaling observes with amusement. "You really love serving him, don't you?" The casual intimacy of Yaling's touch makes Weilan whimper around MC's cock, her thighs trembling.

"Up," Yaling commands softly. "Let him take you while I watch." She helps position Weilan, guiding her to straddle MC. "Show me how well you serve my husband."

Weilan sinks down onto MC's length with a grateful moan, her body already perfectly prepared from watching them earlier. She rides him with dedicated focus, wanting to prove her worth to them both. Yaling's appreciative gaze makes her feel beautiful, worthy of being here in this intimate moment.

"Look how wet she is for you," Yaling tells MC, trailing her fingers where they're joined. "Such a good girl, helping us wear you out." She kisses MC deeply while Weilan continues moving on him. "Remember this when you're meeting that queen - remember how full of your cum I'll be, how thoroughly we've exhausted you."

When MC fills her, Weilan collapses forward against his chest, panting. But Yaling's soft laugh tells her they're not done. "Keep going," she encourages, helping Weilan slide off MC. "Back to using your mouth. We need to be absolutely certain."

Through her pleasant haze, Weilan realizes she's lost count of his orgasms. Her jaw aches deliciously as she takes him back in her mouth, tasting herself mixed with his essence. Yaling lounges beside them, occasionally stroking MC's chest or running fingers through Weilan's hair, her casual touches maintaining their connection.

"You know," Yaling muses, "I almost feel sorry for Queen Peizhi. She'll be sitting across from him, trying to be seductive, not knowing he's completely spent." She shifts, letting more of MC's earlier deposit leak from her. "Not knowing his cum is still warm inside his wife."

The possessiveness in Yaling's voice makes Weilan redouble her efforts, wanting to contribute to this victory. Her own need throbs between her legs, but she focuses entirely on serving, on helping Yaling claim what's hers. When MC finally tenses again, his release is barely more than a few drops, but Weilan swallows them proudly.

"Perfect," Yaling declares, satisfied. She kisses MC deeply while Weilan catches her breath, still kneeling between his legs. "Now you can go meet your queen, knowing exactly who you belong to."

As servants arrive with MC's formal clothes, Weilan helps him dress while Yaling reclines on the bed, making no move to clean herself. The sight of her, beautiful and marked with MC's essence, burns itself into Weilan's memory. This is what real power looks like - not Peizhi's crown or throne, but this casual certainty of ownership.

Later, after MC leaves, Yaling pulls Weilan close, letting her rest her tired jaw against her shoulder. "You did so well," she praises, and Weilan glows with pride. They drift into comfortable silence, both thinking of MC in his meeting, both knowing they've marked him more thoroughly than any queen could hope to match.

The ache in Weilan's jaw, the taste of MC still on her tongue, the sight of Yaling's satisfied smile - all of it combines into a perfect moment of belonging. She understands now that this is what it means to be truly part of their household, to be trusted with these intimate strategies. Her arousal simmers unaddressed, but that too feels right - this morning wasn't about her pleasure but about serving them both.

When MC returns hours later, his first glance is at Yaling, still beautiful in her deliberate dishevelment. The heat in his eyes tells them their strategy worked perfectly. Weilan watches their reunion kiss with satisfaction, proud to have helped protect what's theirs. This is her place - not just MC's Ji, but part of their intimate circle, trusted to help guard their love.

Scene 10: The Scorean's Day After, Private Meeting at Peizhi's Queen Suite

• He treats her not as the new Queen but as his friend from SCN, but now, he's a grown man
• Since Peizhi is very mysterious all POV is from MC.
• In their private meeting, there's intense sexual tension as they talk
  • The conversation covers most of the topics in the Version 1 in Event 3, key points to cover:
    • Initial life discussions, some referencing SCN days
      • Talk about how she now finally has some power as queen.
      • She makes a lot of inside jokes and references to their past together, they laugh a lot.
    • Peizhi reveals her fictional background:
      • How she was sheltered and groomed for queenship (of course this is all fake, she is R4 and is living life as the previous queen, only catfishing as Peizhi in the SCN).
      • Their SCN friendship being her only real connection
      • Makes her seem vulnerable and young
      • MC feels protective/sympathetic
        • MC thinks wow, Peizhi is acting just as she did before, she's here, with me, clinging to what is to her normalcy, even through this tremondous life change.
        • She seems so vulnerable, and putting a brave face on it, even though she's now in the power of this old man... Even though she seems non-plussed, MC feels sad for her.
          • No wonder she's clinging to me.
          • He tries his best to flirt with her. This is her little piece of happiness. I owe it to give it to her, but at the same time, I know I can't go too far, unless I want some international incident on my head.
    • MC starts seducing her through:
      • Treating her like a real person not just a queen
      • Being the only one who knew her "before"
      • Showing he remembers specific details about her from their past
      • Making her laugh, breaking through her formal facade
      • Deliberately charming and masculine
      • Using his natural charisma
        • Testing boundaries while maintaining plausible deniability
        • Enjoying the effect he has on her
        • Physical presence and subtle dominance in how he moves/speaks
      • Intellectually challenging
        • Not just agreeing with her
        • Pushing back on her ideas
        • Making her defend her positions
        • Creating intellectual tension that becomes sexual
      • Playing with power dynamics
        • Sometimes treating her as the queen she is
        • Other times completely ignoring her status
        • Making her feel both powerful and powerless
        • The thrill of this dangerous game
      • Sexual tension building through:
        • Lingering eye contact
        • Strategic use of proximity
        • Double entendres in their intellectual discussion
        • Rare and subtle voice modulation and timing
    • The conversation progresses through:
      • Her test of his loyalty to yaling with the mental connection
      • His protest
      • More flirting and tension building
      • Internal dialogue of MC thinking about how being wrung out by Yaling was effective. But he is only sexually spent, not tired.
      • His internal monologue about feeling responsible since he might have been her first male figure (dramatic irony since we know she's R4)
      • His patronizing compliments about her intelligence and how she'll be good for the country
        • She makes the shocking statement about "what you're going to do to my body" in response
        • Charged silence, he seems to welcome it but does not move to embrace her
        • The tension builds until it's almost unbearable. Then she pulls back deliberately, telling him she knows he'll come to her when he's ready. It's both an invitation and a challenge.
      • The gift giving
    • Throughout this, we see her falling harder as:
      • Her composure cracks more frequently
      • Her responses become more emotional
      • She reveals more than she intends
      • That cryptic line about "waiting for him to grow up"
    • The goals here are:
      • Maintains MC's loyalty to Yaling while showing his attraction
      • Start off with Peizhi's true feelings being more veiled
      • Uses their intellectual connection as cover for deeper tension
      • Leaves both with plausible deniability
      • Sets up future developments without committing MC
      • Show Peizhi falling for him, eventually unable to hold back her feelings by the end, deciding to try to get him
  • MC is not intending to cheat on his wife, and at this point the player has not picked which route to go with, Peizhi or Yaling. Let's not do something that would contradict what the player would do.
    • He's not trying to actually seduce her (staying loyal to Yaling), but he's enjoying the game of it, showing off his appeal while maintaining deniability.
    • This makes her fall harder because:
      • She sees his full power as a man
      • The intellectual challenge excites her
      • The danger of their interaction thrills her
      • His control and confidence affects her deeply
  • However the MC charms and seduces Peizhi, she falls in love even harder. The Scorean meeting is where the love really blossoms and makes her obsessed, leading her to support him in his rebellion later as well as make increasingly large gestures and schemes to obtain him.
  • Ensure the scene builds toward her line about "what you're going to do to my body" as its climax. That moment hits differently if we show her gradually losing composure throughout their interaction rather than starting out overtly interested.
  • Peizhi's fake background story about being groomed for queenship should come early to establish perceived power dynamics before MC starts subtly subverting them. Then their intellectual sparring can become increasingly charged until she's struggling to maintain her queenly facade.

Slightly More Descriptive Outline of the Scene:

After the morning with Yaling, you meet Peizhi alone in her roomy queen suite.

It's the uppermost floor on top of a 20 story tower within the Aoka Courtyard (Aoka being the name of a great female general from the Demon Wars who saved the life of the Empress R1). The Courtyard and all the buildings surrounding it are known as the Queen's Apartments.

You make your way through her expansive complex, and though you were greeted by attendants and Ladies in Waiting on the lower floors, it seems like the upper floor, where her private rooms are, are totally empty. The magical elevator leaves you in a hallway where she stands in loose, casual clothes, somehow dressed down but still beautiful, striking the combination point between intimate, like she's just rolled out of bed, and made up to the fullest extent. [AN: Basically, as an immortal necromancer, she knows exactly what men wants. You don't clock her in the moment, but years later as you reflect back on it it makes sense.]

She leads you down the hall, past the antechambers, shows you her study for a moment, but tells you she rather talk on the couch in her spacious Royal Bedroom. She's talking in the language the two of you made up back then. It had been a while since you used it, so you started the conversation hesitantly, but a minute later you were chatting up a storm, like nothing had happened for the past 9 years.

You catch up, ask her what she's been up to, and tell her what you've been up to. You mention writing a book, running a couple of companies, how hard it was to get married to Yaling with resistance from family on both sides. Here is where you explain a lot of your history and why your father wanted you to rule instead of playing around with business.

She doesn't say much about her life, just letting you talk.

You complain to her why she didn't reach out IRL. You didn't know her identity but she knew yours. She could've stayed in touch. She laughs and says she wanted to see if you could ever replace her, find someone to be as close to her or be the romantic vision of the missing person you'll never be able to find again.

You say, obviously not someone exactly like you, but my wife is wonderful.

She says she's going to give you a test, to see how wonderful you really think your wife is. She acts physically seductive, giving you a show. You tell her wryly, though that looks super sexy you're only turning on my eyes, my wife had the brilliant idea of making sure I was thoroughly spent before I came. And yes of course the image of your wife in bed came to your mind, just as she intended.

Peizhi laughs and shows off her Eternal Elegance Loop, which she says is part of the Secret Regalia of Mireota. Passed down from the previous queens. She uses it to touch your mind. You hear Peizhi's presence strongly in your head, she says it's a magical item that can really help your two souls touch and interconnect, to strengthen and give a totally unique sexual experience that extends far beyond anything you've ever experienced before.

Though you weren't horny before, you can feel your member rising, surprisingly. Peizhi's power is surging into you. You quickly put back your magecraft defenses, how did Peizhi so readily bypass them. Though you had pioneered using magecraft to form a deeper connection during sex, previously every single time you were the initiator. But this time it's just happening to you, it's deeper, more viscous, more enchanting, you're getting sucked in. You had never really been in any physical danger in your life. You were a powerful mage with the strongest personal defense shields money and skill can buy. So in all your dealings with the opposite sex, you never feel like anything could ever be done to you unless you wanted it. But this is something different, a disquiet at a sudden intrusion, a sudden loss of agency, you had to say something.

Peizhi withdraws and asks if you liked it. She laughs and asks how do you think she got the king? Just kidding, she says. Her ascension to being the queen was pre arranged behind the scenes.

You ask her if she knew long ago, when you were friends in the SCN if she already knew that she was going to be queen. She says yes, she knew, and so did others around her. That's why she valued her relationships in the scn the most, with people who didn't know. It was sad when the scn was taken from her when she was banned. She says at court it'll just be like that, politics all the time. That's why she values her true relationships. Obviously implying the one with you.

She mentioned how your use of magecraft to connect during intercourse made a huge impression on her, it was brilliant. There was no way she wasn't going to reach out to you once she had established herself. Still, you notice that it's a very quick reachout, she literally just ascended yesterday.

Ahh, so that stuff you said earlier about seeing if someone else could replace the one that got away was just projection. That's how you feel about me. You tease her.

You feel a great deal of sympathy for her. Inside, you are uncomfortable, you feel some sense of obligation to her. Finding out her real age did a number on you, you might've imprinted on you as her first man, you might have been a father figure to her unknowingly. (Again this is all wrong, she's a 3000 year old empress, however you didn't know that yet.)

You tell her that she's going to be a great queen, you knew from even when you were kids how wise she was, the people of mireota is lucky to have her. Hell if you were the king of piyse, a neighbor, you would be worried. She's going to show piyse up.

She says thanks, I appreciate it, but it's not likely to happen (this is because she is simply not interested in nation building or doing governance work, she sees them as petty concerns). But what I want you to think about is not what I'm going to do to my country but what you're going to do to my body.

But right now you're dismissed. I don't want to get you in trouble with your wife. I know you, you are going to come crawling to me soon, on a different day. She points at her loop, smiling "This feels great. The technique we shared back then, with a tool like this and my improvements on the technique, it's not something you would want to miss."

As you get up to leave, you compliment her again, says though she obviously now has an impressive title "your majesty", she's lost none of the vivacious youthfulness of yore, still the same Peizhi you've always known.

She compliments you in turn. Says you're a man now, "I wasn't wrong to wait for you to grow up." (This is another hint, as it would be a weird thing to come from someone much younger than you.)

You grumble, well now I'm married, you're married, sighs as you leave. She seems not the least bit put off.

"You know what I told that girl Mariwen?"

Peizhi had said to her, "Leave MC alone, he's going to ruin your life."

"Maybe I should've followed my own advice."

As you leave, she gifts you a whole array of valuables, including jewels and other magical items to be loaded in your storage, which you are very thankful for as she is much richer than you.

Scene 11: The Scorean Private Meeting Debrief

You come back and tell your wife everything that happens during the meeting. She's aghast and you all immediately leave the country. She was not accepting Peizhi's already extended invitation through a lady-in-waiting for the three of you to stay in the palace for the remaining duration of your visit to Mireota.

When you recount to Yaling about your experience with the queen she says about Peizhi: "Look how adroitly she's managing your emotions, first your sense of comfort and ease, then your vulnerability, then disarming you with hers, leading to an emotional attachment. It's like an example playbook straight out of "The Book on Statecraft: The Interplay of Power and Influence". A book written by a Hepin princess back in 6068 during World Conquest Attempt 3 that your father forced you to read. What a woman.

You once again mention your surprise at how far Peizhi is willing to go, and so soon after her marriage. Considering the political implications, all the attention on her as the new queen, and so on, it is shocking.

Yaling, after getting over her initial shock at Peizhi's actions, "begins to understand". Peizhi really is a tough place, strictly controlled in childhood, forced into a political arrangement and certain doom without ever having the chance to experience what every girl desires, true love. Her actions come out of a desperation, a flailing grasp to rebel against the injustices of her situation. What loyalty has she to a king who from the outset has already determined to betray her? It was a pitiable thing for a young girl to face.

The Scorean ceremony showed that as well, all the ceremonies focus on her role as queen, hardly anything about her as a woman or wife. It's like Peizhi is just another piece of royal furniture being installed, no wonder she seemed so hungry for real connection with MC.

Yet, every rival Yaling has faced had their similarly deep emotional reasons for opposing her. She's not going to see Peizhi as the villain, just, like all the others, Peizhi can go whip her slaves [an expression meaning "battle their demons" or "work out their issues"] on someone else's husband.

[Yaling is of course completely wrong about this, though it's not revealed yet to the player or the characters. Peizhi behaves wantonly not out of desperation but simply because she really doesn't give a fuck, she has utter, secret, control. But Yaling's theory is great here to misdirect the reader.]

The fact that Peizhi's treatment of Yaling during their three-way conversation came across as condescending to Yaling despite appearing polite.

You also discuss the jewels that Peizhi gifted you and you tell Yaling you won't be wearing them.

You leave Mireota straight away.

Yaling doesn't over-react to this competition. She's used to women liking you, that had been the case ever since she met you. She enjoys being the king of the hill, of shutting the door in the face of any girls who's looking up at her from below so just leaving the country seems fine.

But... Yaling doesn't say this out loud, but Peizhi's parting words, as imparted by MC sounded incredibly ominous. "You know what I told that girl Mariwen? Leave MC alone, he's going to ruin your life. Maybe I should've followed my own advice." It's like she's declaring she's willing to be reckless, to take actions that she knows would be ruinous, but she's going to do it anyway. She's letting everyone know that it's beyond reason. Yaling feels a pang of annoyance, it's the typical girlish, "crazy" card. Like she's going to be intimidated by that.

Scene 12: The next day, afternoon: Leaving the Scorean

• As the Len Party gets ready to leave after MC's return from his meeting with the Queen, Weilan hears rumors that Soofi was "attacked by shadowy figures" and beaten and whipped, left upside down from a rooftop by her feet, naked (though not permanently harmed, just suffered a painful humiliation and punishment).
• Surprised, she asks Jingfei Haerata if she knows anything about it, and Jingfei insists she knows nothing about it.
  • Obviously you used your undead minions to do the punishment. Jingfei is a solfrey officer in your army and wouldn't be part of that.
  • She doesn't ask you, but you remark that karma must have gotten the other Ji.
  • Weilan is mighty curious about it, but decides not to agonize over it, taking it as just part of high society, something she's new to and doesn't understand.
• She thinks you're possibly responsible, but she doesn't feel any fear nor any special sense of protection, she just takes it as it is. She is yours and this is just what happens in affairs with Ji and powerful men, not really understanding how unusual the extremity of your action is.
  • She doesn't literally think this, but she can sort of feel the gilded cage being constructed around her, or maybe it's just getting slightly more visible as it was constructed the second he accepted her Right of First Refusal. And she thinks it's cool, it's a roomy cage that with the bad people on the outside.
  • Still, as they return to Len, she finds herself pressing closer to MC on the way back. Perhaps it should frighten her, knowing what he's capable of, but instead she feels a deeper sense of security. The man who remembers her childhood prank and the man who orders brutal revenge - they're the same person, protecting what's his in whatever way necessary.
  • She feels very grateful, and happy that he would protect her in this way. She also feels a sense of awe, that in a sense, it reflects on her power, that she's now also a very important person. Her upliftment is demonstrated so viscerally for all the world to see. Weilan's more grateful for Yaling's genuine friendship.

Soofi's bitter warnings about aging stir something in Weilan's chest, but her natural optimism quickly reasserts itself. She's seen how MC looks at her, felt the depth of his care. Even as she watches the old queen's systematic erasure from the palace - the missing portraits, the empty statue pedestal - she finds ways to separate her situation from theirs. This is a Mireotan problem, she tells herself, part of their strange customs that have no bearing on her life in Len. She thinks of MC's tenderness, of Yaling's acceptance, of her secure position in their household. These thoughts form a shield against darker possibilities.

Remembering Peizhi's coronation dance, Weilan notes how the young queen's confidence seems to ignore the fate that awaits her. Twenty-five years of power and privilege, then erasure - yet Peizhi moves like someone oblivious to the agonies of a preordained demise. The contradiction fascinates Weilan, who finds herself analyzing the system's inherent instabilities. How can any queen truly serve her nation knowing her fate is so strictly curtailed? How can any marriage flourish under such arbitrary constraints?

• When you return from scorean you tell jiaolong to put peizhi on the highest priority for relationship management.