Return of Black Lotus system:Taming Cheating Male Leads-Chapter 127 --

The System looked utterly confused.

Heena sighed. "See? I told you—you don’t understand anything."

She leaned back. "Listen. Remember again what he actually said. He asked for jewelry and clothes. Do you know what you can do with jewelry?"

The System paused. "Wear them?"

"And then?" Heena prompted.

"I... don’t know?"

"Sell them and get money," Heena said flatly. "Good money. Liquid assets that hold value across kingdoms."

The System’s eyes widened slightly.

"Do you know why he asked for jewelry to always be top-notch and guaranteed even if I don’t favor him anymore?" Heena asked.

The System looked at her, waiting.

"It’s because if I lose my mind one day and start favoring someone else—or if something happens to me entirely—he at least has money and resources enough so that he won’t starve and won’t be looked down upon. Not only that, with this wealth, he never has to beg in front of anyone. He has *independence*."

The System was starting to understand. "And... the clothes?"

Heena nodded. "Just like how money works for common people, clothes work in noble society. The higher quality your clothes, the higher your perceived position. The cheaper your clothes, the more you’re dismissed as useless. By demanding guaranteed high-quality clothing regardless of favor, he’s ensuring he can’t be visually demoted. Appearance is power in this world."

"And the palace..." the System said slowly, "is because he wanted a sanctuary where no one could hurt him, right?"

Heena nodded. "Yes. Do you know that when an emperor gives an order, even if I’m killed one day, my guards would protect that space at any cost if the order stands? That means even if one day I want to place spies in his palace, I legally can’t without breaking my own imperial decree."

She continued, her voice becoming more serious.

"And if nobles want to kill him—which they probably will try eventually—they can’t just bribe a maid or place a poisoned servant near him like they normally do. You know how most princes, princesses, consorts, even emperors die in palaces? Poison given by maids or close attendants who’ve worked there for years, brought in by enemies, rival nobles, different factions."

The System nodded, understanding now.

"But if he has a sanctuary where no external power works, and I as Empress give that order, it means no one—not even I—can place people inside without his permission. Of course, I’m not actually going to follow that restriction completely," Heena added with a cold smile, "but it’s still protection. Noble recommendations and political placements won’t reach there. He has complete control over who touches his food, who enters his chambers, everything. No information about what happens in his palace would spread without his permission."

The System looked at her in shock. "In other words, he asked for a position that no one would dare touch, even if you fell out of favor with him one day?"

Heena laughed out loud. "Exactly! That’s why humans are the most dangerous creatures in any world. He didn’t ask for power to threaten me. He asked for *security* to survive me."

"But Host..." the System asked carefully, "are you going to fulfill that wish?"

Heena smiled enigmatically. "What do you think I should do?"

The System immediately said, "Of course not! If you fulfill his last request, wouldn’t it cause problems for you? He’d have a completely independent power base—"

Heena just laughed as she sank down onto the sofa and closed her eyes, leaving the question unanswered.

---

**Three Days Until the Engagement Ceremony**

When the announcement of the engagement ceremony spread, it was like a bomb detonating in the middle of the capital.

Everyone—every noble family—was in shock.

Normally, "engagement" simply meant that one day, at a birthday banquet or social gathering, people would announce "we’re getting married" and then they’d just... get married. That was it. An engagement was just two families signing a document stating they were now betrothed.

But an actual *engagement ceremony*? With rituals and celebrations?

That was practically unheard of.

And hearing that the *Empress herself*—the ruler of the entire empire—was having an elaborate engagement ceremony, and that the person receiving this honor was an unknown prince from a foreign empire?

It caused an absolute uproar.

Of course, for damage control, Heena had already spread many counter-stories. She’d bribed storytellers who sat in bars and crowded marketplaces to spread romantic tales—stories of how the prince had fallen desperately in love with the Empress, how she’d been moved by his sincerity, how it was a grand love story for the ages.

Within two days, the entire palace was completely transformed.

Everything was decorated in gold and purple—Larus’s favorite colors.

According to the customs of his home kingdom, the groom and bride were not allowed to meet or see each other before the engagement and wedding ceremonies. So Larus was confined to his palace, not permitted to leave.

But he could see everything happening from the small window of his chambers and from the balcony. And the servants kept him informed of every detail.

And honestly? Larus was incredibly busy.

As the groom, how could he just sit silently and wait?

His entire palace was chaos—a beautiful, organized chaos.

Thousands of dresses arrived for consideration. Jewelry shopping became a full-time occupation. His rooms—no, the entire palace where he stayed—were filled with things coming and going. Merchants arriving with fabric samples, jewelers presenting their finest pieces, tailors taking measurements, designers showing sketches.

Everything had to match his aesthetic, his preferences, his vision.

And Heena had given him complete authority. "Choose whatever you want to wear," she’d told him. "Don’t worry about anyone else’s opinions. This day is yours."

So Larus threw himself into it with enthusiasm.

He didn’t even have time to greet visitors properly. The days were completely full.

The atmosphere felt quite fruitful and exciting.

That is, until the evening of the second day.

Because that was when Countess Ronin arrived.

Countess Ronin was *the* etiquette teacher—the woman who taught proper behavior to the entire noble class. She was also a renowned professor at the imperial academy, feared and respected in equal measure.

She had come to teach Prince Larus about the rituals, etiquette, and traditions of the empire.

And Larus was about to have a very hard time.

.

.

Larus’s Chambers - Evening**

"Absolutely unacceptable!"

Countess Ronin’s voice rang through the chamber like a whip crack.

Larus stood perfectly still, his hands clasped in front of him, his expression polite and attentive. But internally, he was screaming.

"A consort does *not* wear such flamboyant jewelry during the ceremony," the Countess continued, her sharp eyes examining the pieces Larus had selected. "It draws attention away from the Empress. You are meant to complement Her Majesty, not outshine her."

"I understand, Countess," Larus said respectfully. "But Her Majesty specifically told me to choose whatever I preferred—"

"Her Majesty is being *indulgent*," the Countess interrupted. "Which is her prerogative. But *you*, Prince Larus, must understand propriety. You must understand your place."

Larus felt his smile become slightly fixed.

"During the ceremony," the Countess continued, producing a scroll with detailed instructions, "you will stand three steps behind Her Majesty at all times. You will not speak unless directly addressed. You will bow at a forty-five-degree angle when greeting the high nobles—not too deep, which would seem obsequious, and not too shallow, which would seem arrogant."