Deviant: No Longer Human

In the languid afternoon, the palace halls whispered with the secrets of a thousand years.

Elina, her posture a study in elegance and submission, turned towards Wang Xiao, her voice clear and crisp. "The Queen should be beyond that door," she said, her eyes lowering in a graceful bow before she drifted away, her steps silent against the marble floor.

Wang Xiao stood alone, enveloped in the grandeur of the hallway.

The journey through the palace's labyrinthine paths, under Elina's guidance, felt like a descent into another world.

The very thought of meeting the so-called 'Queen' had been a persistent whisper in his mind for what seemed like an eternity.

Yet, the path to the throne room was not one to be taken lightly.

Wang Xiao's thoughts shifted to Yin Yue, 'Are there any threats beyond this door?' he inquired, silently.

[No threats, the queen seems pretty normal as well,] came the reassuring reply from Yin Yue.

Wang Xiao narrowed his eyes, a flicker of doubt shadowing his thoughts.

If there were Deviants acting as bodyguards in disguise alongside Queen Seraphine, it wouldn't come as a surprise.

Yet, the notion that she was without any such anomaly piqued his curiosity further.

What could the Queen be plotting, using her own daughter as a chess piece?

His hand reached for the door handle, his mind swirling with questions and possibilities.

As he pushed the door open, a decisive "Click!" shattered the silence, and a flood of sunlight spilled over him, bathing his face in a warm glow.

!?

As Wang Xiao's eyes adjusted to the brilliance of the unexpected sunlit space, he took in the full view of the Queen's unexpected attire.

She was draped in a white bikini that complemented the silver of her hair, each piece seemingly crafted with an elegance befitting her royal status.

The fabric hugged her form, accentuating her graceful curves while retaining an air of regal decorum.

The bikini was adorned with subtle embellishments that caught the light, giving her an otherworldly glow that echoed the tranquil surface of the pool beside her. Her skin, kissed by the gentle sun, radiated with a soft luminescence, enhancing the stark contrast between her attire and the expected formal garb of royalty.

The Queen's relaxed posture, reclined against the beach chair, belied the sharp intelligence in her eyes, which now fixed upon Wang Xiao with an intensity that matched the midday sun.

This casual display of leisure was a visual mystery, challenging the preconceived notions of palace grandeur with a scene more akin to a serene holiday than a royal court.

In that moment, as the light breeze stirred the air and the scent of water mingled with the subtle fragrance of her skin, Wang Xiao understood that this was no ordinary meeting.

It was indeed a battle, but not of swords or wits—it was a display of genetic supremacy.

Wang Xiao's eyes, though trained on the political and strategic, could not ignore the sheer physical presence of the Queen.

Her form, showcased in the stark simplicity of a white bikini, was a testament to the same impeccable genetics that had graced her daughter, Jopshine.

The Queen's ample bosom, the curvature of her hips, all spoke of a lineage sculpted with care, a living sculpture that no royal attire could enhance further.

Wang Xiao's initial shock morphed into a wry understanding.

"Seraphine Sylver... You are quite peculiar to be a queen," he finally said, his voice steady but his mind still racing to reconcile the image before him with the one he had constructed of a monarch.

The Queen's lips curled into a sly smile, her eyes twinkling with amusement as if sharing a secret. "Peculiar?" she echoed, her tone laced with intrigue. "Perhaps. Or perhaps it's peculiar that you address me by my name so directly?" she mused, casually removing and stowing away her sunglasses.

'Asserting moral superiority?' Wang Xiao's gaze narrowed, his expression darkening. "You should consider yourself lucky that I haven't taken drastic measures for dragging me into your daughter's affairs," he declared, his voice tinged with a hint of menace.

The Queen leaned back in her chair, her regal demeanor undisturbed by Wang Xiao's thinly veiled threat. "Ah, but you forget, Mr. Wang," she replied smoothly, her voice dripping with honeyed sarcasm. "It was not I who involved you in these matters. It was your own 'actions' that led you here."

Wang Xiao scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping him. "My own actions, you call it? More like manipulation. What about you allowing her to purposely visit me? I don't serve as bodyguards for anyone.

Don't think for a second that I'm blind to your games," he retorted, although he didn't know exactly what was happening, the initial encounter felt contrary, as if the Queen were negotiating from a position of lower ground.

She was already acting as if she were on the back foot?

Despite his uncertainty about the situation, Wang Xiao was determined to seize any advantage presented to him.

"One minute for an explanation is all I can grant, before you start explaining yourself," Wang Xiao spoke sharply.

A flicker of annoyance crossed the Queen's features before she regained her composure, her smile widening ever so slightly. "Why are you acting as if you haven't gained anything? Explanation is something that I should demand from you. What magic charm did you use on that little girl, that she stole a whole jet and flew across nations for you?" she spoke, her tone laced with unspoken resentment.

Everything had crumbled the moment her daughter fell for him.

Now, Seraphine had other plans.

'Leave it to the gods,' that was her strategy for survival.

Wang Xiao continued to stare into her eyes, his gaze probing for answers, but the woman seemed to be lost in her own world, her sorrows weighing heavy upon her.

With a heavy sigh, she reclined against the beach chair, the weight of her troubles evident in the lines etched upon her brow.

The silence stretched between them, a palpable tension hanging in the air, until...

Splash!