After the private audience with the Emperor, I was guided to a VIP room. Since Chris was with me, I guess it wasn’t exactly a “private” audience.
The room was far more luxurious and opulent than the waiting area where everyone had gathered before entering the audience chamber. It was clear that this place was meant for foreign kings or other important dignitaries visiting the empire.
"A sudden recruitment? Drifting from an adventure story to a territory management story? But still, they offered a title and land, isn’t that a good deal? Money would follow too...! So why did you refuse, Rain?"
"Hmm...?"
I tilted my head at Chris’s curious reaction.
In truth, I’d been keeping an eye on Chris ever since our meeting with the Emperor.
With Igrain and now the Emperor’s reactions, little by little, my connection to this continent was being revealed.
And Chris was always there, witnessing it.
Chris, do you really accept all this without suspicion?
Chris, who had been grinning up until now, suddenly got angry.
"But I can’t forgive him for kissing the back of your hand! If he weren’t the Emperor, I would’ve...!"
"Unni... we’re still in the palace, you know? Besides, kissing the hand is just a formal greeting."
"But, but! I haven’t even kissed your hand yet!"
Suddenly, Chris burst into tears.
"Ugh."
If I keep talking to Chris, I won’t have time to think for myself.
I left Chris to her outburst and slipped into my own thoughts.
A thousand years, certain wills.
Even though the name of the hero’s party had been erased, the things we did remained in various forms. Like that portrait hanging in the palace.
Wealth? Fame? There was a time when I might’ve cared about that.
Does it feel like I’m finally being compensated by their descendants after a thousand years?
I imagined myself, once all was over, living a peaceful life on Astria’s continent. Traveling with my companions. Hmm, thinking of it that way, I probably wouldn’t have wanted a title even back then.
Back in those days, when I had hoped to live happily with those I loved.
If my companions hadn’t died, I would’ve lived here without a second thought, never even remembering my previous life.
The reborn me, the girl named Rain whose past identity was fading, was undoubtedly a person of Astria’s continent.
But what about now?
I had returned to this continent and was becoming more entangled in it again.
But where is my precious person now?
I glanced at Chris, who was still sniffling.
And then I chuckled.
"Unni, do you want a kiss?"
"Huh?"
I smiled at her.
Slowly, I approached Chris, emphasizing each syllable.
"Kiss."
"Gasp...."
Chris gulped and closed her eyes tightly.
"A...ah... no! Rain, don’t! This is too much for me!"
I tilted my head, still smiling as I crawled toward her on the soft VIP room sofa.
"Ha... ha...."
Chris let out a sigh. I could feel her breath, close enough to touch me.
*Smooch.*
I gently kissed her cheek.
Then I lightly cradled her now-blushing face.
It was my first kiss, filled with affection.
I gave it to her because she seemed so sad.
But it was incredibly embarrassing.
Chris stared at me with a dazed expression.
Then, suddenly.
"Rain!"
"Y-yes!?"
"I’m really, really sorry to ask, but... could you do that again after we log out?"
---
The reason I didn’t officially join the Alpharion Empire was simple.
I shouldn’t get too deeply involved in this world’s history.
It might have been different before, but now, with the clear existence of my body as Isulbi in the real world, things have changed. Once the threats to this world are dealt with, I’m just here to enjoy the game.
This time, the Alpharion Empire extended its hand first, but there’s no guarantee that the Betarion side won’t do the same.
They called me the "Matriarch" of the empire, didn’t they?
If that’s the case, I’m a fair mother. I can’t favor one sibling over the other.
This kind of thing happened in the past too.
After driving the demons from the central continent, right before the hero party attacked the Demon King’s castle, Betarion’s "Leonel" and Alpharion’s "Bernhardt" fought over me.
"Lady Rain should work with Betarion! I can’t let you take her, Bern!"
"You’re still calling her ‘Lady Rain’? Rain, you’ll come to Alpharion when it’s all over, right?"
I smiled as I remembered Bern and Leon, the constantly bickering leaders of the two nations.
While not as close as my hero party members, I’d become pretty friendly with them too.
Come to think of it, I never got to say goodbye to them before I left.
Knock, knock.
As I was being petted by a groggy Chris after the cheek kiss, a knock on the door caught my attention.
The door opened, and a servant entered the VIP room.
"The outfits for tonight’s ball have been prepared."
"Oh! So they’ve gotten the outfits ready!"
Chris, who had been petting me with half-lidded eyes, suddenly perked up.
---
When we arrived at the dressing room in the palace, following the servant’s guidance, we found it already filled with female players.
"I’m telling you, there’s no need to help us change."
"Understood."
Players can turn outfits into items, so there’s no need for assistance from the servants.
With a firm tone, Baymerung sent the attendants backing out of the room.
Baymerung greeted us with a familiar smile as soon as she saw me and Chris.
"Chris unni, Rain! Where’ve you been? You were gone for so long, I thought you’d been kidnapped or something."
"Oh, didn’t I mention? The Emperor gave us our own waiting room. Since Rain was the first to clear the Abyss Tree, I guess they’re giving her special treatment."
"What about you, unni?"
"Me? I’m Rain’s guardian."
Chris chuckled as she looked at me. She didn’t seem to be planning on telling them about my past. Not that anyone would believe it, anyway.
The story that needed to be shared with the guild was about the adventurers’ plans to move east, but that could wait until after the ball.
A beautiful woman with brown hair, dressed in a gown, approached us. It was Skada, the raid leader of the third-clear party.
"You’ve arrived."
"Oh, Lady Skada. You’re already in a dress?"
"How do I look? The dresses in this game are pretty nice, don’t you think?"
"Oh, it’s beautiful."
I responded earnestly, impressed.
Skada spun in place, showing off her gown. It was elegant and flowy, without restricting movement. The beige color of the dress complemented her brown hair nicely.
Chris, seeing my reaction, glanced at me and cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Ahem, yes, it’s quite nice."
"Thank you. I’m sure it would suit you very well, too, Chris."
Skada’s dress, with its plunging neckline, accentuated her slender figure.
Chris, for some reason, seemed to feel a sense of competition.
"Phew!"
With a huff, Chris marched over to where the dresses were hanging.
She picked one up and immediately equipped it.
"Oh my gosh, unni!"
"Wow, just... wow."
The female players gathered around all gasped in awe.
Chris had chosen a bright red dress, the same color as her fiery hair.
And...
"That neckline is really low!"
"It looks like something from Greek or Roman mythology!"
The dress had a plunging neckline and revealed a lot of skin, reminiscent of the angel and demon outfits from the ancient Berveia Temple.
Chris flaunted her exposed chest and curvaceous body with confidence.
"Gasp...."
I gulped.
My face flushed as I quickly looked down.
"Haha! Rain, what do you think?"
The tables had turned. Now it was Chris’s turn to push for a reaction.
I was on the verge of losing control, overwhelmed by the sight of her beauty.
"You... you’re gorgeous."
That chest, it’s so... soft.
A perfect chest to bury my face in.
If I lost focus for even a second, I’d end up nuzzling against her chest.
Isulbi doesn’t act this way, but when I’m Rain, it’s hard to resist the urge to be coddled.
"Haha, is that all?"
"Unni, you’re... too close."
I muttered, barely able to form words.
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Suddenly—
"Ah!"
Chris pulled me into her arms, pressing my face against her chest.
It felt different from when I had touched her through clothes. Now, it was direct skin contact.
Isulbi, Rain—if you’re going to be this embarrassed, why did you suggest bathing together back then? Although, I was a bit out of it at the time.
Dazed and overwhelmed, I was dragged along, still pressed against Chris’s chest, toward the dresses.
"It’s time to choose Rain’s dress now. The real fun begins."
"Ohoho, Chris unni knows what’s up."
Baymerung grinned mischievously and began pulling dresses off the racks, handing them to me one by one.
Completely overwhelmed after being smothered by Chris’s bare skin, I couldn’t resist their demands.
"Kyaa!"
"Wow, wow, amazing!"
"
Rain, you’re so cute! Haah... you’re absolutely stunning!"
As I tried on dress after dress, the female players around me erupted into squeals.
"Huff, huff!"
Chris’s breathing grew more and more intense.
The Red Hot Chicken of the Hongbaek raid, Dalboreum, Baymerung—everyone was squealing nonstop. Even the two women from Skada’s raid were squealing. Only Skada herself remained composed, though she was clearly struggling to keep it together.
"Gasp, th-this is dangerous!"
"The neckline is too low...! Rain should wear something cuter...."
"Ah...!"
Seeing me in a dress with a plunging neckline, Chris let out a groan and collapsed onto the sofa.
"Too much excitement in one day...."
Her eyes had lost focus. Was she in a daze? She’d already seen me naked, but maybe this felt different?
With Chris out of commission, there was no one left to stop the remaining female players.
"What do we do? What do we do? Is it okay to show this to the guys?"
"Kyaa! Rain, try this one on too!"
"Hii, hii."
Becoming their living dress-up doll, I whimpered as they continued to make me try on dress after dress.
______________________
TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars and likes of the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!