Reborn as the Psycho Villainess Who Ate Her Slave Beasts' Contracts

Chapter 403: Chapter-403

As Demerti muttered to himself and stepped out of Elara’s office, he looked up at the moon with a tired expression.

He still could not believe it.

Everyone dreamed of becoming a princess—or, if not that, then at least becoming emperor. To most people, that was the highest possible dream. If you asked the people walking along the road whether they wanted to become emperor, most of them would probably answer, "Yes, of course, at any cost."

But his master was different.

Elara had always been against becoming emperor. And even after she had been forced into that role, she had only handled it for a few years before handing Samuel the responsibility. But it was not as if she had become irresponsible after that. No. She still did most of the work.

If Samuel could not handle something, Elara handled it. If something needed to be done properly, she did it. In truth, she was doing nearly everything—except sitting on the throne herself.

And that was exactly what made no sense to Demerti.

If she was already doing all the work, then why not just remain on the throne?

Elara was loved by many people. Her administrators, servants, and nearly every staff member in the imperial palace respected her. Even many nobles liked her. She had introduced so many policies that the commoners supported her as well.

And yet, she had left the throne on her own.

No pressure. No betrayal. No forced removal. Nothing.

She simply walked away.

That made no sense to him at all.

He sighed helplessly and muttered, "When does this princess ever make sense?"

Then he pressed his lips together and looked older than he felt.

He was getting older too. Not ancient, of course, but old enough to notice it. He was probably around thirty-three now, maybe a little more. He did not even remember the exact number anymore. Time had a way of moving faster once life settled down.

He had a family now.

Most of the administrators had already married and started families of their own, too. Everyone had expected Elara to settle down eventually as well, but no one had imagined it would take this long.

And it was not as if nobody had tried.

Many nobles had tried to marry her. So had young masters from influential houses. Some people had even wondered if she preferred women and had tried offering their daughters instead. But the answer was always the same—Elara was not interested.

Even neighboring kingdoms and foreign powers had made attempts.

None of it had worked.

Demerti exhaled again and looked back toward the office door.

It seemed, in the end, that everyone except Elara had moved on with their lives.

And now, the only thing left keeping the imperial line alive was Samuel.

After Elara had become emperor and then stepped away from the throne, she had taken control of almost everything else. Most of the royal faction had either left or been settled into other arrangements. If someone had been difficult, she would have handled them one way or another. In most cases, she did not even need to use force. She simply made them sign documents giving up their inheritance rights or arranged marriages that removed them from the line of succession entirely.

Normally, if someone had stood in her way, they would have been killed or exiled.

But Elara was not normal.

She handled matters in her own way—cleanly, efficiently, and without unnecessary cruelty. By the time she was done, Samuel was practically the last remaining piece of the imperial bloodline that still mattered.

Some still wanted Elara to return as a temporary ruler. Even her children would have supported it if she had wanted it.

But Elara was not interested.

That, more than anything, was what left Demerti feeling exhausted.

He looked up at the moon again and sighed.

Honestly, when did Elara ever make sense?

The hallway was quiet as Elara walked back to her quarters, her footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor. The administrative documents she had just finished signing were still fresh in her mind, but the physical weight of her day was finally catching up to anyone else’s standard of exhaustion. For her, it was just a dull, familiar numbness.

She unlocked the heavy wooden door to her bedchamber, expecting the usual silence of her room. Instead, as the door swung open, she paused.

Sprawled across her bed were Ken and Mahir. Both were completely naked, draped over the sheets in poses that were unashamedly seductive, practically radiating heat into the cool room. They looked like a pair of high-end predators waiting for their favorite distraction.

Elara didn’t blink. Her expression remained completely blank, her voice dropping into its usual flat, monotone delivery.

"Do you guys not get tired?"

Instead of answering, the two exchange a knowing, wicked grin.

Elara stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind her. She reached up to unbutton her heavy formal coat, her movements methodical and calm. As she stepped over to the wooden coat stand to hang it up, a sudden warmth pressed against her back.

Mahir had slid off the bed without a sound. Before she could even hang the coat properly, his arms wrapped securely around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. His beast-kin traits were fully on display now—his ears twitched happily atop his head, and his tail curled around her hip, anchoring her to him.

He leaned down, burying his face into the crook of her neck, and began to nuzzle into her shoulder, his breath warm against her bare skin.

"Never tired when it comes to you, master," Mahir murmured against her skin, his voice thick with a lazy, purring satisfaction.

From the bed, Ken leaned back on his elbows, his eyes tracking every movement as he watched Mahir claim the first embrace, waiting for his own turn to drag the former emperor back into the heat.

Ken let out a low, amused chuckle from the bed, shifting his weight as he watched Mahir practically glue himself to Elara’s back.

"You shouldn’t ask silly questions, master," Ken said, his voice dripping with a lazy, confident heat. "You know we have more than enough stamina to match you. Besides, you’re the one who finally has time to play."

Elara didn’t fight the embrace, nor did she lean into it. She simply stood there, a steady anchor for Mahir’s clingy warmth. Her ears caught the rhythmic, rhythmic thumping of Mahir’s tail against her thigh, a telltale sign of his stubborn satisfaction.

"I have work tomorrow," Elara stated flatly, her voice entirely devoid of the breathlessness most women would have shown in this position. "The 10% requires my signature by noon."

"Noon is hours away," Mahir mumbled against her shoulder, his lips brushing the sensitive skin just below her ear. His fingers unceremoniously began undoing the top buttons of her shirt, his touch warm and surprisingly gentle for someone so strong.

"Let demerti and others handle it if you’re late. He owes you anyway."

"He would cry," Elara replied objectively.

Ken slid off the bed, his bare feet making no sound on the polished floorboards. He stopped right in front of her, trapping her completely between himself and Mahir.