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Chapter 235: Interlude – The Empress’s Lament
The next morning.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the crumpled bed sheets and the blanket tossed carelessly onto the floor.
“I did ask you to be forceful, but still….”
Elisha massaged her aching waist and shot a glare.
“…Cadet Dale handles women far too roughly.”
“No, wait.”
She was the one who asked for it!
I had only done what she requested, so why was she looking at me like I was trash?
“Oh? Are you trying to shift the blame onto your professor?”
“Using your position as a shield now that the situation isn’t in your favor?”
“Haha. It’s a long-standing human tradition.”
“…….”
Her shameless response, delivered without the slightest change in expression, left me speechless.
With a mischievous smile, Elisha leaned against me.
Bare skin pressing together.
Not quite as well-endowed as Iris, but still boasting a figure far above average, her soft curves brushed against my arm.
“I’m joking.”
She playfully tapped my nose with her fingertip.
As she gazed at the clear rope marks imprinted on her wrists, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
“It was truly the best first experience. It made me forget all my regrets about not giving my first kiss to you.”
“…Are your wrists okay?”
“Huhu, are you worried about me? Even though you were so rough last night?”
“No, I mean….”
“Hahaha! It’s hard to believe you’re the same person from yesterday.”
* * *
This gap was unbearable.
Elisha surrendered to her rising impulse, pulling Dale’s neck toward her for a kiss.
Memories of the previous night resurfaced naturally.
‘It was incredible.’
Once he got into the mood, Dale had pounced on her like a starving beast.
Bound completely.
Unable to move an inch—though, of course, she could have untied the spider silk at any moment if she had wanted to.
The way Dale had handled her roughly.
“Uh….”
Recalling the sensations from that time sent tingling shivers down her spine.
After finishing the kiss, Elisha teasingly ran her fingers over Dale’s chest.
The firm feel of his muscles under her touch.
Each time her fingertips brushed a sensitive spot, she could feel his body flinch slightly.
‘A man who was so wild last night is now blushing and flustered like this.’
It felt like eating something sweet and salty at the same time.
The contrast between his rough demeanor last night and his tenderness now created an indescribable, warm happiness.
“…This is a problem.”
“What is?”
“I thought I loved you so much that I could never love you any more. But I must have been mistaken.”
“…….”
“Huhu. I don’t think I can live without you now, so you’d better take responsibility until the very end.”
With those words, Elisha leaned in for another kiss.
It wasn’t a passionate, devouring kiss.
Instead, it was a light, playful peck, like a bird feeding its mate.
Yet, that ticklish sensation only stirred his desires even further.
“Ahem. Anyway, since we’ve taken care of everything here, can we return today?”
Struggling to suppress his rekindling desire, Dale quickly changed the subject.
“Hmm. Leaving today might be difficult. We’ll need to stay for at least a few more days.”
“Huh? A few days?”
The Order of Eternity had fled, and the Apostles of Destruction who attempted to assassinate Empress Camellia had been captured.
There was no reason to remain in the imperial palace any longer, was there?
“The nature of the incident demands it. Besides, even if it was to stop the assassination, you still learned the location of the secret passage used exclusively by the royal family. Various procedures need to be followed to keep that under wraps.”
“Ugh.”
“Is it because of your other lovers?”
“That’s….”
When he hesitated, Elisha let out a quiet chuckle.
“There’s no need to be so cautious. I know full well that you can’t just devote yourself to me alone.”
“…Sorry.”
No matter what, bringing up his other lovers in front of Elisha, who had just experienced her first night with him, was tactless.
As guilt weighed heavily on him, Elisha smiled softly and caressed his cheek.
“Don’t apologize. I knew all of this before choosing to be with you.”
And she had no regrets about that choice.
“…Elisha.”
“Hm. If we’re stuck here anyway, I might as well take this chance to have you all to myself.”
With a sly grin, Elisha lightly pushed against Dale’s chest, making him fall back onto the bed.
Srrrk.
Like a snake, she slithered under the covers.
Peeking out from beneath the blanket, she flashed a playful grin.
“You worked so hard last night, so today, I’ll be the one serving you.”
With that, she opened her mouth slightly.
Swish, swish.
Before he even realized what had happened, strands of spider silk wrapped tightly around his wrists.
Dale glanced at his bound wrists and let out a dry chuckle.
‘So you weren’t just into being tied up…?’
Turns out, you could switch roles too?
* * *
[Translator - Night]
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After spending a few more days at the imperial palace undergoing questioning, Elisha and I were finally able to return to school a week later.
“You’re leaving today?”
Empress Camellia appeared in our room as we were packing our things.
Seeing her again after a week, she walked toward us at her usual unhurried pace, as if nothing had happened.
As I hastily prepared to kneel, she shook her head.
“There’s no need for formalities.”
“…Understood.”
“…….”
Perhaps due to what had happened before, an awkward atmosphere lingered.
Empress Camellia let out a short sigh before continuing.
“So, when do you plan to depart?”
“I intend to leave as soon as I finish packing.”
“Is that so?”
Camellia took out a rainbow-colored gemstone from her bosom and handed it to me.
“This is…?”
“It is a gemstone called the ‘Seven-Colored Stone,’ created through the blessing of Empress. If you channel your magic into it, you may call upon me once, no matter when or where you are.”
A kind of summoning stone.
“…Why are you giving this to me?”
“You saved my life once, did you not? If you ever find yourself in danger, this is my way of saying that I will save your life once in return.”
A gemstone that allowed the Empress’s aid without any conditions.
In a way, it was the most valuable item in this vast empire.
“And….”
Empress Camellia turned to Professor Elisha.
She handed Elisha a luxurious wooden box, exquisite even at a glance.
“…What is this?”
“It is the ‘Blessing of the Monarch.’”
“B-Blessing of the Monarch?!”
Elisha’s eyes widened as she received the box.
The Blessing of the Monarch.
A rare elixir reserved exclusively for the imperial family, known to not only enhance mana but even transform one’s very physique.
For someone like Elisha, who hailed from an unnamed rural village, it was a treasure beyond even the wildest dreams.
Elisha, uncharacteristically stammering, asked,
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“W-Why would you give me something so precious…?”
“The only reason we were able to capture the traitor who infiltrated the imperial palace was due in large part to your efforts. My life is more valuable than any treasure in the world. Since you played a role in saving me, you are fully deserving of an appropriate reward.”
“…….”
Elisha held the wooden box containing the elixir, her hands trembling slightly.
She had been struggling with the ever-growing gap between herself and Dale, a gap that seemed impossible to close.
For her, this was the most valuable gift she could receive.
“…And.”
Camellia lightly bowed her head toward Elisha.
“Blinded by emotions I had never felt before, I made a mistake.”
“Your Majesty…?”
“I apologize for my rude words and actions toward you.”
“…….”
An invaluable elixir, followed by a heartfelt apology.
Elisha looked utterly stunned, as if she couldn’t believe this was real.
“A-Ah… um…”
“Will you accept my apology?”
“…Of course.”
Elisha nodded without hesitation.
She hadn’t even considered the Empress’s words to be particularly offensive, so she had no reason to refuse the apology.
“Then, return safely.”
As if her business was concluded, Empress Camellia turned and walked away.
“…….”
“…….”
Elisha and I watched in stunned silence as the Empress’s figure receded into the distance, as if a whirlwind had just passed through.
* * *
Unlike the grand and art-filled audience chamber, Camellia’s personal room was surprisingly modest—unbefitting of her title as Empress.
“Hoo.”
Once inside, Camellia let out a relieved sigh and placed a hand over her chest.
‘At least I’ve managed to make up for some of my mistakes.’
Judging by the softened expressions on Dale and Elisha’s faces, it seemed her strategy of overwhelming them with gifts had worked.
“Fufu. Now that they’ve fallen into Empress’s scheme, obtaining Dale is only a matter of time.”
Camellia smirked smugly and let out a satisfied breath through her nose.
Knock, knock.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
“Enter.”
The one who stepped inside was the knight who had first guided Dale and Elisha to the imperial palace.
“Have you finished your investigation?”
“Yes. As you ordered, I have gathered information on Dale Han’s reputation and relationships within the Hero Academy.”
“Well done.”
Through the recent events, Camellia had learned that Dale and Elisha shared an inseparable bond.
‘Just because a fortress wall stands in my way, does that mean I cannot breach the castle?’
Smirking, she recalled Elisha’s face.
‘Fufu. Just wait and see… What the Empress desires will inevitably become mine!’
With a determined expression, Camellia clenched her fist.
“…However, there is a bit of a problem.”
“A problem?”
Tilting her head, Camellia looked at the knight, who hesitated before speaking.
“According to the Hoover family’s investigation, Dale Han is also in a romantic relationship with the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom.”
“…What?”
“Additionally, there is information suggesting that he has a rather close relationship with a fourth-year female candidate named Lanez Malam.”
“…….”
So the fortress wall wasn’t just one—but three?
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