Chirp Chirp.
The sound of sparrows chirping came with the morning sunlight.
As Sena slowly opened his eyes, he saw Sylvia sleeping soundly in front of him.
The transparent skin was visible. With a flushed face, Sena grabbed the blanket tightly.
‘I did it.’
The feeling of the first experience was not as great as he had imagined.
Just that it was hard to keep up with Sylvia’s stamina.
And that women seem to be in pain to some extent.
What’s certain is…
‘I’ve become an adult…!’
Now, he really feels all grown up.
If he meets Cruyff before dying, he should share his impressions.
And he should tease Seria. After all, he experienced something she would never do in her entire life.
‘You must be very hungry, right? And, and again… ’
‘She’ll be really jealous, right? And, and also…’
While Sena was contemplating who he should share this fact with, his hair stood on end as he realized he had forgotten something very important.
‘That golden one.’
Gulp-.
Yesterday was so hectic that he had completely forgotten about it.
What happened to Astria?
Is she sleeping? She must have been looking for him.
No, more than that, how angry would she be if she realized he gave his first to Sylvia…?
‘…I have to face it.’
(TLN: I can’t anymore… I can’t…)
Sena looked down at Sylvia, who was still asleep, and patted her head.
It was a responsibility he had to fully bear.
No matter what, he had no intention of running away from a situation that required responsibility.
Even if any consequence were to come, he would accept it.
‘She wouldn’t hit me, would she?’
Being careful not to wake Sylvia, Sena got up and looked around the room.
Scattered clothes were visible. Sylvia’s underwear too. Despite having done everything, his face became hot again.
Having somehow found his own clothes, Sena quickly dressed. He felt sad that even in this situation, he had to wear a dress.
After getting dressed, he instinctively moved towards the window. He wanted to open it. Morning sunlight is good for health.
‘The fact that there’s no sense of incongruity is rather annoying.’
While sighing at how natural he looked in a dress, Sena suddenly lifted his head and opened his eyes wide.
…The wings are gone.
Then what about the lifespan?
[11]
“…”
It hadn’t increased at all.
More than that, no matter how he calculated it, the number was somewhat despairing.
11 days?
Even if he traveled by horse at the fastest pace from here, it would take two weeks.
He really couldn’t go back to his hometown.
But Sena decided not to give up.
‘For now, the wings are gone. There’s nothing I can’t do. No, it might even be better than before.’
He had found a way to increase his lifespan.
By killing devil worshippers.
Though Sena valued life above all, devil worshippers were different.
-‘Sena, if you discover a devil worshipper, dispose of them immediately.’
-‘But weren’t they originally human?’
-‘Yes. But the moment they become demon worshippers, their soul is taken by the Devil. In other words, they are already like the dead. Isn’t it sad to be used even after death?’
-‘As long as it’s within my reach.’
Sena quietly burned with determination.
Just yesterday, he killed a demon.
If demons were walking around openly, there must be more than a few demon worshippers following them.
Dispose of them and extend his lifespan. Then return to his hometown and rest peacefully.
“…Senior?”
At the thin voice, Sena turned his head.
Sylvia had woken up before he knew it. She pulled the blanket up to her neck.
“Good morning.”
Sena greeted her with a smile. But Sylvia didn’t smile back.
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh? For what?”
“For not being able to protect you.”
She had a very, very sad expression.
Sena briefly wondered why Sylvia was like that.
‘Is she feeling guilty about yesterday? I was the one who seduced her?’
One thing for sure, it wasn’t the first words a girl who spent her first night should say.
It’s probably best to ease her burden in times like this.
Sena thought for a moment about what to say, deciding that a light-hearted joke would be better than getting serious.
“Sylvia.”
Sena approached Sylvia with his hands behind his back, giving her a playful smile.
“Was I delicious?”
Blush.
Sylvia’s face turned red once again.
“T-That…”
She half-hid under the blanket. After a moment, she shyly averted her gaze and spoke.
“…Yes.”
“It’s the lord’s role to provide something tasty for their knight.”
Sena quietly smiled.
Sylvia mumbled in response.
“…What kind of lord gives themselves?”
“How is it? Don’t you think you made the right choice becoming my knight?”
Sena’s joke was effective.
In reality, Sylvia was greatly relieved to see that Sena was fine.
‘I guess it’s okay with me.’
She even felt a little happy about it.
“Senior.”
“Hm?”
After hesitating for a while, Sylvia timidly asked.
“…How was I?”
“What?”
“How… was I?”
Sena thought Sylvia’s shy demeanor while hugging the blanket was quite cute.
Sena smiled and whispered in her ear.
“You were really delicious.”
**
[11]
“You need to make a decision.”
Astria yawned and rubbed her eyes.
“I don’t want to see your face this early in the morning. Bring me my furball instead.”
Astria, who had lived her entire life as royalty, found this journey quite taxing, though she wouldn’t admit it due to her pride.
Moreover, someone like her, who preferred to end battles quickly rather than sleep uncomfortably in the field, found it intolerable to sleep in a moving carriage.
‘This is the first time a baron’s house has better beds than an earl’s.’
Thanks to that, Astria, who hadn’t slept a wink for days, had managed to get a good night’s sleep after a long time.
So, Astria was in a rare good mood.
That is, until she saw the two religious figures the moment she woke up.
“I’m in a good mood today. Leave while I’m still speaking kindly.”
Astria, still sleepy, waved her hand dismissively.
Ellie looked at Lucia with a troubled expression. They had waited all night for Astria to wake up because they had something very important to tell her about the future of the empire, but they hadn’t expected such a clear dismissal.
“Y-Your Majesty? This is extremely important for the future of the Empire.”
Ellie, trying to muster her courage, spoke up. Astria stopped rubbing her eyes and glared at her as if she were about to kill her.
The calm atmosphere changed in an instant.
“How dare you refuse my generosity?”
Ellie, startled, clung to Lucia, looking up at her with tear-filled eyes.
Lucia sighed, placed a hand on Ellie’s head, and spoke confidently.
“It’s about Sena. If you still won’t listen, we’ll leave.”
Astria frowned deeply.
“Get out.”
“Yes.”
Without hesitation, Lucia grabbed Ellie’s hand and stood up.
“S-Sister Lucia?”
Ellie spoke with a troubled tone, but Lucia quietly shook her head.
“We apologize for the intrusion.”
As they bowed and were about to leave, Astria growled.
“Who said you could leave?”
“…?”
Lucia looked bewildered.
Astria, without even glancing at them, spoke indifferently.
“I’ll allow you one minute to speak.”
‘What an infuriating personality.’
Lucia gritted her teeth.
Before speaking, she seriously reflected on whether she should share this information with Astria.
Astria was a double-edged sword that, when swung, would certainly kill someone.
The problem was, no one could predict whether it would be an enemy, an ally, or herself.
‘But Ellie and I can’t do anything on our own… everything is for the angel.’
“What would Your Majesty do if there was an enemy targeting Sena-nim?”
Astria glanced at her with irritation, as if the question were trivial.
“Kill them.”
“No matter who it is?”
Astria curled her lips into a smile.
“Even if it’s God. I don’t forgive those who touch what’s mine.”
She wasn’t lying.
There was no need for her to lie, given her position.
But making blasphemous remarks in front of an inquisitor wasn’t without reason.
‘I’ll test your resolve.’
Astria did not trust people.
However, she trusted situations.
Words spoken by those who have staked their lives.
The moment a knight pledges loyalty.
When someone is willing to abandon their beliefs to accomplish something.
Lucia was the latter. She had lived her life for the sake of inquisition. How would she react to a blaspheming emperor?
“…Then I can trust you.”
“Ho?”
In that moment, Astria, who had shown no interest, became intrigued.
She adjusted her posture and faced Lucia directly.
“You may speak in detail.”
“Your Majesty.”
Lucia spoke with a slightly tense face.
“Please, eliminate Cruyff Birkender.”
After Lucia’s words, a cold silence filled Astria’s room.
“Cruyff Birkender… isn’t he Sena’s father?”
It felt like the calm before a storm.
Ellie trembled as she watched Astria.
Her face was expressionless, devoid of any emotion.
However, Ellie was sure.
But Ellie was certain.
Astria was furious.
“Why? I told you to speak in detail. Move that detestable mouth of yours.”
Lucia felt it too.
But unlike Ellie, she directly sensed Astria’s murderous intent.
“Ugh.”
The air was heavy. It was an immense pressure that made it difficult to speak.
‘Is she really human?’
She had never felt such an aura, even from the seven cardinals, known as monsters within the church.
Lucia opened her mouth with great difficulty.
“Cr-Cruyff Birkender is…”
Astria’s eyebrow twitched as she spoke.
“I didn’t permit a beast’s audience.”
“…!”
Death.
A word she had always associated with others now lingered in Lucia’s mind.
Astria, from her seated position, swung her fist into the air to her right.
Smack!
With a sound of something bursting, blood splattered by the window.
It was a bat. A pitch-black bat, now shattered, clung to the window.
Astria smiled broadly at the sight of the bat’s blood dripping down.
“Now they’re openly defying me. Granz—.”
(TLN: … As of today, I believe that Astria killing everyone is the good path. Perhaps some kind of god saw me reading this chapter earlier today and flooded my kitchen, it surely took my mind of this for a few hours. I didn’t see no Harem tag… What is this?? I’m about to make a 1 Star NU review fr.)
