The sound of monsters attracted by the scent of blood could be heard approaching.
Astria made a swift decision.
“Sylvia, Chris.”
“Yes.”
Both knights knelt simultaneously.
“Today’s walk ends here. Exterminate the surrounding monsters as quickly as possible.”
With the Holy Sword in hand, Astria made a light slash. Her golden sword aura split the front.
Simultaneously, Chris and Sylvia split up and charged into the group of monsters.
“How can you be so distracted in the middle of a fight?”
Sylvia hung her head in embarrassment. For a knight of Sylvia’s caliber, hunting monsters in this area was merely a mundane task, a tiresome routine.
‘How can I not be concerned about Senior?’
However, she had been too distracted by thoughts of Sena, allowing a monster’s attack to slip through. It was just a minor scratch, but there was some bleeding.
Sena puffed out his cheeks slightly. He was very upset that his knight had been injured.
“You careless fool. You’ve always been like this.”
Sena sat demurely, treating the wound.
Her grumbling brought back nostalgic memories.
Sylvia, being a bit of a genius, often got overconfident and occasionally ended up with unexpected injuries.
Every time that happened, Sylvia would hover around Sena. And without fail, Sena would immediately come to heal her.
Sylvia liked that. Because during those times, Sena devoted his time solely to her.
‘If I marry Senior Sena, will he do this for me every day?’
He would greet her every morning.
Welcome her home after work.
She would hear his worried voice.
She could cook; she needed nothing else. Just having a place to return to was enough for Sylvia.
…But she knew that was impossible.
“Physician.”
Sylvia looked up at the cold voice.
‘Please forgive me this much, Your Majesty. You already have everything.’
Sylvia’s eyes grew sad.
She did not want to lose this time.
“I am also injured.”
But she knew it was not meant to be.
The place where Sena belonged was next to Astria, not her.
She knew she had to let him go. It was inevitable.
“I’m treating Sylvia right now. Go away.”
“…”
Sylvia’s eyes widened, and she smiled slightly.
“It’s done.”
She hoped this time would never end.
“…Already?”
Sylvia looked at him with regret, but Sena had already stood up.
“Yes. It doesn’t look like it will worsen. Be careful not to get hurt next time or I’ll scold you.”
Sena walked away.
Sylvia held up the bandage that shone in the sunlight.
Sylvia decided she needed to get hurt more often.
**
‘This is troublesome.’
Sena smiled awkwardly.
‘Will I ever return to my hometown?’
Inside the rattling carriage.
Sena pondered over his uncertain future.
His plan to be disliked hadn’t worked at all.
Instead, he had new concerns.
Whether he would be devoured immediately.
“Why are you like that?”
Sena was wrapped tightly in his robe. He had torn up his clothes too much to use them as bandages.
“Ah, ahaha. I’m cold…?”
“Really? I thought you were reflecting on your audacious behavior from earlier.”
Sena broke out in a cold sweat and moved further into the corner. But there was not much space to escape within the limited confines of the carriage.
“What else could I do? My knight was injured.”
“I was also injured.”
Astria proudly extended her arm.
It was spotless, like someone who had never seen sunlight.
“…Where?”
There wasn’t a single scratch, let alone a wound.
What could our little empress possibly be displeased about?
‘Could she be jealous?’
“Prick.”
Astria lowered her arm, her eyebrows twitching with considerable irritation.
“When I say I am injured, I am.”
“Saying it doesn’t make it true.”
“Insignificant furball.”
‘She always says that when she has nothing else to say.’
Sena hung his head.
“I’m not a furball.”
A brief silence.
Astria continued to stare at Sena, who deliberately avoided eye contact.
A strange tension filled the cramped carriage. Astria was displeased that Sena wouldn’t meet her eyes and had deliberately sat far away from her.
“Come here.”
“N-No.”
“Then I will come to you. Today, you will answer for your impudence.”
As Astria stood, Sena swallowed hard.
‘Don’t be afraid. After all, the only thing this precious empress knows how to do is hold hands.’
Wasn’t she just a naive tyrant?
Sena resolved not to be intimidated.
“What are you going to do?”
“This.”
Astria sat on Sena’s lap and straightened her back.
Too close. The proximity and awkward position made Sena’s head spin. This was unexpected.
“This is inappropriate.”
Astria gave a peculiar smile, slowly wrapping her hands around Sena’s neck.
“You are gravely mistaken.”
Her whisper sent shivers down his spine. Her eyes gleamed with intense desire.
“You belong to me. I will allow no one else to touch you.”
Something soft entered Sena’s mouth. It was gentle yet overpowering. His face turned crimson, and he twisted away as he realized what was happening.
Astria tightened her grip with her legs, making it clear she would not allow escape. She grabbed both his wrists and forced him into submission.
It was a domineering, unavoidable kiss. There was no tenderness, only a taker and the taken.
It was a stark reminder that Astria was, indeed, a tyrant.
“Your Majesty, we have arrived.”
Only then did Astria stop the prolonged kiss. A thin string of saliva stretched between them. Sena wiped his mouth with his robe sleeve.
Astria smiled with satisfaction at Sena’s dazed expression.
She wanted to ruin him.
To make him see no one but her. Completely hers.
Today, it seemed she had made some progress.
“Smile at another woman one more time, and I will do even more.”
Even after Astria left the carriage, Sena couldn’t move for a while. His legs had no strength.
He adjusted his disheveled clothes. Thankfully, kissing was the extent of Astria’s ability, or else he might have suffered even more.
Sena placed a hand on his pounding heart. He repeated “Calm down, calm down.”, but the beating didn’t slow.
‘I can’t take this anymore.’
At this rate, he would be conquered by Astria.
He would be completely subdued, and his desire to return to his hometown would be snatched away.
That couldn’t happen. But resisting was becoming difficult.
**
“Welcome back.”
Astria walked barefoot through the palace.
She had never worn shoes since she was young.
Although her magic created a thin barrier around her body, preventing dirt from sticking, she still felt the need to bathe after being outside.
Upon returning, Astria went straight to the bath.
With a plop, she sank into the large tub, her face softening as she closed her eyes and thought about her tasks for the day.
‘Today, I must make a baby.’
This was the foremost thought in her mind.
Throughout the campaign, it was the only thing she thought about. She longed to have a child who resembled Sena.
Astria was the type to achieve whatever she set her mind to. And there was nothing she wanted more than this.
“You stayed in longer than usual today.”
“I had things to think about.”
Betty, who had been waiting with a towel, sat Astria on a chair and diligently dried her long blonde hair.
‘Perhaps I should ask someone else.’
Astria decided to act on the solution that had come to her in the bath.
“Betty.”
Astria looked at Betty’s reflection in the mirror as she spoke.
“I am having difficulty getting pregnant. What should I do?”
Betty smiled gently.
“There’s no need to be too impatient.”
“Is that so? Am I being impatient?”
“Today is your cycle day, so there should be good news.”
Astria stroked her chin thoughtfully.
“I’m worried that the method might be wrong.”
“The method…?”
“Whether it’s better to interlace our fingers or just hold hands.”
“…Pardon?”
Betty was so taken aback that she made the rare mistake of questioning the Empress’s words.
“Why are you so surprised?”
Astria asked, genuinely puzzled.
“Your Majesty…”
‘Of course. Her Majesty became the Empress at such a young age that she never had time for such education.’
Betty felt a pang of sympathy, nearly to the point of tears.
“May I borrow your ear for a moment?”
“You may.”
Betty leaned in.
Whisper Whisper.
Astria’s mouth opened and closed as she listened to her belated s*x education.
By the end of it, her ears were bright red.
“Do you understand now?”
“You mean… that… has to go inside my body? There is no place for it.”
“No matter how large, it will fit. …You may feel some pain, though, since Her Majesty is on the smaller side.”
“It sounds very painful.”
Astria, uncharacteristically flustered, stared intently at her navel.
Is something really supposed to go in there? Do they have to cut her open to insert it?
“…That’s not the place, Your Majesty.”
“What? Then where is it?”
“Ahem.”
Blushing slightly, Betty pointed directly at Astria’s body.
“Here.”
Astria’s face contorted with disbelief.
“Do you wish to die?”
“…I wish to live.”
“Hmph, you dare deceive me? That is a place where things come out, not where things go in.”
“…Things can go in there as well.”
“I don’t believe it.”
Seeing Astria’s stubborn expression, Betty sighed softly.
But she knew what to do in this situation. Astria needed to come to her own conclusion.
After drying her hair, Astria walked away with a look of irritation. She was annoyed at having wasted time on such a trivial conversation.
But then Betty suddenly stopped and bowed her head.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
“I must see the furball.”
Astria was busy. She had to quickly hold hands with Sena to conceive a child.
“I beg you.”
Despite her words, Astria still pretended to listen to Betty.
She gave a small nod, and Betty quickly walked towards the nearby library.
Not long after, Betty returned with a book in her arms.
“Your Majesty, please read this.”
“What is this?”
[The Duke’s Affairs]
“It’s a novel currently popular among the noble ladies in the capital.”
“…You want me to read such trivial nonsense?”
“It contains answers to Your Majesty’s questions. It’s a new cultural artifact.”
Astria was incredulous.
Read a novel that only noble ladies read? The Empress of the Empire?
“…It also describes various techniques, to the point that there’s talk of making it an official manual. Don’t you want to make Sena happier?”
“…I suppose I’ll read it.”
Astria was surprisingly open-minded.
Having heard it described as a new cultural artifact, she felt it was worth a look before making a judgment.
