Chapter 222: Arrogance
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 222: Arrogance
“So you weren't the one who went to Louise. It was another witch, wasn't it?”
She seemed shocked, but she recovered quickly. However, she couldn't hide the involuntary physical reactions, like her dilated pupils.
“Christina?”
The man beside her looked back, but she didn't spare him a single glance. It was the same even as he was arrested and escorted away by the duke's soldiers.
“Christina!”
The look in the man's eyes seemed quite fond, but it appeared to be a one-sided affection.
Then again, possessing Clairvoyance that let her look down on the world like a god, along with a brilliant mind—weren't those the perfect conditions to become arrogant?
It was only natural she'd be picky when choosing a man. The one just escorted away wouldn't have met her standards, even on a good day.
“Conversations with intelligent people are enjoyable. There's no need for lengthy explanations.”
I strode over and stood before her. The torches mounted by the castle gate made it seem as if her brown hair was burning red.
The height difference was so great that the top of her head only reached my chest. It was enough to be intimidating, yet she looked up at me with unwavering eyes.
Even though she was caught in a trap with no escape, her expression remained haughty.
“Just how many layers did this trap have?”
It seemed that just by facing me, she'd realized the entire series of events had been a trap.
“They say a cunning rabbit digs three burrows to escape. To catch such a rabbit, isn't it only natural to prepare more than three traps?”
Christina shook her head. Then she held up both her palms.
“I surrender.”
She showed not a hint of hesitation in raising the white flag. Wasn't she afraid, being captured by the very man she'd tried to threaten?
“Why?”
Her actions had been strange from the start. Revealing that she knew my identity was a premature move. If it were me, I would have revealed it only after backing her further into a corner.
That way, I wouldn't have given my opponent a chance to counterattack. Considering her brilliant mind, this was an uncharacteristic move.
Christina smiled.
“Because I never truly intended to oppose you.”
Indeed, dealing with someone smart was easy. She understood even when I cut to the chase.
As I started walking into the castle, she naturally fell into step beside me as if that was her rightful place and continued speaking.
“Vivian described you as a great villain, didn't she? A devil who plans to take all the witches in this world and use them to rule it.”
Pfft. She let out a small laugh and continued.
“And yet, what Vivian herself did on the southern continent wasn't all that different.”
Hadn't Vivian also tried to win over Christina and Louise to rule the southern continent?
Christina was saying that such a person had no right to criticize me.
“The idea that you can rule the world just by gathering all the witches is something only a naive person would think. No matter how outstanding a witch's abilities are, the fact remains that they are few in number. Ruling the world isn't that easy.”
Christina added, her expression turning colder, that Vivian's level was simply too low.
Only the arrogant Christina could pass such judgment on Vivian, who knew the future.
I chuckled.
“Am I any different?”
“The results speak for themselves, don't they? You became the emperor who conquered three continents. Vivian, who started with far more advantageous conditions, is now a fugitive.”
“And that's why you won't oppose me?”
Christina also gave a slight smile.
“Vivian described falling into your hands as the most terrible thing in the world, but all the witches by your side became the emperor's wives.”
She continued, “If you were me, what choice would you make? Would you cooperate with Vivian, who is bound to lose, just because you're both witches? Or would you become the wife of the emperor who rules three continents?”
I stopped walking and suddenly grabbed her arm, pulling her into my embrace. Holding her by the waist, I pressed her close, her breath touching the bridge of my nose.
“A beautiful rose always has thorns. You don't know the price of becoming my wife, do you? What if I'm a violent and coercive husband? What if I lock you in a cage?”
“If that were the case, the atmosphere in the court wouldn't be so good, would it? Well, there seems to be some tension, but that's only natural in a polygamous system. Even if I'm joining late, I'm confident I can overcome it all.”
“Being too confident can get you into trouble.”
She couldn't use her Clairvoyance to observe my women, more than half of whom were witches. This meant she must have learned about the court's atmosphere through the servants.
The words of the servants who attend to my wives up close would be quite accurate, but she couldn't claim to know everything about them based on that alone.
Especially Aenya, whose inner thoughts were a mystery even to me, would be even harder to gauge.
I could see it clearly in my mind's eye: her, confidently entering the court, only to be played for a fool by Aenya.
“Don't have blind faith in your ability. Hasn't this incident shown you that it has blind spots?”
“That… was a mistake.”
Christina pouted. I tilted her chin up slightly and stole a surprise kiss, her eyes widening.
Feeling mischievous, I licked her lips as I pulled away, and her pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
“And yet, you act as if you've already reserved the spot next to me. When I haven't even given you permission.”
“Well… ahem.”
She cleared her trembling voice with a cough, composed herself, and spoke again.
“It's not a loss for Your Majesty, is it? It's a bit much to say it myself, but I'm certain I'm the witch who can be most helpful in achieving your great cause. Besides, I'm also beautiful.”
However, she couldn't hide her flushed face. As if unaware of it herself, she put on a provocative gaze and placed a hand on my chest.
Her long, slender index finger tracing a zigzag path across my chest stirred illicit thoughts.
But her seductive gestures and expression all felt somewhat clumsy. It was good acting, but should I say it lacked feeling?
It was obvious she was full of knowledge but had zero experience. The proof was how she flinched and tensed up when I subtly moved the hand on her waist lower.
Pretending not to notice her breath brushing against my nose had grown hotter, I said, “The problem is, my great cause is nearing its end.”
The southern continent was the last piece. I'd even won over Duke Babel, who controlled a third of it.
There weren't many opportunities left for Christina to prove her worth. She couldn't possibly be unaware of that, yet she gave me a meaningful smile.
“Surely, you don't think it ends with four continents, do you?”
She was, after all, the owner of a Clairvoyance that was unbound by space and time.
#
“Huh…?”
Christina blinked. Her mind was hazy, as if she'd just woken from a vivid dream.
She was soaking in a bathtub fashioned from an oak barrel. Fragrant petals floated on the surface of the water.
The warm water and sweet aroma soothed her startled heart and tense body, making it hard to collect her thoughts.
“Right, I remember…!”
Slowly, the events from just before came back to her. Her blatant seduction had been a success. The problem was that it had been a resounding success, far beyond what she had anticipated.
Upon returning to the duke's castle, Allen had skillfully ordered the servants to prepare a bath. Then, while Christina was still reeling from their first kiss, he had naturally nudged her into it.
In an instant, the mood had turned intimate.
“Seriously, isn't he a little too smooth…?”
He had seven official wives. Who knew how many mistresses he had on top of that? It was only natural for him to be skilled in handling women.
It wasn't that Christina didn't know this, but as a woman, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
The problem was, although she had seduced him, she hadn't wanted their relationship to progress so rapidly.
“This is more of a loss than a gain…!”
She prided herself on understanding the creature known as man. Not only did she have a talent for grasping ten things when taught one, but she had also indirectly experienced countless cases through her Clairvoyance.
Generally, while men wanted the woman they loved to give herself to them quickly, they would easily grow bored if she actually slept with them on the first meeting.
Furthermore, starting a relationship with sex was a problem because they would tire of it quickly.
She was confident in her beauty and charm, but she also knew that even the most delicious food becomes tiresome if you eat it every day.
That's why the push-and-pull was important. The more she made his heart burn with a game of tug-of-war, giving and taking away, the deeper a man's feelings for a woman would grow.
“It's not too late…”
Fortunately, they hadn't slept together yet. That meant there was still a chance. Clenching her fists, she resolved to make up for her mistake.
That resolve shattered the moment she left the bathroom and returned to her room.
“Uh, uh…”
Allen was sitting on the bed, wearing only a robe. When their eyes met, he stood up and slowly approached her.
Gulp.
Frozen like ice, she could only stare blankly at him. Her resolve from the bathroom had long since fled her mind.
Soon, Allen stood before her. With his back to the fireplace, his massive shadow swallowed her whole.
Gulp.
“Christina.”
The moment Allen spoke her name, a jolt like electricity shot through her body. A twitch started deep in her lower abdomen, and a damp heat pooled between her legs.
He had only called her name, yet it felt as if her entire body was cheering with joy.
In truth, it was only natural. Wasn't it the instinct of every female to desire a strong seed? And Allen was the strongest man in the world.
Smooch.
Only after Allen stole another kiss did Christina's frozen body begin to thaw.
“Ah, wait…!”
But she had no chance to stop him. Before she could say anything, Allen swept her up in a princess carry.
Since he was only wearing a robe, his rich body scent washed over her. Once again, she felt her entire body tremble and scream in ecstasy.
That was why she couldn't resist as Allen's hands guided her, gently laying her down on the bed.
“Where did the bold woman who tried to claim the spot next to me as her right go? All that's left is a shy maiden. Where did all that confidence go?”
Still, she hadn't completely crumbled. Allen's words rekindled her fighting spirit.
‘Right. Since it's come to this…!’
Christina decided to change her plan. The push-and-pull game seemed impossible now, so she would seize the initiative and wrap Allen around her finger.
It wouldn't be difficult. Hadn't she used her Clairvoyance to watch the relations of countless lovers? Those scenes flashed through her mind.
‘Only a very small number of women are truly satisfied through intercourse. Most just pretend to be satisfied, but once the man falls asleep, they swallow their dissatisfaction with a sigh full of regret.’
It was completely different from men, who were satisfied as long as their partner was above average and became slaves to their lust. In other words, sex was a game where the woman was bound to have the upper hand.
“I… it's my first time…”
Whispering words that no man could resist getting excited over, Christina was confident that, in this game at least, she would be the victor. However,
“Heek…!?”
The moment Allen's thick, rough fingers pushed aside her robe and lightly touched her pert, swollen breast, she couldn't help but let out an involuntary moan.
As a grown adult, she had plenty of experience pleasuring herself. But no matter what she did with her own hands, she had never felt any particular sensation.
It was similar to the cases of the lovers she had observed. So she had thought it was normal. That is, until Allen's hand touched her.
“Wai… haah!”
Sensing that something was wrong, she tried to stop Allen, but instead, he slid a hand behind her back, pulled her into an embrace, and buried his face in her chest.
And then…
Lick!!!
The instant Allen's tongue touched her exquisitely sensitive nipple, Christina's mind went completely blank, as if she'd been struck by lightning. Her body convulsed, trembling uncontrollably like someone who'd been electrocuted.
Then, into her unfocused eyes came the sight of Allen's, looking up at her.
She unconsciously squeezed her legs together. She realized that the damp heat between her legs had gone beyond mere warmth; she was dripping wet with arousal.
The problem was that there was no way the experienced Allen wouldn't know the meaning of such a reflexive reaction.
Smirk.
Allen smiled. Christina, her face flushed as if it were about to burst, wanted to hide in a mouse hole, but there was nowhere to run.