Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Undress Her Majesty
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I was walking down the corridor toward Kaikilia's bedroom, struggling to calm my trembling heart. Today of all days, the palace hallway felt impossibly short.
She had summoned me to her personal bedroom, no less, so God only knew what she had in mind this time. Not that I had any right to refuse the Emperor's command.
'Stay calm.'
At least it was clear I wasn't in any danger of dying at Kaikilia's hands. Even if I let a wrong word slip once or twice, she wouldn't draw her holy sword right there and lop off my head.
Sure, the game threw deadly trap options at you every so often, but things were different here. No risk of death was reason enough to keep my nerves in check.
I gave my uniform a final once-over, then steeled myself and came to a stop before Kaikilia's bedroom door. My heart was pounding several times faster than normal.
The bedroom door was tiny compared to the grand one guarding the central hall—just barely tall enough for me to slip through without smacking my head.
But in terms of opulence, it didn't fall short in the slightest. Crafted from solid gold and studded with jewels each far larger than my own eyes, they formed a flawless mosaic.
I gingerly gripped the slender, gold-only handle. According to the maid, the instant you touched it, the protective spell etched into the door would activate.
If it sensed killing intent or impure motives, you'd be dealt with on the spot—though no one but Minerva, the spell's caster, knew the exact conditions or mechanism.
A moment passed, followed by a soft click. The lock had disengaged. It must not have pegged me as someone with impure intentions.
'Just stand here, and it'll open on its own.'
I let go of the handle and waited for the door to swing fully open. Since Kaikilia herself had called for me, there were no other protocols to bother with.
As I waited, I mentally recited the guidelines Aurora and the knight captains had drilled into me before entering the palace, along with the maid's reminders.
Pace neither too quick nor too slow. Eyes fixed straight ahead but angled slightly downward, back ramrod straight until the moment I dropped to my knees in obeisance—never, ever make eye contact.
I held that posture and stepped inside. The door slammed shut behind me the instant I crossed the threshold. Click. Then the lock engaged.
Click. Click. Two more times.
'…Why does it feel like there are more locks when it's closed than when it opened?'
Probably just my imagination.
I shoved the nagging unease aside and took a few more steps into the room, where Kaikilia came into view.
She had thrown open the heavy antique curtains, her body half-leaning against the windowsill as she gazed out into the breeze, lost in thought.
'Her outfit…'
But her clothes were nothing like I'd expected.
Gone was the usual uniform. Instead, she was clad head to toe in a tightly wrapped suit.
The snow-white dress shirt jumped out first. Everything else was black, making the lone splash of white impossible to ignore.
The deep cleavage she'd flaunted in her uniform was now modestly concealed beneath the shirt. The hem, neatly tucked into her suit pants, only amplified the crisp look.
Not that it made much difference. Her breasts—impressively sized, if not quite on the level of Regena the Pontiff and her sisters—were putting up a vigorous fight from underneath.
The top buttons strained so taut not even her tie could hide it. They looked one breath away from popping off. Either her chest was too generous, the shirt too small, or both.
Thanks to those generous curves, the tie that should have draped neatly over the shirt hovered half in midair starting from below her bust. Black lingerie peeked through the gap.
The shirt's fabric was thin enough that the underwear's outline showed clearly even over it. It barely covered half her breasts.
Her ankle-length trench coat hung loose and unbuttoned in front, which only served to accentuate the cleavage trapped within.
On top of that, the suit pants clung to her legs so fiercely it was hard to imagine sitting down in them. They laid bare every inch of her leg's allure.
Tight enough to rival the leggings of the Golden Twilight Knights' dress uniform. Her hips and thighs stood out even more sharply than they did under her uniform skirt.
'No skin showing whatsoever.'
And yet, the whole ensemble radiated raw sex appeal.
Her golden pupils turned my way. The holy sword she held gradually lost form, dissolving into motes of light that vanished.
"You've arrived precisely on time."
"I was told Your Majesty summoned me. Might I be so bold as to inquire as to your intentions?"
I swallowed my burning questions. I'd wanted to start by asking why the wardrobe switch, but I doubted I'd get a straight answer. More likely some outrageous bargaining chip.
Kaikilia gave me a few appraising looks from head to toe, then pushed off the windowsill and strode toward me. Her heels echoed with each step: click-clack, click-clack.
"I shall issue a command."
"What command is that, Your Majesty?"
I shot back, every muscle tense. No clue what order was coming.
Kaikilia pivoted gracefully. She turned her back to me, hips twisting as she spread her arms slightly—a pose that threw her waist and rear into sharp relief.
"Undress me."
"…Pardon?"
"I commanded you to remove my attire. Begin with this coat."
My brain short-circuited. Pure, honest confusion—I couldn't process the order. Me? Undress her? Out of nowhere? Why?
"The maids would be far better su—"
Kaikilia's head snapped around at my fumbling words. Her golden eyes chilled several degrees colder.
"I wish to cast off this suffocating garb right this instant. Surely you're not planning to defy me?"
"Never, Your Majesty."
"Then prove it—with action."
She turned away again. I shuffled closer, hesitant. Just nearing her brought a waft of subtle perfume.
Now right behind her, I hesitated over where to even grab. The collar felt too much like seizing her by the nape; the front risked something indecent.
'…Still, better the front.'
Decision made, I reached around her body. Careful to avoid contact, I lightly grasped the coat's front near her collarbone.
It ended up looking like I was half-hugging her from behind. I braced for anger, but Kaikilia showed no reaction.
I ignored the glimpse of pale nape through her hair and the hefty swells straining her shirt, then tugged the front backward and down.
My hands grazed her collarbone, then her shoulders in turn. No response.
The coat's collar and shoulders slid lower. Suddenly, her scent—trapped between shirt and coat—flooded my nose. Sweet as honey.
A dizzy spell hit me. I shook it off, diverting my focus, and kept pulling—until it snagged.
Her elbow, bent slightly upward.
Impossible to remove the coat with her arm like that. Frozen in place, Kaikilia half-turned her head.
"What exactly are you doing?"
"…Your Majesty, your arm—"
"Are you issuing me orders now? Such insolence."
"No, it's not like that…"
I struggled anyway, but it was hopeless. Short of ripping the coat, physics said no.
"How exasperating. Very well, I'll have to command you explicitly."
"…"
"Press yourself against me."
"Pardon?"
"I said, cling to me."
Kaikilia seized my arm and yanked me forward. In a blink, I was flush against her.
My chest met her back; my groin pressed to her rear. The plush give of her lower body made mine jerk reflexively.
The honeyed scent thickened. Her shirt—lightly damp with sweat—molded against my chest.
I'd ended up clutching her tight from behind.
"Your Majesty, this…"
"The coat is done."
Kaikilia flicked up her tie and guided my hand to her shirt buttons. Straining fit to burst.
"This chafes even more. Undo these first."