Deja Vu
Ashtoret's heart was in utter turmoil right now. The sudden destruction of the Debutante Hall, the repair budget that followed, and the hardliners who had been rapidly gaining power lately. The aftermath had caused the volume of documents piling up on her desk to noticeably increase. Normally, they would be filtered once by the imperial household, then undergo a second review through the family head before only the truly essential ones reached her. But lately, there were far too many matters that required her personal approval. As a result, her late nights poring over paperwork had become the norm.
...That wasn't a big problem, though. Back during the wars between demons and humans, her body had broken down from physical exhaustion before she even had time to feel mental fatigue. Above all, she'd been handling the role of family head since her own mother's time, so this workload was familiar. But now...
- Nuzzle nuzzle...
"So warmmm... love ittt... smells so goood... hehe... huggg..."
"Uh, th-this, n-no, I mean, w-well, uh, th-that is, ah, umm..."
Her words kept tangling up. Her head spun dizzily.
Wh-what is this situation...?
Wasn't it past 1 a.m. right now? She'd been informed that Aurelia had put him to bed, so why was he awake? No, more importantly, why was he clinging to her?
"Mmmph... so squishyyy..."
"Eek...! Th-that tickles... h-hold on, just a sec..."
Kael, who had wrapped his arms fiercely around her waist, wriggled even deeper into her embrace. Her shoulders twitched at the sensation of his snow-white hair brushing between her breasts. Holding someone like this was a first for her...
"I-I'm n-not your mother..."
Ashtoret, fumbling to gather her scattered thoughts, shifted her body. Her hand, which had dropped the fountain pen, trembled as she carefully grasped the snowy bundle in her arms and tried to gently push him away.
She had no experience caring for children. Crois and the others had mostly been raised by their husbands and maids. This world practiced polyandry, after all. Ashtoret had only ever watched from afar. This was the first time she'd ever held a child who was spoiled and seeking affection like this. And besides, wasn't this kind of role supposed to be for men, not women?
That was always why she'd looked at Aurelia so strangely. Why did that guy pamper his kids with touches that should come from a woman?
But...
"Mmm... Emperorrrr..."
"Wh-what...? What do you...?"
"Your Majesty... your body is sooo warmmm... warmer than Mommy's..."
"Uh, ah... r-really...?"
How on earth was she supposed to handle this? He was still just a little boy, after all. If she pried him off too roughly like one might a girl, he could get hurt. But indulging this spoiled behavior... she'd never done anything like it before.
Ashtoret floundered helplessly, her hands waving in the air, before she finally placed them on Kael's body with utmost caution. One hand on his small shoulder. The other on his snowy, soft hair.
...Incredibly soft.
She tried not to notice, but it was softer than she'd imagined. No, that wasn't what she should be thinking about right now. The moment she tried to pull her hand away in a panic—
"Mm...? Pet meee..."
Kael grabbed her hastily retreating hand with his tiny ones and placed it back on his head. The sight made her breath catch for a moment. Her mind went blank, and her heart began pounding wildly. Ashtoret's cheeks flushed bright red as she bit her lip and moved her hand very, very carefully and awkwardly.
- Pet... p-pet... pett...
"I-is this... how it's done...?"
"Yesss... that's howww..."
"I-see..."
As she carefully stroked his hair, Kael shivered all over and let out a bubbly giggle. He buried his face firmly against her open collarbone, sniffing deeply, and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist again, as if he would never let go.
"M-Mom... I mean, is it okay for we, a woman, to pet you like this...?"
"Huh...? I love ittt...?"
"Ah... really...?"
"Yesss... Your Majesty's hands are the best... super awkward but I love 'em... do more... I was so lonelyyy... do you know where Mommy wenttt...?"
"Aurelia is currently in the depths of the Imperial Central District, handling the recent reports of hardliners, so he's not here right n—"
Ashtoret's mouth twitched mid-sentence.
- Please, don't tell him why I had to leave the bed.
Those were Aurelia's final words as he'd bowed his head in request after coming to inform her that Kael was asleep. Recalling that, Ashtoret quickly shut her mouth, cleared her throat softly, and tugged up the corner of her lips.
"Aurelia is currently away because troops are needed in the central district. He mentioned a shortage of manpower."
"Ohhh... okayyy... Mommy didn't tell me, so I didn't knowww..."
"Y-yeah... just, don't cling so tight for now..."
"Nooo... Your Majesty's body is so hottt... pressing up like this feels so toasty and warm, it makes me feel goood..."
"Uh-uh-uhm..."
Kael giggled dopily and burrowed even deeper into her embrace. As his delicate skin pressed closer, Ashtoret blankly opened her mouth. Unlike Aurelia, his body itself was much hotter and warmer. It wasn't a fever or illness— it was the blood of the Solaium lineage, where fire attribute and light attribute mingled perfectly. That energy teasingly tickled Kael's dark attribute, making him tremble happily as he snuggled in deeper.
...What am I supposed to do with this.
Ashtoret swallowed a deep internal sigh. It was practically impossible to pry him off by force now. If even the tiniest scratch happened, how would Aurelia look at her tomorrow? The guy who'd outright said he could lop off her head in one stroke. He'd drawn his sword without hesitation the moment he saw Crois too close to Kael, after all.
"Uh, um... Young Master Kael...?"
"Yesss...? Your Majesty...? Whaaat...?"
"W-well... we will finish the paperwork soon, and then we won't be able to hold you like this..."
"Ohhh... okayyy..."
Kael nodded blankly. Then he wriggled upward. Inevitably...
"Ngh... hot..."
"Eh...?"
"Hehe..."
He settled right on her lap. Giggling, he draped his arms around her neck.
"Thennn... finish quickkk... sleep togetherrr..."
"Wha—?! Wh-what do you mean! Sharing the emperor's bed...!?"
"Mm... can't Iii...?"
A whimpering voice seeped into her ear. Her shoulders twitched at the sight of him burying his face in her collarbone, eyes brimming with tears like he might cry any second.
"N-no, I mean... even so, the emperor's bedchambers..."
"Mmmph... Your Majestyyy... aren't you close with Mommyyy...?"
"W-well, close might not be the word... we're just a good ruler and retainer. We don't exactly share drinks or anything like that..."
"Hiiing... thennn... just hold meee... wanna sleep togetherrr... sleep with the super cool Emperorrr... I'm lonelyyy..."
"If you're lonely, then why not go to Crois over th—"
...ere. She clamped her lips shut before the words escaped.
Didn't I just see Crois eyeing Kael like prey? Leave him with my own daughter, who has that predatory gaze—even if she's my heir princess—while Aurelia's reach doesn't extend there?
It was too dangerous. No matter that she was her daughter and successor, sending Kael to Crois right now would be like tossing a juicy hunk of meat unprotected before a starving beast.
"...Your Majesty...?"
"...The bed might be uncomfortable, but... are you really okay with it?"
"Yes! No problemmm... hold meee. Wanna sleep togetherrr... unless you don't wanna sleep with meee...?"
"No, that's not it, but..."
Ashtoret pressed her temple.
"...Sigh. Fine. We'll finish the paperwork quickly, so just wait a bit."
"Yesss... I'll wait foreverrr..."
"......"
...Why did this feel like she was the man here?
The dark predawn gave way to an early morning tinged with a dry, bluish hue.
Aurelia, having subdued the hardliners in the deep alleys of the central district, hurried back to see Kael's face as soon as possible. Was he perhaps sniffling because she wasn't there? Or trembling anxiously without being held? Come to think of it, Kael always shivered and teared up if he wasn't in her arms. When she'd urgently wake him asking what was wrong, he'd shake his head saying nothing was, just a bad dream, then burrow back into her embrace. Sometimes he'd fall right back asleep peacefully once held without waking.
So she carefully opened the door to his room...
"...K-Kael...? Kael...!"
But no one was on the bed. Even flipping back the covers revealed no snowy hair. Her breath caught. Anxiety gripped her heart in an instant.
- Swish...
Bluish mana quietly flowed from her body. She held her breath, heightening her senses. She searched for Kael's presence. Praying desperately that he hadn't been kidnapped. The moment that thought crossed her mind, chilling killing intent began to pervade the hallway.
Aurelia followed the faint, familiar trace of mana lingering on Kael. The subtle remnants of a child who couldn't yet fully control it. Tracing that presence led her steps to...
- Creak...
...a certain door, which she opened...
"...Yawwwn... M-Mommyyy~ Mommyyy~"
"Mm... Kael... what are you... uh...? Aurelia...? W-wait, it's not what it looks like—"
Two figures on the bed. And Ashtoret, clad in light negligee.
Aurelia's eyes blazed and froze over.
"......"
The longsword at her waist slowly slid free.