Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: The Empire's Sun
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“I see the Sun of the Empire.”
Yuris knelt before the Empress, lowering her head in reverence to the ruler of the empire.
“You're late.”
From atop the lofty 12 Steps, the Empress spoke while feeding the red eagle perched on her arm.
“I apologize, Your Majesty. I was handling some overdue work...”
“Is that so?”
Overdue work.
It was a lie.
She had heard from Jeko that the Emperor had summoned her, but she forgot to go while savoring Max's cock and indulging in pleasure.
She had barely made it in time to hear the Emperor's command to come before sunset.
Yuris looked up at the red-haired Emperor gazing down at her.
Guilt made it hard to lift her head.
The Empress's golden eyes curved into a smile as she regarded her.
“It's been a while. To think you'd prioritize something else over my proposal.”
When the Demon King ruled and threatened the empire, there had been many times she couldn't follow the Emperor's orders.
Resolving the urgency on the front lines had always taken precedence over the Emperor's commands.
Each time, the Empress had said:
-It's fine. Saving the crisis on the front lines comes before heeding my words. I summoned you in the first place to resolve that crisis.
It's fine, she had said.
But this was no wartime situation.
She hadn't disobeyed the Empress's words, but she had certainly dawdled in responding.
“I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty.”
Yuris bowed her head.
“It's fine. I have no desire to blame you for that. However...”
The Empress continued speaking as she fed the red eagle.
“I can sense that you've changed a little.”
“......”
“Has a man entered your life?”
“...Pardon?”
Yuris raised her head and met the eyes of the Empress, who was feeding the eagle but staring straight at her.
“Love often blinds us to everything else. It makes us mistake it for the whole world, unable to distinguish the important from the trivial.”
“......”
“Do you know why the empire was shaken, even briefly, by the barbarian invasion from the north 120 years ago?”
“No, I do not.”
“It was because of the northern commander who loved those northern barbarians. He leaked information about key northern strongholds to a barbarian woman, believing it was the path to harmony between races.”
“......”
“Do you know what happened as a result?”
The Empress swung her arm.
The red eagle took flight and returned to its cage.
“The strongholds fell to the barbarians, sparking a 10-year war.”
“You know it well. We paid an enormous price to stop it.”
The Empress smiled after finishing her words.
“Isn't it frightening? How a fleeting emotion can change a person like that.”
Yuris shut her mouth.
Her heart sank like a dagger to the chest.
What could she say?
It wasn't 'love' as the Empress suggested, but she had delayed obeying an imperial command for the 'pleasure' of a man.
The Empress was half right.
“It is not like that, Your Majesty.”
“Is it not?”
“Yes.”
She could say it wasn't love.
Her relationship with Max.
'I'm just using him to satisfy my pleasure.'
She wasn't sure if love was part of that equation.
“What a shame. I was ready to congratulate you right away if you were getting married.”
“I am a knight who has devoted myself to the empire. If such a partner ever comes along, I will report it to Your Majesty first.”
“Huhu, good. Bring him to the palace when that time comes. How else can I see for myself what kind of man has approached you?”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“I sincerely wish to celebrate with you. Though it might be a bit disappointing.”
The Empress smiled brightly and beckoned with her finger, continuing in a soft tone.
“But do you know the hidden truth behind that story?”
“...No, I do not.”
“The woman who enchanted the northern commander was a succubus.”
“Such...?”
“It was a ploy by the Demon King's forces to weaken the empire. Truly terrifying. Using a demon that toys with emotions to collapse us from within... And the most frightening part is.”
The smile faded from the Empress's face.
“Succubi can also transform into men.”
“......”
Yuris saw the Empress's golden eyes gleaming as she looked down at her.
“I worry that perhaps a succubus with power strong enough to make you ignore an imperial command has appeared.”
A succubus.
The Empress was implying that Yuris might have been ensnared by one.
Impossible.
Max couldn't be a succubus.
If he were, Yuris—who had faced countless demons—would have sensed it.
“...It is nothing of the sort.”
Yuris stared into the Empress's sparkling eyes, feeling them scan her body like a caress.
But only for a moment.
“So it seems. It appears I was mistaken.”
Having examined Yuris briefly, the Empress regained her smile.
“The duties assigned to you seem overly burdensome. Even without recent wars, you've handled everything from capital security to various battles. I'll pull staff from the Interior Ministry to assist with your paperwork or reduce your workload.”
“It is fine, Your Majesty. What difficulty is there in serving the empire?”
“Your loyalty to the empire runs deep and wide.”
The Empress smiled briefly before getting to the point.
“I summoned you not for other reasons, but because of the Hero.”
“The Hero, Your Majesty?”
“I heard she returned to the capital. Yet a week has passed without her visiting the palace.”
“Ah...”
Hero Niki had always come to the palace whenever she returned to the capital.
It wasn't some formality.
She always wanted to tour the palace and loved exploring its facilities.
Especially the palace bathhouse, which she adored more than anyone.
So she would usually visit at least once to use it.
“I worry something has happened to her. They say when someone stops their usual routines, their time has come.”
The Empress seemed genuinely concerned.
It wasn't about important duties, after all.
Yuris felt the weight in her heart lighten a little.
At the same time.
'If it were just that, couldn't she have sent another knight?'
The thought crossed her mind.
Then she could have delayed leaving Max a bit longer.
Questioning the Empress's orders.
The old her never would have entertained such a thought.
“It must pain you that I called you for something like this.”
“No, Your Majesty.”
“If something has happened to Hero Niki, you're the only one who can handle it, so I had no choice but to ask you.”
It was true.
Few in the empire could match the Hero.
Even Yuris couldn't guarantee victory against her.
“So go check on the Hero's condition.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Yuris bowed and rose to faithfully carry out the order.
It was a somewhat perplexing command, but it was fine.
The Empress's orders were often hard for ordinary people to comprehend.
Sometimes they made no sense, but following them always resolved some blocked issue in the end.
As if the Empress foresaw the future and issued prophecies.
It might just be simple commands, but Yuris had no doubt they served the empire.
Regret lingered that she couldn't enjoy more pleasure.
'But I can do it next time.'
Clutching her still-throbbing lower abdomen, she rose.
She could feel Max's semen inside her.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“Good. I hope you can see the Hero's face in person.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
The Empress silently watched Yuris's retreating back as she left the throne room.
“Please, come in.”
Not content with escorting her out of the knight order headquarters, Jeko had seen her all the way home and now bowed his head.
“Thank you.”
There was no need to see her this far.
Feeling awkwardly overprotected, I smiled.
“Since I escorted you there, it's my duty to see you back safely.”
“True enough.”
“And who knows what our relationship will be like in the future? Better to rack up some points early.”
“......Pardon?”
What was that supposed to mean?
The odd phrasing puzzled me for a moment.
Then Jeko, his bald head gleaming, bowed to me and departed.
He must have misunderstood because Yuris and I spent so long in the office.
'I'm just the service provider.'
Though deep down, I knew the intensity had escalated lately.
“To think I'd end up doing it in reality, not just illusion...”
Of course, I had included questions about virginity and whether virgin customers were okay losing it.
'But those weren't for real sex.'
The original plan was to end with dildos.
I intended to apply the sensation of dildos to make it feel real.
But Yuris and the other ladies all panicked at the thought of putting a dildo in their mouths, fearing it would break the illusion.
So I had no choice but to let them suck my cock.
'It sounds like an excuse, but...'
I couldn't exactly explain it now.
'I have to take responsibility for what I've done.'
Once started, I had to satisfy them perfectly.
That's why I went at it with Yuris until my trained hips nearly gave out.
They say athletic women have insane libidos.
'Amazing.'
It felt different from the first time with Helen.
She had just been swept along by me, but Yuris, while being led, assaulted me tirelessly with her stamina to satisfy her own desires.
'It felt incredible.'
The sensation was still vivid.
Her toned, tight pussy gripping my cock.
'I need to forget it. This is business.'
I slapped my cheeks to refocus.
Mixing with Yuris was purely business.
I absolutely couldn't let personal feelings get involved.
If I crossed that line due to misunderstanding...
-The Goddess of Victory? You dare approach her? Die.
-This man took the Goddess of Victory's virginity!
-Helen of the Silvesta Family lost her virginity to this man too!
-You bastard, die!
-Die!
-Execute him!
-Tear him limb from limb!
-No, rip off his dick!
Ugh, just imagining it made me shudder.
I brushed off the goosebumps rising on my skin.
“Know your place.”
Don't stretch your legs without seeing where your bed is.
But that was that.
“I need to digitize today's data.”
It had been a while since I collected data felt directly in reality, not manipulated in illusion.
This kind of data needed separate organization and storage.
I began saving the new info data into the magic circle.
And that work continued until the sun that had set behind the western mountains rose again.
Chirp chirp!
“...Morning already.”
Organizing my sex experience with Yuris had eaten up a whole day.
Anyone hearing this might think I was some pervert keeping a sex diary.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Who could it be this early?
“Who is it?”
“It's me, Teacher.”
A familiar voice came from the other side.
“I came to ask Teacher a favor.”
It was Helen.