Chapter 187
Chapter 187
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: Yuris's Regret and the Empress's Curiosity
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Was it because of the intense pleasure I'd felt during sex?
Yuris didn't seem to have noticed Prelia's presence as a succubus.
"But when did that employee start working here? I don't remember seeing her face before."
"She got hired recently. With more customers coming in, we needed extra hands."
If it was the illusion from the succubus that I'd sensed, then even without direct contact, it could deliver stimulation strong enough to blur the line between fantasy and reality.
"Ahh..."
Yuris quietly stared at Prelia.
"So, she'll be working at the shop from now on?"
"Not every day, but she'll hold down the fort."
"I see...?"
Yuris nodded, then glared at Prelia with eyes full of wariness.
What was that about?
Had she figured out that Prelia was a succubus?
"Max."
"Yes."
"Couldn't I help out with work sometimes too?"
"No, that won't do."
"Why not?"
Why indeed.
"If word got out that the Goddess of Victory was working at a desire shop run by an illusion mage, it'd bring shame even to the Knight Order."
"..."
Yuris fell silent at my words, smacking her lips.
"You're right, Max."
Letting out a soft sigh, she changed into her freshly washed clothes.
"I could hide coming here from prying eyes, but working here? No way to cover that up."
Her eyes genuinely conveyed regret.
"Come back often."
"...Will you do it like today?"
"Of course."
"..."
She looked at me for a moment.
"Max."
"Yes."
"You know you can be really sly sometimes, right?"
"Sly?"
"Yes."
I stared at her, feigning ignorance.
"You always draw a line, saying we're just boss and customer."
But this was unavoidable.
When dealing with them, I had no choice but to keep that boundary.
I knew full well that Yuris, and all the customers who visited our shop, were incredibly attractive.
But regardless, considering their statuses, I was just the humble owner of a fantasy shop.
If I crossed that line and got too close just because we'd shared our bodies, it was bound to cause a major incident.
'Nothing's as fatal as flying high and crashing down.'
And besides.
The Max they saw, the Max they shared their bodies with, wasn't the real me—it was a fantasy being based on me.
They were harboring feelings for someone entirely different, who merely resembled me—not me myself.
On top of that, I wasn't dealing with just one customer.
It might sound a bit thuggish, but if I got attached to just one, the others would feel neglected.
Treating everyone equally as customers was the cleanest way.
Why cling to this so stubbornly?
Because most of my customers were nobles.
Their power was intimidating enough, but what scared me more was the mindset of the imperial nobles.
A man and woman sharing their bodies? Only with one person.
It was acceptable after marriage, but for unmarried singles to sleep around was morally unacceptable in their eyes.
'If I think of it as just work, at least I have an excuse.'
Call me a thug if you must.
This was how I survived.
Even if this job ever got exposed to the world, it was a way I could live on.
"That's what disappoints me."
I had nothing to say in response to Yuris's petulant complaint.
"Can't you be affectionate in reality too, not just kind in the fantasies?"
Had I ever been affectionate to Yuris in the fantasies?
I'd choked her neck, spread her legs, molested her in front of her fantasy subordinates—that was it.
How did she remember it?
"You handled me so roughly, like you were breaking me, but when it mattered, you thrust so gently... I want to meet that Max in reality."
"...Well, about that."
I hesitated, unable to find the right words.
"No such service?"
"What kind of service?"
"Summoning the Max from the fantasy into reality."
"...It's not entirely unavailable."
"Really?"
"Yes. Didn't you have a similar experience in the Knight Order office?"
"Ah... Not that."
She approached and took my hand.
"Something more real... and affectionate."
"..."
"I haven't thought of anything like that yet."
"I see. Too bad."
Yuris fiddled with my hand for a moment before speaking calmly.
"If you come up with something, let me know."
"...You mean a service that brings the fantasy person into reality?"
"Yes."
"Got it."
I nodded, and Yuris smiled.
"I'll look forward to it."
The Empire's Sun Palace.
The emperor's office and residence—the heart of the Empire.
The space considered second only to the Church's holy site in sanctity.
The grand hall of the Sun Palace, symbolizing the Empire's infinite power and might.
Seated on the throne atop the 12 steps that placed all beneath her feet, the Empress rested her chin on the armrest and gazed down at the imperial subject prostrating and pleading before her.
"Your Majesty, an unprecedented drought has struck our province. Not only the villagers but even the children are starving without food. Please take pity and grant us your mercy."
They sought her mercy.
A drought.
She had heard that farmlands, except around the southeastern Prilla River, had cracked wide open from the drought.
The drought was so severe that even the lords there were struggling.
For the common folk—not the lords—to come all the way to the Empire's Sun Palace showed just how desperate they were.
"Minister of Finance."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Consult with the Prime Minister and discuss what aid can be provided."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
"Th-thank you! Thank you!"
They kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude.
This was routine for the Empress.
Born into royalty, ruling over others was her natural duty, so such thanks were tediously familiar.
'How dull.'
She wanted to sigh but couldn't, given her position.
The next person entered, pleading for her resolution as well.
A knight who had rushed in with a letter from a border general sought reinforcements and improvements to military supply distribution.
"Do you anticipate war?"
"No, Your Majesty. But the outdated methods are making the system inefficient."
"Then implement it. Have the administrators devise more efficient management methods and present them."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
All bowed to the Empress's command.
More agenda items followed.
From minor issues like improving life for the capital's citizens to major ones like reorganizing the Empire's military structure.
Various matters arose, and the Empress selected the worthwhile ones.
It was a boring seat.
She forcibly suppressed a yawn.
She was the Empire's emperor, always required to be perfect.
'Isn't there anything fun?'
The Empress looked down at her surroundings with a listless expression.
Her subjects, unable to meet her gaze, all bowed their heads.
That was when it happened.
"This is Yuris, come to behold the Empire's Sun."
Humming a tune even from the hall's entrance, Yuris entered and bowed.
Yuris, who had been busier than anyone since the demon's appearance.
She should have been the most exhausted, yet her face brimmed with leisure.
Just yesterday, she had looked ready to collapse—why the sudden happiness?
The answer was obvious.
The one man the Empress knew of.
The shop run by the man who had captivated both Yuris and the hero Niki.
She must have visited there.
"You look cheerful."
The Empress asked Yuris.
"I took half a day off, following the Guard Captain's advice that proper rest yields peak efficiency."
"Can that alone make you this happy?"
"Doing what I love lifted my spirits."
"What you love."
The Empress watched Yuris blush.
It was the first time the ever-reliable knight showed such a feminine expression.
'Yes, he is handsome.'
Handsome enough to enchant Yuris.
"Good. If it's eased your mind, that's what matters. Lady Yuris sacrifices more for the Empire and my safety than anyone—the Empire's finest knight. Only if you're healthy is the nation healthy."
"I will keep that in mind."
Yuris promptly returned to her post beside the Empress.
After the final petition, the Empress waved her hand, dismissing the subjects.
"Everyone, withdraw. With business done, I wish to rest a bit."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Once all had left and she was alone in the grand hall, the Empress sat on her throne, gazing at the steps below.
Beings who could never stand equal to her.
It was tedious.
Endless tedium washed over the Empress as she thought.
Of Yuris's radiant face upon entering the hall.
Doing what one loves washes away even the deepest fatigue, it seemed.
'When was the last time I smiled like that?'
She couldn't recall.
As emperor, she always maintained solemnity, habitually concealing her expressions.
She had even forgotten how she smiled.
"A fun shop."
The Empress roughly knew the nature of the shop Yuris frequented.
She had received reports from her direct intelligence agents.
-It's a shop that fulfills desires through illusions. It shows whatever the customer wants.
-It can show lewd fantasies if desired.
-It could be designated heretical. What should we do?
The Empress had held off deciding.
Niki and Yuris had both improved mentally after visiting.
'If I enforce imperial law and shut it down, those two might take more damage than expected.'
In the worst case, they might even draw blades against her.
Making enemies of the hero and Goddess of Victory.
Though both had sworn loyalty to her, the Empire's master, turning their backs would make them formidable foes.
"What makes them keep going back?"
Curiosity stirred.
Originally, she had planned to summon the shop's owner, Max, to the palace and simply observe.
Now, she was intrigued.
Just how did he uncover and fulfill one's desires?
And.
'I wonder how he'd uncover mine.'
Could he do the same to the Empire's emperor?
She grew curious.