Chapter 108
Translator: penny
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: First Wedding Night(?) (2)
"What..."
It was Zekiel's first reaction.
Words that burst out without passing through his brain, but he couldn't help it. The emperor's statement had been that shocking.
When His Imperial Majesty said there was a way, Zekiel had anticipated he'd prepare neutralized Sunweed. But the problem lay in what came after. Who could have imagined such a method?
Union? With the 1st Princess, no less?
Zekiel could hardly believe his ears.
"To neutralize the Sunweed... the 1st Princess consumes it first. Then I sleep with her after she's absorbed it. Is that what you mean?"
"You've understood correctly."
"...Why so suddenly?"
Zekiel's mind was filled with nothing but question marks.
At this moment, his bewilderment overshadowed even his desperation to obtain the Sunweed somehow. His Imperial Majesty's current attitude defied all reason.
The emperor who cherishes the princesses more than anyone.
His Imperial Majesty had always shown displeasure whenever Zekiel spent time with the princesses or even exchanged words with them.
For such a man to suddenly bring up sharing a bed with the 1st Princess—it was tantamount to offering her virginity. Far too radical, wasn't it?
"Her virginity, of all things... just like this...?"
He dared mention the 1st Princess's chastity. It was surely impertinent, but the stakes were too high not to confirm.
His Imperial Majesty let out a subtle sound—likely a meaningful chuckle.
"I'm merely making a suggestion."
The holy grail floating in the air rippled.
"Letting you know such a method exists."
With that, the oppressive heat in the space vanished. At last, the audience chamber returned to the familiar temperature Zekiel knew.
Of course, the sensation of the Sunweed he'd just experienced lingered in his soul. No—it was etched there.
His Imperial Majesty claimed he was simply presenting an option.
In truth, for Zekiel, living on borrowed time, it was a desperately tempting choice. The only issue was the involvement of the 1st Princess herself, demanding the utmost caution.
She was the empire's 1st Princess, after all.
There was much to consider.
"I'll inform the 1st Princess separately and leave this Sunweed with her. You two work it out."
His Imperial Majesty murmured softly.
For him to proactively speak to the 1st Princess on Zekiel's behalf—it was suspiciously enthusiastic. Had the emperor finally softened his stance toward him?
For now, everything remained ambiguous, unknowable.
Creak—
At last, the audience chamber door swung open.
A dismissal. Time to leave.
"Understood. I'll give it thought. Thank you."
Zekiel bowed silently.
Swish.
The robes draped over the jade throne settled comfortably. Likely His Imperial Majesty reclining to rest.
Zekiel upheld decorum until the door fully sealed shut. His mind swirled with thoughts, leaving him rooted in place even afterward.
Sunweed turns out to be such a thing.
A privilege reserved for the strong alone.
No panacea for the weak.
Perhaps because the knowledge in his head had shifted, his feelings were oddly unsettled. He resolved to cultivate relentlessly, elevating his realm ceaselessly to one day accept Sunweed.
To ingest Sunweed...
He would have to claim the 1st Princess's virginity.
For a man, the pinnacle of honor and bliss? Perhaps. But her intentions mattered first and foremost.
Then, a certain phrase from the 1st Princess surfaced.
—Fine. Catch me, and I'll let you squeeze me dry.
...No, her feelings might align precisely with those words.
Perhaps it wasn't merely a dire matter of his survival.
Step— step—
Zekiel moved forward in silence for now.
Straight to the 1st Princess. No time to waste.
But then.
"My Inspector, there you are."
That was when he encountered the 2nd Princess.
Within the Imperial Palace, the 1st Princess's domain.
The palace, infused with the mysteries of the four seasons, encompassed many domains—and the 1st Princess's abode was winter itself. A perfect snowy expanse realized within.
Rustle—
In that realm where fine snow poured without cease, a resonant shout pierced the frigid air.
"What in the world is the 1st Princess thinking—!"
Of all people, yelling at the 1st Princess?
An astonishing scene.
Before the massive gate, burly northern warriors stood in rigid formation. Their clamor had raged for a full week now. The herald was at his wits' end.
Troubled to death.
The 1st Princess's herald thought, rubbing his head. The lump from her sword hilt still throbbed.
"1st Princess! At least give us a reply! 1st Princess—!"
Shocking as it was, the herald understood.
This scene? Entirely plausible.
The North converses solely with muscle and blood.
A maxim encapsulating the North.
The North had its own rules.
Harsh weather, bordering the Demon Realm—endless battles defined the region. Common sense yielded to valor and battlefield glory.
Such spectacles were hardly unusual.
Hierarchy bowed to warriors' support. Braver voices carried more weight.
"1st Princess, answer as a warrior! Now!"
The warrior bellowing at her now—Brolka—was a prime example. Heaped with merits, backed by his peers, he could raise his voice.
Even against the 1st Princess, as now.
...And his reason rang justified, to boot.
"Why hesitate to return North? Lost your warrior's pride? Explain yourself!"
The herald sighed deeply at the cry.
Yes—the 1st Princess's refusal to return was the crux.
...Can't say it's all because of one man.
He alone knew the truth. To the northern warriors, her sudden declaration of no return was infuriating madness.
Understanding the 1st Princess's feelings for Zekiel... the warriors' loyalty... The herald, caught in the crossfire, teetered on insanity.
"1st Princess! Answer if you're a warrior! Now!"
This standoff: a week strong.
Massive frames snow-blanketed into giant snowmen, yet the northern warriors bellowed sleeplessly at the gate.
Finally, the herald spoke cautiously.
"Everyone, calm yourselves. Why not wait patiently for the 1st Princess's response?"
"That's over a week already!"
"We're no fools! We know the time!"
The herald mustered a smile.
"Still, let's settle first..."
"Herald Rizolta! Then a life-or-death duel to decide!"
"..."
As expected, reason fell on deaf ears. Axes bared, teeth gnashed, muscles bulging to burst—that was their norm. No ordinary resolution possible.
Right then, her voice rang out.
—Such a racket.
"It's the 1st Princess!"
"Our warrior chief! 1st Princess!"
The warriors erupted.
"Answer us, 1st Princess! Abandoning the North? Why delay your return—tell us!"
—I've answered already, haven't I?
The gate remained sealed—no glimpse of 1st Princess Ether's expression or actions.
Yet her voice cut clear, despite the modest volume. Brimming with inner force.
—Something I must hunt, no matter what.
"What prey is that!"
"Reveal it!"
"More vital than the North?!"
Backlash poured, but Ether stayed serene.
—A hunt of utmost importance in my life.
—No return until it's done.
Tense standoff across the colossal gate.
One side: 1st Princess Ether. The other: revered northern warrior Brolka. The North's top two authorities clashed fiercely.
"The North fares poorly!"
"You must lead as warrior!"
"Abandoning us?!"
The herald interjected gingerly.
"1st Princess... Since you decided alone, the backlash grows fiercer..."
In the North, warriors' respect trumped all—solo decrees were rare extremes.
She knew, yet forged ahead.
—Return North first. I'll wrap it up soon.
"Name that prey!"
"Speak!"
—You needn't know. First...
But then.
"...Why all the commotion?"
Someone entered the 1st Princess's domain.
The biting cold fazed him not a whit. Nor did the warriors' killing glares and hulking builds cow him.
The man, Sunweed dangling from his lips, spoke.
"I have brief business with the 1st Princess."
Imperial Tower Inspector Zekiel.
Him.
And simultaneously.
Bang—!
The unyielding gate flew open.
The 1st Princess, in nightclothes.
Sword finger thrust out, she bellowed.
"...Catch him! Seize that bastard!"