Settling the Hierarchy - 3
Originally, the monarchs' conference was a vital meeting that decided the continent's course for the entire year.
This year, however, it had ended as a filthy spectacle stained with lewdness and sex.
The limp conclusion that they would simply gather again later to settle things.
And the added humiliation of having to wear chastity belts because their punishment was still not over.
"Wear chastity belts for a whole week? Are you out of your mind?!"
Kristia shouted, her eyes flying wide.
The mana shackles that had bound her had long since been released, yet a new restraint now chafed at her.
The crude chastity belt locked between her thighs was proof of that.
It had been fashioned from black-dyed leather and enchanted with Beatrix's magic—magic that would alert Beatrix the instant the belt was removed.
"That's the least you deserve."
Beatrix answered as if it were nothing of consequence.
A punishment that left their bodies burning hot with no way to cool themselves even by masturbation.
Only by imposing this dreadful penalty would her own temper finally settle.
As a bonus, it would drive home the difference in status they had all felt so keenly.
"Ah, this is driving me insane!"
Wilhelmina muttered, her brow furrowed as tightly as it would go.
The crotches of all three monarchs, herself included, were already soaked through, thoroughly wetting the chastity belts as well.
And yet they were forbidden from scratching or thrusting into their own folds, so the frustration was only natural.
As the guilty parties, they could not even complain.
All they could do was stew in it.
"I'm not stopping you from masturbating."
"Hey! How the hell are we supposed to masturbate if we can't finger our pussies?!"
"You've got breasts, don't you? Play with your nipples."
"Like that would even work?!"
"It works for me."
When the owner of the chastity belts replied so nonchalantly, Wilhelmina could only open and close her mouth, at a loss for words.
"Will one week really be enough?"
In the midst of it all, only Maria calmly composed herself and asked the question.
"One week. After that you can take them off right away."
"Yes. Thank you."
Maria slowly bowed her head in gratitude.
If she could just endure one week, the punishment would end.
That week would likely be the most agonizing stretch of time she had ever endured…
Just hold on a little longer.
Even if she was nothing more than a jojip, Albert's nature meant he would embrace her often enough.
And with his strong libido, a little temptation would probably be enough to reel him in.
Of course, that would have been impossible if they were still strangers.
It was only possible because they had already mixed their flesh.
"A sufficiently generous sentence. My thanks."
"…Sorry. I got carried away."
Kristia and Wilhelmina each expressed their gratitude as well and stepped back.
Before leaving the room, Beatrix delivered one final remark.
"Come back in ten days, with clear heads. We still have matters to finish."
With that she turned without a shred of lingering attachment and left the Tower of Reconciliation.
Albert, who should have been with them, had already departed for the royal palace well ahead of her.
One week.
The three monarchs' vision went dark.
As a rule, a king's spouse received the treatment of a state guest even in foreign lands.
On top of that, Albert had unofficially been granted even greater consideration, so the weight on his mind was only natural.
Fortunately, there had been a considerate agreement not to make a public fuss about it, so no particular uproar had broken out.
Whatever the future might hold, for now—
"Hmm…"
He sat alone at the table set out on the balcony beyond his bedroom window, lost in thought.
Lately he had taken to carving out these solitary moments for himself.
They never lasted long, but they were perfect for catching his breath.
Isn't there something different?
Though the world was built on fantasy, its roots were a dating sim.
That was probably why the outfits were so varied and the undergarments so lavish.
Whether the queens were dressed or stripped, each had its own flavor.
Still, the desire to try putting them in something else had been growing stronger by the day.
Should he just go for it?
Albert solidified his decision and rose from his seat.
Now that he truly had some breathing room, it seemed fine to start enjoying a few hobbies little by little.
The moment he stepped out of the room he called over a nearby servant.
Though a servant, the man was dressed neatly in fine clothes befitting someone who worked in the royal palace.
"Yes, Consort. What is it?"
"It's nothing major—I simply wish to go out for a bit. Could you pass word to the others to make the necessary preparations?"
"Outside… you mean outside the palace, yes?"
"Yes. If you would."
How could a servant refuse when the Consort made such a polite request?
Besides, following one's superiors was part of a servant's duty.
"Ah, of course. I shall convey the message at once so that everything is made ready. We will escort you the moment preparations are complete."
"Thank you. It's only a short outing, so keep it simple, please."
The servant bowed obediently and left.
Barely a few minutes later he returned to announce that everything was ready.
With matters proceeding so smoothly, Albert headed for the palace's main gate in light spirits.
He eyed the carriage standing ready, then turned his gaze toward the knights guarding the gate.
In his excitement he had forgotten to state his destination.
"Ah, right. I'll be visiting the tailors. If Beatrix asks, please tell her that."
"Yes, Consort. We shall convey it so."
Receiving the knights' crisp salute, he climbed into the carriage.
Soon the carriage gave a small jolt and began rolling forward.
Inside rode three lightly armored knights.
The tailors who had personally crafted Beatrix's wedding dress and Albert's formal suit.
Though they were skilled and well-regarded, there was no real need for Albert to visit them in person.
It would have been more proper to summon them to the palace.
Even so, he had chosen to go himself.
He was still unused to ordering people about, and he was starting to pick up some of Beatrix's headstrong ways as well.
"We have arrived."
After traveling the roads for a while the carriage came to a stop, and the coachman opened the door with a bow.
The tailors' residence was fairly close, so the journey had not taken long.
If I'd known it was this near, I might have just walked.
Though that would have tired out several people with escort duties.
Then again, a few guards alone might have been fine.
He could not quite make up his mind.
Albert simply stepped down from the carriage and cleared his head.
His destination stood right before him.
A rather clean, sizable two-story building that looked solidly built.
"Ah—welcome, please come in."
The moment he opened the door, a man and a woman hurried forward and bowed at the waist.
Having arrived without warning, their flustered expressions were plain to see.
Albert personally helped them straighten up, offering a wry smile.
Only now did he realize how recklessly he had barged in on short notice.
"I'm sorry. I must have startled you by dropping by so suddenly."
"Ah… not at all. It's quite all right. First, perhaps a cup of tea…"
Despite their reassurances, the tailors' faces remained dark.
Albert decided he should finish his business quickly and leave, so he spoke at once.
The coachman who had followed him slipped inside and quietly closed the door.
The coachman was also a knight and one of Albert's escorts.
"It's fine. This may sound rude, but I'd like to get straight to the point."
If he was offering to leave quickly, there was no reason to object.
The tailors exchanged glances and nodded.
"Yes. Please speak."
"To explain what I need, I'll require paper and a pencil or something similar… May I step inside for a moment?"
Paper? Pencil?
The tailors tilted their heads in unison, then—
"Ah, yes. We'll show you to the second floor."
They led Albert up to the second-floor workshop.
The first floor was mainly for displaying new samples and storing materials.
Seeing it in person is fascinating.
Several desks, neatly folded bolts of fabric.
Countless sheets of paper covered in clothing designs.
In short, a designer's atelier.
Albert sat in the seat the tailors offered and took the pen they handed him.
"There's an outfit I'd like to have Beatrix wear. I was hoping for your help."
"Please tell us."
The moment clothing was mentioned, the eyes of the tailors seated across from him flashed with keen interest.
Their earlier timid, cowed demeanor vanished as if it had never existed.
"Yes. The general shape is something like this…"
With every movement of his hand, drawings appeared on the once-blank white paper.
A woman's curved body, and the undergarments to be worn over it.
And even enlarged detail sketches of those undergarments.
Far too skilled for a beginner.
Calling it professional level would not have been an exaggeration.
"You draw very well. Were you a painter by any chance?"
When the female tailor tilted her head in mild puzzlement, a gentle curve formed at the corner of Albert's lips.
"Nothing like that. It just turned out this way somehow."
Sensing he was about to trail off, the tailors smoothly matched his tone.
Prying too curiously might cross a line into rudeness.
And that could easily cost them their heads.
Knowing where the line lay was the way to live long.
It was a lesson the tailors always kept close to their hearts.
At last, when Albert had filled in every fine detail, the female tailor nodded.
It was lewd yet stylish, carrying an air of luxury as well.
"Excellent. Shall we simply make them exactly as you've drawn?"
"Yes, that would be fine, but…"
Albert let his words trail off, then immediately sketched several more designs.
Four sets of garments that were similar yet each carried a different feel.
They were so extremely vulgar that they somehow looked beautiful.
So the rumors about him being open-minded were true.
The male tailor, who had kept his mouth shut until now, was thoroughly flustered by such boldness.
Men sometimes gave women gifts, but something this blatant was a first for him.
Especially coming from the consort of an entire nation, it was all the more startling.
"What about the measurements? This time we could simply use the ones we took for the wedding…?"
"Ah… just a moment."
Albert cut the tailor off and sank into brief thought.
These undergarments were not for Beatrix alone; they were gifts for the other monarchs as well.
They carried both a gesture of goodwill for getting along well from now on, and a pointed reminder that they had become his jojips.
So he had wondered whether matching Beatrix's size would be all right, but—
They each have one or two tailors they know, I'm sure.
All of them possessed figures with curves every bit as pronounced as Beatrix's.
A little adjustment would probably suffice.
To the eye, there had not seemed to be any major differences.
"Yes. Please do it that way. When do you think they'll be finished?"
"Hmm… of course we must use the finest materials, but unfortunately we have no stock remaining on our end. So it will take a bit of time."
"Roughly how long…?"
"Perhaps… around two weeks, I would estimate."
That was fine enough.
Albert nodded readily and rose from his seat.
He had said everything he needed to say; there was no reason to linger any longer.
The tailors would only feel more burdened.
"Then I'll come by with the payment around then. Would that be all right?"
"Ah…! No, of course not. We should bring the finished garments to you ourselves. If you permit it, we would also like to receive payment at that time."
Once was one thing, but twice would be awkward.
The tailor hurriedly shook his head and flustered about.
Ah. Right. Coming again would be a bit much.
Albert understood perfectly and regarded the tailor with a look of mild pity.
"Yes. Then I'll see you then. I'm counting on you."
"Leave it to us."
Albert left the shop amid the tailors' bows.
Thinking that two weeks should be enough for the conference to wrap up completely.
"Let's head back."
"Yes, Consort."
As Albert climbed into the carriage, the coachman who had followed took his own seat.
Neigh!
The coachman cracked the reins vigorously and urged the horses forward.
On the day the promised ten days had passed.
The monarchs gathered at the Tower of Reconciliation and conducted their meeting with blank expressions.
They finished the remaining agenda items concerning national administration that they had left incomplete last time, and they also drove a firm stake into the matter of Albert's treatment.
In addition, they arranged means for him to visit any of the kingdoms whenever he wished.
That was the authority to use the teleportation magic circles that passed through the Tower of Reconciliation.
They would still need to craft separate magic items to serve as keys, but…
Surely it would not take very long.
The three monarchs aside from Beatrix were quietly subdued.
Their nerves had been stretched razor-thin by unrelieved lust; only a few days ago had they finally found release through masturbation.
The crushing emptiness they had felt then still weighed heavily upon them.
In other words, their post-nut clarity had lasted far, far too long.
Beatrix sensed the atmosphere but chose not to mention it and simply moved on.
The forgiveness she had already granted was merciful enough on its own.
"Come back in four days."
"What? In four days?"
What was she planning this time?
When Maria asked in fear, Beatrix shot her a look as if the question were absurd.
"He says he has something to give you. Anyway, keep that in mind."
If Beatrix said "he," it could only mean Albert, right?
While the three monarchs tilted their heads in unison, Beatrix finished saying only what she needed to say and promptly left the room.
Left behind, the three monarchs eyed one another, then—
"We should head back for now."
"Yeah. We'll find out in a few days."
"Please, anything but more chastity belts."
Each of them muttered a line and departed.