Asmodeus didn’t rush away from the tea party.

He spent several hours enjoying the tea and cake, carrying his daughters on his shoulders and also lowering himself to the role of horse for Seris Rae. The biggest rule he held over himself was never to put on airs when with his children.

There was no emperor, only a dad.

Dad just happened to be the emperor, that’s all.

After the food and entertainment ended, he held three girls in his arms, watching as their mothers dashed across the grass towards him.

He glanced down at the silent daughters who exhausted him.

To his side, Lith held onto his robe and wiped his sleepy eyes with the other. The cute boy no longer held back, and if he wanted Asmodeus’s attention, he would speak or ask. But the poor maids behind them just glanced at the chaotic table and aftermath.

Valena curled up on the table, her eyes narrowed to the tiniest slits, though Asmodeus guessed she was watching Lith. The truth was that her eyes almost always lingered on him, never leaving his figure for longer than a few moments.

’I feel like my back suddenly became cold...’

"Ah~ Lith, you look so tired, did you have a good time with dad?"

"Mhm... Mom... I’m sleepy."

"M-Master, I hope Selphy was a good girl..."

"Our daughter is extremely smart and lovely, of course, they are a little cheeky, but don’t worry, Levia, you’ve raised her well."

Vinea and Levia both scooped their children, with Lith curling into his mother’s arms while Selphira squeaked, grasping her watch tight. "Mmmmm Daddy..."

Asmodea slowly approached, her steps rejuvenating the entire garden, causing delicate and beautiful flowers to bloom.

’Her mood seems good...’

"Darling..." Asmodea nervously approached, her hands outstretched as thick green vines with soft, cotton-like flowers bloomed, wrapping around Seris Rae, who didn’t even murmur. She was exhausted.

"It’s alright, Seris played, fought and rode me like a horse, just like her mother hahah."

Her cheeks flushed, with countless vibrant flowers blooming, of course, she would understand the meaning of his words. Though completely different methods in context, they were the same kind of action.

"D-Darling... don’t say that here...." She blushed after enjoying a vibrant time locked in a room together for almost two days. He found her soft, gentle side returned, thanks to being fully nourished and fertilised.

"Alright, you go and rest. The girls have eaten, so it should be okay to let them sleep like little sloths."

"Mhm..."

Asmodea stood on the tip of her toes, gently pecking his cheek, before she scurried away with the help of the plants growing around her feet.

"Phew, that leaves only one..."

He didn’t think Velvet would leave Nyxielle here, so he just paced around the garden, watching the maids cleaning the mess.

That’s when he felt a gentle tug at his collar, before he could glance down, his lovely daughter’s sleepy voice croaked. "Papa... did you have fun today?"

He gazed into her dark violet eyes, smiling.

"Of course, at first I worried it might be a disaster. But spending time with you girls was fun. Next time we should invite Leon and the others, though."

"Ehhhh!?" Nyxielle pulled a face.

"Oi, don’t be so unfair."

"But Papa...."

"Mm, okay, I won’t force you. Just don’t hate them or fight too much, okay?"

"Mmmmhmmm!"

Asmodeus tried to maintain an equal love for his children, but Nyxielle and the Velmina were just too cute, both resembling his mother slightly and tugging at his heartstrings.

Maybe that’s why he found Levia and Velvet so alluring.

Their dark hair and wild atmosphere.

"Hey."

All of a sudden, a deep, husky voice came from behind him.

"Hm?"

Velvet stood in her training outfit, her arms folded with a smirk on her lips.

"Mama!" Nyxielle stirred in his arms, slipping free as she dashed towards the muscular dragonoid.

"Oh~ my pretty little princess!" With a smooth motion, she raised Nyxielle with one arm and spun her three times before pulling her into a tight embrace. "My lovely girl, did you enjoy your tea party?" Her eyes flicked towards Asmdoeus. "Was your dad nice?"

"Look, look, Mama...!"

Nyxielle held her watch as she started grumbling, the dark violet light growing into a beautiful flower-shaped glow.

"Oh my!"

Velvet stopped seeming like a witch in front of Nyxielle, sometimes even copying how Alice or Asmodea might speak. She then peeked at him again with a wider smile, gently bouncing Nyxielle in her arms as she mouthed. "Thanks, babe, you’re the best."

He felt a tight flutter in his chest, as if suffering a sudden palpitation.

Asmodeus watched as the mother and daughter cuddled and spoke with childish voices, before large black wings grew from Velvet’s back, fluttering slowly.

"So dad took you to fly, then Mom can’t be worse! I’ll take you all the way home, okay?"

"Yaaaaaaaaay!"

She approached a clear area of the garden, her arm gently brushing against his as she stroked his hand affectionately.

"I’m really grateful, Babe. Nyxielle wanted this so much."

"It’s my pleasure, she’s our little treasure."

Her hand squeezed him tight before slowly releasing him as if reluctant.

"I love you." Velvet then poked Nyxielle’s cheeks, "Hey, say goodbye to your dad!"

"Ah!? Oh! Papa! Goodbye~~~~~~~~~~ let’s have a picnic again, hehehehehe!"

The moment she finished, Velvet’s wings flapped faster and faster, until she shot into the air with a low snap.

Asmodeus stood alone in the garden.

He glanced back to find even the red dragon sleeping with loud snores.

"Well, shall I go visit Lumina... there isn’t enough time until I leave, could I...?"

He wondered if using his Domain to the limit would allow him to spend an extra few days with his children and help them through their first shedding.

There was a growing desire inside his chest as his figure deformed.

Abyssal energy crackled as a transportation rune drew beneath his feet, and he teleported.

...

The white tower was a special building in the massive Imperial territory of Lumina.

Embedded in the mountains and enlarged using Abyssal and Divine magic, the land doubled the size of the city.

It towered over everything but the main palace in the centre of the many grand buildings, opposite the black tower where Alice and many of the civil servants resided.

Bzzzt!

Asmodeus reappeared outside the massive, ornate doors.

Five metres tall, with pure white wood taken from the elven forest, with pure gold trims attached.

"Hm?"

On either side of the doors, the knights stared at him with big eyes, as if completely shocked that he suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Is Lumina inside?"

"Her Highness is currently resting in preparation for shedding, Your Majesty."

"I see, open the doors for me."

"B-But..." The second guard started speaking, but was quickly dragged back by the first. The two then placed their hands on the tall crystal pillars outside the doors.

A soft blue glow flowed into the delicate translucent crystals.

Then, with a low crack, the doors shifted and slowly opened, the cold air leaking from inside in a low hiss.

Tap!

Without a second to adjust, there was a series of rapid, heavy taps from the inside, resounding through the halls and out the doors.

"I said to leave the door sealed!"

A moment later, Lumina appeared in her Arachne form, her large spider body anchored to the roof, as she dangled upside down with arms folded under her breast. Her hiss sent sharp lashes through the air, causing it to vibrate violently.

"E-Eh!?" But the moment she saw Asmodeus standing there, her eight eyes became softer and instantly widened. She bit her lip before descending from the roof using a thick, golden thread shot from her large spider rump. "H-Honey!? W-Why are you here?"

Her voice trembled.

’Damn, I’ve been a shit husband to some of my wives...’

He shook his head violently, trying to shift those stupid thoughts and wanted to focus on the situation before him. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Why do you think?" He curled his lips upward. "Let me enter, I’ll stay until they’ve—" His voice stopped as he spotted the faint signs of her skin peeling, the lack of her exoskeleton revealing the slightly inflamed and swollen parts of her body. "Until you’ve all finished."

Her breasts were slightly red, sore and swollen with excess skin remaining, but he felt this might stretch to her lower body, and the back of her spider body also seemed a little irritated, especially near her spinnerettes.

"D-Do you mean that?" Lumina’s fair cheeks, normally unchanged like a porcelain doll, became bright pink as she covered her chest and mouth. "Are you really going to come inside my lair for the first time?"

He couldn’t see it fully, but from what he saw between her fingers.

Her mouth opened wide with an eerie smile.

’Did I make a mistake?’

Although he could escape with ease, doing that to his wife felt a little pathetic.

So he stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her large front legs. "Guide the way, I bet it’s hard to shed yourself while the girls are all experiencing their first time, right? Let me help you... so it’s easier."

"Ahhhh~ what a wonderful life," Lumina mumbled to herself.

There was a familiar scent, sweet and slightly sour, growing denser with each step inside. Not to mention Lumina’s breathing, which rapidly grew faster and more dishevelled as the two stepped inside the dark tower, with pristine white walls, and golden thread stuck to everything above the floor.

She turned back to the knights.

And spoke with a deep, slightly malevolent voice.

"Seal the doors, and let no one, not even the Empress, inside these walls!"

’Oh... I forgot...’

A frigid chill shot down his spine.

He’d forgotten that mature Arachne seemed to enter a state akin to heat around the same time they shed. His eyes focused on the shimmering red skull on his wife’s spider butt, causing his lips to twitch slightly.

’It seems I walked into a white widow’s lair without thinking...’