“Cia, my beloved Cia.”

“Mhm?”

“I love you.”

“Good. I love you too.”

“Then could we maybe switch methods? It’s already been half an hour like this.”

Muen asked bitterly.

The same room.

The same intoxicating atmosphere.

He gently held the silver-haired girl in his arms, savoring the cool jade-like softness pressed against him and the fragrant scent filling the air. The Empire’s most noble Empress rested obediently against his chest, no trace remaining of her usual cold arrogance or untouchable dignity. Like a little wild cat lured over by sausage, she occasionally extended her tongue to softly lick his neck or chest.

This should have been one of the greatest joys in the world.

But precisely because the bliss was too overwhelming to bear, the fire trapped in his lower abdomen only burned hotter and hotter without release.

At this very moment, the wandering dragon still had not returned to its warm homeland.

At times, it was wrapped between two jade pillars. Yet no matter how mighty the dragon’s body was, it could not triumph against the crushing assault of those towering pillars pressing from both sides, and could only surrender completely to the flawless warmth condensed from jade fungus and silk.

Outside the jade pillars was smooth fragrant satin. The excessive friction left the dragon miserable.

Unwilling to admit defeat, the dragon shook its head fiercely, veins bulging as it roared and advanced, tearing through layer after layer of silk to reveal the creamy jade hidden within.

But the sudden shift in sensation only plunged the dragon into another delirious illusion.

It could find neither its way home nor the path it came from, wandering helplessly through the silver-white forest in confusion.

Sometimes, it would arrive extremely close to the entrance of its homeland.

It could already feel the familiar moist wilderness of home.

It could already sense the sweet spring water flowing through the mountain valleys.

Yet it still remained shut outside.

Those mountain-like jade pillars constantly shifted, making it crash into wall after wall. The closer it drew, the more unbearable its homesickness became.

“It’s only been half an hour.”

Celicia lifted her lovely face slightly.

Though she had just been licking him like a kitten moments earlier, her expression remained as cold and lofty as ever. That heaven-and-hell contrast drew another mournful cry from the endlessly lost dragon.

“Half an hour is already a long time.”

Unable to satisfy himself in one place, Muen could only compensate elsewhere.

His hands had already quietly slipped behind Celicia, lifting her skirt upward from below before grasping the pair of fully ripened treasures beneath.

The sensation was soft yet astonishingly elastic, no less exquisite than snowy mountains carved from creamy jade. In some ways, they were even more enveloping. The moment Muen squeezed slightly, it felt as though the monsters hidden beneath the black stockings would swallow his hands whole.

“Mmn...”

A beautiful moan escaped Celicia’s nose.

She showed no intention whatsoever of rejecting such outrageous disrespect. Instead, the misty haze in her usually cold eyes gradually grew more disordered.

“See? The punishment’s already enough. I know I was wrong. If we don’t hurry, with how busy you are...”

Seeing ripples finally spreading across the frozen lake, Muen hurried to press the advantage, kissing Celicia’s lips as he spoke.

Celicia allowed him to kiss her while narrowing her increasingly unfocused eyes.

Muen was right.

For an Empress like her, time was far too precious—especially during such a critical period. She truly had no luxury for waste.

More importantly, although she had used a trick to lure those troublesome women away beforehand, she also understood none of them were fools.

Especially not in matters like this.

There was no way they could be delayed for very long.

Which meant...

they truly had to hurry.

“Fine.”

The Empress finally parted her cherry lips, granting her subject permission for his final act of disrespect.

And finally allowing the dragon wandering outside for so long to return home to its warm, moist homeland.

“That’s great—”

But before Muen could celebrate, Celicia pushed him backward onto the bed.

“Hm? Does this mean... Your Majesty intends to move personally?”

Muen blinked.

“You’re technically still injured. You only just woke up. There’s no reason for you to take the lead.”

Celicia brushed aside her hair lightly.

“And besides... if it’s punishment, naturally I should administer it myself.”

The mixture of nobility and icy beauty in that gesture nearly stole Muen’s soul away.

“All right.”

Muen very sensibly chose to lie flat.

Celicia did not waste words either. Her waist twisted slowly up and down one final time, letting the dragon tease the waters before finally guiding it into the warm homeland that had remained empty for far too long.

A wanderer longed for home.

But did home not long for the wanderer as well?

“Hah...”

Celicia’s suppressed moan overflowed with satisfaction.

She tilted her head back, silver hair scattering wildly. Her luxurious dress swayed gently with her movements. Not a single inch of skin was revealed, yet the blush staining her lovely face and the starlike haze shimmering in her eyes were already the most breathtaking scenery imaginable.

Muen rested both hands behind his head.

As a knight, he no longer needed to charge recklessly at this moment. Instead, he relaxed completely and devoted himself to admiring the beautiful dance belonging solely to the ruler of the Empire.

The dance was graceful and gentle.

Like lotus flowers swaying.

Like spring wind brushing the face.

Like willow branches trailing beside a river.

Very quickly, he lost himself within it, watching the Empress gradually ascend higher and higher into the clouds of the beautiful dance she herself wove.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Another half hour later, Celicia frowned slightly while panting heavily, glaring at Muen in displeasure.

“What?”

Muen looked innocent.

“It’s been this long already. Why haven’t you still...”

“This long? It’s only been half an hour.”

The exact same words—

yet spoken from different lips.

Celicia immediately grew annoyed, but before she could react, Muen suddenly delivered a heavy teasing thrust.

“Mmgh—!”

The little foot wrapped in black stockings instantly arched taut.

The Empress’s waist, tightened by her corset, bent into a shocking curve like a fully drawn bow.

Several minutes passed before Celicia finally regained herself enough to glare fiercely at the troublemaking bastard.

She had already tried very hard to control herself.

Yet she never expected him to launch a sneak attack like that—and even less expected herself to fail resisting it afterward.

“...Did you secretly eat something strange beforehand?”

After thinking for a moment, Celicia finally asked.

“Hey, hey, you can’t just accuse people like that.”

Muen continued rubbing the Empress’s black-stockinged thighs beneath her skirt while speaking pitifully.

“Does Your Majesty really think your most beloved future husband has already become weak enough to lose even a one-on-one duel?”

“In a one-on-one fight, you are slightly impressive.”

The Empress proudly lifted her swanlike neck.

“But you were never this long before. And not even once yet...”

“That just proves I’ve grown stronger!”

In a flash, the rebellious traitor suddenly struck, flipping the lofty Empress beneath him.

A flicker of alarm flashed through the Empress’s proud eyes before she concealed it perfectly.

Her skirt spread out beneath her like lotus leaves as she let out a cold laugh and looked disdainfully at the subject attempting rebellion from below.

“How much stronger could you possibly become? It’s only been a month or two...”

“Heh. Things like that...”

The treacherous rebel inhaled the intoxicating scent clinging to the Empress as his hands followed the beautiful curves of her body upward, brushing across every inch of skin before finally interlocking their fingers together.

“Wouldn’t Your Majesty know after trying it herself?”

The Empress did not resist.

Because she too wanted to see whether this so-called “becoming stronger” was merely empty boasting...

or not.

“Here it comes.”

The rebel gave warning.

Or perhaps it was not really a warning at all.

Because the moment the words left his lips, the attack had already begun.

“Mmh... hah...”

The Empress narrowed her eyes.

At first, she remained perfectly calm beneath his assault.

There was even disdain in her expression.

But gradually, changes appeared on her cold face.

Because she truly could feel it.

Compared to last time, the only man in the world daring to offend the Empire’s Empress had become fiercer.

Stronger.

His attacks rose like waves upon the sea.

Each wave higher than the last.

Each surge stronger than the one before.

The Empress felt herself becoming a tiny boat drifting across a vast ocean, slowly losing direction.

The world was endless.

The boundary between sky and sea blurred together.

Riding that tiny boat, she arrived alone at the very center between heaven and earth.

There was nothing there—

only endless waves crashing toward her, each one taller than the last.

The tides were wild.

Violent.

As though a storm itself had descended, threatening to tear apart anyone foolish enough to resist.

To oppose such waves seemed utterly reckless.

But she was the Empress.

The ruler of the Empire.

She would not surrender easily.

Nor would she admit defeat.

So she tightened the ropes, raised the sails, and resisted the waves head-on!

Resist.

Resist.

Resist!

But slowly...

she still fell behind.

The waves continued crashing forward.

The small boat rocked violently, nearly shattering apart at any moment.

The raging storm had indeed surpassed the last time. Once it fully unleashed its strength, it was no longer something she could withstand alone.

The Empress narrowed her eyes.

The sky seemed closer and closer now.

The towering waves had already thrown her high into the heavens countless times.

But now—

she saw a wave unlike any before.

No.

It was a tsunami.

It pressed down from the horizon itself.

She knew she could not stop it.

Yet she still forced herself to gather strength.

Because the Empress of the Empire would never concede defeat.

And yet...

deep within her heart, there was also anticipation.

Before, the giant waves had steadily lifted her higher and higher.

Then this unprecedented tsunami—

just how high would it send her flying—

“Hm?”

But the tsunami never came.

Instead, everything stopped abruptly.

Like a story suddenly butchered halfway through its ending.

Everything felt absurdly sudden.

Celicia opened her eyes in displeasure and glared furiously at the man who had suddenly stopped moving.

“What are you doing?”

The Empress’s silver hair was a complete mess now, several strands even sticking to her lips. At some point, her black-stockinged legs had tightly wrapped around the treacherous rebel beneath her.

Yet even so, she still questioned him in a hoarse, commanding tone from above:

“Continue.”

“N-no, I want to too, but... isn’t this a little bad right now?”

Muen’s expression turned strange.

“What do you mean?”

“...”

Muen did not answer.

He merely raised his head silently and looked toward a certain spot.

Celicia instinctively lifted her elegant neck to follow his gaze.

But before she could turn fully—

a slender pale hand had already landed against her cheek.

Gently stroking it.

“Oh my.”

Black hair cascaded downward.

A crescent-shaped smile curved playfully across beautiful lips. The tear mole at the corner of her eye looked alluring and enchanting.

Yet there was not the slightest trace of warmth in those lovely eyes.

Only coldness.

“Well now.”

Anna smiled sweetly.

“Look at that. Perfect timing really is better than arriving early.”

“We just happened to catch a little wild cat sneaking off to steal food behind everyone’s back.”