Ch.156The Emperor’s Secret (3)

# Chapter 156: The Emperor’s Secret (3)

The large… and solid horns of Artraia had a truly peculiar shape.

It’s not like they were intentionally grown(?) that way, but how should I put it?

Befitting the authority of Emperor Artraia, at first glance, they resembled a crown.

And it wasn’t just the shape; examining them in detail gave off a naturally splendid impression.

*Sparkle sparkle*

“Wow…”

The surface of the horns glistened in Kesada’s sunlight as if they were artistic masterpieces crafted by professional jewelers.

The subtle energy light emanating from within overlapped with the reflection, playing a decisive role in creating a truly dreamlike atmosphere.

“That’s amazing, Artraia.”

“Hnngh, ah…”

I didn’t think I had any unusual fetish for horns or anything like that.

Yet even a normal person like me found their shape attractive, making me completely unable to understand how anyone could look at these and feel fear or disgust.

“Why were you so embarrassed about having something this magnificent?”

“Huh…? Eh? What?”

Every time I spoke to her, Artraia responded like a malfunctioning hate-intelligence robot.

This is precious…!

And just look at that expression.

Until moments ago, Artraia’s eyes were brimming with tears of resentment.

But now, how should I describe it?

Like a female creature flinching from having a sensitive area touched…

‘…Wait, what the fuck?’

As that thought crossed my mind, I quietly shifted my gaze from Artraia’s horns to her face.

And there I saw an extremely mysterious expression that she had never shown even during her enjoyable extraction time.

…As her subject, I cannot elaborate in detail for the sake of the Emperor’s privacy.

But to explain it simply, she wore an expression that could only be described as “melting.”

And since she had just been venting her frustrations, her face was flushed crimson and still tearful, adding to the effect.

Moreover, as if to confirm my thoughts weren’t mistaken…

*Flap flap flap flap flap*

Her slightly long Sebelian ears were flapping wildly, and her newly grown(?) massive dragon tail was spinning like a fan, similar to a puppy’s wagging tail.

‘…Hmm.’

After observing all this, I finally realized what my actions meant.

‘Wait, am I doing something extremely disrespectful right now?’

As her subject, I dared to place my hands on the Emperor’s face and touch her body parts as I pleased.

…Well, of course, on “those days” I touched more than just her horns, but that’s not the point right now.

So, a moment later…

“Phew… I’ve finally calmed down…”

Just as the Holy Maiden, who had been sobbing inside, deactivated her psychic barrier and came out…

“…”

She saw Artraia with a reddened face, pouting and wrapping herself with her tail.

And in front of her, me performing a grand bow.

Seeing this, she went back inside and reactivated her psychic barrier.

The problem was that, due to her broken concentration, the barrier was transparent this time.

Because of this, I had to witness in real-time the Holy Maiden, who had lost all her previous mysteriousness and composure, rolling on the floor and demonstrating what it means to be in stitches.

————————————

A little while later.

“Truly a well-matched pair.”

After regaining her composure, the Holy Maiden of Eternia.

Displaying her signature levitation, she approached us with a nod and a relaxed attitude, but…

“…You seem quite composed for someone who was nearly dying from laughter just moments ago.”

When I pointed out that she had shown us her unseemly behavior due to the transparent barrier…

“Kup! To think that I would make such a mistake.”

The Holy Maiden’s expression contorted, and I noticed the ornaments and fabrics of her floating attire momentarily becoming disheveled.

Of course, not for nothing was she a Forerunner; she quickly corrected her expression and posture as if it were just a small joke.

“Ahem… In any case, you two truly make a perfect pair.”

“Indeed.”

Thinking that she had the excellent insight befitting a Forerunner, I nodded in agreement while standing before Artraia.

“By the way, does this mean you came all this way… because you wanted me to know about Artraia’s true identity?”

As soon as I said this, I felt I might have spoken too presumptuously.

‘What if she twists me with her psychic powers for being impudent?’

Of course, thanks to how advanced the world has become, even full-body compound fractures and muscle tears can be repaired in just a few hours.

So even if I suffered such treatment, it wouldn’t be a major problem…

Still, there’s no need to endure unnecessary pain if I can avoid it, so I decided to lower my head slightly and cast my eyes down.

But seeing me like this, the Holy Maiden silently observed me for a moment…

Then, after a while.

*Woong*

“…?”

“Child, you are correct.”

She patted my shoulder with her psychic power and spoke in a softer voice than before.

“To be precise, I came to give my blessing and caution in advance… since you will be building a family and living with Artraia, that child.”

“…Hmm.”

The Holy Maiden’s words certainly made sense, so I decided to pause for a moment to organize my thoughts.

[Pause]

Imagine if I were to have a marital dispute with Artraia without knowing anything.

If I accidentally touched a sore spot or triggered Artraia’s wrath.

What would happen to me if I were hit by a serious punch from Artraia who had unleashed her suppressed Ether Dragon characteristics?

Reviving someone with the latest technology is only possible when there’s some form of the body remaining.

If I were to be hit by the breath of an Ether Dragon and vanish without a trace.

Or if only my head remained and I had to ride a fancy boat, wouldn’t that be a catastrophe?

Even if that didn’t happen, what if Artraia’s suppressed characteristics suddenly manifested unexpectedly?

Would I still accept it as easily as I am now?

Or would I feel betrayed, thinking she had deceived me?

‘Hmm, it’s certainly a concerning matter.’

Right now, since the truth was revealed after I made a mistake first, the shock is lessened…

But what if, as I just imagined, Artraia showed such a form when our emotional rift had deepened?

In an already emotionally damaged state, I might fixate on the fact that Artraia had hidden the truth from me and express my anger.

Thinking about it that way, it was truly fortunate that I learned about this in advance, as the Holy Maiden said.

At the very least, I won’t lose my mind later and do something crazy toward Artraia.

‘Alright, good.’

Having organized my thoughts, I decided to deactivate the pause and continue listening to the Holy Maiden.

[Pause Deactivated]

And right after the pause was deactivated.

“But what we expected was for you to understand and embrace the child’s truth… or at most, accept it.”

“…”

“We never anticipated hearing that you had already… no, that you two had already engaged in physical union.”

As the Holy Maiden said this while looking at me, I silently continued to fiddle with Artraia’s horns.

And in response to my actions, Artraia kept her head bowed, only her ears and tail flapping.

But…

“Moreover, child… do you know what your current actions mean?”

“Pardon?”

“An Ether Dragon’s horns function both as a means of communication with other members of their kind… and as a sort of erogenous zone…”

Upon hearing the Holy Maiden’s words, I stopped caressing Artraia’s horns.

No, I felt my entire body freeze as if under a time stop.

‘Oh shit.’

My head and gaze turned toward Artraia’s face, creaking like a broken clock.

And there I saw Artraia’s reddened face with an expression trembling from embarrassment.

Yet when I stopped my hand, she gave me a strange look.

Witnessing all this, I turned my gaze back to the Holy Maiden with a creaking neck.

When I gave her a look that meant ‘Is this the situation I think it is?’, the Holy Maiden quietly nodded once and said:

“I’ll let it slide this time since you’re young… but I hope you’ll refrain from such indecent behavior when we invite you to our capital someday.”