episode_0012

Christia embraced me and sobbed uncontrollably.

She held me without saying a word.

I wanted to hold her close to my heart and pat her back, but her small body, ironically, prevented me from doing such a warm gesture to Christia, who had a considerable build.

“Sigh…”

But is this what it means to be the Empress of Iron Will?

In just five minutes, she regained her composure and released her arms that were tightly wrapped around me.

“Looks like I made a fool of myself.”

“I’ve seen worse foolishness.”

Slyly using informal language, Christia’s brow furrowed.

“How dare you use informal language with your master.”

“Wow, this is really pissing me off.”

Despite knowing it was an act, the pressure was so intense that my body trembled.

It was hard to breathe, and at that exact moment, I realized that Christia was indeed the one who could evoke fear.

“Do you really want to face the consequences?”

Christia grabbed my cheek firmly.

“I’m s-sorry…”

Even though my pronunciation faltered, Christia’s expression remained unchanged.

“You know exactly why I’m furious, don’t you?”

After all this time we’ve spent together.

“This won’t do. We need to go back to the mansion right now for your punishment.”

I wonder what kind of punishment it will be this time.

There was absolutely no way Christia would give a punishment in her usual strict manner.

It would likely be something challenging yet tailored to her tastes… At this point, it seemed that Christia’s struggle to come up with a more creative punishment than mine was even greater.

In no time, we arrived at Christia’s mansion.

It wasn’t through magical means.

It was simply due to the incredible power of our dear Christia.

“Follow me.”

In no time, we arrived at the bedroom.

Since Christia had already finished everything in the morning, retreating to the bedroom from the foyer posed no problem.

“Take off your clothes.”

… Surely not, no way, right?

Even though we’ve been through a lot, this is going too far, isn’t it?

As I gazed at her with this expression, Christia let out a sigh.

This time, however, it was filled with coldness.

“Seoyeon? You’re taking this a bit too far, aren’t you?”

When I glanced back, I could see Cristia holding her breath.

“Just take it off then!”

As I quickly removed my clothes, my body began to tremble.

The temperature in the room had dropped drastically with just one breath Cristia had exhaled moments ago.

After stripping down to just my underwear, I heard Cristia make a gulping sound, as if she couldn’t decide whether to hide her reaction or if she simply couldn’t.

Approaching me with a dark expression… she seemed to regain her composure and, trembling, handed me a piece of clothing.

“You seem to be getting more and more maniacal…”

This time, the garment she offered me was a dog outfit.

It was quite cute, actually.

Since it was so cold, I didn’t think twice before accepting and putting on the offered clothing.

“Now you look like you might survive.”

I don’t know how it’s made, but it definitely has some insulating effect.

Even if it wasn’t sincere, it was enough to withstand Cristia’s breath.

“For today, you are not a human, but a dog.”

“A dog, you say?”

“Dogs don’t speak.”

“Does that mean I won’t hear my own voice all day?”

When I laughed and spoke, Cristia looked troubled.

“No… it’s not exactly like that…”

“Well, then there’s no other choice. For today, you’ll have to behave like a dog without speaking.”

“No. Just talk normally.”

What’s the use of being forceful?

My heart remains unchanged.

“Your master!”

With a hint of coquetry in my tone, Cristia’s cheeks flushed noticeably.

“Master? What kind of maniacal title is that?”

“You told me to become a dog, so you must be the master. Whether it’s day or night, you’re still Cristia to me, but to a dog, you’re the master!”

Honestly, even as I said this, I felt incredibly embarrassed, but seeing Cristia blushing even more than I was, gave me courage.

“Ugh…”

Did she think she’d managed to silence me? Cristia closed her eyes and started taking deep breaths.

And in exactly one second, she opened her eyes, wearing her characteristic serene smile.

“It’s not easy to ruffle your composure.”

That was a side of her I didn’t know.

Fifteen years have passed, but it’s strange how your personality hasn’t changed at all.

“Sure thing, Saka. You’re my adorable puppy.”

As she leisurely laughed and patted my head, her presence exuded an unnecessary yet intense greatness.

“But what are you going to order? After all, a dog is just a dog, right?”

It was then that I first realized Christie had such maniacal tastes.

Explaining in detail would make us both embarrassed…

****

The next day, when I emerged from the storage room, Christie was already prepared for work, sitting on the bed.

“A-ahem!”

She dared not meet my gaze, but it seemed even Christie had some sense of embarrassment.

“Yesterday was quite fun, wasn’t it?”

I was dressed in servant’s clothing. If I had come out wearing dog clothes, I probably would have been truly embarrassed.

“Stop with the unnecessary talk and come along. Starting today, we need to prepare for the expedition.”

“Expedition?”

“Come to think of it, I didn’t explain. We’re starting a war with the Arminian Kingdom next Monday. We’ve already made proper declarations and agreed on time for preparation.”

This is insane.

What kind of crazy country prepares for war a week in advance?

“Can we really start preparing for war today?”

“When did I say we’re preparing for war? I said we’re preparing for the expedition. War preparations have already been completed. That’s why I’ve been busy for a while.”

I thought things were busy up north, but it was war preparations?

“And if it’s the Arminian Kingdom… it’s supposed to be the third invasion, right?”

“Don’t worry, we’ve already subdued the Pyan Kingdom and the Aron Principality. The royals were a bit rebellious, but the citizens’ response wasn’t that bad.”

How fast can things possibly progress?

Stronger military, higher support, larger land…

“There’s no way to stop this, is there?”

It seemed like Christie ruling the world was an undeniable fact.

“Don’t worry too much about the war.”

Christie chuckled softly.

“Our military strength is so formidable that we could mercilessly slaughter our enemies if we wished, but… with far superior forces from the start, there’s no need for such inefficiency.”

Gaining dominance over the enemy nation by minimizing casualties was the fundamental principle of warfare as described by Kristia.

“Damn, just how overwhelming are they…”

Winning is a given, and on top of that, minimizing losses to maintain support?

“By any chance… do you know the level of ordinary soldiers?”

“The Kingdom of Kristia does not deploy troops below 4 stars onto the battlefield. The elite soldiers are at a level of around 5 to 6 stars.”

4 stars.

It was a level of combat similar to a novice knight.

Considering that a seasoned knight reaches about 6 to 7 stars, the difference is quite significant, but still, the weakest soldier being comparable to others’ knights was truly shocking.

Even the elite soldiers are 5 to 6 stars? They were akin to formidable knight units.

“So don’t worry too much. Just advance lightly as if going on a picnic, and the problem will be in my hands… It’s just that you’ve never seen people die, so that’s a bit worrying for you. No matter how much you minimize killing, it’s impossible not to kill anyone at all.”

I’m not worried about dying, but rather about witnessing people die and the impact it might have on my delicate mind…

“Anyway, from today, preparations for the expedition will take quite a while. Everyone needs to straighten up their subordinates, dress properly, arrange the space… You’ll have plenty of things to worry less about. I hope you understand that I haven’t been able to pay much attention to you during this time.”

“Yes, Your Highness Kristia.”

Whether the talk of preparing for the expedition was true or not, we didn’t eat together this morning.

Except for Astia and Lua, who came back with a day’s worth of food in just one day, only Laila and a few subordinates remained.

“Come to think of it, Astia. Do you have any intention of taking a personal guard?”

While eating, Kristia asked casually, “[I’m guessing] you haven’t made up your mind yet.”

“Others have already applied for personal warbeasts besides me. So don’t feel too pressured,” she added.

Astia’s expression changed so dramatically at Kristia’s words that it was surprising.

“Really?”

“Yeah, so don’t feel too burdened,” Kristia reassured.

“…I’ll think about it for now. I’ll decide after this expedition.”

To an outsider, it might seem like they were preparing for a small-scale local conflict.

But considering the path they were taking to completely subjugate a nation, it was quite remarkable how they spoke as if they were going to a market to greet someone.

“Yeah, speak up whenever you make up your mind.”