/
“Uh!”
Medea, who suddenly came to her senses, got up from her seat. After being tormented all night she woke up late.
“My Majesty, did you cough?”
“I-I’m up! What time is it now?”
To be specific, what she was really asking was how many hours were left before Lyle returned.
Medea was served by her maids, started with a meal and went into her bathroom. Typically, she didn’t like being served in the bath, but she took into account the fact that she was tired and pregnant.
‘Lyle… … !’
Seeing myself in the mirror, Medea was dyed bright red with shame. There was no place on her body that didn’t have his kiss marks. Since she had been interrogated all night he had bit, licked and sucked her all over. Even her maids didn’t have the gall to look straight at her and awkwardly averted their glazes.
“T-the bath water is ready, your Majesty.”
“I-I—I-see!”
Supported by her maids, she entered the bathtub. She was so embarrassed, she plunged her face into the water of the bathtub, and she heard the screams of her maids.
“Your Majesty—Empress!”
“I wasn’t drowning… … .”
Despondent, Medea raised her head.
As she came out wrapped in a soft towel being thoroughly pampered by her maids. Their hands were busy drying her hair and grooming her body.
Dazed, she was still not fully awake, and belatedly realized that they were ‘preparing’ her.
Medea turned to look at her maids, startled.
“Is his Majesty coming here early today?”
“He didn’t say anything, but… … .”
The maids blurted their words and exchanged glances with each other. They all recalled that when Lyle was once ignited, he would come into the Empress’s palace early and tease and bully Medea.
Medea blush traveled up to her scalp.
“Oh no! It’s not like that! I don’t know what you were thinking, but it’s not like that!”
“Of course. Of course not.”
“We are well aware.”
The maids were holding back their laughter and smiles as if they could see right through her. Indeed their attitude that clearly said , ‘Our Empress is embarrassed by his Majesty’s overwhelming favor’, warmed Medea’s face.
“It’s not like that!”
What’s the use denying it when there are kiss marks all over her body… … .
Medea, lying on her bed, wearing her negligee, kicked into the air.
When she looked in the mirror earlier, her back was… … It’s was even on her ass! Stop it!
‘Oh no. What if… … . When Lyle starts touching me, I can’t say no.’
Lyle, too, couldn’t refuse her touch. But indeed Medea found herself unable to control herself when he teased her. Wherever he grazed against her it felt electrifying.
‘At this rate, really… … .’
If she confessed to possessing this body, her unofficial title would be ‘an empress suffering from amnesia’ to ‘an empress who has gone insane.’
‘But— No one will believe that. Who would believe that this world is a fictional world in a novel… … .’
It would be common sense to think that Medea was out of her mind. Plus, she’s already gone too far from the original work that she knows.
“Haa. I thought as long as I feel good, everything would be alright! I have a plan too!”
To say the least, it was Lyle who was terribly concerned about Medea. It was unimaginable for her to believe Lyle would hurt her, so it was something she had to endure. Survive… … .
‘… … Can you?’
Gulp.
She honestly wasn’t very confident.
As she was contemplating, she suddenly thought of a plan. It was too messy to really be called a plan but… … With Lyle and the relationship progressing to this point, it might work.
‘Alright, let’s do that. Lyle will give up in a few days, huh?’
Medea looked around her room with a firm determination.
***
Once the smoke cleared, there was finally a clue. By tracking down a person who was thought to be missing they had managed to find some crucial information.
The Dark Tower.
Their existence was mostly passed down through rumors among mercenaries. They also requested information from the Magic Tower, but they stubbornly denied the existence of the Dark Tower.
“It is said to be an organization founded by the former Master of the Magic Tower who fled after losing the battle… … .”
It was information that he had barely obtained by persuading the wizard dispatched to the Imperial Palace.
The Tower of Magic officially denied its existence. It was a group formed by recruiting those who were excommunicated, branded as traitors and other who escaped from the Tower of Magic. Some of them turned their backs on the tower and entered the shadows.
The Tower did not recognize them, but it was rumored that they were trying to annihilate anyone or anything associated with them that they found… … . Naturally, they had no choice but to survive by dabbling in crime.
‘You mean they’ve joined hands with Rowendal?’
Or maybe Rowendal noticed their existence and supported them.
Lyle gave orders to investigate further and headed to the Empress’s Palace. It was later than expected, so he was worried that Medea might have already fallen asleep.
‘You must have taken a nap because of yesterday’s exertions, hmm?’
Following the light of the lamp lit by the servant, he hurried his steps. The weariness accumulated during the day would be relieved when he could hold Medea.
He had said ‘punishment’ and ‘interrogation’ disingenuously and didn’t mean it. In the first place, it was impossible for Lyle to torment Medea, who was so cute.
‘It looks like she’s hiding something… … .’
Today’s Medea was far too obvious when she uttered a lie, her face was an openbook as if she was not used to lying and the guilt she felt was in plain view.
‘I could condone a secret or two, but… … .’
Regardless of the secret he doubted that whatever Medea was hiding was malicious or some grand conspiracy. She did not have the personality to hide such a great thing.
If it was the former Medea, it may have been possible, but it was impossible for the present-day Medea. It probably wasn’t some great a reason.
‘However… … .’
It was so cute that she was dyed bright red trying to endure her sensual frenzy. After a few weeks of absence, he caught fire so whenever he saw Medea, he wanted to tease her and make her feel so sweet.
“Shit… … .”
“Your Majesty?”
Lyle waved his hand when his face went red and the servant stared at him puzzledly.
Anyway, he was going to embrace Medea tonight as well. No matter how stubborn she was, he was going to have a lot of fun by tormenting her sweetly.
Lyle, upon entering the Empress’s Palace and headed to Medea’s residence, soon found maids and attendants lined up at the entrance to the bedroom.
“Why is everyone here? Has the Empress gone to bed already?”
“That is… … We don’t know what to say either. We were all ordered  to leave… … .”
Lyle frowned and told the maids to get out of the way. He stood directly in front of the bedroom door and pulled the doorknob.
Rattle.
The door was locked from the inside.