“It looks like my nickname has changed to ‘The Emperor’s Burning Pants!’”
Linel shouted urgently.
“Water, where’s the water? I think I’ve seen it somewhere before?”
He was genuinely worried about his secretary.
“Oh, there it is!”
I quickly went to get the water jug from the bedside table.
Meanwhile,
“Oh my goodness! Th-thy penis is getting bigger!”
Sharon, sitting next to Raphael, cried out in a fidgety voice.
Sharon, panicked, forgot to say “because of the fire” before a crucial word.
If someone outside overheard this conversation outside the bedroom door, it could have caused a huge misunderstanding.
In the moment he and I were stopped by Sharon’s shout, Sharon snatched the cushion Moiya had been sitting on and began mercilessly beating his burning penis.
“Ah, ah, ah-!”
The sound of the cushion hitting the ground, along with Raphael's groan of pain, brought tears to my eyes and laughter to my face at the same time.
I couldn't tell if it was the shock of the zipper catching fire or the pain of Sharon swinging the cushion to put it out.
Either way, the fire was put out thanks to Sharon.
Still, there might be embers left, so it's best to be sure, right?
I took the lid off the kettle I'd retrieved from the nightstand and poured it directly onto Raphael's core.
There was a sizzle, a burning smell, and a small puff of smoke.
Fortunately, the flames only burned the fabric of his pants and didn't seem to spread further.
I sighed in relief and immediately scolded Moiya.
"Apologize to Raphael. You almost made him lose a part of his body because of you!"
Moiya went under the bed and came back out with his favorite towel.
He covered Raphael's partially burned zipper, which had been opened involuntarily by his own fire.
"Raphael, cover it. Don't be so rude, Moiya~."
I thought he was handing him his beloved towel as an apology.
"Are you sure the item is okay?"
Linel asked with a very worried expression.
"I think we'll have to check it closely to know..."
When Raphael answered with a complicated expression, he gave Moiya a look as well.
"Moiya, apologize."
"I'm sorry."
Moiya reluctantly apologized, picking his nose.
Raphael was half-conscious and didn't respond.
He patted Raphael's shoulder and then turned his gaze back to Moiya and Moni.
"What's the reason? The reason you entered Raphael and my bodies."
Moiya and Moni pushed each other to delay speaking.
“This won’t do. Sharon, take the sausages for those guys to the crow commanded by the Magic Tower Lord tomorrow.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will obey as soon as the sun rises.”
“Oh? You’re giving my sausage to that dark bastard?!”
“Huh? He likes raw meat?!”
Moiya and Moni were surprised by his order and anxious about Sharon’s response.
“What reason could there be? He must have been just playing around without thinking.”
I comforted him and glanced at the two guys.
Then they both gave me a look of regret, and their ruby eyes sparkled.
“We did it for our master, Moiya...”
“We did it for our child, Moni...”
“What do you mean, guys?”
I reached out with both hands and lifted their drooping heads at the same time.
“You were in a hot place and your fever was rising.”
“That’s right. That’s why I made a fuss on purpose. To get everyone out of the hot springs quickly.”
“What?”
Linel tilted her head, and Moiya began to explain, folding his fingers one by one.
“If we sacrifice His Majesty’s body, the concubines will really like it, and then our master will really get jealous, and then she’ll get angry and boil over and raise the water temperature, and then everyone’s skin will turn bright red, and then eventually everyone will run out of the hot springs, and then the hot springs will end sooner than planned, right, Moiya~?”
“We’re so thoughtful, Moni~.”
Moiya and Moni sat next to each other, praising each other.
Their intentions were good, but their methods were embarrassing.
However, after hearing their excuses, he didn’t scold them anymore.
Instead, he made a strange request.
“Show me the courtship dance again.”
“Aha, is it about time to mate?”
Moni clapped her hands, looking at the clock.
“Raphael, you should learn it too.”
Moiya also slowly turned both shoulders as if doing warm-up exercises, then grabbed Moni’s hand and ran towards Linel, standing side by side with her.
“Mating... isn’t it!”
“Then Moiya~?”
“Shouldn’t I have known in advance how funny it was so I could deal with the concubines’ ridicule?”
He clenched his molars and glared.
Regardless, Moiya and Moni danced their courtship dance, Raphael clapped his hands out of time with a look of resignation on his face, and Sharon hugged the cushion that had barely saved a man’s life, occasionally shrugging her shoulders, and when our eyes met, she relaxed her shoulders.
The next morning.
Today was the day to go to the main palace for a check-up.
While Sharon went to get a robe to drape over her shoulders, I sipped warm chrysanthemum tea and gazed out the window.
Knock, knock.
Sharon entered with a knock, a robe draped over her arm.
I put down my teacup and stood up from the tea table chair.
“Let’s go.”
“Um... Prince Norton just arrived.”
“Who? Prince Norton?”
“Yes.”
Why is Prince Norton, not even the head of the castle, in my quarters?
“Tell him to come in. And bring him some tea.”
“Yes, I understand.”
As Sharon left, Prince Norton entered the bedroom and greeted me.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
“I have come to see you so early because I have something urgent to convey to you. Please forgive me.”
“Please do not be so kind. What do you wish to convey to me? Please take a seat.”
Judging by Prince Norton’s expression, it seemed like it was not a light matter.
“I seem to have disturbed you by coming when you were on your way somewhere.”
“I’m at the main palace. Today is the day I visit the Magic Tower Lord to see him for a checkup.”
“Oh, yes.”
Prince Norton smiled, glanced at my belly, and continued.
“Are you feeling well? Is Your Majesty still suffering from morning sickness?”
“I’m fine. In fact, I feel much lighter than before the pregnancy. Your Highness, I think I'm experiencing less morning sickness these days.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Prince Norton smiled and took a sip of the tea Sharon had brought him.
Only after Sharon left the bedroom did Prince Norton speak.
“A carrier pigeon arrived from the Pasha Empire yesterday.”
“Did your older brother, Prince Calvain, send it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I guess he has something to discuss about the coronation?”
“No.”
Prince Norton shook his head, his eyes troubled.
“Then what... what happened at the imperial court there?”
“No, it was a letter asking about the Wyvern Lord.”
Prince Norton began cautiously.
What?
I doubted my ears, but I certainly hadn't misheard.
"Why did Prince Calvain suddenly..."
I wanted to ask him who had sent the letter, and why he had revealed my existence, but my mouth wouldn't open properly.
Prince Norton, reading my expression, calmly began to speak one by one.
"It seems someone leaked information to my brother, through a carrier pigeon, that they knew of the existence of the Wyvern Lord."
"That... who was it?"
"I don't know either. He didn't reveal who sent the letter."
"Why did you hide that person's identity from even you, the Prince?"
Suddenly, a person with an unpleasant face came to mind.
“Emperor Adrian… I think.”
I spoke cautiously to Prince Norton, but I was confident in my heart.
To be exact, Philike, a wizard who has taken over the body of Emperor Adrian through black magic.
Bastard. Yeah, I'm sure it's him.
Is this an intention to stimulate the countries of the southern continent and put pressure on the Lapion Empire, where the Wyvern Lord is located?
It could be a ploy to use my presence to gain wyvern babies, or if things don't go their way, eliminate me altogether to prevent the Lapion Empire from gaining power.
“Does Prince Calvain believe that there is a Wyvern Lord in the imperial palace?”
“He seems half-doubting. But since it’s about wyverns, I’m sure he's taking it seriously, too.”
Prince Norton’s words made my heart race.
“I’m not sure what his intentions are, but Emperor Adrian wouldn’t have sent carrier pigeons only to the Pasha Empire.”
“Of course. He must have conveyed the same message to Emperor Katria of the Delroy Empire.”
“Yes. I have to leave for the Southern Continent in a few days. So...”
“I know, but before that... we need to... prepare something.”
Soon, congratulatory delegations from all nations would flock to the Pasha Empire.
We needed a plan before then.
“That’s what I think. But what are your plans?”
Prince Norton asked with a worried look.
Honestly, even I was at a loss as to how to resolve this situation.
However, my heart, embedded with the Incarnation Sword, seemed to already know the answer.
“For now, please keep this a secret. I’ll tell His Majesty separately.”
“Of course. You have... a plan?”
“Well, I’m not sure yet.”
It wasn't my own thoughts, but a thought sent from my heart, so I had no choice but to answer that way.
After Prince Norton left, I had some time alone.
After thinking it over, I boarded the carriage with Sharon. I had originally planned to stop by the office to see Linel before going to Magic Tower Lord for treatment, but there was no time for that.
I walked straight to the Magic Tower Lord's room.
"Welcome. Shall I see you first? Or would you like tea first?"
Magic Tower Lord asked kindly, pulling out a chair for me.
"Let's talk first. I have something to discuss."
"What is it?"
Magic Tower Lord sat down in front of me, his face curious, but his eyes remained narrow.
"Prince Norton came to see you before coming here. Please read this first."
I placed the letter from Prince Calvain that Prince Norton had given me on the table.
"What is this letter?"
"It's something Prince Calvain sent to Prince Norton via a carrier pigeon."
Magic Tower Lord listened to me and opened the letter.
As he read the letter, Magic Tower Lord's eyes narrowed and his face darkened.
"If this is true, we need to come up with countermeasures before we leave for the Pasha Empire."
"So..."
I lowered my voice to Magic Tower Lord, listening to the ceaseless pounding of my heart.
"Use teleportation to send me to the Valley of Death, where the wyverns are."
"Huh?!"
Linel shouted urgently.
“Water, where’s the water? I think I’ve seen it somewhere before?”
He was genuinely worried about his secretary.
“Oh, there it is!”
I quickly went to get the water jug from the bedside table.
Meanwhile,
“Oh my goodness! Th-thy penis is getting bigger!”
Sharon, sitting next to Raphael, cried out in a fidgety voice.
Sharon, panicked, forgot to say “because of the fire” before a crucial word.
If someone outside overheard this conversation outside the bedroom door, it could have caused a huge misunderstanding.
In the moment he and I were stopped by Sharon’s shout, Sharon snatched the cushion Moiya had been sitting on and began mercilessly beating his burning penis.
“Ah, ah, ah-!”
The sound of the cushion hitting the ground, along with Raphael's groan of pain, brought tears to my eyes and laughter to my face at the same time.
I couldn't tell if it was the shock of the zipper catching fire or the pain of Sharon swinging the cushion to put it out.
Either way, the fire was put out thanks to Sharon.
Still, there might be embers left, so it's best to be sure, right?
I took the lid off the kettle I'd retrieved from the nightstand and poured it directly onto Raphael's core.
There was a sizzle, a burning smell, and a small puff of smoke.
Fortunately, the flames only burned the fabric of his pants and didn't seem to spread further.
I sighed in relief and immediately scolded Moiya.
"Apologize to Raphael. You almost made him lose a part of his body because of you!"
Moiya went under the bed and came back out with his favorite towel.
He covered Raphael's partially burned zipper, which had been opened involuntarily by his own fire.
"Raphael, cover it. Don't be so rude, Moiya~."
I thought he was handing him his beloved towel as an apology.
"Are you sure the item is okay?"
Linel asked with a very worried expression.
"I think we'll have to check it closely to know..."
When Raphael answered with a complicated expression, he gave Moiya a look as well.
"Moiya, apologize."
"I'm sorry."
Moiya reluctantly apologized, picking his nose.
Raphael was half-conscious and didn't respond.
He patted Raphael's shoulder and then turned his gaze back to Moiya and Moni.
"What's the reason? The reason you entered Raphael and my bodies."
Moiya and Moni pushed each other to delay speaking.
“This won’t do. Sharon, take the sausages for those guys to the crow commanded by the Magic Tower Lord tomorrow.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will obey as soon as the sun rises.”
“Oh? You’re giving my sausage to that dark bastard?!”
“Huh? He likes raw meat?!”
Moiya and Moni were surprised by his order and anxious about Sharon’s response.
“What reason could there be? He must have been just playing around without thinking.”
I comforted him and glanced at the two guys.
Then they both gave me a look of regret, and their ruby eyes sparkled.
“We did it for our master, Moiya...”
“We did it for our child, Moni...”
“What do you mean, guys?”
I reached out with both hands and lifted their drooping heads at the same time.
“You were in a hot place and your fever was rising.”
“That’s right. That’s why I made a fuss on purpose. To get everyone out of the hot springs quickly.”
“What?”
Linel tilted her head, and Moiya began to explain, folding his fingers one by one.
“If we sacrifice His Majesty’s body, the concubines will really like it, and then our master will really get jealous, and then she’ll get angry and boil over and raise the water temperature, and then everyone’s skin will turn bright red, and then eventually everyone will run out of the hot springs, and then the hot springs will end sooner than planned, right, Moiya~?”
“We’re so thoughtful, Moni~.”
Moiya and Moni sat next to each other, praising each other.
Their intentions were good, but their methods were embarrassing.
However, after hearing their excuses, he didn’t scold them anymore.
Instead, he made a strange request.
“Show me the courtship dance again.”
“Aha, is it about time to mate?”
Moni clapped her hands, looking at the clock.
“Raphael, you should learn it too.”
Moiya also slowly turned both shoulders as if doing warm-up exercises, then grabbed Moni’s hand and ran towards Linel, standing side by side with her.
“Mating... isn’t it!”
“Then Moiya~?”
“Shouldn’t I have known in advance how funny it was so I could deal with the concubines’ ridicule?”
He clenched his molars and glared.
Regardless, Moiya and Moni danced their courtship dance, Raphael clapped his hands out of time with a look of resignation on his face, and Sharon hugged the cushion that had barely saved a man’s life, occasionally shrugging her shoulders, and when our eyes met, she relaxed her shoulders.
***
The next morning.
Today was the day to go to the main palace for a check-up.
While Sharon went to get a robe to drape over her shoulders, I sipped warm chrysanthemum tea and gazed out the window.
Knock, knock.
Sharon entered with a knock, a robe draped over her arm.
I put down my teacup and stood up from the tea table chair.
“Let’s go.”
“Um... Prince Norton just arrived.”
“Who? Prince Norton?”
“Yes.”
Why is Prince Norton, not even the head of the castle, in my quarters?
“Tell him to come in. And bring him some tea.”
“Yes, I understand.”
As Sharon left, Prince Norton entered the bedroom and greeted me.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
“I have come to see you so early because I have something urgent to convey to you. Please forgive me.”
“Please do not be so kind. What do you wish to convey to me? Please take a seat.”
Judging by Prince Norton’s expression, it seemed like it was not a light matter.
“I seem to have disturbed you by coming when you were on your way somewhere.”
“I’m at the main palace. Today is the day I visit the Magic Tower Lord to see him for a checkup.”
“Oh, yes.”
Prince Norton smiled, glanced at my belly, and continued.
“Are you feeling well? Is Your Majesty still suffering from morning sickness?”
“I’m fine. In fact, I feel much lighter than before the pregnancy. Your Highness, I think I'm experiencing less morning sickness these days.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Prince Norton smiled and took a sip of the tea Sharon had brought him.
Only after Sharon left the bedroom did Prince Norton speak.
“A carrier pigeon arrived from the Pasha Empire yesterday.”
“Did your older brother, Prince Calvain, send it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I guess he has something to discuss about the coronation?”
“No.”
Prince Norton shook his head, his eyes troubled.
“Then what... what happened at the imperial court there?”
“No, it was a letter asking about the Wyvern Lord.”
Prince Norton began cautiously.
What?
I doubted my ears, but I certainly hadn't misheard.
"Why did Prince Calvain suddenly..."
I wanted to ask him who had sent the letter, and why he had revealed my existence, but my mouth wouldn't open properly.
Prince Norton, reading my expression, calmly began to speak one by one.
"It seems someone leaked information to my brother, through a carrier pigeon, that they knew of the existence of the Wyvern Lord."
"That... who was it?"
"I don't know either. He didn't reveal who sent the letter."
"Why did you hide that person's identity from even you, the Prince?"
"Perhaps the person who gave the information was reluctant to reveal their identity, or perhaps they didn't want that person's identity known here. I think they judged that since I'm in the Lapion Imperial Court, there was a risk of it being leaked."
Prince Norton observed my complexion and asked if I was alright.
When I nodded, he continued.
“According to the person who sent the letter, the Wyvern Lord is in the Lapion Imperial Family. They haven’t revealed who it is yet.”
“...Is it one of the people who knows my identity?”
“I think so.”
“Who on earth...”
“Well, does Your Highness Zelda have any idea who it is?”
I thought of all the people close to me who knew of my existence.
Linel, Rosie, Prince Norton, Magic Tower Lord, Grand Duke Martins, Commander Macrom, Empress Elan, Melanie, Sharon, and even Raphael.
No, not my close associates.
Betrayal aside, there was no one with any connection to the Southern Continent.
Prince Norton and Empress Elan are from the Southern Continent.
However, these two people are not the ones to reveal my existence, and there is little to be gained from that alone.
If Prince Norton revealed my existence to his brother, there would be no need to come and tell me this news.
So, who will benefit the most from using me?
Among those who know my existence...
Prince Norton observed my complexion and asked if I was alright.
When I nodded, he continued.
“According to the person who sent the letter, the Wyvern Lord is in the Lapion Imperial Family. They haven’t revealed who it is yet.”
“...Is it one of the people who knows my identity?”
“I think so.”
“Who on earth...”
“Well, does Your Highness Zelda have any idea who it is?”
I thought of all the people close to me who knew of my existence.
Linel, Rosie, Prince Norton, Magic Tower Lord, Grand Duke Martins, Commander Macrom, Empress Elan, Melanie, Sharon, and even Raphael.
No, not my close associates.
Betrayal aside, there was no one with any connection to the Southern Continent.
Prince Norton and Empress Elan are from the Southern Continent.
However, these two people are not the ones to reveal my existence, and there is little to be gained from that alone.
If Prince Norton revealed my existence to his brother, there would be no need to come and tell me this news.
So, who will benefit the most from using me?
Among those who know my existence...
Suddenly, a person with an unpleasant face came to mind.
“Emperor Adrian… I think.”
I spoke cautiously to Prince Norton, but I was confident in my heart.
To be exact, Philike, a wizard who has taken over the body of Emperor Adrian through black magic.
Bastard. Yeah, I'm sure it's him.
Is this an intention to stimulate the countries of the southern continent and put pressure on the Lapion Empire, where the Wyvern Lord is located?
It could be a ploy to use my presence to gain wyvern babies, or if things don't go their way, eliminate me altogether to prevent the Lapion Empire from gaining power.
“Does Prince Calvain believe that there is a Wyvern Lord in the imperial palace?”
“He seems half-doubting. But since it’s about wyverns, I’m sure he's taking it seriously, too.”
Prince Norton’s words made my heart race.
“I’m not sure what his intentions are, but Emperor Adrian wouldn’t have sent carrier pigeons only to the Pasha Empire.”
“Of course. He must have conveyed the same message to Emperor Katria of the Delroy Empire.”
“Yes. I have to leave for the Southern Continent in a few days. So...”
“I know, but before that... we need to... prepare something.”
Soon, congratulatory delegations from all nations would flock to the Pasha Empire.
We needed a plan before then.
“That’s what I think. But what are your plans?”
Prince Norton asked with a worried look.
Honestly, even I was at a loss as to how to resolve this situation.
However, my heart, embedded with the Incarnation Sword, seemed to already know the answer.
“For now, please keep this a secret. I’ll tell His Majesty separately.”
“Of course. You have... a plan?”
“Well, I’m not sure yet.”
It wasn't my own thoughts, but a thought sent from my heart, so I had no choice but to answer that way.
***
After Prince Norton left, I had some time alone.
After thinking it over, I boarded the carriage with Sharon. I had originally planned to stop by the office to see Linel before going to Magic Tower Lord for treatment, but there was no time for that.
I walked straight to the Magic Tower Lord's room.
"Welcome. Shall I see you first? Or would you like tea first?"
Magic Tower Lord asked kindly, pulling out a chair for me.
"Let's talk first. I have something to discuss."
"What is it?"
Magic Tower Lord sat down in front of me, his face curious, but his eyes remained narrow.
"Prince Norton came to see you before coming here. Please read this first."
I placed the letter from Prince Calvain that Prince Norton had given me on the table.
"What is this letter?"
"It's something Prince Calvain sent to Prince Norton via a carrier pigeon."
Magic Tower Lord listened to me and opened the letter.
As he read the letter, Magic Tower Lord's eyes narrowed and his face darkened.
"If this is true, we need to come up with countermeasures before we leave for the Pasha Empire."
"So..."
I lowered my voice to Magic Tower Lord, listening to the ceaseless pounding of my heart.
"Use teleportation to send me to the Valley of Death, where the wyverns are."
"Huh?!"
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