“Oh, you’re already ready, aren’t you?”
Melanie said with a satisfied smile.
Hetor’s face flushed as if it had just emerged from a furnace.
“Should I go?”
“If you don’t go.”
“Can I spend more quality time with you here?”
Melanie went to the bed and lay down, patting the spot next to her with her hand.
“Do whatever you want,”
We saved you, and now you’re repaying our kindness by making you concubines?!
Melanie said with a satisfied smile.
Hetor’s face flushed as if it had just emerged from a furnace.
“Should I go?”
“If you don’t go.”
“Can I spend more quality time with you here?”
Melanie went to the bed and lay down, patting the spot next to her with her hand.
“Do whatever you want,”
She said kindly, and Hetor went to the vanity and took her lipstick.
“...Huh? What are you doing?”
Hetor said, tracing Melanie’s lips up and down with the lipstick.
“I’ve applied the top and bottom. Go ahead.”
Hetor picked Melanie up from the bed and placed her in front of the door.
“Let’s go, let’s go. But where are you going to write your novel?”
“The weather is nice, so I’m thinking of taking a walk and settling down in the shade of a tree to write.”
“Write during the day, and work hard tonight... for me. Focus and work hard! Yes?”
Melanie held onto the door with both hands, determined not to leave until she heard an answer.
Wasn’t that the case before?
“...Yeah. I have a lot to write today.”
Hetor chuckled and saw her off.
Today, I planned to have lunch with the concubines at the palace and explore the shopping street that Princess Jasper had shown me.
With the pre-crowning party already underway, it was time to start exploring the outside of the palace.
“Congratulations, Rosie! I heard from His Majesty. It’s convenient in many ways to have the wedding on the day of the coronation. It’s so great,”
I said to Rosie as soon as I opened the waiting carriage door.
As I was about to leave the room, Linel, who had been attending the cabinet meeting, returned and told me the good news.
I was so moved that I almost shed tears and got excited, and I walked around the room holding hands with Linel, hugging, and eventually kissing... The atmosphere suddenly became awkward, and I boarded the carriage ten minutes later than the concubines.
Everyone seemed to have heard the news before I arrived, so the atmosphere was cheerful.
“Thank you. I heard His Majesty helped me a lot.”
Rosie took my hand as I sat next to her and thanked me instead.
“Is that so? He didn’t say anything, so I didn’t know.”
Why didn’t he tell me after he did such a wonderful thing?
I love him even more for no reason. I won’t let him go tonight...
Even without that, I hadn’t had time to focus on making love to him because of various circumstances since arriving in the Pasha Empire.
But tonight felt like the most comfortable night I’d had in a while. I couldn’t afford to fall in love on a night like this.
I made a firm resolve to myself.
“But what happened to Princess Resilia?”
Catherine asked Rosie.
“She’s going back to the Spire Prison.”
Was Bellos going to use teleportation to take her back?
“She must have been so angry after being dragged out of the party like a dog last night that she couldn’t even breathe a wink, right?”
Melanie said with a pleased expression.
Surprisingly, it seemed like she slept well, didn’t she?
I asked Moiya and Moni, who had returned from Princess Resilia’s room last night with sausages, how she was feeling. I had a rough idea.
“...Huh? What are you doing?”
Hetor said, tracing Melanie’s lips up and down with the lipstick.
“I’ve applied the top and bottom. Go ahead.”
Hetor picked Melanie up from the bed and placed her in front of the door.
“Let’s go, let’s go. But where are you going to write your novel?”
“The weather is nice, so I’m thinking of taking a walk and settling down in the shade of a tree to write.”
“Write during the day, and work hard tonight... for me. Focus and work hard! Yes?”
Melanie held onto the door with both hands, determined not to leave until she heard an answer.
Wasn’t that the case before?
“...Yeah. I have a lot to write today.”
Hetor chuckled and saw her off.
***
Today, I planned to have lunch with the concubines at the palace and explore the shopping street that Princess Jasper had shown me.
With the pre-crowning party already underway, it was time to start exploring the outside of the palace.
“Congratulations, Rosie! I heard from His Majesty. It’s convenient in many ways to have the wedding on the day of the coronation. It’s so great,”
I said to Rosie as soon as I opened the waiting carriage door.
As I was about to leave the room, Linel, who had been attending the cabinet meeting, returned and told me the good news.
I was so moved that I almost shed tears and got excited, and I walked around the room holding hands with Linel, hugging, and eventually kissing... The atmosphere suddenly became awkward, and I boarded the carriage ten minutes later than the concubines.
Everyone seemed to have heard the news before I arrived, so the atmosphere was cheerful.
“Thank you. I heard His Majesty helped me a lot.”
Rosie took my hand as I sat next to her and thanked me instead.
“Is that so? He didn’t say anything, so I didn’t know.”
Why didn’t he tell me after he did such a wonderful thing?
I love him even more for no reason. I won’t let him go tonight...
Even without that, I hadn’t had time to focus on making love to him because of various circumstances since arriving in the Pasha Empire.
But tonight felt like the most comfortable night I’d had in a while. I couldn’t afford to fall in love on a night like this.
I made a firm resolve to myself.
“But what happened to Princess Resilia?”
Catherine asked Rosie.
“She’s going back to the Spire Prison.”
Was Bellos going to use teleportation to take her back?
“She must have been so angry after being dragged out of the party like a dog last night that she couldn’t even breathe a wink, right?”
Melanie said with a pleased expression.
Surprisingly, it seemed like she slept well, didn’t she?
I asked Moiya and Moni, who had returned from Princess Resilia’s room last night with sausages, how she was feeling. I had a rough idea.
She’d definitely been making a mess of the room, pulling at her pink hair, and letting her temper tantrums run wild.
But Moiya and Moni’s answers were completely different from what I expected.
‘Ow... She's sleeping face down, Moiya~?’
‘Ah... She didn’t even have a blanket over her, so we covered her up, Moni~?’
Anyway, they’re both so kind.
They may cause trouble, but they really are kind-hearted.
Anyway, I was about to tell you that Princess Resilia slept better than we expected, but I closed my mouth.
It’s a nice day, but I don’t want to talk about the Princess for too long.
“I heard the restaurant we’re going to is the most famous in the palace, and my mouth is already watering. I hear even the water there is delicious.”
But Moiya and Moni’s answers were completely different from what I expected.
‘Ow... She's sleeping face down, Moiya~?’
‘Ah... She didn’t even have a blanket over her, so we covered her up, Moni~?’
Anyway, they’re both so kind.
They may cause trouble, but they really are kind-hearted.
Anyway, I was about to tell you that Princess Resilia slept better than we expected, but I closed my mouth.
It’s a nice day, but I don’t want to talk about the Princess for too long.
“I heard the restaurant we’re going to is the most famous in the palace, and my mouth is already watering. I hear even the water there is delicious.”
I swallowed the saliva that had collected on the tip of my tongue as I spoke, and the concubines suddenly swallowed with me, their expressions filled with hunger.
“I’m also looking forward to the dessert shop that Princess Jasper told me about, in-law.”
Melanie said with a smile.
Can’t we just stop mentioning that in-law?
“Oh, why didn’t Pecilini come?”
“I think she’s feeling a little heavy. She said she just wanted to rest in her room.”
“Well, it’s time to get tired of moving around.”
Catherine said, admiring the scenery outside the carriage window.
Moments later, the carriage entered Diston Street, the busiest street in the Pasha Empire's castle, and arrived at a restaurant at the entrance.
"The restaurant isn't far from the palace."
"If you try it today and enjoy it, we'll all come often while you're staying in the Pasha Empire."
Rosie's words made me feel a pang of regret.
After seeing Rosie as Empress, I wouldn't be seeing her for a while.
"Let's do that."
I smiled even brighter and took Rosie's hand.
The restaurant's interior, even the interior, was exquisite, rivaling the palace dining hall.
The concubines and I were already so captivated by the atmosphere that even a stone placed on our plates would be appreciated.
The food itself was equally delicious.
The steak melted in my mouth like tender salmon, and the various seafood and salt-grilled shrimp that accompanied it were so fresh they seemed ready to spring to life with a splash of water.
They say delicious food reminds you of a loved one, and I wanted to share this meal with Linel.
"Hector should come too."
"Even Count Ethan would love it."
Melanie and Catherine shared my thoughts.
"If His Majesty had tasted this steak, he might take the chef here to the Lapion Empire."
I said with a faint smile, and Catherine, wishing she could, chopped the remaining steak into small pieces and stuffed it into her mouth, as if trying to save it. The concubines and I looked at Rosie, who hadn't yet opened her mouth.
Sensing our gaze, Rosie looked at us and said politely,
"The day after the wedding, everyone came to the Empress's Palace. I will ask the Prince to invite the chef here so you can enjoy a comfortable banquet in the Empress's Palace."
Rosie already looked like an Empress.
It wasn't for nothing that she was saying we would be able to eat here again.
It could be because Princess Resilia's problem was resolved and she was relieved, but Rosie exuded the kind and gentle aura of an Empress.
"I liked you from the beginning."
Rosie's face turned peach-like at my abrupt confession.
“Your Highness Rosie was the first person I ever considered a friend. We have different hobbies, and even more so, our looks.”
Melanie ignored the harshness in the compliment, her eyes welling up with tears.
“I... like you too. I said you were the only one I liked among the concubines.”
Even the miserly Catherine chimed in.
Oh, come to think of it, Catherine. Wasn’t Rosie the only one you slapped twice out of all the concubines shortly after you became a concubine?
I wanted to point that out, but I didn’t want to ruin the cozy atmosphere.
Surprisingly, the baby in my stomach seemed to be clamoring for a sweet dessert.
“Can we go straight to dessert?”
Thankfully, as soon as we stepped out of the restaurant, Melanie spoke earnestly, as if she hadn’t had a piece of cake in years.
“Oh, I heard the good ones sell out before 3 o’clock. We’ll have to hurry if we want to try all the popular desserts.”
Rosie looked at the dessert shop with an impatient expression.
"Shall we? It'll be better for digestion if we eat and go shopping."
As I took the first step, the concubines' eyes grew sweeter and they followed me.
The dessert shop was located in an alley right across from the restaurant.
"How impudent! Oh, do you know who we are and dare to block our path and harass us?"
As we approached the dessert shop, a young woman's voice came from deep within the alley.
We all stopped walking and, with our faces sticking out from the corner, peered into the alley.
Local thugs were surrounding three noble ladies, brandishing weapons and threatening them.
Looking at their hands, I saw a dagger in one hand, and in the other, the jewels and money they'd already stolen from the ladies.
Yet, they still stood in their way.
That must mean they still wanted something from them, you dirty thugs. I must have had a full stomach. After I warmed up, the dessert would taste even better.
I slowly turned my shoulders and began to stretch.
"Huh? Those ladies...!"
My plan to deal with them easily from behind was ruined when Melanie raised her voice and pointed at the young ladies.
"These are the young ladies mentioned as candidates for concubines?"
Rosie whispered, covering her mouth with her hand.
I opened my eyes wide and studied their faces closely.
Oh.
"...Really."
"How about we just leave? Then the concubines will be dealt with automatically, right?"
Catherine suggested, in a very nonchalant tone, that we just pretend we didn't see them and leave.
“But that won’t do. What if they do something bad to us?”
As expected, the empress-to-be had a remarkable generosity.
“We need to help!”
Rosie emphasized again, taking a step forward.
But the distance between us didn’t get any closer than a helping hand, or rather, a footstep.
The three young ladies, the potential concubines, also noticed us, but they seemed to think we weren’t enough to deal with the thugs.
“Please, call the knights, I beg you...!”
Young Lady Ester shouted at us, her hands trembling.
There were knights stationed everywhere, ready to rush over if I raised my voice even a little, but these thugs were at a level my left hand could handle with my eyes closed.
“Just pick up your weapons and get out. Or you’ll be wiped from this earth.”
Even though I’m serious, they laugh. Did they not believe me?
The thugs burst into laughter at my warning.
“Oh my, what day is it today? You, wearing all those jewels, are coming to take us out on your own two feet.”
“Yeah. Everyone’s pretty dapper, huh? Except for one.”
The most vile-looking of the thugs twitched his orange-peel cheeks and looked me and the concubines up and down with a nasty gaze.
“...I think it would be best to kill them all,”
Rosie said to me, gritting her molars in a fit of rage.
“The money and jewels you took from the young ladies will be placed on the ground. Do it.”
I threateningly focused my gaze on the air.
“You speak so confidently, so why can’t you look at us?”
The scarecrow, who had just been torn to pieces by birds in the field, questioned my gaze.
“I’m the type that only sees the good. I shouldn’t see ugly, ugly things for a while.”
I covered my stomach with one hand as I spoke, and Melanie quickly followed suit, staring into the air.
Surprisingly, the thugs didn’t seem to realize that the words were aimed at them.
That fact surprised me even more.
"But when these ugly squids swarm around like this, they're turning people off, ruining their mood. Shouldn't they be fined? Extorting money, you stinky bastards?"
I said, pulling out the dagger I had on my right ankle.
As I rapidly and bluntly told them the truth, the thugs who had been scurrying about prepared to attack.
"In-law, we'd better hurry. If we keep this up, all the popular desserts will be gone."
Melanie whispered behind my back, thrusting her pocket watch in front of my eyes.
That wouldn't do.
"Sister, we don't have time right now. All at once."
I handed the dagger over to Rosie, then ignited a spark with my fingertip.
The thugs, bewildered by the spark, hesitated, hesitating to attack me.
"I heard there's a fountain in the plaza behind that alley?"
I asked the thugs, and the ladies all answered in unison,
"Yes, Your Highness Zelda."
"From now on, you squids' feet will be on fire. Then you'll have to run all the way to the fountain in the square, right?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
The thugs looked down at their feet, snorted, and came towards me.
I motioned to the three ladies to stick close to the wall.
Then, I simultaneously threw the fireworks that had bloomed like flowers on the tips of my ten fingers at the thugs' feet.
The fireworks landed where I wanted them, fanning the flames.
"It's real fire! It's on fire!"
The thugs jumped around in place, stepping on each other's feet to try to put out the fire, but it wasn't enough.
Of course.
I was watching the fireworks and keeping them awake.
"Oh, come on, everyone, run!"
The thugs, who had been flustered and groaning in pain, raced towards the fountain in the square.
"Your Highness Zelda... Thank you for saving us!"
The ladies bowed their heads to me.
"I've heard you can control fire, but seeing it in person is truly enchanting."
"Is that fire even moving the wyvern? You're so cool!"
With tears in their eyes, they approached me, almost burdensomely.
Judging by the young ladies' expressions, they'd think I was Prince Norton.
They were ready to perform the wyverns' "courtship dance," the shoulder dance.
"How can I thank you?"
"No need. This is nothing more than a tickle."
I shrugged, my hands shaking, and laughed heartily.
I quickly took my concubines and turned away.
"We still have work to do, so we'll be off now."
The dessert shop's popular menu items were all sold out by a hair's breadth.
We had no choice but to grab a glass of juice each and then get back on the carriage.
The carriage entered the palace and headed straight for the main palace.
Rosie, who had been chatting in her room, suggested we have dinner together in the main palace.
"Rosie, have the servants tell His Majesty and the others to come to the main palace banquet hall at the time of dinner."
"Yes, that would be good."
Rosie replied with a smile, but Melanie raised her voice and abruptly stopped the carriage.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Melanie kicked open the door and stormed out.
What was she doing?
We all followed her out of the carriage, dumbfounded.
"What's wrong, Melanie?"
"Those ladies seem to be flirting with our Hetor!"
Melanie angrily pointed to the large zelkova tree in the distance.
Hetor wasn't alone there.
"...His Majesty is with him, too?"
Linel and Hetor were sitting in the shade beneath the tree, while three ladies stood before the two men.
“Huh? Aren’t those ladies the concubine candidates from earlier?”
Melanie, recognizing them, tilted her head.
“Her Highness Zelda saved their lives, and now they’ve come straight to the palace, twisting their bodies around in front of other men?”
Melanie strode towards the zelkova tree first.
Rosie and Catherine flinched, then grabbed my arm, urging me to come closer.
Linel and Hetor seemed unaware of our approach because the ladies were blocking their view.
The ladies stood with their backs turned, oblivious to the gazes closing in, glaring fiercely at the backs of their heads.
A few steps away, everyone stopped at Lady Ester’s words.
“Your Majesty, please accept the three of us as concubines of the Lapion Empire!”
“!”
Look at them...?
“I’m also looking forward to the dessert shop that Princess Jasper told me about, in-law.”
Melanie said with a smile.
Can’t we just stop mentioning that in-law?
“Oh, why didn’t Pecilini come?”
“I think she’s feeling a little heavy. She said she just wanted to rest in her room.”
“Well, it’s time to get tired of moving around.”
Catherine said, admiring the scenery outside the carriage window.
Moments later, the carriage entered Diston Street, the busiest street in the Pasha Empire's castle, and arrived at a restaurant at the entrance.
"The restaurant isn't far from the palace."
"If you try it today and enjoy it, we'll all come often while you're staying in the Pasha Empire."
Rosie's words made me feel a pang of regret.
After seeing Rosie as Empress, I wouldn't be seeing her for a while.
"Let's do that."
I smiled even brighter and took Rosie's hand.
The restaurant's interior, even the interior, was exquisite, rivaling the palace dining hall.
The concubines and I were already so captivated by the atmosphere that even a stone placed on our plates would be appreciated.
The food itself was equally delicious.
The steak melted in my mouth like tender salmon, and the various seafood and salt-grilled shrimp that accompanied it were so fresh they seemed ready to spring to life with a splash of water.
They say delicious food reminds you of a loved one, and I wanted to share this meal with Linel.
"Hector should come too."
"Even Count Ethan would love it."
Melanie and Catherine shared my thoughts.
"If His Majesty had tasted this steak, he might take the chef here to the Lapion Empire."
I said with a faint smile, and Catherine, wishing she could, chopped the remaining steak into small pieces and stuffed it into her mouth, as if trying to save it. The concubines and I looked at Rosie, who hadn't yet opened her mouth.
Sensing our gaze, Rosie looked at us and said politely,
"The day after the wedding, everyone came to the Empress's Palace. I will ask the Prince to invite the chef here so you can enjoy a comfortable banquet in the Empress's Palace."
Rosie already looked like an Empress.
It wasn't for nothing that she was saying we would be able to eat here again.
It could be because Princess Resilia's problem was resolved and she was relieved, but Rosie exuded the kind and gentle aura of an Empress.
"I liked you from the beginning."
Rosie's face turned peach-like at my abrupt confession.
“Your Highness Rosie was the first person I ever considered a friend. We have different hobbies, and even more so, our looks.”
Melanie ignored the harshness in the compliment, her eyes welling up with tears.
“I... like you too. I said you were the only one I liked among the concubines.”
Even the miserly Catherine chimed in.
Oh, come to think of it, Catherine. Wasn’t Rosie the only one you slapped twice out of all the concubines shortly after you became a concubine?
I wanted to point that out, but I didn’t want to ruin the cozy atmosphere.
Surprisingly, the baby in my stomach seemed to be clamoring for a sweet dessert.
“Can we go straight to dessert?”
Thankfully, as soon as we stepped out of the restaurant, Melanie spoke earnestly, as if she hadn’t had a piece of cake in years.
“Oh, I heard the good ones sell out before 3 o’clock. We’ll have to hurry if we want to try all the popular desserts.”
Rosie looked at the dessert shop with an impatient expression.
"Shall we? It'll be better for digestion if we eat and go shopping."
As I took the first step, the concubines' eyes grew sweeter and they followed me.
The dessert shop was located in an alley right across from the restaurant.
"How impudent! Oh, do you know who we are and dare to block our path and harass us?"
As we approached the dessert shop, a young woman's voice came from deep within the alley.
We all stopped walking and, with our faces sticking out from the corner, peered into the alley.
Local thugs were surrounding three noble ladies, brandishing weapons and threatening them.
Looking at their hands, I saw a dagger in one hand, and in the other, the jewels and money they'd already stolen from the ladies.
Yet, they still stood in their way.
That must mean they still wanted something from them, you dirty thugs. I must have had a full stomach. After I warmed up, the dessert would taste even better.
I slowly turned my shoulders and began to stretch.
"Huh? Those ladies...!"
My plan to deal with them easily from behind was ruined when Melanie raised her voice and pointed at the young ladies.
"These are the young ladies mentioned as candidates for concubines?"
Rosie whispered, covering her mouth with her hand.
I opened my eyes wide and studied their faces closely.
Oh.
"...Really."
"How about we just leave? Then the concubines will be dealt with automatically, right?"
Catherine suggested, in a very nonchalant tone, that we just pretend we didn't see them and leave.
“But that won’t do. What if they do something bad to us?”
As expected, the empress-to-be had a remarkable generosity.
“We need to help!”
Rosie emphasized again, taking a step forward.
But the distance between us didn’t get any closer than a helping hand, or rather, a footstep.
The three young ladies, the potential concubines, also noticed us, but they seemed to think we weren’t enough to deal with the thugs.
“Please, call the knights, I beg you...!”
Young Lady Ester shouted at us, her hands trembling.
There were knights stationed everywhere, ready to rush over if I raised my voice even a little, but these thugs were at a level my left hand could handle with my eyes closed.
“Just pick up your weapons and get out. Or you’ll be wiped from this earth.”
Even though I’m serious, they laugh. Did they not believe me?
The thugs burst into laughter at my warning.
“Oh my, what day is it today? You, wearing all those jewels, are coming to take us out on your own two feet.”
“Yeah. Everyone’s pretty dapper, huh? Except for one.”
The most vile-looking of the thugs twitched his orange-peel cheeks and looked me and the concubines up and down with a nasty gaze.
“...I think it would be best to kill them all,”
Rosie said to me, gritting her molars in a fit of rage.
“The money and jewels you took from the young ladies will be placed on the ground. Do it.”
I threateningly focused my gaze on the air.
“You speak so confidently, so why can’t you look at us?”
The scarecrow, who had just been torn to pieces by birds in the field, questioned my gaze.
“I’m the type that only sees the good. I shouldn’t see ugly, ugly things for a while.”
I covered my stomach with one hand as I spoke, and Melanie quickly followed suit, staring into the air.
Surprisingly, the thugs didn’t seem to realize that the words were aimed at them.
That fact surprised me even more.
"But when these ugly squids swarm around like this, they're turning people off, ruining their mood. Shouldn't they be fined? Extorting money, you stinky bastards?"
I said, pulling out the dagger I had on my right ankle.
As I rapidly and bluntly told them the truth, the thugs who had been scurrying about prepared to attack.
"In-law, we'd better hurry. If we keep this up, all the popular desserts will be gone."
Melanie whispered behind my back, thrusting her pocket watch in front of my eyes.
That wouldn't do.
"Sister, we don't have time right now. All at once."
I handed the dagger over to Rosie, then ignited a spark with my fingertip.
The thugs, bewildered by the spark, hesitated, hesitating to attack me.
"I heard there's a fountain in the plaza behind that alley?"
I asked the thugs, and the ladies all answered in unison,
"Yes, Your Highness Zelda."
"From now on, you squids' feet will be on fire. Then you'll have to run all the way to the fountain in the square, right?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
The thugs looked down at their feet, snorted, and came towards me.
I motioned to the three ladies to stick close to the wall.
Then, I simultaneously threw the fireworks that had bloomed like flowers on the tips of my ten fingers at the thugs' feet.
The fireworks landed where I wanted them, fanning the flames.
"It's real fire! It's on fire!"
The thugs jumped around in place, stepping on each other's feet to try to put out the fire, but it wasn't enough.
Of course.
I was watching the fireworks and keeping them awake.
"Oh, come on, everyone, run!"
The thugs, who had been flustered and groaning in pain, raced towards the fountain in the square.
"Your Highness Zelda... Thank you for saving us!"
The ladies bowed their heads to me.
"I've heard you can control fire, but seeing it in person is truly enchanting."
"Is that fire even moving the wyvern? You're so cool!"
With tears in their eyes, they approached me, almost burdensomely.
Judging by the young ladies' expressions, they'd think I was Prince Norton.
They were ready to perform the wyverns' "courtship dance," the shoulder dance.
"How can I thank you?"
"No need. This is nothing more than a tickle."
I shrugged, my hands shaking, and laughed heartily.
I quickly took my concubines and turned away.
"We still have work to do, so we'll be off now."
***
The dessert shop's popular menu items were all sold out by a hair's breadth.
We had no choice but to grab a glass of juice each and then get back on the carriage.
The carriage entered the palace and headed straight for the main palace.
Rosie, who had been chatting in her room, suggested we have dinner together in the main palace.
"Rosie, have the servants tell His Majesty and the others to come to the main palace banquet hall at the time of dinner."
"Yes, that would be good."
Rosie replied with a smile, but Melanie raised her voice and abruptly stopped the carriage.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Melanie kicked open the door and stormed out.
What was she doing?
We all followed her out of the carriage, dumbfounded.
"What's wrong, Melanie?"
"Those ladies seem to be flirting with our Hetor!"
Melanie angrily pointed to the large zelkova tree in the distance.
Hetor wasn't alone there.
"...His Majesty is with him, too?"
Linel and Hetor were sitting in the shade beneath the tree, while three ladies stood before the two men.
“Huh? Aren’t those ladies the concubine candidates from earlier?”
Melanie, recognizing them, tilted her head.
“Her Highness Zelda saved their lives, and now they’ve come straight to the palace, twisting their bodies around in front of other men?”
Melanie strode towards the zelkova tree first.
Rosie and Catherine flinched, then grabbed my arm, urging me to come closer.
Linel and Hetor seemed unaware of our approach because the ladies were blocking their view.
The ladies stood with their backs turned, oblivious to the gazes closing in, glaring fiercely at the backs of their heads.
A few steps away, everyone stopped at Lady Ester’s words.
“Your Majesty, please accept the three of us as concubines of the Lapion Empire!”
“!”
Look at them...?
We saved you, and now you’re repaying our kindness by making you concubines?!
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