A few moments later…

Straf runs into the palace, cackling like a madman while pulling Cycelia behind himself. The guards watch on with their brows furrowed.

「Ahhh… Alright, I think that's far enough to have plausible deniability.」

He remarks, slowing down to a halt to smirk at Cycelia.

「Why'd you do that, Straf!?」

Cycelia exclaims, though she's more confused than angry.

「T'was an accident, okay? I meant to make a point, not to shatter glass or expectations.」

Straf shrugs as he lets go of Cycelia's hand, and nods towards the palace. She lets out a sigh, and follows.

「We'll have to make up for it…」

「For what? As far as I'm concerned, I just stimulated the economy. That money will make its way back to the storekeeper, Lia. You'll see.」

Snap.

Snapping his fingers and pointing at Cycelia, Straf replies with a confident smirk as the two head for the palace doors. He grabs the handle of one of them, and swings it open.

Straf and Cycelia stumble into the palace, though it's mostly Cycelia doing the stumbling, while Straf remains remarkably stable. He takes the coat off Cycelia and throws it into his [Portable Storage] when she makes her way in. They pass by a handful of maids on the way to the upper floors, causing them to turn their frilled heads to the two with confused looks on their faces.

Less than an hour later, after significant effort and much stumbling, Straf leads Cycelia to her room.

「Almost there Lia, don't trip…」「Yeah…」

He says as he stops in front of a door, and opens it for her. She latches onto Straf's arm, and he guides her in.

「…Have a seat. I'll help you with your boots.」

Straf says as he lowers Cycelia onto her bed, and begins untying her laces. She lets out a large, fatigued sigh.

Thwap… Thwap.

「There. It might be early, but get some sleep and- Hm?」

Straf throws her boots onto the floor, and when he tries to straighten out from his lean forward, he finds himself raising his head right into Cycelia's arms.

「…What's up?-」

Tfwap!

Straf asks while looking into her emerald eyes, but with her arms wrapped around his neck, Cycelia drops onto her back and pulls Straf along down to the bed.

Losing balance, Straf tumbles forward on top of Cycelia, landing on his elbows on the bed at her sides. Exhaling another alcohol-filled sigh, Cycelia's warm breath wards off the creeping cold that's slowly setting into his body, on his face, at least. They blink at each other in silence for a few seconds.

「…Why don't you stay, Straf?」

Cycelia asks in a calm voice with their chests pressed against each other. Her unfocused eyes dart all over his handsome, close, and somewhat dumbfounded face.

A maid passes by the room's open door, and rapidly backpedals to double-take what's happening inside. She covers her mouth with her eyes wide open in shock at the sight of Straf lying on top of Cycelia in her bed. Blushing heavily, the maid quickly rushes away, practically fleeing. Neither Straf or Cycelia notice.

「…'Cause I gotta slip under my blanket and warm up. I might have this ring, but I still get cold, you know?」

Straf nonchalantly explains while remaining in Cycelia's grasp.

「Why not mine? I'll warm you up…」

She replies, tilting her head a little while looking into Straf's eyes.

「…Among other things.」

Cycelia adds as she moves her hand to Straf's well-defined cheek.

「You had a little too much to drink, Lia…」

Straf says as he pushes himself off the bed and straightens out.

「…Ask me again later once you're sober. If you remember to. Sleep well.」

He shrugs as he turns to leave, and pulls the door shut behind himself.

On her bed, staring at the closed door, Cycelia lets out a large, disappointed sigh.

「…Hup.」

She crawls over towards her pillows, awkwardly peels the blanket away, then pulls it over herself.

Cycelia lets out another sigh, this time a contented one, when she curls up into a ball and closes her weary emerald eyes…

…

Around the same time, in the palace hallways…

With his hands in his pockets, Straf is heading for his room, shivering more and more as he walks.

「Damn it… The whole palace is heated and I'm still freezing my ass off…」

Straf grumbles while looking at the ring on his finger with his mouth aslant.

《You should have stayed with her.》

Athea suddenly remarks, her voice echoing in Straf's mind.

「Spying on me, huh?…」

Straf looks at the hallway's ceiling with a slightly disdainful, amused smirk.

《I'm simply checking in on you from time to time. You should have taken her up on her offer. Why didn't you? You don't strike me as someone who's shy around women.》

She replies, speaking in a calm and nonchalant tone.

「…She's drunk.」

Straf shrugs his shoulders, and turns his gaze forward.

《So are you.》

Athea quickly ripostes.

「No I'm not.」

In turn, he denies with a faint slur.

《…That's a surprising amount of care for her ability to consent, considering what you did to me.》

With her voice taking on an a vengeful tone, Athea replies.

「You consented too, remember? Tsk… I wasted an entire wish on your boring, obscenely oversized boobs…」

Straf asks the ceiling, before clicking his tongue in frustration and turning his gaze aside.

《Boring-!?》

She exclaims in a shocked tone. Straf glances at the ceiling as a brief silence begins in his head.

《…I don't remember consenting to be humiliated in public, or consenting to wear a swimsuit that covers nothing at all.》

Athea adds angrily after a moment of pause.

「You're also my harem member, and I didn't specify limits as to when I can fondle 'em, did I?…」

Straf asks with a smug smirk directed at the ceiling. He turns a corner, and passes by two maids walking past. They look over their frilled shoulders towards him.

「…And big fucking whoop, you wore a swimsuit to a beach. I'm fairly sure people were saying that about swimsuits when they started showing legs above the thigh.」

He adds with a shrug of his shoulders.

《…So you will not join her in her room?》

「Not when she's drunk.」

Athea asks after a short pause, and Straf bluntly replies.

《Suit yourself.》

She says as Straf shivers, and continues heading for his room…

…

Five minutes later, in Straf's room…

「Brrr… Fuckin' shit… This ring sucks…」

Thud.

Straf grumbles and mumbles under his breath, shivering while keeping his arms close to his torso for warmth. He throws the door shut and hurries to his bed.

「…Blanket, blanket… Ahhhhh.」

He utters out as he slips his boots off and jumps into the bed, quickly covering himself with the blanket. Straf then lets out a sigh of relief, still shivering.

「Where is that damn cat when I need her?…」

Straf idly grumbles some more, and looks towards the center of the room.

「…Do I pull out one o' those braziers and start a fire?-」

Tfwap.

He thinks out loud, lifting his head, before dropping it back down onto his pillow.

《…Nah. I'm not getting out from underneath this blanket for any reason.》

Straf abandons the idea of lighting a fire in the room, and instead pulls the blanket further over himself, slowly becoming more and more comfortable as the cozy palace bed warms him…

…

A few hours later, in the late evening…

Knock knock.

A soft knock on the door wakes Straf up. His head perks up, and his groggy eyes turn to the door.

「…Whaat?」

He asks with his voice raised, and the door opens. A serious-faced maid walks in with a tight-lipped grimace on her otherwise serious face.

「Minister…」

She calls out while approaching the bed's foot end.

「Tsk… What? You woke me up. It better be something important, but even then I still won't care…」

With his mouth aslant, Straf shrugs as he looks at the maid's face.

「…It is of utmost importance. We'd like to ask you to keep your hands away from her majesty.」

The maid nods her frilled head, and replies.

「…Huh? And who's we?」

With his mouth's corner rising in confusion, Straf narrows one of his eyes at her.

「The maids, minister. I am not here on anyone's orders, nor did anyone ask me to come here. Quite the contrary, none of the girls want to take action. They are afraid of the consequences.」

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The serious-faced maid explains, albeit with an awkward grimace.

「Take action?… You mean poison!?」

Straf jumps up, sitting up in his bed with his brows raised.

「No, of course not. We would never dare sully our lady's good name by poisoning her guests or others, no matter how distasteful they may be.」

She shakes her frilled head as her grimace turns into an expression full of conviction.

「Distasteful?…」

Straf echoes back as his face takes on a disconcerted smirk.

「Correct. The word of your lascivious behavior spread rapidly, minister. I was there when we've caught you sniffing a little girl's hair while she was on your lap, and hugged into you.」

「That's not- Tsk… Okay, it was that, but I can explain…」

Holding his other hand up, Straf pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration, then rubs his brows with his thumb and finger.

「No. I have no interest in your explanations. Whether you have a… Special relationship with Sir Vinis, or whether you adore children in a wrong way… That is none of my concern…」

The maid shakes her frilled head once again while speaking in a stern, but calm tone.

「…I'll hold my opinions of you because of that, of course, but in the end I am merely just lowly maid serving her majesty. She already was informed once, and took no action…」

「Tsk…」

Straf clicks his tongue in response and turns his frustrated gaze aside.

「…I wouldn't dare to argue with my lady. However, I saw you in her room, lying right on top of her. I couldn't remain silent anymore, so I've come here of my own initiative.」

「Lying on top-? Ahhh… Liaaaa…」

The maid shrugs, and adds. Straf briefly furrows his brows as he thinks, then places his palm on his face when realizes, that he was technically lying on Cycelia just a few moments ago.

「Minister… I am amongst the oldest of maids that haven't retired yet. It's customary for the palace maids to retire in order to marry, or to find a husband…」

She says while Straf is intensely rubbing his face in frustration at the cumulative misunderstandings.

「…What does this have to do with anythin-? Eh?」

Straf asks as he pulls his hand away from his face, and his head perks up in surprise. His brows furrow heavily.

「…I have given up, minister. I've accepted that I will become an old maid, and I'm willing to serve my lady my whole life… No, I'll be happy to. That's why I need to protect her majesty.」

The maid says while holding her skirt lifted, nonchalantly showing Straf her black panties, garter belt, and stockings, all while looking at Straf with a serious gaze.

「I'm not sure I fuckin' follow!?」

Straf exclaims, spreading his arms with an amused grin.

「It's simple, minister. I have given up on finding a husband, so you may use me as a vessel for your rapacious lust. In return, stay away from her highness. Have you done it with her?」

She explains, then tilts her frilled head as she asks, still holding her uniform skirt up.

「Noooo? We just fell on her bed. Besides, even if, what would the harm be!? We're both consenting adults, aren't we!?」

Straf throws his hands up with a ridiculing smirk. His eyes jump from the maid's serious face to her panties and back again every few seconds as he rubs his chin.

「I see… I will not sully your already tarnished name further, and simply trust your word on it. Indeed, you are adults… Unlike that little girl, and consenting, unlike the beastman…」

The maid nods, and her serious face seems to display a hint of relief.

「Geh… Get off my ass if you don't want to listen to my explanation, seriously…」

Scoffing in frustration, Straf rolls his eyes.

「…However, unlike that little girl, her highness can be with child if unfortunate enough. This would be ruinous to her reputation, if fathered by a man the likes of you.」

The maid continues, and her voice takes on a cold, disdainful tone to it.

「There is something uniquely bizarre about being talked to in this tone while you are showing me your panties… Nice, by the way.」

Snap.

Straf replies with his mouth scrunched to the side, then promptly snaps his fingers and points at her black panties.

「I am doing this in hopes of tempting you to accept, and this is the only way I can think of. I wouldn't know how to attract a man otherwise. I am unfortunately inexperienced…」

The maid casually shrugs her frilled shoulders, and looks down at her rolled up skirt in her hands. She lifts it a little higher while speaking.

「…Should you accept, please leave the little girl alone, as well as the poor beastman. Use me, and only me for relief. You may come to me anytime, I will consider it another task for her majesty.」

She politely requests while maintaining her nonchalantly serious face.

「Hmmmmm… And normally, I'd find it really hard to refuse, but…」

Straf humms while rubbing his chin and staring at her panties.

「I may add, that I would not refuse any requests from you. Within reason, of course. I would do my best to accept all of your lust for the sake of my lady's well-being.」

「…Hmmmm…」

The maid chimes in again, and Straf continues humming and rubbing his chin.

「Well, minister? What shall it be? Will you leave her highness alone?… I will be happy to be her apron and keep filth away. You can stain and dirty me as much as you'd like.」

The maid asks with a tilted head, blinking her eyes at Straf. He winces heavily as she says extremely suggestive things with a perfectly innocent face.

「…Unfortunately, I have to refuse. I'd be violating my integrity if I accepted. Good job, though… It really pains my heart to turn you down. What a lost opportunity, damn.」

Shaking his head, Straf shrugs his hands and calmly explains his rationale, then promptly congratulates the maid.

Fwap.

She lets go of her skirt, and the cloth noisily flaps down, hiding her panties while she lets out a large, disappointed sigh.

「…I see. Disappointing. Then all that remains is for me to kindly ask you, for lack of better words, to stop being such a scumbag. Please.」「Geh. Again with a face like this?…」

The maid calmly nods with her eyes closed, appearing neither sad nor angry, but simply deeply disappointed. She opens her eyes, and looks at Straf with a serious face again.

「Additionally, this is merely my personal request… Please do not speak of this to anyone, especially not her highness.」

She requests, bowing her frilled head towards Straf.

「Alright, alright… I wasn't going to share this anyway.」

Straf rolls his eyes, then throws his hands up.

「Thank you. Now please excuse me.」

The maid bows politely, and leaves Straf's room, gently shutting the door behind herself.

Exasperated, Straf lets out a disappointed sigh and rubs the side of his head…

…

The next day, very early in the morning, in Cycelia's room…

「Mnnhhhh…」

Cycelia groans softly, and her eyelashes flutter over her emerald eyes as she slowly wakes up.

「…What hour is it?」

After lying still for a prolonged moment, she rolls to the other side to look at the sunlight, or lack thereof. She finds herself unable to ascertain what time of day it is, and furrows her brows.

「Ahhh… Must be really late… How did I even get here?…」

Cycelia thinks out loud in a soft voice as she straightens her legs out under her blanket, and stares at her canopy, thinking heavily about the yesterday.

《I don't remember…》

「…Must have been Straf.」

Finding a massive, gaping hole in her memory, Cycelia places her wrist on her forehead and shrugs. Though she wants to get up, her mind won't cooperate.

「Ahhh… I feel so sick… I remember that 21 card game, and then the other one?…」

She lets out a plaintive moan with a weary face, then resumes piecing her memories together instead.

《…I remember getting really upset… But why?》

Cycelia furrows her brows as her eyes idly dart around the canopy, thinking.

《Everything gets so foggy after that other game… Did I start drinking then?… What made me so angry?…》

Trying her hardest, she puts her fingertips on her forehead and closes her eyes to focus.

「Ah…」

《That's right…》

Her eyes open, and she blinks a few times up at the dark red canopy over her.

「…I lost pretty bad to Straf, didn't I? It's just a game… No need to be this upset over it.」

As Cycelia presumes the source of her anger, a small embarrassed smirk appears on her greenish face.

「Urk…」

《…So sick… If it's this late anyway, I'll just sleep to tomorrow… It's good to be an empress…》

Feeling a wave of nausea wash over her, Cycelia rolls over to her side and curls up again…

…

A few hours later, just before afternoon…

Knock knock.

A soft knocking on the door wakes Cycelia up.

「Nhh… Yeeees?…」

She groggily calls out towards the door. It opens, and a serious-faced maid sticks her head in, then enters.

Walking up to the bed's foot end, her face softens a lot when she notices Cycelia's chestnut head stick out of the blanket.

「Your highness, will you not come to eat breakfast?」

The maid asks, tilting her frilled head.

「Mmhnnnn… Nnooo… I don't really feel like eating right now…」

Cycelia weakly replies without even looking at her maid.

「Is there something wrong, your highness?… Are you perhaps not feeling well? You look very pale.」

The maid takes a few steps closer to the bedside, leaning a little to take a better look at Cycelia's green-tinted face.

「I'm just a little nauseous, that's all-」

Cycelia replies, but a loud, shocked gasp from the maid interrupts her. Cycelia looks at her.

The maid is staring back at her with her eyes wide open, and covering her mouth with her hands…