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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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At first, she had thought it was a good thing.
Lorenzo’s sudden death, a prominent figure in the pro-Elena faction, undoubtedly dealt a significant political blow.
It happened over a year earlier than in her previous life, leading her to wonder if some force was altering history.
But ultimately, the man she loved, Rudrick, had filled his place.
His growth had been explosive, surpassing her expectations.
He was now a true Archmage, and for a time, she felt a sense of satisfaction.
Elena had lost interest in the position after experiencing it in the previous life, so the political setback wasn’t a major concern.
Especially considering she had already endured the ordeal of fighting her own sister for the throne.
Now, she only jokingly brought it up in front of Rudrick, who had no knowledge of the past.
Her heart was set on not pursuing it again.
Yes, everything would have been perfect.
It should have been perfect.
“…”
After the banquet that followed the appointment ceremony, Elena returned to her office, having remained silent throughout Rudrick’s “coronation.”
Her office was dark, the lights off.
Papers were scattered messily on her desk, mirroring her chaotic state of mind.
She sat down wordlessly and sighed deeply.
“Sigh…”
Where did it all go wrong? How did things become so twisted?
Everything had been going smoothly until Rudrick’s absurd declaration.
“…Marry all five of us?”
She said it out loud, but it only amplified the inherent absurdity of the situation.
The opposite was quite common.
It wasn’t unusual for women in high positions to have lovers outside of marriage.
While the Esgelant Empire didn’t have such a system, other countries officially recognized concubines.
Having multiple husbands was considered normal in those cultures.
But the reverse was unheard of.
A husband having multiple wives was something she had never encountered, and never expected to.
It was unprecedented and unacceptable by societal standards.
It wasn’t technically illegal, but as Rudrick had said, it would be the scandal of the century, considering the women involved.
“It might actually end up in the history books…”
Elena shuddered, shaking her head.
She didn’t care if the history books recorded her as the woman who staged a coup and purged countless people to claim the throne.
But this… this was too embarrassing, even for someone like Elena Esgelant.
She didn’t want to be remembered for centuries to come as the Empress who had a scandalous love life with the Court Mage.
The problem was, that was just wishful thinking on her part.
“Sigh…”
Elena sighed again, frustrated.
She had no one to confide in.
As she had told Rudrick, she would likely have no choice but to agree to his ridiculous plan.
Structurally, his proposal put the five women who were head over heels for him in a position where they would only lose out if they refused.
Furthermore, the other four had already agreed.
If she vehemently opposed it, she would be the only one who suffered.
She was too pragmatic to accept such a loss.
She had no choice but to accept his proposal from the start.
But her thoughts were still jumbled and confused.
She felt a heavy weight on her chest.
That’s why she had retreated to the solitude of her office as soon as the official events were over.
Knock, knock.
It was quite late, the banquet had ended a while ago, but someone was knocking on her office door.
The appointment ceremony had taken up the entire day, and there shouldn’t have been any urgent documents to review.
Puzzled, Elena turned towards the door.
The door opened.
“What are you doing here all alone?”
“Rudrick…”
It was Rudrick, the man she loved most in the world, but also the person she wanted to avoid the most right now.
She hadn’t expected him to come here, and her voice trembled.
“What are you, a creature of darkness? That’s Arwen. Why didn’t you turn on the lights? I heard you came here, but I thought you left because the lights were off.”
“…What brings you here? Shouldn’t you be catching up with your family after such a long time?”
Rudrick spoke casually, as if nothing had happened, but Elena’s voice was stiff, barely concealing her discomfort.
“I came to see our Princess, of course. You’ve been sulking all day, not saying a word.”
“…That’s unusual. I didn’t realize you were so observant.”
“You were practically radiating displeasure. Only a fool wouldn’t notice.”
“I wasn’t being that obvious… Ah, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I just meant that you’re not usually… so sensitive.”
“Are you calling me insensitive?”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant…!”
Rudrick chuckled at her flustered reaction.
Instead of turning on the magic stone lights, he walked towards her.
Her face was dimly lit by the moonlight streaming through the window.
Elena hesitated, wondering if he had had too much to drink at the banquet.
But his complexion wasn’t flushed.
Ignoring her bewilderment, Rudrick sat down on a chair without asking for permission and patted his lap.
Tap, tap.
“Are you tired?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I thought I’d offer you a lap pillow.”
“What…!”
“It’s a… a man’s fantasy, or something.”
He brushed it off casually, but Elena, momentarily tempted by his obvious seduction, flinched.
A lap pillow.
Such a simple phrase held a powerful allure.
His tone was playful, but his eyes were gentle, and the atmosphere suddenly felt intimate.
Elena’s gaze lingered on his lap, her mind wavering between logic and emotion.
In the end, she chose emotion.
“W-well…”
The logical part of her mind screamed in protest.
Don’t fall for his obvious seduction! He’s just trying to make you feel better!
But the emotional part had already taken over.
He was offering her a lap pillow! How could she possibly refuse?
It was the emotional Elena who gave in. Or rather, her actions preceded her thoughts.
She rested her head on his lap, and it was surprisingly soft.
Human bodies, unless specifically trained, tended to be soft rather than hard.
A blush crept up Elena’s face as her golden hair cascaded down, obscuring her features.
She had given in to her desire and accepted his offer, but now, she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her.
Elena Esgelant, resting her head on a man’s lap.
The chair wasn’t large enough for her to lie down comfortably, but she was too preoccupied to notice the discomfort.
“…Don’t misunderstand me. I know exactly why you’re doing this.”
“Only a fool wouldn’t. I’m just trying to comfort a sulking princess.”
“How dare you speak so disrespectfully! I might not be the Empress, but I’m still a royal…”
“And I told you not to speak so formally when we’re alone.”
“Ugh…”
She had tried to maintain her last shred of dignity, but she had failed miserably.
Elena groaned and turned away, hiding her blushing face.
“…I’ll try, when it’s just the two of us.”
“Good girl. How about a head pat as a reward?”
“…”
Elena didn’t answer verbally, but her silence was a clear affirmation.
Alone in her office, the lights off, enjoying a lap pillow.
Her rivals hadn’t experienced this luxury.
Elena savored the feeling of his hand gently stroking her hair.
This was a first for her, both before and after the regression.
It was something couples did.
Ironically, that thought made it all feel more real.
The confusion and frustration she had been feeling earlier had vanished.
Now, she felt a sense of contentment and elation.
She wanted to stay like this forever.
Too embarrassed to laugh openly, she let out a small giggle.
Rudrick watched her and muttered,
“…You’re so high maintenance.”
“You’re the one who made me this way. It’s all your fault, Rudrick.”
Elena, struggling to contain her laughter, managed to retort.
Nothing else mattered.
If she married Rudrick, she could probably experience this kind of intimacy regularly, even if not every day.
She couldn’t ask for anything more.
Did it matter if it ended up in the history books, or if she couldn’t have him all to herself?
It only took one lap pillow to conquer the proud and strong-willed Elena Esgelant.
Rudrick, who had gone out of his way to comfort Elena, sighed as he stroked her hair.
He couldn’t help but feel amused by her sudden change of heart.
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