Chapter 326: Establishing Relationships Interlude



“How long will that monster stay here…?”

“Princess Sophiel…”

Lumia muttered in extreme worry, her usual composure shaken as she gazed at her ever- graceful master-reduced to a state she had never seen before.

Sophiel, draped in layers of blankets as if they could shield her from the outside world, had barely left her room since that day.

Even when she did, the moment she heard anything-anything-related to Lady Rose, she would immediately shut herself away again.

Lumia couldn’t blame her.

Not after that traumatic experience.

Though neither of them had been directly harmed, the sheer weight of that overwhelming presence still clung to their bodies like a phantom.

The suffocating force of Rose’s mana had been… unlike anything they had ever encountered. If it hadn’t been for Rose restraining herself-actively preventing the full brunt of her power from consuming the room entirely-Lumia was certain they would have been completely crushed under it.

Yet, even with Rose’s restraint, the damage had already been done.

Mana was not just energy-it was will, an extension of one’s existence.

When opposing forces of mana clashed, it was much like the body rejecting a foreign virus.

And Rose’s mana had been an invasive force of nature.

The moment her presence flooded that space, Sophiel and Lumia’s own mana had instinctively fought back, trying to repel the overwhelming foreign energy that threatened to consume them.

But there had been no competition.

Rose’s mana didn’t just suppress theirs-it threatened to swallow them whole.

Even now, days later, the phantom sensation lingered.

That suffocating weight.

The way their mana had forcibly tried to shut down their bodies, like a survival instinct trying to spare them from an impossible battle.

Sophiel’s days had become an endless cycle of stress and frustration.

Ever since that anomaly-Riley-entered her life, nothing had gone the way she had planned.

Not only did he bring with him a mystery she had yet to solve, but he also dragged along the one person she loathed the most.

As if that wasn’t enough, his presence alone had thrown all of her carefully laid-out plans into disarray, forcing her to constantly adjust, rethink, and remake strategies that had once seemed foolproof.

And now… even Rose had entered the fray.

Sophiel had never anticipated Rose would become such a traumatic presence in her life.

She had never expected anyone to have such a suffocating impact on her existence.

Everything was slipping from her grasp.

Despite paying the ultimate price-her very life-for the sake of controlling her fate, she had received no answers to the questions that tormented her.

Every attempt at uncovering the truth only led her back to the same, unchanging cycle.

It was as if the world itself was mocking her.

The Emperor.

The Duke.

The Empress.

Her ever-detestable sisters.

Everyone had their eyes on Riley.

Everyone saw something in him, something she couldn’t fully grasp yet.

But the most frustrating thing of all…

-Thump.

-Thump.

…was that she, too, was drawn to him.

It was infuriating.

She wanted to understand. She needed to know him better.

She wanted to demand answers about her dreams-the visions the demonic mirror had shown

her of the future.

Why had fate intertwined their paths in such a way?

Why had their destinies taken that shape?

By now, she should have found some answers.

But there was one infuriating problem preventing her from doing so.

“Is elder sister with him again…?”

“Yes… a long side lady Rose your highness”

Riley was constantly surrounded by Snow and Rose.

As her eyes eventually landed upon one specific mirror.

Sophiel’s purple eyes gleamed.

She couldn’t help but sigh internally wondering if she should just risk it all… and find the

immediate answer towards all her questions.

Afterall, she had the exact means to do so….

—–

Today marked my final day in the imperial palace.

My stay had lasted far longer than I originally anticipated, yet in the end, it had been unexpectedly rewarding.

Several problems plaguing the empire had been resolved-almost inadvertently-through my actions, and, more importantly, I had successfully prevented an inevitable bad end on

Snow’s route.

Her father’s curse-one that would have eventually led to disastrous consequences-was miraculously lifted overnight by the goddess.

A single event had completely altered the trajectory of fate.

With all the skills and abilities gifted to me by the other versions of myself, I was no longer the same person who first arrived here.

Now, I finally had a fighting chance against the absolute world-destroying entity that loomed over this world’s future.

The miracle the goddess had embedded within me still remained my ultimate trump card-a last resort in case everything fell apart.

My growth was undeniable.

I had reached a level where I could comfortably battle against most of the world’s strongest

monsters.

While I still lagged behind true prodigies-the so-called “geniuses” of this world-it was no

longer to the extent that I would struggle just to keep up with them.

Things had changed-not just physically, but mentally as well.

That trial had forced me to grow in ways I hadn’t expected.

Though it had left me with more questions than answers, one thing remained clear.

I knew exactly what I had to do.

“Matters regarding marriage always seem to be complicated, no matter the times,” the emperor mused, his voice carrying the weight of experience.

I took a sip of tea before offering a lighthearted response. “I think marriages are rather simple, your majesty…”

His eyes narrowed slightly in amusement. “Hoh? Are you saying it’s nothing but a simple matter of respect, for a man and a woman to join together?”

I shook my head. “No, not at all. The essence of marriage-the connection, the feelings, the warmth, and love-all of that is important. But beyond that deep interior, at its surface… marriage is, in the end, a simple event. It’s about earning the respect and recognition of both parties’ loved ones, an official declaration of unity between two people.”

“Then wouldn’t a private wedding, with no connection to one’s family, be a contradiction to

your beliefs?”

I exhaled softly, swirling the tea in my cup before taking another sip. “Well… I guess so…” The emperor chuckled, a knowing look in his eyes.

Right now, I was back inside his office, seated before him with a discussion I had long

anticipated the inevitable conversation regarding my relationships with Snow, Rose, and

the other girls.

I had expected him to summon me at some point during my stay in the palace, but what I

hadn’t expected was for him to give me this much time.

And now, just when I was about to return to the academy, he finally called me in.

Was this his way of paying respect to Snow and Rose?

Over the past few days, they had done little aside from nagging at each other occasionally and

showering me with a lot of affection.

The emperor’s demeanor was surprisingly composed.

I had expected him to bombard me with questions, demand explanations, and perhaps even

berate me for what could technically be considered cheating on his daughter.

Yet here he was, sipping his tea with an air of dignified calm, his gaze scanning a set of

documents as if my words had been nothing more than a passing breeze.

‘Did something happen?’

Honestly, I had also anticipated the Duke’s presence, considering that I needed to resolve

matters regarding Liyana as well.

However, I had been informed that he had returned to the duchy just the day before yesterday

-the exact day I had established my relationship with Rose.

It was almost poetic. The emperor finally spoke, his voice laced with dry amusement. “Marrying all of them at once… I don’t know whether you’re brave, foolish, or just outright

dense. No… at this point, you’re probably a mix of all three. But you do understand the absurdity of your words, right, Riley?”

I met his gaze and answered without hesitation.

“Yes.”

Just like in the game, this was the only way for me to gain proper recognition from the

emperor without becoming ensnared by the countless traditions and rigid rules established over the empire’s thousand-year history.

By simply making a new rule-a new decision, so to speak.

A path that had never been taken before.

“Although your actions have resolved some of the basic questions regarding your

relationship with the girls, that doesn’t change the fact that you are openly challenging a

tradition that has existed for over a thousand years,” the emperor said, his voice carrying the weight of generations.

“With or without purpose, problems will arise. Your recognition will be questioned. And,

most importantly, doubts about your true intentions will surface. Do you really believe you can just claim to love all of them equally without personal motives being scrutinized? Do you truly think you can garner enough recognition and respect for others to remain silent about this? Will you be able to protect your lovers from the cold knife of society…?”

He placed his teacup down with a soft clink against the porcelain saucer, his piercing gaze searching for any trace of uncertainty in me.

Harem dynamics were nothing new within the empire.

In fact, neighboring countries had long adopted similar customs, and even the Holy Kingdom -an institution built on religious purity-was not immune to such political arrangements. However, there had always been an unspoken rule that defined order within these marriages:

position. Position dictated status.

Position dictated hierarchy.

Position dictated stability.

Within the empire, harem marriages had never been about love alone.

They were about control, about securing alliances, and ensuring that chaos did not spread

among the powerful.

Even if I attempted to handle this matter through sheer force of will, there would still be conflicts regarding authority, influence, and favoritism.

The emperor’s words held undeniable truths, but in the end, they were still shackled by the falsified and unnecessary restrictions that the empire had imposed upon itself for centuries.

I pondered his question for a moment before nodding, allowing a small smile to tug at the

corner of my lips.

“Yes, I do,” I answered, unwavering.

The emperor raised an eyebrow. “Ho~? And how exactly do you intend to do that?”

“By getting the goddess on my side,” I stated simply.

The emperor blinked. “Huh?”

Just like how the Harem End was established without issue in the game, all one truly needed

was a voice that held more authority than anyone else in this world.

And in this case, there was only one person in existence who could project the will and power

of the goddess onto this world without facing severe consequences.

“The Saintess,” I said, meeting the emperor’s gaze with confidence.

“The Saintess will vouch for my love for all of them.”

“Kuku-Kuhahahahaha!”

The emperor’s laughter rang through the chamber, shattering the dignified silence that had

loomed over our conversation.

His usual composed demeanor crumbled as he leaned back, thoroughly amused by the

absurdity of my words.

The mere notion of involving the goddess of dragging divine intervention into something

as humanly political as marriage-was so utterly ridiculous that he likely hadn’t even

considered it a possibility.

“You really are one stupid fool, Riley,” he said between bouts of laughter, wiping a stray tear

from the corner of his eye. “But I like it… Now I can see why Snow acts the way she does

around you.” Whether his words were a compliment or a veiled jab, I wasn’t entirely sure.

But the warm smile he gave me so rare and uncharacteristic of the emperor-was confirmation enough that I had, in some way, earned his approval. Even if things didn’t go as planned…

Even if the entire empire turned its back on me… ‘Since when had the opinions of shitty people mattered?’

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