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Chapter 262: Interlude – The Empress’s Reward (2)
The stillness in the room was palpable.
“…Huh?”
Camellia, the Empress, tilted her head slightly, gazing down at me with a puzzled expression.
“Did I not tell you to lick it? Why are you just sitting there?”
Sway, sway.
Like a coin used for hypnosis, her bare, alabaster foot wavered before my eyes.
“…Is this the reward you spoke of?”
“The opportunity to lick the Empress’s foot—is that not the greatest reward of all?”
“…….”
“Fufu. Or could it be that you’re feeling shy? Don’t worry. My heart is as vast as the sea.”
“No, that’s not….”
What the hell is she even talking about?
“Do not waste your breath with excuses. I am well aware that men consider it a reward to be trampled under the feet of a powerful woman.”
“…Where exactly did you hear that from?”
“Fufu. Are you curious?”
Camellia smirked and activated her Hero Watch.
A blue holographic window appeared midair, displaying the highly suspicious words: “The Society of Those Who Wish to Be Trampled by the Empress.”
“…What the…?”
“According to Lionel, it seems there is a recent trend among the candidates at the Hero Academy—a sort of virtual gathering through Hero Watch… Something they call a community.”
“Well… that’s true, but still….”
I had never heard of such a deranged community before.
“After some investigation, I discovered that there is indeed a group of Academy candidates who revere me.”
“…And that’s the group? The… Society of Those Who Wish to Be Trampled by the Empress?”
“Indeed.”
“…….”
I was already aware that there were plenty of Academy candidates who worshipped the Empress.
‘Honestly, it would be strange if there weren’t.’
Think about it.
The most powerful figure on the continent, possessing divine beauty and strength that earned her the title demigod.
How could she not have admirers?
Of course, there were also rumors about her… peculiar personality.
But paired with her empress status, most considered it an “endearing quirk”.
Still.
No matter how you looked at it—
‘A society that wants to be trampled by the Empress? What the hell is wrong with you people?’
A community that lurked in the darkest shadows of the candidate society.
Faced with the swirling, anonymous depravity of their collective desires, I couldn’t help but shudder.
“There were many who claimed they would die without regret if they could be stepped on by my feet, even just once.”
…Kids.
What kind of insane crap did you write in there?
“However, no matter what they say, it felt a little uncomfortable to trample upon a loyal servant who had carried out his duty so faithfully.”
“…So you came up with licking instead?”
“Fufu. There were also plenty of voices in the community who wished to lick instead of being trampled.”
“…….”
I’m going to lose my mind.
“In any case. I am already fully aware of what young male candidates such as yourself desire. So, stop being shy and place your lips upon my foot.”
“No, it’s not that….”
“Or perhaps… you would rather be trampled?”
“No, that’s not it either….”
How could I possibly explain to her that only a minuscule fraction of the candidates were depraved enough to participate in such a disturbing community?
“…Let’s just skip the reward for now. After all, the recent incident was partially my fault as well.”
“…What?”
Camellia’s expression wavered.
She clearly had not even considered the possibility that I might refuse her reward.
She slowly withdrew her outstretched foot, tucking it back with an uncertain motion.
“C-Could it be that… you were not satisfied with my reward?”
“No, it’s not that….”
“Then why are you rejecting it?”
“…….”
“Could it be… that you do not find me… appealing?”
For the first time, a flicker of vulnerability flashed across her face.
Her eyes, which had always brimmed with confidence, now trembled with uncertainty—like a frightened child.
I bit my lip, feeling a sudden wave of disbelief.
‘No, this… this isn’t like you, Your Majesty.’
The woman who once spoke as though all of creation rested beneath her heel, who believed that everything she desired would inevitably fall into her grasp—why was she suddenly acting like this timid, fragile thing?
‘Or… is this her true face?’
The real Camellia—the one hidden beneath the mask of the Empress.
I was suddenly reminded of the day I sneaked into her quarters in search of a secret passage.
‘Compared to her extravagant reception hall, her private room was shockingly humble.’
It occurred to me that perhaps she had spent her entire life trying to live up to the grandeur of the title Empress—forcing herself to be imposing, dignified, and cold.
“…I’m sorry. I must have gotten ahead of myself again….”
Her voice was barely above a whisper, her face crestfallen.
She lightly trembled, as if she were about to break.
In that moment, she reminded me of Lanez.
I couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.
I never thought I’d see the Empress—of all people—mirror Lanez’s vulnerability.
“…Why do you laugh?”
“Haha. No, it’s nothing.”
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At any rate—
I couldn’t let her turn into a second Lanez.
‘Camellia is one of the most pivotal people I’ve changed the fate of. More than anyone else, she’ll shape the future.’
Even the Tri-Nation Alliance—which should have been formed far later—was established over a decade early thanks to her.
For the sake of our future cooperation, I needed to lift her spirits.
“The reward wasn’t displeasing, Your Majesty.”
“R-Really?”
"Yes. This might be a bit embarrassing to say, but… Her Majesty has exceptionally beautiful legs."
It wasn’t just flattery.
Before meeting her, if anyone had asked me who had the finest legs, I would have answered without hesitation: Professor Elisha.
But now, I wasn’t so sure.
Like Professor Elisha, Camellia also had a tall and slender figure, and her stunning legs were so captivating that it felt almost hypnotic just to look at them.
“Ah, beauti—!”
Camellia’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Uuuaaaahhh!”
Letting out a strange, unintelligible moan, she flailed her legs in the air.
“Ahem! S-so, why did you refuse the reward?”
“Uh… well.”
How was I supposed to explain this?
“I… prefer kneading over licking or being trampled.”
Ah, to hell with it.
“Kneading… you say?”
“How about I simply give you a light foot massage as your reward instead?”
“Hmm. Are you sure you’ll be satisfied with just that?”
“Yes.”
That was right.
Compared to being stepped on or licking her feet, giving her a massage seemed far more bearable.
“Well, if that’s what you prefer, then so be it.”
With a casual expression, the Empress gracefully extended her leg again.
I slowly wrapped my hands around her pale, delicate foot.
“Haa….”
Twitch.
Camellia’s body trembled slightly.
“Are you all right?”
“Y-yes. Continue.”
Following her command, I resumed my motions.
“Ugh, kuh… haah…!”
Knead, knead.
With each stroke, Camellia’s breaths grew heavier, her voice thick with moisture.
She glanced down at her own leg with a look of disbelief.
‘W-why does this feel so good?’
She had received foot massages from the imperial handmaidens countless times before, so she hadn’t thought much of it.
But every time Dale’s hands moved, an electric thrill coursed through her body, as though she were riding on the clouds of heaven.
‘H-he’s not even that skilled….’
Surely, the imperial handmaidens—trained in professional massage techniques—were far more skilled.
And yet.
Whenever Dale’s hands touched her, her entire body heated up.
‘I knew I had feelings for him, but….’
She hadn’t realized just how deeply she had fallen for him.
‘How strange.’
Yes, he had saved her life.
But even so, she hadn’t expected to be this utterly drawn to him.
‘It must have been that time….’
She slowly closed her eyes and recalled the memory.
The day she had executed a loyal retainer with her own hands.
In the dark cave, when he had silently offered her a cup of wine.
Back then, he had said—
"When you lose someone precious, anyone would grieve."
Yes.
That’s what he had told her.
He had seen her not as an empress, not as the ruler of an empire, but simply as a person.
‘Come to think of it, he was the first….’
Born the daughter of an emperor, she had been at the center of power from the moment she drew her first breath.
After awakening to the Blessing of the Seven Stars, she had ascended to the pinnacle of authority.
No one had ever seen her as a mere human.
She had always been revered as a demigod—an empress who carried the weight of the empire.
And so.
She had lived up to those expectations.
No—she had to.
For all the people who trusted and followed her, she could not allow herself to be simply human.
‘How foolish.’
And yet, just because someone had seen her as human, she was now utterly captivated.
Like some naive young girl falling for a predictable, cliched love story.
‘Even so….’
So what if it was childish?
So what if it was obvious?
“That’s enough.”
Camellia slowly reached out and cupped Dale’s cheek in her hand.
A warmth she had never felt before seeped into the depths of his heart.
‘I won’t let you go.’
For the first time in her life, she felt a desperate longing.
A searing flame of desire burned fiercely in her chest.
‘But I won’t rush this time.’
She had already made the mistake of being too hasty once.
She wasn’t foolish enough to repeat it.
‘Slowly.’
Step by step, carefully, she would draw closer to him.
And then…
‘I will make you mine.’
Everything she had ever desired had ended up in her hands.
That was the life she had lived—and the life she would continue to live.
‘So this time, too.’
It would be no different.
‘I’m sure you mentioned having three lovers already.’
The saintess of the Holy Kingdom, the daughter of the Archbishop of Frost, and the Spider of the Abyss.
‘If I join, that makes four, doesn’t it?’
Hmm.
Cutting it close, but still acceptable.
‘At least it won’t be five.’
Satisfied with that thought, Camellia nodded to herself and smiled.
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