I was walking down the hallway towards Kaiquilia’s bedroom, trying to calm my trembling heart. Today, the corridors of the imperial palace felt unusually short.

She had called me to her bedroom, and I had no idea what I might face this time. Still, I couldn’t refuse the Empress’s orders.

“Stay calm.”

At least I was certain that I wasn’t in any danger from Kaiquilia. Even if I accidentally said something wrong a couple of times, it wouldn’t lead to the Empress pulling out the Holy Sword and cutting my head off right then and there.

In the game, traps would often pop up if you weren’t careful, but this was different. Just knowing there was no risk of dying was enough to ease the tension.

After checking the neatness of my uniform one last time, I steeled myself and stood in front of Kaiquilia’s bedroom door. My heart was beating several times faster than usual.

The bedroom door was significantly smaller compared to the one you’d pass through to enter the Central Hall. It was just tall enough that I could walk through without bumping my head.

However, it was just as ornate as you’d expect. The door was made of pure gold, adorned with jewels much larger than my eyes, all perfectly harmonized.

I carefully grasped the elongated golden handle. According to the maid, the moment I touched the handle, the protective magic engraved on the door would activate.

If a being was deemed to have malice or impure intentions, immediate action would be taken, but only Minerva, the caster of the magic, knew the conditions and principles of that action.

After a moment, I heard a click. The locking mechanism had been released. It seemed I wasn’t deemed to have any ill intentions by the protective magic.

“They said it would open automatically if I just waited.”

I released my grip on the handle and waited for the door to fully open. Since it was Kaiquilia who called me, there were no complicated procedures to follow.

While waiting for the door to open, I mentally reviewed the rules Aurora and the Knights Commanders had told me before heading to the palace, as well as the warnings the maid had given.

Walk neither too fast nor too slow. Keep my eyes slightly downward, maintain a straight posture until I kneel to pay respect, and never make eye contact.

Following those guidelines, I entered. As soon as I stepped inside, the door closed behind me with a thud. Click, followed by two more clicks.

‘…Why does it seem like there are more locks than when it was opened?’

Just a feeling, I guess.

Shoving away my uneasy thoughts, I took another step into the bedroom and saw Kaiquilia standing inside.

She had thrown open the window draped with vintage curtains, leaning halfway against the frame as she stared outside, seemingly lost in thought.

‘Her attire…’

However, what she was wearing was entirely different from what I had expected.

Instead of the usual uniform, Kaiquilia was dressed in a formal suit that wrapped her up tightly.

The first thing that caught my eye was the crisp white shirt. All her other clothing was black, making the stark white stand out even more.

When she wore her uniform, her upper chest was prominently displayed, but now, it was entirely covered by the shirt. The lower half, tucked into formal pants, added to her immaculate appearance.

Of course, that didn’t really mean much. Although she wasn’t on the level of Lize or the Pope’s sisters, she still had quite the ample bosom that made its presence known underneath the attire.

The buttons at the front were straining to hold on, practically bursting open. It seemed like her chest was large, or perhaps the shirt was simply too small.

Or maybe it was both.

Thanks to those well-defined curves, the tie that should have rested neatly above her chest was instead floating awkwardly in mid-air, revealing a glimpse of her black lingerie underneath.

The shirt itself seemed rather thin, clearly outlining the silhouette of her underwear. It didn’t even cover half of her chest properly.

The trench coat, which came down to her ankles, hung loosely without even being buttoned, only serving to emphasize the chest that was wedged within.

Moreover, the formal pants hugged her legs so tightly that I wondered if she could even sit down in them. It was a strikingly tight fit reminiscent of the Golden Dusk Knights’ leggings. Her hips and thigh lines were even more pronounced than when she wore her uniform skirt.

‘There’s absolutely no exposure whatsoever.’

Despite the complete lack of exposure, she gave off an incredibly sultry vibe overall.

Her golden pupils locked onto me. The Holy Sword she was holding gradually faded into shimmering light and vanished.

“You arrived right on time.”

“I heard you called for me. May I boldly inquire about your intentions?”

I held back my curiosity. Originally, I wanted to ask why she had changed outfits, but I felt that I wouldn’t get a proper answer anyway. Or she might propose some ridiculous terms of exchange instead.

Kaiquilia scanned me from head to toe, then stepped away from the window and began walking toward me. With each step, click-click echoed through the room.

“I shall give you a command.”

“What is your command?”

I asked back, feeling extremely tense. I had no idea what orders I might receive.

Kaiquilia turned around, showing her back to me and twisting her hips while slightly spreading her arms, enhancing the curve of her butt and waist.

“Strip.”

“…Huh?”

“I commanded you to undress me. You may start with this coat.”

My brain halted for a moment. I genuinely couldn’t comprehend that command. Suddenly, she was telling me to take off her clothes? Why?

“The maid can do it much better—”

As I babbled clumsily, Kaiquilia’s head snapped toward me. Her golden pupils turned significantly colder than before.

“I wish to shed this suffocating outfit right now. Are you suggesting that you intend to defy my command?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Then prove it through action.”

With that, she turned her head away again. I hesitantly stepped closer to her. Even though I was merely approaching, a subtle scent of perfume wafted through the air.

Now that I was closer, I debated where to grab. If I grasped the collar, it would be as if I was grabbing the Empress’s neck, and if I went for the front, it would result in an awkward posture.

‘…Still, the latter seems better than the former.’

Having made up my mind, I brought my hands forward, careful not to make contact with her body, and stealthily grabbed the front of her coat near her collarbone.

Inextricably, I found myself half-hugging her from behind, and I worried about whether she might get angry, but unexpectedly, Kaiquilia showed no reaction.

As my hands brushed against her collarbone and shoulders, the only reaction I received was silence.

The collar and shoulder seams of the coat slid down. Suddenly, the fragrance of Kaiquilia, trapped between the shirt and coat, flooded my senses. It smelled sweet like honey.

For a moment, I felt dizzy. I forced myself to stay focused, trying to shift my thoughts elsewhere as I attempted to completely remove the coat, but I stumbled because my arm got caught somewhere.

It was her slightly bent elbow.

Even attempting to remove the coat proved impossible since her elbow was positioned upwards. Stuck in this dilemma, I found Kaiquilia’s head turning slightly towards me.

“What are you doing?”

“…Your Highness, the arm—”

“Are you giving commands to me now? How incredibly presumptuous.”

“No, that’s not it…”

Even in that position, I tried to find a way to get the coat off, but it was a futile endeavor. With the coat on, it was physically impossible to remove it without tearing it apart.

“You’re being quite the nuisance. I’ll have to give the command myself.”

“….”

“Come closer.”

“Huh?”

“I commanded you to come closer.”

Kaiquilia grasped my arm and pulled me forward. In an instant, I was yanked right over to her.

My chest pressed against her back, and her butt made contact with my groin. My lower body reacted instinctively to the sensation of her soft form.

The sweet aroma became even more potent. The slightly damp feeling of her shirt made contact with my chest.

I was almost completely embracing Kaiquilia from behind.

“Your Highness, this is…”

“It’s enough with the coat now.”

Kaiquilia’s hand casually lifted the tie. Then she pulled my hand toward her shirt’s buttons, which were straining to hold on.

“This part is even more suffocating, so you should untie this first.”