But before she could get back up, I lunged onto her and began to tickle her again.
"AHH! MERCY! HAHAHA! MERCY! MERCY!" She shouted, and so I climbed on top of her stomach as she laid down on the bed, her back pressed against the soft sheets.
"I win," I said while smirking, and she chuckled a bit before suddenly sweeping me off of her and then dashing out of the room.
"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE MY TICKLES!" I shouted as I chased her down the hallway.
…
And so, a few months had finally passed, and the ceremony, which I had eventually learned was more of a feast, had begun.
Ysal made me shapeshift into a sun drake, so I didn't have to worry about getting into any trouble, and I then followed her up the massive palace to a familiar room.
Knock knock knock knock
"Yes! Come in!" A voice sweeter than honey suddenly called out from inside the room, and my ears perked up upon hearing her.
"Oh, what's up," I said as I entered the room first, and the empress was a bit on guard, but it was soon lowered after seeing Ysal enter right after me.
They had a very close relationship, so it wasn't surprising that she felt more comfortable around her, but her eyes still shifted towards me with suspicion.
"What's up with her?" The empress asked.
"She is my very special person…." Ysal replied with a warm smile before wrapping her arm around my shoulder and bringing me in close to her.
She then gave the signal to reveal my true form, and upon stripping myself of the illusion, she wasn't very surprised.
"So my eyes were tripping balls," The empress chuckled a bit before sitting on the corner of her bed, and I had picked up a few things from the maids and from my etiquette class, so I walked over to the empty tea and began to brew some refreshments.
The empress quickly tried to make me stop as she said the maids could just make it, but I insisted since I wanted to get on her good side.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe and Ysal then began to converse, and the empress even asked me a few questions, to which I replied with only simple answers.
Ysal might trust her, but I don't really trust her as she had authority over my girlfriend, and she could basically do whatever she wanted to her.
Oh yeah, Ysal is the dragon that all the nobles and some royals were talking about. Apparently, she was tamed the first time they met.
Ysal was completely smashed to the ground under the weight of the empress' amazing sun gravity magic, which is a power that nobody in this entire empire can match.
"Oh yeah, do you have a husband?" I asked the empress in a more casual tone as I brought over their tea and a small plate of sugar cubes.
"Indeed I do, but he is elsewhere right now. The morale in the outer cities is slowly diminishing due to the increased attacks from the demons… that's right. I was going to ask you if you had any connections to these… demons," The empress said, and the pressure being emitted from her body was so heavy that it made the ground under me crack.
Wow… This… This… This is a sturdy floor we're standing on.
But with a few enhancements via my skills, I was able to stand up boldly before her though it seems I didn't need to push any farther as Ysal quickly smacked the empress on the shoulder.
"Stop! What are you doing, Samantha!?" Ysal shouted and quickly ran over to me before checking my body for any wounds.
I quickly informed my cute girlfriend that I wasn't harmed at all, but she still proceeded to thoroughly check me just in case.
It was a funny and cute sight seeing Ysal panic so much, and it seems the empress could agree as she was currently laughing her ass off.
"HAHAHAHA! Geez! It was just a joke, you idiot!" The empress continued to laugh, and Ysal blushed in embarrassment.
"Arpious… She keeps bullying me," Ysal whined into my collarbone, and I just chuckled a bit after meeting eye contact with the empress, who was beginning to calm down.
After also calming down my cute girlfriend, we eventually made our way to the top of the palace, where a massive room with hundreds of seats had been laid out.
Three of the four walls were made entirely of glass, and the one remaining wall was an entirely open wall that led to the top of the clouds.
"I didn't know the palace went this high," I muttered as I stood next to the empress.
Ysal went somewhere else for the time being as she said she needed to prepare something… and boy, oh boy, was I in for a surprise as soon as a massive and beautiful yellow dragon came flying into the room.
It landed next to me with its large muscular and scaly body flexing, and Ysal winked at me once before returning to her human form.
But, this time, she was even more beautiful than before, and she even had a yellow dragon tail with cool rigid black horns coming out from the sides of her forehead.
"What was that all about?" I asked the empress as Ysal quickly left the room without even saying goodbye.
"She was just rehearsing and stirring up some excitement within the citizens and nobles. Also, we're the only ones who know that Ysal is acting as a duchess, so don't tell anybody,"
"I was already planning on doing that," I replied, and after a few hours, a few nobles and three royals came waltzing in with a single bodyguard.
I had also made sure to place the sun drake illusion over my body once again.
Everybody looked as arrogant and haughty as ever, but I just ignored their unanimous bragging and asked the empress yet another question.
"Ummm… Ysal said she had a husband and children before, but is that true? Was that just a part of her persona as a duchess, or did her entire family actually get slaughtered?" I asked the empress, who looked at me with a bit of shock.
"It is most definitely true… Her entire family of dragons was slaughtered, and she was forced to be a guardian for this empire. She was conquered and branded by the first empress of this empire and has been forced to serve it for the rest of her long existence,"
"She… never told me any of that," I muttered, a bit disappointed in myself because it seems she doesn't trust me that much yet.
Though it seems the empress was watching me carefully as she soon got rid of my worries.
"Oh, don't worry. She definitely cares and trusts you, but she's just a bit sensitive about it, so I doubt she was going to tell you herself. In fact, she might even be a bit embarrassed since she keeps up this strong and amazing persona when you get to finally have a close relationship with her… and her being conquered just doesn't sound that nice. It pretty much just contradicts everything she's built up," The empress chuckled a bit.
"That is a bit funny," I muttered, and we shared a bit of a laugh.
"Oh yeah… can I see your status?" She suddenly asked, and I deadpanned before sighing and just bringing it up.
Maybe I should just have it always open? Would people then be happy?
『Status』
[Name: Arpious]
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm[Race: 10 Faced Devourer of Demons]
[Status: None]
[Servants: 7]
[Subordinates: 7]
[Pets: 9]
[Level: 49/150]
[HP: 1000/1000 MP: 1500/1500 SP: 1400/1400]
[Strength: 350(+5) (+25) (+25) (+25) (+215)]
[Defense: 150 (+5)]
[Magic: 300 (+25) (+25) (+25) (+115)]
[Speed: 350(+5) (+25) (+25) (+25) (+115)]
[Luck: 5]
[Charisma: 75]
[Skills: [Forbidden Magic: ******] [Forbidden Magic: Zeus's Nimbus] [Forbidden Magic: Medusa] [Inspect] [Gluttons Stomach] [Concentration] [Evolution Switch] [Gold Manipulation] [Assimilation] [Forbidden Magic: Hermes] [Invisible Grand Flying Sense] [Ancient Reproduction Art] [Summon: Phoenix] [Summon: Walking Jungle Hydra] [Summon: Overlord Deer] [Summon: Overlord Wolf] [Grand Mind Magic] [Forbidden Magic: Midas] [Summon: Golden Mountain Bear] [Grand Water Magic] [True Queen Overlords Dominating Presence] [Forbidden Magic: Skadi] [Twilight Dragons Vampiric Breath] [Divinity Domain (.05/100)] [Grand Assassins Perfect State] [Immovable Army's Frozen Armor] [Grand Jewel Manipulation] [Grand Jewelers Perfect State] [Godly Senses: 8] [Throne World: Purgatory] [Godly Immunity: 5] [Summon: Blood Slime Wings] [Apocalyptic Weapon Swing] [Heavenly War Flag of the True Hero] [Summon: Heavenly Royal Charred Unicorn] [Weak Celestial Bone Dive] [Weak Celestial Bone Creation] [Aphrodisiac Resistance] [Abyss Magic] [Ten Masks of Emotions] [Unparreled Slash] [Unparraled Walk] [Map of The Plane of Twilight] [Plane Guardians Teleportation] [Instant Foot Smash] [Apocolyptic Weather Manipulation] [Sirens Apostle: Forbidden Healing] [Icicle Thread and Needle] [Sirens Apostle: Forbidden Enhancement] [Sirens Apostle: Forbidden Flame] [Shadow Teleportation] [Ground Devourer] [Drilling Claws] [Art of Illusions] [Body Acceleration] [Body Strengthen] [Speed Enhancer] [Muscle Enhancer]
[Body Modification: [Great Wings of the Primordial Hunters Descendant] [Cursed and Blessed Tattoos] [Piranhas Spiny Fin Wings] [Bat Wings] [Aquatic Body] [Monster of Monsters Body] [Ice Dragon Wings] [Divine Mark] [Divinity Trait: Forbidden Magic] [Bloodline of the Devourer of Worlds] [Muscles of The Plane] [Tendons of The Plane]
[Mastered Weapons: [Scythe]
[Soul Equipment: [Fire of Deaths Sword: Raiu] [Fire of Deaths Armour: Araes Dress] [Anapofeyktos Thanatos]
[Equipment: [Queens Crown] [Green Ring of Twilight] [Purple Ring of Twilight] [Blue Ring of Twilight]
[Titles: [Blessed by the ********* Spirit of *************] [Savage Assassin] [Heartless] [Blessed by a Star] [Chief of the Fire Harpies] [Blessed by the Overlord Spirit of Curses] [Blessed by the Phoenix Mountain Guardian] [Blessed by the Overlord Spirit of Blessings] [Strong Willed] [Catastrophic Level Monster (2814 / 20000)] [Blessed by the Moon] [Blessed by the Emperor Spirit of Gold] [Ruler of the Mountain of Twilight] [Blessed by the Emperor Spirit of Ice] [Blessed by the Emperor Spirit of Snow] [Blessed by Mother Nature] [Alchemist] [Saintess] [True Hero] [Grand Holy Healer] [Grand Bowswoman] [Hard Worker] [Commander] [Respectable Figure] [Grand Assassin] [Blessed by the Overlord Spirit of Light] [Grand Swordsman] [Grand Spearman] [Enchantress] [Jewelry Designer] [Jewelry Maker] [One Who Lost Their Pride] [Naturally Talented] [Godly Spearman] [Respectable Figure] [Godly Swordsman] [One with the Earth] [Plane Guardian] [Enemy of the Succubi]
…
"Yeah… My [Inspect] isn't working on you, so sorry about this," The empress apologized, and I just smiled gently.