Aquaris Naiadae Empire
“Hiss!!”
“Tsk,” Empress Marisandra clicked her tongue, her frustration palpable as she reached out towards Snowflake, the small snake cradled carefully in the arms of her maid… Celestia, “Why won’t this thing come to me?” Her tone was sharp.
Celestia let out an awkward chuckle.
She glanced down at the creature in her arms, its beady eyes watching the Empress with what could only be described as an amused gleam. “Perhaps,” she began carefully, choosing her words, “she doesn’t appreciate being called a ‘thing’… Your Majesty.”
The Empress’s frown deepened.
Leaning back against the plush cushions of her bed, she sighed, shifting her gaze to the stack of reports waiting for her attention.
‘A lot going on… ah,’ she mused as her eyes scanned the reports.
But her eyes kept straying to Snowflake, who was now happily entwining itself around Celestia’s fingers, completely ignoring the Empress.
Celestia’s voice broke the silence, a gentle reminder of the conversation they had earlier “Your Majesty, Aether is still unconscious due to the incident. I’ve been taking care of Snowflake for the time being.”
The Empress nodded absentmindedly, her attention barely on Celestia’s words, “I see…”
“Fatttherrrr~~?” Snowflake’s tiny, lonely voice cut through the room.
Celestia smiled, She gently stroked the top of Snowflake’s head, her touch tender and soothing, “Your father, Aether, is resting now,” she explained softly, “You’ll see him soon, little one.”
“Reallyyyyy~?”
“Yes!”
“HISSSS~” Snowflake hissed, this time with a tone of happiness.
The Empress, however, couldn’t share in the lightness of the moment. She returned to the reports with a growing sense of unease, ‘Why are there no abnormal activities around Aether?’ she thought, her brows furrowing in confusion.
Usually, the reports would contain at least one strange occurrence… whether it was Aether feeding wild animals…. talking to himself in the dead of night, or, more often than not, being chased by some creature or another.
But now… nothing!!
‘Has he finally turned normal, or…?’ She couldn’t finish the thought. The idea of Aether being anything other than his usual unpredictable self was almost more concerning than his odd behaviours. She cast a sidelong glance at Celestia, “How is my daughter?”
Celestia stopped playing with Snowflake, her expression becoming more formal as she addressed the Empress, “The Princess is doing exceptionally well, Your Majesty. She’s excelling in her academics, and during the recent crisis, she performed admirably… just as you would expect.”
The Empress nodded, a small, proud smile tugging at her lips. But before she could allow herself to fully bask in this moment of maternal pride, Celestia’s voice wavered.
“However…” Celestia hesitated.
The Empress’s gaze sharpened her instincts on high alert, “However… what?”
Celestia bit her lip, her pale face betraying the anxiety she felt, “She’s been… acting strangely around Aether…”
The Empress’s frown returned, “What do you mean, ‘strangely’?”
Celestia’s hands trembled slightly as she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. “The Princess… she’s been getting closer to Aether…”
“Closer?”
“Y-Yes,” Celestia stammered, “She’s been… hugging his hand, kissing his cheeks… and…”
“And?”
“Gulp” Celestia swallowed hard, the sound audible in the heavy stillness of the room, “R-Rubbing his… thighs…”
For a moment, the Empress said nothing. Her face was an unreadable mask!
Finally, the Empress spoke, “Did this start after Kai kissed that commoner girl?” The question was posed with a chilling calm.
She had already sent a notice to the Velc family for answers regarding their son’s actions.
Celestia nodded, her head bowing slightly as if in apology, “Y-Yes, Your Majesty. Ever since that day… she’s been acting… closer to Aether.”
The Empress’s mind whirled with conflicting thoughts. ‘Is she trying to make Kai jealous?’ The idea seemed absurd at first—her daughter was far too intelligent, too calculated, to act out of petty jealousy. And yet… ‘No, that can’t be it. She’s my daughter, she wouldn’t stoop to such behaviour… would she?’
The thoughts tumbled over each other, but before she could reach any conclusion, Celestia’s voice cut through once more, “Your Majesty… I might have an idea.”
The Empress’s gaze snapped back to her, eyes sharp as daggers, “Speak.” when it comes to her daughter… she was dead serious!
Celestia took a deep breath, “M-Maybe… she’s simply curious about the male body?”
The Empress didn’t immediately respond rather her expression was one of contemplation. She knew, perhaps better than anyone, that curiosity—whether innocent or not—was a natural part of growing up. ‘Male or female… anyone can become curious about the other… It’s all part of… puberty.’
But before she could ponder further, Celestia added, her voice barely more than a whisper, “Or… she might be seeing Aether… in a different way?”
The Empress’s expression hardened instantly, her thoughts snapping into sharp focus.
Celestia smiled inwardly. She had delivered exactly as Aether had asked. She wondered why he was doing this; shouldn’t he capture the Princess’s heart and body secretly, without her mother knowing? Otherwise, it would become hard for him to pursue the Empress.
However, only Aether knew what he was doing!
‘Well, Whatever…’ She shrugged she believed her chosen man would do the impossible… Possible!
‘Could it be…?’ Empress didn’t want to finish the thought, didn’t want to acknowledge the possibility that her daughter might be developing feelings for Aether…
She let the silence stretch, a cold dread settling in her chest, before asking her maid to retrieve something from the royal magicians.
Celestia bowed and hurried from the room, leaving Snowflake behind. The small snake watched the Empress with unblinking eyes, its tiny body still as stone.
“What?” Empress asked.
Snowflake simply stared at her and Slowly, cautiously, the little snake began to slither towards her… The Empress’s eyes widened in surprise, she lowered her hand, hesitantly offering it to Snowflake.
The creature paused as if considering, before finally coiling itself around her fingers, its body warm and surprisingly soft. The Empress smiled, a genuine, gentle curve of her lips as she lifted Snowflake closer to her face.
As she examined the snake, she noticed something she hadn’t before—four stars embedded in the golden crystal on its head. ‘She’s around level 60… ah,’ the Empress realized, ‘What on earth has Aether been feeding you, little one?’
“~hiss~”
‘Cute!’ The thought burst forth and a faint blush dusted her cheeks. But as she gazed at Snowflake, she couldn’t help but notice the intensity of the little snake’s stare…
“Why are you staring at me, little girl?” The Empress asked, her voice a tender murmur as she gently rubbed her finger under Snowflake’s head, eliciting a soft purr from the creature before,
“Mootthherrrr~”
“…”
For a moment, the Empress was frozen, her mind struggling to process what she had just heard.
Had the little snake just… called her mother?
!~Ding~!
[+600 AP]
[Survival rate: 51.2%↓]
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TEACHING, BRAT!!!” Empress suddenly shouted, her voice filled with a mix of fury, disbelief, and… something else… her cheeks turned bright red!
…
…..
Back at the Academy
“Has the bell been reconstructed?” the Principal asked her voice firm as she walked through the ruins of the academy.
Delphine, who had been overseeing the restoration efforts, “Yes, Principal. The bell has been fully reconstructed, and the other buildings will take about three or more days to be completed.”
The Principal nodded in response, her gaze sweeping over the scene before her. The reconstruction team was working tirelessly, their dedication evident in every stroke of a hammer and every brick laid.
The academy was set to be restored within a week.. a feat that was remarkably fast considering the extent of the damage. But for the Principal… felt agonizingly slow.
No one wanted to see their hard work being broken!
Yet, there was one sight that brought a genuine smile to her lips…
“The students… they’re helping with the reconstruction,” she observed.
She had given the students a week’s holiday, hoping they would take the time to rest and recover. But instead, they had chosen to stay and help…
“They love their academy thanks to your care, Principal,” Alaric arrived just then.
The Principal simply nodded, her gaze still fixed on the students. Her silence made Alaric’s lips twitch in mild frustration.
After a brief pause, he spoke again, this time with a hint of hesitation. “Where is… Victor?”
The Principal turned her head slightly, giving Alaric a measured look, “Do you need something from him?”
Alaric shrugged casually, “Nothing urgent, just thought he might want to lend a hand with the reconstruction.”
Both the Principal and Delphine couldn’t help but suppress their twitching lips…. because it was the very same reason he ran away!!
He had practically bolted at the first sign of manual labour!
He wasn’t a civil engineer or an architect, after all, and when asked to assist, he had practically vanished into thin air. Of course, he had diplomatically phrased it as needing a “reward” for saving others.
And even if he had been a qualified engineer, they both knew he would have still run off at the first opportunity.
As they continued to survey the work, a shadow suddenly loomed over them. They looked up to see a massive dragon descending from the sky, its wings beating with a power that stirred the air around them.
As it touched down on the ground, the great beast shimmered and shifted, transforming into a human figure.
“Professor Kim?” Principal Elara’s eyes narrowed.
The representative professor from the Pyra Fulgar Empire. Her frown deepened as she took in his wounded appearance. His clothes were torn, blood seeping through several gashes, and his face was etched with pain and fear.
Professor Kim staggered slightly, his expression one of terror, “D-Dragon Emperor is…”
…..
…
Meanwhile, Outside the Academy
“I WON!!!” Kaelen’s shout of triumph echoed through the gates of the academy, his voice bursting with pure joy.
Kaelen had actually arrived before his mother. He had finally outpaced her—become faster than the woman who had always seemed unbeatable. “HECK, YEAH!!” he yelled again, pumping his fists in the air, his expression one of sheer, unfiltered bliss.
Tears of happiness welled up in his eyes, threatening to spill over.
“Kaelen? What are you shouting about over here?”
Kaelen turned, still beaming, and saw Maelona approaching the academy. Behind her, a group of elves followed, carrying food and supplies.
“I finally defeated my mother!” Kaelen declared, his chest puffing up with pride.
Maelona raised an eyebrow.
Defeated?
She knew better. There was no way that bitch would allow herself to be bested so easily!!
“What exactly happened?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
Meanwhile,
“~ha~”
“~ha~”
Aether panted heavily, his hazy eyes locked onto his…. Masterpiece!
Before him, a woman lay sprawled, her body twitching uncontrollably as a thick, white, sticky liquid coated every inch of her.
It dripped from…. her mouth, seeped into her flower, and glistened on her back.
The liquid was relentless, covering her completely.
Not a single part of her remained untouched by the creamy substance. She was barely conscious, her breath coming in ragged, shuddering gasps.
She, Liora Darkfang… was utterly defeated!!
Yet,
“I~I want more…” she murmured, her voice trembling with need as she tried to wriggle her swollen ass and pussy!
Aether’s eyes glinted with satisfaction as he chuckled, “Of course, my darling~”
“~aaahhrr~”