The women could only watch this scene wide eyed. Did what they think happened really just happen? Even if their King was good with women, he couldn’t be this good, right?
However, looking at the Helena that lay limply against Dyon’s bare chest, completely unable to move, the evidence was too damning for them to ignore.
Well endowed or not, who cared anymore? They had just found out their King could make a woman climax with a kiss!
“What… What did you just do?” One of the concubines couldn’t help but ask.
Dyon smiled, “That’s a secret for another day.”
Disappointment colored the faces of concubines. From Dyon’s words, it seemed that he wouldn’t be staying for too much longer. But, they understood. War was on the horizon, now wasn’t a time for them to be clingy. Instead, they should be putting into motion the work Dyon had asked of them. It was up to them to mobilize the talented and able women of the clan.
Dyon silently held Helena until she gathered herself. He could tell that she was pretending for the latter half, unwilling to leave his embrace, but he didn’t say anything. After all, he had just taken her first kiss, he couldn’t very well kick her away.
A few minutes passed as they spoke about unimportant things, eventually Helena dived back into the water, a happy glow coloring her features, inciting the envy of the women around her, but her response was just to stick out her little pink tongue adorably.
Eventually, it was time for Dyon to go, but first, he asked a question.
“Is there anything else any of you would like to ask me?
The girls looked around. Dyon could immediately tell that they all had one last burning question. However, even compared to everything before, they felt as though this truly crossed a line. Although their relationships were mostly repaired now, it still felt as though the smallest of things could bring all the goodwill they had built today, crashing down. That wasn’t something they were willing to see.
That said, there was another reason none of them spoke. There was almost a silent agreement between them that there was only one person who could ask this question. None of them had a right to… The only one who could was the only woman who hadn’t spoken… Their most beloved sister: Amphorae.
The women inadvertently turned their gaze toward Amphorae. But, she seemed to have no intention of speaking at all. She continued to sit in her loose silk robes, never moving an inch from Dyon’s side. Her legs remained cross. The only hint that she was a living beauty instead of a perfectly sculpted statue was the fact that her toes would dip into the water every so often. Aside from that, she was like an Immortal Goddess, forever frozen in time.
Dyon smiled lightly, leaping upward to stand beside the river. He looked off into the distance, unblinking for a long while.
The Imperial Harem fell into silence. The only sounds were the steady waves of the flowing river and the swaying of the flowers in the wind.
There was a sudden movement by Dyon. When he looked over, he found that Amphorae had stood and was now floating away. He watched her toes gently graced the water as her alluring yet lonely back drifted further away.
“It may take time, but I’ll make it up to you.”
With those last words, Dyon turned to walk away. But, what he didn’t expect were for his words to have stopped Amphorae in her tracks. Before he could leave, the question that everyone had been waiting for was hung in the air, making them all incapable of breathing.
“Why did you choose her…” Amphorae’s voice was so soft, but it was strong. She didn’t waver. It was as though since she had decided to ask it, she wouldn’t show any weakness in her attempt.
However, just how sharp were Dyon’s senses? How could he not tell that her sentence had trailed off? He could immediately tell that she wanted to finish it was something else.
“… Instead of me?”
The words rung in Dyon’s ears. He immediately felt something in him snap, as though he had unlocked an achievement, or a quest that had been previously been closed to him was now open.
That was how Dyon interpreted it, because he knew he was within a trial. However, if he had to explain it in terms of how his body felt, it was like an anvil just landed on his heart. His muscles tightened and for an instant, he was no longer Dyon and his body was no longer his… Instead, he was the man who broke Amphorae’s heart.
A flood of memories entered his mind, and he suddenly knew the answer. He had two paths in front of him. He could either lie, or he could tell the truth.
In the end, Dyon decided not to hesitate, as for whether he told the truth or not, only time would tell.
“I love the both of you.” Dyon didn’t turn around, but his words sent waves through the harem. “In fact, the both of us are likely the better match, whether it be for the future of our clan, or for just ourselves.
“However, I chose the weaker woman because I knew the stronger of you would stay by my side despite my selfish decision.”
Dyon said nothing more. After these words, he directly left.
The moment the gate closed, Amphorae’s queenly demeanor crumbled. Her sisters gathered around her, holding her in their embraces as she tears fell from her eyes.
**
Although Dyon left the Imperial Harem, he didn’t leave the Palace. Instead, he walked toward an area knowing there was one woman waiting for him there.
He had two more things to do this day. The first of them was to find out just what kind of person this Queen Luna was… And why a mere flash memory of her made Dyon’s heart tremble in ways he had never felt before.