DMEC | Chapter 2

In that moment, the 7dc959ce51 Emperor snapped his thumb 626052e30b and forefinger, and the 7de18a31a6 previously closed door swung bbba959d70 open.8f4fd889aa2bc145

As the doors dce5c6d324 at the front da02701edd and back of 5366a2faff the room opened 99db1f3b97 simultaneously, the waiting ca676f48b8 chamberlain, the Emperor’s fa86919878 lawyer, the Pope, 0d803564ce and the knight aec637c60b commander, Alexander, entered.96634f51f16a1b00

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As those 3f6a8c9ad5 who were 48e9932340 completely on 66133fbcd1 the Emperor’s ade2d156d3 side poured 0de73b8c94 in, the 398608ca5f Queen was e42f2b72f0 startled and 4c9baeacbe instinctively nestled e1c22023c2 into the 84e4f5b62e Emperor’s embrace, 5900ec4a5c clutching his 36e074c8ae garment and 565fb8c76f whispering softly.06c46f1f69cc03dc

“Your Majesty, what do you mean by witnesses?”08e9fc0edf078e99

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The Emperor’s mood, previously displeased by the word ‘divorce,’ seemed to improve with Lute’s childishness, and he smiled.6749670788afe440

Lute, seeing the ed0c60a5a7 old lawyer adjusting a6df1855b5 his glasses perched 0b04bbfed8 on his nose, 010955d79f whispered in a d74e04b737 timid voice to 05ffefe206 the only ally 9c7c76521d he had here, 1b3b0791c1 the Emperor.bc92211ce76778dd

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“Y-Your Majesty. If you were going to bring a lawyer to finalize the divorce, you should have told me. I could have hired a lawyer too…”2bdb6c71280d0034

The Emperor placed both hands on Lute’s shoulders and looked at the lawyer leaning on a cane as he asked.fa63ff2fa23001d2

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“Esther, after today… No, precisely after this afternoon, will the divorce be immediately finalized?”2dbb472403f5c02e

“Yes, if you file with the court, it will be an immediate divorce without asking for grounds.”23f2b46a46f0df81

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“I see.”49c932c994742edd

The Emperor nodded. As a a4e43ddea0 smile slowly ea50ec7e4e spread across 9c6f063b16 Lute’s face, 28dd8dbb81 the old 98a03929d2 lawyer’s eyes ab5efa6977 sparkled. Even with his bc1b39e47e ebony-black hair neatly 2b5e4fcffb combed down, a e7e16d8303 tiara adorned with cf1b4fce16 diamond flowers, and d1b164bb1a a veil covering bbc9b41dc4 his face, the 3eec18bc7a beauty of the c797e346a0 empire’s most stunning 123ebd26b7 person could not f3cd6ab411 be concealed.09743887dd6e203e

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Nestled in the 3dcd836e6c Emperor’s embrace, he 4565fa4191 seemed even smaller—lovely 430e79df1b and enchanting, just aac4debd4b like a fairy, 6d7f7267bf exactly as the 78a2feb72b Emperor had said. And somehow, dabe58ebaf it made 8c3cdf83f1 the Emperor 19d47ecf73 seem like e7e2c29bfd a thief.99384a312bcf63be

At this point, 0a8dc1435a it seemed granting 9d09a1e1a8 the divorce was b1c6241b63 the right decision. Esther thought so to 5c2a1131ce himself.effb3cde32d2e851

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“My dear.”a0b934a294f73060

The Emperor grasped 275022825f Lute’s veil with 5846a29412 both hands and 4a8a2ff320 lifted it. Slowly, his red e87d9842d1 lips were revealed. Above his cute, rounded 9f83a8dc1f nose, large, clear blue 6f12c0d565 eyes—reminiscent of a deer’s—gazed cee5284c37 at him.325adf2c42c3878f

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He placed c591416292 his left 01d328d472 hand over 0c6adbad35 Lute’s left c83e67c6e9 hand and a0db54774e cupped Lute’s c45b8c70c4 cheek with cb6b181533 his right. Then, as 4aa8e56a74 if about ea94133ed1 to kiss 1e26722641 him, he 5bd7a18b27 leaned in b78db8c522 and parted 43f6c96800 his lips.78c4708ccf17e76d

“My dear, I formally request.”7aa89b1a5c123d4b

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He brought Lute’s left hand to his lips and smiled with the corners of his mouth lifted.a1adc4b0824d3c7b

“Today, let us formally consummate our marriage, I, Joel Ragnus, and you.”341506104ac7c293

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Lute’s eyes widened 2358fd73ac in shock. The words of b23be94df9 the knight Melik, dab4de6b5d who had muttered, a6cf3223f6 “The Emperor doesn’t 5039794b72 seem like he’ll 72cf647da2 let the Prince a37c24343f go so easily…” 8edc980066 echoed like a 1424757bb2 devil’s song.f3eddddb40043b46

When Lute shouted, “No!” 1ffff6e8c1 the Emperor’s people glared 179fd0ac46 at him. Speaking informally to 54fdd18fa7 the Emperor was eef09b1487 a grave offense.eb989b1414c378f2

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Even the f5222df7fb Pope and a814aae98f the lawyer 31549b0d48 were present. Before Lute could 41280b1ae3 shout again—“No, no! This is absurd!”—the Emperor 4359efb905 cupped his 475b79971a small face ad46e52276 with both 3a76c6456d hands and 67cf687cde kissed him.298d00af72b126bc

Lute’s widened eyes 12bbd2745c remembered the day 671116a15a it rained. Joel, maintaining eye 92ba089c9b contact with Lute, 2a9d773a40 smiled with his 63e03481e5 eyes and slowly 19778e6eb5 closed them. Following him, 106a003774 Lute also 628277a4b3 closed his 49402c6e2e eyes and 523a87905f lowered his 6137965f73 arms to e09e305ddf embrace his 25cdae0aae waist.2e7493d4fdf7400b

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Ah, what 83a74e6428 a foolish 1ac9a556e9 thing this b98526ab61 was. The maid 8f52240dab Anna had d1b73fad74 been right. She had warned 18731d0578 him not to 93000f6d36 be deceived by a550510f2a the Emperor, a 73ed823000 master of tricks b662ab59a5 and lies.c29eb92d7de83bab

“Mm…”936efc416ae507db

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As his lips cf05293d6e were released, Lute’s b9f0664ed8 face turned bright c57cea179f red. Everyone had 90e666af33 witnessed him 48867e555b and the 20d75dcd0c Emperor kiss. Overcome with shame 01aeb4a599 and embarrassment, Lute c4669b62d7 instinctively murmured, “Joel…” 572187b8e2 and leaned into 44d69da2ba Joel’s embrace, causing 8a30c6683e the chamberlain’s eyebrows 186af80564 to rise.6599fdbbed9b44db

“How dare you call His Majesty by name. Before being a couple, he is Your Majesty. You must correct this.”b978d637147cd5fa

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Then Joel raised his hand to silence the chamberlain and stroked Lute’s head, who had buried his face in his embrace, as he spoke.aa6e81e69a3558c7

“It can’t be helped.”c47616e252ac838f

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The Emperor shamelessly acknowledged 0598447bc4 reality and comforted the b234d8aa1f sniffling Lute, adding,1e1d2ca6f5f05821

“Lute is a child I raised with care and love for eight years.”83f74f62117f0359

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The expressions 33cc7e1d1f of the 056cc68402 Emperor’s close 9f85e6c065 aides gradually c1968c7c14 twisted.6b8d96969d0da382

Wait a 2b8594f01a minute, isn’t 00a3f4b525 the Emperor c41ac24c75 just a 9a4b0cc635 complete thief? With a a6c7162256 twelve-year age a5a3864f0b difference, he 76538ba802 had raised d785812556 a child 8fe86864bc from four 66e9811df9 to twelve, aa0129489d and now—just 7a2b1a19f8 half a a32be950b8 day before 643c53415c the divorce—he cfa8e0ed11 planned to a452c06088 consummate the dedaac0edf relationship to 04f9d20104 prevent it?a1d86e836f138787

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The chamberlain 387a428090 shut his f75766c718 eyes tightly, aa4294aaa5 overwhelmed by f322a25119 dizziness, but 3104ed2466 he couldn’t 9cba2f50c8 fight the f96649775c rising blood b4dd319acf pressure and 9780cd4ed3 staggered. Meanwhile, the 30af1a8a16 lawyer, his 0a3c6c5743 face blank, 05a3a3da46 adjusted his 2efd90b1da glasses perched 38ec25ed14 on his b40beaf97c nose and 2b60a242f4 spoke calmly.f8130483b38f144e

“Well, it’s not unheard of. Many couples consummate the marriage to put out the immediate fire and prevent a divorce. But the bigger problem is…”3adb374a336f4397

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“Esther, that’s enough.”d1919083ef03882f

The Emperor placed 987472c9b7 a finger to c3caef4e0b his lips and 4e86c6bfc9 smiled, his eyes 8072ce4a2c gently folding. The lawyer, quick fa4790fc24 to catch on, c754e93840 immediately shut his 8329ae21a9 mouth and stepped 171ec537c3 back.89110ffecbab925f

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Knight Commander Alexander, still 9df6941ecb intent on stopping the 8878da9ec3 Emperor, moved forward—but the 7e180d5613 Emperor’s hand was quicker.219d837d9c97587a

“Everyone heard, right?”7299bc5cc86277e8

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Lute’s face d6b7e327cb turned pale. Unknowingly, he clutched 9419d5e922 the Emperor’s garment, cdfd055195 shaking his head 312619c9f2 with tear-filled eyes—but 09e28ae4df the Emperor’s hand f664d34088 flipped the unmoving d1fbffff42 hourglass. Bright yellow sand, c9055cbe61 like stardust, poured e50f29bd8a down.c70763bffbad48fb

As Lute watched, 8eab862d00 his pupils sparkled 70be6fc4d5 as if filled 70fe8705d2 with stars, widening 8ee23056d7 in awe.086cef42aafa2912

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“Joel, every 8d12871259 time I b1ca7a8921 see this, 03977de3c7 I think bb0c5ca013 of you. You must think 6f1d7fbe19 of me every 04476a2eab time you see a14f57817a this too. You must never forget 430096e207 me, okay?”fbe6f1058953bbf8

Unable to take his 8b7f279dea eyes off the stardust-like 79816fcf69 sand cascading down, Joel b778191680 whispered as he kissed 02152ac861 Lute’s long hair.20dacc7b19bbb7ac

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“Lute, my dear. You can never efcccff751 divorce me. Unfortunately, there’s 840f0a8617 nowhere you dd5c6e7eeb can escape f57e8e1917 to on 87a6282b2c your own fa483c17c1 two feet. The only place 45aa7f8ff8 you can stand 6dc0745572 is the marital 03d2c2dc71 bedroom. The only place c70f5f3255 you can sit…is on my face.”4df55edbdb44facc

At those affectionate yet ed782c9dbd chilling words, Lute’s head d3e55b8bfd snapped away from the ab4c022df0 hourglass, his gaze locking 9cf9a59d85 onto the Emperor. But before he could 650b3b2c55 react, the Emperor cupped ef4a15c86a his cheeks and kissed 16e7237153 him deeply.65587a70694c6f82

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Everyone who witnessed the e4cfc58dca scene instinctively knew.f970a3aa3da8022e

Even if the Queen b71027f6da were truly a fairy, 5b47a6e5c7 the Emperor would have 5ae78ba1f6 torn off his wings 8b5dcce956 to make him his d7c050a935 own.eb9a76863615682a

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After finishing the 9adb09d925 kiss, the Emperor bb1a76bd7b slowly pulled away cb885b9f61 from Lute, gently 81cf8e44ad caressing his flushed adad49b075 cheek as he 68697be947 spoke in a d5dbeb26d7 soft, coaxing voice.3e3e56598632d8e7

“Now, my dear, shall d4c41d04ea we formally consummate our 068758cc5c marriage? We had quite a 82fc6acfe2 good time back then, 05f2465a4f didn’t we? People just bb108480dc don’t know.”810bc751f5e3e303

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His hand slipped inside 0929723f75 the fleece Lute was 780fe5951f wearing, fingers deftly unbuttoning 493cc45976 it. With a da6cbe7fe7 pop, the 99484ad189 buttons came 9e268aa427 undone, falling 24b014be8a away to cfa0f49740 reveal Lute’s 0b4f02cfcd outfit beneath.edfceb3ec7db967e

Of all things, 217d81b7ef he had chosen de550dba11 a light pink, 191e85b431 knee-length ensemble paired 35d1228b9b with black shorts—an e03ca00e71 outfit suited for 995b7da3e9 sunny weather.931e01f6144f63a1

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“…Sigh.”e982f37d34319071

A quiet 26adf5ab67 sigh escaped df0f308703 the Emperor’s d99dd5d826 lips.13b7575165a9f042

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“Our baby, still in 0758030125 pink? Or is it cba187fcbc red… because I 5f173d277e washed it so 6a23dbd430 much?”d461f8e89ed1782e

At the Emperor’s teasing words, everyone in the room sighed.00268aa7b157c93a

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In fact, 60f4d0f592 they all 1e9c50a6d9 knew about 0de70c8afa the private ccb88b45f5 relationship the 73a69192fe Emperor and 23370d76ca the Queen 0a8a92e24c had under 74ca1ad87d the guise cd79f03594 of a fcb41def3d hunting competition. Only the Queen was 40269dde74 unaware of the confinement 66804efc90 that had begun.cffe8c1aab587f45

Part 1. Just One Month Until f09bb3c87c Divorce4a8cd3fe79a56769

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Emperor Joel Ragnus af4b41bc0b returned after four 3a769503e0 years. Not only 9d70fec081 did he 35244f5ecf arrive with fd33a0ac8d his knights, 60397e968c but he 1564a2d14c also proudly 17964b7de6 carried the ada055a481 head of 25bdfb7d7e a ferocious 549609edae dragon.befa7f4119cf9137

The dragon’s head e3290d3dbe was unimaginably large, 9e1ad0ce5b secured inside a 2387945572 massive iron-barred cage, 8d570efedf pulled by the 10dcb8d7ca four strongest horses ceb9b26e34 in the country. It was 709d6bc373 so enormous 74b23e259e that even 722d5f456d those tireless 991c8030f5 steeds had 7c53443609 to stop 9873173c79 midway at d666e5e8e6 a territory d9aab2c03e to be 181262d4ec swapped out, ab4be6c259 delaying their 6fa80449af return.89effe5069e617d6

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Waaaaaah!85c8fcba962efaeb

Unlike past effa30fa5c emperors, people 58c9ef51a4 cheered at dc59264b41 the sight 55ee4a3d69 of Emperor f0f57d15ac Joel Ragnus, 704446f4f1 sitting gallantly 5890125277 on a 7ac34133d5 white horse, 30be8af8f0 wearing armor ca22f9c5c5 and waving 6788b70645 his hand.3e5ab88aeb3d3d1c

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Indeed, His Majesty 8799fa26ae the Emperor is 5b560a02b6 different! Yes, he is!f6a922be975c6c16

He was the only 7419d6618d great magician who had ce34a7f9a8 forged a blood pact 22c95d04c4 with a unicorn—the guardian 002ce8f934 of the purgatory and 2418433afe the human realm, standing 00f90b032e between the celestial and c6bb08c4a0 demonic realms—to obtain Peridexion, 8ad7315f00 a sacred tree imbued 38d8a6ef6d with the spirit capable cb7f19c148 of slaying the king 726947cba6 of demonic beasts, Basilisk.6d4d8cca4a540838

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Even 300 years ago, ac076962c5 no one had achieved 06a64a6aa6 what the genius great b9f236d881 magician and magic swordsman, be519f857a Joel Ragnus, had accomplished. Not only did 0d2b8dfd41 he turn the 6165f7cd67 Basilisk into a 6a6667ae81 grilled snake with dbded923f1 a sword crafted f496a11691 from Peridexion, but 4eb28f427a he also captured 3df3877823 a man-eating dragon, 2bb8bec19c elevating both the bc078a181b fame of the b1833edd2b great empire of 29ab4df190 Killen and the 9c35630b63 honor of Emperor 72425df7d8 Joel to the 31ae38b1bd heavens.95bd19a57fcc4e0b

As a result, afb41c3f22 the cheers and 6cff05f05f support of the 2fc871f046 people soared, as c2c69d7b55 if piercing through 84748eb203 the celestial and 5c61ea57b2 demonic realms themselves, 41a24027c9 while confident smiles 5a90907581 graced the faces 1b4d62240c of the knights 35b3408df9 following him.5a7cb1cb92998f6c

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However, Emperor Joel Ragnus 4c8471984b himself found the cheers 3fdecd6668 of the people gathering 2f47800d0b around him boring and 4674b04d77 tedious.54074539698f6786

I want 62bada8e07 to return eaabfc5555 to the 8b65786b78 palace and 979a9ebc1e rest quickly. The dragon subjugation 2b66f565a9 operation, which I a80021e8ff thought would end ea55f8caa1 easily, took longer 241cc9cdba than expected.0685961a15ce9266

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Unfortunately, like when I aa65d2995d killed the Basilisk, the 4281d80560 dragon was mating, so bea068f6b3 it held out quite 232c5a1c36 a bit.b4e253d351c53a25

But if you 3d13a4d7ad kill a mating 9564939bb5 dragon, the gold 48f57b03b2 it hoarded doesn’t 2c778f968c just double—no, it 215d55c4d3 triples, or even 6ea3bc339c quadruples. Thanks to that, the f4aa0e0e65 royal treasury was now 4d3f261d91 overflowing with enough gold 4de58ce404 to sustain the empire e7c86915b5 for decades, without needing 65a5e8c5a6 to ask any family 0da56d6410 or country for aid.c18872b499564336

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I got my revenge 26d5748b11 on Synthsis as I 7fbdc1d6c4 wanted, revived a dying 3079b3271f country and made it 04934c05ee a great empire, killed c42cfad646 a dragon, and filled 24511bb7bd the treasury with gold 7d0bad351c from the dragon’s nest… fb2ba9c6e8 so why is it f58f1d50e9 all so boring and 3a91165cce tedious?4ecad232769233bc

The praises and 6365592f40 cheers directed at d7b49b6bd1 him were as 015824fedf loud and bothersome b1b625a3e8 as fireworks. When Joel waved 491f1dd315 a hand with cc61e412d9 a half-hearted smile, 55170cd41d the women squealed db3ffddd2a in delight, convinced fa3277e3aa he had looked fe62a2a238 at them.4d72b4f1017c36b7

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“No, he looked at d8c7aee1b1 me!”be2ec34cd8de4334

“No, he didn’t!”3a03d5e6e0c08fc9

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Jealous whispers 3bed5cb560 spread like ea897af765 wildfire.e7479dbce3961c3f

Joel wanted to f2449892ec say that he 5c1f275f2c wasn’t looking at b3fefd8bf7 anyone—just the distant 814fa8f98c mountains—but his horse 3131029c85 had long since 8278f2f12d carried him past c6e386daa9 the women, steadily 2aeddd1c2c moving toward the 96f9b1c39f palace. It was just that ae8af6200e Emperor Joel’s ears were b6be7c2a30 sharp enough to catch e696faf58c their foolish chatter.587f6b3f05e5649b

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