No, it almost opened.

With a flushed red face, she hurriedly stopped the massage chair. She had sensed something was wrong with the subtle stimulation wrapping around her entire body.

“Wha—Adult mode?!”

Realizing her mistake, she quickly switched it back to normal mode.

“Ugh.”

She shivered at the slick sensation that had enveloped her entire body in that adult mode; it sent chills down her spine.

“What is this…!”

She was taken aback. The sensation still lingered vividly on her skin.

Shaking her head vigorously, she calmed her racing heart and after some thought, selected [Sleep Mode].

*‘Let’s go with this.’*

It had been ages since she had a proper sleep without the aid of sleeping pills.

She wouldn’t get her hopes up too high, though…

“Umm?”

*Vwoooosh—*

It felt as if she was wrapped in amniotic fluid in her mother’s womb from ancient times…

She automatically closed her eyes, surrendering to the infinite warmth. It was an irresistible comfort.

---

***(Time Skip)***

She sat there with a dazed expression, checking the time.

“…”

She wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

Uh….

Her memory was hazy. She struggled to recall what had happened.

Lying in the massage chair… biting into something from the Admin… activating the massage chair… adult mode… sleep… mode?

“I slept for ten hours without taking sleeping pills?!”

Was that all?

Moreover, the muscle tension that had always plagued her when waking up, accompanied by headaches, had completely vanished.

Every single muscle felt invigorated, as if they were dancing in joy.

It was unbelievable.

She couldn’t believe that she, who had been buried in nearly 16 hours of research and experimentation and often barely managed three hours of sleep, could feel this way.

Having suffered from chronic insomnia due to excessive work and intense stress, this situation felt utterly unfamiliar. Her body was overflowing with energy.

“Could it be… sleep magic? No… but my mana hasn’t been measured?”

Even if it were sleep magic, she wouldn’t feel this refreshed.

Her eyes were filled with confusion.

*Gulp—*

“Maybe it was just a lucky coincidence.”

Yes, it had to be.

How could her condition change so drastically just because she took a nap in a massage chair?

*Thud, thud, thud—*

“Director! It’s late. Please wrap up your experiments and come out!”

Her brow furrowed as thoughts of the mountain of work ahead came to mind. She hurriedly checked her schedule, gathered her documents, and moved.

Did her steps feel lighter today compared to yesterday? Was it just her imagination?

She hurriedly tried to erase the thoughts of the adult mode still lingering in her mind as she rushed out the door.

---

***(Time Skip)***

“Ha ha, it's over.”

Kalstein was confident. Having used the Heaven series massage chair himself, he knew for certain. It was a golden chair, superior to any massage or treatment.

Once, he too had found it hard to detach himself from that chair.

The massage chair enveloped the user in a warm, weightless embrace, relieving all physical fatigue before they even realized it.

It seemed the user hadn’t caught on yet, but there was no need to only use it during massages. If they regularly sat in that chair while working, they would experience the miracle of never accumulating physical fatigue.

No, if they chose [Work Mode], their mind would become clear, and they could work with the sharpness of “flawless caffeine.”

*‘It’ll be hard to stay focused, won’t it?’*

While Kalstein was chuckling to himself, he suddenly heard a knock.

*Creek—*

The door to the grand hall opened, revealing Aria with silver hair.

“Hmm? Didn’t you say you had no appointments today?”

Aria maintained her cold expression, making it hard to discern her true feelings.

“Master.”

“Hmm?”

Why was she acting so serious? It was intimidating.

Kalstein lifted his wine glass and took a sip lightly. Recently, he had found some mental stability and was feeling relaxed.

“Maxien has entered the palace.”

“Hmm? Who?”

“The swordmaster, Duke Maxien, has requested an audience.”

Unconsciously, Kalstein dropped his wine glass.

*Crash—*

The strongest opponent in the original world, the greatest talent in the galaxy.

The Asterian race, the highest output of the Galactic Empire. Maxien Asteria had come to visit her.

“Couldn’t we just say I’m not here?”

Kalstein’s eyes trembled slightly.

---

***(Time Skip)***

The door to the grand hall opened, and a woman with hair like the Milky Way slowly walked in.

*Tap, tap—*

The universe's strongest swordmaster.

The last royal of the Asterian race.

Maxien Asteria.

No embellishment could overshadow the brilliance of her starry eyes.

Her eyes, filled with starlight, turned toward him.

“…”

Kalstein looked at her, trying hard to mask his tension.

A faint smile graced her relaxed face before she spoke.

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”

Her soft words reverberated through the grand hall.

Twelve swords, made of light and metal, floated behind her like a halo. They formed the Ether weapon “Olympus,” a set of twelve swords.

While Kalstein’s ether weapon could unleash planetary-level firepower with a single shot, Maxien was different. Although her single-shot firepower was weaker than his, she could wield all twelve ether weapons as one.

If Kalstein’s explosive power was akin to a colossal nuclear bomb, Maxien was closer to a bruiser, with each of her shots being like a railgun.

Kalstein responded as naturally as he could.

“It’s been… a while, Maxien. It’s not easy to see your face.”

A slight upward curl appeared at the corners of Maxien's mouth in response to his words.

“That’s all thanks to Your Majesty valuing someone as insignificant as me.”

“….”

There was a bone in her words.

He could sense a strong resentment in her feeling about being used as cannon fodder in battles. Kalstein, who despised work more than anyone, understood her sentiments well.

“Cough.”

He felt a bit guilty. It wasn’t a false statement.

*‘I certainly have sent her out into the field for various incidents…’*

For any situation that required force, having Maxien around was like having a fast pass. How could he leave her alone?

Kalstein tried to respond nonchalantly.

“Given your exceptional abilities, it’s only natural, isn’t it? Ha ha.”

“Is that so?”

Somehow, he felt her gaze sharp as a knife.

“Your Majesty.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you still heartbroken over past events?”

“….”

“I heard you’ve been living in seclusion at the palace recently, so I thought I should check on you.”

Maxien’s eyes glinted sharply.

Yes, that look.

When she fixed her gaze on him, he often felt a chill run down his spine.

The starlight in her eyes, filled with a vast emptiness akin to space, radiated a strange heat he couldn’t comprehend.

Was it the gaze of a viper ready to strike at its prey?

Though her smiling face was breathtakingly beautiful, deserving of every superlative, the peculiar and intense gaze could make him forget everything else.

A gentle smile lingered on her lips.

“It would be absolutely unacceptable.”

“….”

Maxien’s vehement opposition concerned him.

This wasn’t just about his marriage.

- Marriage is ultimately meant to produce heirs. What reason does Your Majesty, who enjoys immortality, have to proceed with marriage?
- If you were to have heirs, it would only foster division within the Empire. Greedy fools blinded by avarice may gather around the heirs to challenge Your Majesty's rule.
- Thus, Your Majesty’s marriage must never happen.

He couldn’t understand the reasoning. Why were they so adamant against it? If a rebellion occurred, he could simply suppress it.

The Empire had stabilized, and given that his side was starting to feel the pinch, he wanted to dip his toes into the waters of romance.

- You merely wish to date? Do you think it’s acceptable to toy with a woman without any intention of marrying her?
  
What was wrong with this girl who had followed him until now, suddenly acting like this?

It was as if she had turned into an extreme traditionalist. Even traditional Confucianism allows for marriage…

He thought this way because, from that point on, some of her subordinates had begun to actively oppose his romantic endeavors.

For some reason, Aria had remained silent on the matter. It seemed she had discussed it with her subordinates, but she hadn’t shared any information with him.

Since then, sulking Kalstein began to maneuver Maxien and her subordinates in various ways for the sake of the Empire, occasionally feeling a sense of tension from their dangerous glares.

But still.

Kalstein pouted slightly, feeling a hint of dissatisfaction.

“If I die alone as the Emperor of the Galactic Empire, it wouldn’t be amusing at all.”

Maxien’s smile was unshaken.

“Please refrain from speaking words that are difficult to bear.”

“….”

Kalstein could not help but feel a twinge of guilt as he began to lighten the mood.

“It’s only natural that there are times when one must do things they don’t want to, especially for the position of Emperor. After all, marriage is meant to strengthen the ties of power…”

“Haha. You wish to splinter the Empire?”

“….”

The tension was palpable.

“If not, then…”

Maxien's hair

 shimmered like the Milky Way and began to glow.

“Perhaps I should consider wiping out any other factions to ensure that the concept of marriage never crosses your mind.”

A strong scent of blood seemed to waft from her smile.

Oh my god. Maxien… just how many lives do you intend to take?

Of course, he couldn’t accept such absurdity.

“Cough! I cannot let innocent blood be shed. Let’s talk about this later.”

As he tried to end the conversation quickly, the voice of Aria echoed in his mind.

- Master. It seems there’s been a problem with the dimensional passage.

Huh?

What did you say? Where?

- It seems someone has been tampering with the astral passage we set up, and issues have arisen.

It was at that moment.

*Thud, thud, thud—*

The grand hall trembled slightly, and dust fell from the ceiling.

“Tampering…?”

A chilling expression settled on Kalstein’s face.

*Swish—*

As if reflecting the Emperor’s mood, an intangible force began to consume everything around him. It was entirely different from the playful atmosphere up until then.

*Thud, thud—*

Kalstein, who had pressed his fingers against his temples and was lost in thought, met Maxien’s gaze.

She was different from before. Her eyes sparkled, and she slightly bowed her head.

Maxien knew the Emperor well.

After all, she had spent so much time alongside him.

The Emperor, who showed a playful and teasing side only to a select few, including herself, was like a golden figure.

But when serious, he would achieve his goals at any cost, no matter the hardships—he was a ruthless Emperor.

“…”

A warm breath escaped Maxien’s lips.

She didn’t dislike any of the faces of the Emperor.

 

TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

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