What Was With This Country… Two Emperors? (7)

This wasn’t reality. It felt like a dream.

“Well, if it’s a dream, I’d rather wake up. This must be a dream. Isn’t that right, beautiful princess?”

The imperial princess before me blushed slightly but gave no reply. Instead, the emperor behind her, with a stern expression, spoke to me.

“Even if you are a benefactor, I will not allow you to covet my daughter.”

“There you go again, meddling. Your Majesty dotes on the princess so much that you’re too protective. If she finds a good man, it’s only natural she should be with him.”

“That can never happen without my permission. Even if I die—argh?!”

The Empress jabbed her fingers straight into the Emperor’s eyes.

‘Ah, it really is a dream.’

No one could possibly imagine such a scene. That confirmed it—I had collapsed, and this was all a dream. So I spoke boldly.

“Guarantee my freedom! Freedom!!”

Shouting that out felt refreshing. But oddly, I still didn’t wake up. Everyone just stared blankly down at me. Then I heard the Emperor, recovering from pain, ask Rahammar:

“They said he fainted during treatment… was there some problem in his head?”

“Impossible. It seems the rejection of holy power, due to his natural constitution, caused a backlash.”

“A body that rejects holy power… he’s not even a demon. Fascinating.”

“It happens occasionally. Such people often die, unable to accept treatment for grave injuries or illnesses. It is simply a rare constitution.”

The Emperor looked at me with pity. That was when I realized—this wasn’t a dream.

The Empress noticed the flicker in my eyes and smiled.

“So, you’ve realized it isn’t a dream. How amusing you are.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to me. Ah, how embarrassing. If I had firmly believed it was a dream and made some irreversible blunder, what then?

As my emotions reached a peak of confusion, the Empress spoke.

“Five hours have passed since you fainted. The night grows late; we must withdraw. The ingredients you requested will be delivered tomorrow once you awaken, so rest well tonight.”

“Th-thank you.”

Honestly, even if they had told me to move, I couldn’t have. My body was so heavy I couldn’t move a finger.

But there was a problem. In this state, I couldn’t control even basic needs. What about the stale stench of sweat-soaked sheets?

Just as I thought I might go mad, the others left reluctantly, and several maids entered, carrying buckets of water, clothes, and towels.

“What are those for?” I asked cautiously.

“We were ordered to wash you, Apothecary Jin-woo.”

“…By whom?”

“Her Majesty the Empress. She said a patient must stay clean to recover quickly.”

That old lady had given the order. Well, if we talked about appearances, these maids were worth a thousand out of a hundred points. In my old world, women this beautiful wouldn’t have given someone like me the time of day.

But the problem was, I had to bare myself to them. And judging from their preparations, they intended to scrub every corner.

If this went wrong, a huge problem could arise.

“I… I’m not a noble. Can’t I wash myself tomorrow, once I can move a little?”

“We only follow orders.”

‘No, I like it, but I hate it!’

A contradictory instinct screamed inside. But truly, it wasn’t some mutual, steamy encounter—just me, helpless, being bathed. How could that feel pleasant?

Still, I thought, maybe in this world such things weren’t considered lewd or problematic. Gritting my teeth, I resolved to endure it.

And so it began—an indescribably strange act.

First, they undressed me. Their hands were so natural and practiced, there wasn’t even the slightest hesitation. Warm water dampened cloths, and they scrubbed every inch of my body clean.

Their touch carried no lust. It was professional, so much so that I felt myself melt under their care. But then—

“Oh my…”

One maid whispered in surprise. She had been wiping my inner thighs. That soft sensation stirred a reaction I couldn’t control.

The cloth laid over me bulged upward. The maids stared, wide-eyed. I remembered the so-called curse of the Demon God—women kept their youth and beauty until death. Perhaps these women, who looked young, were in fact older, deprived of men’s arms for long years. The strange heat in their eyes unsettled me.

“I’m sorry! It’s not her fault!”

I blurted stupidly, but the maids just chuckled. Closing the door, they approached my bedside and whispered.

“In the palace, there is a law allowing maids to share intimacy with guests, if both consent. If it could ease your suffering… we would be glad to serve you.”

That wasn’t subtle at all—it was blatant. And I doubted such a law even existed.

These older women were clearly trying to trick a clueless outsider like me. Yet, with my body already betraying me, I lost my chance to object. The maids grew bolder.

There were three in total. The one who had been wiping my thigh slyly undid her blouse, murmuring, “It’s hot, isn’t it?”

She resumed scrubbing, but her hand crept higher, brushing against me.

The subtle touch was too much—I shut my eyes. Taking it as a sign of consent, they pressed their bodies against me as they cleaned.

Suddenly, I found myself about to embrace three women at once. The cloth covering me slipped away, brushing over me with maddening sensation. Unable to resist, I was swept into the storm of the maids’ embrace… Ah, heavens…

The maids were professionals. Absolutely so. They finished perfectly, cleaning even the sweat they themselves had drawn out, and vanished.

The night passed in such skilled, overwhelming pleasure that I lost track of time.

When morning sunlight touched my face, I rose easily, surprised by how light my body felt.

“You couldn’t even move yesterday. Why are you fine today?”

It felt impossible, considering the serious condition I’d been in. Yet the ordered ingredients sat on the table across the room. Somehow, I had recovered.

I should have been gravely ill, according to the recipe in my mind. But now, I was completely fine.

Not that I was complaining. As the maids left last night, I overheard them whisper:

-If he’s like this tomorrow, we’ll have to handle him again.

-Yes, it’s been so long. One that big and strong…

-Do you know how hard it was to hold back my moans?

I had only caught those three lines, but it was clear their earlier excuse had been a lie. I had been tricked into their embrace.

‘Should I at least pretend the medicine cured me?’

Though my body was refreshed, I judged it wiser to act weak. After all, I had demanded valuable ingredients. If I appeared too healthy, it might cause trouble. So I decided to keep up the act.

Then came a knock.

The door opened, and the same three maids entered, smiling brightly.

“Are you feeling better?”

The one who seemed their leader asked.

“I think I can move a little, but I’m still unwell. And my stamina is…”

One of them blushed, coughed, and said:

“We’ve been assigned as your attendants. Until you recover, we’ll visit often. And… if you wish for us, as last night, you may call on us freely.”

What kind of situation was this? They were practically inviting me to use them at will.

But I couldn’t refuse. Truthfully, I didn’t want to.

After all, the Demon God’s curse drove women into tormenting frustration. Perhaps it was only fair we eased each other’s burdens.

“Well, if the time and chance arise… I won’t refuse. But only until I recover. Understand?”

The three women smiled radiantly.

Later, as they dressed me in casual clothes, I nearly slipped again. But I restrained myself, leaning on them as they led me to my tools.

Truthfully, I could have walked easily. But I wanted those precious ingredients. If I crafted them now, I could carry a supply for future mana depletion.

The recipe in my mind wasn’t a liquid potion. It was in pill form. Judging from the ingredients, I could make about two hundred pills.

The effects would differ per person, but for me, they would restore about three-quarters of my spent mana—a truly remarkable medicine.

I wanted to make more, but for now, this would suffice. If questioned, I could say it was to treat “aftereffects.”

Neither the Empress nor the Emperor would deny the skilled apothecary who had cured their daughter’s scars. They wouldn’t refuse such a request. I planned to exploit that, pretending weakness when necessary.

And for that, I would also make use of the three maids.

‘Everyone benefits. Kill two birds with one stone—no, even more.’

Sinister scenarios filled my mind.