It was as cathartic as it was emotionally draining. With a heavy heart but a light smile, Varian and Sia returned to the bed chambers.
After Varian took over, everyone else—officials, butlers, and warriors evacuated the palace.
A more formal 'administration' building was being constructed on the outskirts of the capital. The Matriarch and the previous ministers and officials would perform their duties from there.
The palace, on the other hand, became Varian's house. And while the palace was big, the gardens, fields, and the sports grounds surrounding it were vast.
The three miles surrounding the palace were all some sort of facility that belonged to it.
With Varian declining even the entry of maids, for the time being, forget the palace, the vast area surrounding the palace was desolate.
That's why—
"Why the hell are you here?" Varian glanced weirdly at the woman who bowed to him.
Like all hortians, her skin was blue. But even they had different shades of blue. She was pale light blue, the color of a clear sky. She was tall, though still half a head shorter than Varian.
Even the mature body that boasted its perfect curves was overshadowed by her refined temperament. This was a woman that seemed destined for greatness.
Yet—
"And why the hell are you in these clothes?"
The Matriarch was wearing a black dress consisting of a white trim with a skirt just above her knees, white stockings, and blue heels—the classic maid uniform.
"I...." The Matriarch's face was pink as she blushed in shame and her voice seemed to be on the verge of crying, "I was punished by D-Divine Envoy."
"…" Varian rubbed his eyebrows and wondered what Enigma was really up to.
If it's normal time, he'd understand Enigma's considerations. Killing Matriarch would invite backlash from the public. Not punishing her would spread rumors that the Lord was harmless and would lead to lawlessness.
So, a punishment must be struck that's simultaneously painful to Matriarch but acceptable to the public.
For the Matriarch who just reached the pinnacle of prestige and was placed side by side with the legendary rulers just a few days ago, becoming a maid couldn't be more humiliating. From being the ruler of all to a mere maid, it was demeaning beyond imagination.
The Matriarch decided to die. But Enigma used an item from the treasury that prevented her from any such actions.
So, here she was. With every second as a maid, the Matriarch felt like she was living in hell. Her pride, self-esteem, and dignity were dying a painful death.
Varian wasn't in the mood to think through these things. In his view, whatever the reason, when he returned home after the heavy discussion about his mother, all he wanted was emotional comfort with his women. But this weirdo appeared in a weird costume and spoiled his mood.
She's beautiful even by human aesthetics but all she invoked was Varian's anger.
"Do your cosplay with lady death," Varian said and waved his hand.
A purple lightning sword materialized in front of the Matriach and reached her neck in the blink of an eye.
The Matriarch's lips curled up as she welcomed death, 'Yes, let me die!'
But a barrier made of darkness covered her neck and the sword disappeared.
"Enigma," Varian looked at the woman beside him with a questioning gaze, "Why did you protect her? No, why did you even ask her to appear in front of me like this?"
Enigma maintained her expressionless face but her eyes flickered with excitement, "To punish."
"Hm?"
"Every second she lives like this, she dies on the inside," Enigma whispered the poisonous words in a soft voice, like a honey-laced dagger, "Even though she respects you because you're the lord, she hates you for snatching her position. That's why, when she stands in front of you as a servant, her pride will be burning her soul. She is seeking death. Do not grant her wish."
Varian blinked at Enigma's words and his turbulent heart settled. He also realized the intentions behind this woman's actions and sucked in a breath of cold air.
He glanced at Enigma's glittering eyes that seemed to be having fun torturing the Matriarch and wondered, 'She has this angle too?'
"Do whatever you want," Varian waved his hand and entered the bedroom.
It's a newly constructed room built of pristine pink marble. The ceiling was carved with delicate flowers and the walls had beautiful flowers growing on them.
There was an intoxicating scent from the flowers filling the room. It wasn't too heavy and set the mood just right.
Apparently, the flowers would emit different scents according to the moods of the couple inside.
And now, the scent was sweet like a cherry.
Even though the room had the best crystal lamps, they were all turned on to maintain the darkness, only letting the soft moonlight in.
Sarah sat on the corner of the bed and stared out of the window into the sky. The gentle breeze blew her hair and the soft moonlight shone down on her body.
"S-Sarah?"
She was only wearing a soft pink negligee.
"Oh? Did the date go well?" Sarah turned to him and asked with a smile. The tip of her ears was pink and she was obviously embarrassed but she acted as normally as she could.
"Y-Yeah," Varian laid down in the middle of the bed and closed his eyes.
Normally, the girls wore modest pajamas for sleep. The only times Varian had eye-candy was when they rolled around in sleep and their clothes shifted.
This…
"Gulp,"
Even though he closed his eyes, Varian couldn't get rid of the image of Sarah in a negligee.
The more he tried, the harder it got.
What's worse, he felt a soft body hugging him from the left. Things just went from bad to worse.
"Varian," A soft voice like a cat's meow sounded in the bedroom.
Even though opening his eyes would make the situation worse, Varian did it anyway.
And saw Sia in a white negligee, glancing at him with a seductive smile.
