The Queen’s Proposal
After setting up trap rooms in every direction, Risha and I took a break.
We sat on the ground, laid out the cheapest Pshini magic circle before us, and placed the raw soil material on top of it.
The glowing magic circle and arrows served as lights— a little off their intended purpose, but still useful.
I stared at the light, thinking.
Built a basic defense system, sure. But it’s still not enough.
Overheard the villains’ chatter about trying to kidnap Risha. Maybe it’s better not to have guards around, actually.
Mira or anyone close to me, probably safe. But others? Not so sure.
“Still… maybe we should just make this place self-sufficient. No maintenance. A cave. A dungeon.”
“……”
“What do you think, Risha? Anything you noticed? Anything you’d like to do?”
“……”
“Risha?”
I stare at her, right beside me, wondering what’s wrong with Rira not replying.
Our eyes meet. Rira, coiled like a serpent, is staring at me with heat in her gaze.
Nothing said. Just that dazed, breathless stare.
I wave my hand in front of her face. Still no reaction.
What’s going on? Is she asleep with her eyes open? But those eyes are definitely on me.
I move left. Her gaze follows.
I move right. Her eyes track me.
Yeah. She’s awake.
Awake… but why?
Hmm.
Then my body begins to glow.
Not just glowing—arrows shoot out from afar, pointing straight at me.
The light of a magic circle.
A moment later, footsteps echo. A young Eternal Slave in a maid’s uniform appears.
“Oliga.”
“Master.”
It’s my slave, Oliga, who’s arrived.
Holding a slave card in hand. So that’s how it is—she used the magic circle to pinpoint and fetch what I was holding.
“Something wrong, Oliga?”
“Master… where should I sleep…?”
“Huh?”
“It’s about time to sleep, isn’t it?”
“…Oh. Is it really that late?”
Didn’t notice at all.
Been down underground the whole time—lost track of time.
“Is it already night outside?”
Oliga nods vigorously.
“Ah. Then we’ll sleep tonight. You can rest here too.”
“I’ll bring your futon, Master.”
She says that, then dashes off—flustered, bustling back in seconds.
Carrying a whole bedding set bigger than her body, but it’s DORECA-made—weight means nothing to her.
“Alright, time to sleep. What about Rirya—”
I start to ask, then notice.
Her gaze is burning hotter by the second.
What in the world is going on?
“S-sir…?”
“O-oh, finally said something. What’s wrong?”
“T-that kid… could it be…?”
“Yeah, she’s my slave.”
“Huh?”
Lila blinks, stunned.
“Slave? Not the ambassador’s child?”
“Ah, right. Yeah, she’s my child too. Eternal Slave, so she and her mother are both slaves—mine.”
“Ah, yes!”
Lila nods, as if that explanation settles everything.
Then her eyes well up again, her gaze burning hotter than before.
Not my imagination—she’s really hotter now.
“Lila, what’s wrong?”
“T-that is… ambassador-sama…”
“Hmm?”
“T-that is… I want to stand on my own… start a new settlement… raise children of my own…”
“Ah, I know. That’s why you’re helping with the breeding now, right?”
She looks at me like, *So what’s the point?*
“T-that is… if it’s okay…”
Lila pleads desperately.
“P-please… let me bear the ambassador-sama’s child.”
"Yeah, fine."
"Really?! Thank you so much! I'm so happy!!!"
Rirya beams, all joy—though she’s been doing that since just a moment ago.
Honestly, she’d planned it from the start, and she’d kind of expected it to go this way.
Rirya’s cute, after all.
So no shock. No hesitation. Just an immediate yes.
But how do you even make a child?
I look down at Rirya’s lower body. She’s a serpent-woman.