The two disappeared into the room in a hurry.
Seeing this, Ophelia quietly turned around, her expression unchanged.
Standing before her, Echid wore a very displeased expression.
“I’ve heard about it to some extent, but… it’s quite intense, isn’t it? Our master and that woman, Bertina.”
Ophelia, who remained silent at Echid’s words, began heading toward the room she had been assigned.
In response, Echid looked at her and spoke with a determined voice.
“Is it him?”
“…”
“Is it the person you mentioned? The one who wants to keep you from experiencing sadness?”
Ophelia paused for a moment before leaving the place.A bitter smile appeared on Echid’s lips as he watched her depart.
‘I don’t know because I’ve never been in a situation like this, but… I don’t think it’s a very pleasant feeling.’
***
“Sigh…”
A smile formed on Bertina’s lips as she sighed with deep satisfaction. Her body was drenched in sweat, not a thread of clothing on her. Her voluptuous mounds were flushed from the rather rough touches, and her well-groomed hair was disheveled, as if after an intense workout.
At this moment, the traces of intense affection left by the man lying next to her were evident. Among them, the most important thing to Bertina was the warm feeling that filled her belly. This sensation of holding the essence of the man she loved made her feel as if she were cradling a treasure in her arms.
“How is it? Are you satisfied now?”
“Yes. To be honest, I want to do it a few more times… but unfortunately, if I do that, I think tomorrow’s schedule will be disrupted.”
Bahamut asked, his voice tinged with a bit of fatigue, and Bertina responded with sincere regret.
“Anyway, it seems like only desire is increasing. My dear Lady.”
“Ahhnn~”
With those words, Bahamut lightly caressed Bertina’s mounds. Feeling his gentle yet warm touch, Bertina let out a soft laugh—a cute and charming demeanor that contrasted sharply with the Lady of Blue Gold who commanded the commercial world of the empire.
Bahamut, too, smiled with satisfaction at this side of her that only he could see.
‘At first, it was a relationship that started as a simple game. Well, it must mean that she is naturally that attractive.’
Of all the women with whom he had personal relationships, the one who gave Bahamut the greatest satisfaction was, of course, Bertina. While Ophelia held the highest level of affection in his heart, Bertina was unmatched when it came to pure pleasure in bed. Moreover, as Bertina also expressed sincere affection for Bahamut, his feelings for her grew rapidly each time they met.
However, aside from those feelings…
Sensing that the atmosphere had finally calmed down a bit, Bahamut spoke to her in a quiet voice.
“Now that your thirst has been quenched, shall we talk in earnest?”
“Talk… what do you want to say?”
Bertina, looking at Bahamut who asked with sincerity, responded with a calm smile, as if she already knew what he wanted to discuss.
“The reason you called me here. Of course, it wasn’t just for fun like this… What’s your intention in bringing the emperor and me into contact?”
“Hmm… Were you curious about that? To be honest, the answer seems quite obvious…”
Bertina replied with a hint of jest.
In response, Bahamut slowly caressed her chin as she lay beside him.
“I don’t know about anyone else, but if it’s you, there must be something more… Tell me. Even moving the emperor, what is it that you truly want?”
“What I want… huhu…”
With those words, Bertina slowly pulled Bahamut’s body into a sitting position.
Feeling the touch of her plentiful mounds, Bahamut began to feel as if the embers of his desire, which had just calmed down, were about to rekindle.
“Don’t be shy and tell me. After all, it’s about meeting the emperor of the Holy Empire. Shouldn’t I at least know what your true purpose is?”
“Hmm… I get it. If so…”
Bertina slowly caressed Bahamut’s hair, still holding his body in her arms. In that state, she spoke to him with a serious tone.
“To tell you the truth… as your s1ave, I did it because I wanted to help my beloved master in some way.”
“What?”
Her words might have seemed questionable, given the sincerity with which she spoke. However, Bertina continued, her smile genuine.
“It may seem a bit forward, but I’ve been watching what you’ve been doing all this time. What you’ve been spending all the money you’ve earned so far on. And through this, I’ve come to understand what you truly want.”
“Hoo… so? What did you discover about what I want?”
Bahamut asked, intrigued, and Bertina spoke with a bit of caution.
“I don’t know your ultimate goal, but there is one thing I’ve figured out for sure. You aim to build a positive network with the strong people of the continent. Not biased toward any side, but wherever there is strength and power, you remain neutral. It’s as if you’re ensuring that no one sees you as an enemy…”
“…Did you figure out that much?”
“Hehe… I suppose I did. I think it was wise to prepare for the opportunity to establish a personal relationship with the emperor this time.”
“Hahaha…”
As Bahamut lightly laughed at Bertina’s words, he marveled at her perceptiveness. Although it was difficult to draw any hasty conclusions about what might come next, as nothing significant had happened yet, he had a nearly perfect understanding of the present situation. Additionally, Bahamut recognized his own intentions within this context.
‘Surely, if Bertina had been an enemy, she would have been a truly terrifying presence,’ he thought, glad that she was on his side. Bahamut looked at Bertina and calmly spoke.
“That is correct. Given your abilities, it wouldn’t have been difficult to discern that much.”
“So let’s say… this was the limit of my ability. I’m not as skilled as you are when it comes to grasping what lies beneath the surface…”
Bertina looked at Bahamut seriously.
Then, she carefully studied his eyes and asked, “What is it that you’re preparing for? To the extent that you’ve gone so far as to nurture adventurers and bribe the powerful people of each country…”
Bahamut realized that her question also touched on the curiosity he had felt when trying to acquire Karl’s Greatsword at Benessa’s auction the other day. And… this was likely the true purpose Bertina had in mind when she involved the emperor: to uncover the direction of Bahamut’s past actions.
‘I see… She’s a woman with no gaps, always grinding the ground rice like this…’
Talking about it was a burdensome issue even for Bahamut. From that perspective, regardless of how much he favored her, he would have to refuse. Yet, Bahamut was aware that the situation had changed following a series of recent events.
‘If it had gone according to the original plan, I might have brushed off the question. But with the situation in Hangury accelerating as it has, it’s unlikely things will remain quiet for the next two or three years…’
A catalyst that didn’t exist before could have been inadvertently created due to Bahamut’s actions somewhere. In other words, the flow of time could no longer be guaranteed. Given the precedent in Hangury, it wouldn’t be surprising if something exploded tomorrow.
And… in preparation for this, the only person with the ability, trust, and strength to confide in was Bertina.
‘There’s no benefit in delaying any further. Moreover, we’ve already discussed this, so…’
Immediately after making that decision, Bahamut looked Bertina in the eyes and spoke.
“Alright… As I mentioned before…”
“As I said before, I will believe anything you say. So don’t worry about that part.”
Bertina spoke with a strong, determined will.
In response, Bahamut smiled slightly, recognizing what kind of person she truly was.
“…Thank you.”
Then, Bahamut began to speak carefully… and once the story ended, Bertina’s face was left with only shock, enough to erase all other emotions.
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