"Leila, what is it?"
The Elf Queen's voice was soft, calm, yet carried authority. At the same time, a thin veil of magic drifted outward, sealing off all sounds from the study. She had no desire to do this—but letting Leila see what was happening inside would have been a catastrophic mistake.
"I…"
Leila Peiyalera hesitated, her gaze flicking toward the study. She could sense Kurose Akira's aura within, but with the Elf Queen standing in the way, she dared not barge in.
So, carefully, she stated her true purpose.
"Your Majesty… the Orc Kingdom to the south has been restless lately. It seems they're preparing to mobilize against us."
Although Leila had officially lost her title as Elf Princess and held no position in the kingdom, her influence remained substantial.
After all, she was the mother of Bayafri and Bayaflora. The two young princesses were not yet ready to shoulder the responsibilities of the kingdom. So Leila still acted on their behalf.
Of the three princesses:
Elena was like the Elf Queen's personal aide, handling her affairs while learning to eventually inherit the throne.
Yurusi managed rituals and economic matters, which is why she oversaw the majority of elven events.
Leila, meanwhile, retained responsibility for military and intelligence matters.
Before her confinement, Leila had managed the armies of all elf sub-tribes. While she could not command them directly, any military action required her to report and relay requests to the Elf Queen.
When the Queen had been in slumber, Leila had been fully responsible.
During her confinement, those duties were temporarily handled by the elven council. Now, with her authority restored and the younger princesses assuming their roles, these burdens had once again returned to her shoulders.
"I understand. You may step back."
The Elf Queen waved lightly, signaling Leila to retreat.
But Leila was not so easily deterred. She had sensed Kurose Akira's presence—it was undeniable he was inside.
Her mind raced: why was he in the Elf Queen's study?
"Your Majesty… there seems to be some movement in your study. Has a thief broken in?"
"A thief?"
The Queen paused briefly at the question, then smiled knowingly. She realized Leila had probably already guessed that Kurose Akira was inside.
Even so, there was no way she could allow Leila to enter.
"A distinguished guest is present," the Elf Queen said casually, "but there's been a… small incident. I must wait outside for a moment."
"A distinguished guest?"
Leila's eyes widened.
She was astonished—not only had the Queen honored Kurose Akira as a guest, but she was standing outside, waiting for him.
The weight of such a guest… was almost incomprehensible.
"Very well," the Queen continued, cutting off any further thought. "If there's nothing else, you may withdraw."
"Yes~"
Her words were light, casual, yet firm. Leila dared not question them. She bowed respectfully and turned to leave.
"Sigh~"
The Elf Queen watched Leila's retreating figure, letting out a soft, almost sorrowful sigh.
"My children… they're all going to be devoured by the big bad wolf~"
With that, she turned and pushed open the study door.
A few minutes earlier, inside the study:
"Phew~"
Kurose Akira exhaled deeply, wiping sweat from his brow. The process had been rocky, but the result… was perfect. Well, mostly perfect—some surprises had occurred.
"Kurose! You—"
Elena fought back tears, her eyes shimmering.
Her suppressed emotions erupted in an instant. She curled up on the desk, hugging her knees tightly.
"It's over! Everything's over! My life is ruined!"
"Why are you crying? I didn't—"
Akira began, but stopped. Elena's tiny, sorrowful eyes softened his heart.
If she had become pregnant… the punishment awaiting her would have been far worse than anything Leila had ever faced.
After all, Elena was the sole designated heir to the elven throne. Her status in the kingdom far surpassed even Leila's.
"You horrible, terrible man!"
Elena bit her lip, glaring at him with silent accusation.
"Alright~ let me help you," Akira said, shrugging helplessly, and approached her.
He extended his hand toward the radiant light flowing over her lower abdomen.
"What… what are you doing?!" Elena panicked, unable to comprehend his intentions.
No… surely he isn't trying to…
Wait, no, no!
It wasn't a "raw rice" situation anymore—he could not possibly ruin her innocence now!
"I can help cleanse the life magic inside you. It's a power reserved only for…"
He paused mid-sentence. This was technically a succubus-exclusive ability, but he quickly swallowed the words.
"Can you… do that?"
Elena hesitated, spreading her legs slightly, and decided to trust him.
"Of course!"
Akira smiled faintly, a soft pink glow appearing at his fingertips.
Elena frowned, but when she realized this was to protect her purity, she stayed silent, letting him proceed despite his seemingly rough touch.
Her fists clenched tightly.
Compared to the holy light, his fingers were delicate—but they were enough to overwhelm her defenses.
And Akira's technique… surpassed even her own ability.
"Kurose!"
To distract herself and maintain control, Elena scolded him.
"It's all your fault! Why are you doing something so indecent?"
"Wasn't it you pretending to be the Elf Queen first? And seducing me?" Akira shot back, his voice cold.
"Seducing!?"
Elena blushed furiously, feeling the term was far too harsh—it should have been 'teasing'!
But now… things had escalated.
Her eyes glimmered with realization, and she let out a soft laugh.
"What do you mean? Are you seriously planning to defile the sacred Queen of our people?"
"This…"
Akira froze. Any reply could fall right into her trap.
Elena smiled playfully, tilting her head and lifting one leg to accentuate her teasing stance.
"So… did I guess correctly? You're bold indeed… daring to lay hands on the Elf Queen. If the elders knew… well…"
"What would happen?" Akira wiped the sweat from his brow, nervous.
"How should I know?"
Elena rolled her eyes. She had never actually witnessed such a thing!
Bang!
Suddenly, the study door swung open.
The Elf Queen interrupted them. Seeing Elena still seated provocatively on the desk, Akira's fingers…
Her expression instantly turned icy.
"Are you done yet?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Elena scrambled up, quickly dressing.
Akira froze for a moment, then glanced at his hand and allowed a small, subtle smile to appear.
"Your Majesty!"
Elena, once dressed, immediately knelt before the Elf Queen, trembling slightly.
This… was it. She was truly doomed.
"Pretending to be me… was that fun?"
The Queen's voice was cold, authoritative.
"Not at all!" Elena cried. "I acknowledge my fault! Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
"I will deal with you shortly. For now, remain kneeling."
The Elf Queen's gaze swept over Elena before slowly approaching Akira.
His heart raced.
After all… she had just seen him, body exposed beneath Elena, feeling the intensity of the holy light…
"You were gone only a short while, and yet—look at you!"
The Queen's sapphire eyes pierced him, her tone lecturing.
"Mischief in my study will not be tolerated!"
"Cough cough~ Your Majesty, let me explain!"
Akira barely started, when the Queen withdrew from her sleeve a long, straight… ruler?
"This…?"
He frowned. A ruler? Transparent, crystalline, as if carved from a thousand-year-old ice shard.
No chill emanated from it, but the surface bore engraved numbers.
"Truly a ruler?"
"This was a gift from the World Tree for my millennium birthday," the Elf Queen said softly. "Forged from Celestial Repair Stone, imbued with a fragment of divine resonance. I had hoped to admire it with you… but now—"
Her voice stopped abruptly. Elena shivered on the ground.
Akira focused on the ruler, checking its properties.
[? : ????]
"All question marks?"
Akira frowned. He hated riddles.
He turned to the Elf Queen, smiling.
"Your Majesty, I would be delighted to admire the divine resonance with you. But please trust me—what just happened was an accident!"
"An accident?"
The Queen's lips curved into a faintly amused smile.
"Very well. I shall temporarily trust you, Kurose Akira. My confidence in you remains."
She walked to the desk, seated herself, crossing her legs.
Her right hand held the ruler, lightly tapping her left palm.
In a commanding tone, she asked,
"Elena erred. Children who err must be punished. Do you agree?"
"Absolutely!" Akira responded immediately.
Elena clenched her teeth quietly. Traitor!
"Then, Kurose Akira, punish her for me!"
The Queen tossed the ruler toward him.
He caught it. The crystalline ruler was icy to the touch, with markings reaching up to 50cm.
"Cough cough~" Akira cleared his throat. "You want me to use this on Elena… in exchange for leniency?"
"Yes. Punish her with this, and I shall keep it secret."
The Queen nodded like a stern judge, waiting for his execution.
"Apologies…"
Akira advanced toward Elena, ruler in hand. He tapped it against his palm—tap, tap, tap—the sound making her tremble.
"Gently!"
Elena dared not defy the Queen, letting him proceed.
"Don't worry. I'll be careful," he assured, glancing at the Queen.
"Where?"
"Anywhere."
"Understood!"
He lifted her skirt.
"???"
"Not the palms?" Elena demanded.
"Palms? How could that satisfy the Queen? If she isn't pleased, we're finished!"
He placed his hand on her pale, flawless skin.
"Wait!? I—"
Before she could finish, smack!
"Ahhh!!!"
The crisp sound echoed through the study. Her backside flushed crimson instantly.
Pain and shame intertwined, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
The Elf Queen paused, slightly surprised.
She hadn't expected Akira to start aggressively from the beginning…
He even feigned concern, asking,
"Does it hurt?"
"You!"
Elena bit her lip, full of silent accusation.
He smirked at the Queen.
"Continue?"
"Yes…"
Just as he was about to strike again, a notification appeared.
[Elf Ruler (Mythical): After spanking 1,000 elves' bottoms, unlocks a special privilege! (Current: 999)]
"Ah?"
Akira stared, incredulous.
Spank 1,000 elves?
What on earth had the World Tree made this ruler for?
Why such a bizarre effect?
And the previous elf branch incident…
He had every reason to suspect the World Tree was completely abnormal.
Every artifact it created was strange, unpredictable…
But that didn't matter now. Punishment wasn't finished.
"Endure it, Elena. The Queen's orders cannot be defied!"
"You… villain!"
"Wait!"
"Ah~"
"Mm~"
"Wah~!"
The punishment continued for a long while. Only when the Elf Queen finally spoke did Akira stop.
Of course, he maintained control. Though Elena's bottom appeared bright red, the pain was bearable.
By the midpoint, her cries carried a subtle, unexpected undertone… excitement?
"That's enough."
The Queen waved her hand, signaling Akira to stop.
She couldn't shake the feeling that… this wasn't just a punishment.