The Holy City.
The news of the Duke's disappearance on his wedding day to Empress Elisa had already spread.
Rumors were flying everywhere.
"If you ask me, the Lord Duke definitely found a new lover."
"No way, you're not a local, are you? The Lord Duke is a ruthless man who charged into a zombie horde all by himself just to protect Her Majesty and save the city."
"Exactly! I saw him kill the Bishop with my own eyes. Do you think the title 'Disemboweling Knight' is just for show?"
"..."
Usually, it was the outsiders who speculated so wildly.
But among the old residents here, no one believed the Duke would abandon the Empress for a new lover.
"Mmh... it must be that."
"The Lord Duke borrowed power from the Gods, and the backlash got him."
"I think so too. I heard his wedding clothes were found neatly folded on the bed, along with the token of love he prepared for the Empress. Sigh... poor Lord Duke, poor Empress."
"..."
They preferred to imagine that Silas was so strong—unable to die even with his guts hanging out—because he had borrowed divine power or was simply not human. He had come to help the Empress and then returned to the realm of the Gods.
"What Gods? I think he had internal injuries and felt he was dying... he didn't want the Empress to know. That's why he left."
"..."
In short, no one mocked Elisa.
Instead, there was mostly regret and sympathy.
Every day, they watched Leitman or others lead search parties around the Holy City, only to return empty-handed and dejected every time.
"..."
"Ah, that's... Her Majesty."
"Quick, lower your head. Don't look so cheerful."
"Sigh, Her Majesty has been wearing her wedding dress every day since then..."
"..."
It was as they said.
Elisa wore that wedding dress every single day. Stepping in her crystal high heels, she walked toward the palace.
Surely, some people found it eccentric.
But she didn't care.
She didn't care about any rumors. Whether she was mocked or pitied didn't matter. Even when Leitman and the others executed those who called her 'the first Empress in history, and the first to be abandoned,' she felt no emotional ripple.
Life or death, it was all insignificant.
She knew.
Silas was not a God. Nor did he have internal injuries.
He was just a powerful, clever man.
So...
Would such a clever man, even if he intended to abandon her, commit such a childish act as disappearing on his wedding night?
She didn't believe it.
So, she would wait. Wait for Silas to come out and explain.
Just as before, she wore thin white silk stockings under her skirt every day. Everything was the same as on the wedding night—perfume on her toes, perfume on her belly.
她 numbed herself through heavy work.
No matter how troublesome the task, she resolved to finish it within a day, even if she didn't sleep.
"..."
Back home.
No one would say "Come here and blow me" anymore.
No one would grab her ankles and use her feet for strange things. She hadn't needed to wash her clothes specifically for a long time.
Before, she thought his cum getting everywhere was troublesome, fearing others would notice if she went out. Now, she felt that didn't matter at all.
"..."
She was too tired. She didn't want to move.
Dorothy would come to help her undress and bring towels for her bath.
Her aunt hadn't returned. Perhaps she was still helping search, relying on a succubus's sense of smell.
Everyone said:
"The Duke couldn't possibly abandon you."
Exactly.
Because she knew that, she didn't know what to do.
"Michelle, the Master..."
"Do you want to mock me? Laugh if you want. I won't execute you."
"..."
Speaking of which.
Dorothy used to love masturbating against the corner of the table, but she hadn't recently.
Why stopped?
"You can do that thing against the table corner; I won't say anything. He will come back."
"No, what I want to say is... on the night before your coronation, Master was a bit strange."
"..."
Elisa turned around, looking at her coldly. "You want to be like the people outside and say he has a new lover? If so, I really will execute you."
"Master felt my breasts."
"...And then?"
"But Master clearly had no interest in me at all. He just wanted to see if I could really be a maid, to see if he should kick me out."
"..."
Elisa hadn't known about this.
"I didn't think much of it then. I was just jealous..."
"Jealous?"
"Yes, jealous that Master would help you so quietly. Most people want every little thing they do to be seen and praised. But Master was like that—simply not intending for you to know."
"So, what are you trying to say?"
Now that she knew, Elisa didn't feel much. If touching a breast meant he had changed his mind or found someone new, then his new lovers were too many—didn't the Courtesan rub her breasts against him too?
"That day, I felt Master seemed to have something on his mind, so I tried to find an excuse to... get close."
Dorothy found it hard to say, but she continued, "But thinking about it now, Master shifted the topic very skillfully. What he did to me... was like he was settling his affairs."
"...Leave."
"..."
"I don't need a maid anymore. You can go anywhere you want."
"I'm not lying!"
"And I said, whatever! Go wherever! Just don't let me see you again!"
"..."
Dorothy left.
Elisa climbed out of the tub and walked to the room. To this day, the tuxedo Silas left behind after disappearing and the ring were still there. The family heirloom was there too.
How could someone vanish into thin air? He wasn't a God.
Elisa didn't sleep on the bed.
She chose to sleep on the floor, just as she used to at the academy. Silas on the bed, her by the wall.
Step.
Someone returned.
But just from the footsteps, Elisa knew it wasn't Silas; it was her aunt.
How many days had it been?
Half a year?
Even for a bully, it was time to come back.
"Ugh..."
What "settling affairs"?
His body was perfectly fine; she had given him so much of her blood. And on the morning of the wedding, he was full of vigor and made her do so many things. How could he...
Even if he really had internal injuries, he definitely wouldn't hide it from her. She was the Empress; she had the power to heal him. Even if she had to drain her blood dry, it wouldn't matter.
"..."
She couldn't take it anymore.
Elisa stood up again, holding a small knife. She cut her wrist.
She wouldn't die, but she watched the wound open, blood spilling out. The intense pain stimulated her... telling her she couldn't escape. She couldn't give up.
If even she started thinking he wouldn't return, he really wouldn't.
Step.
Someone else came back.
It was Dorothy.
"..."
She silently brought a towel and a small wooden bucket.
"Master wouldn't want to see you like this."
"I already... told you to leave."
"Michelle, I think... Master definitely has his own reasons."
"Then let him tell me that himself!!!"
"Go look for him, okay? Where did Master come from? What friends did he have before?"
"..."
She had asked long ago. He had been in the Holy City since he was young.
"Can't his identity be fake? I know Master taught swordsmanship in the Holy City for over a decade, but with Master's abilities, does it look like the Holy City could produce someone like him? Have you personally asked Master about his family, his friends, where he really came from? For example, the policies you enacted—do they sound like the knowledge of a local?"
"So, wipe yourself clean. You are the Empress. You have the time and power to find him."
"..."
Elisa let Dorothy take her hand, wiping away the blood. Dorothy took the knife away.
"I don't believe someone can vanish into thin air."
Elisa whispered to herself.
"I don't believe it either."
"But what if... he just doesn't want me anymore."
"..."
Dorothy pulled Elisa's head against her chest, burying it. "If we're talking about being abandoned, I have plenty of experience. It is indeed hard to endure. But you're the Empress; if you find him, you can just drag him back."
"Why... hah... why doesn't he want me? What... ugh, what did I do wrong?"
"Nothing. In my eyes, Michelle just loves Master very simply. It's so pure it makes me jealous. No matter the reason, it's Master's fault. So, just find him and drag him back."
"..."
After all this time.
Elisa finally couldn't hold back, sobbing breathlessly.
"Think about it, aren't I more miserable? Whether you find him or not, I never had a chance."
"So, you're the one who is loved. If even you give up, I wouldn't know where to go or what to do."
"..."
"Dorothy."
"Mmh?"
"Do you think... he has another wife? That's why..."
"That doesn't matter. When the time comes, you stand before Master and ask him. However, I think a man like Master, even if he were married, would tell you directly."
"..."
"Stop pressing me against your chest. It's stifling."
"Stifling? Then I'll press against yours."
"I... I always pressed him against my chest like you just did to me. Could it be because of that..."
"Pfft. How could it be? Master would only think it's cute. He definitely wouldn't just lie there quietly; he'd probably suck them, wouldn't he?"
"...Mmh."
"Don't think too much. Anyway, you did nothing wrong. Just find him and ask. Take off the wedding dress. If you find Master and his tuxedo is still good but your wedding dress is worn out, that would be a pity."
"..."
Elisa's heart grew calm.
She thought Dorothy was right.
Silas's manner of speaking wasn't like someone from the Holy City at all. She had never asked.
Perhaps it really was because of something very urgent. He left temporarily.
But no matter what, it was too much.
When I find him!
I won't give him a footjob for a month. No matter what, I won't! I'll let him know that I can get truly angry too.