Back in the present, I was meticulously examining the items on the bed. Unlike before, I felt awkward and embarrassed by my changed thoughts, fidgeting uncomfortably for a while.

“Things might become difficult for you soon, Miss Shasha. After tertiary s*xual characteristics develop, rabbit beastkin enter a permanent state of heat.”

I wasn’t sure why Princess Kesera’s words suddenly came to mind. Fearing I might commit an irreversible sin, I hastily gathered the adult products, stuffed them back into the basket, and shoved it into a corner of the room.

“Hah…”

My breathing grew labored from tension, my heart pounding rapidly. With tears threatening to spill, I closed my eyes, crouched down, and prayed fervently to God.

“Please take away my dirty curiosity. Please, God, hurry. I was never curious about these things. I only meant to take a quick peek… really.”

This strange new desire made both my body and mind feel foreign and unfamiliar. Confused by these bizarre changes, I remained kneeling on the floor with my knees bent in a penitent position until Rictusa came to call me.

* * *

“Good morning, Momo.”

“Good morning, Your Highness. Did you sleep well?”

The next morning, Princess Kesera emerged from her bedroom completely n*ked except for a transparent silk slip. From the looks of it, she had spent the night with another man. I hesitated, not knowing where to look, and kept my gaze fixed on the floor.

“You can look up, Momo. It’s not like this is the first time you’ve seen me like this.”

The Princess’s body, with its light tan giving her skin a subtle clay color, was flawless. The curve from her waist to her hips flowed elegantly without excess, while her graceful leg lines, sculpted by ten years of ballet, were sleek without an ounce of fat.

Her br*asts, so large that a grown man’s hand couldn’t fully contain them, bounced up and down with her every movement. Far from being uncomfortable with the sight, I found myself entranced by her mesmerizing figure, only to feel self-conscious afterward and cover my own chest with both hands.

Such a slender and beautiful figure like the Princess’s must be something you’re born with, right? I wished I could be tall like her, with long legs, and br*asts and hips as full as vases. 

Though I had no right to compare myself to Her Highness—the very thought was sinful—I couldn’t help feeling a little depressed. I’d never paid much attention to my body before, but lately I found myself standing in front of mirrors more often, examining myself from different angles.

Enough! Instead of wasting time on useless thoughts, I should focus on my work.

“Get it together, Momo,” I told myself, holding my breath and slapping both cheeks. Yet despite my resolve, a thought flashed through my mind, and my mouth moved before I could stop it.

“How is Narcissus doing, Your Highness?”

“Hmm? Why are you asking me about him?”

“I-I apologize if I was rude.”

I had naturally assumed the man she’d spent the night with was Narcissus and asked accordingly. Was my question too presumptuous? I bowed my head and apologized.

“Ah, I wouldn’t know since it’s been a while since I’ve been intimate with Narcissus. I haven’t called him to my bedroom since he came down with that fever.”

Narcissus had fallen ill about three days before my coming-of-age ceremony. If he hadn’t been summoned by the Princess even once since then, could something have happened between them? Unable to contain my curiosity, I carefully asked once more.

“Why is that? You seemed to like him very much, Your Highness.”

“True. His face is cute and his body has a nice masculine appeal, but he lacks the charm of being docile. He does everything reluctantly when told, and except when moaning, his expression remains stiff, which isn’t entertaining to watch. Though his voice is sexy, just my type.”

“I see.”

“I was lenient because he’s cute, but he has quite an insolent side. He neither enjoys nor likes sharing a bed with me.”

“But you said those are the types of men you want to conquer most.”

“Lately, with demons and temple affairs to worry about, I prefer to enjoy s*x lightly as stress relief. I can tame Narcissus gradually.”

Princess Kesera yawned languidly, then stretched her arms in a seductive pose. She looked like a cat basking in the sunlight.

“Today, there will be major repairs and cleaning of the first-floor corridor connected to the underground prison.”

“Major repairs?”

“Yes, there was a small incident while you were at your coming-of-age ceremony. Nothing serious, so don’t worry about it. Just stay close to me, tour the restoration site, and do as I tell you. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Don’t leave my side for a moment, Momo.”

“I’ll remember, Your Highness.”

By the time we arrived at the site, the restoration work was nearly complete. However, broken marble fragments, pieces of collapsed decorations, and ancient dust still filled the corridor. 

“What happened while I was away, Your Highness?”

“A demon from the underground prison caused a disturbance.”

“Was it the Taracan that attacked me? It didn’t escape or anything, did it?”

The Princess, who had been walking straight ahead with perfect posture, paused briefly. Then, gently stroking my head, she smiled faintly.

“…Of course not. Even if it had managed to escape, Eodiphia’s capable mages and knights could easily recapture it. You don’t need to worry.”

“Phew, that’s a relief. That demon seemed to have a nasty temperament.”

“Momo, I’ll say it again—you must not leave my side for even a moment until the restoration work is complete.”

Following her orders, I stuck close to the Princess throughout the work, helping diligently with the cleaning. I swept the corridor filled with piles of gray dust and cleared away broken glass shards.

Looking around, I noticed not only attendants like myself but also high-ranking imperial mages and knights from Rictusa’s army. Together, they were repairing the shattered underground stairs and cleaning blood-spattered stone walls.

“Demons seem ugly and ill-tempered, Your Highness.”

“From their perspective, they were living peacefully before being captured by humans, so it’s understandable they’d be angry. Though there was another reason for its rampage.”

“When you put it that way, you’re right. I feel sorry for the demon.”

“And yet I’m the one who ordered its capture alive. Even though it killed dozens of innocent people?”

“Oh!”

“You’re easily swayed, Momo. Satisfying the interests of two different species is never easy—it’s a lifelong challenge. Just a few decades ago, all beastkin were treated as human slaves, while celestials treated humans like vermin.”

“But we’ve made a lot of progress now. Beastkin can buy their freedom with money, marry without their master’s permission, and own private property. They can even buy houses and land in their own names… Wow, come to think of it, Brother Rictusa has risen to a high position despite being half-beast. That seems remarkable now that I think about it.”

“Yes, all species except beasts can be considered equal now. But demons are the exception. Due to their nature of enjoying slaughter, they may never be able to coexist with us. The empire suffers casualties from demons every month.”

Oh, that’s right—the Princess’s biggest concerns lately were the demon subjugation operation and something about the High Priest. But what was the latter about?

The moment I recalled the word “High Priest,” it naturally connected to Shahan, making me feel unpleasantly irritated.

“If we could communicate with those demons, we might try negotiating. But they seem unwilling to cooperate. We speak different languages anyway.”

“Couldn’t we call an interpreter?”

In Eodiphia, numerous species coexist, using a standard imperial language for unification purposes. However, only demons and beasts exclusively used their own languages. Even the celestials had given up their superior language to use the imperial tongue—how dare these insignificant creatures refuse!

“I’ve never seen a demon language interpreter. No one bothers to learn it—it’s useless against creatures that immediately devour any moving life form, and the pay is too low.”

“Interacting with demons isn’t easy.”

“True, we’ve been disconnected for decades. If only we could bring them to our side, we wouldn’t have these headaches.”

I nodded silently.

“Demons can transform into anything and completely conceal their presence. As apex predators at the top of the food chain, we must remain vigilant.”

“That’s frightening, Your Highness.”

We continued our work while surveying the corridor. People followed Princess Kesera’s instructions, and I, scurrying alongside her, helped with all my might. With so many people involved, the scene was chaotic.

But was it my imagination? For a while now, I’d had the strange feeling of being watched. Even when I glanced behind me or whirled around with a shout, I saw nothing. Yet the mysterious gaze clung to me like a leech.

What could it be? Was I becoming sensitive due to recent events?

There wasn’t anyone particularly interested in watching me, except perhaps Shahan with his eerie eyes. But he wouldn’t be in the palace now, and moreover, the feeling was quite different—not a chilling bloodlust, but something mixed with intense desire and heat.

“Momo, you have soot on your face.”

The Princess took out a hand mirror to show me. Indeed, black ash and dust were smeared all over my white nose and cheeks.

“I’ll go to the bathroom.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“What? But you need to stay at the site, Your Highness. I can go alone.”

I was puzzled by the Princess’s intention to accompany me. Why was she being so overprotective today? Even ordering me to stay close to her.

“Then I’ll wait right here. Hurry back.”

A small bathroom was visible at the end of the corridor, not far from our current position. I dashed there, thoroughly washed the soot from my face, and tidied my disheveled hair. After smoothing out my wrinkled clothes, I turned around—and my breath caught at the sight of someone standing quietly like a painting in the doorway.

“Your Highness…?”