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It took three days to reach the Imperial Palace in the North from the Galadriel Tribe’s second home. Three days was considered fast; however, if you choose to abandon your horse’s life and can stand it, you’d be able to reach the Imperial Palace in the North in a day. The sight of the Imperial City’s walls was already within Nier’s sight, since she set out the day before. Actually, it’d be more accurate to say she saw the massive star at the top of the Imperial Palace.
The sky behind the star was still dark. However, the star above the mountains was already emitting a bright light just as though it was the sun in the darkness. Only the Imperial Palace of the North shone when the entire world was dark. Wherever the King was, there’d be sunlight. The King was the only light in the dark world.
Nier tapped the White Deer King. It raised its head up to look at the star before lowering its head. From the White Deer King’s perspective, it wasn’t that far away, and it wasn’t going at top speed, for the reason that it was accommodating Tanya’s pace. So accordingly, it wasn’t out of the norm. Elizabeth was slightly slow, since she wasn’t riding a White Deer King.
Nier and Tanya went to the city walls. Under normal circumstances, entry into the city was prohibited at night, because the North had yet to completely settle down. The reason for the prohibition was to circumvent vandalism and to protect the King. When she entered through a small door, Nier anxiously asked the guard, “Has His Majesty returned?”
“He has. He came back on the back of a huge fox. He is now resting in the Imperial Palace.”
The guard respectfully extended forth his hand to take the reins of the White Deer King; however, the White Deer King whipped its head, and then grumpily stomped the ground, giving the guard a fright. As a result, he lunged far away as if he was electrocuted. Nier gave the guard a nod, and then ran off to the Imperial Palace without saying anything further.
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Lucia curled up and hugged my arm. In a slightly concerned voice, she asked, “Your Highness… Is it okay… for you to do this…?”
Lucia and Nier weren’t the same. Lucia couldn’t stand much with her smaller body. She begged for mercy after just two rounds. I rubbed her small head and, with a smile, said, “It’s all right, Lucia. I can still hang in there for a day or two. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to last a few more days… If there’s still a mana source, I may be able to last another two days.”
Lucia nodded. She then suddenly recalled something, and therefore leapt to her feet. She ran over to the cupboard and fumbled through it. She took out a small bottle and handed it to me. I didn’t know what she meant.
Inside the bottle was bright red blood that had yet to consolidate. Lucia handed it to me then smiled: “This is the blood Ling Yue gave me. It’s the blood from her tail and our mana. If you drink it now, you should be able to last an extra two days, right? Your Highness, I don’t know what sort of method you’re planning to use. Regardless, if you need my help then I can give up everything. I don’t have much mana, but I can give you everything I have. Your Highness, how much blood do you need?”
“How can I suck your blood?”
I hugged Lucia and took the bottle. I looked at the blood inside and carefully set it aside. I really need the bottle of blood. Else, I’d be out of time. I spent too long with my wives and girls. I pondered, “Will I be able to find a way to live in the coming two to three days?”
Lucia looked at me with resolute eyes and solemnly said, “I’ll do anything that you need. Everything I have belongs to you. My soul, my body, my blood and flesh all belong to you, Your Highness. I’ll do anything that you want as long as you can live. I can sacrifice my life for you without any hesitation.”
I clasped Lucia’s face: “I don’t want to live in this world if you’re not here.”
Lucia laughed in a quiet voice. Although she was shy, her bliss and satisfaction overwhelmed her shyness. I gave her a soft lip kiss. Unlike Nier, who visited me every night, Lucia was really fond of kissing with me. She clasped my face and sincerely kissed me. Our tongues entwined together until we had to release each other due to shortness of breath.
Short of breath, her face was red, and her body underneath moonlight was beautiful. I took in a deep breath. The body that Nier helped me build through her special training felt aroused again.  I grabbed Lucia again. I chuckled and questioned, “Lucia, the sun isn’t up yet. How about… we … go again?”
Startled at first, Lucia then shyly answered, “You still want to do it again? Your Highness, if you want to… I am still okay…”
“What’s wrong? Do you not feel well? Nier can do it every night and won’t stop until she’s completely exhausted.”
I grabbed Vera and Nona’s breakfast for tomorrow. Lucia was still a little naughty; she didn’t breastfeed Daisy, so she had to be fed by a nanny. With that said, maybe elves and humans couldn’t consume the milk of another race. Lucia went red in the face. With a hint of unhappiness, she stated, “Your Highness, elves don’t find joy in this sort of stuff. It’s a sacred act for reproducing. How can we just be insolent for the sake of pleasure? Further… if you do this again… Nona and Vera won’t have breakfast for tomorrow…”
I lingered.  That… was a serious problem… Indeed, I shouldn’t fight my girls for their food…  I decided to get on top of Lucia when I thought of it that way. After all, I might not have a chance to do it with Lucia again. At the time, I could hug my Lucia; I could boldly kiss her, feel her warmth and her breaths. Those were signs Lucia was alive. She was my wife. And that, was the bliss I could enjoy when I was still alive, for she was my wife. I loved my wives. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to leave them. They were the most realistic existence by my side. They were the true loves by my side. They loved me, and I loved them. My last wish was to live. I wanted to live on by their sides.
Lucia and I tightly embraced. Her trembling body awaited me. However, just when I was about to do it one last time, somebody aggressively shoved the door open. Startled, I nigh jumped up. Lucia and I turned our heads at the same time to look at the person behind us with a stunned and enraged look. Enraged, Nier scowled. The scene was the same as a scene of a woman catching her husband cheating, rolling around on the bed with another woman…
“Take a page out of Ikana’s book, will you?!! Look at Ikana! When she heard Abner banging another girl, she waited outside the door for him to finish! Who violently pushes the door open like you?!” was what I wanted to say.
Nier took in a deep breath. She sternly said, “Didn’t we come to an agreement? He belongs to me at night, and he belongs to you during the day. What are you doing right now? Have you not broken our rules? How do you want to resolve this? You want to have another duel or what?”
“You weren’t here tonight. There has to be somebody to take care of His Highness, right? You chose to leave on your own accord; it’s not my fault. I told you His Highness would surely be back. You were the one who didn’t believe me. Doesn’t the fault lie with you for not believing in His Highness?”
Lucia rolled her eyes. Nier looked back at her with a cold look: “Are you not aware of the inferiority of your body? You think you can satisfy His Majesty? His Majesty probably has to hold back for your lame body. How are you qualified to accompany His Majesty through the night?”
“Night time is for sleeping!”
“How is one a wife if she can’t do it with her husband at night? A wife should use her body for intercourse at night!”
My internal reaction: “What sort of thinking is that? How are you able to righteously speak about logic that’s beyond wrong?! Do you not know how wrong your thinking is?! Who gave you this wrong information? Who said that husband and wife must have intercourse at night?!”
I was completely stupefied. Nier grouchily undressed and kicked the door shut. She then completely stripped down without any hesitation. She vaulted onto the bed and wrestled me down onto the bed. She coldly looked at Lucia: “If possible, I can think you can return to your room now. It’s still night time, so His Majesty currently belongs to me.”
“Rubbish! The sun is virtually up! It’s already day time. Do you not get it?! The one who should leave now is you! You suddenly barged in when His Highness and I were about to do it again! You’re the one who should hurry up and leave. Look at you. You just dismounted from a horse, didn’t you? Your boots smell like mud and you’re covered in sweat, yet you dare sleep with His Highness? Have you no shame?!”
“A soldier has no reason to be ashamed of their sweat!”
Nier may have been covered in sweat, but she didn’t smell bad. To the contrary, her sweat dispersed her fragrance and helped it stand out more. Nier declared, “If that’s the case, let’s have a duel. Whoever makes His Majesty feel better gets to stay. The other can get lost!”
Lucia, the stubborn young girl revealed a look, showing that she was unwilling to leave. She gave a firm nod: “Fine! If that’s what you want, then let’s do it!”
My internal reaction: “Can you two please consider the feelings of a man on the brink of death?!! What am I supposed to do?!!! Is this any way to treat your reward?!”