1495 Black Rose

After a relatively short period of time, Vahn found himself lazing about, his head, once again, making use of Semiramis' thighs. He could feel their warmth even through her dress, and, though it was hard to notice, a familiar scent of fruit still lingered in the air.

Though he was somewhat disappointed that they didn't have sex, Vahn didn't particularly mind it. He had plenty of partners to appease any of his urges, and, though he could ask anyone to give him the same kind of treatment, he was quite fond of lazing about with the raven-haired beauty. She seemed to enjoy watching him sleep, and, though she rarely vocalized her true feelings, the way she combed through his hair with a slight trace of a smile made her affection clear.

While enjoying the sensation of her silken gloves, Vahn mused, "This situation seems very familiar..." in a languid tone.

Hearing Vahn's musings, Semiramis' elf-like ears perked up slightly as she traced her finger along his neck and answered, "You should be grateful...there was a time when men would battle to the death just for a chance to see my beauty. Truthfully, I spoil you quite a bit...Master..."

Rather than refute her words, Vahn lightly chuckled before nodding his head and saying, "Truly, I am a blessed man..."

Following his statement, Vahn grabbed Semiramis' hand, gingerly planting a kiss on her fingers as he added, "Thank you..."

With her ears drooping a bit, Semiramis couldn't help but avert her eyes, a vain attempt to hide the almost indiscernible blush on her face. She always felt conflicted whenever he said things like this, as, for a brief moment, it made her lament being unable to do the same.

Had their situations been reversed, Semiramis would have quickly lost patience if the other party was significantly weaker than her. She didn't understand how he was able to tolerate her selfishness with a smile. He didn't even get upset when she refused to have sex with him. Instead, he helped her get cleaned up and dressed before dutifully fixing her hair.

If she had his power, Semiramis would have used it without any hesitation, bending him to her will and forcing him to serve her like a loyal dog. She would indulge herself every day, turning him into a mindless slave that couldn't live without her. Then, once he had served his purpose, she would leave him discarded and broken, obtaining a new toy to satiate her urges...

Though he never used it, Vahn had the power to directly order people, and, due to the disparity in his power, others would be compelled to obey. She was very aware of this fact, so it always troubled her that he simply never used it. He could even completely corrupt her heart, making her a slave to his body. Instead, he treated her well, accepting all but the darkest parts of her with a relaxed smile on his face...

As this thought crossed her mind, Semiramis lightly poked Vahn's cheek with the golden nail sticking out of her palm, muttering, "That power is wasted on you...fuuuu..."

Raising his brow, Vahn ignored the fact that Semiramis' nail was nearing his eye, stating, "That may be so...still, it is my power. How I use it is up to me...is that not that the privilege of possessing such power?"

Finding Vahn's words irrefutable, Semiramis gave a small nod, answering, "Quite right. However, those with power should be more decadent. After all, if not them, who had the right to be? Even if it causes problems, culture is advanced by moral declines and the shifting of power. You are, at times, too perfect...your ideals, the way you behave, they leave little fault to be found. These are not the traits of an Emperor, but a God that rules over from on high..."

Though they sounded 'wrong', Vahn knew there was a fair amount of truth behind Semiramis' words. In fact, her words struck at the heart of the matter, as, when people gained absolute power, it always resulted in rampant corruption. This caused discourse and chaos, but, given enough time, something would transpire to collapse the broken system, implementing necessary change before restarting the cycle anew.

What Vahn was trying to accomplish was, in the minds of many, simply impossible. Even if he created an entire Realm, only allowing 'good' people to inhabit it, corruption would still take root. It wouldn't matter if he manipulated the hearts and minds of every single resident, as, in the face of Time, there were no true absolutes, only possibilities. The Universe would always seek equilibrium, so, unless he also created a Realm inhabited by 'bad' people, contradicting everything he believed in, breaking the cycle was impossible.

Despite knowing this, Vahn was unperturbed by Semiramis' remarks, closing his eyes with a smile on his face as he said, "Then I'll just become a God Emperor...simple as that. Eventually, I'll reach a point where nobody can tell me how things 'should' be. I will determine how they 'are', shaping the world according to my vision. Even if I make a mistake, I'll just correct it and start over...it is better than just watching people ruin the world for mundane things like profit and the illusion of control..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Semiramis wanted to call him a fool, but, while others would undoubtedly fail in the pursuit of such an ideal, comparing him to others was even more foolish. He had been able to accomplish more in a few years than entire Empires and Dynasties throughout history. Thus, despite the wisdom contained within the words, there were none who could actually tell Vahn what he could and couldn't do. All of his restraints were self-imposed, as, with his power, nothing could stand in his way.

As this thought crossed her mind, Semiramis lamented the fact she couldn't become Vahn's Empress. It might not provide her any real authority, but, as his status and power increased, so too would her prestige. She would even be able to live forever, indulging in his affection and the endless wealth of the Empire. Now, she was little more than a poisonous rose, one kept safely tucked away in a private garden.

Lamenting the fact Vahn wasn't a slave to his desires, Semiramis joined him in looking toward the roof, a longing look in her eyes. She knew things couldn't remain this way forever, even if that was an actual option. Eventually, she would grow tired of her current way of life, desiring more than the peaceful silence and companionship of a few unique individuals. She wanted power, knowledge, and, though it contradicted the beliefs she had founded her character on; Semiramis wanted Vahn to love her even more...

Without realizing she was speaking aloud, Semiramis muttered, "I want to become a Goddess..." in a subdued tone. Her current lifespan was limited to a few hundred years, and, though Vahn would be able to extend it indefinitely, Semiramis wanted more power. At this rate, she would be left further in the way of other women, decreasing her status and prestige by proxy. There was even a chance that, given enough time, even the weakest member of Vahn's entourage would surpass her in power...

With a competitive glimmer flashing across her eyes, Semiramis was startled when Vahn suddenly said, "That can be arranged. You already possess numerous pseudo-Divinites and C-Rank [Divinity]. It would take some effort on your part, but, if you were earnest, reaching Godhood would only take a few years."

As she still hadn't realized she had spoke aloud, Semiramis was slightly confused by Vahn's words, her eyes squinting in suspicion as she wondered how he was able to see through her. This didn't prevent her from heeding his words, however, causing her to consider them seriously before asking, "What method do you have in mind? I am aware that having sex with you increases power, but that does not mean I'll..."

Before Semiramis could finish, Vahn shook his head, stating, "You just need to use the Quest Board. If you complete a few simple Quests each day, your power will gradually increase. There are a number of Quests that only require you to read certain books or conduct specific experiments. In your case, I imagine there would even be some related to concocting poison. You would be able to increase your power without even altering your current schedule."

Though she was annoyed by the fact Vahn had interrupted her, Semiramis listened closely until he had finished speaking. Then, with her eyes squinted even more than usual, she asked, "And you did not think to mention this sooner...?"

As he had already explained the Quest Board in great detail, Vahn gave Semiramis a deadpan look until she ultimately averted her eyes. She had even done a few Quests in the pasts, but, as they had been rather tedious, she never considered accepting more. One had even required her to read the same grimoire a total of ten times, not counting if she skimmed over sections she had already been able to memorize. Thus, despite knowing the many benefits it provided, Semiramis had completely forgotten about it until Vahn's sudden reminder...

Deciding not to press her on the matter, Vahn rolled to a seated position, causing Semiramis to turn her attention back to him, asking, "Are you going...?"

Nodding his head, Vahn explained, "There are actually a lot of things going on back in Avalon right now. I even had to make an extra body just to make sure I could spend time with you."

Since he knew it would make her slightly flustered, Vahn sent a playful wink towards the end of his statement. This caused Semiramis to lightly hmph, crossing her arms with a pouting expression on her face as she said, "If you had something important to do, you should have said something. Who am I to interfere in the affairs of the great Sage Dragon Emperor...?"

Understanding she was just asking him to verbalize how important she was to him, Vahn smiled as he reached out his hand, caressing the side of her face as he said, "You are my beautiful black rose, a delicate flower I can't but appreciate in spite of its many thorns. If I weren't afraid you might wilt, I would take you around with me wherever I went, proudly displaying your beauty to the world..."

With her face still forming a small pout, Semiramis turned her eyes up at him, saying, "So, I really am nothing more than a trophy...how shameless, keeping a Queen as a prize to be flaunted..."

Instead of retorting her words, Vahn just lifted Semiramis' chin, stealing her lips and entangling with her sharp tongue. He knew that, if he did actually take her around with the intent to flaunt her, she would enjoy every last moment of it. She had a considerable amount of vanity, and, if it allowed her to see him pressuring any who dared view her with covetous eyes, she wouldn't be able to hide her smile.

Toward the end of their kiss, Vahn roughly cupped Semiramis' pert buttocks, lifting her onto the tips of her toes. This caused a sonorous moan to escape her lips, followed by a painful prod to his chest, but, undaunted, Vahn continued to kiss her passionately for another minute longer, stopping only when she jerked her head away, gasping for air.

Before she could lambast him for his roguish behavior, Vahn took advantage of the fact Semiramis had turned her head to the side, whispering in a heated tone, "If an Emperor can't be decadent, who else has the right~?"

Punctuating his statement, Vahn gently bit the tip of Semiramis' long ear, causing her to shudder as she attempted to drive the nail of her left hand into his chest. This barely managed to even prick him, however, leaving her helpless as he gently massaged her ear with his tongue.

Feeling like her ear was burning, Semiramis fought hard to prevent a moan from escaping her lips, tilting her head to the side in a futile effort to escape Vahn's clutches. It was only when her tensions were nearing the peak that Vahn finally stopped, causing her to feel both alarm and frustration. She would have blamed him for soiling her dress and panties, but, compared to being denied an orgasm, that was inconsequential...

Understanding her anguish, Vahn let Semiramis settle on her feet before embracing her, mustering as much affection as he could manage before saying, "Even if it is a burden for you, know that I love you..."

Hearing the unexpected confession, Semiramis felt as though her mind had blanked, her expression defaulting to a complicated pout. Such words always did critical damage to her heart, causing her to lay awake late at night thinking about her life choices. It was really unfair of him to say such things when she was in this state, and, for a brief moment, Semiramis almost began whimpering until a very gentle warmth began to spread through her body...

Truthfully, Vahn knew he was being a little heavyhanded, but, having sensed the subtle changes in Semiramis' emotional state, he knew she would need some 'encouragement'. She couldn't spend the rest of her life inside the Hanging Gardens, so, with his plans beginning to accelerate, he needed to give her a small push in order to ensure her happiness.

Without forcing her to reveal her flushed face, Vahn allowed Semiramis to lightly headbutt his chest, gently stroking her hair as he said, "I left a present for you...when I'm gone, you'll have about twenty minutes before things get intense. I'll make it up to you during my next visit...either that, or you can stop by Avalon. There is a place I've wanted to take you for a while...I'm sure you'll enjoy it..."

Finished with his words, Vahn kissed the top of Semiramis' head before giving her one last firm hug. Afterward, he released her body, leaving her standing with her head hanging low, face veiled by her hair as she tightly clenched the hem of her dress. Even the tips of her ears had turned scarlet at this point so it wasn't difficult to imagine what her expression must look like.

Slightly saddened by the fact Semiramis still couldn't be honest with him, Vahn lightly sighed before saying, "I will visit you again around the same time tomorrow. Take care of yourself, Semiramis..."

With his farewell completed, Vahn's figure vanished from within the Hanging Garden, immediately followed by Semiramis plopping to the ground. She had been forcing herself to stand, so, now that he was gone, a resonant moan escaped her lips as an agonizing amount of pleasure began to build in her body. It was fortunate she was able to freely teleport within the Hanging Garden, allowing her to blink back to her bed. There, she began to writhe around, a surprisingly girlish smile on her face, golden eyes glimmering as she sensually intoned, "Master is such a beast...so tyrannical...ufufufu~"

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'This is a familiar ceiling...','A buxom, sadistic, tsundere...','Semiramis actually grows her hair out in order to hide her ten-thousand ahoge...')

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