By the time Asmodeus returned to the palace, carrying Erika in his arms like a spoiled bride rescued from battle, the golden dawn had already spilt across the blackstone towers.

Erika’s cheek rested against his shoulder, her blonde hair messy beneath his cloak, one arm looped lazily around his neck.

"Don’t look so smug," she muttered.

"Me, when did I ever do that?"

"Hmph... just because I lost this time, don’t think..."

"Yeah~ Yeah~ I’ll just make you squeal like crazy again until you admit it."

The palace smelled of polished cedar, incense, and rain-damp stone. Servants rushed around carrying reports about the current issues caused by the awakening of Leviathan, the deep-sea abyss monsters.

When meeting Asmodeus, they lowered their gazes and rushed past with a hurried greeting.

Though he was the Emperor, he wouldn’t punish them for this.

It was obvious he was enjoying some time with his wife, and they were being polite.

’It seems I need to visit Alice again before leaving...’

At the entrance hall stood Yumiko. Blonde fox ears rose from silky hair the colour of winter wheat, and a single elegant tail swayed behind her kimono like pale sunlight caught in water. Her blue eyes were calm, despite her folded arms and slight frown.

Unlike Erika’s flashy gyaru beauty, Yumiko carried herself like a Yamato nadeshiko: graceful posture, soft voice, flawless manners, and the terrifying aura of a wife who had been neglected for too long.

Thank god he’s alright! I’ve spent half the night looking for him... But why does Erika look so satisfied?

Erika lifted one weak hand.

"Morning, Yumi..."

Yumiko smiled.

"Good morning, Erika. You appear... thoroughly conquered."

"It was so amazing that I can barely walk~ you should try it sometime."

Yumiko’s smile twitched.

There was no hostility in her words, just a simple smile and honest reply, before her gentle eyes flicked to Asmodeus, instantly becoming sharper and more intense.

Asmodeus knew he couldn’t do anything but face the music.

He sighed as she called out to him.

"Darling."

That single word and the way she spoke felt like a divine spear piercing his chest.

Asmodeus adjusted Erika slightly in his arms, the sleepy demoness still clinging to him with a shameless grin. Yumiko’s gaze did not waver. Her folded sleeves hid her hands, but the tip of her golden tail flicked once behind her.

The nearby servants suddenly dispersed more quickly, as if they remembered urgent business elsewhere.

Erika whispered, "Good luck, hubby."

"You are not helping."

"I’m here for emotional support~ ehehe."

Yumiko stepped closer, her geta clicking softly against the polished blackstone floor. Her kimono was pale ivory with blue wisteria embroidery along the sleeves, elegant and severe, tied with a deep indigo obi. A faint scent of white tea, foxfire incense, and morning rain followed her.

"I am relieved you returned safely," she said, voice gentle enough to shame a priestess.

Then her blue eyes narrowed.

"However, I do wonder why my husband vanished into the city with one wife while his other wives spent the night handling possible war reports with the empire, analysing abyssal tide charts, and dealing with the children who so desperately wanted to sleep with their father at night!"

’Shit.’

Asmodeus wanted to bury himself in the ground.

He didn’t know why his children wanted such a thing, no... he also did the same to his mother, and she would always open the futon and welcome him inside.

Maybe that’s why he liked buxom, sensual women... Ahem!

"It’s not Erika’s fault, so don’t blame her."

However, to his surprise, Yumiko didn’t even bat an eyelid and just snorted.

"I know it wasn’t! What one of your many wives doesn’t know that sometimes you just wander or roam around and end up sleeping with a woman, whether your wife or someone you just met!"

Erika winced.

"Oof."

Asmodeus met Yumiko’s stare calmly.

"I owe you an apology."

The sharpness in Yumiko’s face softened for half a breath, which somehow made her look more dangerous.

"Yes. You do."

I missed him.

That is the most irritating part.

Erika slowly raised her head from his shoulder.

"Yumi, for what it’s worth, he did talk about coming back early."

Yumiko looked at her.

"And?"

Don’t you think I don’t know that... but I just missed him so much!

"Stop!"

Asmodeus exhaled through his nose, amused despite the situation and fierce glance of his wife. Yet, he didn’t want to spend his last day in the capital like this. He would soon head to Baltimore, which meant he wouldn’t be able to enjoy this situation.

The fight against the Leviathan would be costly, dangerous, and... many of his beloved knights and people would likely die.

"Let’s not do this here, Yumiko."

His voice was quiet, but it carried enough weight that the last few servants in the corridor lowered their heads and hurried out of sight.

Yumiko stared at him for a moment.

Her blue eyes flicked across his face, searching for something beneath the Emperor’s calm expression. The anger in her posture remained, but behind it was worry—raw, sleepless, and poorly hidden beneath perfect manners.

Then she sighed.

"...Very well."

Erika, still nestled in Asmodeus’ arms, gave a tiny victorious hum.

Yumiko’s gaze snapped toward her.

"Do not look pleased. You are also being scolded later."

"Eh? Me too?"

"You encouraged him."

"I encouraged my husband! What is the duty of a wife? Don’t be so cranky!"

"Heh! Is it the work of a queen to go around challenging her people to drinking games in cheap inns around the capital?" Yumiko’s tail slapped the ground as she folded her arms tighter, smirking.

Erika immediately pointed at her from Asmodeus’ arms.

"I was gathering public opinion!"

"You just want an excuse to get drunk."

"It was a tactical decision to learn more about the populace!"

"You stood on a table and screamed that imperial tax policy was ’lame as shit.’"

"...The people agreed with me."

Asmodeus pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don’t remember that part."

"And you!" Yumiko’s sharp gaze swung toward him instantly. "Instead of stopping her, you encouraged it!"

"She looked like she was having fun."

"Oh, unbelievable..."

Despite her words, the fox let out a tired breath through her nose, one hand rising to her forehead. Her elegant posture finally cracked slightly, exhaustion peeking through the polished grace.

"Can’t you just remember you’re not just some adventurer anymore, but the Emperor? If people don’t respect you, then what does that mean for our Empire? The Empress cannot handle everything, Asmodues!"

Asmodeus didn’t answer immediately.

The words struck harder than he expected, perhaps because they weren’t wrong.

Erika’s playful smile faded slightly as well. Even from his arms, she understood that Yumiko wasn’t merely jealous or cranky. Behind her stern expression was the exhaustion of a woman trying to hold together a palace, a family, and an empire while disaster crept closer from the sea.

"...You’re right," Asmodeus said at last.

Yumiko’s ears twitched.

He rarely admitted fault so cleanly.

"I have been careless." His silver eyes lowered to the polished floor for a moment. "I keep acting as if I can still disappear whenever I please, return whenever I like, and trust everyone else to clean up the mess behind me."

Yumiko’s folded arms loosened slightly.

"That is exactly what you do."

"I know."

Erika glanced up at him, then quietly looked away, her cheek pressing against his shoulder again.

Asmodeus stepped closer to Yumiko.

"I won’t make excuses. Not with Leviathan awakening. Not when the children were waiting for me. Not when you all were forced to carry everything alone."

The fox woman’s lips pressed together. Her tail, which had been lashing moments earlier, slowed into a faint, uneasy sway.

"I wasn’t angry because you were with Erika," she said softly. "I was angry because I didn’t know whether you would come back before leaving again."

The hall became quiet.

Even Erika stopped teasing.

Asmodeus shifted her carefully in his arms, then reached out with one hand and touched Yumiko’s cheek. She stiffened for a heartbeat, then leaned into his palm despite herself.

"I came back," he said.

"Yes." Yumiko’s voice trembled faintly. "But now it’s so late that there’s no time... Ah?!"

"I’ll visit Alice. Then I’ll see the children before I leave for Baltimore. After that, will you ride with Ciela and me... since I’ve made you and Yuina suffer, let me make it up to you on the way to Baltimore. We won’t fly... let’s take a carriage."

Even if he flew, the humans and other forces would still take months to prepare.

He was going earlier to help prepare for a defensive war against natural disasters and the Empire’s fleet that loomed on the horizon.

Yumiko searched his face.

"No wandering?"

"No wandering." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"No cheap inns?"

Erika raised one finger weakly. "Can we negotiate that part later?"

"No," Yumiko and Asmodeus said together.

Erika pouted.

Yumiko finally released a small and fragile laugh, which grew into a full chuckle as she grabbed his wrist, enjoying the movement of his fingertips against her cheek. Then she rested her face against his chest and exhaled.

As if letting go of everything.

"Welcome home, darling."

Asmodeus lowered his head, gently pecking her forehead with his lips.

"I’m home."