Chương 1330: Contradiction
Despite having chosen to live in isolation, Semiramis was able to maintain the interior of the Hanging Gardens using various different types of golems. She also kept a skilled Homunculi on retainer to cook meals as, even with the choker provided to her by Vahn, she was the type that enjoyed indulging in delicious foods and rich wines.
When Vahn wasn't around, Semiramis almost exclusively lounged about on her throne or within her bedchambers, a listless look on her face as she lazily drank from an ornate decanter. Other than making sure the Hanging Gardens didn't crash into anything, she didn't really have any other assignments as the Empire wasn't proactively warring against anyone. Thus, with nothing better to do, she spent most of her day brooding over various matters, bored out of her mind.
It was during one of these listless moments that small ripples appeared in the throne room but, as a result of her idle thoughts, Semiramis didn't immediately take notice. This allowed Vahn to enter into the chamber, finding the raven-haired Queen laying across her throne rather than sitting atop it properly. She was nursing a crystalline container in hand, a fragrant aroma permeating from the ruby-red liquid within.
Since Semiramis should be able to sense when anyone entered the Hanging Gardens, Vahn was a little curious about the contents of the decanter. It had to be something pretty potent as, with her legend as the world's oldest poisoner, Semiramis was largely immune to all manner of poisons, alcohol included.
Though he was tempted to startle her, Vahn was in a pretty good mood as a result of the fun he was having back in the Menagerie. Thus, while it would certainly be interesting, he ultimately sent a gentle stream of calming energy through the surroundings, alerting Semiramis to his presence. She was still a little surprised but, as if she hadn't been lazily reclining on her throne just moments prior, she quickly smoothed out the creases of her dress before saying, "I had not expected you so soon...did you miss me that badly, Your Majesty~?"
Hearing Semiramis' remark, a smile spread across Vahn's face and, in the next moment, his body appeared like a phantom before her as he matched her tone, asking, "And if I were to say yes...?"
True to her tsundere nature, Semiramis was more than a little flustered by how close Vahn was to her face, her heart rapidly beating within her chest. Despite this, her expression remained largely undisturbed and, while she did have a ruddy coloration to her cheeks, this was primarily the result of her alcoholic endeavor. Unfortunately, she couldn't really hide her true feelings around Vahn as he could even hear the sound of blood flowing through a person's veins if he focused his senses.
Semiramis was fully aware of Vahn's capabilities but she simply couldn't be honest with herself, either as a result of her pride or her nature, in general. Thus, in response to Vahn's question, she seductively licked her lips, her hand reaching out to touch his chest as she answered, "If you beg and plead, I may allow you to lick my feet~" in a sultry tone.
In much the same way as Semiramis, Vahn's expression remained unchanged in response to her teasing. Rather, if she wouldn't misconstrue it as him putting himself into a more submissive role, he wouldn't really mind licking her feet. He wouldn't mind licking her entire body, for that matter, as she really was a beautiful woman in virtually every way, personality aside. Unfortunately, it was all but guaranteed that she would get carried away so he couldn't easily acquiesce to her teasing, even if it gave him a bit of leverage to act how he pleased.
Instead, Vahn seized the momentum in a different way, emulating Semiramis' previous action by flicking her lips dexterously with his tongue. This caused her to blink in surprise, her heart beating even faster as he mused, "I can see why you lick your lips so often...they are quite delicious. Even the poison isn't that bad..."
With his words still lingering, Vahn attempted to sample Semiramis' lips a second time but, after the first mishap, she was prepared. She quickly turned her head to the side, her hand moving from his chest to his face as she stammered, "That is quite enough...!" in a harsh yet anxious tone. Unfortunately, Vahn was in one of his 'moods' and, sensing the state of Semiramis' body, he saw the fingers presented before him as yet another opportunity.
For the umpteenth time, Semiramis realized she couldn't compete with Vahn when it came to the act of teasing. Now, she could only lament the fact that her sleeves didn't extend to cover her fingers as Vahn began to suckle on her exposed digits while holding onto her wrist. It was a sight that made her heart palpitate madly but, at the same time, she began to feel a little scared.
As her mind raced to come up with a way to shift the momentum back in her favor, realization hit Semiramis like an S-Rank spell as she asked, "You're having sex somewhere...aren't you?"
Hearing the unexpected question, Vahn released Semiramis' hand from his clutches, his usual smile nowhere to be seen as he honestly admitted, "I won't deny it. I promised to spend some time with the girls back in the Menagerie."
Semiramis, like most women that seemed fond of poisons, wasn't exactly the most understanding person when it came to her partner having a harem. Rather, one of the things she hated the most during her own lifetime was how her mother abandoned everything, herself included, in order to chase after a man. Prior to meeting Vahn, she believed that men were weak fools that could easily be manipulated by a clever woman so, hearing him admit to being involved with other women at the same time as he was visiting her, the fluttery atmosphere suddenly turned ice cold.
Yanking her hand away from Vahn, Semiramis glared at him, her snake-like eyes glimmering with divine light as she asked, "Why did you even bother coming here, then? Do you think I'll just open my legs like a trollop whenever you're bored!?"
Though he wasn't surprised by the fact that Semiramis was upset, Vahn felt that her reaction was a little extreme. He realized her drunken state made her more emotional than normal so, instead of trying to argue a point, he calmly backed away from her while remaining silent. He learned long ago that there was no real point in arguing with someone that was drunk as their inebriated state made it impossible for them to think clearly.
Instead, Vahn moved to a relatively safe distance from Semiramis before meeting her gaze and asking in a calm tone, "Do you believe I see you in such a way? Have I ever once pressured you more than you allowed...?"
Hearing the sudden questions, Semiramis fell silent for several seconds but, rather than admit she was in the wrong, her hand gravitated toward the crystalline decanter at her side. Then, ignoring the small voice in the back of her mind that told her to stop, she threw it with as much strength as she could manage. What she didn't expect was that, instead of evading or stopping the decanter in mid-air, Vahn allowed it to crash against him without even flinching...
Without another word, Vahn looked back at Semiramis with a sad smile on his face as the space around him began to ripple. He knew she would be filled with regret after calming down but, in her current state, there wasn't much he could do to calm her. Part of him was compelled to make it clear how he felt about her but there was a non-negligible chance she would adamantly refuse him under the influence of alcohol. He didn't want to take advantage of an inebriated woman so, at least for a short while, he would retreat to let Semiramis think about her actions.
Realizing what was happening, Semiramis' expression changed to one of visible terror as she instinctually extended her hand, locking the space within the Hanging Gardens. She didn't know why but, seeing Vahn about to leave frightened her considerably. Throwing the decanter already filled her with regrets so, if he suddenly left, Semiramis was certain she would have a breakdown.
As forcefully teleporting away would have even worse consequences, Vahn issued a tired sigh in response to Semiramis' actions. Then, deciding to weather the storm, he stared back at the scared Semiramis, a questioning look on his face that conveyed, 'Now what?'.
With her outburst returning a bit of clarity to her mind, Semiramis understood Vahn's look. She slowly retracted her hand and, after averting her eyes for several seconds, rose from her throne to utter the words, "Please, don't leave...here, you can have my throne..."
Noticing she still couldn't apologize, Vahn issued another sigh, this time internally, as he made his way over to the throne and sat down. This resulted in another long period of silence as Semiramis didn't know what to do and, after her previous outburst, Vahn wasn't in the mood to tease her. He realized his current behavior could be considered petty but, as it was never his intention to spoil his women, he couldn't simply overlook the fact she was basically throwing a tantrum. She had to reflect on her actions without him forcing her or, depending on the circumstances, she would only get worse in the future.
What Vahn didn't expect was that, after nearly three minutes of silence, Semiramis lowered herself at the foot of the throne and, with a fretful expression on her face, said, "I'll...lick your feet..." in a demure tone.
Though he wanted her to reflect, Vahn didn't want to destroy Semiramis' pride. Hearing her offer, he immediately abandoned the idea of allowing her to mull over her own thoughts. Instead, he shook his head, patting his lap as he said, "Come, sit. You are a Queen, Semiramis, and I do not dislike your prideful nature. Do not lower yourself while trying to apologize...so long as you reflect and recognize your wrongdoing, I will not punish you. Rather, as you improve as a person, I will make sure to reward you plentily."
Hearing Vahn's words, Semiramis felt like a heavy weight was removed from her heart. Though she was already seated on the ground, her shoulders slouched noticeably but, recalling what she had just heard, this didn't last too long. She quickly rose to her feet and, after fixing her dress and shifting her hair, sat down atop Vahn's lap. When he moved his hand to her waist, she recovered enough to give him a sidelong glare but, after what had happened previously, she didn't really have the heart to chide him, especially with her wine still dripping from his body...
Seeing the evidence of her faux pas, Semiramis understood that, in more ways than one, she was fortunate that Vahn wasn't the type to harp over such things. Had he been the cruel and ruthless tyrant others portrayed him as, such an egregious act would have likely resulted in imprisonment or death. In fact, if someone had done the same to her, they would have been drawn, quartered, and ultimately executed by having their face covered with a cloth. From there, they would have wine poured over them until they either died from asphyxiation or alcohol poisoning.
In truth, Semiramis hadn't really adapted to the modern world and, with the emergence of a new era, she knew a change in perspective was necessary. Vahn may not act like it but his power was not something that could be opposed, even if she were several times her current strength. He had an unfathomable amount of power at his behest, even when excluding the monstrously powerful entities that were always present at his side.
It was her understanding of Vahn's power that ultimately compelled Semiramis to allow him to court her, even if she also understood their roles should be reversed. After all, he had nothing to really gain from her while, inversely, she had everything to gain from him. This included her actual life itself as, if Vahn willed it, she would become a true entity of flesh and blood. If she earned his favor and put in an appropriate amount of effort, even becoming a Goddess was well within the realm of possibility. Then, when her mother eventually returned to the surface, she could finally have her penultimate revenge...
Remembering all of these things, memories that had been kept at bay by the alcohol she had consumed, Semiramis' heart began to beat at a much faster rate than normal. She was suddenly more aware of Vahn's body heat and, though he was only gingerly touching her waist, the contact made her feel a little skittish. Part of her imagined that same hand wandering across her body, an idea she had humored several times after learning how skilled he was as a masseur...
---
The entire time that Semiramis was seated atop his lap, Vahn was aware of the changes she was undergoing. He had been expelling the foreign mana out of her body so he could literally feel the electrical activity in her brain return to normal. At the same time, he could feel her tensions build and, even without his Divinity, he knew she was seriously contemplating taking that final step. The only thing that kept her from doing so was her tsundere nature and, having never known a skilled man, an instinctual fear that was derived from her pseudo-divinity...
Semiramis' mother, Derketo, was a principle Goddess of Fertility, love, and the ocean's bounty. As a result, Semiramis inherited these Divinities and, despite her insistence that men were bestial in nature, part of her desperately craved love. The only thing that prevented her from obtaining it was the hatred she had for her mother as, after being abandoned as a result of her mother's love for a man, Semiramis adamantly refused to follow in the same footsteps.
Vahn was aware of the paradoxical aspect of Semiramis' existence so, as she was struggling with her own thoughts, he grabbed her right hand with his own, drawing her attention as he said, "It is okay...there is no rush...take all the time you need. When you are ready, I will do my best to help you find the happiness you deserve..."
Hearing Vahn's words, Semiramis formed a small frown on her face as it wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear from him. Things would be a lot easier for her if he just took the initiative, allowing her to eventually exploit his desires to her advantage. Instead, he was always considerate of her wants and desires, a comforting but ultimately troubling aspect of his personality. In fact, it was the primary cause of her recent stress and, as a result of his incessant care, she had tried to drown her thoughts and emotions with alcohol.
Now, realizing Vahn would likely never become a person that she could exploit, Semiramis could only lament to herself. At the same time, however, she leaned against his body with her own, her head resting on his shoulder as a tired sigh escaped her lips. She didn't really have the words to properly convey her feelings so, at least for the time being, Semiramis decided to rest. His body was warm, comfortable, and strangely calming...enough that, after a few minutes, she ended up dozing off with a contented smile on her face...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Queen of Solitude','Vahn is kind of manipulative by default...','A heart that wants for a love it refuses to accept...')
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