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nIn order to give the Ambassador of the Great Oni Empire some much needed privacy, Admiral Kilen had ordered for the mess hall to be temporarily vacated, so that Yumi and Erich had as much space as they needed to speak about what were clearly personal matters.

nThus, the two of them sat alone in the mess hall with enough beer to drown an elephant at their disposal. Yumi continued to smile joyfully at Erich while he continued to avert his gaze. It wasn’t until Yumi had pestered the man quite thoroughly that he had opened up about everything that had happened to him since they departed.

nYumi could not believe her ears at the harrowing tale that one man had gone through so much in such a short period of time. She had expected he had suffered a significant amount of trauma as a result of the war which nearly drove his people to extinction, but she never would a have guessed that so much more had happened to the young man.

nTears fell down Yumi’s dark eyes as she heard the story, before apologizing profusely for the difficulties she had personally caused him.

n“I am sorry. I never would have thought that our brief time together would have become a public matter. You deserve better, Erich. Still, I am amazed that after everything you have told me, you still decide to fight for the Empire. I mean, they have done nothing but play with you as a pawn since the beginning. I understand if you don’t want to tell me your reasons, but I am curious. Why do you still fight for the Empire?”

nErich had a bitter expression on his face, as he voiced his reasonings aloud, but it seemed the answer was not at all satisfactory to Yumi.

n“Because I have nothing else to fight for… The Empire may be flawed, but it is my home, and the galaxy is a dangerous place. A man without the backing of his race is destined to find himself with a fate far more miserable than my own…”

nYumi could feel her heart bleed as she listened to the excuses Erich made to himself to keep moving forward. The man was clearly broken, and yet, despite his current state, he continued to advance through fire and blood. Life had a way of continuing to bring Erich to his knees, but he never let it keep him down, at least not for long. If anything, this filled the Oni beauty with a degree of respect for Erich that few men had ever earned from her.

nHe suddenly went from being just a one-night stand to a respectable young man, one who was deserving of far more than he had been given in life. Thus, Yumi made an offer that she had never made to anyone else throughout her long history as an ambassador to the Germanic Star-Empire.

n“Well, why don’t you come back with me to the Great Oni Empire? Don’t look at me like that, I’m serious! You now know my identity, so clearly you know that I can provide you with a much better life than anything you have right now.

nI may not be able to marry you due to my political position, but we could be together, and I would show you far more kindness than that current wife of yours ever has. You know what? I would love to introduce you to my great niece. She is a lovely girl, and between you and me, she is simply gorgeous! I think the two of you would hit it off together! In fact, I am certain that you would enjoy every single day of your life with me, and Ayumi by your side! Can you imagine?”

nErich chuckled at the offer Yumi had given him. To be spoiled rotten by the Oni Princess and her royal aunt, both of which were incredibly beautiful. It was like a dream come true. However, despite the difficulties he and Erika had with their relationship. He was not the kind of man to abandon his wife for another woman, even if he was married only in name.

nIf Yumi wanted to sleep with him, Erich was more than willing to accept the offer, but to take him back to her homeland to be her pet? That was something which he simply could not accept. Thus, he rejected her offer.

n“That sounds really nice, but I am afraid I am going to have to decline. As miserable as my life may be right now, if I continue on the current path, then I know that greatness awaits me. I can feel it in my bones. Who knows, one day I might even be the Supreme Leader of the Empire. I appreciate the offer Yumi, I really do, but I know that I was meant for more in life than living a life of hedonism. I just have to reach out and take it!”

nAs much as Yumi wanted to kidnap the silver haired young man, and bring him back to her home. She knew that was simply not viable. Thus, she could only sigh and take a sip from her beer before accepting his decision. No matter how much it pained her to do so.

n“Fine… I can’t force you to come back with me, no matter how much I really want to…. Alright, I really do hope you are able to achieve something greater out of this life than you already have. You deserve more than being the Supreme Leader’s favorite pawn. But just know that if you ever change your mind, my offer still stands!”

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nErich wore a bitter smile as he nodded his head in agreement with Yumi’s words. That is until she spoke again in the very next moment.

n“Either way, after this war is over, you are coming back to the palace and meeting Ayumi. I will not take no for an answer! She may be young and naïve, but her father isn’t doing her any favors by keeping her cooped up in the palace! I’m sure once she meets you, she will come to understand my obsession…”

nThere was a dangerously lustful glint in Yumi’s dark eyes, one which caused Erich to suddenly have a similar thought to the one that the Great Oni Emperor had expressed in the past.

n“Whoever this girl is, she needs to be protected from this woman at all costs…”

nAfter thinking about this, Erich could only sigh and accept Yumi’s offer. She apparently was quite insistent about this matter. And he knew better than to try to reject such a powerful woman when she was adamant about something.

n“Fine… But I will be relying on your protection. After all, the moment I enter your home, I will be at the mercy of your great nephew, who now hates my guts….”

nThis remark caused Yumi to break out into a fit of giggles, as she choked on the beer that she swallowed. After recovering from her condition, she made fun of Erich for being afraid of her great nephew.

n“Little Ryu? Don’t tell me that little pussycat has you scared? He is harmless! I mean, he may have pulled a gun on you, but I doubt he even knows how to load the damn thing correctly. Honestly, the fact that my nephew has sent that little boy to war has more to do with toughening him up and sending a message to our people than it does with his actual capability in a fight. 𝐎𝔳𝗅xt.𝐜𝑶𝐌

nThough I wouldn’t put it past the little **er to order the guards to take care if you covertly…. Not that it would really matter, my orders are absolute, and if I told the royal guard to protect you with their lives from any and all threats, they’d be forced to fight against the Prince if he dared to cause trouble with you…”

nWhat Yumi had said immediately caused a question to form in Erich’s mind, one which he was damn naïve enough to voice aloud. Perhaps because he had such a good rapport with Yumi, Erich had forgotten his place in this world, and posed a question which he otherwise should not have.

n“Wait, a second. If your orders are absolute, then wouldn’t that mean that not even the Great Oni Emperor can contest them?”

nThe previous joyful smile that was spread across Yumi’s pretty face immediately shifted to a grave expression as she slowly drank from her beer before saying the words which covertly conveyed all that Erich needed to know about Oni politics and his place in this world.

n“You are damn lucky that you are cute, Erich….”

nIt was only now that Erich had begun to realize who the true power behind the Great Oni throne was, and just how easily she could have ended his life if she did not find him to be so endearing. Because of this, Erich immediately shut his mouth and switched the conversation to something more cheerful. Which Yumi most definitely appreciated, because before he knew it, the woman had pressed him against the wall and had slipped her tongue down his throat.

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