Ke Lu: I'll sit on you and crush you to death!

As dawn broke, the specially made window screens with magical patterns in the Cloud Stone Heavenly Palace bedchamber cast dappled shadows on the carpet.

Cerydra's biological clock was as precise as the sundial in Okhema; she opened her eyes the instant the morning light touched the edge of her bed.

What came into view was neither the familiar palace dome nor the empty space beside him.

Instead, it was an enlarged, sleeping face that looked strangely peaceful.

Kong Yan'er turned to face her, one hand still loosely resting on her waist. Her black and white hair was scattered on the pillow, and her usually bright and lively heterochromatic eyes were closed at this moment, with her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow under her eyes.

His breathing was even, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly, as if he were having a sweet dream.

Cerydra froze for two seconds.

Everything from last night—the dazzling fireworks, the clasped hands, the quiet starlight, and the steady heartbeat in my ear as we finally fell asleep in each other's arms—rushed back into my mind like a tide.

Her fingertips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Then, Her Majesty's brain quickly switched to "morning work mode".

There is a regular Senate meeting this morning to review the reconstruction budgets for three star sectors;

This afternoon I will be receiving a delegation from a border galaxy;

Tonight I also need to review the preliminary exploration report submitted by Hysilens regarding the newly discovered underwater ruins...

She took a light breath, preparing to get up briskly, just like she did every morning before.

However, the presence of the arm around her waist became exceptionally clear at this moment.

She tried to move, but the arm seemed to have a mind of its own, tightening around her waist and unconsciously rubbing against the fabric of her robe.

Cerydra: "..."

She turned her head to look at the person still fast asleep beside her, her blue eyes slightly narrowed.

"Kong Yan'er."

She called softly, her tone calm.

No response.

Only the sound of even breathing.

"Kong Yan'er."

The voice rose an octave, taking on its usual air of authority.

The person in her sleep wrinkled their nose and mumbled an "Mmm." Instead of letting go, they rubbed their face against her shoulder, making her feel a little ticklish.

Cerydra's lips pressed into a straight line.

She tried to pry open the arm, but found that although the guy looked thin, he was quite strong, and he had relaxed his strength while asleep, so the arm was heavy and not easy to exert force on.

"Your Emanator of Elation..." she began, using a formal address to try and evoke the other party's "professionalism."

"I need to rise and attend to state affairs."

Her response was a satisfied sigh from Kong Yan'er, followed by him moving even closer to her.

Cerydra's temple throbbed slightly.

Patience is a virtue of a ruler.

But at this moment, her virtue balance is rapidly declining.

She was silent for three seconds, and then, very slowly, she raised her left hand, which was not being pressed down, and held it above Kong Yan'er's sleeping face.

At her fingertips, an extremely fine yet incredibly concentrated golden light began to gather—it was the most basic application of her "Law" power, harmless but enough to produce a sufficient "warning" effect, such as... a slight stinging sensation.

Just as the light was about to touch his skin--

Kong Yan'er suddenly moved.

It wasn't that he woke up, but rather that he turned his head with extreme precision in his sleep, just avoiding her fingers. At the same time, the arm that was wrapped around her waist suddenly tightened, and the other hand, which had been raised at some point, grabbed her dangling wrist with lightning speed.

"Got you..."

His eyes remained closed, but a smug, dreamlike smile spread across his lips as he mumbled, "Trying to ambush me... no way..."

Cerydra: "!!!"

She hadn't expected him to react so quickly in his sleep. Her wrist was firmly gripped, and her entire upper body was pulled towards him, her nose almost hitting his chin.

A scent mingled with the fresh morning air and the faint aroma of magic props unique to Kong Yan'er wafted over.

Cerydra's ears instantly flushed a light red, not from embarrassment, but from anger.

"Kong, Yan, Er!" she squeezed out the three words through gritted teeth, trying to pull her hand away, but he held it even tighter.

"Ugh... Your Majesty, please stop nagging..." Kong Yan'er mumbled, as if complaining that his sweet dream had been disturbed, and even rubbed his forehead against hers.

"I'll sleep a little longer... government affairs won't disappear..."

At this moment, all notions of royal dignity and millennia of refinement were temporarily forgotten by Cerydra.

Looking at the face so close to hers, sleeping so unguarded, even with a touch of childlike smugness, she recalled his gentle and earnest demeanor last night, and compared it to his shameless behavior now, a nameless anger surged to her head.

"Let go." Her voice turned cold, icy.

Kong Yan'er seemed to finally sense a hint of danger. Her eyelids twitched, and she barely opened them a crack, her heterochromatic eyes filled with drowsy confusion. "... Your Majesty?"

"I said, 'Let go,'" Cerydra each word clearly.

Kong Yan'er blinked, seemingly not fully awake yet, but instinct made him release his grip on her hand, though his arm remained around her waist.

With her Cerydra twisted it. This time, she didn't use any power, but instead bent her fingers and tapped Kong Yan'er's forehead with her knuckles.

Thump.

A muffled thud.

"Ouch!"

Kong Yan'er was now fully awake. She sat up, clutching her forehead, her heterochromatic eyes filled with grievance and confusion.

"Your Majesty? Why did you hit me?"

"Hit you?"

Cerydra also took the opportunity to sit up, straighten her disheveled robe, and regain her usual calm demeanor, though her cheeks still bore the faint blush.

"I am performing the 'morning wake-up procedure'."

She glanced at him and added, "Given that the regular calling procedure is ineffective for you, activate the backup physical plan."

Kong Yan'er rubbed her forehead, looked at the bright daylight outside the window, and then at Cerydra's face, which was clearly already in working mode, and finally realized what was happening.

"Uh... it's dawn already?"

He chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head.

"Sorry, I slept too soundly... mainly because of last night..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his eyes darted around, and his ears turned slightly red.

Cerydra ignored the question, got out of bed, and headed for the dressing room. "I need to go to the council chamber in fifteen minutes. You... make yourself at home."

"Wait!" Kong Yan'er jumped off the bed and followed behind her.

"Your Majesty, you haven't had breakfast yet! No matter how busy you are with state affairs, you can't go hungry! I'll have the kitchen..."

"No need." Cerydra without turning her head.

"I prefer to have some tea and snacks during breaks in the meeting."

"That won't do!"

Kong Yan'er walked around to her side, blocking her way, her face full of disapproval.

"A healthy diet is the source of vitality! Your Majesty, if you continue like this, sooner or later..."

He suddenly stopped, his eyes darting around, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Your Majesty, if you don't eat breakfast properly, I'll have to resort to some 'unconventional methods,' like... making today's Senate meeting 'exceptionally lively,' you know?"

He gestured meaningfully with his finger, and seven-colored lights danced at the tip.

Cerydra paused, her blue eyes narrowing dangerously. "You dare threaten me?"

"It's not a threat, it's care!"

Kong Yan'er spoke with a straight face, then leaned closer, lowered her voice, and spoke with a hint of coquetry.

"Just a little bit, Your Majesty~ I'll eat with you, I promise it won't take up too much of your time. Otherwise..."

He dragged out the tone.

"I'll go perform magic outside the council chamber; I guarantee I'll leave a 'deep impression' on those old men."

Cerydra looked at his face, so close to hers, a face that screamed "I mean what I say," and felt a throbbing pain in her temple.

She discovered that after marriage, this "variable" not only did not subside, but intensified, and... became even more adept at precisely dancing within her tolerance limits.

The two faced off for a few seconds.

Finally, Cerydra sighed almost inaudibly and looked away, "... Twenty minutes."

"Okay!"

Kong Yan'er immediately beamed with joy, and as if by magic, produced a delicate silver bell from somewhere, shook it, and gave instructions to the maid who rushed over upon hearing the sound.

"Quick, bring breakfast to the small balcony! Make sure it's nutritionally Equilibrium!"

Then he turned around, grinning, and gestured to Cerydra, "Your Majesty, this way~"

Cerydra glanced at him expressionlessly, then walked towards the small balcony connecting to the palace.

The sun was shining brightly, and a gentle breeze was blowing.

A delicate breakfast was quickly laid out on a small round table covered with a white tablecloth.

Cerydra's dining posture remained elegant and swift, clearly indicating her intention to strictly adhere to the "twenty minutes" agreement.

Kong Yan'er ate slowly, stealing glances at her from time to time, occasionally trying to start a conversation. "Your Majesty, which star sector is the Senate going to discuss today? Do you need me to provide some 'off-site technical support'? Like, making the opposition's wigs suddenly float up or something..."

"One should not speak while eating," Cerydra interrupted calmly.

Kong Yan'er pursed her lips, remained silent for less than thirty seconds, then couldn't help but speak again, "Then, Your Majesty, what about the delegation this afternoon..."

"If you really have nothing else to say—" Cerydra put down her silver spoon, picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth, looked up at him, and a barely perceptible, almost mischievous glint flashed in her blue eyes.

"How about you help me figure out a 'reasonable and efficient' way to deal with someone who obstructs the monarch from performing his duties at dawn and threatens to disrupt court affairs..."

She paused, then slowly uttered two words: "Family, guy."

Kong Yan'er stopped chewing, blinked her heterochromatic eyes, and suddenly had a bad feeling. "Uh... what does Your Majesty intend to do?"

Cerydra stood up, looking down at him with a blank expression, but the glint in her eyes became even more pronounced.

She leaned slightly closer to his ear and whispered in a tone that was both dangerous and tender, only the two of them could hear:

"I'm considering... whether I should invoke some 'monarchical privilege'."

"For example..."

She straightened up, clapped her hands as if brushing away non-existent dust, then turned and walked towards the dressing room, leaving behind only a light, yet Kong Yan'er remark. "I'll sit on you and kill you."

Kong Yan'er: "..."

He stood frozen in his seat, watching Cerydra's straight and elegant back disappear behind the dressing room door. After a long while, he suddenly came to his senses, and his face flushed bright red.

"Pfft--Hahahahahaha!!!"

The next second, he burst into a thunderous laugh, laughing so hard he collapsed onto the table, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"First, you sat on me and killed me... Hahahaha! Your Majesty! You actually... you actually said such a thing! Hahahaha! My God! This is more spectacular than any magic trick!"

In the dressing room, Cerydra, who was changing into her formal court attire with the help of her maids, paused almost imperceptibly upon hearing the exaggerated laughter coming from outside.

Her face, still calm, was reflected in the mirror.

But the slight upturn of her lips and the bright smile that flickered deep in her eyes, a smile she herself was unaware of, betrayed her true feelings.

Perhaps... occasionally acting "unregal" like this isn't so bad.

Outside the window, the morning light in Okhema was just right.

A brand new day begins, accompanied by a Emanator of Elation unstoppable laughter and a hidden smile from Her Majesty the Empress.

Meanwhile, Heather, who had been hiding behind a pillar outside the palace and had intended to deliver a congratulatory gift but had inadvertently overheard the entire Hysilens, was now desperately covering her mouth, her shoulders shaking with laughter, tears welling up in her eyes.

She wiped her eyes, looked in the direction of the palace, and chuckled softly, "Little Sea Urchin, Little Sea Urchin... you've been completely under the thumb of our Caesar for the rest of your life."

"But..."

She shook the bottle of honey in her hand, a warm and blessing smile on her face.

"That's good."