Ceres didn't know why her entire body felt so heavy.
She couldn't move.
Could barely breathe.
"Why is it so stuffy…" she murmured, still groggy with sleep, her entire body aching with exhaustion.
She tried to shift, to sit up, only to feel something tightening around her.
Like a python coiling.
Her brows furrowed as she looked over her shoulder,
Only to see Tuf, sleeping beside her.
Or more accurately, wrapped around her like a human-sized blanket.
Then the memory hit her.
He had insisted, demanded, even, that he be allowed to sleep beside her last night.
She hadn't intended to agree.
Her HP had dropped to thirty, and she'd planned to lower it further so she could ask Aurelian or Legion to replenish her HP. But that plan had crumbled the moment Tuf started throwing a tantrum like an overgrown child.
"If you don't let me sleep beside you, just forget the deal. I'll kidnap you instead," he had said.
"No one in this kingdom can stop me anyway."
And the terrifying part?
Ceres believed him.
There was something about the way he said it, casual, absolute, that made her certain Tuf would actually do it.
So, against all reason… she let him in.
She'd expected the night to be awkward. Tense.
But the moment she lay down on the bed within the golden sleeping chamber Seiryu created, and Tuf curled beside her like a heat source, she fell asleep.
Instantly.
And slept peacefully.
"Tuf, let go of me," she muttered now, wriggling beneath his grip.
"No," he replied sleepily, voice muffled, childish.
His arms tightened around her like a clingy octopus.
"Tuf, seriously, I can't breathe."
"Call me Tofu," he murmured, still refusing to let go.
"What?" she asked, baffled.
"Call me Tofu," he repeated, this time with a slight grin.
"Why?"
"Because that's my real name," he said simply.
Ceres blinked.
"Your name is… Tofu? Why would your parents name you that?"
Tuf didn't miss a beat.
"It's the opposite color of my animal form's color. And when shortened, it becomes Tuf, like tough," he explained proudly. "Which is perfect. Because I am."
Ceres stilled.
A strange flutter went through her chest.
'Why does that explanation sound so… familiar?'
'Like I've heard it before. A long time ago…'
"Your Highness," Tuf sang softly, squeezing her again, "say it. Or I won't let go."
A long sigh escaped her lips.
"Tofu," she said softly.
It struck her again.
That name. That tone. That sense of déjà vu.
Like she had whispered that name before, countless times.
Like it belonged to someone she'd once held very, very close.
"Tofu," she whispered again, trying to grasp at the memory slipping through her fingers.
"Yes, Your Highness," Tuf replied, beaming.
Then he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, content.
There was nothing sexual about the way he did it.
And somehow, that made it feel more intimate.
It was innocent, the way a child clings to a parent for comfort.
The kind of affection she used to give Cielo and Romos, her parents, when she curled against them after a long day.
She didn't know what to do with the weight pressing on her chest.
"Your Highness," came a voice from the entrance.
It was Legion.
His tone was composed, but his eyes betrayed the storm inside him.
Tuf hissed the moment he saw Legion walk in.
Legion's jaw clenched as he took in the sight before him.
The Empress tangled in Tuf's arms. Her face flushed from sleep. Her hair spread across the sheets.
His hands curled into fists.
"Seiryu said you were awake, so I've come to assist you with your bath," he said flatly.
"Bath?" Tuf repeated, eyes narrowing.
"What do you mean assist her with her bath? Why you? Where's the Saintess?"
"The Empress herself assigned me to help," Legion replied smugly, arms crossed as if staking a claim.
"No! I will not allow it!" Tuf's voice thundered, immediately tightening his grip around Ceres like a constricting vine.
"Tofu!" Ceres snapped, breathless. "You're going to crush me!"
"He's not going to bathe you," Tuf growled, possessive and wild-eyed. "I won't allow it!"
"So you're going to bathe me instead?" Ceres glared at him, prying his arms off her body. "I can't even breathe!"
With a groan, she finally managed to break free and sit up, glaring at him while trying to steady her breath.
"Why isn't your Saintess helping you then?" Tuf demanded, still hung up on the issue.
"Because I, "
Ceres hesitated.
How was she supposed to explain that she had asked Legion to help her with baths to build comfort and trust between them?
Tuf might be a grown demi-human prince, over a thousand years old, but in this moment, he had the emotional maturity of a jealous teenager.
"I don't need to explain myself to you," she said coldly. "And if you keep this up, Tofu, kidnap me all you want, I'm not talking to you."
That shut him up.
"Okay," he muttered, a tone of surrender, just barely.
Then he moved.
Too fast.
A flash of silver.
"Oh my gods!!!" Ceres screamed as Tuf casually slit Legion's throat.
She bolted upright.
A burst of divine pressure rushed into the chamber, Seiryu appeared first, followed closely by Delphine and Aurelian.
"Legion!" Ceres dropped to his side in alarm as blood pooled beneath him.
Delphine immediately rushed forward, casting her healing magic.
But just as Legion's wound closed, Tuf did it again.
Another slash. Another spray of blood.
"Are you insane?!" Ceres shouted, eyes wide.
For the sixth time, Tuf slashed Legion's throat as if it were a game.
"I could do this all day, Your Highness," Tuf said cheerfully, like a child playing tag. "This is honestly more fun than I thought."
"You win! Okay?!" Ceres yelled, her head pounding.
Delphine healed Legion again.
And once again, slice.
"I said you win! Stop doing that!" she yelled, her temples pounding. She turned to glare at Seiryu, ready to demand why he wasn't interfering,
And froze.
He and Aurelian were gagged and chained.
"What the hell?!"
"Unbreakable chains, Your Highness," Tuf said with a smug little grin.
"Not even a Holy Beast can break them unless I say so."
Ceres clenched her jaw. She wanted to tear the chains apart herself, but if she used magic now, her HP would dip below 30.
And if Tuf found out she needed either Aurelian or Legion to replenish her HP…
She has this gnawing feeling that Aquilonis would be wiped off the map.
"I said you win, alright?" she hissed, massaging her temple.
"I won't let Legion assist me anymore. Happy? Just… stop. It's way too early in the morning for this shit."
Delphine healed Legion a final time, and this time, Tuf let him be. With a casual flick of his wrist, the chains binding Seiryu and Aurelian vanished.
"What the fuck, Panther?!" Seiryu roared, finally able to speak.
"What? Not my fault you're weak and slow, lizard." Tuf gave a nonchalant shrug and a smirk.
"The Empress can't use mana, how the hell is she supposed to bathe alone?" Legion said furiously, still fuming and wiping blood from his collar.
"She can take a shower, vermin," Tuf replied, rolling his eyes.
Delphine and Legion both paused, clearly confused.
"You want the Empress to bathe in the rain?!" Aurelian nearly shouted, eyes wide in disbelief.
Tuf stared at them.
Then, rolled his eyes so hard it looked painful.
"Right. I forgot. You vermin don't even have showers," he scoffed.
"Every innovation Velrathis introduced into this dump, you all just copied without progress."
Ceres blinked, stunned.
"Wait… are you saying that the so-called modern conveniences in the human kingdoms came from the demi-human empire?"
Tuf smirked.
"Yes, Your Highness. That personal bathtub you enjoy so much? The oven in your kitchens? The restrooms? All ours."
He gave a dramatic shudder.
"Can you imagine if I hadn't ordered my people to introduce those things to the human kingdoms? These vermin would still be bathing together in public springs, and doing their business anywhere!"
"Gross!"
Even Ceres cringed.
She remembered her first day in Solmara, the clothes, the architecture, and assumed, with dread, that people probably relieved themselves like the old English nobles, out in the open or into chamber pots tossed from windows.
It was one of her greatest fears.
"And yet," Tuf continued, clearly on a roll, "no one thought to improve them. The same designs for a hundred years. Just new colors and different materials. No creativity. No development."
He clicked his tongue in disappointment before flashing her a grin.
"Anyway. As long as you promise no male vermin will ever help you bathe again, I'll include a shower when I rebuild Aquilonis."
Ceres sighed, rubbing her temple.
"Fine," she muttered.
"But Your Highness…"
Legion tried to protest, but she shook her head once, a clear warning not to argue.
He clenched his jaw and fell silent.
Prince Azul was right. Tuf was completely unhinged.
Ceres didn't know if she should laugh or be deeply concerned.
Tuf, satisfied with his victory, grinned from ear to ear like a smug little panther cub.
Then, with a flourish, he lifted his dimension ring and pointed it to one side of the golden chamber. A moment later, a sleek black structure materialized, its walls glossy with black-tinted glass.
Ceres's eyes widened.
"That's a… shower?" she whispered.
"Yes, Your Highness. It has its own power supply, so no need for mana. Just use it the way you remember," Tuf said as he opened the door, revealing the familiar fixtures.
It was almost identical to the showers she knew from Earth.
And suddenly, a lump formed in her throat.
She hadn't expected it, the wave of nostalgia.
"Bathrobe and towel over here. Soap, shampoo, conditioner," Tuf gestured smoothly, opening small embedded cabinets.
"Walk-in closet's through here," he added, sliding open a second panel. "You'll find clothes, shoes, and women's items. They belong to my sister, Luna. But don't worry, they're brand new. Never used."
Ceres hesitated.
"Is it… really okay for me to use them?"
"Of course. Don't worry about size, you and Luna have the same build. They'll fit perfectly," Tuf assured her, then stepped back and exited the chamber, leaving her alone.
Outside, Delphine stood in tense silence, stuck between three males who looked seconds away from murdering each other.
But strangely… this time, Legion and Aurelian weren't glowering at each other.
They were both focused on Tuf, and neither of them looked amused.
Delphine stayed perfectly still.
She had no idea what she was supposed to do if one of them made the wrong move.
Seiryu, meanwhile, stood next to the shower unit, peering at it curiously. He had no interest in the male posturing going on behind him.
He was fully engrossed in examining the newly conjured shower, inspecting every inch of it like an ancient relic he'd never seen before.
The tense silence was broken by the unmistakable sound of singing.
They all turned toward the shower chamber.
And from inside, Ceres's voice floated out, soft and melodic.
"Oh, I wanna dance with somebody
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody…
With somebody who loves me…"
Tuf's ears perked up.
Legion twitched.
Aurelian's jaw clenched.
And Seiryu?
"What in the seven hells is she doing in there?" he asked, both confused and fascinated.
Delphine stifled a laugh.
"I… I think she's just in a good mood."
Tuf, standing tall, looked toward the chamber with a proud gleam in his eye.
"That's my human," he murmured smugly.