When Fatima returned a little later, two priests were waiting behind her.
「...This is unprecedented...」
Alexis frowned as Fatima handed the documents to him in his private room.
「The queen and the king have a priest accompanying them. This is ridiculous!」
At Alexis' words, the priests replied in turn, "She is not the queen", "I'm not a queen." Fatima's voice was among them, so Alexis sighed and tried to do his duty quietly from then on.
But, Alexis did not want Fatima to stay like that. She lacks the awareness of being a concubine. And Fransisca's recuperation is a good chance for him to do something about Fatima. Anyway, if Fatima does not move, at last, he will create an uncontrollable situation.
(So...)
Alexis was thinking.
(During this period, I have to make Fatima aware of it somehow!)
Inwardly, he was determined to do so.
* * *
The day's work was over in no time.
Fatima, as expected of a high priestess, did all the work without a hitch.
And now, after Alexis left the ritual room and Fatima followed him back to his private room, she was about to leave with the other priests who were turning back. However, Alexis grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear, "You come back later. Alone."
「...Your Majesty. I'm in trouble」
Fatima looked at the arm in his grasp and gently rebuked Alexis.
As she does so, she glances behind her, making sure the priests with their backs to her have not noticed.
「Listen to me. This is absolute. This is an order. Do you understand? I said absolutely.」
When Alexis reminded her of this, a slight hint of annoyance peeked out from her usual blank expression.
「You can't order me to do something... It's not fair」
She answers, and Alexis removes his hand from her.
It made Alexis think that he should have done so from the very beginning. So far, he has been a bit reserved. Well, he had a feeling that she might not like it.
And as Fatima was about to say something, the priest's voice came.
「Fatima-sama. What's wrong? Let's go.」
「Ah—yes.」
Fatima nodded and went with them.
She walked away from Alexis without saying a word.
At least she didn't say no. As long as that is the case, she will come—Alexis is sure of it.
* * *
That night, as expected, there is a knock at the door.
Alexis had done a lot of preparation for this.
When Alexis opened the door, he found Fatima standing there still in her priestly clothes.
When he beckoned her to come in, she shook her head.
「Alex, I'm here, but I'm not going into the room. If you have something you don't want anyone else to hear, you can talk to me here.」
"Really?" Alexis laughs.
「So you want us to do it here? I see, so you want to expose your perversions in a place like this where you don't know when anyone is going to come?」
「...!? Alex, what are you talking—」
Alexis grabbed her blushing arm and pulled her inside the room.
「Alex, who do you think you are?」
Fatima's tone increases slightly, but Alexis closes the door behind her.
「Okay. Even if it wasn't for such a purpose, a female high priestess coming alone to see the priest-king at this hour of the night—what would people say if they were to see it?」
「What would they say...? Even if it's not true... Stop trying to get what you're after!」
「What? Are you so sick of doing it with me?」
Alexis asked her face-to-face.
Fatima stammered.
「...it's not that I don't want to...」
Her attitude was not at all clear as her gaze drifted to the other side of the room.
「Then what is it? Why do you keep avoiding me?」
Alexis can't help but press her.
Fatima backed away and slammed her back against the door.
「I-I'm not avoiding you.」
She bites her lip.
「Don't lie to me.」
Alexis was starting to get a little annoyed.
「You're avoiding me, you know. You dress like a priestess. But you're not forgetting that you're my concubine, are you?」
「I...I...didn't...forget...」
She looks up, and she stares at him with her blue eyes.
「Then why don't we do it right now?」
Alexis said quietly.
「Your concubine's duty. If you don't mind, then do it now」
He puts her hand on his trousers and she stiffens.
But thinking that maybe she doesn't want to do it, he loosens his trousers and extends his tentacle through them.
When it reaches for her, Fatima turns her face away from him.