The Scum Emperor's Redemption System

"Yes!" Fialova answered with blinding enthusiasm.

— [MAJOR TASKED FINISHED SUCCESSFULLY!]

— [Punishments Has Been Revoked!]

— [You Have Gained A New Relationship Status: Fialova - Fifth Wife]

— [Personality Trait: Extraversion ▪︎ +10 EXP!]

Argider froze. Wait, what? Did she really just agree to marry her—without even pretending to agonize over it for three days, as she dictated? They barely knew each other! Then again, Argider had never really known any of her wives. Arranged marriages had that effect. But this one? Oh, this one wasn't just arranged—it was system-mandated.

"W-Wait! I said you could think about it!" Argider stammered, clinging to her last shred of control.

"I did think about it," Fialova said, her grip on Argider's hand firm and unyielding. "I said I'd stay by your side forever. Marriage means I can stay forever, right?"

"But you'll lose your status as a knight!" Argider sputtered.

Fialova shrugged, her face glowing with a loyalty so pure it bordered on criminal. "I don't care. You've given me something permanent in my life, so let me be permanent in yours."

Argider felt her jaw tighten. This girl's unwavering dedication was...irritating. And guilt-inducing. She'd never met anyone so ready to pledge their entire existence to her, and frankly, it was exhausting. Whoever raised this girl had done an excellent job. Too excellent. Clearly, they'd set the bar low for self-preservation.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

In the middle of her mental spiral, Alvator's voice casually intruded. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention—the system slapped a tiny little curse on you. Forces you into commitment. Just a smidge.

What.

Argider's eye twitched. That explained...too much. She felt the sting of impending tears but held them back because royalty did not cry over cursed matchmaking systems.

Meanwhile, Fialova was looking up at her with the kind of hopefulness you'd see in a puppy begging for table scraps. "Um, does this mean I can kiss you now?"

"K-Kiss me?" Argider echoed, voice wobbling.

"Well, I... I don't really know how to do, uh, bed activities," Fialova admitted, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. Honestly, she resembled a newlywed husband from an overly sappy bard's tale.

"W-We can't do that yet!" Argider blurted. "We need to...get married first! And then...and then consummate or something!" She was blushing furiously now, wishing the earth would swallow her whole.

Can I kiss her? Argider mentally pinged Alvator in desperation. The thought of claiming Fialova's lips had wormed its way into her mind, and she wasn't sure how to evict it.

Fine, but no funny business, Alvator sighed. And definitely no body activities.

Argider groaned, her frustration simmering to a boil. Of all the things she had faced—political schemes, impossible quests, that one time a rogue potato almost took her out—this was the most confounding: she had absolutely no idea how to navigate "bedly activities" with another woman.

She cursed her lack of education in this department. If only Callista were here. Callista always knew what to do, especially when it came to situations requiring charm and seduction.

Homosexuality wasn't exactly taboo in their kingdom, but it wasn't paraded through the streets with fanfare either. Tradition frowned politely in its general direction while pretending not to see it. And here she was—an emperor, for gods' sake—flailing like a fish tossed on land.

To make matters worse, her body was betraying her. She was pent-up, touch-starved, and teetering on the edge of madness. The need for some kind of intimacy clawed at her insides.

She wasn't asking for much—a hug, a cuddle, maybe a forehead kiss if the gods were feeling generous. But then, her gaze fell on Fialova.

The knight sat there, eyes closed, her expression serene yet expectant. Was she...was she waiting for something?

Argider leaned closer, her breath hitching. Focus. Study the face first, then proceed. That was the plan. Her eyes traced Fialova's features: the soft curve of her cheeks, the delicate slope of her nose, the lips—those soft, inviting lips. She moved in hesitantly and pressed her mouth against them, gentle at first.

Fialova shivered beneath her, a reaction so adorably pure that Argider's heart did a somersault. She moved her lips slightly, coaxing a response, but Fialova's attempts to kiss back were...well, "awkward" would be putting it kindly. It was like the girl didn't know what to do or where to push.

Argider pulled back, her brows furrowing. "Fialova...y-you don't know how to kiss?"

The girl shook her head, her face glowing red. "Teach me," she whispered, her voice barely audible. And then, without warning, she grabbed Argider by the hips and pulled her into her lap.

Oh gods.

Argider's brain short-circuited. Her face buried itself in Fialova's shoulder as she tried to process what was happening. She was being...bottom'd. Treated like a lady. Led.

The strange role reversal was so mortifying, so utterly alien to her sense of imperial dignity, that she wanted to crawl under the nearest table and never come out. But it also felt...nice. So nice that it was undoing years of touch starvation in mere seconds.

Swallowing her pride, and most of her self-control, Argider mumbled, "Let's, um...press our lips together first. Slowly. Get used to it."

Fialova nodded obediently. Their lips met again, this time lingering longer. It was soft, warm, and...strangely comforting.

"Now...add tongue," Argider said, trying to sound instructional rather than desperate.

Fialova's face went from pink to crimson, but she complied, hesitantly letting her tongue slip forward. Argider responded, her own tongue meeting Fialova's in a tender, exploratory dance.

The kiss deepened, their breaths mingling, their movements growing more assured. Fialova's shyness melted away as she became bolder, gripping Argider's head and pulling her closer.

"Mmmph!" Argider squeaked into the kiss as Fialova took the lead with surprising assertiveness. The girl was relentless, her hands firm, her lips and tongue insistent.

Fialova wasn't just kissing her now—she was claiming her. And she wasn't letting go.

Argider's thoughts spiraled into chaos. This was not the plan. Who's teaching who here?! And yet, a treacherous part of her didn't want it to stop.