Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix was walking through the halls of his palace, accompanied by several servants, as well as Nimble.

He couldn't stop thinking about the strange occurrence from earlier that day.

Did Baraja really just relive trauma from her time as a soldier?

He couldn't think of a good ulterior reason for them to suddenly leave like that... And the specific way it happened also seemed quite genuine. She only whispered to her

husband, and Jircniv himself could only barely hear what was said, even when he was the person sitting the closest.

Still, seeing someone like Baraja at a genuinely vulnerable moment was a strange experience, assuming that's what really happened.

Just as he was finishing that thought, his destination came into view. After walking for only a moment more, he reached it.

The skeleton summoned by Gown simply stood there, staring at him. It didn't bow, it didn't react to his presence at all. This was his first time interacting with it, so he didn't know exactly what to expect. How much respect should he extend it, exactly? He might have to be a bit more courteous, considering it was Gown's personal summon.

"... Uhm, greetings? I would like to ask you to see if His Majesty the Sorcerer King is available."

It then continued to stand there, still unmoving. Was it... broken? Could that happen to summons?

And then, after a while, it finally shook its head.

"Ah... he's not?"

It once again took a good deal of time before the undead moved again, this time to nod.

"Uhm, thank you, then. Could you ask him to come speak to me later?"

\\\

After remotely dealing with Jircniv using the skeleton, Satoru looked back at the woman he loved, as they were currently cuddling in bed. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was peaceful. Her naked body was warm, and felt amazing under his touch.

Should he disturb her rest now to tell her about the Emperor's arrival? He surely had something to discuss if he wanted to meet them.

No, she probably needed to rest after what happened earlier.

Even if that weren't the case, he also just didn't want to stop cuddling.

Not for another hour... or two.

... ...

Neia was sitting... somewhere.

She didn't know where it was exactly, but she felt it wasn't important.

What was important, however, was the thing in her arms.

She was holding something wonderful.

Something that filled her with so much joy.

Something that she wanted for so long now.

Her newborn baby.

Her and Satoru's.

…

... And then, she woke up.

She opened her eyes to see her husband reading something again.

She then started shifting around, making him put the book away and turn to her.

"Hello, love. How was your nap?"

It took her a few more moments to process everything, before she could finally respond.

"... Hello, Ain-... I mean… Satoru... I love you."

"I love you too, Neia."

"... uhm... nap... nap was good..."

"Did you have a dream?"

"I... maybe we could talk about that later. What time is it?"

"It's a bit later in the afternoon."

"Hm... is there anything we should be doing right now?"

"El-Nix wanted to see us. And then there's the play later in the evening, of course."

"Oh? Perhaps we should go meet him, then."

"You've just woken up. And besides, I'm a bit disappointed you're so eager to leave my embrace."

"Ah, s-sorry!"

He chuckled.

"Don't worry love, I'm just joking."

"Oh, okay..."

...

After cuddling and kissing for about half an hour more, Neia finally got up to collect all her discarded clothing with Satoru's help. He then also helped her get dressed, during which she had to stop her wings from moving too much, as it was making the process a bit difficult.

And after that, she ate her lunch, which was made up of a chocolate cake, strawberry-flavoured milk, and cute little marzipan animals. All of the items were fairly cold, which was quite refreshing.

As soon as she was done with that, it was time to see what El-Nix had to say.

They were currently being led to his chambers, where he was waiting.

When they turned the corner to see the door, Nimble, who stood to its side, bowed deeply. He only spoke when they got close.

"Your Majesty, Your Holiness, are you here to see His Majesty the Emperor?"

"We are."

Nimble then nodded, and knocked on the door. Neia noted the very specific way he did so. Three knocks, a pause, and then two more. It was obviously a secret sign.

After that, Jircniv was heard from the inside.

"Come in!"

When Nimble opened the door, Neia saw the Emperor already standing up with his arms slightly outstretched.

As soon as they began entering, he bowed.

"Your Majesty, Your Holiness. I must apologise for earlier."

The door then closed behind them, and Neia had to look to her husband for guidance. He was looking at her too, and so she whispered.

"Darling, what's he talking about?"

"I don't know. Let's ask him."

Satoru then cleared his throat in a fake way.

"Well, may I know what you are apologising for?"

"... Erhm, f-for the incident at the Grand Arena."

Neia furrowed her brows under her visor, while letting Satoru continue.

"... You are apologising... for that? Neia?"

Being prompted by her husband, she continued on her own.

"Jircniv, surely you aren't taking responsibility for what I felt then? That seems unreasonable."

"W-well..."

He seemed to be in deep thought, to the point it was noticeable despite his nervousness.

"Perhaps precautions should have been taken? Perhaps I should have shown more concern for such a thing happening?"

He had a strange tone as he was saying these things, but she decided to ignore that, as there probably wasn't any deeper meaning to it.

"That's still an unreasonable expectation. You shouldn't claim responsibility for this at all."

"... I-is that so?"

"Of course."

"... In that case, I must at the very least offer my condolences that you weren't feeling well."

"Thank you."

... ...

After the brief meeting ended, the pair went back to their room, where they just talked and relaxed together for the next few hours. And then, it was time for them to leave, and go see the theatre play. It was the first one they were going to see together, which was quite exciting, at least to Neia.

They were taken to the beautiful building by carriage. Moving through it, the staff treated them very well indeed, even better than might normally be expected of them as royalty. As for the people, they had mixed reactions. Some bowed, some knelt, and some simply froze up. She could swear that at least a few also started praying, but she wasn't sure if it was to Satoru, or to other Gods.

As for the theatre itself, the main area of it was a sort of semicircle, where the podium was on the flat side of it. The walls could then be lined with private little seating areas for important or wealthy guests, without their view of the podium being too compromised.

They were led to one such private area.

After sitting down on a very comfortable double seat with Satoru, the staff continued to try their best to pamper them, something which her husband was responding to.

"Is this view good?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Do you wish for any food or drink?"

He looked at her.

"Neia?"

"No, I don't believe so."

If she was thirsty, she would always ask Satoru to pour her a glass of that delicious pure water. Or maybe any of the other drinks or snacks which he started carrying with him, just for her.

"Will you need anything else?"

She looked around, and couldn't really think of any luxury which wasn't already present right within their reach. And so, she looked at Satoru and shook her head.

"No, we won't need anything else."

"Will you want to start the play right away, then?"

"... Right away? Isn't it supposed to be another 10 minutes or so before it starts?"

"Of course, but surely it's not proper to have you wait!"

She heard him sigh.

"There's no need for that. Now leave us. No servants inside. You'll wait outside the door, and that is my final word. "

"Y-yes!"

Neia waited for the man to leave fully before speaking.

"Can I sit in your lap?"

He chuckled.

"Of course, love."

...

Alif, who just finished checking his costume in the mirror for the sixth time, rushed over to where everyone was taking turns peeking through a small hole in the curtains.

"H-hey, are they here?"

He didn't address the question to anyone in particular. Two people separated from the rest to speak to him. The first one to say anything was a large, muscular man.

"Yeah, Elina managed to spot them. They're really here!"

The second of the two was the original writer of the play about to be given life, and someone who was known for training some of the best actors in the Empire.

"God, it's really them! Alif, you need to focus today!"

"Y-yes, of course, Lady Tifan!"

As soon as he finished, she started biting her nails, and looking at nothing in particular.

Trissa Tifan was already a perfectionist, and someone who always feared for her reputation taking hits, so it only made sense that she might be particularly afraid of how tonight will go. It probably didn't help that it was something completely out of her control from this point onward, and depended mostly on the performance of the actors. While being that actor and having to perform under pressure was of course stressful, your own fate being in the hands of others was its own kind of taxing.

"Alif!"

He turned around to face the direction where the voice came from, and saw the other lead actor, Neluria. She and him monologuing or interacting was going to account for almost all the scenes of the entire play, so she must have also been quite stressed out.

As she came closer, he noted how beautiful she looked in that dress. Even more so than usual.

"Alif, do I look good?"

She spun around as she said that.

"Y-yes, you look great."

While she was probably thinking about the costume, his words also carried a second meaning, describing the woman wearing it.

"Alright, now you turn around."

Even if it was safe to assume he was already checked over and over, she was probably doing it too in order to relieve some of the anxiety.

"Look, something's happening!"

He turned over to the commotion happening at the curtain gap, where everyone else was still gathered. The person currently looking through it was one of the younger actresses here.

"What do you mean 'look'!? You're the one watching them right now!"

He observed the discussion quietly.

"Right... oh, she sat in his lap!"

"Wait, really?"

"Ah, they're kinda cute together!"

"Wait, don't say that! He'll smite us, or something!"

"Huh? I don't think he can hear us, right?"

Alif sighed. He needed to focus, and so he shifted his attention away from the group's talk.

...

Neia continued looking around, while resting her head on Satoru's chest.

She really liked how the place looked, if she was being honest. She liked the dim lighting and all the decorations. The choice of colour was also very nice, as it wasn't that typical for the Empire, at least from what she'd seen of it so far.

And then, someone moved through the curtain.

This someone then spoke using volume-enhancing magic.

"Greetings! I want to welcome you all to the Flechan Theatre! And especially His Majesty Ainz Ooal Gown, and Her Holiness Neia Baraja!"

He bowed in their direction, and then took some time before raising his head and speaking again.

"Today, I am happy to present the play 'Two Apples', by Trissa Tifan! A romantic tale about a young couple falling in love! We hope you will all enjoy it!"

After that, the man moved to leave, and the curtains started parting at the same time.

\\\

As the parting curtains exposed him to the audience, Alif's eyes inevitably shifted over to the terrifying undead King, and his Queen.

It was like Naava said. Neia Baraja was sitting in her husband's lap, and they looked both terrifying and kind of… like a normal couple?

He then realised he'd been awkwardly standing there for several seconds now, and immediately hurried to start his monologue.

... ...

"My lady, I..."

He gulped. Every time he delivered this line, it was both painful and freeing at the same time. It was him being truly honest, even if it was surrounded by an act.

"My lady, I love you!"

His fellow actress staggered back, holding a hand over her mouth.

"I... good sir, I..."

He dramatically turned around.

"Oh no, it'll be a rejection, won't it? Ah, the pain!"

"N-no... I... I feel the same way! I love you!"

"B-but... well, we're going to be apart for so long now, due to your father's trip... can our love survive the distance between us?"

"I'm sure it will!"

They stepped closer, and slowly kissed.

And then, the curtain started closing in on them.

As it did so, he snuck another glance at the undead God and his wife, only to see the latter clapping happily, just like the rest of the audience.

As soon as the curtain had obscured them fully, he let out a great sigh of relief.

It was now time for everyone to come out and bow, but there was little that could go wrong there, and so he felt himself start to relax.

...

"Ah, I really enjoyed that a lot, darling! I hope you did too?"

Satoru smiled internally at the sight of a happy, excited Neia.

"I did."

Although that was the truth, he also tried to look for anything in there that he could learn from and become a better husband to her, as he always did with anything romance-related.

The actors then all gathered in front of the curtain, and bowed in unison.

After a bit of that, they went back out of sight, and the people in the audience started getting up.

"Looks like this is our turn to leave."

As he said that, she kissed him on the cheek.

"Alright. Let's go, darling."

As Neia got off his lap, he snuck a glance at her butt before getting up himself. He wanted to slap it, but decided not to, as he was concerned someone might see him do so.

He then headed for the door, with Neia following closely behind.

Once he opened that door, he was greeted by the servants, and an unknown woman in a fancy dress, who immediately knelt.

"Your Majesty, Your Holiness, I am Trissa Tifan, writer of the play you've just seen! I sincerely hope it was to your liking!"

"Ah, yes! I loved it!"

"Hm. I liked it too."

The woman then shifted in a weird way, and he could swear he heard air escape her lungs.

"I am so grateful for your kind words! Truly, I am undeserving of them!"

Neia stepped forward a bit.

"Please, don't say that. Your play was worthy of praise."

... ... ...

Neia was currently finishing up her breakfast by drinking a cup of banana-flavoured milk, which was probably her favourite flavour. Though it has been a while since she had coconut milk, so maybe she should ask for that soon.

Satoru was just sitting across from her, and they looked into each other's eyes. He said he liked watching her eat because of how happy she looked, and then immediately clarified he didn't mean it in a creepy way, which Neia found very cute of him.

She really enjoyed eating with him nearby like this. Even if they don't end up talking, having him near her always makes everything better.

In just a short while, the two of them would both leave for the event of the day, the archery competition.

... ...

After the three of them got off the carriage, they were greeted by the organisers, and then led to the VIP area by some servants.

The whole time, Satoru could tell that Neia was quite excited about this. She was extremely adorable when like that, and so he was already enjoying himself a lot.

When they were all sitting down, Neia once again chose his lap, as there was no double seat.

The VIP area was in the centre of a thick semi-circle of raised seats, which surrounded the spot from which the archers will be performing. A bit further off to the side, there were several buildings of varying size. In the direction opposite the audience in the semi-circle, in the distance, there stood a target. Next to it was a sort of large hut.

And now that they were sitting down, it seemed things were starting up.

An announcer's voice was heard clearly, due to the use of volume-enhancing magic.

"Greetings, everyone! And especially His Majesty Ainz Ooal Gown, and Her Holiness Neia Baraja! Truly, welcome to today's event, the 49th Imperial Archery Championship!"

Some cheers were then heard from the crowd, while Satoru was wondering why Jircniv wasn't welcomed too.

"And now, for the first stage of the competition, we will see riders perform long-distance shots, starting at 90 metres!"

Satoru could tell that Neia was paying very close attention from all sorts of subtle cues as she was resting against him.

"And now, for the first competitor of the day, Ivye Fikeran!"

A man with long, blonde hair then stepped out of one of the side buildings, accompanied by some cheers. He waved to the audience with the hand which wasn't holding the bow.

He stopped waving after he reached his spot, instead bowing deeply in the direction of the VIP area.

After he stopped bowing, he quickly grabbed the bow with both hands, and then drew it, aiming for the target.

He released it after some time, and it seemed to fly fairly straight towards its distant target.

After it hit, several men came out of that hut which was next to it, and picked the target up, carrying it towards the audience.

Once they got close enough, everyone could plainly see that it was a perfect hit, piercing the centre.

Many in the audience cheered or just clapped, with the latter group including Neia.

And then, the announcer was heard speaking again.

"This looks like a great start for everyone who made any bets on master Fikeran!"

... ...

After a lot more long-distance shots like that by various other competitors, and while someone new was walking over to the archer's spot, Neia turned to face him and everyone else.

"... Ah, seeing everyone having so much fun with archery, it kind of makes me want to go join them... Maybe get at least one arrow in? I love long distance shots, after all. Could that be arranged?"

In response, Jircniv sat silent for a few moments before answering.

"Uhm... W-well of course! Let's go speak to the organisers!"

And just like that, Jircniv and the two Imperial Knights got up, heading for the door. Neia herself then got off of him, and then he got up, too.

When they gathered near the door, Jircniv was the one to open it, and lead the way.

He didn't have to do so for very long, as the organisers were apparently waiting just a bit further outside their door. They immediately knelt, and the one dressed slightly better than the rest spoke.

"W-what can we do for you? I hope nothing is w-wrong!"

Jircniv inhaled deeply.

"Her Holiness wishes to do some archery here."

The man's eyes went wide.

"A-as a c-competitor?"

She smiled, and stepped forward.

"Oh, nothing like that. Just fire off a few arrows for fun. Is that okay? I don't mean to stall, I'm sure the schedule is busy."

"N-not at all! It will b-be arranged!"

...

Neia looked behind her one more time, and saw both her husband standing right behind her, and the crowd observing silently in the background.

She was used to being the centre of everyone's attention, but it was a little different now.

For a long time now, archery was something of a private hobby, so she felt just a bit anxious.

"... Neia, my love?"

"Ah, it's nothing..."

She turned around to face the target, which was 100 metres away, and drew her bow with ease.

As she was aiming, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

It was Satoru's, of course.

Her hesitation disappeared completely, and she released the arrow.

After it hit, several men immediately sprinted out of the hut, and started bringing the target closer.

Neia smiled when she saw that she hit the target perfectly in the centre.

She then heard the announcer's voice.

"A perfect shot! Her Holiness is truly amazing!"

She knew the announcer was clearly under pressure to say it like that, but it was still flattering either way.

"... Good job, Neia."

That, however, made her far more excited.

Her husband's praise was a wonderful thing to receive.

"Thank you, darling."

He then looked around.

"Say, there's a lot of people here. Perhaps it would be a good time for a nice kiss?"

She felt her wings start moving.

"Uhm... o-okay... yes, I would like that, Satoru."

He chuckled, and grabbed her by the hips while putting his face close.

When it was in reach, she tossed the bow away, hugged him with both arms, and kissed him right on the teeth.

As they held the kiss, she felt his hands move ever so slightly across her body, but not in a way that was too lewd for the public eye. And so, she did the same, stroking his bony back with her hands, all while her wings flapped around.

Once he pulled away, she looked into his eyes, then at the audience, and then back at him.

"I love you, Satoru."

"And I love you, Neia."