As part of the effort to continue to reassure the citizens that nothing would disrupt the festivities, she made her speech early in the morning on the second to the last day of the festival.
When she looked out among the people, there were no visible angry faces, no one holding or throwing signs. The angry ones either stayed hidden or stayed home.
Or both.
Either way, it seemed the unrest had passed.
Unfortunately, while her life was not actively at threat...she was still terribly shy of the stage, and staring down at many, many faces.
She glanced around several times during the speech to check that all her consorts were actually nearby to make her feel a little safer, though she felt bad doing it because it would take attention away from her speech.
She still had a job to do as the empress, and that included facing crowds, unfortunately.
It was terrible.
Still, she got through it, and after receiving polite applause, she quickly stepped off the balcony back into her room.
"Ueeh..." She whined, sinking onto a sofa, covering her face with her hands.
She felt hands rub her back in comforting circles, a knee press to her thigh, fingers brush back her hair and a gentle hand wipe away her tears.
She sniffed and peeked through her fingers to find Tenshi, Lyov and Phoenix sitting nearby, ready to offer her support. Alex was also there, sitting further away but offering her a reassuring smile.
A tea service appeared on the table in front of her and she picked up the cup, drinking from it slowly, savoring the flavor. The sweet taste was good, but not as good as the calm sensation that washed through her as she drank.
Lyov rubbed her back gently. "See? You did amazing, Your majesty."
Tenshi smiled warmly and nodded. "You did!"
"Haha~" Phoenix chuckled. "You certainly have the ability to stir a crowd to emotion with your words, Dear."
"I'd like if the emotions I stirred up in my people weren't negative at all..." She huffed and rubbed her cheek against Lyov's shirt.
The fabric was cool on her warm cheeks.
Phoenix hummed. "They're definitely not. If they love you, you have fewer problems to worry about in the future."
She lifted her head. "Oh, right. I still need to think about who...may have arranged the attack."
Phoenix crossed his arms and nodded. "Well, I have a few leads among my contacts, but I haven't anything definite yet."
She raised her eyebrows. "And here I was about to ask you about that. You're so efficient..."
He chuckled. "Hoh? I'm happy to hear you think so, then."
Lyov nuzzled his cheek to hers and kissed the top of her head. "Of course he is. I think we all want to make sure that your reign is secure from threats, after all."
She blushed and ducked her head. Lyov was always so extra affectionate toward her and she didn't know why. "Oh. H-hah...yeah...thanks...."
Alex stood suddenly, then. "I'll go and get you some fruit from the garden." He announced briskly, and departed.
She blinked slowly. "....Wait...why is he leaving...?"
"To get fruit." Phoenix smirked.
"...Okay..."
"He's quite a funny fellow, isn't he?" Phoenix hums. "Such taste the Empress has for her harem~!"
She stared at him.
He's the one who picked Alex...!
"Tasteless." She grumbled under her breath, and pushed herself upright. She yawned widely and stretched out.
"Hm?"
"Mmmnnfh...nothing, nothing." She waved her hand and rose from the sofa.
Tenshi cocked his head, looking at her with curiosity. "Your Majesty?"
"I want to do...something..."
She'd felt stifled since the attempt. Trapped in the hospital and then in her bedroom. And now even the sitting room had begun to feel stuffy.
"Mmm~!" She stretched her arms and legs, trying to shake off that feeling.
Tenshi followed her onto his feet, grinning widely, excitement clear on his face. "What do you want to do?"
How cute!
"I don't know." She said honestly.
Phoenix reached out and ruffled her hair gently. "What about a bath, mm?"
"Mmn...a bath sounds nice."
"Haha!" Phoenix rose to his feet. "Well, let's not wait! Come, let's get ready~!"
"--Let's?!" She squeaked.
It seemed she didn't have much choice in the matter.
"Eep-!" She yelped and gripped Lyov's arm, looking up at him.
Alas, while he was often on her side, he seemed on Phoenix's side in this case.
Phoenix you...you seditious bastard!
She was swept away by the pair, despite her protests, and Tenshi her so-called guardian trotted happily after her like a cheerful puppy.
How unfair!
She pouted at her apparent traitorous servants.
Phoenix patted her on the head like a child not wanting to eat her food.
She supposed it wasn't the worst thing in the world to share a bath with (most of) her harem, but--!
I don't know where to look?!
Tenshi was adorable. He was built as if purpose-designed to be stared at, ogled, or otherwise objectified, although it was awkward that he looked so pleased about her watching him.
Her gaze slid over to Lyov's muscled body.
The knight had a natural instinct for athletics and fitness, so naturally he had a strong build. His back was wide and muscular, and she could see faint lines of scars, like he'd been stabbed or cut or slashed numerous times in battle. She hadn't realized the extent of the scarring on his skin, but it seemed to cover much of his torso.
He noticed her gaze and offered her a smile, looking as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately remaining silent.
A hand cupped her chin suddenly. "Isabelle~ Do you like what you see?"
Phoenix was not about to let her ignore his form, it seemed.
Her gaze trailed over his broad shoulders, and she found her face warming at the sight of the expanse of creamy skin, unblemished by scars like the others. Instead, she saw freckles dotting across his body.
It was...
cute.
The marks looked like stars across his skin.
She blushed, and pulled her face free, sinking down in the water in an attempt to drown herself and be free of how flustered she felt.
Laughter answered her reaction and strong hands lifted her out of the water again.
"Let me wash you." Tenshi requested sweetly, before moving in and using a soft cloth on her skin.
She'd repeatedly experienced someone washing her body since she'd arrived here. But this felt far more intimate. Perhaps it was because of how gentle he was.
His touches were firm but kind, as if he were afraid that if he pressed too hard, she might break. The slight roughness of the cloth on her skin combined with how gentle and soft his hands were created a new and unique feeling of pleasure, and the tension and nervousness within her began to ease.
She closed her eyes, relaxing, letting him pamper her.
Gentle lips pressed to hers.
Odd. She could actually recognize Phoenix's lips by touch.
They were surprisingly soft.