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“How dare you! Did I give you permission to strike?”

“But, Your Majesty…”

“Do I have to say it again?”

“……”

There was no way to resist.

Faced with the Empress’s commanding voice, Alice could only grit her teeth in frustration. Her hand tightened around the sword hilt, then slowly lowered it.

Her eyes, blazing with fury, could only glare daggers at Lin Ge.

She was furious, but didn’t dare say a word.

Seeing this, Lin Ge felt emboldened and immediately got cocky.

All that talk of killing him, calling him a rude and insolent fool… He was practically growing calluses on his ears from hearing it so much.

Fortunately, there was always someone stronger. Someone could keep her in check after all.

Go on, kill me! If you’ve got what it takes, then do it!

“Your name is Lin Ge, correct?”

“Yes.”

Hearing the Empress address him, Lin Ge hurriedly raised his head and gave a slight bow, putting Alice out of his mind for the moment.

“Do you understand what it means to say something like that?”

The Empress’s voice was cold. An aura emanated from her lively features like a beast locked away in a cage, making everyone instinctively keep their distance.

Lin Ge swallowed. His years of experience being transported to another world told him that every word he said next would be crucial.

One wrong word, and he’d plunge into an abyss with no bottom.

The only thing he could rely on was the knowledge of this world that came with this body. He… had no choice but to keep gambling and say what he had to say.

“I understand,” Lin Ge replied firmly.

“If you understand, then you’re prepared to pay the price for it.”

The Empress’s eyes glinted coldly as she issued her threat.

In an instant, immense pressure swept through the hall and beyond.

He was just a man, yet he dared to openly defy the Empress’s authority. Everyone inside and outside the hall looked down on him.

There was no way this man would live to see tonight’s moon! What a shame about that face of his. He was actually quite handsome, but he had no brains. What a waste.

The noblewomen on both sides could only shake their heads with regret.

They thought the Empress was about to order Lin Ge’s execution.

But Lin Ge gave a faint smile.

“I’m certainly prepared. But Your Majesty may not be prepared for the Empire’s future.”

“Oh?” The Empress raised a delicate eyebrow, her tone full of contempt. “Then tell me, what does our Empire need to prepare for?”

“A powerful army to resist invasions by other races! From what I know, the nation’s troops and food supplies are nowhere near as plentiful as they were a few years ago. There may not be a problem now, but what about five, ten, or twenty years from now? By then, all that may be left is for the Empire to be carved up…”

“……”

Lin Ge fell silent. So did the Empress.

After all, every word Lin Ge had said made sense.

There might not be a problem for now, but things looked far less optimistic in the long run.

If it were only the Empire, that would be one thing. But they weren’t the only ones living on this continent. Besides humans, there were many other races, all stronger than humanity.

Female supremacy and all that was fine, but the one drawback was the low birth rate. The longer things went on, the more obvious that problem would become.

She could tell that he had some ability and courage to speak up despite understanding the danger.

In that case, should she follow his proposal and have one man serve two women, or even three…? The Empress fell silent.

She surveyed her surroundings.

The nobles around her were all whispering and pointing at Lin Ge and at her.

Just as had been said before, after the shift in power, nearly all the nobles now at the top were women, aside from a few scattered old fossils.

But that was only nearly all…

Within the Empire, in places beyond her sight, there were still nobles who hadn’t given up. They were trying to cause trouble, quietly plotting in the shadows…

In this situation, saying something that amounted to looking down on women was like adding fuel to the fire and bringing trouble down on himself.

Had he spoken without thinking? Or was he truly brilliant, able to spot the hidden dangers within the Empire at a glance? If that was really the case, then this man…

Absolutely couldn’t be allowed to live!

But… if she killed him just like that, wouldn’t it be as good as admitting he was right?

In that case, why not…

On the stage, the Empress narrowed her eyes even further.

After a silence as sharp as needles,

the Empress beckoned to a woman beside her who looked like the prime minister and whispered something to her. Then they both turned their eyes toward Alice.

“If I remember correctly, your territory lies at the border between the Demon Clan, the beastfolk, and the Merfolk.”

“That’s correct, Your Majesty.”

“Good…” The Empress’s lips curled into a chilling, inscrutable smile, unnoticed by those around her.

Then the Empress shifted her gaze from Alice back to Lin Ge.

“I hear you’re engaged to him?”

“……That’s correct, Your Majesty.” Alice clenched her teeth in frustration and nodded.

Huh?! Was that really the case?

After hearing their exchange, Lin Ge froze. He racked his memory, and it seemed… that was indeed the case… So the one who’d been yelling about cutting down her own son was his future wife?

This… was a little too bloody and violent, wasn’t it?

Domestic abuse?

Murdering her own husband?

Yikes. Terrifying.

Lin Ge’s mouth twitched, and he shuddered.

Just then, Alice raised her head, looking utterly righteous.

“But I won’t protect him. If Your Majesty is willing to trust me… I’ll take his life myself.”

As she spoke, Alice gripped her sword hilt tightly. Her bloodshot, leopard-like eyes stayed fixed on Lin Ge.

It was as if she could take Lin Ge’s life in the blink of an eye, without a moment’s hesitation.

Lin Ge was starting to panic. He still had no idea what either of them was planning. If the Empress really gave the order to execute him, he’d have no choice but to run for it.

There was no other way…

After all, the Emperor’s command could not be disobeyed.

Fortunately, he was just about used to this body now. Facing the vast army around him, he ought to be able to escape… probably…

“Good. You truly are a child of my Unified Sun-Moon Empire. That’s exactly the kind of impartiality I want to see.”

Their exchange seemed to have reached a conclusion, and for the first time, the Empress smiled with satisfaction.

“You honor me, Your Majesty. And what of him…?”

Thinking the Empress was about to order Lin Ge’s execution, Alice reached for her sword hilt once more and slowly drew it.

Seeing this, Lin Ge also prepared to make a break for it.

But the Empress only gave a teasing smile.

“I’m not a cruel person. He risked showing me disrespect to offer his advice. If I don’t show him some measure of approval, I’d hardly be a wise ruler.”

“You mean…”

“Didn’t he say the Empire’s problem was one man serving two women? Then let him put it to the test himself.”

“Huh?!”

“Huh?!”

Lin Ge froze.

Alice froze.

The nobles below all turned their eyes into little dots… and froze, too…

And so, amid all the commotion, Lin Ge—who had only just transmigrated and become an earl’s son—was sent off to the countryside, to the Grayshawa Territory, a barony plagued by wars with other races. There, by imperial decree, he became an honored husband to two women…