"God! Just kill me now!" Ceres groaned dramatically, sucking in another deep breath as Delphine struggled to tighten the corset of her ridiculously extravagant gown.
This was supposed to be her private farewell to the late Emperor, but at this rate, she'd die from suffocation before she could even step outside.
The gown itself was far more excessive than anything Marie Antoinette had ever owned, layers upon layers of heavy fabric, intricate embroidery, and a corset so tight she was certain it was designed for torture rather than fashion.
If the goal was to shape her body, it was failing spectacularly, the only shape she had right now was round.
For the past two weeks, she had been wearing nothing but undergarment dresses, soft, flowy gowns that were either worn under main gowns or used as nightwear. They were the only clothes in her closet that didn't feel like they were actively trying to kill her.
"Just a little more, Your Highness," Delphine reassured her.
Ceres's golden eyes darkened.
"Just a little more and I'll actually die," she hissed, still gasping. "And guess what? I CAN'T EVEN DIE!"
At that, Delphine froze, clearly unsure of how to respond.
Ceres turned around sharply, forcing herself to breathe.
It was at that moment that she noticed something odd.
Delphine's Status Window was gone.
Same with Legion's.
It seemed like she could only see it once per person, or at least, that was her current theory.
Not that it mattered right now.
She turned her sharp gaze back to Delphine. "I assume you know how to sew?"
Delphine hesitated. "A little, Your Highness. But I do not know how to make gowns like this." She gestured toward the monstrosity Ceres was wearing.
Ceres sighed in relief. "And I thank you for that."
Without waiting for a response, she turned around sharply.
"Take this off."
Delphine obeyed immediately, helping Ceres free herself from the nightmare of a gown.
As soon as it dropped to the floor, Ceres exhaled deeply, now dressed only in her thin undergarment gown.
Finally.
She could breathe again.
Though, there was one major issue.
No panties.
For two weeks, she had been walking around without underwear.
Because underwear didn't exist in this world.
She didn't mind the lack of a bra, she never wore one in her past life anyway.
But panties?
Not a single person in this world had thought of inventing them?!
Thank the universe she bathed every day.
And according to Ori, because she was blessed by the universe, her body naturally emitted a scent of almond and vanilla.
At least she didn't have to worry about smelling bad.
Imagine walking around commando and having no way to fix it. The horror.
"Remove all this shit," she ordered, waving dismissively at the discarded gown.
She listed all the parts that were making the dress heavy and suffocating, which was basically every layer except the first one.
"Your Highness, that would mean only the first layer would remain," Delphine said, clearly distressed. "It will not look… proper."
"I don't care," Ceres snapped. "I refuse to wear something that feels like a death trap. Is this a dress or a torture device?"
Delphine still looked hesitant, but she obeyed nonetheless.
As Ceres sighed in relief, a thought struck her.
'Ori, can I use my Creation Magic to make panties?'
Ori responded instantly.
'Yes, Your Highness. But if you have no materials to work with, it will consume 5 of your Life Force. If you use available fabric, it will only consume 1.'
Ceres narrowed her eyes. 'If I create it, can I show it to Delphine so she can recreate it? Or will it disappear?'
'Since it is a tangible object, it is permanent. You can show it to her as if it were an ordinary item made in Solmara. The Life Force cost will only apply when you first create it. You can create any physical object from Earth this way.'
Her golden eyes gleamed.
That was useful information.
'So give me an example of using my abilities that consume my Life Force constantly versus those that only take it once.'
Ori immediately explained.
'For your Silver Tongue ability, if you command someone to kneel with the intent behind the word, they will immediately kneel. This will cost only 5 once. However, if you wish to make them stay kneeling for an extended period, it will begin to drain your Life Force. The longer you sustain the command, the more Life Force you lose. If you command multiple people at once, the cost increases.'
Ceres grinned. 'Would their level affect my command?'
'No, Your Highness. Your Silver Tongue commands anything and everything, even the weather. The initial cost is 5, but maintaining a large-scale command will cost an additional 1 every ten minutes.'
Her smirk widened.
That was overpowered as hell.
'What about Creation Magic?'
'Creation Magic consumes only 1 if you have all the materials needed to create an item, and 5 if you create it from nothing. It is permanent unless physically destroyed. In addition to objects, you can also create plants from Earth that do not exist in Solmara. Most importantly, you can create Rune Spells.'
Ceres tilted her head. 'Rune Spells?'
'They are spells that do not require enchantment. You simply need to remember the runes or symbols, say the magic word and the spell will activate. Others can also use it if you allow them. If someone else uses it, they only need to infuse mana into the rune and say the word. It will not drain your Life Force. However, the cost to create a Rune Spell depends on its power.'
'For example, the Dream Spell you want to use: If the person is within Solmara, it would consume only 10 of your Life Force. But if they are from another world, like your family and Zeus, it would cost 500 HP.'
Ceres exhaled sharply.
This was a lot of information to process.
But it was useful.
Very, very useful.
Ceres glanced at Delphine, who had already started ripping apart the extravagant gown according to her orders.
Satisfied, she let out a breath and moved toward the sofa by the window, sinking into the plush cushions.
Her body still felt heavy, her limbs sluggish from the excess weight she carried, but at least she could breathe now.
'Ori, what about the Monarch's Blessing?'
'The Monarch's Blessing is a bit tricky, Your Highness, as it will vary depending on how it is used.'
Ceres frowned. 'What do you mean?'
'There are certain actions you can take that will activate the blessing without consuming your Life Force, while others will require it.'
'The Monarch's Blessing is essentially a shortcut for the receiver to level up. For example, when you sleep with someone, the blessing is triggered automatically. It doesn't matter whether they are compatible with you for Life Force replenishment or not. The act itself is considered an act of service, which is what activates the blessing.'
Ceres rubbed her temples, already sensing where this was going.
'If the person you sleep with is compatible, like Legion, then your Life Force will not be depleted. Instead, he will restore your Life Force while receiving the blessing. While he is inside you, his level-up will depend on how long you remain connected and… how satisfied you are.'
Ceres stiffened.
'By default, the Monarch's Blessing will increase their HP and MP by 10 points.'
Ceres ignored the implications and focused on the numbers. That was… actually a huge boost, considering that every time MP and HP max out, the Level will also increase by one level.
'However, if you sleep with someone who is not compatible and cannot refill your Life Force, your blessing will consume your Life Force instead. By default, it will drain 0.5 of your Life Force every ten minutes.'
That… was also manageable.
'Other acts of service can also trigger your Monarch's Blessing, like when you prepare tea for someone or personally serve them food. Even seemingly trivial actions will still activate the blessing.'
Ceres blinked in disbelief. 'Tea? Seriously?'
'Yes, Your Highness. If you personally brew a cup of tea and someone drinks it, they will instantly recover 10 HP and MP.'
Ceres's fingers tapped against her armrest, her mind racing.
This was far more powerful than she expected.
'And what about the Life Force cost?'
'Unlike sleeping with someone, small acts of service like preparing food will only consume 0.5 of your Life Force once, at the moment of the action.'
Ceres exhaled sharply, processing the information.
That was honestly overpowered.
She could essentially heal and strengthen people with the simplest actions.
And… that wasn't all, was it?
'Also,' Ori continued, 'Your Monarch's Blessing can be combined with Creation Magic. This allows you to bestow skills and abilities onto others, just like Celestial Beings bless mortals.'
Ceres froze.
'Wait… what? I can do that?!'
'Yes, Your Highness. If you recall, Delphine has a weak healing ability. You could actually bless her with an entirely new skill, and it doesn't even have to align with her Magical Affinity.'
Her eyes widened.
'You mean I could give her… let's say, the ability to fly? Or control water, even though her affinity is Light?'
'Precisely.'
Ceres leaned forward, her heartbeat picking up speed.
'How do I do that?'
'First, you need to create the skill or ability using your Creation Magic. Once it is formed, you can transfer it to someone by touching them and focusing your intent, just like when Archangel Azrael transferred me to you.'
So that was how it worked.
It wasn't just bestowing blessings, it was transferring knowledge and power directly into someone's body.
She swallowed, already imagining the possibilities.
'And how much Life Force would that cost?'
'For a basic skill, 5 for Creation Magic and 0.5 for the Monarch's Blessing, a one-time cost.'
Ceres almost choked.
'Wait, only 5.5 for an entirely new skill?!'
'Yes, Your Highness. That's why I told you it's tricky.'
'Think of the Monarch's Blessing like giving someone a book. You pay a fixed price for the book. However, it's up to the person you give it to how much they learn from it, how they use it, and whether they improve upon it.'
Ceres grinned, a slow, wicked smirk stretching across her lips.
At first, she thought the Monarch's Blessing was useless, she had no intention of serving anyone.
Back on Earth, she was the one being served.
But…
If she could handpick people and bless them with power, didn't that mean she could…
Create her own army?
'Ori.'
'Yes, Your Highness?'
'If I bless someone with a skill, will I have control over them?''
'Naturally, you do not. Bestowing a skill does not mean they will be loyal to you. However, if you place a condition on the skill, such as: "This skill will only work as long as you serve me," then yes, it is possible.'
Ceres's eyes gleamed dangerously.
'But…' Ori warned, 'Depending on the condition you place, some will require a constant drain on your Life Force, while others will not.'
'How will I know which ones will drain my HP?'
'If a command, spell, or blessing requires a constant HP drain, you will receive a prompt asking if you wish to proceed. If your Life Force drops below 30, you will receive another warning to cancel it.'
Ceres leaned back, exhaling sharply.
Her mind was spinning.
She could bless others.
She could create skills.
She could set conditions.
This wasn't just powerful, it was godlike.
She could turn weaklings into warriors.
She could strengthen her own allies.
She could form an elite force loyal only to her.
Ceres grinned, her golden eyes gleaming with dangerous delight.
Lucifer…
You really should have killed me instead.
Because now…
I'm going to take over your kingdom before I even get there.