I breathed a sigh of relief—so Claire was still thinking of me after all. But that reason? For an atheist like me, it was hardly a concern. I smiled easily and said, “So Claire was worried about this. To be honest, I don’t believe in any of that at all.”

I was relaxed, but Claire went from anxious to horrified. She disregarded all decorum and covered my mouth, nervously glancing around. Only after making sure there was no movement did she sob softly, “Your Majesty, today this servant risked her life to bathe with you, which is already a grave taboo. If you insist on having me serve you, I have no choice but to die. You must not offend the heavens just because of me. If it affects the fate of the Great Wu dynasty, I could never atone for my crime, even in death!”

What? The Great Wu dynasty? I was instantly stunned, unable to move. I had thought I’d returned to some ancient dynasty, and from the looks of it, it seemed like the Ming dynasty. But this Wu dynasty—I’d never heard of it before. Could it be that I missed that part in history class?

Immediately, I shook my head vigorously, dismissing the thought. If the Great Wu dynasty had really existed in history, there’s no way I wouldn’t know about it. Could it be that I’ve been transported to another world? Having read so many fantasy novels, my mind started to wander.

“Grace, from now on, you’ll be responsible for taking care of His Majesty.” Claire’s mournful voice pulled me back to reality. I turned to look at her, only to see that while I was lost in thought, she had already left the bath and was talking to Grace. But her tone and words—something was wrong. I quickly leapt up and rushed over.

“Your Majesty, this servant is leaving.” A look of resolve flashed in Claire’s beautiful eyes as she suddenly dashed toward a pillar.

“Claire, don’t!” I was still on the wooden steps, but seeing this, I gritted my teeth and dove forward, wrapping my arms tightly around her slender, naked waist.

In an instant, the two of us, both naked, tumbled to the ground together.

“Your Majesty!” Only then did Grace realize what was happening, and she let out a terrified scream.

The two eunuchs waiting outside immediately rushed in. When they saw us lying on the ground, they were about to shout, but I barked in a low voice, “Shut up. Get out.”

The two eunuchs were scared out of their wits, but how could they dare defy an imperial order? They could only bow their heads and retreat, trembling.

I sighed softly, picked up Claire, and held her in my arms, comforting her in a low voice, “Silly girl, if there’s something wrong, just tell me. Why would you try to take your own life? I promise you, if you don’t agree, I’ll never touch you for the rest of my life.”

“Wuwu…” Claire, having just brushed past death, was still terrified. She buried her head in my chest and sobbed softly, “Your Majesty, this servant… this servant is so scared right now.”

“There, there, Claire, don’t be afraid.” I patted her shoulder gently, as if soothing a little girl. “I won’t let you die.”

Though we were now naked and embracing, I didn’t feel the slightest bit of desire. My heart was filled only with endless pity. This silly girl, to keep me from angering the heavens, was willing to die to make her point.

I pulled a large bath towel from the rack and wrapped her up completely.

“Y-Your Majesty…” Claire looked up at me obediently, her eyes brimming with emotion. “After the Fengshan ceremony, Claire will let Your Majesty do as you wish.”

Her words nearly made me lose control again. I had just been secretly regretting my vow, but now that Claire had agreed herself, I was naturally overjoyed.

I scooped her up and walked toward the dragon bed. Grace hurried after us, holding a large bath towel.

“Your Majesty, what are you…?” Claire’s face was deathly pale.

“Be good, Claire, don’t worry. I keep my word—if I said I won’t touch you, I won’t.” I gently laid her on the dragon bed, then said to Grace, “Tonight, the three of us will sleep under the same blanket. I’ll play the gentleman for once.”

Claire, Grace, and I lay quietly together until dawn. Two beauties, one on each side, yet I couldn’t touch either of them. I didn’t even dare to sneak a little feel, afraid that if I lost control and forced myself on her, I’d really end up hurting Claire. Who would have thought this girl had such a strong will?

I slept straight through until noon. When I’d gone to bed, it was nearly dawn, so sleeping until noon was really only a few hours.

I wanted to keep sleeping, but the eunuchs kept reporting that Grand Tutor Zhao was waiting anxiously outside the palace gates. I had no choice but to drag myself up, still groggy, and realized I was starving.

With Claire and Grace serving me, I truly began my first day as emperor. Being emperor is great—even brushing my teeth and washing my face, I didn’t have to lift a finger. Only, the tool for brushing my teeth was a bit too alluring—it was actually Claire’s fragrant, delicate finger.

After drinking a bowl of aromatic millet porridge, I found it so delicious that I couldn’t help but have several more bowls. But just as I finished eating, the eunuch Little Drew from yesterday came to report that lunch was already prepared.

Imperial cuisine! Most people couldn’t dream of tasting it in eight lifetimes, but I’d already stuffed myself with millet porridge out of greed. I could only smile wryly.