Jax was connecting dots rapidly while standing perfectly still, acting as a stationed guard who had been hearing their entire conversation. He now knew the man ahead of him was Emperor Oberon.

This empire had two emperors who were the greatest of friends. The perfect example of friendship across the entire world. Two bodies, one soul.

And the woman, Isadora, was supposed to marry Emperor Damian.

Jax had the biggest grin that had ever appeared on his face in either world.

He activated his body-swap skill and entered the body of Emperor Oberon. The moment the transfer completed, he saw Isadora inside the room preparing tea with her back turned. His original body didn’t collapse this time. It was still standing, but panic was visible on it.

Jax walked toward his own body, using Oberon’s deep voice, and said with imperial authority. "Who are you?"

His body responded with a nervousness that was way too familiar. "I don’t know how I am in control of this body, but I swear I mean no harm to you, Your Majesty! But that can’t be said about the owner of this body! He is definitely plotting something against you! If you just let me go, I swear on the Empire I will track down the owner of this body and personally drag him back here by the throat!"

Jax paused. "Echidna?"

She froze. "Your Highness, how do you know my name?"

Jax sighed through the emperor’s mouth. "You fool, it’s me. Jax. This is one of my powers. And only now have I realized its side effect, if two souls reside in the same body, The other hijacks the main body."

She went quiet for exactly one second. "Oh god, you scared me! Also I was completely joking about the dragging by the throat part so please don’t take it to heart! But what is it that you want from me?"

Jax gestured toward the group of guards walking away down the corridor. The ones who had been told to deliver a message to Damian. "Follow them. Find Emperor Damian. And tell him that his best friend is banging his bride."

Echidna’s voice came out in pure shock. "WHAT?! Don’t tell me you are actually going to—"

Jax said with a calm that made it worse. "Don’t worry. These two friends are fated to be separated anyway. I am just making sure it happens with a little touch of mine."

She whispered in a petrified voice. "You monster."

Jax pushed his own body forward with the emperor’s hands. "Now go. Don’t waste my time. I have a lot to do."

After Echidna stumbled away in Jax’s body looking like a man who had just been told he was going to start a world war, Jax was alone with Isadora.

He sat on the bed. Picked up the cup of tea she had poured. And sipped it like a man who had all the time in the world while going through wicked ideas in his head.

He spoke using Oberon’s voice with the casual warmth of a man talking to family. "You know, Isadora, I have to admit... I was genuinely shocked when I heard Damian was finally settling down with someone. Honestly, with the way that man constantly clings to my side, I was starting to get genuinely worried he was just going to give up on women entirely and propose to me one day."

Isadora giggled with her hand politely covering her mouth. "Lord Damian truly does care for you deeply. I still remember the day he came to our Viscounty to formally propose. He actually spent more time talking about you than he did about himself."

Jax nodded with a sigh that carried years of pretend exhaustion. "Oh, he has been like that from the very beginning. The man might be an absolute glacier to the rest of the world, but he is a total softie when it comes to me. I still remember the time I fell ill from mana exhaustion. Damian completely abandoned his imperial duties to stay by my bed for an entire week. He even hand-fed me soup and fell asleep holding my hand every single night."

Isadora smiled with genuine warmth. "That... I can certainly believe. The bond between the two of you is completely unprecedented. It is something I deeply respect."

Jax thought internally. ’Just you wait how I change that respect to horror.’

Isadora continued with a slightly vulnerable tone. "Still, I must admit, I am incredibly jealous of you. No matter how hard I try to win his affections, I don’t think I could ever push you out of the number one spot on his list of favorite people."

Jax laughed with Oberon’s rich baritone. "Haha! Not in this lifetime, our queen."

Isadora leaned forward with curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Could you tell me a little more about him? I mean, apart from his public image as a tough and cold ruler. I am certain you have countless stories that could help me melt that icy exterior of his."

Jax set down his cup with the careful grace of a man who was about to commit a war crime with words alone. "Oh, I have an absolute treasury of them. Where should I even begin?"

He snapped his fingers. "Ah, I know the perfect one. If he ever tries to act overly harsh or intimidating with you, just bring this up. It will embarrass him so badly he won’t know where to look."

Isadora’s eyes gleamed as if she was about to be handed the secret weapon to her entire marriage.

Jax leaned back and started his completely fabricated story with the delivery of a man recalling a dear memory. "Well, it was back when the two of us were enjoying ourselves in a hot spring after annihilating an evil clan together."

He shook his head with a fond smile. "Damian was really getting on my nerves. Kept teasing me about my swordsmanship. So I charged at him underwater and grabbed one of his nipples. Pinched it as hard as I could. Well, don’t look at me like that, we were fifteen at the time."

Isadora nodded along with an amused smile.

"So when I pinched it, within seconds something leaked from it. Like milk. I was absolutely shocked at what had become of my dear friend. And when I came above the water and looked at Damian’s face..."

Jax paused for maximum effect.

"He was enjoying it. He looked completely satisfied. That’s when I realized what I had been holding wasn’t his nipple at all. It was something else entirely that happened to feel like one."

He let the silence do the math. "And the milk? It wasn’t actually milk."

Isadora’s smile didn’t just fade. It disintegrated. Her jolly face collapsed into absolute horror with her jaw dropping open.

But Jax didn’t stop. He shifted his expression to a deeply concerned and sorrowful one. As if the memory pained him.

"Lady Isadora, I know Damian has his flaws. But I promise you, he is a truly wonderful man. If you could just bring yourself to compromise on certain... aspects of the marriage, I am convinced he will cherish you for the rest of your life."

Her voice came out broken and barely functional. "Compromise... what?"

Jax placed a sympathetic hand on his chest. "Well... his performance in the bedchamber. Or perhaps any grand romantic dreams you may or may not have had for your future together."

He added with a somber nod. "Also, I am afraid giving you an heir and making you a mother will be nearly impossible for my dear friend. Given his... unfortunate physical state."

He reached across and gently held her hand with a sincerity that would make saints weep. "But I assure you, apart from all of that, he will provide you with a life of absolute luxury! So please, as his closest and most trusted friend, I beg of you... don’t ever leave him."