If I had caught a mosquito, I would have felt less sorry...
My palm was clean.
The reason I had swung my hand at His Majesty the Emperor’s back had flown away along with the mosquito. There was only a bloody trace on my palm from picking berries, but no mosquito carcasses.
Linel looked at my face and palm alternately, wiggling one eyebrow.
His expression seemed to be asking, ‘There were no mosquitoes on my back in the first place, right?’ So I hurriedly made an excuse without realizing it.
“There really was this much of a mosquito on your back.”
Oh, why did I clench my fist?
“Our Empress exaggerated after catching a big boar.”
“...No, it wasn’t a fist. I think it was this much. It’s true.”
I changed my words while raising my pinky.
“You were so fast when you hunted, but you missed the mosquito?”
Linel grabbed my pinky and shook it, demanding.
“I guess you missed it because you can’t eat mosquitoes.”
I laughed bashfully at the quick response, but Linel shook his head.
“Haa, did you eat something weird? You’re talking nonsense. What on earth did you eat to make all your lips look like this? It’s like you ate raw meat.”
“It’s because I ate berries. Berries are said to be good for increasing stamina. Look at this. I picked it myself to give to Your Majesty.”
I quickly opened the cloth bag containing the berries.
“You ate the most, didn’t you? You stood out the most from afar.”
He put his hand inside the cloth bag and took out a few berries, putting them in his mouth.
“Isn’t it because I’m the prettiest?”
“It’s not heatstroke, so why do you keep talking nonsense?”
He scolded me again, placing his hand on my forehead.
“What would have happened if other people had seen you? I never imagined you’d be standing there peeking at men’s bodies.”
“I didn’t know men would be doing that either.”
“Was it a coincidence that you came to the valley?”
“Yes...”
In fact, ‘coincidence’ only applied to Melanie, and there were no coincidences for the rest of the strawberry expedition.
They all went to the valley voluntarily.
I repeat, at least I had a legitimate excuse to wash my hands.
“Other concubines are like that. Zelda, what are you lacking... what are you lacking that you were looking at other men’s bodies with your eyes wide open like that!”
“I... was comparing myself, thinking, ‘Other men are not as good as Linel, my husband’s shoulders, chest, and abs are the best!’”
I said, raising my two thumbs up and shaking them from his shoulders, chest, and finally his abs.
I was proud of myself for the excuse that came out of my mouth.
Linel, who was spewing out complaints, also stopped.
He narrowed his eyes at me, wondering whether to continue being angry at me or let it go.
“It’s frustrating. It’s a body that only I used to see, but now even my concubines know about it.”
I continued to flatter him, lightly touching his evenly toned abs with my hand.
His abs tightened as if tickled by my touch. The tense muscles revealed their presence more clearly.
Even though I saw him every night, seeing him in broad daylight, and outdoors at that, gave him a different kind of sexiness.
As my gaze continued to linger on his abs, he lifted my chin with his hand, telling me to focus on the conversation.
“Whew, are you going to keep making me worry like this from day one?”
I felt a sense of rebellion at his tone, which sounded like he was scolding a child.
“I... am stronger than Linel thinks.”
“Do you... think I’m worried because you’re weak?”
“Is that so?”
“I was already upset because the King was marrying the Princess of Aklatto Island, so this is a good thing. Our King will never forgive a traitor. No matter how much you bewitch him with that vixen face, it won’t work.”
“Really? Then let’s try it out.”
Roxana’s eyes, which had been terrified, suddenly changed.
It was all doom and gloom anyway.
The cave was not far from where I had been nagged.
The entrance to the cave was big enough for two adults to fit side by side.
Linel led me into the cave.
“It’s where I first discovered it when I went hunting in the Elanji Forest when I was young.”
He had already put on his shirt and was rolling up his sleeves.
“After that, whenever I went hunting here, I would sometimes go into that cave alone to rest.”
Contrary to my expectations that it would be dark, the cave was relatively bright.
The pure white limestone all the way to the floor made the clear stream water look even more transparent. In addition, light was streaming in from various places on the cave ceiling, illuminating the cave like lighting.
As I looked around, I heard his deep voice quietly.
“Take it off.”
“Really... is that okay?”
I asked him, already unbuttoning my uniform.
“No one will come in. Even if someone does, it’s the perfect place to kill anyone, so don’t worry.”
He hung his uniform jacket on a sharp stalactite and casually told me his murder plan.
“Does the Continental Hunting Competition allow human hunting?”
“Only humans who come in while I’m washing my wife...”
He stared blankly at me as I took off my shirt, then snickered at my question.
I looked around for where to put my shirt and jacket.
“Give them here.”
Linel took my clothes and hung them on top of where his uniform jacket was hanging.
It was so hot that I took it off for a while, but after taking it off, I felt embarrassed, so I made an X with both arms to cover my chest.
“Zelda, why are you so shy, as if you were taking your clothes off in front of a man you’ve just met?”
My palm was clean.
The reason I had swung my hand at His Majesty the Emperor’s back had flown away along with the mosquito. There was only a bloody trace on my palm from picking berries, but no mosquito carcasses.
Linel looked at my face and palm alternately, wiggling one eyebrow.
His expression seemed to be asking, ‘There were no mosquitoes on my back in the first place, right?’ So I hurriedly made an excuse without realizing it.
“There really was this much of a mosquito on your back.”
Oh, why did I clench my fist?
“Our Empress exaggerated after catching a big boar.”
“...No, it wasn’t a fist. I think it was this much. It’s true.”
I changed my words while raising my pinky.
“You were so fast when you hunted, but you missed the mosquito?”
Linel grabbed my pinky and shook it, demanding.
“I guess you missed it because you can’t eat mosquitoes.”
I laughed bashfully at the quick response, but Linel shook his head.
“Haa, did you eat something weird? You’re talking nonsense. What on earth did you eat to make all your lips look like this? It’s like you ate raw meat.”
“It’s because I ate berries. Berries are said to be good for increasing stamina. Look at this. I picked it myself to give to Your Majesty.”
I quickly opened the cloth bag containing the berries.
“You ate the most, didn’t you? You stood out the most from afar.”
He put his hand inside the cloth bag and took out a few berries, putting them in his mouth.
“Isn’t it because I’m the prettiest?”
“It’s not heatstroke, so why do you keep talking nonsense?”
He scolded me again, placing his hand on my forehead.
“What would have happened if other people had seen you? I never imagined you’d be standing there peeking at men’s bodies.”
“I didn’t know men would be doing that either.”
“Was it a coincidence that you came to the valley?”
“Yes...”
In fact, ‘coincidence’ only applied to Melanie, and there were no coincidences for the rest of the strawberry expedition.
They all went to the valley voluntarily.
I repeat, at least I had a legitimate excuse to wash my hands.
“Other concubines are like that. Zelda, what are you lacking... what are you lacking that you were looking at other men’s bodies with your eyes wide open like that!”
“I... was comparing myself, thinking, ‘Other men are not as good as Linel, my husband’s shoulders, chest, and abs are the best!’”
I said, raising my two thumbs up and shaking them from his shoulders, chest, and finally his abs.
I was proud of myself for the excuse that came out of my mouth.
Linel, who was spewing out complaints, also stopped.
He narrowed his eyes at me, wondering whether to continue being angry at me or let it go.
“It’s frustrating. It’s a body that only I used to see, but now even my concubines know about it.”
I continued to flatter him, lightly touching his evenly toned abs with my hand.
His abs tightened as if tickled by my touch. The tense muscles revealed their presence more clearly.
Even though I saw him every night, seeing him in broad daylight, and outdoors at that, gave him a different kind of sexiness.
As my gaze continued to linger on his abs, he lifted my chin with his hand, telling me to focus on the conversation.
“Whew, are you going to keep making me worry like this from day one?”
I felt a sense of rebellion at his tone, which sounded like he was scolding a child.
“I... am stronger than Linel thinks.”
“Do you... think I’m worried because you’re weak?”
“Is that so?”
“When it comes to getting hurt, strong people get hurt more. That’s why I told you not to act rashly even if something dangerous happens.”
“What if injustice happens? Do you avoid it then?”
“Avoid it. Pretend you didn’t see it.”
He firmly stated
“I’ll take care of it. My wife just needs to stay in a safe place and be quiet.”
“Am I a doll?”
“Dolls don’t talk back. They don’t even glare at me like that.”
I snickered at Linel’s overly serious reaction to my joke.
He cupped my face with both hands as if trying to gauge the mood, then cupped my cheeks with his hands and said,
“Please listen to me.”
I quickly replied, “Yes,” knowing how ridiculous my face must look right now. Even my voice sounded strained.
“But did Linel come to the valley to climb a tree?”
I asked, looking down at the clothes in his hands.
“I was just going to wash my face. I couldn’t because of the tourists with red lips.”
“Why did you take off your top while washing your face?”
“My body is cursed with hypothermia, but I sweat just like everyone else. I’m trying to cool off. It’s uncomfortable.”
It was ironic that I didn’t feel hot even though I was sweating because I was hot.
“But men must be really comfortable. They can at least do back massages comfortably. I want to do it too, but women can’t.”
“Want to?”
“Yes, as you know, I’m a fiery woman with a fire in my veins.”
I said, wiping the sweat running down my face.
My sweat was hotter than the others.
“Follow me.”
Linel suddenly grabbed my wrist as if he had a good idea and started walking somewhere.
“Where are you going?”
“There’s a cave before the valley. The water from the valley flows into the cave, so we can do it there.”
“What... are you doing?”
“You said you wanted to do back massages.”
“Huh?!”
After lunch, Hetor came to Roxana’s room again and suddenly ordered her to wash his feet.
Roxana had no choice but to kneel and wash Hetor’s feet.
It was humiliating.
It was something the servants had done for her. Roxana couldn’t believe that she was washing someone else’s feet.
“You’re so clumsy.”
She put aside her pride and did her best to wash the feet, but Hetor’s mouth cracked.
“...I’m sorry. This is my first time doing this.”
Roxana forced herself to speak softly and answered.
“In Tanya Island, the women massage their feet while washing them, but you... That’s enough. Now wash them.”
Hetor compared Roxana to the women of Tanya Island again.
“Those lowly barbarian women and I, a Princess, are the same?”
Roxana turned her head and held her lips together as she picked up the towel, but relaxed them again as she wiped Hetor’s feet.
“I’ll give you a servant from Tanya Island, so learn a lot.”
Hetor stood up from his chair and said,
“What... do you mean learn?”
“Things that entertain me.”
“...Yes, my lord.”
Roxana answered, holding back a laugh and lowering her head.
Hetor patted her delicate shoulder as if she had done well and left the bedroom.
About an hour after Hetor left the bedroom, her maid, Nancy, who had returned from her outing, came in.
“How did it go?”
Roxana took Nancy’s hand and led her to a corner, and asked quietly.
“She said it was made! But you have to hurry. You have to drink it within two hours or you won’t get pregnant. I’ve got a carriage waiting at the back gate of the castle.”
“Good. Do you know where my father and that guy are right now?”
“The Duke seems to be in his office, and the King is taking his men around to learn the layout of the castle.”
“Good. Let’s go now.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Roxana and Nancy left the bedroom and pretended to go for a walk, but they walked down the hallway and turned around, and headed toward the stairs leading to the spire building.
It was a place that even the servants usually didn’t go to.
There was a passageway connected to the spire in the middle of the stairs, and if you passed through that passageway, there was a staircase leading out through the back door.
The two of them put on the robes they had brought as they passed through the passageway connected to the spire.
When they reached the stairs leading out through the back door, Roxana relaxed and spoke to Nancy, who was following her down.
“If you drink that potion, you really won’t get pregnant even if you have sex during your fertile period, right?”
“Yes, miss. The witch said it’s true. And she said that even during your fertile period, you won’t get pregnant, so don’t worry too much.”
“No, that savage...”
She didn’t know how many times he had tormented her all night.
Roxana couldn’t bring herself to say the rest, so she sighed instead.
Nancy, who realized the meaning of her sigh, also became silent.
“If I just get my hands on the Incarnation Sword, that bastard’s vital parts will be...”
“Are you talking about our Great King?”
Roxana stopped as she was walking down the stairs at the voice that interrupted her words.
It wasn’t Nancy’s voice.
A chill ran down Roxana’s spine at the unfamiliar man’s voice from behind her.
She held her breath and turned around.
“Nancy!”
The man with bronze skin was holding Nancy’s neck with one arm and pointing the sword at her neck.
Roxana asked the man in a trembling voice.
“Who, who are you!”
“I serve King Hetor of Tanya Island. You...”
The man who appeared to be Tanya’s soldier pulled back Roxana’s robe with the tip of the sword that was pointed at Nancy’s neck.
“...Princess?”
“!”
What should I do?
Hetor’s soldier recognized her.
She was talking nonsense.
The man must have heard everything Roxana said to Nancy.
‘What did I say just now?’
She mentioned that she would take a drug to prevent pregnancy and that she would use the incarnation sword. She also mentioned that she would kill Hetor.
Roxana, who had told her three things that no one should hear, and the man who had heard all of them stared at each other.
At that moment, the voices of men began to be heard from the spire passage, and the voices were getting closer.
The word ‘King’ was faintly heard in the voices of two or three people.
Hetor had said that he would look around the castle, but it seemed that he was thoroughly searching even this remote place.
“What should I do, my lady?”
The soldier stopped, his surprised expression, and started taunting Roxana.
“What if injustice happens? Do you avoid it then?”
“Avoid it. Pretend you didn’t see it.”
He firmly stated
“I’ll take care of it. My wife just needs to stay in a safe place and be quiet.”
“Am I a doll?”
“Dolls don’t talk back. They don’t even glare at me like that.”
I snickered at Linel’s overly serious reaction to my joke.
He cupped my face with both hands as if trying to gauge the mood, then cupped my cheeks with his hands and said,
“Please listen to me.”
I quickly replied, “Yes,” knowing how ridiculous my face must look right now. Even my voice sounded strained.
“But did Linel come to the valley to climb a tree?”
I asked, looking down at the clothes in his hands.
“I was just going to wash my face. I couldn’t because of the tourists with red lips.”
“Why did you take off your top while washing your face?”
“My body is cursed with hypothermia, but I sweat just like everyone else. I’m trying to cool off. It’s uncomfortable.”
It was ironic that I didn’t feel hot even though I was sweating because I was hot.
“But men must be really comfortable. They can at least do back massages comfortably. I want to do it too, but women can’t.”
“Want to?”
“Yes, as you know, I’m a fiery woman with a fire in my veins.”
I said, wiping the sweat running down my face.
My sweat was hotter than the others.
“Follow me.”
Linel suddenly grabbed my wrist as if he had a good idea and started walking somewhere.
“Where are you going?”
“There’s a cave before the valley. The water from the valley flows into the cave, so we can do it there.”
“What... are you doing?”
“You said you wanted to do back massages.”
“Huh?!”
***
After lunch, Hetor came to Roxana’s room again and suddenly ordered her to wash his feet.
Roxana had no choice but to kneel and wash Hetor’s feet.
It was humiliating.
It was something the servants had done for her. Roxana couldn’t believe that she was washing someone else’s feet.
“You’re so clumsy.”
She put aside her pride and did her best to wash the feet, but Hetor’s mouth cracked.
“...I’m sorry. This is my first time doing this.”
Roxana forced herself to speak softly and answered.
“In Tanya Island, the women massage their feet while washing them, but you... That’s enough. Now wash them.”
Hetor compared Roxana to the women of Tanya Island again.
“Those lowly barbarian women and I, a Princess, are the same?”
Roxana turned her head and held her lips together as she picked up the towel, but relaxed them again as she wiped Hetor’s feet.
“I’ll give you a servant from Tanya Island, so learn a lot.”
Hetor stood up from his chair and said,
“What... do you mean learn?”
“Things that entertain me.”
“...Yes, my lord.”
Roxana answered, holding back a laugh and lowering her head.
Hetor patted her delicate shoulder as if she had done well and left the bedroom.
About an hour after Hetor left the bedroom, her maid, Nancy, who had returned from her outing, came in.
“How did it go?”
Roxana took Nancy’s hand and led her to a corner, and asked quietly.
“She said it was made! But you have to hurry. You have to drink it within two hours or you won’t get pregnant. I’ve got a carriage waiting at the back gate of the castle.”
“Good. Do you know where my father and that guy are right now?”
“The Duke seems to be in his office, and the King is taking his men around to learn the layout of the castle.”
“Good. Let’s go now.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Roxana and Nancy left the bedroom and pretended to go for a walk, but they walked down the hallway and turned around, and headed toward the stairs leading to the spire building.
It was a place that even the servants usually didn’t go to.
There was a passageway connected to the spire in the middle of the stairs, and if you passed through that passageway, there was a staircase leading out through the back door.
The two of them put on the robes they had brought as they passed through the passageway connected to the spire.
When they reached the stairs leading out through the back door, Roxana relaxed and spoke to Nancy, who was following her down.
“If you drink that potion, you really won’t get pregnant even if you have sex during your fertile period, right?”
“Yes, miss. The witch said it’s true. And she said that even during your fertile period, you won’t get pregnant, so don’t worry too much.”
“No, that savage...”
She didn’t know how many times he had tormented her all night.
Roxana couldn’t bring herself to say the rest, so she sighed instead.
Nancy, who realized the meaning of her sigh, also became silent.
“If I just get my hands on the Incarnation Sword, that bastard’s vital parts will be...”
“Are you talking about our Great King?”
Roxana stopped as she was walking down the stairs at the voice that interrupted her words.
It wasn’t Nancy’s voice.
A chill ran down Roxana’s spine at the unfamiliar man’s voice from behind her.
She held her breath and turned around.
“Nancy!”
The man with bronze skin was holding Nancy’s neck with one arm and pointing the sword at her neck.
Roxana asked the man in a trembling voice.
“Who, who are you!”
“I serve King Hetor of Tanya Island. You...”
The man who appeared to be Tanya’s soldier pulled back Roxana’s robe with the tip of the sword that was pointed at Nancy’s neck.
“...Princess?”
“!”
What should I do?
Hetor’s soldier recognized her.
She was talking nonsense.
The man must have heard everything Roxana said to Nancy.
‘What did I say just now?’
She mentioned that she would take a drug to prevent pregnancy and that she would use the incarnation sword. She also mentioned that she would kill Hetor.
Roxana, who had told her three things that no one should hear, and the man who had heard all of them stared at each other.
At that moment, the voices of men began to be heard from the spire passage, and the voices were getting closer.
The word ‘King’ was faintly heard in the voices of two or three people.
Hetor had said that he would look around the castle, but it seemed that he was thoroughly searching even this remote place.
“What should I do, my lady?”
The soldier stopped, his surprised expression, and started taunting Roxana.
“I was already upset because the King was marrying the Princess of Aklatto Island, so this is a good thing. Our King will never forgive a traitor. No matter how much you bewitch him with that vixen face, it won’t work.”
“Really? Then let’s try it out.”
Roxana’s eyes, which had been terrified, suddenly changed.
It was all doom and gloom anyway.
***
The cave was not far from where I had been nagged.
The entrance to the cave was big enough for two adults to fit side by side.
Linel led me into the cave.
“It’s where I first discovered it when I went hunting in the Elanji Forest when I was young.”
He had already put on his shirt and was rolling up his sleeves.
“After that, whenever I went hunting here, I would sometimes go into that cave alone to rest.”
Contrary to my expectations that it would be dark, the cave was relatively bright.
The pure white limestone all the way to the floor made the clear stream water look even more transparent. In addition, light was streaming in from various places on the cave ceiling, illuminating the cave like lighting.
As I looked around, I heard his deep voice quietly.
“Take it off.”
“Really... is that okay?”
I asked him, already unbuttoning my uniform.
“No one will come in. Even if someone does, it’s the perfect place to kill anyone, so don’t worry.”
He hung his uniform jacket on a sharp stalactite and casually told me his murder plan.
“Does the Continental Hunting Competition allow human hunting?”
“Only humans who come in while I’m washing my wife...”
He stared blankly at me as I took off my shirt, then snickered at my question.
I looked around for where to put my shirt and jacket.
“Give them here.”
Linel took my clothes and hung them on top of where his uniform jacket was hanging.
It was so hot that I took it off for a while, but after taking it off, I felt embarrassed, so I made an X with both arms to cover my chest.
“Zelda, why are you so shy, as if you were taking your clothes off in front of a man you’ve just met?”
Linel, who said that, was just as shy in the way he treated his gaze as if he were witnessing a woman he’d met for the first time taking her clothes off.
“You’re in a cave with your upper body exposed... You look like a savage.”
“Don’t you look a little too dressed up underneath?”
Linel said, bending down and dipping his hands in the stream water first.
“How is it? Is it cool?”
“Oh, it’s like ice water to me.”
Linel said, bending down and dipping his hands in the stream water first.
“How is it? Is it cool?”
“Oh, it’s like ice water to me.”
He got up and said to me solemnly.
“Get down.”
“Get down.”
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