The Princess's Secret Indiscretions
Princess and servant. And the Inquisitor. Hah... hah... Rough breaths echoed through the dark room, illuminated only by a flickering lamp that cast stark light upon pale, exposed skin. Sweat beaded and trickled down flawless, smooth flesh as the man in servant's attire moved his hips above her, panting heavily.
"Your face is decent enough..." she thought, her expression blank as she received him. "But down there... it's rather lacking."
The blonde woman lay beneath him, her golden hair striking against the dim light, accepting his thrusts with detached indifference.
"H-Highness... I..."
"Hmm? Ah, you can pull out now."
Seeing the servant's face contort as if he were about to finish, she spoke calmly and took his modest length into her mouth the moment he withdrew. Though its size failed to satisfy her, it was a small reward for his efforts. With a soft push, he released.
"There. We're done. Good work."
She pulled away before he could finish inside her mouth, showing little concern as his seed splattered across her face. Such things happened during these encounters, after all.
"Now get dressed and leave."
As she wiped the white fluid from her face with a handkerchief, the servant—who had begun to stir again at the sight of her—nodded awkwardly and hurried to dress before departing.
Her appearance, glistening with fresh seed, would have aroused any man. Those droplet-shaped breasts, the pretty pink nipples, the pleasing curves—everything about her was beautiful.
"The recent harvests have been disappointing," she muttered with a frown, roughly covering her pale skin with a shirt. Even that careless motion carried a strange allure. She swept her golden hair back. How strange that so many handsome faces came paired with such inadequacy below.
"Well, if I keep looking, I'll find someone I like eventually."
She had grown more cautious since the last one was discovered and executed, but her nature was not so easily changed. Her escapades resumed soon enough. Recently, she had taken in roughly three servants—all of them fine in appearance alone, yet ultimately unsatisfying. Still, she remained unconcerned. A suitable man would appear if she continued searching.
"...You've brought another man in again?"
The door burst open, and a man with sharp eyes entered. His ornate attire and the golden orb symbolizing the kingdom's ruler left no doubt as to his identity. Eirelos Ross Bill York, King of York. The iron-blooded monarch who had established absolute royal authority in the once-aristocratic land of York.
"I warned you that problems like last time would be troublesome. Your future husband already pointed out the matter and caused us considerable embarrassment."
He fiddled with the orb as he scolded her. In truth, he was worried—worried that the Church would take serious issue with her indiscretions. Yet she remained unfazed.
"I was only engaged to that man. We aren't married yet."
Flash! Eirelos's eyes narrowed sharply at her words.
"Don't you understand that the Church will see this as a problem? Even an engagement—"
She covered her ears as the lecture continued.
"Ah, ah! Enough with the scolding! So what? Is an Inquisitor coming or something?"
Even if one did, she could handle it appropriately. Holy knights were troublesome, but an Inquisitor entering the royal palace itself was nearly impossible. Or so she thought.
"Yes. He is coming. To this very palace."
Eirelos spoke with certainty.
"...Eh?"
The princess was genuinely surprised. He hadn't stopped it? Truly? She stared at him, but from his position, refusal had been impossible. That Inquisitor was...
"Jenkinson Beckett. You heard what happened in the Yura Kingdom, didn't you?"
None other than the Holy Kingdom's fanatic—Jenkinson Beckett.
"...Ah."
Only then did the princess recall who the priest was. The militaristic powerhouse of the continent, the Yura Kingdom. The fanatic who had infiltrated the palace guarded by Yura's giant, dragged the king out personally, and burned him at the stake. Rumors claimed even the Emperor feared the priest's fanatical faith.
"Don't tell me you're scared? And yet you so easily permitted his entry into the palace."
She laughed as she pulled stockings over her smooth, alluring legs. Eirelos sighed at the sight.
"Then... are you suggesting we go to war?"
Blocking that man's entry would mean antagonizing the Holy Kingdom. Besides, stopping him seemed unlikely anyway. At his words, she smiled and asked,
"Is one man really that significant?"
Still failing to grasp the gravity of the situation, she remained nonchalant. Eirelos answered with a serious expression.
"He could be even more than that."
"..."
That much? Her eyes widened slightly, then interest flickered within them.
Interesting... She licked her lips lightly and smiled. Jenkinson Beckett... Just what kind of man was he? Her curiosity had begun to stir.
--
"This time, the informant is Prince Maxim of the Yura Kingdom. He is the younger brother of King Ein, the current ruler of Yura."
I cast a soundproofing spell around us and began explaining to Asa. The informant was Prince Maxim of Yura. The target was his fiancée, Princess Renama Ross York of the York Kingdom.
"...Even the king's brother is informing on someone."
Asa spoke with wonder, and I nodded.
"Of course. The Emperor has informed on people, and so has the Queen."
"Th-the Emperor too?"
Asa's eyes widened, but I had already heard both the Emperor's and the Queen's reports. Such matters almost always came to me, after all. My magic proved quite useful in these situations.
"It shows how powerful the Church has become. In any case, the report concerns the infidelity of his fiancée, who has a prior record."
"...But should we even consider a fiancée's actions as adultery? They aren't formally married yet."
Asa asked with a puzzled expression, and I felt a small surge of satisfaction. Had she finally reached the point where she could ask such questions? Remarkable growth.
"I'm pleased. There was actually quite a lengthy debate among doctrinal interpreters regarding this matter. The first intense conflict over doctrinal interpretation occurred a hundred years ago—the dispute between Bishop Gregory and Priest Zekarin."
Inquisitor Zekarin had declared the fiancée's indiscretion as adultery and ordered excommunication, sparking fierce debate among countless doctrinal interpreters within the Church.
"Bishop Gregory argued that an engagement was merely a promise to enter into the contract of marriage, lacking sufficient binding force to be considered a true contract. Therefore, he claimed that an engagement could not be viewed as adultery in the strict sense."
"I-I see."
Asa's face suggested the explanation was growing too long, but I paid it no mind. Knowing these things would prove useful regardless. If she intended to continue serving as clergy, there was no harm in understanding them.
"But Priest Zekarin countered that while an engagement was indeed a weaker form of contract than marriage, it was still fundamentally a promise—and promises must be considered equivalent to contracts."
"Hmm... That argument isn't wrong either."
I nodded at Asa's words. The priests of that era had apparently thought similarly.
"And so an incredibly long debate ensued. They scoured the scriptures, quoting passages to attack and slander one another."
The lengthy discussion divided the Church into two factions that hurled accusations at each other. In the end...
"A verdict was reached. Priest Zekarin, backed by doctrine, emerged victorious. After all, what the Goddess Yuno values most is the promise itself."
Whether engagement or marriage, breaking a contract with one's partner remained unchanged—punishment was deemed just. That was the conclusion. Ultimately, strict adherence to principle led to harsher standards.
"Of course, that doesn't mean we treat it exactly the same as marriage. Still, if this report proves true, the princess won't escape punishment."
I spoke lightly, and Asa nodded.
"I understand."
"So you should stay alert. Punishing the princess may become necessary. Depending on the situation... we might even have to confront the royal family."
Well, being royalty, they were unlikely to accept judgment easily. We might even have to fight the kingdom's soldiers.
Gulp.
Only then did Asa seem to grasp the seriousness, swallowing hard as tension gripped her. I smiled at the sight.
"So don't let your guard down. I won't be protecting you."
"...Yes!"
Well, that was what I'd said, but if it truly came to a fight, I would protect her. The remark had been meant only to keep her alert and focused.
Well... the investigation itself will be quick if they cooperate.
With my magic, the investigation would be simple as long as they cooperated. The real problem was whether they would cooperate at all. As I pondered this, I gazed out the train window. The capital of York had begun to come into view...
Edenbury.