Summoning the Subordinates
"Haaah...♥ Haaah...♥"
A considerable stretch of time had passed. Only after they'd used up every last one of the ten condoms prepared in the drawer did Lucy finally collapse from exhaustion and fall asleep.
The room hung thick with the musk of a spent female and the pungent, chestnut-blossom scent of semen. I sat on the edge of the king-size bed, which was thoroughly soiled with crimson virgin blood and translucent juices.
My cock's still throbbing...
I swept my sweat-soaked hair back from my forehead. For as long as I'd held the reins, Lucy had been obediently whimpering beneath me, her ample breasts swaying with every thrust. But the moment I so much as tried to rest during our coupling, she would weakly worm her way into my arms and try to mount me all over again, refusing to leave me alone for even a second. Thanks to that, I'd spent the entire night pounding away, and my whole body was wrung out with fatigue.
Hah... ten rounds. Keep this up and I won't have a cock left.
No — I'd come in her mouth along the way as well, so technically it was eleven. Regardless, the thought that I could finally catch my breath left my body pleasantly languid. I'd given her the antidote and worked the arousal out of her system, so by the time she woke, her condition ought to be considerably improved.
I glanced at Lucy, sprawled beside me. Her ass was swollen a vivid red from how thoroughly I'd spanked it, and her neck was covered in kiss marks. Between her thighs, foam from her own juices clung in sticky patches.
"....."
The sight was so thoroughly that of a conquered woman that blood surged to my groin again before I could stop it.
Does this damn cock never get tired?
Sturdy body, I'll give it that. I let out a heavy sigh and rose from the bed.
"Nnhhh...♥"
"Excuse me a moment."
Lucy showed no sign of waking, sunk as she was in deep sleep, so I took a damp towel and wiped her down thoroughly, every last inch. It was rather tedious work for someone of a Grand Duke's station, but there wasn't a single maid in Lüdenburger's brothel I could trust to tend to Lucy, so I had no choice.
Well... all's well that ends well. I decided to look on the bright side. Lucy had such a delicious body that wiping her down was its own kind of pleasure — feeling a beautiful woman's soft flesh and body heat never got old. Though it was a little hard to restrain myself when my cock kept twitching, insisting it wanted to bury itself in her holes again.
Eventually, I managed to get her dressed. I washed up roughly, changed clothes, then scooped Lucy into my arms and headed downstairs.
"Lüdenburger."
"Yes, Lord Behirith."
"We're returning to the mansion. Contact Milinarise and have her send a female priest skilled in healing magic."
I spoke while glancing down at Lucy as she breathed softly in my arms, her face peaceful. Lüdenburger fell into step behind me and asked carefully:
"What should we do with the rest of the Second Prince's dogs we've captured?"
"No need to leave seeds of unrest. Kill them all."
"Understood."
Lüdenburger bowed deeply at my uncompromising order. There was no reason to hesitate in wiping out the Second Prince's faction that had taken root in Orbit. It would make finding documents related to him a bit more of a hassle, but with my knowledge of the original story, a proper investigation shouldn't be a problem.
Albireo...
Just thinking of the Second Prince made my grip tighten of its own accord. This incident had driven the lesson home. From now on, I needed to be even more thorough. It was only because I'd been there and been able to get the antidote quickly that things hadn't gone worse — Lucy had come dangerously close to real harm.
The First Prince, that warmonger, also needed to be dealt with for the sake of the continent's peace. But this fucking bastard Albireo in particular needed to be eliminated as soon as possible. We were thoroughly entangled now, so a clash was inevitable before long. Which meant I would strike first, before Albireo could get a read on me.
In the unceasing flow of events — if a collision couldn't be avoided, I'd rather go out and smash it myself than stand still and take it. That was just how I was built.
"...."
I lowered my gaze and looked quietly at Lucy's face as she slept soundly in my arms. Perhaps it was the warmth of her body against mine. Or perhaps it was knowing I had capable subordinates I could count on. Even knowing the fight with Albireo wouldn't be easy, I wasn't particularly afraid.
Having carved that resolve into my heart like a blade, I set off for the mansion.
"Welcome home, Your Grace."
"Vanessa. You've been waiting, I take it."
"As one sworn to Your Grace, it is only natural."
Upon arriving at the mansion, a mature beauty who looked to be in her early thirties came out to the entrance to receive me, bowing at the waist. Vanessa, the head maid who managed the Divelion mansion in the capital. Together with Alfred, who handled affairs in the northern territory, she was a reliable talent who helped keep the family's business in order.
I carefully pried Lucy's arms from around my neck — even in her sleep, she hadn't wanted to let go — and handed her over. Vanessa's nose twitched.
"...She was hit with an aphrodisiac, I take it."
"That's right. I gave her the antidote immediately after she inhaled the smoke and looked after her, but she'll need a priest's treatment for a few days yet."
"I've already received word that a female priest will be arriving shortly."
"Examine Lucy's condition together with her. And when Lucy wakes, inform me."
"Yes, Your Grace. Understood."
Vanessa answered without so much as a change in expression, even though Lucy's body was thick with the smell of semen. Hmm... getting caught having spent the entire day having sex left me with a peculiar feeling.
Then, as if something had just occurred to her, Vanessa spoke up.
"Ah — while you were out, Lady Liliana came looking for Your Grace."
"Liliana did?"
I'd been turning to head to my room, but the name catching in my ear brought me to a halt.
What could Liliana want?
A beautiful elf maiden staying at the mansion to repay me for rescuing her from the slave hunters. She'd gone so far as to abandon her Academy classes to remain here, so I'd been meaning to look in on her anyway...
But right now I just want to rest.
Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to collapse onto a bed. I shifted my gaze to the window, where night had settled dark and heavy over the sprawling garden. I'd gone to Orbit last night, which meant I'd spent a full day coupling with Lucy. Even a body as resilient as mine needed proper rest.
"I'm going to sleep first. Tell Liliana we'll have breakfast together in the morning."
"Understood."
Vanessa withdrew, Lucy still in her arms. I went to the family head's bedchamber and dropped face-first onto the bed.
I stripped off my outer clothes, lay down in something light, and let out a long, weary breath. Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since I'd slept in the mansion's own bed. After going outside the capital to rescue Liliana, I'd rested in the office upon my return — and from there, Lucy and I had gone straight to Orbit.
Home really is the best.
Warm. Soft. In every possible way, it was wonderful. Lying on the plush mattress, drowsiness found me almost at once. I stared blankly at a ceiling that had, at some point, become familiar — then closed my eyes and let sleep take me.
The next day, I headed to the mansion's dining hall for breakfast. I was just about to take the seat at the head of a table that was unnecessarily long when the door opened and Liliana came in.
"Ah, I'm sorry. Am I late?"
"Not at all. Sit wherever you like."
"Okay."
Liliana came walking lightly toward me, a gentle smile on her face. Had I grown fond of her in such a short time? We'd only been apart for a single day, and yet seeing her again sent a rush of unexpected gladness through me. With every step, her pale green twin-tails swayed. She was wearing a pure white silk negligee that brought out her demure charm to full effect — it suited her so well that looking at her was a pleasure in itself.
Hm?
Through the thin, nearly translucent white fabric, the silhouette of a slender waist and wide hips was faintly visible. What was this? Was Liliana the type to wear something so daring? I hadn't seen anything like it when we'd stayed at that inn outside the capital...
Well. It certainly whetted my appetite.
While I was still appreciating her attire, Liliana took the seat directly beside the head of the table, and her eyebrows twitched.
"Oh. There's a smell I haven't encountered before. It's a little... fishy, I think?"
"...Is there?"
"Yes. Could it be from this morning's breakfast, perhaps?"
"Hmm... I wouldn't know."
If she meant the smell of my semen, Lucy had eaten her fill of it last night. I pictured Lucy's face — still fast asleep, having collapsed from exhaustion after our marathon — and stuffed a bread roll into my mouth, pretending nothing was amiss. There was no particular need to volunteer what Lucy and I had done.
We fell into ordinary conversation after that, until Liliana gave a light clap of her hands.
"Ah, that reminds me — I received a letter from my family this morning. They said they'll be sending a token of thanks soon, for the help you gave us, Lord Behirith."
"A token of thanks... If it helps us build a friendly relationship with the autonomous territory going forward, that's more than enough."
"Even so, it's a gesture from our hearts, so please don't refuse it. We could never thank you enough for driving off those slave hunters in the forest."
Liliana leaned toward me, a blush coloring her cheeks. I looked at her and let the corner of my mouth curl up.
"That's why you told me your Soul Name, isn't it."
"That's right. Though it's in the spirit tongue, so it's hard to pronounce."
"Erfried... Iris... hah. That's a tough one."
"Wow. That's actually pretty close! How did you pronounce it?"
"It's nothing special. You just... do it."
I rolled the name around on my tongue once more, and Liliana clapped her hands in delighted amazement. I found I rather liked the sight. Sunlight spilled through the window and fell across the table, and Liliana and I sat facing each other, savoring this brilliant morning.
When I thought about it, not a single thing surrounding me was something I could take for granted. The soft breathing of Lucy, sunk in deep sleep. Liliana's smile, so clear it was almost transparent. A plush bed I could rest in without a care. A warm breakfast laid out to fill my stomach.
Yes. I wanted to protect this peace, this warmth, this everyday life. And a man like that couldn't afford to rest.
After spending a peaceful morning exchanging idle conversation with Liliana, I summoned Head Maid Vanessa to my office and made my declaration.