Chapter 181
Chapter 181
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Empire's Greatest Sword Selection Tournament (4)
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“Argh, you dropped the watermelon I brought all this way. What am I gonna do with you, Veil?”
Lea leaned her fresh, melon-like face against my arm.
Her golden hair, soaked up with sunlight, sparkled brightly.
“Ah…. I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to be in the pool….”
I hurriedly turned my head away.
The princess then spoke in a relaxed tone, as if there was nothing wrong with our closeness.
“What’s there to be shy about? We’ve already seen everything there is to see of each other.”
“Not in broad daylight like this.”
I lowered my gaze, which had nowhere else to go, to the watermelon.
It had cracked open on the chair.
“For now, please put some clothes on. I came because I have something to discuss.”
I took a deep breath and picked up the white robe.
The moment I turned to hand it to her—
“What is it?”
There she was, emerging from the pool.
Her sensual figure, dripping with water, came into view.
“Well….”
I just wanted to keep it strictly business.
But the water droplets tracing her voluptuous curves.
The way they slid from her navel to her black underwear—it was far too striking.
“I have one favor to ask.”
It was enough to make even me, who’d spent a lifetime suffering on the front lines, feel my heart race.
“You, asking me for a favor…?”
Lea crossed her arms by herself.
Her beautiful body turned her plump forearms into a support for her bra.
“That’s unexpected. You, coming to me with a request.”
The Empire’s First Imperial Princess took the robe I offered.
“If even you, who’s been avoiding me, is asking, it must be something big, right?”
She tossed out a mischievous question.
At the same time, she didn’t wrap the robe tightly around herself but left it loosely draped as she faced me.
Thanks to that, her soft skin was still fully visible.
“Yes, it’s no easy matter.”
I forced myself to focus on the point.
“Since I’ve been appointed as an instructor for the Empire’s Greatest Sword selection evaluation.”
“Instructor…? Who are you teaching?”
Lea brushed back her wet bangs.
Her half-lidded blue eyes sparkled like the sea.
“I plan to take on one representative knight from each princess. The current vice-captains.”
The Empire’s First Imperial Princess stared straight into my black eyes.
Her gaze was full of curiosity about what scheme I was cooking up this time.
“Why suddenly take on something like this?”
Lea smirked.
She took a sip from the water glass on the table and asked.
“Ambition for honor has awakened in me.”
Ambition for honor.
The princess paused mid-sip at my words.
“Honor…? You, who never showed even a shred of interest in such things?”
As expected, she was quick on the uptake.
She instantly grasped my intentions.
“Hmm—. So you’ve finally decided?”
Lea placed a finger on my collar.
Her damp droplets lightly wet my chest.
“To earn my father’s recognition.”
“…”
The princess drew closer to my silent self.
So close I could see the fine hairs on her face.
“You don’t need to go to such lengths.”
Lea whispered in a soft voice.
“If you stay in my arms, I can easily brush off His Majesty’s objections.”
“…!!”
Her seductive whisper made me squeeze my eyes shut.
Like a saint in meditation, I stepped back.
“It’ll avoid any controversy if I earn it through my own strength.”
The princess smirked at my words.
She didn’t seem to hate my stubborn refusal to owe anyone.
“Well, fine. I’ve always liked that side of you anyway.”
Lea shrugged her shoulders and graciously backed off.
“You’re still just like me in that way.”
She then tied her robe securely, hiding her sensual figure.
“Now then, tell me. What’s this proposal you want to make?”
Only after her figure was covered could I finally speak.
“Yes. I’d like to invite Damian, your advisor who serves you, as a tactical instructor.”
“Damian?”
Lea tilted her head at the request to borrow her trusted subordinate.
“Yes. Considering his character that I’ve observed so far and his reputation, no one analyzes opponents better.”
The Empire’s Chief of Operations narrowed her eyes.
“But Damian is already incredibly busy. Adding training for three knights on top would be too much.”
“Once or twice a week would suffice. If it’s a request from you, Your Highness, surely he can spare some weekend time?”
I stood my ground and made my request confidently.
Lea placed a hand on her chin.
She pondered for a moment, then flashed a mature smile.
“Well, Damian might be difficult. Instead….”
Was it because of the parasol?
Even in the shadowed darkness, her sea-like eyes gleamed.
“I’ll take on that instructor role myself.”
The Empire’s Chief of Operations and First Imperial Princess offering to be the instructor herself.
My jaw dropped at her words.
“Yes…? You’ll do it personally, Your Highness?”
“Yeah. All the information and knowledge Damian has, I know it too.”
Lea picked up the swimming manual on the table.
One name on the cover caught my eye.
*Translator: Lea Andalusia.*
The princess was someone who didn’t rest on her laurels and pursued all kinds of knowledge.
“If you, who wields Grand Aura, teaches him, there’s no reason my Richard can’t become the Empire’s Greatest Sword.”
The princess extended her hand.
“Let’s make a knight so strong even Leon and my mother couldn’t surpass him.”
Her expression was very gentle.
As if proposing an alliance with pure intentions.
However, I didn’t give a firm yes.
What if she only taught Richard well and kept her distance from Batsu and Allen?
“Promise me you’ll teach all the knights equally. Then I’ll accept.”
Lea gave a mature smile at my words.
“Hmm—. I’ll try, but no guarantees.”
As expected, she had her own agenda.
It was something I’d anticipated as the lord of a knight order.
“Why not just keep a close eye on me, ‘sticking’ by my side?”
Her tone sounded like she wanted more excuses to meet me.
But since I didn’t mind, I accepted.
“Very well. I look forward to your guidance.”
We shook hands.
Lea lightly grasped and shook my hand, then tilted her head.
“A bit disappointing.”
The princess casually released my hand.
She then gazed intently at my face.
“What’s disappointing?”
I stared at her blankly and asked.
At that moment.
“…!”
The princess released my hand and smoothly drew near.
Her eyes half-closed in a seductive way….
“Mmm….”
Our lips met.
“…”
Her hungry tongue slipped into my mouth from her moist lips.
As if starved, she savored me freely.
“Haaah….”
Only after a full minute of kissing did she open her eyes again.
With our faces pressed close, she spoke.
“Now, this feels more natural than a handshake, doesn’t it?”
“You’re incorrigible.”
As I smirked, the princess planted kiss after kiss on my nape.
Like a lioness expressing affection.
“You’re the incorrigible one.”
She lightly nipped me with her teeth, leaving a mark.
Just enough not to hurt.
“You’re always sweet to me, then run away.”
It meant she wouldn’t kill her prey.
“You’re the bad one here, Baron Veil.”
I gently pushed her away.
Then sat facing her across the table.
“Since I’m already the bad guy, let me make one more mistake.”
Words no other man would dare say.
I shared them freely with her, chuckling.
“But can we win?”
Now facing each other, Lea turned to reality.
“The crown prince’s side has two Swordmasters: Camilla and Ekina.”
The princess held up three fingers.
“That’s three, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, there’s one more unofficial powerhouse.”
Unofficial powerhouse.
I furrowed my brow at the unfamiliar term.
‘Someone I knew in my past life?’
“We don’t know the details, but there’s intel that someone from the Black Knights will step up.”
If Lea, exceptional at intelligence, said it, it wasn’t mere rumor.
But why would those who moved as secretly as the Black Knights….
“Probably because their trust with Father has fallen. They plan to show off their subordinate to regain favor.”
“Nothing else makes sense.”
I nodded.
“But the Black Knights’ techniques were forged in killing. They’re ill-suited for gladiatorial combat.”
“They’ll likely fight purely with swordsmanship and mana, no special techniques. Their overwhelming combat experience makes that enough.”
Lea assessed them coolly.
“So, instead of splitting efforts among several, it’d be better to focus on one.”
After her analysis, the First Imperial Princess gazed at me intently.
She sent a look of displeasure at teaching anyone besides her powerful Richard.
“But why insist on teaching all three of ours?”
“Well, singling out one princess would be unfair.”
Lea smirked.
She began to rise from her chair.
“Planning to pit us against each other, are you?”
The princess moved behind my chair.
She gently placed both hands on my shoulders.
“As if. How could I ever….”
As I tried to protest—
Lea’s golden hair draped over my nape.
“The princess whose knight wins will be the strongest, so she’ll claim you as her consort. Isn’t that right?”
Lea spoke while gazing toward the pool beside us.
“You cheeky fox of a baron.”
We both looked at the sunlit water surface.
The shimmering reflections stung my eyes.
“I chose a fair method to avoid jealousy from the others.”
“Fair, huh….”
Lea rolled her eyes and glanced at me slyly.
With the beautiful, mysterious gaze of a feline.
“Does that mean you like all of us equally?”
“…”
I had no answer to her question.
I truly couldn’t pick just one to love.
“Well, it’s hard to explain in words.”
Irina, connected to me since my past life, willing to abandon her princess title for me.
I couldn’t forget her pure, lovely gaze and sincerity.
“Such a happy dilemma.”
Lydia, whom I thought cruel and vile, yet loved her people and me.
Despite her great power, she respected me first.
“I’ll do my absolute best.”
And….
The thoroughly soaked woman right before my eyes.
“So everyone can be happy.”
Lea stared intently at my smile.
Then, she curled her lips into a grin.
“You sly devil.”
The princess pinched my T-shirt.
She tugged it firmly and said.
“Utterly irresponsible, just like my father.”
Lea stood up.
She began slowly slipping off her robe.
“Well, at least this makes it clear.”
The princess stretched languidly.
Her flexible figure stood out even beneath the robe.
“What do you mean?”
I tilted my head and asked.
The princess, with her beautiful melon-like face reminiscent of Consort Rozanna, declared.
“Whoever wins this time will be your first conqueror.”
Conqueror.
The word made saliva pool in my mouth unbidden.
“It won’t be easy. I’m quite nimble, you know.”
I swallowed deeply.
Then followed Lea toward the poolside as she headed to the water.
“You won’t escape this time.”
Lea lightly let her robe slip down.
Her underwear-clad form, briefly hidden, was revealed once more.
“…!”
The princess gracefully entered the water.
She began swimming like a mermaid.
Her voluptuous hips moved with fluid grace.
Even her waist, which I’d thought stiff, waved expertly.
“Fuah….”
Soon, she surfaced.
Eyes closed, she brushed her radiant golden hair back from her forehead.
“If Richard wins this time….”
The princess teasingly rubbed my ankle with her finger at the water’s edge.
Like a goddess born from a shell.
“I’ll ask Father for our official engagement.”
Her sea-blue eyes sparkled.
Was it the sunlight?
The bra cupping her beautiful breasts gleamed like a shell.
“Before anyone else.”
Lea smiled brightly.
Transparent droplets trailed like jewels from her chin.
The jewel flowing along her collarbone pooled in her deep cleavage, forming a little pond.
I stared blankly at the ripples.