125. No Scores, But Still a Vacation
"Ugh... ughhh, ahh..."
My face naturally scrunched up from the throbbing headache.
Evans, Princess Sharina's fiancé, groaned and tossed in his sleep.
The soft pillow and blankets felt nice, but they did nothing to ease the pain pounding in his skull.
Why the hell does my head hurt this much? he wondered, groaning for a good while before finally recalling the events of the previous night. The sweet taste of fruit and the bitter tang of alcohol lingered on his lips.
Yesterday, for sure...
His retinas replayed the last scene before his memory blacked out.
Sharina's smile—beautiful, yet somehow chilling.
With a nagging unease, he glanced around the room.
"She's gone..."
He stiffly lifted his head to check the clock. It was already past noon.
How many hours did I sleep?
He inwardly cursed the drug he'd taken as his "secret weapon" the night before. He'd grumbled about it several times yesterday, but the side effects were far worse than the benefits. How much suffering did a guy have to endure just to boost his ejaculation count, semen volume, and erection size a little?
No wonder they say penis power is the domain of the gods.
Deep down, the man envied the other male heroes, a jealousy he couldn't quite hide.
"Ugh..."
He tried to sit up, but his head throbbed, and his body felt like lead. No way he was getting up.
"Ack, haa."
After two or three failed attempts, he gave up.
That's when Sharina opened the door and stepped in.
"Oh, you're awake."
"Sharina..."
"Feeling any better?"
"I feel like I'm dying..."
"Jeez. You should know better than to drink that much."
"Ugh..."
Sharina sighed and approached the bed. Her fiancé had half his face buried in the pillow, squinting up at her with one eye. The sight was pathetic, yet somehow endearing.
Or maybe it's just making me like him even less.
It was a strange feeling.
Just two days ago, her heart had been full of him. But in a single day, a new face had squeezed in, shoving the old one out like a rolling stone dislodging the one before it. And this had all happened in a mere two days.
If it were now... I'd probably choose Hero Han Siu over my fiancé.
Her feelings for the princess had undergone a massive shift.
"Think you can manage lunch?"
"Did you... eat already, Sharina?"
"Yeah. I slept in late too, just finished eating on my way here."
"Ugh, then I'll... just sleep more..."
"...Okay."
Her voice darkened a shade.
Words she might have brushed off before now stirred complex emotions. It felt like he only cared about himself, and she wondered why she wasn't worried about her fiancé. If not, why didn't it bother her?
"Wake me up later?"
"Ugh, no need..."
He mumbled, eyes drifting shut.
"...Okay."
But even after nodding, she didn't leave the room. Instead, she perched lightly on the edge of the bed, making her presence known. Leaning toward him, she positioned herself so that if he opened his eyes, her upper body would be right in his view.
"...Haa, why...?"
Minutes passed with no sign of her leaving, and he spoke in an irritated tone.
"Has anything about me changed?"
"Huh...?"
What was that out of nowhere?
He half-opened his eyes and scrutinized his fiancée, now inches from his face.
Whether borrowed from another woman or fetched from the villa by a servant, she was wearing a different dress from yesterday. It resembled her usual style, so probably the latter.
A dress that fully exposed her collarbone and nape. It was a common style for women in this world, but he paid little attention to fashion and didn't know that. Nor did he notice the dozen or so bandages stuck to her skin.
"Not sure... ugh. The dress?"
He wanted to blow it off and go back to sleep, but the location nagged at him.
Han Siu's villa—a place belonging to someone he needed to watch out for.
Gritting his teeth to stay focused, he examined her.
"...You hurt?"
The corner of Sharina's mouth twitched up.
"Yeah, a little. Went for a walk last night, and there were tons of bugs."
"You gotta be careful..."
"Tell me about it."
Evans inwardly sighed in relief. Good thing I noticed all those bandages. She'd be upset if I missed it. He was glad she'd come back safe, oblivious to the countless other things he'd overlooked.
Idiot. Mosquitoes in this season?
Sharina sighed.
It was still January—winter. Snow blanketed the lakeside. Any bug out in this cold would be more monster than insect. Yet he suspected nothing, worried nothing. She found it pitiful, but also fortunate.
It's killing off any lingering feelings I had.
"Ugh, sleep well then..."
"Yeah, you too."
After bidding her fiancé goodbye, Sharina shook her head and left the room.
"Ah, Lord Siu."
"He still out?"
"Yeah."
"Haha. Makes that rushed shower after sneaking out pointless."
"Exactly."
She'd lied about already eating lunch. She'd only just left Siu's room with him. They'd hurried through a shower worrying about the time, only for it to be wasted.
"Might as well go eat now."
"Yes, sounds good...♡"
She beamed, glanced around, then linked arms with Siu. He obligingly shifted his arm to make it easy for her. The pair, stuck close together, headed to the dining room.
"But are you gonna keep using formal speech with me, Lord Siu?"
"Until we make it official. Though even after, formal's fine if you prefer."
"And in bed...?"
"Obviously..."
Siu trailed off with a lewd grin.
In bed, he was the stud, the master, the winner. No reason to be polite to a mere princess. She wasn't that much older, and to Siu, Sharina was already a bitch in heat for him—his woman.
"Mmm, I like the sound of that...♡"
And Sharina welcomed his attitude.
They arrived at the dining room arm-in-arm, where Elaine waited.
"Oh? You haven't eaten yet?"
Lunchtime had long passed. Elaine, the saintess of impeccable habits, surely hadn't overslept. That left only one possibility.
"I was waiting for you two♥"
The saintess wore a knowing smile—she'd played a big part in this unplanned plan.
"I already heard, so no need to confirm, but I wanted to see it with my own eyes."
"Ugh. Th-that..."
Sharina, still adjusting to the harem cartel, panicked at the sight of her.
She'd made love with Siu, but facing the woman closest to head wife after the deed left her mind in chaos. The cartel belonged to Siu, and adding members wasn't odd, but she couldn't find the words.
Elaine burst into laughter at the princess's overreaction.
"Ufufu, why so tense? Sit down—you must be starving."
She'd apparently informed the chef ahead of time; there were three full place settings.
Siu guided Sharina to her seat and took the head of the table himself.
"Where's Hilde?"
"She ate with the others. Can't have both of us missing, right?"
"Fair point."
Sharina wasn't the only one watching Elaine's expression. Siu eyed her cautiously too. If Hildear were here, he'd be watching her as well.
The reason was simple.
"You're too much, Lord Siu. You said this was a relaxing vacation."
"Ahaha..."
"Leaving us lonely to entertain just Rozalin and Her Highness."
"Sorry, sorry."
While plotting with Elaine and Hildear to bed Sharina, he'd let Rozalin's involvement slip. It would have been weirder if they hadn't found out, but the princess accelerated the timeline.
"Her Highness will head back to the villa later, right?"
"Y-yeah?"
"And Rozalin's busy with other work. So... your room will be empty tonight?"
Elaine flashed her signature sultry, seductive smile—one that entranced men.
Though only Siu among men had seen it. He was the judge of its allure, and it was her signal. Just like with Sharina.
The pink saintess turning into the horny saintess.
A signal that sent blood straight to his groin just looking at it.
"My room has me in it, though?"
"Just you, Lord Siu♥"
"...Guess the vacation's over."
"I'll come with Hilde later~."
Elaine grinned playfully, flashing a V-sign. Siu nodded.
"......"
Sharina watched them, a tangle of emotions rising. She wanted to join them, but as Elaine had said, she had to return to her original villa.
Her fiancé Evans would insist on it too. Their short trip was already on day four. Normally she'd be sad to end it, but now she wished it over soon.
I'll consult Mother. As soon as possible... as soon as...
For the first time in a while, regret washed over her.
Mother had been right. She should have listened sooner, but the train had left the station. Still, options weren't zero.
Sharina was first in line for the throne, Siu a hero of unprecedented talent and potential. Palania's royals still held sway. A little backlash, and breaking the engagement was doable.
Somehow this year... aaah, really...
She vowed to drill into her future daughter's head: engagements weren't to be taken lightly.