The Morning of the Two Roses
I froze in place, staring at Elena’s attire. She approached, head tilted to the side. "Are you feeling unwell?" She flicked a switch, and the room flooded with light. ...It seemed the event I’d been hoping for wasn't going to happen. I had actually enjoyed being able to see her undergarments in the dark.
She had brought in something resembling a serving cart from a restaurant. It held a bowl, though I had no way of knowing what was inside.
"I sensed... a subtle trace of demonic energy in your body, Go Suhyun. So, I prepared a potion for you."
"A potion... you say?"
Right. Elena was a woman with enough talent to become a Great Mage, and she was even skilled in alchemy. If it was a potion made by her, it would surely be a great help in recovering my strength.
"..."
The moment I saw the color of the potion, that thought vanished. According to the descriptions in the webtoon, it should have been a brilliant, iridescent liquid, but this potion looked exactly like the poison spat out by the Venom Dragons of the Demon King's army. I wouldn't die if I drank this, would I?
"Why are you hesitating? I made this potion with my own two hands, you know?"
"Uh... right."
I just picked it up and downed it in one shot. Surprisingly, the taste was ordinary, and it wasn't poison. If anything, I felt as though the injuries I’d sustained in the battle against the Demon King were completely healing.
"You feel a bit better, don't you?"
"...Yes."
"That’s a relief. But I must be certain. Please, excuse me."
Elena suddenly leaned in close to my bed. Then, she bent her upper body forward, grabbed my wrist, and began to check my pulse.
Huh? Wait, what????
Through the gap in her light pajamas, her fair collarbone and... the immense valley beneath it were exposed directly to my eyes.
Crazy. Crazy, crazy, crazy. What is this person trying to do with me right now? What are you doing!!! On top of that, the subtle scent of her perfume and the natural smell of her skin wafted over me. I was truly on the verge of losing my mind. The fact that I couldn't do anything about it was maddening.
I looked at the ceiling. Hmm. The ceiling... why did the pattern on the ceiling look so erotic? Why was there something like a pair of breasts drawn up there? Looking at it again, it was just a painting. It was probably a masterpiece that sold for a high price. But because of that, I had nowhere to rest my eyes. So, I just decided to look at Elena.
My pupils were darting around, unable to find a place to land, but Elena seemed overly focused on checking my condition. She had absolutely no awareness of her own state of dress!! Or was she doing this while knowing exactly what she was doing? I couldn't tell...
"Hmm... your heart rate is abnormally fast. Could it be that the demonic energy hasn't been fully purged yet?"
She tilted her head, bringing her face even closer.
Too close. It’s too close.
That soft skin was brushing against my forearm. Seeing it through clothes was one thing, but seeing it with my own eyes while it made contact was an entirely different problem. My masculinity was becoming impossible to control. Just before I lost my reason, I managed to shout out.
"N-no! I'm all better! Very! I feel very refreshed!!!"
I recoiled in shock, pulling back. Only then did Elena smile brightly, as if relieved.
"I see. That is a relief. It seems the demonic energy has been purified to some extent, so I shall take my leave now. Please, rest comfortably."
With that, she pulled her cart away without a single shred of lingering attachment.
The door clicked shut.
"...Ah."
What on earth was I expecting? What was I expecting from a noble woman who had only come to visit because she was worried about me? I’m trash. I’m human garbage!!
To think I would have such strange delusions about the angel-like Elena, who only cared for my well-being!!
I deserve to die!!!!!
However, my exhausted body was honest, and perhaps due to the effects of the potion, I fell asleep right there without being able to do anything.
I woke up at dawn. I couldn't help it. I had always woken up at this time back at the Northern Wall.
"..."
I’d had an incredibly lewd dream. A dream so lewd I couldn't even speak of it with my own lips. Elena had appeared in it.
"..."
Slap— Slap—
I slapped both my cheeks to snap out of it. Whew. That’s better. My masculinity had also calmed down to some extent. It had calmed down, but I was overflowing with energy. The best way to release that energy was to fight monsters, but all those monsters had already had their heads chopped off. While I was delivering the finishing blow, that Crown Prince bastard had sliced off the Demon King's head, calling himself a hero. So, where was I supposed to vent my fighting spirit?
For lack of a better option, I did push-ups on the floor. I just kept going until I was exhausted. But even then, I didn't tire.
"Hoo!"
I let out a sigh and went outside, where I witnessed a strange scene. In front of the main gate of the Weisswaltz mansion, a flashy carriage bearing the Imperial crest was parked. And there, the mansion's servant was in the middle of an argument with a beautiful woman I could recognize from a distance—my fiancée... Elizabeth von Schwartzvalt.
The servant shouted, flustered, "Your Highness! You cannot do this! Even if you are an Imperial Princess, this is the Weisswaltz Duchy's...!"
"Step aside. This is where my fiancé is staying. Is there any problem with a future wife coming to see her husband's face?"
Elizabeth ignored the servant and approached the gate.
Creak—!
As the gate opened, the servant ran off with a frantic expression toward the room where Elena was.
"Hmm."
Anyway, Elizabeth was fucking beautiful this morning. I’ll say it again: she wasn't just fucking beautiful, she was fucking-fucking-fucking beautiful. She seemed to have spotted me through the window, smiling shyly and waving happily. I waved back with a smile, but then I thought of one problem. I was currently shirtless.
She seemed to have confirmed my state as well; I saw her bring the hand she was waving with to her mouth and say, "Oh my." I could tell even without seeing it. If you spend about 10 years on the battlefield rolling around with the Demon King's army, you end up like this. Elizabeth's flawless white skin turned as red as a persimmon; it was painfully obvious.
If she were a typical noble lady from a romance fantasy, she would have screamed and covered her eyes with a fan. But this young lady was blatantly scanning my muscles through the gaps in her fingers.
Unable to handle that strange gaze, I decided to run away for now. I immediately closed the curtains, went into the shower, washed my body quickly, and changed into yesterday's suit. Then, I equipped a gentle, kind, and overall pleasant smile and tried to head outside. I tried to.
"What is this commotion from the morning!"
Elena had already gone outside first. I was left in the position of watching their argument through the second-floor hallway window. Elena shouted in a voice filled with genuine anger.
Seeing her rush out in her pajamas, she must have bolted the moment she heard the servant's report.
"Oh my, good morning, Lady Weisswaltz."
Elizabeth showed no sign of surprise at Elena's fierce expression. Instead, she offered a relaxed smile and fluttered her fan.
"Your Highness. You are truly rude. To barge into someone else's mansion early in the morning without notice. Is this the law of the Imperial family?"
"Rude? I have merely come to save my poor fiancé."
"Save him? Go Suhyun is my honored guest."
"I couldn't sleep properly, worried about how anxious he must have been, spending the night in someone else's house."
The two didn't seem to have been on good terms to begin with, as they were saying things that were nothing short of vicious.
"Your words are excessive. Your Highness barging in like this is nothing short of barbaric behavior."
"Hoh. Are you daring to insult the Imperial family? Even if Weisswaltz is a collateral branch of our Schwartzvalt Imperial family, that is a statement I cannot simply overlook."
"Would you be able to say the same if I reported this to His Majesty the Emperor!!"
Elizabeth faltered briefly at Elena's words. The way she faltered was slightly similar to that Lucas bastard. It seemed that kind-looking Emperor had raised his children properly. ...But then why was Lucas like that? Anyway. Elizabeth stared intently at Elena, folding her fan with a snap, her face filled with fury. How could she be so pretty even when she was angry? I couldn't understand it. Elizabeth opened her mouth.
"The Count complained of fatigue at the Imperial banquet yesterday. Is the behavior of a young lady who forcibly took such a person to her mansion truly in accordance with the laws of the Empire? Ah, does the Weisswaltz Duchy teach you to covet a man who already has a fiancée?"
Wow, that’s harsh. I briefly thought back to the original work. I didn't think they had any particular connection. Did that mean this fight was entirely because of me? I shook my head. Delusions have their limits.
"Go Suhyun is a patient who needs to have his demonic energy purified by me! Even last night, I personally prepared a potion to help him with his purification! He must stay in this mansion until the treatment is finished!"
"Oh my, a potion at night? Just the two of you?"
Elizabeth's expression hardened. It became slightly menacing. Still pretty, though. "The excuse of 'treatment' by mages is truly convenient. However, the demonic energy flowing in my fiancé's body can be purified more safely and surely by the highest-ranking priests of the Imperial Palace. Rather than by some amateur mage's potion."
"...Are you trying to insult my magic right now! I am on the verge of receiving the title of Great Mage! Do not compare me to the old priests of the Imperial Palace!"
"So, you intend to monopolize the nights of my future husband with that 'verge of Great Mage' title of yours?"
Oof. There wasn't even a gap for me to intervene. Their argument continued until the sun had fully risen, and in the end, it was decided that Elizabeth would be allowed into the mansion. Thus came breakfast time. With Elizabeth on my left and Elena on my right, the most luxurious and awkward meal in the world began.