The Weight of a Crown and a Queen's Scars
"Her name is Cattleya. As you can see from her portrait, she is an elf of immense grace and elegance."
"Mmm..."
Marriage to a high elf and the future queen. It was an enticing proposal, but the concept of marriage weighed heavily on me. As I let out a low groan, covering my mouth with my palm, King Sherdin refilled my teacup.
"I won't force you. If you already have someone you're wedded to, please pretend you never heard this."
"I am not married. However, I have no intention of marrying, so while I appreciate your overly generous offer, I must politely decline."
"A pity."
I wonder if Cattleya's juices taste like royal herbal tea? It was a shame to lose the chance to taste the fluids of a noble queen, but I had no choice but to refuse. I couldn't abandon my dream of a harem just to achieve my goal of purging those wretched betrayers and eradicating NTR, could I? If I became king, I could hold as many women as I wanted. But as a prince consort, embracing another woman would be considered high treason. I didn't know what kind of personality Cattleya had, but one wrong move could lead to utter ruin.
"A shame. I thought it would be the fastest and most certain way to solidify your position here."
"Is there no other way?"
"In truth, I can give you any position you desire if you wish it. However, my reign is drawing to a close. Once the succession is complete, it will be difficult for me to help you."
"Which is why you proposed marriage to the future queen."
"If you become the prince consort, everyone will accept you as a true member of the kingdom, regardless of your origin or race."
I quietly chewed over King Sherdin's words. It meant that to guarantee my standing even after his retirement, the status of prince consort was essential. A sudden worry about the marriage arrangement crossed my mind.
"Come to think of it, has this marriage proposal been discussed with Lady Cattleya beforehand?"
"I haven't mentioned a word to her. I wanted to gauge your character first."
"Shouldn't you have at least asked for her opinion before making the offer?"
"...Well, she harbors a deep hatred for humans, so convincing her would have taken some time."
She hates humans, yet he proposed a marriage with one? It was a match that could never have succeeded from the start, so why even bring it up? When I gave King Sherdin a skeptical look, he let out a bitter chuckle.
"I didn't bring this up to tease you. If your resolve was firm, I would have persuaded Cattleya and pushed the marriage through by any means necessary."
"How did you plan on persuading her?"
"As you may know, Yudika is capable of becoming a wealthy nation, but not a militarily strong one. Our technology is outstanding, but our martial power lags far behind other countries. The person who can fill that void is..."
"Me."
King Sherdin nodded. He viewed me as the final puzzle piece to elevate the Yudika Kingdom to its peak. Using that justification, he would have desperately tried to persuade Cattleya.
"If that's the reason, wouldn't she keep me in a high position anyway, even without marriage?"
"Even if she recognizes your importance, Cattleya will look down on you because you are human. She would interfere in everything you try to do, and if that interference grows too severe, it will ruin your work. I wanted to hand you power beforehand to prevent such a situation from arising."
"Is her hatred for humans truly that deep?"
"Cattleya's biological mother was kidnapped by humans and reduced to a sex slave. Her biological father, unable to bear seeing his ruined wife, returned to the embrace of the World Tree despite having much of his lifespan remaining."
A devastating tragedy concocted from human depravity and NTR. There was no way she could endure it without harboring a burning hatred for humanity. Even though she wasn't here, I felt a sudden wave of indigestion from the tea I had just drunk. An elf with such a past was going to be my superior? Just imagining it made my knees weak.
"Hearing that story makes me realize I absolutely cannot marry her."
"Indeed, it would be a harsh proposal for you. Then, what about an engagement? You could break it off and leave once you've achieved your goals. Do not worry about your retirement. I will entrust my entire fortune to the Prime Minister to manage, so you can live comfortably on those assets after you retire."
I could feel a sense of desperation in King Sherdin's offer. Perhaps the kingdom's situation was far worse than I had anticipated. Were external threats growing uncontrollably fierce? It seemed I needed to personally assess the state of the nation before accepting any such proposals.
"I am grateful that you value me so highly, but I must decline that offer as well."
"Is that so..."
Realizing I had no intention of settling down permanently, King Sherdin wore a bitter smile. But even if the Yudika Kingdom were so outstanding that it didn't need me, I still would have rejected his offer. Just like pure love, a harem can only be established when there is genuine affection. I couldn't bring myself to accept a marriage of convenience, performing empty marital duties in bed with someone I shared no feelings with. While there were plenty of harem stories where a man conquered women solely with his cock, I refused to rely on that method. Most NTR was built on raw physical pleasure, after all. I wanted to make them realize that nothing felt better than making love with someone you truly cherished. Even Cattleya, with her deep-seated hatred for humans, would eventually have her heart captured by me, no matter how long it took.
"You don't need to worry. I will proudly build up my achievements and elevate the nation's prestige so that the future queen will eventually accept me as one of her own."
"...Bwahahaha! Is that so! Well, I've made quite an embarrassment of myself. To offer shortcuts to an upright knight like you."
"It is quite alright."
"Then, is there anything else you desire from me?"
Building achievements meant facing countless hardships. I needed a stage where I could perform. And preferably, it had to be something that directly benefited the nation. After all, the Yudika Kingdom and I were practically one body now.
"Is there a battlefield that requires my assistance?"
"How about becoming an instructor for the kingdom's knights?"
"I would like to postpone that for later. If I try to teach them without having achieved any great feats first, there will be immense backlash."
I wasn't omnipotent. Since it was impossible to protect a nation entirely on my own, I had to train the knights and soldiers to become strong. However, now was not the time. I needed to accomplish a grand feat first—something so undeniable that no one could complain when I stepped up as their instructor.
"Then it must be an unsolved case, and somewhere your hard work will be recognized."
"Exactly."
"In that case, you should head to the Elf Forest. Cattleya has just led an army there to resolve an ongoing incident."
He was telling me to introduce myself to Cattleya and solve the case by competing with her. If I succeeded, I would not only secure a grand achievement but also leave a positive impression on her. It was the perfect stage for my debut.
"What is this unsolved case?"
"A series of disappearances have been occurring in the Elf Forest. Suspecting human involvement, Cattleya set out personally."
"It's highly likely the work of slave traders."
Elves were universally beautiful, making them highly valuable as slaves. In a world teeming with perverts who kept even their own kind as playthings, the demand for elves was endless. If elves were being abducted, it was ten to one that mercenaries hired by slave traders were behind it.
"Very well. I will head to the Elf Forest. But if I go as I am, I feel like I'll be suspected as the culprit..."
"Do not worry. I will provide you with an item to prove your identity, and a carriage to take you to the entrance of the forest is already being prepared."
"Thank you."
I bowed deeply to express my gratitude, bringing my audience with the king to an end. Thanks to him treating me so comfortably that I forgot he was a monarch, I didn't break a sweat—even though our private conversation had been strictly business. Letting out a long sigh, I stepped outside, where familiar faces welcomed me.
"Is it over? You didn't commit any rudeness before King Sherdin, did you?"
"Of course not. What do you take me for...?"
"You did well, Alvin."
"I didn't really suffer. If anything, you're the one who had it harder, waiting for me right outside the door."
I had definitely made the right choice in rejecting the marriage proposal. How could I marry another woman when the person with whom I shared not just my body, but my heart, was standing right here? Especially not an elf famous for her hatred of humans.
"What did you talk about in there?"
"Gratefully, he offered to accept me while I'm in exile. In return, I promised to work myself to the bone to help with the kingdom's affairs."
"So your nationality has changed from the Carman Empire to the Yudika Kingdom?"
"Yes, that's how it turned out."
Scarlet wore a complex expression. Unlike me, her allegiance still lay with the Empire. It must have been a bittersweet feeling to see her cherished disciple leave the Empire to become a knight of another nation. No matter what, she only wanted the best for me.
"I've received the King's official approval, but I still have a long way to go. To be recognized by everyone as a true citizen of the kingdom, I decided to build up my achievements, so I took on a mission."
"What's the mission?"
"It's a race against the future elf queen to see who can crush the slave traders first."
"And the reward?"
"Well, that's..."
I hadn't actually thought about a reward. I had assumed that building up my achievements and gaining everyone's recognition would be enough. But thinking about it realistically, having a material reward would probably be better.
"Tsk! You said you're competing with the future queen, right? Then let's raise the stakes."
"How?"
"First, you provoke her to light a fire under the competition. Once things start heating up, I'll step in and take control of the board!"
"Not bad. And then?"
"Then we make a demand of the queen. If we win..."
Scarlet formed a circle with her thumb and index finger. Then, she poked her other index finger through the loop.
"We demand a threesome! I've always wanted to fuck royalty at least once in my life!"
Ever since our threesome in the ship's cabin, Scarlet had awakened to a whole new side of herself. She had become a beast of pure lust, eager to devour anyone regardless of gender. Now, she was burning with the desire to have sex with a queen.
"Let's do it!"
Of course, I felt exactly the same way. Marriage might be out of the question, but surely there was nothing wrong with aiming for the future elf queen's pristine, untouched pussy?