Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Ulstro Kingdom - Princess Knight (4)
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Valdes's hand,
stopped on her thigh.
'Why did he stop?'
It hadn't come to a complete halt. It was just trembling ever so slowly atop her thigh. But that only made it harder to guess his feelings.
'Is he tired? Or...'
Maybe he's embarrassed, just like me?
Or perhaps...
'Is he turned on by me...?'
Either way, her mind eased. Relief washed over her at the thought that she wasn't the only one feeling this strange sensation. And at the same time, a spark of joy bubbled up from somewhere deep inside.
She knew exactly why.
It was a familiar joy.
This was the thrill of being acknowledged.
The joy she'd felt when her tutor, her siblings, her mother, Serennia, and the knights had recognized her. The electric rush. The happiness.
Only this time, the source was Valdes.
Serennia was right.
Valdes couldn't possibly resist her either.
"...What's wrong?"
A strange voice slipped from her lips. It carried a slight nasal tone, provocative, like she was seducing a man.
"May I... do your thighs?"
"...Yeah♡"
With her consent, both hands kneaded her thighs.
"Hng... "
His fingers sank deep into the plump, firm flesh. Like her arms, her legs were well-muscled, but her thighs were thicker, offering even more soft give.
Valdes kept massaging her thighs relentlessly. It felt different from a regular massage somehow.
Yet the satisfaction was similar. No, even greater.
If the earlier massage had loosened her body, this touch seemed to melt both body and mind. Her flesh turned to mush, her thoughts drifting like clouds.
"Hoo, hoo..."
Rough breaths came from behind her back.
It was the same as when he'd massaged her waist, but it felt entirely different now.
Naturally, her own breathing grew ragged.
"Ah, hng, haa..."
His hands lingered on her thighs for a long while. They seemed to climb upward, only to slide back down, hovering teasingly before returning to knead her calves.
Her muscles were already thoroughly relaxed.
"I'll go higher now."
Valdes finally decided to move upward and tossed her a question that was more notification than request.
"......"
But Mercedes couldn't muster a word. Answering felt like it would cross some line. She didn't know exactly what line, but their relationship would surely change.
"......"
He didn't get the answer he wanted, but since she didn't refuse, his hands brushed past her pants and rose higher.
Perhaps from the way he'd dragged them upward, the texture of her stockings felt even more vivid now.
'It's like this over the pants... What if he took them off? ...And the stockings too?'
Just imagining it sent a shiver through her body.
And that thrill, starting from her spine, traveled down her nerves once more.
─Drip.
"...Ah."
Her sharp mind had no choice but to recognize what was happening to her hypersensitive body.
In this frightening, bewildering moment, Mercedes instinctively reached back, grabbing his hands just below her buttocks.
"...Shall we stop for today?"
"...Yeah."
Valdes slowly withdrew from the bed.
But Mercedes remained lying there, unable to move. Turning over or spreading her legs would surely reveal the evidence to him.
Even seeing she wouldn't see him off, Valdes said nothing, didn't frown.
He simply dressed quietly and stood before the door.
Then he tossed out a single line.
"When should I come tomorrow?"
Tomorrow?
...Ah.
'I said "today" is over.'
"......"
Still lying in bed without even looking at him, Mercedes pondered. Then, like he had, she casually replied.
"Same time as today."
"...Got it."
The door opened,
and closed.
"...Pha─."
She hadn't been holding her breath, but as he left, she exhaled deeply all the same.
"Ahh..."
She was already in bed, so she pulled a pillow over and buried her face in it. The soft cushion formed a ninety-degree angle. It was buried so deep breathing was a bit tough, but her embarrassment outweighed that.
'What the hell did I just do...'
She didn't regret it. She was just embarrassed by the unfamiliar situation.
"Agh."
Cautiously, she slid her left hand downward.
Squelch.
"...As expected..."
Her panties and stockings were soaked. Fortunately, her shorts were still fine.
She thought she could have just gotten up and said goodbye normally, then dismissed the idea.
Who knew? If she'd stopped him just a bit later, even the shorts might have been stained.
Praising herself for averting disaster, she also felt a twinge of regret.
What if. Just what if.
She hadn't stopped his hands, letting them go higher...
Drip...
"Eek."
Come to think of it, these clothes were borrowed from Elza. She planned to wash and return them anyway, but it felt weird now.
"No. No need to return them. I'll just buy them."
And she decided to ask Elza for a few more.
She checked the grandfather clock on the wall.
Over an hour had passed since the massage began. Normally, she'd be asleep by now.
But tonight, she'd sleep a bit later.
"...Just a little, then sleep."
Squelch.
"Hnnnght..."
That long-overdue self-relief only stoked her fire instead of calming her.
She didn't fall asleep until dawn.
A few hours short of her usual sleep left her struggling to rise in the morning, but the lifestyle squires helped her manage.
"Your washing water."
"Yeah..."
Half-asleep, she splashed water on her face to chase away the drowsiness.
The cold water sharpened her mind a little.
"You look really tired today."
"Yeah..."
"H-Hey, are you okay? If you're not feeling well, maybe rest... Should I ask Amy to bring some medicine?"
"Mm, no. I'm fine."
As Elza fretted, she habitually twisted her waist. Both legs swung down to the left side of the bed. Her bare feet touched the floor. No slippers.
"Ah."
'Yesterday...'
After the massage, she'd crawled straight under the covers and slept. ...Well, not straight to sleep.
"...? Oh, I'll get your slippers."
"Y-Yeah."
Elza said nothing, but Mercedes felt a needless pang of guilt, wondering if she'd suspect something. Especially since she'd borrowed clothes in a rush yesterday.
"...Um, Elza?"
"Yes?"
"About the clothes you gave me yesterday."
"Oh, yes."
"I... kind of soiled them, so let me buy them from you."
It was no big deal, but she tensed, fearing Elza might demand them back right away.
"Oh, those? It's fine."
"Huh?"
"Actually, a friend gave me a bunch of clothes recently. If you liked them, I can give you a few more. Throw those out since I wore them, and wear the new ones."
"...Yeah, thanks."
Elza really was the best.
After years together, she felt like a friend. Diligent and kind, always taking such good care of her.
Mercedes stared at Elza's face. She seemed thrilled with the gifted clothes. Her complexion glowed like someone with good news. Yet there was an oddly seductive edge to her expression.
A woman's face—no, more vulgar than that. Mercedes hadn't seen it on her in years.
'No way...?'
No, that was too wild an imagination.
"I think another mission's coming up. It'll be me and one squire. Just two of us, but it's a bit tough, so the merit points should be decent."
"Mm... I'm good."
"Huh?"
"Assign Valdes instead of me."
"...Valdes?"
"Yeah, honestly, I have enough merits already? It's just my skills that are lacking. Rather than piling up points to get in here, I'll work on my strength myself."
"Elza... Alright."
She was in a rush for her own promotion, yet thinking of the other squires too. Too kind.
"Oh, that ornament's about to fall off. Better remove it just in case."
She meant the one on the bed canopy pillar. Elza's keen eye caught even that easy-to-miss spot—classic Elza.
She reached for it. It was high up, so her shirt hem rode up. Mercedes hadn't meant to look, but her gaze drifted there.
Something caught her eye.
Her pants were pulled up to her lower belly, so it wasn't clear, but it looked like a pink line. From the context, it seemed to continue downward.
'...What's that? A tattoo? But...'
The placement was weird.
Right above the lower belly. Not a common spot for tattoos.
'Must be something stuck to it.'
Mercedes brushed it off.
A tattoo there seemed less plausible than an accidental stain or a healing scar.
"Phew... Guess I have to push through today too."
Her mornings were busy.
She had to rise before dawn for preparations—not just as a knight, but as a princess too.
Mercedes got out of bed and soaked in a warm bath. Two squires couldn't handle her morning routine alone, so five or six maids assisted.
The soothing heat melted away her fatigue, spreading through her body. Her mind felt weary, but her body brimmed with unusual vitality. Hard to believe she'd slept late.
'The massage...?'
Recalling yesterday's touch made her body heat up again.
It felt good, sure, but she'd accepted his hands like she was entranced. It started innocently, but grew into something beyond a simple massage. Yet it wasn't not a massage.
Even with ulterior motives, she felt this refreshed now.
'Later, those hands again...'
"Lady Mercedes? Is the water too hot? Your face is so red..."
"No, it's fine..."
After her bath, grooming began—the time she hated most as a princess.
Her two squires and the maids debated hair, makeup, dress, accessories, shoes. Other nobles might chat or veto ideas, but Mercedes stayed silent.
"......"
Thanks to that, her preparations finished in under two hours.
She rose from the chair and faced the mirror.
A stunning beauty in a long golden-haired dress. No matter how many times, it never felt familiar.
"Let's go."
"Yes, Princess."
That's right.
Now, she wasn't Vice Commander Mercedes of the Pedro Knight Order.
She was First Princess Mercedes Ulstro of Ulstro Kingdom.
She headed to the dining hall, leaving Elza and Amy behind. They needed breakfast too.
Marie was already seated.
"Sis, sleep well?"
"Yeah, you?"
"Slept great, hehe."
Their daily morning greeting. Across the table, sisterly affection overflowed in their talk.
Soon, their mother, Queen Beatrice, appeared.
Nearing forty, she looked nothing like a widow with two daughters. Even early morning, she exuded queenly dignity, but at breakfast, she was just a mother.
"Good morning, Mother."
"Good morning, Mother."
Mercedes greeted first, Marie following.
"Hehe, yes. Did you all sleep well?"
Her elegant, somewhat distant tone brimmed with maternal love.
Breakfast began.
The three chatted warmly, like any family.
This was the queen's unwritten rule: no kingdom talk at breakfast unless urgent—only everyday conversation.
And her daughters respected and loved it.
Clink.
With Marie setting down her last utensil, the leisurely meal ended. The dining hall's atmosphere shifted.