Chapter 125. The Princess's Bedchamber
Simultaneously, a deep desire for conquest blossomed in his mind.
'One day, I'll grab hold of this temptress witch's enormous breasts and ass, pounding into her like a beast until perfect female moans burst from her lips.'
As Lucian swallowed these impure vows internally, Violetta tapped his cheek lightly and spoke.
"Alright, you should go rest now. You'll have to entertain that pretty young princess tonight—better manage your stamina wisely."
Lucian forced a bitter smile while still nursing his throbbing lower half.
Even though he'd just violently drained his excess mana between the archmage's voluptuous breasts, the thought of his secret rendezvous with Princess Catherine that night made his heart pound fiercely again.
The sultry nights in this opulent palace had barely even begun.
Late at night. Lucian's assigned guest chambers in the royal palace.
Lucian reclined against the plush bed, idly toying with the white silk panties Princess Catherine had pressed into his hands earlier that morning.
The damp center had long since dried stiff, but the scent deeply embedded in the thin fabric remained—a faint trace of lily of the valley perfume mixed with the thick, sweet musk of a woman's most intimate depths.
Lucian brought the panties to his nose and inhaled deeply.
"Haaah..."
Even after unloading himself into Violetta's cleavage that afternoon, this perverse fragrance made blood rush heavily to his groin again.
'Taking the king's daughter—an Eldonian princess—all the way would be dangerous.'
His reason warned him clearly. At worst, it could shake his entire house with charges of insulting the royal family. But Lucian's mind was already crafting excuses.
'It's not like I'm forcing her. If the princess is clinging to me this desperately, turning a blind eye wouldn't be manly. Right—I'm just fulfilling a grown woman's earnest desire.'
Rationalizing this way, he marveled anew at how swiftly time had passed—how the little girl who used to chatter on his lap as a child had grown into this brazen virgin craving a man's cock.
Knock knock—
Just then, a quiet rapping echoed through the corridor.
"She's here."
Lucian hurriedly stuffed the panties under the blanket, clearing his throat before speaking.
"Yes, come in."
Click.
The door opened, and the moment he saw who entered, Lucian's heart plummeted.
"Lucian. Sorry for coming so late... but I needed to speak with you."
It wasn't Princess Catherine.
The woman who entered hesitantly in casual attire was Rimeyer, Captain of the Royal Knights.
'Ghk... Rimeyer?!'
Cold sweat trickled down Lucian's spine.
As the saying went, a thief's conscience pricks him. His mind flashed with memories—the conversation between her and Gerard he'd overheard in the garden that afternoon, and the mad act of pounding Gerard's wife (Isela) and Maria stacked atop each other like beasts in his own estate.
'Did she come to confront me about possibly impregnating her friend's wife?'
For someone as rigid and morally upright as her, it was entirely plausible. Drawing her sword right then wouldn't have been surprising. Swallowing hard, Lucian feigned composure.
"Rimeyer, what a pleasure. What brings you here so late?"
"Didn't we see each other at yesterday's banquet? No need for formal greetings. The pleasure's mine."
In his nervousness, Lucian had spoken as if meeting her for the first time, but Rimeyer responded with an unexpectedly faint smile.
"I've been gathering intelligence on the dark mage through the kingdom's spies. Finally, I've narrowed down a few likely hiding spots."
"Ah...!"
Lucian exhaled a deep sigh of relief internally. Thankfully, it wasn't about Gerard.
"Really? You've located Belial?"
"Yes. We've narrowed it down to three locations, and scouts are already covertly checking two of them."
Lucian was inwardly impressed. Compared to him, a mere territory lord, the kingdom's vast intelligence network was meticulous and extensive beyond comparison.
'Well, running a kingdom can't be easy... And here I am, about to mess with the king's daughter. I'll need to be extremely careful with Catherine from now on.'
As Lucian rolled his eyes lost in thought, Rimeyer furrowed her brows.
"Are you even listening?"
"Ah, my apologies. Got lost in other thoughts for a moment. So, where's the remaining location?"
Rimeyer sighed heavily, locking eyes with Lucian as she spoke.
"The last one... has been pinpointed to your territory. An ancient forest within the borders of Eckhart County."
"...!!"
Lucian shot up from his seat.
Belial was hiding in his territory? That deranged dark mage?
It was something he'd never considered, but now that he heard it, it made perfect sense. Wasn't it said that darkness lies right under the lamp? The safest hiding spot might be right near the enemy's heart.
"I'll need to prepare to depart for my territory immediately tomorrow. Thank you for the crucial information, Rimeyer."
At Lucian's resolute expression and words, Rimeyer nodded.
Despite having finished her business, she lingered hesitantly instead of leaving.
"Lucian..."
"...?"
Her lips parted, but she seemed unable to continue, lowering her head instead.
The usual icy authority was nowhere to be found—only the strangely subdued demeanor of a woman.
"If you ever need... anything, just say the word. I'll gladly lend you my strength."
Her tone, usually thorny, was uncharacteristically warm and gentle today, like spring snow melting.
Lucian felt grateful for her words but grew anxious that Gerard's matter might come up, forcing an awkward smile.
Fortunately, Rimeyer turned to leave after those words.
As the door closed, Lucian collapsed onto the bed, wiping his brow.
He quickly retrieved Catherine's panties from under the blanket and waited, but the door never opened again for the rest of the night.
The next morning.
As Lucian was packing, Princess Catherine arrived with a pout.
"Princess, why didn't you come last night? I nearly died waiting."
At Lucian's question, Catherine stuck out her lips defensively.
"I tried! I barely slipped past the guards outside my room, even bribing them with late-night snacks. But on my way to your chambers... that ice witch (Rimeyer) popped out of nowhere!"
Catherine clutched her chest.
"You have no idea how scared I was. She's terrifying enough as it is, but seeing her leaving your room late at night... I just panicked and ran."
Narrowing her eyes, she interrogated him.
"But... why was she in your room so late?"
"Ah... She came for some advice about knight order operations. Must've barely found time in her busy schedule."
As Lucian brushed it off, Catherine finally brightened, seemingly relieved.
"Well, that's good then! Let's finish what we couldn't do yesterday during our date today! You'll play with me, right?"
Wrapping her arms around his, she pleaded. Lucian hesitated—he needed to leave for his territory immediately, where Belial was suspected to be hiding. But he couldn't bring himself to refuse those adorable eyes gazing up at him.
"Alright. I'll delay my departure until the afternoon. I'll spend half the day with you, Princess."
"Really? Yay! Then come to my room. I'll show you around!"
Catherine gleefully tugged Lucian's hand.
Sneaking into Princess Catherine's bedchamber unnoticed.
The moment Lucian stepped inside, he burst into silent laughter.
"This is..."
He knew it was the room of the kingdom's princess, but he hadn't expected it to be this blatant.
Every inch was painfully vibrant in pastel pink.
A massive pink canopy draped over the bed, with gilded decorations gleaming on every bedpost and furniture edge.
The floor was covered in plush, high-quality wool carpet so soft it swallowed his feet whole. An oversized sofa was buried under a mountain of giant stuffed animals—bears, rabbits, and dogs.
It was a space frozen in the sensibilities of a little girl who hadn't fully grown up—unbelievable as the room of the woman who had brazenly seduced him in the garden yesterday, begging for his cock.
And the scent permeating the room—
A mix of sweet sugar, vanilla, and heavy rose, making him feel like he was eating cotton candy with every breath.
'I'm supposed to do... that... in this innocent dollhouse of a room?'
Standing there as a grown man with wolfish intentions in the childhood bedroom of the princess he'd watched grow up, Lucian felt both a strange dissonance and a vicious thrill of corruption.
"So? Isn't my room pretty?"
Catherine twirled lightly, holding the hem of her dress.
Though utterly mismatched for a grown woman, that very innocence excited him further.