Chapter 135. The Count Dragged Away by Rimeyer
The sound of shattering glass filled the air as the transparent barrier distorting space shattered into countless fragments, scattering into the void.
The moment the barrier broke, the stifling air trapped inside rushed outward in a sudden gust.
"Haa..."
Rimeyer let out a low sigh and pressed her fingers to her temples.
The air that surged out with the barrier's collapse was no ordinary warmth.
The scent of sweat, saliva, and the overpoweringly thick, pungent aroma of chestnut flowers—mixed with the unmistakably lewd musk of a female in heat—assaulted Rimeyer's nostrils with brutal intensity.
To anyone, it was undeniable proof that a frenzied coupling had taken place here mere moments ago.
Rimeyer's eyes narrowed sharply as she glared at the two figures huddled in the corner.
"Ah... Rimeyer..."
"..."
Lucian forced an awkward smile, beads of cold sweat rolling down his face, while Princess Catherine trembled behind him, clutching his thick fur coat tightly.
The heavy winter coat was absurdly out of place in the warm weather, and beneath it, the princess's bare legs were flushed red, her toes curling in shame.
"You see... haha, Her Highness wanted to play hide-and-seek... So I cast a Mirror Barrier as a joke, but we ended up trapped inside by accident."
Lucian scrambled to explain with a flimsy excuse.
"..."
"Rimeyer, if it weren't for you, we might've been stuck in there until the barrier wore off. Truly, thank you."
The corner of Rimeyer's eye twitched at Lucian's shameless lie.
"...Didn't you say you were leaving for your territory today?"
"Ah! I had everything prepared since morning, but I completely forgot about my promise to spend half the day with Her Highness... Haha, I really should be going now."
"...Lucian. You, really..."
Rimeyer bit back whatever scathing remark she was about to unleash and clenched her jaw shut.
Her expression was that of the "Ice Witch" incarnate—utterly uninterested in excuses.
Her contemptuous gaze said it all: I know exactly what filthy acts you two committed under that fur coat in this cramped room. The stench alone is evidence enough.
Lucian shuddered inwardly. He had been caught red-handed by the Royal Knight Commander defiling the kingdom's most revered maiden princess—in broad daylight, no less, right in her own chambers.
"I should really get going now. Your Highness, as much as I regret it, our playtime must end here. Let's step outside."
Just as Lucian tried to smooth things over and guide the princess out—
Catherine, who had been hiding behind his shoulder, suddenly poked her head out and shouted at Rimeyer.
"It's not the Count's fault! I begged him to do it! Don't you dare blame him!"
"...!"
A bold, blindly protective declaration—unbecoming of a princess.
Lucian wanted to clamp a hand over her mouth, but fearing the situation would escalate, he swallowed a scream and stayed silent.
Rimeyer's icy eyes wavered.
'She... begged him for it?'
Of course, the princess's words—"I begged him to do it"—were likely meant as an excuse, implying she had asked him to cast the hide-and-seek spell.
But to Rimeyer, who had already taken in the lingering scent of semen and the princess's bare, damp legs, those words sounded unmistakably like a confession: "I begged him to hold me, to take my virginity."
'No matter how desperate a man is... for a princess of the realm to beg a married man for such a thing. And for you, Lucian, to not refuse and just go along with it—you're truly beyond redemption.'
Rimeyer found the princess's childish behavior pitiable, but her resentment burned deeper toward Lucian, who had succumbed to his beastly desires and defiled an innocent girl.
Yet, for the sake of the royal family's dignity—and Lucian's own safety—she resolved to bury this scandalous secret deep within her heart.
"I see. Your hide-and-seek game must have been... quite intense. I'll make up a suitable excuse for those outside. Lucian, come with me for a moment."
With that cold dismissal, Rimeyer turned on her heel and strode out of the princess's chambers.
Catherine's first experience—thrilling and perilous.
Though they had been caught by the last person they wanted to witness it, paradoxically, it was Rimeyer's intervention and airtight discretion that allowed their sinful pleasure—stretching from the lake to this moment—to remain a perfect secret.
The princess's cheeks were still flushed, her breath uneven.
Lucian gently embraced her, soothing her lingering excitement with soft strokes.
"I really must go now, Your Highness. I can't delay any longer."
"Just one more day... Can't you stay just one more day? Stay with me through the night."
Catherine clung to his collar, pleading, but he shook his head firmly. Instead, he pressed a deep, tender farewell kiss to her forehead, the bridge of her nose, and finally her sweet lips.
"I'll return. Next time... for as long as you desire."
At his lewd promise, Catherine blushed and nodded.
But the warm farewell was short-lived.
The moment Lucian stepped out of the princess's chambers, he was met with a reality colder than a winter blizzard.
"..."
In the middle of the hallway.
Rimeyer stood with her arms crossed, her silver armor gleaming as she fixed him with a piercing glare.
"Follow me."
Without another word, she turned and strode ahead.
Lucian didn't dare ask where they were going. Not only had he been caught in the act with another man's wife (Gerard's), but he had also been discovered defiling the kingdom's maiden princess in broad daylight. Like a condemned criminal being led to the gallows, he obediently trailed behind her in silence.
The place Rimeyer took him was the royal library—specifically, the heavily restricted underground section of the forbidden archives.
The very place where Seo had possessed Lucian's body and violated Yi-seo's.
Under dim lighting, a woman sat suspended midair, reclining lazily as she puffed on a long pipe.
Archmage Violetta.
"You're here."
She wore a tight-fitting outfit beneath her witch's robe. Her upper body boasted obscenely large breasts, while her lower half flaunted long, slender legs clad in black banded stockings.
Spotting Lucian, she smirked seductively and slowly crossed one leg over the other.
Swoosh.
The faint rustle of fabric accompanied the tantalizing sway of her skirt.
"...!"
Lucian's gaze flickered downward before he caught himself and inhaled sharply.
His swordsman's reflexes—capable of perceiving movement in slow motion—had betrayed him. In that split second, his keen eyes caught a glimpse beneath her skirt: the bare valley above her stockings, conspicuously lacking underwear.
"Hohoho, Count. Seems you had quite the enjoyable time with the princess. Still got energy to spare, I see? Staring so hungrily at me like that."
Violetta tapped her pipe playfully, teasing him.
"N-No, when did I ever—?!"
As Lucian coughed awkwardly, Violetta provocatively tugged her skirt higher.
"If you want to look, I'll let you. It's not like your eyes will wear it out."
"I don't want to look. Ahem..."
Just as Lucian averted his gaze, sweating bullets—
"Enough of this nonsense."
Rimeyer's brow furrowed dangerously. Her voice was glacial, chilling the underground air.
"Cut the idle chatter and explain why we're gathered here."
"..."
Lucian sighed inwardly.
The Royal Knight Commander and the Archmage. Two of the most formidable women on the continent, now crammed into this claustrophobic basement with him. The absurdity was staggering, but he kept his expression neutral, waiting for Violetta to speak.
Setting her pipe aside, Violetta's face turned serious.
"Lucian. While studying the semen sample you gave me days ago, something occurred to me—the real reason that dark mage is after you."
"I already have a rough idea. He wants this body of mine, overflowing with excess mana from my bloodline."
"Hear me out."
Violetta cut him off.
"Rumors say that dark mage, Belial, seeks to resurrect the ancient Demon King.
But I don't think that's it. Why would an ambitious dark mage go through the trouble of reviving the Demon King just to serve under him?"
"Then what?"
"What if he's trying to extract your endlessly surging mana to transform
himself
into a godlike entity—using some kind of vessel?"
Lucian's crimson eyes widened.
"Become the Demon King?! How is that possible with a human body?"
"Who knows? But it got me thinking... You've heard of Seris, the kingdom to the far east? That maid who clung to you—Yi-seo—was from there."
"Yeah, I know of it, but only vaguely..."
"There's something hidden there. I'm not entirely sure myself. But piecing together rumors and mana fluctuations across the continent, Belial's scheme is tied to some 'technology' from Seris."