The Bitter Taste of Snow Flower Tea
As the tea is poured into the cup, white bubbles rise to the surface and quickly vanish. This is why it is called Snow Flower Tea. It seems to be a custom in the Lorencia region to drink it with a generous amount of jam or maple syrup. I drizzled the dark brown syrup in a single circle and stirred it diligently. Taking a sip, the unexpectedly bitter first taste catches me off guard, though it is soon neutralized by the rich sweetness of the syrup seeping in afterward.
“How is it, Princess? The taste of Lorencia's tea.”
“Not bad. It has a very distinct character.”
Luna Lorencia stirred in several spoonfuls of jam with practiced ease. A satisfied smile played on her lips as she sipped the tea, which must have become overwhelmingly sweet.
“It feels like a dream to be able to enjoy tea time so leisurely like this. At one point, I was prepared for this castle to become my grave...”
I felt the same. The day of our escape from the castle had truly been our greatest crisis. I found out later that once Elond heard the news of my escape from Lorencia, he pressured Senain Castle even more fiercely. Having lost his greatest bargaining chip—the Princess—it seemed his plan was to at least unify Lorencia and hold out with the Empire's backing. Of course, it was a terrible misjudgment of the situation. Though, having already mounted a galloping horse, he probably had no other choice.
Luna and Senain Castle held strong against the fierce onslaught, and the Empire was the first to abandon Elond. In the end, the family patriarch, Reid, executed Elond to save Lorencia. One could call it the fitting end for a mediocre man whose ambitions far exceeded his station. I took a sip of the Snow Flower Tea and said,
“It is thanks to you turning to my side, Luna. I am truly glad we did not have to shed unnecessary blood.”
Even if Elond's plan had succeeded, the war would have dragged on. While countless soldiers and citizens died and the nation's strength was depleted, the Rustier Kingdom might have been swallowed by the Empire. Destruction had been closer than anyone realized. Well, whether Luna had foreseen all of that or was simply enraged by Elond's attempt to sacrifice Tina, I couldn't be sure. Regardless, thanks to Luna's active role, Lorencia managed to preserve its territory. Although the most fertile lands were transferred to the royal family, they should be deeply grateful considering the gravity of Elond's crimes.
“I am the one who must thank you for your generous treatment of Lorencia, Princess.”
“After all, it was Elond who committed the misdeeds. Since the family head made it clear with his own hands that it was merely the foolishness of a single man, I believe the disposition was appropriate.”
Reid dragging his old body all the way to the royal palace was likely a journey made while prepared for his own execution. That choice ultimately saved the family line. Luna offered a smile and sipped her tea. I took a few more sips of mine, then reached for a cookie. Compared to the bitter tea, the cookie was incredibly sweet. Or rather, because the tea was so bitter, the treats served with it had to be made sweet.
As I watched Luna, a strange feeling washed over me. A faint shadow had cast itself over her face. Through this incident, Luna should have achieved everything she desired. She had successfully inherited the position of family head and the title of Duchess, and she had purged all of Elond's faction among the vassals. What was weighing on her mind?
“Is something troubling you, Luna?”
“Ah, did it show? My apologies. It is not something you need to concern yourself with, Princess.”
“Do tell me. Who knows, perhaps I can help?”
Luna set down her teacup, which bore a faint trace of her lips, and spoke.
“Actually... Tina has not returned.”
“...Tina? From Lurie?”
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Tina since arriving here. There should have been plenty of time for her to return after hearing that Senain Castle was safe...
“Yes. It seems she is still staying at the Roberts Mansion.”
Hmm. So that's how it is. The tension between those two bickering souls had been unusual. Since William has no family, there is absolutely nothing to disturb them there. Even his sole guardian is far away. Still, not coming to see her mother who just escaped a life-threatening crisis is a bit much. No matter how much she might be losing track of time in the sweetness of her first taste of love.
“Of course, I wanted her to see and learn many things. However, I worry that Baron William Roberts is teaching her too many things right now. Surely he hasn't misinterpreted my request to look after Tina in some strange direction? If he has...”
“P-Please calm down, Luna.”
I had imagined similar things, but surely William wouldn't be so indiscreet. Though his words and actions had become a bit bolder lately... surely not, right? While she still had room to grow, Tina's looks were by no means lacking. As long as she kept her mouth shut, she was just a cute young girl. Under the same roof with a lady from the highest noble family who clearly fancied him... it wouldn't be surprising if his testosterone flared up and drove him to do something reckless. I only hoped he was holding back.
“If I had my way, I would go and see what kind of life they are leading... but there is still too much work to organize. Fufu, those children...”
Luna brought the teacup to her lips, wearing a smile that would have made William's knees knock if he had seen it.
“A-Ahem. Then, should I drop by when I return to Lurie?”
“I would be truly grateful if you did... but I worry that I am imposing a burden on you, Princess.”
“No, it's just a quick look. Besides, as William's guardian, I have a duty to check on his living conditions. I'll also tell Tina to at least write you a letter.”
“Thank you. I must visit them myself as soon as the territory stabilizes.”
From my experience so far, Luna Lorencia rarely showed any emotion, no matter what she was discussing. The sole exception was when her daughter, Tina, was involved. This was exactly one of those moments. Seeing the chilly smile on Luna's lips, I felt an urge to send a letter to William this very instant. Telling him that if he wanted to live a long life, he had better not cross the line with Tina.
After finishing my talk with Luna and handling the administrative tasks for the territories transferred to the royal family, it had grown quite late. Outside, the evening sunset was painting the sky in shades of crimson. I gathered some food for Carmel and headed down to the basement. Opening the door to the innermost room—the training chamber—a hot, musky scent wafted out. Rika and Carmel were in the exact same state as when I had left them. Rika bowed her head upon seeing me enter. Even then, her hand resting on Carmel's stomach never stopped pressing down on Carmel's womb.
“Hngh, ah, ah... nnh, ah... ah...”
It seemed Carmel's body had now been trained to the point where her womb could be violated from the outside. However, she hadn't been sensitized enough to climax from that alone. If she could have properly crossed the threshold, she wouldn't be wearing such a pained expression. Ironically, when Carmel saw me, her face lit up as if she had met her savior.
“Ah-hngh... Se-Sera... ah... tell her to... to stop... hngh... She completely... ignored my pleas...”
She must have been in this state the entire time I was upstairs handling business. Enduring the relentless womb massage, unable to climax, yet unable to escape the constant stimulation. She had begged and pleaded with Rika to stop, but Rika had ignored her completely. Obedient only to my commands.
Yet Rika did not look entirely unaffected either. Having to watch Carmel in such a state right beside her... it must have been a torture of a different kind for Rika. Her flushed face was not much different from Carmel's. Setting down the items I brought, I commanded Rika.
“You can stop now, Rika. Take off your clothes and come here.”
“Yes...”
Rika shuddered as if even the friction of her clothes was highly stimulating, slowly stripping off her garments. As she pulled down her trousers, a long string of arousal fluid that had overflowed past her underwear stretched out. I kissed Rika as she approached, sliding my fingers down to her pussy.
“Ah-haaa... mmp... hngh...”
Rika's pussy was already incredibly soft and wet. It was only natural, considering she had spent hours holding Carmel close, constantly bathed in her lewd sighs, desperate pleas, and the physical sensation of massaging her womb. I plunged my fingers inside without hesitation. Already thoroughly drenched, Rika's pussy easily swallowed two of my fingers. A wet, squelching sound echoed continuously. My fingers and tongue moved relentlessly, paying Rika her reward for faithfully executing my orders for so long.
“Mnh... ah...!”
Rika climaxed almost immediately. Her walls clamped down hard, sucking in my fingers. I pushed my tongue deeper into her mouth and my fingers deeper into her pussy, driving her even harder. Confirming Rika's climax, I took half a step back. Perhaps because she had held back for so long, Rika stood frozen, unable to escape the afterglow of her orgasm. Her thighs, slightly bowed inward, trembled violently. Her eyes were so thoroughly stained with pleasure that they could easily be mistaken for a shade of pink.
“Haa, haah... Princess... ah...”
“Fufu, this isn't enough yet, is it? This time, sit over there and—”
Before I could finish, an urgent voice cut in.
“W-Wait... Se-Sera...”
It was Carmel. Perhaps witnessing Rika climaxing so intensely right in front of her had pushed her over the edge; she seemed unable to endure any longer. Her voice was desperate yet filled with shame. In the tone I loved most, Carmel spoke to me.
“I-It's... my turn... now... isn't it...?”
After speaking in a trembling voice, Carmel averted her eyes in deep embarrassment.