A Knight's Devotion and a Shifting Plot
Wearing a noble smile befitting a princess, I watched Carmel as she was attended to by her maids. The sensual contours of her body flashed briefly between their swift, busy hands. Yet, even that fleeting glimpse was thoroughly enjoyable. Watching Carmel's body was always a pleasure, whether she was completely naked, clad only in her undergarments, or dressed in a magnificent gown.
Compared to yesterday, Carmel seemed to have shaken off some of her bewilderment. Nevertheless, a faint blush still lingered on her cheeks. Well, I suppose adapting to this kind of suggestive atmosphere isn't something one achieves overnight. Carmel kept her eyes fixed on my body as if refusing to back down... but doing so only backfired on her. It merely gave me a strange, thrilling sensation to know that her eyes were roaming over my naked skin.
Having official duties today, Carmel had to wear attire far more complex than mine. Naturally, even after I had finished dressing, she was left standing there with her undergarments fully exposed. Now, it was her turn to be subjected to a one-sided, embarrassing display. Realizing her predicament, Carmel snapped in an irritated voice.
"What are you doing? Hurry up!"
"Y-yes, Your Majesty! Our apologies! We will be quick!"
Taking her temper out on the innocent maids, are we? The hands of the maids attending to Carmel's body grew frantic. I offered a soothing, leisurely word to calm them down.
"There is no need to rush so much. We still have plenty of time, don't we? It would be a disaster if Mother's beautiful skin were to be scratched in your haste, so please, take your time."
"Oh, um... well..."
Caught between the contradictory orders of the princess and the queen, the maids hesitated in utter confusion. Meanwhile, I calmly admired the luscious curve of Carmel's hips, draped in nothing but a single sheet of fine silk, licking my lips inwardly.
"Just get on with it!" Carmel barked.
"Ah, yes, Your Majesty!"
Carmel clearly had no intention of dragging out the conversation. She had realized remarkably fast that bickering with me here was exactly what I wanted. Instead, she began to glare at me with a look bordering on pure contempt. Mmm. This is quite exquisite as well. Carmel, half-dressed, glaring daggers at me. This sight alone is intoxicating enough to sustain me for an entire day without food.
"We are finished, Your Majesty!"
Despite the immense pressure, the maids performed their duties flawlessly. Now transformed into the picture-perfect image of a flawless queen, Carmel spun around, turning her back to me. She was making no effort to hide her profound displeasure. But she had better get used to it quickly. After all, this is something she will have to endure every single day from now on.
Still, that view of her back... it is beautiful enough to be almost dangerous. The movement of her shoulder blades beneath her exposed skin looks strangely erotic. The soft, elegant curve of her hips is no different. Staring at Carmel's retreating figure, I offered a parting greeting with a gentle smile—though, of course, she couldn't see it.
"Have a safe trip, Mother."
Predictably, Carmel left without a single word of reply, sweeping out of the chamber. I could only wish the best of luck to Pehart and the members of the state council, who would have to deal with her hysterical mood today. At any rate, Carmel departed to fulfill her duties as queen. Left behind in the room with the two maids, I looked around the chamber, feeling a slight sense of emptiness. The room felt dreadfully dull once Carmel was gone. Or perhaps it only felt that way because her presence was always so intensely stimulating.
Well, it wasn't as if I had nothing to do. First and foremost, I needed to investigate that highly suspicious box radiating a dark aura. Under the worried gazes of the maids once more, I approached the chest. Unsurprisingly, the lid refused to budge. I had already confirmed this last time. It was impossible to lift or even shake. I couldn't tell if it was anchored in place by magic or if it was simply due to Princess Sera's weak physical strength. Hmm... Just in case, I whispered a phrase in a voice too quiet for the maids to hear.
"Sbar Wiha Tachak Kaha."
Of course, even as the words left my lips, I knew there was virtually no chance of it working. Carmel was well aware that I knew the secret phrase of the Northern tribes. The probability of her choosing this exact phrase as the key to open the box was zero. Just as I was about to turn away from the chest in disappointment, a sudden burst of blue flame erupted from the box.
"Oh?"
Startled, I took a step back, but the blue flame vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving no further reaction. However, the mere fact that it had reacted at all was what truly mattered.
Seeing my sudden, startled movement, one of the maids asked with a worried expression, "Um, Princess, are you alright?"
"Ah, yes, I'm fine. I just tripped slightly as I was standing up."
It seemed the maid hadn't seen the blue flame at all. Had she witnessed such a dangerous phenomenon, she would have reacted far more urgently. A blue flame invisible to the maids, yet clear to me—this was undoubtedly a magical reaction.
Although the box hadn't opened, the phrase had triggered some sort of magical response. Did this mean the chest reacted to the language of the Northern tribes? In other words, it was a voice-activated password. It was highly likely that the chest would open only if one spoke a specific phrase that Carmel had set in the Northern tongue. If that were the case, seeking outside help to force it open would be useless. Ultimately, Carmel herself held the key. In the end, 'negotiating' with Carmel seemed to be the only viable solution. Having reached this conclusion, I stepped away from the box, resolving to pry more information out of Carmel once she returned.
What should I do now? Just as the thought crossed my mind, the door opened timidly, and Sinia stepped into the room. She caught my eye and bowed politely.
"Thank you for your hard work, Sinia."
"O-oh, no, it is only my duty. More importantly..."
Sinia pulled an envelope from her bodice. Even at a glance, it looked remarkably thick.
"Lord Filgret tried to hand me a letter that was nearly fifty pages long... I told him I couldn't possibly carry that much hidden in my clothes. Anyone would grow suspicious if they saw me struggling to carry a massive bundle of papers."
"Ah... I see. Thank you, Sinia."
So it was from Filgret. What on earth did he have so much to say about? After delivering the letter, Sinia began her official duties of cleaning and organizing the room. I sat down at the table and began to read Filgret's letter. There were three pages in total. The moment I unfolded the first page, I was greeted by suffocatingly neat handwriting that packed the paper from top to bottom.
Stripping away the aggressive expressions and terrifying vocabulary quite unlike his usual self, the core message of the first page was as follows:
I view Your Highness's confinement with the utmost gravity and am prepared to risk my life to launch a rescue operation. Please give the command at any moment.
Hmm, quite extreme. It seemed the letter I had sent him previously hadn't provided enough explanation. Well, from his perspective, his master had walked straight into the enemy's clutches completely unprotected. It was only natural for him to worry. It looked like I would have to trouble Sinia once more. The message to send this time would be: "All of this is proceeding according to my intentions. Do not act rashly and ruin my plans." For Filgret, who trusted my abilities implicitly, this would be more than enough.
With that thought, I turned to the second page. The second page seemed to have been written not merely as my loyal subject, but in his official capacity as Knight Commander Filgret. It contained detailed reports regarding the selection of the new Knight Captain and the general operations of the Knight Order. Frankly, while the former was of some interest, the latter didn't particularly concern me. Filgret would handle it well on his own. In just over ten seconds, I scanned and digested the densely packed text of the second page.
Then came the third page. Written there was a piece of information that thoroughly piqued my interest. Carmel was secretly contacting the Lorencia Family.
The Lorencia Family...
My very first thought was, Already? In the original novel, they were the last of the 6 Great Families to join hands with Carmel. In fact, they had only begun to cooperate after the Rustie Kingdom had practically fallen entirely into Carmel's grasp. The reason for their late involvement was simple: the Lorencia Family already held a stranglehold on the country's established power. They held the highest noble title of Duke, and as the owners of the largest territory, they were the most prestigious of the prestigious houses. That was the Lorencia Family.
Although the Roberts Merchant Guild controlled the kingdom's commerce, the Lorencia Family had no need to manage such tedious enterprises. Everything produced within their vast territories was essentially theirs to claim. With such an unshakeable foundation, the Lorencia Family wanted for nothing. Wealth, honor, tradition, respect... they possessed everything a noble house could ever desire. They were not called the "nobles among nobles" for nothing. And now, this very Lorencia Family was meeting with Carmel. This was clear proof that the novel's plot had shifted significantly. Carmel was likely acting swiftly, seizing the opportunity of my confinement to make her move. She must have judged that now was the perfect, once-in-a-lifetime chance to win over the most powerful family in Rustie.
I can't just sit back and enjoy myself...
Confined to Carmel's chambers, my options for taking action were extremely limited. If I simply let the remaining eighteen days slip away, it might lead to irreversible consequences. The same horrific fate that befell Princess Sera in the original novel would come rushing toward me. That was something I had to avoid at all costs.
While Sinia busied herself with cleaning, I pulled out paper and a pen and began to write feverishly. My hand moved without a single moment of rest. I had to write two letters before Sinia finished her chores—one to Filgret, and the other to William.
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