Temptation Unseen
With Rowen, the knight captain, guiding me, I ascended to the top floor of the inn. The princess greeted me as if she'd been waiting, dressed in something far more revealing than before.
How should I put it? From the vague outline I could sense, it was practically nothing—like she was barely wearing anything at all. It was definitely some kind of fabric, but far too thin to call clothing.
"Y-You've... arrived? Please, come in."
"What is this...? No, alright, I'll come in."
She'd already given permission for me to take her body upon our first meeting, so maybe she was a bit open-minded? In a dark fantasy world, that wasn't out of the question. With that thought, I cautiously stepped into her room.
Creak—thud.
Hearing the door close, I settled onto a small sofa in one corner of the room. With a soft rustle, Rihella Leyseras began peeling off the translucent scraps of cloth draped over her body, one by one.
"Wait a moment."
Startled by the sight—well, the sense of it—I shot up from my seat and stopped her. Rihella tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"Why...?"
"That's what I'd like to know. Why are you doing this all of a sudden?"
"To repay you, of course?"
As she answered, she reached for the last of her clothes. Though I couldn't see, I hurried over, fumbled to redress her, and spoke calmly.
"Listen... I don't want repayment like that. And on another note... even if you lack power, please refrain from offering your body so carelessly in the future."
"......"
Even I thought my refusal was gentlemanly. Rihella just stared blankly at me for a moment, speechless.
A short while later, the strange tension hanging in the air dissolved in an instant. She wrapped her bare shoulders with a dazed expression, then clutched tightly at the thin garment I'd hastily fastened for her.
She bowed her head deeply and began to tremble faintly.
"Sob, hic... Th-Thank you. For your consideration... hic."
Between her fragile breaths came choked sobs. The forced seductiveness was gone, replaced only by the pitiful tears of a young woman driven to the edge. The faint vibrations of her tears hitting the floor reached me clearly.
After shedding tears for a good while, she suddenly rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, peeked up at me cautiously, and mumbled.
"And just to correct one thing... you seem to have misunderstood, but I've never even held hands with an outsider, per the continent's customs."
She sounded indignant, her voice choked with tears, but her words came out clearly enough.
"I mustered tremendous courage to offer my body for my companions..."
"...I see."
I clicked my tongue inwardly at that.
Wow. That hypnotic skill didn't seem like the work of someone who's ensnared just one or two men... pure talent, huh?
To think someone inexperienced could lower her voice like that and strip so boldly in that brief moment. And that lethal atmosphere too. If my eyes worked properly, I might have already pounced—no, forget that.
Royalty in this dark fantasy world must have some extraordinary survival instincts or innate charm.
Or maybe just this princess?
From what I recalled of the original story, the self-proclaimed nobles all had a screw loose somewhere.
...No, that's not the point.
Anyway, if I let her keep crying like this, the knights waiting outside would peg me as the world's worst scum. Gently grasping Rihella's shoulders as she started sobbing again, I said,
"Ahem. I nearly ended up as the pervert who ravaged the pure princess, stabbed in the back by those sturdy knights outside. Lucky for me, my blindness spared me from witnessing that tremendous courage."
"Hic, yeah."
My light joke halted her tears instantly. A small chuckle followed soon after. Sensing the mood had lightened, I dove into the main topic.
"Well then, with the misunderstanding cleared up, shall we talk about real compensation?"
"Ah... yes. Tell me what you want."
Her breathing grew shallow and cautious again.
"Hmm, first off, one thing I'm curious about... Leyseras Kingdom has already fallen completely to the Genos Empire, hasn't it? Practically annexed. So what makes you think you can compensate me?"
"...Ah."
She had no answer to my blunt question. In the ensuing silence, the soft swish of fabric brushing skin came again. The vibration painted a headache-inducing picture in my mind: Rihella, glancing at me slyly, fiddling with the undergarment straps I'd just secured, trying to loosen them again.
I waved my hands frantically and shook my head.
"No, not that. I just said I'm not interested in your body. Don't you have any gold, jewels, or magical artifacts worth something you grabbed in haste? You boasted in the forest about ample compensation."
"......"
As I pressed her point by point, she dropped her hand from the strap and hung her head again. Then, either thinking I couldn't hear or saying it outright, she muttered softly.
"Tch... I know he's impressive, but is this how you treat a woman even the crown prince proposed to? Doesn't seem all that blind."
After mumbling to herself, she looked up at me again and said,
"Truth is... it was a desperate lie to survive."
"Hah."
Such a bold confession. But I'd half-suspected it since the carriage ride, so I listened silently to her explanation.
"The kingdom's treasures were seized or lost during our escape... Right now, all I can offer is this worthless body of mine. I have no face to show..."
She hunched her shoulders like a criminal, at a complete loss. I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Hmm, 'worthless' my foot—that figure was plenty impressive... No, focus. So what now?
A penniless fugitive princess from a fallen kingdom. Not a single gold coin to squeeze out. At this rate, I'd be covering not just escort fees but meals too.
I pondered options, deciding to chalk it up to good deed volunteer work, and moved to stand—when that nagging name from the start resurfaced.
Leyseras. So familiar.
If material reward was off the table, I'd at least resolve this nagging familiarity. Who knows? It might fill gaps between game lore and this world—valuable info.
Yeah, that's the plan.
Still half-risen, I faced the rigid Rihella and spoke.
"Well, no money? Can't be helped. I'll take compensation another way."
"Wh-What other way...?"
She lifted her hands again to cover her chest. Even knowing I'm blind, why? Curiosity flickered, but I pressed on.
"No need to look so scared. Just answer my questions honestly, everything you know."
"Everything I know... Understood."
"Good. First... any male royalty in Leyseras? Late teens to early twenties, around your age."
"Hmm, around my age..."
More royals than I'd thought? She pondered for a minute, then answered in a slightly downcast tone, as if recalling something unpleasant.
"Closest in age would be my half-brother, two years younger—18. Chersen Leyseras."
"Chersen Leyseras."
The name intensified the déjà vu. But no matter how I racked my brain, no memories surfaced. Same when I asked about appearance or traits later.
Wait, this princess is my age? Huh.
In the end, after 30 minutes, no game-changing info emerged. But I did glean extras: Leyseras details beyond the game, current continental politics, and Genos Empire's next target.
Time to wrap up. I opened my mouth.
"For now, Your Highness?"
"—! Y-Yes?"
She jumped at my sudden address. So skittish—how would she survive this brutal dark fantasy world?
"I'll call it even for saving your life."
"Eh...? But..."
"I know it's woefully inadequate for a life debt... But I didn't act expecting grand reward—just slaying villains. No need to feel burdened."
With that, I slowly rose. The princess stared blankly, then sprang up and grabbed my wrist as I headed for the door.
"...? More to say?"
I tilted my head. She fidgeted with her grip, then, as if decided, tightened it and shouted,
"Please, take responsibility for me!!!"
"...Ugh!"
The high-pitched scream straight into my ear from so close. Reflexively covering it, I said carefully,
"Princess? I'm blind. Shouting right in my face hurts my ears."
"...Ah."