38. Falling Petals (2)
38. Falling Blossoms (2)
I regained consciousness, not knowing when I had blacked out.
"H-hit, hick...."
A whisper of pain escaped my lips involuntarily.
It hurt.
To the point where my skin was bruised and my flesh felt mangled.
And when I briefly focused my senses on my body and roughly examined myself,
'Ah... My womb... It feels like my uterus has ruptured....'
The precious womb that should carry children was completely shattered into a mess.
Well, it was inevitable.
After being struck by a sincere punch from Evernoir Sir, who was overwhelmingly stronger and more powerful than me.
"Aah...."
Words wouldn't come out properly.
My body remembered it.
The primal fear imprinted by violence.
Even when I wanted to say something, my body sounded alarms, creating a strangely unfamiliar sensation.
Gggeuk.
Using every ounce of strength I had since infancy, I knelt before Evernoir Sir.
"Heek, heek."
Even the slightest movement made my uterus scream.
The completely shattered womb began to tear further.
But I didn't stop.
The pain I inflicted on myself,
The fact that I, a noble and exalted being called the imperial princess whom no one dare disrespect,
I who had been taught to choose death over dishonor if violated,
Was bowing my head to an inferior and suffering violence from someone—it drove me insane.
"Ah, hick. P-please forgive me, Master-nim...."
When had a princess ever been treated like this?
A woman who had thrown away her position, etiquette, and pride, showing only her ugly appearance as she pressed her forehead against the ground.
-Jjirureureu
"Uhhik?!"
Was it in my chest?
Or inside my womb?
Somewhere was ringing madly.
I was so delighted by the fact that I was destroying myself.
Like a canary that had escaped its cage and found freedom.
####
"Emergency treatment is roughly complete, Your Highness."
"Ggeuk."
After a long, long period of silence, Evernoir Sir, who had noticed my condition, hurriedly ran over and gathered mana.
The torn-to-shreds uterus returned to its place.
But as she said, it was truly just emergency treatment, not complete healing.
-Sweuk. Ujukkkeun.
"Kyaak?! Haak, haak. Heuheuheu...."
"Your Highness!"
Just from slightly twisting my waist, a twisting sound came from inside along with pain so intense it nearly made me lose consciousness, jolting me awake.
Of course, it was intentional.
I deliberately twisted my waist.
When my uterus, of all organs, twisted, it hurt so much I couldn't even breathe, but somehow that pain felt incredibly refreshing.
To the point where laughter escaped me after screaming.
I hugged my stomach and trembled violently.
Each time I felt this pain, a small sense of satisfaction grew.
Though Evernoir watching me made a rather serious expression.
Not that it mattered anyway.
Evernoir would drop dead with just one word from me.
"Elise? Forgive this foolish princess."
".....? Wh-what did you just say...?"
Evernoir Sir's eyes widened like lanterns in surprise.
-Teobeok.
Ukssin!
-Teobeok.
Udeuk!
Step by step.
With each step toward her, my lower abdomen screamed madly, but I kept walking without stopping.
Toward Evernoir Sir.
....No. Should I call her Elise Sir now?
"Despite appearances, haven't you and I become somewhat deeply involved?"
In that unbelievable relationship of master and slave.
Moreover, the master wasn't the princess but the knight order captain.
Rather, it was the princess who volunteered to be the slave.
Since we were both included in such a crazy relationship, one could say we were close.
"Now, try calling me—."
"Pr, Prin...."
The privilege to dare call the princess by her name,
Which I hadn't permitted anyone except Dorothy.
".....Princess Jaina."
"That's right...."
But obviously this wasn't the end.
Wasn't there something my uterus was screaming for and my Crotch Tattoo glowing brightly for, right this moment?
"—And when we're alone?"
"Jaina...."
"Ahhat-!"
Indeed, Elise Sir had something.
Should I call it instinct, or perhaps innate nature?
She always had that charisma that devoured others, which she had been hiding throughout her life.
To be precise, should I call it aptitude?
Let me explain in more modern terms for you....,
Yes. Dominant.
A very perverted orientation that finds excitement in dominating someone and completely making them their own.
Perhaps at this very moment, Elise Sir might have discovered her hidden talent and orientation that even she didn't know about.
####
Though many things had happened, we finally arrived at the capital city after various twists and turns.
And near that capital city were the members of the 2nd Knight Order who had fled.
"Y-you're safe!"
"C-captain...? Even Your Highness?"
The members who saw us began rushing over in a crowd.
The arriving members started kneeling one by one.
"We apologize!!"
They must know what wrong they had committed too.
Just as I was about to let it slide appropriately,
"We will properly interrogate and decide on the story and punishment later. For now, Her Highness the Princess is in critical condition, so we must take our leave first."
Elise said this and simply embraced me, ignoring them as she passed through the city gates.
Perhaps it was an inevitable outcome.
Even if they fled from a battle with no chance of victory, abandoning their superiors was a serious crime.
If it had been just the captain, it might have been different, but it was the princess.
Returning after abandoning the two most important figures in the knight order would absolutely not be viewed favorably.
"Elena Sir, what do you plan to do?"
"......First is Her Highness. Their punishment will be later—"
"This princess is also at fault, so refrain from overly severe punishment."
"......Understood."
She was more concerned about me and prioritized me more than ever before.
I thought she would eventually pretend not to hear and answer with silence.
But she listened to my request before her own emotions—how commendable.
Thus, I was carried princess-style by Evernoir Sir and quickly entered the imperial palace.
Unless my identity was completely known to others, it was easier to minimize watching eyes and listening ears.
-Kkiik.
The door to the imperial private residence opened by the doorkeeper's hand.
The interior was the same as usual.
Only maids busily moving about as if nothing had happened.
"Eh, eeh?"
But that was brief.
One maid who recognized us stopped what she was doing.
Had it been about 3 weeks?
She was one of the girls who had briefly attended to me during my bath then.
"Imperi...!"
"Shh."
"...Hup?!"
The maids were well-trained.
Especially more so than other noble households.
Naturally, they had to be.
If they accidentally talked about something they overheard in the imperial palace outside, even by mistake, they would be purged immediately.
This girl was similar.
At first, she seemed about to rejoice upon seeing my face, but as soon as Elise raised her index finger to her lips, she covered her mouth with both hands.
"Please guide us to Her Highness's bedchamber. Quickly."
"Yes, yes!"
Lest we attract attention from other maids, we hurriedly moved.
After Evernoir Sir carefully laid me on the bed, she spoke to the maid.
"You must keep quiet about this matter."
"Yes, yes! I'll erase it from my memory!"
"Then the attending physician for Her Highness.... No. What is the physician's gender...?"
"Male."
"Please summon a female physician from the imperial palace immediately."
"I, I shall obey your command!"
Certainly.
No matter if it was the attending physician, I couldn't just show the princess's stomach to anyone.
Moreover, there was a Crotch Tattoo embedded in the lower abdomen, and the area that needed treatment was the uterus.
Not long after the maid left, a elegant-looking woman with her tied hair let down behind her opened the door and entered.
"I am Meina. I was told Her Highness summoned me....?"
As Meina entered, Elise locked the door and spoke.
"Before treatment, please keep quiet about what you see from now on, and about Her Highness's condition."
"Huh? Ah, yes. I will."
"This way."
Only after receiving confirmation from Meina too did Elise lead her over to me.
"Excuse me, Your Highness."
"Mmm."
Then after asking my permission, she slowly lifted my top.
Revealing my pale white stomach along with the crimson pattern engraved upon it.
Of course, that wasn't all.
Right at the center where the Crotch Tattoo was engraved, particularly where the heart shape was drawn on the Crotch Tattoo, a fresh blue bruise had formed.
And the bruise looked like it had been struck by something.
"H-how did this happen....?"
Meina naturally asked about the reason for something that shouldn't happen to a woman, especially the princess.
As Elise Sir hesitated and finally tried to speak, I preempted her.
"I got hit. By the Succubus Queen."
".....Excuse me?"
"Got beaten up quite disgracefully under the pretext of venting anger."
".....Ah."
I felt slightly guilty but decided to add lies for credibility.
"The Succubus Queen said I won't be able to have children from now on... Can it be fixed?"
"Th-that kind of?! I'll examine you quickly....!"
Meina was startled by my words and quickly began channeling mana into my body.
The mana that spread gently throughout my body seemed to prove her profession as a healer.