39. Falling Blossoms (3)

"How... how could someone do something so cruel······"

As Meina's examination continued, cold sweat dripped down Elise's face.

She was realizing in real time just how hard she had hit with a strength completely different from that of ordinary people.

No matter how hard a person throws a punch, the uterus doesn't easily get damaged.

Moreover, for women, the uterus is such a vital point that losing consciousness was inevitable.

"Your Highness, um······,"

"Speak comfortably."

"Your Highness's uterine shape is completely twisted······ Ah, of course it can be restored! B-by any chance, can you endure a little pain right now?"

"If the doctor says I must, then I must."

Meina gathered mana in her hand.

Then she placed her hand on the lower abdomen and, with a small but strong motion,

grasped the broad yet tightly woven mana and pulled.

-Crunch!

"Kkhuk?!"

The unimaginable pain made her squeeze her eyes shut, but only for a moment,

-Pop, pop-pop.

"Keuhuk! Kkkeuuk!"

The uterus returning to its proper place hurt more than any other pain.

But within that transmitted uterine pain, there was a very tiny sensation of pleasure.

Even while screaming as if she would die from the immediate pain, her lower parts reacted on their own.

"Hahak, hahak, kkeuk."

Of course, even if there was pleasure, it was likely because it was just too painful and exhausting.

-Sluurp.

After that, she lost consciousness and had no memory.

####

"······Uum."

"Your Highness, are you awake···?"

The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was Elise.

And beside her, Dorothy was looking at her with a very pitiful expression.

"Your Highneeeess·····!"

It seemed she had rushed over immediately upon hearing the news.

Had Meina already left?

Well, she couldn't stay by her side forever.

After all, Elise was already constantly on standby nearby.

And now even the ever-devoted Dorothy had come, so would the two of them be on constant standby now?

'······Might be a bit annoying······?'

At the very least, she wanted to rest alone when it was time to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rest.

Therefore, the decision I made was,

"You both must have things to do, so you may leave now."

It was, of course, an order to expel guests.

In response, Dorothy stubbornly insisted that she would nurse me all night long, but of course, I kicked her out without mercy.

However, Elise wasn't moving, as if she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had something to say.

"······Your Highness."

"I'm listening."

Elise spoke with a somewhat stiff gaze.

"There's no telling if an incident like this will happen again on future expeditions."

"I suppose so."

"To be honest, if something like this happens again, I am always prepared to sacrifice my life······ but I only have one life."

Elise's words seemed to suggest not to trust the knights' loyalty.

Therefore, the only chance to avoid a critical situation would be the one opportunity bought with her life.

The behavior the knights showed in this incident was, for their captain Elise, closer to betrayal following deep disappointment.

Originally, a knight order should consider sacrificing their lives to protect the princess as a matter of course.

After all, a knight order is its master's sword, a sword to protect its master.

Yet when captured by the Succubus Queen, they immediately fled at a single word telling them to run away.

Even though it was my choice as the princess, it wouldn't look that way to Elise, their captain.

Naturally, in the captain's eyes, the princess was someone who must be saved even if it meant abandoning the lives of all personnel present.

This time, it just happened to be the Succubus Queen, and she even threw us to the goblins to be violated, so such an opportunity arose.

But what if it had been another Legion Commander?

Then I might already be a corpse or captured as a hostage, causing great damage to the empire.

"However, I too participated prepared to risk my life. I merely judged that it was more beneficial to save the rest if no one could survive anyway."

"······But-!"

"I know. From your position, you must be disappointed in them. Well, what can we do? So I won't tell you to endure it either."

Maintaining discipline is important.

A knight who isn't prepared to sacrifice their life as a knight should rightfully be expelled.

However, we cannot blow this issue out of proportion.

They are also human and feel emotions and fear the same.

This is precisely when this phrase is used.

'It can't be helped.'

It was a very convenient ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠phrase.

It could excuse moral evasion, personal will, and professional responsibility alike.

But the more it's overused, the more the knight order risks becoming not an order of knights but a group of selfish lowlifes.

"So my meaning is to do it moderately, moderately."

The knight order's discipline, Elise's venting of anger—

Since they were also afraid, for now, my words meant to scold them moderately.

I can let it slide once.

But there won't be a second time.

If that happens, they'd be more suited as soldiers than knights.

"········Understood."

Elise, understanding my intention, showed a somewhat acquiescent attitude.

Though her face looked completely unconvinced.

"Your Highness, please be careful not to reveal your Crest. I will also keep an eye on Physician Meina."

"Understood."

"Then."

With that, Elise gave a short bow and went out.

The moment she left, for some reason, I heard Dorothy interrogating her about what conversation we had, but I cleanly ignored it and erased it from my mind.

Then, unable to resist the sleepiness brought on by the thick blankets and cozy bed I was feeling for the first time in a long time, my eyes closed.

####

The next day.

And that night.

-Rumble.

Suddenly, the window opened and a man in black attire entered.

"Who goes there."

"It is I, 2nd Prince-nim. Ah, should I call you Princess-nim now?"

It was a familiar face, yet unfamiliar.

The Night Knights Captain always hid his face.

But since it was a sight I was used to, I knew who it was immediately.

"At least knock before entering. What if I had been changing?"

"Hm?"

At my words, the Night Knights Captain briefly scanned my body up and down, staring particularly intently at my chest, and said,

"You seem to have grown quite accustomed to the life of a princess."

"······Ugh."

I wasn't unaware of the meaning behind those words.

Was it because I had unconsciously become aware that the Night Knights Captain was a man?

Just as I brought up consideration for women, the retort was essentially asking if I had already become a female.

Thanks to that, my face grew hot.

Not from anger, but from embarrassment.

Only two people knew my true identity.

And hearing such words from one of them was embarrassing enough to make my face redden.

Naturally, they didn't know my feelings and undoubtedly assumed I naturally wanted to return to the life of a prince.

Fortunately, it was night and the room was dark, so it seemed my red face went unnoticed.

"····Ahem. So what business brings you here at this late hour."

"Ah, Prince··· no. Princess-nim, your next destination has been decided."

It seemed Elise had already submitted her report.

Knowing her, she probably reported everything, including our defeat.

Perhaps that's why the next location was a place I had heard of before.

"The Beastfolk Village, Bistern."

"······Bistern?"

Beastfolk weren't treated very well among humans.

They were viewed as blasphemous existences, the very embodiment of impurity, born not from beast and beast purebloods, but from beast and human.

Of course, they aren't truly beings born from a beast and a human.

Beastfolk are just beastfolk, not beasts.

But among pureblood humans, they couldn't possibly be viewed favorably.

No matter how hard they tried, the beast ears, tail, and habits that couldn't be erased still remained.

Because of this, they weren't recognized as a singular entity called beastfolk.

Beastfolk were negative, blasphemous beings born from humans who loved beasts in the distant past.

Thus, unable to endure human society, the beastfolk built their own nation.

However, its size was ambiguous to call a nation.

Beastfolk who didn't share the sentiment endured discrimination and lived in human society, and those who gathered there only numbered about as many people as a slightly large village in the empire.

So the empire didn't officially recognize it as a nation.

They had no intention of recognizing beings who blasphemed the gods.

And that place was the next destination.

There must obviously be some reason.

And the Night Knights Captain told me that reason.

"We have intelligence that the beastfolk have sided with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Demon King's faction."

"······So they finally made that choice."

I could understand.

Even if just for revenge against the humans who never accepted them, they would side with the Demon King's faction.

That side, unlike the human faction, doesn't discriminate against any race.

Then perhaps we must······ all of them?

"No. Dialogue first. We are not as barbaric and violent as them. Besides, exterminating all of them would be difficult for the 2nd Knight Order."

"······Hmm."

That was a point I acknowledged too.

Having lost several members and with morale low, objectively speaking, the 2nd Knight Order was as weak as any well-trained noble family's knight order.

Anyway, a beastfolk village.

Since it would be my first time actually seeing beastfolk, I felt a little nervous.