Chapter 0 - Be Careful at Midnight
How many men in the empire could claim to have seen the princess in her bare form?
I don't know for sure, but likely none.
The princess is the noblest woman in this vast empire, a being revered by all. The notion of such a woman wandering unclothed in front of others is the kind of fantasy only the most foolish would entertain.
"Eek! W-who are you?!"
Yes, that's right—this whole situation must be a figment of my imagination. It *has* to be.
Before my eyes, under the glimmer of moonlight, stands a woman with long, shimmering silver hair cascading down her back. Her left hand barely covers her overflowing breasts, her right hand shields her private parts, and her face is filled with terror as she lets out a scream.
She looks *far* too much like the princess.
Perhaps the unfulfilled desires from the battlefield have piled up, driving me to some kind of mental delusion. Or maybe, unbeknownst to me, I'm trapped in a dream.
"Damn it."
I shut my eyes tightly, muttering a curse that has become second nature after spending so much time among rough soldiers.
It was a pointless gesture, but I felt like I'd lose my mind if I didn't do *something*.
"Who—who are you?! Why are you here at this hour? How did you even get here?!"
The woman, perhaps interpreting my reaction in her own way, began to back away slowly. Despite her obvious fear, her attempt to feign composure was almost pitiful.
*Thud!*
But her efforts were in vain. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the grass as if crumbling.
"Damn it."
If only she'd stayed still. What kind of shameless position is this? The soft-looking thighs, parted to reveal a shy, tightly closed slit—an intimate part of a woman that should never be exposed, now brazenly displayed before me.
"D-don't look!"
Even in this state, she's desperately trying to cover her breasts. Isn't the phrase "futile effort" made for moments like this?
Witnessing this pitiful yet lascivious scene, I had no choice but to accept the truth.
This moment is no fantasy—it's stark reality.
Pushing aside my confusion and the pathetic stirring in my lower half, I took slow steps toward her, feeling as though I were pronouncing my own death sentence.
I needed to confirm one last thing.
What if she's just someone who looks like her? If that's the case, I can scold her for her indecent hobby and send her home.
"Ah, ahhh…! No, don't come closer! P-please…!"
But as if mocking the faint hope I'd clung to, the result was exactly as I'd feared.
Her trembling blue eyes, filled with anxiety, gazed up at me.
Silver hair and blue eyes are not uncommon traits on their own, but a woman possessing both? As far as I know, there's only one such person in the entire empire.
The empire's treasured gem, Alicia von Diana Solaris.
Why in the world is she here, doing *this*? She's a princess, but still human, I suppose.
It's a situation I can't comprehend, but I can understand. People have all sorts of tastes, after all.
So, it seems I've become the first man in the empire to witness the princess's pristine, untouched body—an honor no one else has ever been granted!
And my thoughts on basking in this overwhelming privilege?
"Oh, God…"
It's the absolute worst.
I went for a midnight stroll and ended up encountering the princess indulging in her secret hobby, naked, in a secluded place.
It's the kind of absurd scenario you'd find in the opening of some lewd novel.
My head is starting to ache. How am I supposed to handle this?
…I never should've gone for a walk tonight.