Chapter 1 - Misunderstanding
I came to the riverside to enjoy a rare midnight stroll.
This place, quiet and serene after sunset with hardly a soul around, is perfect for unwinding and soaking in the tranquil atmosphere.
The cool night breeze tickled my face pleasantly. The faint moonlight, partially veiled by clouds, seemed to gently embrace the world cloaked in darkness.
"This is the life."
At this hour, with no one else around, I can gaze at the moon's reflection on the river and express my feelings freely without judgment.
It's as if I've become the master of this vast river that runs through the capital. A special experience, one I can only savor at this moment, in this place.
For this, I'd gladly pay the six silver fine for breaking the midnight curfew.
But why haven't I seen a single patrol guard tonight? Aren't they supposed to come collect the fine?
Strange. It's not like they're all off duty at once.
"Whoops."
I shook off the idle thoughts and stood up from the bench. Since I'm here, I might as well do a patrol in place of the guards. Not a bad idea.
Come to think of it, this would be a night patrol conducted by a war veteran and soon-to-be knight commander.
Ooh. That sounds pretty cool.
Plus, who else in the empire could so grandly dress up the crime of breaking the curfew and meddling in another department's duties? Probably just me.
"Pfft…"
What a pointless thought. A silly laugh escaped my lips.
As I indulged in this carefree luxury, it suddenly hit me that it's been over a month since the grueling war ended.
"Is it really all over?"
I muttered to the void, still finding it hard to believe. The moon had already climbed past its zenith.
Normally, this would be the time enemies would launch a surprise attack. But seeing as nothing's happening while I'm this defenseless, it seems the war is truly over.
*Whoosh!*
"Gotcha."
The biggest threat to me right now is a pesky insect buzzing in front of my eyes. It's both comforting and a bit strange to realize this.
To think that peace feels unfamiliar. It's probably because the old me, still swinging a sword on the battlefield, is jealous of the current me, lounging around in the capital.
Oh well, I'll get used to it with time.
Anyway, this leisurely lifestyle ends today. Starting tomorrow, it's back to serving the empire.
My biggest worry right now is whether to wear armor or a uniform to the knight commander inauguration ceremony.
Armor's probably the better choice, right? The uniform feels a bit stifling. Doesn't suit me either.
"Knight commander, huh…"
Muttering my new title to myself, I felt a thrill akin to when I first held a sword.
What a grand title. It rolls off the tongue so smoothly.
No more grim titles like "Frontline Assault Leader" or "Vanguard Whatever," which sound like they'd leave you bristling with arrows like a porcupine. I'm done with those.
As I continued walking, mulling over various matters—
*…What's that guy doing?*
A ripple disturbed the calm peace. A suspicious figure appeared, like a loach stirring up a still pond.
The way they kept looking around, scanning their surroundings—anyone could tell they were up to no good.
Their face and body were completely covered by a hood, making it impossible to identify them, but they didn't seem particularly large.
*Doesn't look like someone out for a casual stroll…*
As a fellow lawbreaker guilty of the heinous crime of breaking curfew, my instincts told me this person was no ordinary figure.
In my experience, those who hide their faces are always up to something shady.
Unlike me, dressed casually without weapons, this person clearly had sinister intentions.
I steadied my relaxed demeanor, quieted my presence, and silently followed, keeping myself hidden.
After closely observing the suspicious figure's movements—
*What the… A spy?*
It became clear this wasn't just a shady character but a dangerous one.
They weren't merely looking around—they were pacing back and forth across the bridge, meticulously studying the city's layout.
Their movements were sluggish and clumsy, but the hooded attire and behavior screamed "textbook suspicious individual," ripe for arrest on the spot.
So, I stared at their back and seriously pondered.
*What should I do with this guy?*
Let them roam freely to gather intel on them, or apprehend them and turn them over to the authorities?
Without knowing their identity, it was hard to say which was better, so I decided to trust my gut.
Might as well observe a bit longer.
The figure's footsteps eventually stopped in the middle of a dark, grassy patch.
*Is there a place like this?*
I've wandered this area plenty, but I never knew there was such an eerie spot along the riverside path. If they're really a spy, this would be the perfect place to meet a contact.
Slightly tense, I watched their actions even more closely.
*Rustle.*
But what followed was beyond anything I could've imagined.
The figure stopped, suddenly removed their hood, and revealed long, flowing silver hair and delicate shoulders.
*What the hell is going on?*
As the situation spiraled into something I could never have predicted, my mind, already full of thoughts, went blank in an instant.
It felt like I'd been hit over the head with a battering ram. A sense of bewilderment, rare even on the battlefield, took over.
What's the protocol when a suspected spy infiltrating the heart of the capital suddenly starts undressing in front of you?
Assume it's a classic honey trap and respond accordingly? Or is it some kind of deception tactic?
Could I already be under the influence of a mental spell or curse?
As if things weren't confusing enough, what I saw next froze me in place.
"Haa…"
With a faint but unmistakable heated breath, she completely cast off the hood hanging loosely around her shoulders, revealing her back to the world.
Shockingly, she was wearing nothing beneath the hood.
*Get a grip!*
I nearly lost myself in the curves of her silhouette, but I scolded myself and barely managed to pull it together.
Damn it. Whether she's a spy or a pervert, why does she have such a tiny waist? And those wide hips. Her thighs are a bit thick, but that only adds to the appeal.
And the way her breasts spill out to the sides—she must be impressively endowed.
It's just her back, but she's clearly a rare beauty. With a figure like that, I don't even need to see her face.
The shimmering silver hair glowing under the moonlight only adds to her mystique.
Her long silver hair and striking curves remind me of Princess Alicia, though her back alone might rival the princess herself.
I thought I'd stumbled into something troublesome and dangerous, but this kind of eye candy makes it worth the hassle.
The odds are growing that she's not a spy but a beauty with an unusual hobby.
If she's a highly trained spy who noticed me and is baring herself to seduce me, I might just let her succeed.
Not that I think that's the case, and she doesn't seem to be doing anything stranger, so I'll just keep admiring this audacious back for a bit longer.
I know it's not exactly honorable, but it feels like a shame to arrest her right away.
*Ooh…*
As I continued to take in her back, she slowly reached toward her breasts.
This… might turn into a sight even rarer than her naked form.
But at that moment—
*Rustle!*
*Damn it!*
A wild animal—rabbit or raccoon, I couldn't tell—passed by, making a noise!
Startled by the sound, she turned around, spotted me, and since there was no cover nearby, I was completely exposed.
A shrill scream echoed as she saw the shadowy man spying on her from behind.
"Eek! W-who are you?!"
I tried to apologize immediately, but the sight of her front left me speechless.
*Oh.*
How many men in the empire could claim to have seen the princess in her bare form?
---
*What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!*
Alicia von Diana Solaris.
A noble princess of the empire, hailed as a flower atop a cliff for her innate beauty, was now facing the crisis of her life.
*Have I been caught? Really?*
Her secret hobby, indulged in so discreetly until now, had been exposed.
To a strange man, no less.
*What do I do…*
Though it was hard to see clearly from a distance, the man looked large and terrifying.
Alicia couldn't even begin to imagine what this mysterious brute might do to her.
It was far too late, but she cursed her past self for planning this outing, blinded by desire, as tears of regret welled up.
A foolish choice for a night of pleasure had led this innocent lamb to face an untamable beast.
Who was this man? He had a ruggedly masculine face, but countless scars made him look menacing.
He towered over even the carefully selected imperial guards, not to mention the capital's nobles.
His well-defined muscles, barely concealed by light clothing, and shoulders so broad they seemed clad in armor despite being bare.
To Alicia, he looked more like a beast than a man.
"Ha, damn it…"
Instead of answering her question about his identity, the terrifying man stared intently at her bare body.
Unable to hold back any longer, he growled, spitting out a coarse curse.
*I'm scared…*
Facing him, Alicia felt a primal fear for the first time in her life, like a herbivore standing before a predator.
Her legs had long since given out. The only thing keeping her from collapsing was one thing:
Her pride as the empire's princess.
Her heart pounded with fear under his gaze, and her body instinctively backed away, but Alicia mustered all her strength and shouted again.
"I asked who you are! Why—how are you here at this hour?!"
But the man showed no reaction to her outburst, standing there blankly.
This place was carefully chosen by Alicia, a secluded spot in the capital where she'd even canceled regular patrols—a perfect stage just for her.
Yet, somehow, the overwhelming presence of this uninvited guest dominated the entire space.
Alicia was terrified of him. What kind of life had he lived to exude such a menacing aura so effortlessly, directed at a defenseless woman?
*Thud!*
In the end, as she backed away from him unconsciously, she collapsed onto the ground.
*Me, of all people, reduced to this…!*
Even amid her fear, Alicia felt profound shame.
Not just because she was exposed to a stranger, but because she, the princess, was submitting to some unknown ruffian.
"Don't look!"
Desperately trying to cover herself and shield her mind from the shock, she cried out, but it was futile.
The man maintained his chilling silence, staring down at her in the same pose.
*Oh, I… the empire's princess… no matter what I do, I must seem laughable to him.*
Alicia could no longer bear his gaze. She'd done her best, but she'd reached her limit.
In that moment, she felt something inside her snap.
Realizing no amount of effort would help, she gave in to despair.
She began crawling on all fours like an animal, pleading with the man.
There was no trace of a princess's dignity left in her.
She was nothing more than a lamb moments from being devoured by a predator.
"No, please… don't come closer! I beg you…!"
Did he take her flailing as a sign that his prey was completely helpless?
Finally, the man began to approach her slowly.
One step. Then another.
With each step closer, dark and ominous thoughts swirled through Alicia's mind.
In her imagination, the man became a dark sorcerer corrupting women with hypnotic magic.
A notorious playboy tainting an innocent country girl with unknown pleasures.
A barbarian ravaging a noble maiden's body, unleashing beastly desires.
All scenes from the steamy novels she loved, but it wouldn't be surprising if something even worse awaited her.
*I'm at his mercy now.*
His eerie red eyes met her icy blue ones.
*Gulp.* Facing him directly, Alicia swallowed hard.
As he came close enough to touch, his size felt even more imposing, and she felt even more delicate.
*Good heavens…*
Up close, he looked utterly ferocious.
His forearms seemed as thick as her thighs, his shoulders even broader than they appeared from afar. The glimpse of his pectorals through his shirt looked like solid stone.
And… the bulging, almost bursting outline of his trousers.
For some reason, seeing that vulgar shape made her head spin, and her lower abdomen began to tremble.
Blood rushed unbidden to parts of her body she was too ashamed to name.
No longer resisting, she stared up at him blankly as his large, rugged hand reached toward her.
Seeing this, Alicia squeezed her eyes shut.
*Oh, God…*
But even after some time, nothing happened.
No rough hands groped her embarrassingly large breasts, nor did any invade the sacred place that should never be touched.
As time passed and curiosity overpowered fear, Alicia cautiously opened her eyes.
"…Are you alright?"
The man was calmly extending his hand toward her.
*Blink, blink.* After a few seconds of blinking, Alicia finally grasped the situation.
*Could it… all have been a misunderstanding?*
Come to think of it, how suspicious must she have looked to him?
Objectively speaking, she was dressed in an extremely questionable manner. It's possible this man, out for a night stroll, spotted her by chance and was observing her to report her.
In other words, he was just an ordinary citizen of the empire, albeit one who looked a bit intimidating.
Given how he was holding out his hand, staring at her as if wondering what she was doing here, it seemed far more likely he was just that rather than a ruthless assailant or princess-slaying monster.
A wave of belated shame turned Alicia's face as red as a ripe tomato.