Under the sun hanging high in the midday sky.
The Imperial Princess, clad in a dress as white as snow, stood face-to-face with the leader of the Black Lions, who was armored head-to-toe in pitch-black plate. Wolfgang's physique—looking rougher and more powerful than any other man—and Alicia's silhouette—appearing more supple and elegant than any other woman—created a sharp contrast, like a scene straight out of a picture book.
From a distance, the sight surely looked quite romantic. However, if someone were to look closely at that same scene, they would likely describe it as something far removed from romance.
"Haah, haah… Do, don't look away."
The man's expressionless face, covered in scars, gradually became stained with horror. At that sight, Alicia felt a simultaneous sense of anticipation, as if facing a new world, and a thrilling pleasure she had never experienced before.
In front of the man who had colored her mind with endless agony for over a week, she was now shamelessly exposing her "secret place"—a part a woman should never reveal. It was an overwhelming pleasure that couldn't even be compared to the thrill of walking around naked in an empty room. Now, the sensation had moved beyond a heavy thumping in her lower abdomen to a piercing, tingling tremor.
Drip...
From Alicia's secret valley, an uncontrollable flow of "honey water" had begun to burst forth, now trickling down her snow-white thighs.
"…As I thought, it's a good thing I didn't wear anything to begin with."
If she had worn underwear, it would have been so soaked that it would have been ruined. It was a favorite pair made by the Empire's finest craftsman, so she was glad it wasn't wasted. Usually, garments easily soiled like underwear or stockings were merely disposable items to the Princess, but occasionally, she would have particularly liked pairs cleaned with magic and stored separately.
The white underwear she had left under the full-length mirror this morning was exactly such a pair.
'Hmm… that. If I give it to Wolfgang as a gift later, he'll like it, won't he?'
According to the precious knowledge she had gained from the "books" she had devoured, men were said to go crazy for the underwear a woman had worn. She wondered if that would work on a man like steel, but seeing how he couldn't take his eyes off her lower body now, perhaps it was plausible.
'If I send my underwear as a gift, will he stand that wicked thing between his legs upright, like he did that night? Or will he make a face full of disgust and contempt?'
At these imaginings—far too dark and audacious to speak aloud yet—the pleasure flowing down Alicia's spine intensified. It grew to the point where she inadvertently let out a feverish moan.
"Ahut… H-huuuuung...♡"
To Alicia, whether it was the former or the latter, both were incredibly exciting. It was truly a "win-win" of pleasure. Alicia stared intently into Wolfgang's crimson eyes with a lust-filled expression. His gaze was wavering.
That was unacceptable.
This man, who kept throwing her heart into confusion, had to look straight at her. Because he was the one who had to take responsibility for Alicia's heart, which kept leaning toward him—or perhaps had already leaned so far there was no turning back.
"Urgh…"
"I told you not to look away! You are my only audience member; do you intend to ruin the performance like this? Fulfill your given role, Wolfgang von Schwarz!"
Had it been the usual Alicia, these would have been bold remarks she only muttered to herself. Perhaps the excessive pleasure had caused her to let go of her restraints. As she spoke her thoughts aloud, the man's face momentarily twisted into a terrifying grimace.
'Ah, yes! That's it!'
It was only for a fleeting moment, and his face quickly returned to an expressionless mask. But for Alicia, that alone was enough to feel an uncontrollable surge of excitement rising from within. Her face grew redder and redder from the sheer intensity. The waves of pleasure traveling down her spine became even more violent.
It was an intense euphoria she could usually only reach after fondling her secret place for a long time. As it continued without stopping, she felt as if she were possessed. It felt as though she were becoming someone other than Alicia.
'I-I didn't intend to go this far today, but…'
The plan she had made before coming here was originally quite modest. A shy plan to somehow brush fingers with Wolfgang, or perhaps "accidentally" trip to catch a glimpse of her bare lower body. A small sense of satisfaction and a moderate amount of pleasure to relieve her built-up stress—that should have been enough.
But thinking about it, the plan she made before coming here had already been disrupted once because of that "alley cat." Yet, Alicia had already taken the liberty of kneading Wolfgang's large, reliable hand, and she had already enjoyed the precious experience of his massive hand completely enveloping hers.
And now, she was standing before him with her lower body fully exposed, staring at his fierce face while savoring the ultimate pleasure. The plan had gone awry, but the deviation had actually brought her a much greater gain.
'In that case... wouldn't it be alright to twist it one more time?'
It was a completely illogical and irrational decision for the Princess of the Empire to make. But right now, Alicia was the sole director, actor, and heroine of this strange role-play consisting of only one spectator and one performer. Her groundless confidence led her to act purely on the flow of her consciousness.
"Come closer." "…Yes." "A little closer. So that, just like that night, I can reach you if I stretch out my hand."
Step, step.
At Alicia's command, Wolfgang moved mechanically without any other reaction, stepping right up to her. His broad shoulders, massive frame, and masculine face—all of which stimulated a woman's instincts—were the same as before. However, his hollow expression lacked any of the hot vitality she had felt that night.
'…This isn't what I want.'
Alicia was deeply dissatisfied. She didn't want a subordinate who was forced to follow her orders without a word because his weakness was held against him. What Alicia wanted from Wolfgang was something beyond that—something she herself couldn't quite define yet.
That was why she wanted to hear Wolfgang's answer—so she could find a definitive conclusion to the strange feelings she had harbored for him since that night. But as she saw no way forward, she stood there dazed, staring at his masculine, scarred face while her lower half grew wetter.
'Yes! That's it!'
Finally, a good idea occurred to her. They were just "role-playing" right now. For a moment—just a brief moment—it seemed okay to become a wicked Princess who intimidated her loyal Knight Commander.
Alicia finally lowered the hem of her dress, which she had been holding up for a long time, and spoke with an air of haughty arrogance.
"Sir Wolfgang? I shall assign you a second role." "A second role… you say?" "Yes. Your first role was as a spectator, but that is not enough. Now, step onto the stage."
At Alicia's command, Wolfgang nodded silently. Yet, for some reason…
'Ugh, I don't like this.'
Alicia felt a faint sense of displeasure at how Wolfgang simply complied with her order. She couldn't put it into words, but it was a subtle feeling that this wasn't quite right. However, that too would likely be resolved once her heart regarding Wolfgang was set.
"Now, from this moment on, we are performing a very short play. I am the wicked villainess who is blackmailing you, and you are the poor commoner knight being blackmailed against your will. Do you understand?"
For a moment, a streak of clear doubt crossed Wolfgang's expressionless face before vanishing.
"Yes, I understand."
To make the upcoming role-play feel more realistic, Alicia proposed a daring deal.
"Immerse yourself as deeply as possible in the role. If your acting pleases me, I will let you return for today. I will even forgive everything that happened that night."
At that, Wolfgang's shoulders trembled slightly, showing clear signs of agitation.
'This worked.'
The quick-witted Alicia could easily tell: Wolfgang was going to immerse himself in this role with all his heart.
"Now, the script is as follows: The wicked villainess holds a weakness over the poor knight and makes an outrageous demand. But then, she suddenly crosses the line." "When you say 'crossing the line,' what do you mean?" "Touching upon his family, or perhaps his precious subordinates or squires? Something like that."
When Wolfgang's gaze shifted subtly at the mention of "precious subordinates," Alicia knew exactly what kind of performance she needed to give.
"I understand." "So, the enraged knight, unable to take it anymore, finally explodes with the anger he has been harboring toward the villainess. Since it's a short play, it ends there." "Understood. Let us begin." "Good. We start on the count of three. One, two, three!"
Thump, thump…
Alicia took a sharp breath. Her heart was beating wildly. Adopting "role-playing" as a method was indeed a wise decision. After all, wasn't that same vitality from that night beginning to sprout in Wolfgang's eyes once again?
"Why do you refuse my words? If you just do as I say, it's good for you and good for me, isn't it? Since you are a man, doesn't my body pique your interest?" "Interest aside, as a knight, this is something that must never be done. You are making an obviously unreasonable demand. If I were to follow your request, it would only lead to ruin for both of us."
For some reason, even though it was just a role-play, sincerity began to bleed through both of them, but for Alicia, this was even better.
"Y-you…! Then I have no choice! That precious subordinate of yours! That blue-haired knightess—is it okay if something happens to her? If you don't follow my demands, I'll have that bitch immediately—"
"…What did you just say? You fucking slut."
In an instant, the atmosphere changed completely.
"Hic!"
Under the sheer aura radiating from the massive man before her, Alicia couldn't keep her wits about her. It was a terrifying expression, as if he were facing the enemy of a lifetime. The pressure was palpable.
Thud.
Alicia had no choice but to fall to her knees before the man. Her head felt like it was spinning. Due to the intense moisture and stickiness she felt in her now even wetter lower half, she felt a strange sensation as if she had wet herself.
'Slut.' When had she, the Princess of the Empire, ever been called by such a vulgar term? She should have felt insulted, but for some reason, that vulgar title kept echoing in her head, providing a bizarre mental pleasure.
"…Princess? Princess?" "Ye-yeeess…"
Toward the Imperial Princess kneeling before him, the man continued to ask if she was alright with an expression that was half-horror and half-worry. However, Alicia remained kneeling on the spot for a long time, showing no reaction.
'Slut… yes. I am not the Imperial Princess, but merely a slut… In that case, what about Sir Wolfgang?'
When her thoughts, which kept repeating the word "slut" internally, finally reached that point...
"Master…"
Muttering that meaningful word, Alicia lost consciousness and collapsed, falling directly into Wolfgang's arms.
After the Imperial Princess's shocking visit to the unit finally came to an end.
Having sent all my subordinates, including the vice-commander, home early, I sat alone in my office until sunset.
'What the hell was that?'
When the Princess collapsed in front of me, everything truly went dark for a moment. I hurriedly grabbed her wrist and practically forced my internal energy into her, which brought her back to her senses quickly, but…
'I am glad you are awake, Princess. Was the acting satisfactory?' 'I-I don't know…'
When I asked for her thoughts on my clumsy acting, she flushed deep red and hurriedly fixed her disheveled clothes, not even making eye contact with me until the moment she left.
"Ha, damn it…"
Was it too much?
'Slut.'
No matter how half-dazed I was at the time, how could I dare utter such nonsense to the Princess of the Empire? Ever since I was left alone with her, every single one of her actions had put me in a difficult spot, and then she suddenly proposed some suspicious role-play, so I just tried to play along appropriately.
It seems I got far too immersed in that ridiculous role-play myself. Thinking about it now, it seems to be because the script the Princess proposed had overlapped uncannily with the actual situation...
"Whew…"
Regardless, the deed was done. How on earth was I supposed to clean this up?
If there was one silver lining, it was the conclusion I reached after slowly reflecting on the day's events and the Princess's actions one by one. Unbelievably, it seemed the Princess harbored some kind of twisted romantic feeling toward me. If that was the case, I probably wouldn't have to worry about her retaliating against me.
I pressed my temples, falling back into thought.
"Why me?"
Even without proper romantic experience, I didn't think women were the type to hold the hand of a man they hated and look pleased, let alone suddenly expose their most private parts. Even if the way she expressed it was extremely perverted and strange, she must have felt some favor to do such a thing.
Putting aside what part of me she actually found appealing.
Well, then, I had... undeservedly become something like the first love of the twenty-year-old Princess, who didn't even have a fiancé. But unlike that night, this wasn't something I could just dismiss as a one-night accident.
Whether I had to persuade her to stop this madness and have a normal relationship with me, or make her completely fall for me and submit to my will... I had to do something before our relationship was discovered by others.
Otherwise, my life would be over.