7. It’s all Your Fault
Since then, I had been steadily expanding my network in social circles.
Tonight, I’ll head to the evening ball with the knights in tow.
Although the queen had selected good-looking young knights to be my escorts, Rudolph replaced all of them with female knights. ‘How?’ One might ask, considering that women weren’t allowed to enlist before. Of course, by changing the law.
The queen, the Marchioness of Luminois, and the Countess of Idea were shocked. However, they laughed it off.
‘Perhaps, female knights will paint a better picture!’
Afterwards, they had the bard compose songs for female knights.
In no time, the young ladies began to idolize the female knights.
The ability of the queen and her entourage as a trendsetter was truly amazing. Despite not having direct involvement in politics, they had the ability to control public opinion.
I was most grateful for being taught everything they knew.
Forgive me for thinking that you were a bunch of sarcastic people.
It seemed that at the concubine selection tea party, I was also among those who were evaluated by them.
That day as well, I attended the evening ball while being surrounded by the three of them.
“Diana’s dress becomes an instant hit.”
When the Marchioness of Luminois laughed, the queen stared at me warmly and smiled.
“It was a last resort, but it must be thanks to Diana’s curvaceous body.”
I thanked her, my cheeks flushed from embarrassment.
“It’s because Countess Idea introduced me to an excellent tailor.”
The standard dress for evening parties in this kingdom was a bustier with a wide décolleté and a skirt that spread out from the waist.
However, considering that Rudolph would mark my neck every night, I couldn’t wear it, but it didn’t really matter.
Instead, I used an ultra-thin tulle net to cover the décolleté and the nape of my neck, and then used a thick silk fabric to make a pattern along the body line from the chest to above the knees. Below my knees were layers of tulle net and lace.
The back was also designed to be wide open and covered with tulle net.
Despite the minimum exposure of the skin, the see-through tulle net only served to accentuate my womanly contours. I loved that design because it was a design only married people could wear.
Mermaid skirts were common in my hometown of Killua, so I was overjoyed when they became popular in Freesia.
Today, many madams and young ladies asked me about the dresses and culture of Killua. I couldn’t believe I’d be able to talk about my homeland in this kingdom!
“This flute glass is also very popular in Killua. Since the climate is slightly warmer than in Freesia, we often drink chilled sparkling wine.”
When I explained that, Marchioness Anderson, who was famous for being a gourmet, gladly responded.
“I know, you call it Cava, right? I indulged in that in the summer. It tastes sublime!”
While talking about recommended breweries, I ended up drinking too much. I announced that I wanted to sober up a bit and went out from the venue to the terrace on the second floor.
In Freesia, it was uncouth to step into the terrace when someone else was already present, so it was perfect if you wanted to be alone. I also dismissed my escort knights.
I put my flute glass on the railing of the terrace and enjoyed the night breeze.
The spring breeze carried a pleasant scent of flowers.
However, someone suddenly barged in.
“You look like a moon goddess.”
There was a sound of footsteps. I saw a man walking towards me. A melancholic beauty wrapped in flawless formal attire. There was an imbalance between his slightly droopy eyes and toned physique, which I guess was the appeal.
“I apologize for my sudden appearance and uncouthness. You look so beautiful that I couldn’t help but be drawn to you.”
He bowed respectfully, took my gloved hand and kissed it.
“Don’t compliment me so much… You are…”
“Please call me Byrne, My Lady.”
“The son of Count Deidre. Good evening to you. You may leave.”
I politely ordered him to leave, but the gentleman had another idea.
“His Highness’ Nightingale sure has a nice voice. Won’t you let me hear it too?”
He’s making a fool of me.
He said that I—the official wife and princess of a country—was just a concubine.
“How disrespectful. Fine, I’ll leave.”
I didn’t think I was alone on the terrace anyway. Some might be eager to make a fuss that he and I were having a tryst.
A scandal would be the last thing someone who had the favor and backing of Rudolph wanted.
Keeping my head tall, I passed in front of him, my heels clicking.
But he was persistent and grabbed my arm.
“I won’t let you go.”
I turned around and glared at the man.
“Don’t you value your life? Let go of my hand.”
I tried to shake it off, but I couldn’t. The man pushed harder.
“People died because of you.”
“…!”
I was caught off-guard, and the man seized the opportunity to pull me by the waist and hugged me.
“—You’re finished.”
As his lips drew closer, I could see the clear hatred in his eyes. He seized my head so that I couldn’t turn away.
“Who—!”
I twisted my body to avoid him, and his lips hit my neck. The moment I was about to throw up in disgust, I heard a clunking noise and the man stopped moving.
“Lady Diana!!”
The escort knights had their swords drawn, while the queen’s shadow was pointing the tip of his blade at the man’s neck.
I withdrew from him and took a deep breath, trying not to notice that I was trembling.
“Right back at you,” I said.
Good luck staying alive after messing with the Crown Princess.
In the first place, we fought a war—so why now?
I didn’t know if I was shaking because of anger or fear.
The thumping of my heart blared in my ears, making them ring.
One of my female knights, Arts, ran up to me and draped a mantle on me.
“Your Highness, are you hurt?”
Arts, who had a charming face reminiscent of a handsome man, patted my shoulders. However, the shaking still hadn’t subsided.
Stop…
At that moment, when I was feeling pathetic and confused, a nostalgic scent gently enveloped me. I was about to burst to tears from the relief that scent brought…
“Diana…”
With a deep, stilted voice, someone embraced me from behind.
“Sir Arts, thank you for your hard work.”
Rudolph spoke, completely ensnaring me in his arms.
As I followed his lead and buried my face in his chest, I realized that I’d been holding my breath. As I took shallow breaths and desperately held back my tears, Rudolph wrapped his arms around my head, as if to block me from the outside world.
His voice echoed.
“Byrne, you’re guilty of touching my queen. Do you know how crazy I am about her?”
The man screamed at Rudolph’s lighthearted tone, which didn’t suit the occasion.
“That woman killed my friend!”
His arms around me tightened, as if reassuring me that everything was all right.
“Watch your mouth. Speak another word of nonsense, and I’ll cut you down.”
The man sputtered at Rudolph’s frigid tone.
“Arnold Bowls, my best friend, perished in that woman’s kingdom! It’s all her fault…!”
Rudolph’s icy voice interrupted the screaming of the man.
“That’s difficult to hear, Byrne. I’m sure Sir Bowls would agree, since you’ve dishonored the prestige of all the knights who lost their lives in battle.”
“Your Highness, you’re tricked by this woman—argh!!”
Rudolph, who was embracing me until just a moment ago, vanished like the wind. Then, I heard the man groan. Rudolph had hit him.
He shook his fist, which had broken the man’s teeth, removed his bloody glove, and pulled me into his arms once again.
“Sir Arts, take him away. Let everyone see the consequence of touching my wife.”
Rudolph wrapped his arm around my waist and moved from the terrace, leaving behind the escort knights, who bowed their heads.
He kissed my temple and whispered as we walked.
“Forgive me, I was late.”
—No, you weren’t supposed to be here tonight.
“What are you doing here…?”
“For my mother and you to go out of your way to attend Count Deidre’s evening ball, there has to be a reason.”
Rudolph had a complicated look on his face as he sighed.
“This is just unreasonable…”
Indeed, I thought that if I came to this mansion, I’d be able to discern my enemy. The queen was reluctant, but I wanted to take a good look at those who were dissatisfied with me. I thought that if I spoke to some of them, we might be able to understand each other.
My gaze landed on the floor as I bit my lips.
“At times like this, you should bring your husband with you. You don’t deserve to be accused in such a way.”
Rudolph spoke gently as he traced my lips with his finger.
“Diana.”
He called my name, soothing my broken heart.
Before I knew it, we had arrived at the landing of the stairs overlooking the banquet hall. Rudolph smiled in reassurance, then kissed me softly.
As he touched me gently, the kiss deepened.
His hand, which was behind my ear, caressed my neck from time to time as our tongues intertwined.
“Mm… Your Highness.”
As I parted my lips to breathe, the commotion in the venue grew. When I looked downstairs, I saw that many people had spotted us.
“Don’t mind them. I’m showing off on purpose.”
“Your Highness—!”
When I glared at him as if to say, ‘This isn’t the time to be joking!’ Rudolph laughed.
“It’s all right now. Even in times like this, we’re allowed to laugh.”
Unusually, he smiled wryly, then gracefully extended his hand to me.
“Then let’s go. You need to introduce your possessive husband to everyone.”
By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, a large crowd had gathered, waiting for the crown prince, Rudolph.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
The first person to call out to him was Count Deidre and his wife, the owners of the mansion. It was really rare for Rudolph to attend a party outside of the royal castle, so Count Deidre seemed to be overcome with emotion.
Rudolph responded with a smile as if he was accustomed to it.
“Thank you for the hospitality, Count. I just received the most extraordinary hospitality from your son, and in return, I shall put him in prison.”
Then, he proceeded to say something utterly terrifying with a dazzling smile.
Along with the atmosphere of the room, Count Deidre froze.
“What do you mean?”
“Look, here he comes.”
Rudolph glanced over his shoulder and saw that his escort knights were taking away the unconscious Byrne.
Turning to Count Deidre, Rudolph smiled.
“He tried to touch my queen. You do know how much I care about her, right?”
He spoke nonsense while caressing my lower back, trying to blame the whole Byrne incident on his jealousy.
After all, depending on whether the commotion was caused by a grudge against me or simply because a womanizer tried to lay a hand on the crown princess, society’s view of me would change drastically.
Rudolph put his hand on the shoulder of the count, who was rendered speechless, and whispered.
“If you don’t want to be forced to leave, be mindful of your future actions.”
From a distance, it may seem as if the two were smiling as they had a chat, but Rudolph’s eyes weren’t smiling at all. I was honestly terrified, and so were our surroundings. Looks like they learned that even a good-looking man like Rudolph was horrifying when he was furious.
As I stepped into the hall, leaving the frozen count and his wife behind, I was called again. Everyone seemed to be desperate to get in Rudolph’s good book.
“Good evening, Your Highness.”
“Why, if it isn’t Viscountess Maran. That dress suits you very well.”
Smiling, Rudolph complimented the dress that had a similar design to mine. Viscountess Maran was very friendly to me.
“You seem to have the same tastes as my wife. Please come and visit the royal castle. I’d like to talk to the viscount and his son. Don’t you agree, Diana?”
I had chills, but I soon dismissed it. Even though it was our first night out together outside the castle, he knew about my friendships like the back of his hand.
I purposefully called him by his name to show how close we were.
“That’s a wonderful idea, Lord Rudolph.”
As I made my way step by step through the crowd while replying in a charming way, a tearful young lady approached me.
“Your Highness, it’s been a long time.”
Rudolph tightened his grip around my waist, bringing me closer to him.
“The daughter of Marquis Weedery? How dare you show up in front of me.”
With a flawless smile on his face, Rudolph said something outrageous.
Rudolph’s smile deepened as the young lady turned pale in an instant.
“I know you’ve been slandering my queen. Didn’t you say that she was using me or something along that line? It’s such a crude word, so I’ll stop there. You should study history a little more. The Royal Family of Killua is the oldest royal family in this continent, unlike Freesia, which declared itself a kingdom after my mother got married. Who is trying to use who?”
At that, his smile disappeared.
“Don’t you understand?”
The young lady fainted as his emerald eyes looked down at her coldly.
Then, he started walking away, making sure not to step on the unconscious lady. Rudolph whispered into my ear.
“—Just to be clear, I married you because I love you, of course.”
I glanced at him and sighed.
“…What a shock. I’m not concerned about that right now.”
“Is that so? But at least the people in this hall could understand the depth of my love.”
The way he winked was cool and all, but what he said stood out to me.
Rudolph continued to talk about his love for me to all the ladies and gentlemen until we reached the queen.
It was very difficult for me not to blush as I sat next to her.
Even after returning to the castle, Rudolph pampered me in the bedroom.
“I’m not sad anymore.”
“What are you talking about?” He laughed.
Due to the thrill, I became bolder than usual. I couldn’t tell anyone what I did.
“Diana, you don’t have to force yourself…”
I’m so excited, though.
“Ah, did it hurt…?”
Diana, who sat on the bed with her face buried in my crotch, looked up. I shook my head and told my worried wife otherwise, and she started immersing herself in her work again.
Sometimes, I could hear her licking my member.
A feast for the eyes. I think this alone will last me 3 days.
Her lips and tongue, like ripe cherries, trailed all over my manhood.
I never thought this day would arrive.
The first time I met Diana was on the battlefield.
The scene still gave me goosebumps to this day. There was only one word to describe it—marvelous.
It was the day the last stronghold of the Kingdom of Killua fell.
There was an area rich in coal mines across the border between Killua and Freesia. For decades, the two countries had claimed ownership of the area and engaged in skirmishes. A year ago, we invaded Killua and launched an onslaught near the royal capital.
If the stronghold that protected the capital fell, it would be over for Killua. The royal capita of Killua, which was luxurious and intricate, had no defense power at all.
The battle for Balmore Castle, the last stronghold, was extremely fierce. Killua was also getting desperate because the survival of the kingdom was at stake.
However, when the crown prince who took the helm was gravely injured, a white flag was raised on the fort’s tower. The king had been sick for a long time, and Killua had no heirs other than the crown prince and princess, so that outcome was to be expected.
When the white flag was raised, the Freesian soldiers who’d destroyed the gates of the Balmore Castle rushed inside. Enemies and allies alike were confused that most of them didn’t even notice when the white flag was raised.
When I entered Balmore Castle to stop my soldiers, screams emanated as smoke billowed everywhere.
There, I heard a woman screaming desperately.
“Lower your sword!”
A woman in a simple black dress walked amidst the battlefield, screaming while being accompanied by knights in silver mails. The soldiers along the path she walked sheathed their swords at once.
She spoke as she passed through the friendly camp that had begun to quiet down and stood in front of our troops.
“I am Diana, the daughter of the King of Killua. I’ve been given full authority over this place by my father and brother. My words are the words of Killua.”
She dropped down onto one knee and looked up at me.
“The Kingdom of Killua surrenders to you.”
As she bowed her head, showing her determination, the soldiers of Killua began to howl.
“Princess!!” “Your Highness!” “Princess!!!”
“Your Highness, please stop!”
““We’ll fight until the end!!””
The losing army’s morale flared up, and I readied my sword. They were rallied by the existence of the woman they deemed as precious.
She was trying to demoralize us with her adorable appearance and inspire the soldiers of Killua.
Amidst the chaos, she stood up and looked back at her countrymen.
Then, with a booming voice, she declared.
“—Listen! Don’t throw away your lives! No matter how shameful it is, live and return to your family! Your lives are meant to feed your parents and children and protect your spouses. Your lives are meant to till the soil and build the city. To protect the people and rebuild this kingdom. Therefore, put down your swords.”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t see her expression as she exhaled and said, “Please don’t make me the princess of a lost country.”
With a clank, the soldiers dropped their sword one after another. Thousands of swords fell down like an avalanche. It was a spectacular sight to see.
After seeing her soldiers kneeling, she turned to me.
“As it stands, I have no intention of resisting any longer. We will surrender… Please have mercy on me.”
She bowed her head, letting her wavy, jet-black hair cascade freely. Her simple black dress accentuated her lithe body.
Above all, those eyes were seared into my memory.
Red eyes brimming with vivacity, just like sunlight.
The princess who was touted as the Treasure of Killua stared at me with a radiance that didn’t betray the rumors.
“You’re quite something.”
Even as I approached, Diana proudly met my gaze.
“How am I supposed to believe your words?”
Looking down at her, I placed the tip of my sword against her delicate chin and lifted her head upwards. Diana, with her eyes fixed on me, brushed back her jet-black hair, exposing the nape of her neck.
She presented her white nape before my sword.
“I’ll give you my head in exchange.”
When she said that, I felt a shiver ran down my spine.
That woman was fit to be a ruler.
“Hahaha—!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I truly liked that princess.
“I won’t kill you just like that. You’ll have to pay the price.”
And that was how my yearning for Diana began.
Both the compensation and the cessation of territory were trivial compared to acquiring Diana.
As she sucked on my dick with her red lips, a strong wave of pleasure suddenly rocked my body, and I trembled.
Diana moaned.
“…Ungh…”
The look on Diana’s face as she swallowed my cum down her slender neck was amazing… She turned me on in a way that I couldn’t even describe in words.
She didn’t even spill a single drop.
“Don’t make such a tantalizing expression… How am I supposed to last?”
After I wiped her stained lips with a cloth, Diana sat down next to me and drank the wine.
Diana savored the red liquid from her wine glass, exposing her voluptuous body without any reservation. Her white throat moved seductively.
Do you realize what you just did to me?
I’d probably keep her with me for another two days.
Ever since I met Diana, there was never a time when I wasn’t overcome with my desire. I was afraid of what I had become, fearing that I might ruin her one day.
And yet, you…
“Rudolph, come.”
Like a cat, she crawled on the bed, looking at me with moist, red eyes. I almost climaxed at the sight.
—Hey, Diana.
You do know that I have a weakness for those eyes, right?
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