—

From that day on, Anelope couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation every time she looked at her knights. Her thoughts were now consumed by the idea of having the kind of lascivious encounters with them that Peria had in the novel. 

The knights, oblivious to their mistress’s lascivious thoughts, remained focused on their training, filled with the earnest determination to protect her as well as any noble knight could. 

It had been about a month since the knights had arrived at the manor. Anelope had often watched them train, and over time the knights had grown accustomed to her presence. 

At first they had been tense and wary, but with her daily visits, even those who had once been nervous became more comfortable around her. This was exactly what Anelope had hoped for. 

“Hey, Rau. Isn’t that big sword heavy?” 

Sometimes, when she watched their training, she asked questions. At first, the knights were overwhelmed by the fact that a royal was talking to them, let alone remembering their names. But now they could answer her with ease. 

“No, it’s not too heavy. I’m used to big swords.”

Rau replied, scratching his head awkwardly before proudly swinging the massive blade in a wide arc. 

Anelope swallowed hard as she watched. 

With the lightness of a feather, Rau wielded a sword as large as Anelope herself, swinging it effortlessly with one hand. There was something undeniably attractive about him. Anelope found herself staring like a fool, her mouth slightly agape as she admired the knights in training.

One of the knights stepped forward and draped a shawl over her shoulders. 

“Your Highness, the wind is getting cold. I’m afraid you’ll catch a cold if you keep coming out here every day.”

Anelope beamed warmly at his kind words and replied.

“I’m fine, Kun. Thank you for your concern.” 

Hearing her call his name, Kun’s face turned red. It was surprising, even to her, that a royal and a commoner could interact so casually. 

As the crisp autumn breeze painted her cheeks a rosy hue, the knights looked at Anelope, who was innocently watching them train, and silently swore to themselves: 

‘We must never fail Her Highness.’ 

Meanwhile, Anelope, with an innocent expression on her face, was far from pure in her thoughts. 

‘How can I end up in bed with the knights?’  

It had been summer when the knights were first recruited, but now autumn had passed and winter was fast approaching. The colder weather meant that Anelope could no longer sit outside and watch them train as she had in the past.

Barely ten minutes into watching them train, her nose turned red and she sniffled slightly. The sound of her sniffling immediately alarmed the knights, who dropped their swords without hesitation and rushed to her side.

“Your Highness!” 

“Your Highness, your nose is running!” 

“If you catch a cold, it will be a disaster for your precious health!” 

“I brought a shawl!” 

“Your lower body must also be kept warm! Here, wrap this blanket around you!” 

At the sound of a single sniffle, the knights magically produced blankets and shawls from who knows where, and wrapped Anelope tightly. Within moments, she was bundled from head to toe, resembling a snowman, with only her eyes peeking out.

“Y-you guys… this is too much!”

Despite Anelope’s complaints, the knights refused to budge.

“No way! We cannot allow Your Highness’s precious body to catch a cold!” 

Finally she waddled off, bundled up and moving awkwardly like a wrapped doll. 

“Tsk, I wanted to watch a bit longer.” 

The cold was making it increasingly difficult for her to enjoy the sight of the handsome knights she had carefully selected. Her lips parted in dissatisfaction, but then, as if struck by inspiration, she clapped her hands together.

“Oh! How about this? How about I watch your training from the annex?” 

Although her office overlooked the training grounds, the distance made it difficult to see the details. The annex, however, was a building attached directly to the knights’ training area, so she could watch them up close. 

“Th-the annex, Your Highness?” 

“Well, it’s fine, but… the annex is where we live, so it might not be suitable for someone of your status.”

One of the knights replied hesitantly, fidgeting nervously. 

The nervous knights stammered and exchanged nervous glances. No wonder – they were shocked at the idea of Princess Anelope, who had lived her entire life as a royal, setting foot in the knights’ quarters. 

Even if they were the outbuildings of her own estate, it was still highly unusual. 

“Well, uh, it’s not quite like your room, Your Highness… there might be, uh, the smell of sweat and stuff…” 

“That’s all right! I don’t mind!” 

She replied enthusiastically, her golden eyes sparkling. Faced with her determined expression, the knights found themselves unable to argue any further. 

—

When Anelope entered the annex, she naturally began to explore the knights’ quarters. Although it was technically part of her own estate, it was the first time she had set foot in the annex since the knights had begun to live there, and it felt strangely new. There was a certain thrill to it, as if she were venturing into forbidden territory. 

As the Knights had warned, the quarters didn’t have the same pleasant scent as her own room. Instead, the air was thick with the smell of sweat and the natural musk of men in their early twenties. 

Yet, surprisingly, she didn’t find it unpleasant at all. In fact, she found it strangely exciting. 

The rooms were all neatly organised and some knights had even hung up their uniforms for the next day. 

‘How fascinating…’ 

Exploring the knights’ private rooms was strangely exciting. Looking out the window, she saw them still immersed in their training. 

Unconsciously touching her flushed cheeks, Anelope sat lightly on the edge of one of the beds. 

Despite being shared by two knights, the room was spacious and comfortable. The blanket carried a distinctly masculine scent that made her heart flutter unexpectedly. 

‘I feel strange again…’ 

The scent lingering on the bedclothes sent a gentle tickle through her p*ssy and she couldn’t help but notice the damp sensation forming in her underwear. While she had only intended to sit on the edge of the bed, Anelope soon found herself lying down, enveloped by the mattress and blankets. She buried her face in the blankets and took a deep breath. 

‘This is so strange…’

She just lay there for a while, letting out soft moans as she struggled with the tingling sensation. Unable to stand the persistent itch in her p*ssy any longer, Anelope slipped her hand under her skirt. Awkwardly pulling aside her damp underwear, she pressed her fingers against her cl*t. 

“Hnn…”