“Is it difficult? It’s obvious.”

Alexion lifted Erna up and laid her on the table where a large map was spread out. At the suddenly reversed view and the hard coldness touching her back, Erna let out a shrill scream.

“Your Highness! What are you doing right now!”

“I’m going to show you. Why you came here.”

Alexion, who had pinned Erna’s struggling hands to the table, lifted her skirt with his other hand and rubbed between the prominent split over her thin underwear.

“Haah! Ah……!”

Long fingers that had pushed the thin fabric to the side twisted the small cl*toris hidden between her p*ssy. Love juices poured out, instantly wetting her lower part. At the unfamiliar stimulation she was feeling for the first time, Erna trembled convulsively. Her lower abdomen was hot as if it had swallowed embers.

“St-huk, stop…… ahh!”

She clenched her teeth in case it might be heard outside, but moans kept bursting through her teeth. The tingling sensation rising from below made her vision flicker. It was a strange feeling. She was frightened that Alexion’s fingers might pierce through her at any moment, yet on the other hand, she was restless with anticipation that his fingers, which were tantalizingly rubbing only the entrance, would scratch her inner walls and ravage deep inside.

At some point, thick lust began to cloud Alexion’s silver-gray eyes as well. His composed brow furrowed roughly. He wanted to tear through that writhing narrow hole and shove his thing inside right away. His lower body became heavy with blood rushing to it, and the front of his pants bulged out.

Alexion, who had withdrawn his hand with near-limit patience, looked down at his fingers soaked with love juices and exhaled a suppressed breath.

“Do you understand now? How foolish and reckless what you did was.”

“Haah, hah……”

Unlike Erna, who was panting with a flushed face, Alexion had already returned to his usual expression. His face was so indifferent that it was hard to believe he was the same man who had been seething with lust just moments before.

“Wait here quietly and return to the capital as soon as dawn breaks.”

With a brief glance, Alexion went outside without even listening to her response.

***

Lying on the field bed wrapped tightly in a blanket from head to toe, Erna kept tossing and turning, unable to recover from the shock of earlier.

Just when she thought she had calmed down a bit, Alexion’s face would suddenly come to mind and her whole body would burn hot. She could still clearly feel his body temperature where Alexion’s touch had been. Erna, who had unconsciously clenched her inner walls, shook her head roughly.

‘Let me think of something else instead.’

Erna desperately turned her thoughts elsewhere. As time passed and the heat that had been boiling in her body cooled somewhat, she began to worry about Violet and Zenon.

She wondered if Violet and Zenon had met safely, and whether Zenon might have suffered serious injuries. She originally came with the intention of using her healing ability if Zenon was hurt.

Previously, when Erna had been prevented from going to the academy due to Alexion’s strong opposition, she had tried to seek help from court mages as an alternative. But each time, Alexion would treat her with disdain, asking if she couldn’t even manage that much on her own, and out of spite, she had borrowed stacks of magic books from the library and practiced desperately day and night.

‘I never thought it would actually be possible to learn magic through self-study.’

Erna smiled bitterly at the passing memories. While she was briefly considering whether to go meet Zenon, she heard the sound of the barracks door opening. Erna hurriedly turned her back and pretended to sleep before facing Alexion.

As she quietly kept her eyes closed, the sounds of turning pages and scratching pen nibs seeped quietly through the darkness.

‘It’s late at night, but he’s not even trying to sleep?’

Just as she was about to lift her head slightly to check.

At the sound of a chair being dragged, Erna quickly shut her eyes tight and held her breath. Slow footsteps approached and stopped right in front of her. To avoid making any sound, Erna bit down hard on the soft flesh inside her mouth.

“……”

No sound came from Alexion standing in front of her. With her eyes closed and vision blocked, all her other senses became acutely heightened. She had been stiff with tension.

Swoosh—

Alexion pulled up the blanket that had slipped down and covered her shoulders again. Perhaps because her senses were heightened, just his light touch made her spine stiffen and somehow her earlobes felt hot.

Erna’s closed eyelashes trembled. Once she became conscious of it, even breathing became uncomfortable. Her hands clenched under the blanket to avoid being caught were gripped so tightly that she couldn’t even feel sensation.

She thought she might have heard a soft chuckling sound. In the end, Erna had to desperately wait for dawn without getting a wink of sleep.

***

Erna, who left the camp as soon as dawn broke, returned to the capital with Violet.

And some time later, victory bells rang throughout the empire. The barbarians, who had only been numerous from the start, were no match for Alexion’s elite knights. The entire empire cheered for the imperial knights who returned with an overwhelming victory. The most delighted among them was undoubtedly Violet.

Thanks to Alexion giving Zenon an opportunity to achieve merit in this barbarian subjugation, Zenon was scheduled to receive a commendation as a representative at the New Year’s celebration to be held about a month later. This news greatly moved the hearts of the Marquis and Marchioness Plessen, and now both families were discussing engagement ceremonies.

If the two’s engagement was successfully concluded, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it would proceed smoothly to marriage, and that would mean the completion of the final quest.

“I can finally go back.”

It was a moment she had longed for so much that she should have been happy, but rarely did melancholy cloud her fresh green eyes.

‘What should I say to Alexion as farewell?’

After pondering for a long time, Erna headed to the study where her parents were.

“Are you serious, Erna?”

“Yes.”

Eleanor put down her teacup with a slightly surprised expression.

“When you brought up studying abroad last time, I thought you were speaking lightly. You want to study abroad in Lambert?”

“I’ve lived only in the empire since I was young. I want to experience various new things in a new place.”

Count Lizbeth, who had been quietly listening from the side, asked carefully.

“Of course studying abroad would be good experience, but the timing is a bit concerning. After the New Year’s celebration, His Highness the crown prince’s coronation will probably be discussed in earnest.”

“That’s right, Erna. Does His Highness know about this?”

“That’s……”

Erna, who had lowered her gaze briefly, showed an awkward smile.

“I’ll speak well to His Highness about it soon.”

Unlike her firm resolution, Erna couldn’t reveal the study abroad plan to Alexion until the New Year’s celebration approached. The awkward relationship that had developed after the previous argument in the meeting room still hadn’t fully recovered, and Alexion was busy enough to participate in several meetings daily in preparation for the empire’s major event.

Thus the New Year’s celebration began without any resolution.

The last day of the three-day New Year’s celebration. Unlike the previous two days when foreign dignitaries attended in large numbers, only citizens of the empire attended the banquet on the last day.

Alexion sat alone at the head table of the banquet hall, recalling his conversation with Countess Lizbeth from earlier.

‘Did you just say studying abroad?’

‘Yes. As Your Highness knows, that child Erna’s curiosity is hardly ordinary. For months she’s been begging to be sent to study abroad on the Lambert continent…… I’m her mother, but I threw up my hands.’

‘……’

‘Oh my, Erna definitely said she would speak to Your Highness separately, but have you perhaps not heard yet?’

Erna’s figure enjoying the banquet while chatting with acquaintances came into his view. Alexion’s Adam’s apple moved as he stared at the bright smile blooming on her lips.

Only today had he learned of Erna’s plans to study abroad. And through someone else’s mouth at that. Until then, he hadn’t sensed even the slightest hint.

If she had decided on studying abroad months ago……

‘I’ll become Your Highness’s ally. I’ll always stay by your side.’

It meant that even at the moment she whispered those words, she was already preparing to leave his side.

If all the blood in one’s body freezing felt like this. It was as if cold water had been poured over him. Even his five senses were numbed by the deep sense of betrayal. He couldn’t hear the beautiful melody played by the orchestra or the laughter of nobles enjoying the banquet. Only Erna’s soft voice echoed endlessly in his head.

‘I’ll become Your Highness’s ally. I’ll always stay by your side.’

Veins bulged on the back of Alexion’s hand gripping the wine glass. Crack, fine fissures began to appear on the surface of the glass, soon becoming sharp fragments scattered on the floor.

“Y-Your Highness!”

A court attendant who had rushed over was shocked to discover blood flowing from Alexion’s hand. But Alexion himself merely looked down at his palm once with indifference and stood up.

His silver-gray eyes glinted dangerously like broken fragments as he slowly walked somewhere.

Meanwhile, Erna, who was exhausted from reciting Zenon’s praises for nearly an hour to completely turn around Marchioness Plessen’s heart, headed to the second floor to catch her breath.

Unlike the bustling atmosphere of the first floor’s grand banquet hall, the upper floor with corridors decorated as galleries had several rest rooms prepared for nobles to comfortably come and go.