Chapter 58

“Yes.”

Seyra nodded her head naturally, her eyes shining.

“Then… look at your man’s later. Don’t be curious about mine.”

Adelina tapped Seyra’s forehead with her finger.

+++

After a simple dinner, Lexion entered the bedroom, having finally finished greeting people.

“I’ll keep you hidden a bit longer. Bear with it even if you’re disappointed.”

Lexion approached Adelina, who was sitting on the bed, and embraced her tightly.

He gently rubbed her back and arms, which still had a lingering chill.

“How long do I have to play the queen’s role?”

‘How long?’

Lexion did not answer Adelina’s question.

He just buried his head in Adelina’s shoulder and took a deep breath.

“I’ll charge a special queen’s allowance.”

“Sure.”

Well, if she wants it, as much as she wants. After all, even a queen needed maintenance expenses.

Lexion released Adelina from his embrace and stood up.

“If you wanted to see me, you could see the real thing. Why look at a painting?”

Seeing the n*de painting on the sofa, a laugh escaped from between his lips.

“Oh, that. Seyra was curious, not me.”

“Really? You’re not curious?”

Lexion turned his body.

Tilting his head slightly, he began unbuttoning his shirt with a suggestive expression.

“Uh… I’ve seen a lot…”

“There are parts you haven’t seen.”

“Well, I’m not really… curious.”

Adelina subtly moved her body back, covering her legs with the blanket.

“Tonigh,. I’ll give you the special queen’s allowance right away.”

Lexion snatched the blanket away.

“With what? You left all the money, land, and house behind.”

Adelina narrowed her large eyes sharply, glaring at Lexion.

‘Lexion?’

When Lexion’s hand, having removed his shirt, lingered on his pants belt, Adelina’s eyes widened.

“With my body. It’s the only thing I have right now.”

Lexion pulled the belt with a long tug.

+++

‘Look at this guy. He wants to tease me now. I’ve read so many adult novels! I’m not the same as before!’

Adelina stood up.

The mattress was so soft that her feet sank uncomfortably, but she stood firmly on both legs.

“What a fine body. I’ll give it 9.9 out of 10.”

Clap, clap, clap. She clapped three times with a nonchalant expression, and covered her mouth with a fist as if yawning, as if bored.

“Hmm… what’s the 0.1 point?”

‘My goodness… are you really curious about that?’

The world of men with strong competitive spirits is really hard to understand.

“You can confirm that with your real wife later.”

Adelina shook her head slightly, as if she couldn’t believe it, and approached the edge of the bed to get down.

“Where are you going?”

Lexion urgently walked over and grabbed Adelina’s arm.

“I’ve filled the bath. Go wash up and sleep comfortably in the bed. You haven’t slept well for days.”

Adelina removed Lexion’s hand and placed it on his pants waist.

To hold it tight so it wouldn’t fall.

“And you?”

“I’ve already finished my bath. Look. I’m all fresh and pretty. And, I’ll sleep on the sofa. Sleep comfortably in the bed.”

Adelina picked up the blanket Lexion had tossed with her toes.

‘Since I’m sleeping on the sofa. This blanket is mine.’

Having given up the bed, she decided to at least hold onto the cozy blanket.

“Without permission.”

Suddenly, Adelina’s body was lifted into the air.

“Lexion!”

“Go wash first.”

Lexion took the blanket from Adelina’s hands and tossed it onto the bed.

He then carried Adelina into the bathroom.

“I’ve already washed!”

“Wash again.”

Lexion dropped Adelina into the tub with a splash and slowly entered the tub himself, facing her.

“I only have this one nightgown…”

Adelina grumbled.

Her lips regained their original color, turning darker as her body temperature rose in the hot water.

The thin nightgown, soaked with water, clung to Adelina’s body, revealing her curves.

“You don’t need a nightgown.”

Perhaps it was the warm water and the humidity filling the bathroom, Lexion, his body turning red, looked at Adelina.

“Wash with me from now on.”

He gathered Adelina’s hair, which had spread over the water, with his hand.

With Lexion’s movements, the water rippled around Adelina’s chest.

Lexion’s brow furrowed neatly.

“That’s nonsense.”

“Sleep with me from now on. Every day.”

“I learned that royals and nobles use separate bedrooms.”

Adelina touched Lexion’s furrowed brow with her finger, wearing a prim expression.

Telling him not to say such ridiculous things.

“I wish you’d confirm the 0.1 point too.”

Lexion held her hand and kissed it.

“Do that with a real wife.”

“A real wife?”

Lexion’s face hardened.

He even looked slightly angry, enough to momentarily fluster Adelina.

“Huff!”

Lexion pushed Adelina against the tub and kissed her.

He wrapped his hand around the back of her head to prevent any injury from the hard tub.

He trapped her between his knees to prevent her from slipping in the tub.

Adelina’s body became so hot, as if it would burn, that he briefly pulled away to let her cool down.

“Such things… with a real wife…”

Adelina’s eyes wavered greatly.

With seductively red lips.

“I know.”

He captured Adelina’s breath again.

The air between them was thicker than the humidity filling the bathroom.

‘Did he spray poison? Did a spy put an aphrodisiac in the bath water?’

Lexion intertwined breaths with Adelina until his overheated body cooled down and the bathwater turned cold.

+++

Early the next day. A fierce wind strong enough to uproot giant trees swept through the Kingdom of Gair.

‘Sweeney. How dare you reject me and betray Petrus?’

Evans was engulfed by a rage and desire as fierce as the storm.

In that case, he would have to take it by force.

Even if he had to kill her, he would have her by his side.

“Show Iberis the consequences of betrayal! Kill them all!”

As soon as the storm passed, Evans led the Dragon Knights to Iberis.

“Shoot! Do not let the dragons touch even a handful of Iberis Kingdom’s soil!”

Upon reaching the border between the Kingdom of Gair and the Kingdom of Iberis, the Iberis border army, under Chellus’s command, rained arrows and spears on the dragons.

“Shoot the dragon wings! Do not let them land!”

The armored parts deflected arrows and spears, but the relatively thin wings were easily pierced.

“Your Majesty! We must land!”

A Dragon Knight shouted toward Evans.

The things stuck in the dragon’s wings were like thorns in a lion’s mane.

They were only refraining from landing to avoid arrows or spears hitting their eyes.

However, the dragon, having flown for nearly four hours, was starting to strain its heart.

If the dragon continued to fly for another hour or two, it would collapse, spitting blood.

“Damn! Land at the closest point to the border!”

Evans turned the dragon’s head toward the border area.

The sky, which had held three massive dragons, was empty.

As if they had entered the eye of the storm, the sky was cloudless and blue.

“We… we defeated the dragons…”

“Captain! The dragons have retreated!”

The Iberis border army stared blankly at the empty sky and then cheered.

+++

That afternoon, the most famous painter in Ernst headed to Earl Bettran’s residence.

The 7th Knights of Petrus blocked the carriage carrying the painter at the front gate of Earl Bettran’s residence.

“Where are you going in this weather?”

The captain of the knights, on horseback, approached the carriage and flung open the door.

‘No one. Damn it.’

Inside the carriage was only the elderly painter and a boy who looked about thirteen.

“Earl Bettran commissioned a portrait.”

“Oh. Is that so? Planning to paint a portrait for the coffin? Well, he is past the age of dying. Way past.”

The captain instructed a thorough search even under the carriage seats.

“We’re on our way to paint a portrait of Lady Seyra Bettran. She becomes an adult next year.”

“Is that so?”

Receiving a signal from a subordinate that nothing was found, the captain slammed the carriage door shut.

+++

“Welcome. It must have been a difficult journey.”

Adelina stood up as the painter discreetly entered Seyra’s drawing room.

“Greetings to the esteemed guests.”

As the painter bowed halfway and approached the sofa, Adelina’s heart pounded loudly.

On the sofa, two of Adelina’s paintings were covered with white cloth.

‘What if he laughs at my paintings!’

Especially with Lexion also present in the drawing room.

More than anyone else, she didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of Lexion.

“Oh! Is this the painting!”

As the white cloth was removed, an inexplicable exclamation came from the painter.

“Hmm… Your Majesty…”

Other nobles, unaware from Seyra that these were n*de paintings, cleared their throats and turned their heads.

“It’s truly a pity. To have to erase such beautiful paintings…”

The painter touched Adelina’s painting with his hand and looked at Lexion standing beside him.

“Oh… Oh…”

He repeatedly uttered ‘Oh’ while looking back and forth between the painting and Lexion’s body.

“Hmm… there’s no time… please hurry.”

Earl Bettran urged the painter, placing a brush in his hand, and the painter called the boy who had come with him.

“Let’s begin.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

The boy took the brush from the painter and looked at Earl Bettran.

“Earl, please prepare plenty of water and towels. I’ll paint Lady Seyra’s portrait, and Grandfather will remove the watercolor from the n*de painting. Oh, there’s no need for the lady to model. I’ve already memorized it.”

At the boy’s words, the painter set up an easel and placed a canvas on it.

Adelina slightly turned her head and quietly asked Seyra, who was standing beside her.

“Who is that boy?”

“A genius painter. Said to appear once in a thousand years.”

Even though there was no need to model, Seyra straightened her back with a pretty expression.

“Oh…”

Geez. Adelina’s expression turned sour.

An ordinary person showing their painting to a genius just wanted to hide somewhere.

+++

As Seyra’s portrait progressed, Adelina tilted her head to the side and let one shoulder droop.

“Why so gloomy?”

Lexion approached Adelina and cupped her cheeks, straightening her head.