Chapter 64
When Lexion rubbed the back of Adelina’s hand with his thumb, she quickly withdrew it and brought it to her chest, as if it tickled.
“That’s right.”
“So, there’s something everyone is worried about.”
Lexion glanced at her chest visible through the thin pajamas and fiddled with a handful of her silver hair.
“I know. But don’t worry too much. We will definitely win.”
Adelina watched Lexion’s suspicious behavior and moved her hips slightly backward.
“Of course. We will definitely win. But that’s not it.”
With a smirk, Lexion gazed at Adelina with his intense eyes, kissing her hair.
‘What is it? What’s taking you so long to say!’
For a moment, an unknown energy made Adelina’s body shiver.
She subtly raised her knees and pressed them together.
“Lexion!”
Lexion pulled Adelina’s legs and laid her on the bed, occupying the space above her.
“We need a child. A child to succeed the royal family.”
Lexion pressed down on Adelina’s shoulders, who widened her eyes in surprise, and tugged at her pajamas.
“Lexion!”
Adelina urgently shouted, grabbing Lexion’s shoulders.
Now she understood exactly what that unknown energy was.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. You just… lie down.”
‘Crazy! How can a child be born by just lying there! I read those 19+ novels too!’
Adelina tried to push Lexion’s shoulders away to create distance, but the gap only narrowed.
“It’s okay. I’ll do well. I’m confident.”
‘What! What are you confident about! Why are you confident alone!’
As Lexion’s broad chest pressed against her, she felt her breath catch.
Whether he wore any perfume or not, a stronger scent than usual emanated from him.
“Lexion…”
“My wife. Adelina.”
The name she called to bring him to his senses seemed to stimulate him even more, as Lexion’s voice dropped endlessly low.
+++
‘Adelina. You are my wife.’
Lexion frowned at Adelina, who was rolling her eyes, thinking of how to escape the situation.
“Lexion, let’s do it next time. I’m not mentally prepared yet.”
Adelina finally seemed to have a good idea, speaking brightly while stroking his neck.
“Mental preparation, huh. When will that be?”
Her touch was so gentle that Lexion closed his eyes.
He didn’t even swallow, fearing that if he swallowed like a beast and breathed heavily, she might withdraw her hand.
“About… a month?”
Her tone was so innocent.
Even hearing it, it was obvious she was just throwing out a random suggestion, and he opened his eyes wide.
“I’ll prepare your mind right now.”
He gently stroked Adelina’s shoulder, exposed as her pajamas were undone.
In his imagination, he had already torn her pajamas to shreds and was freely exploring her rounded parts with his hands and lips. And those hands were moving even lower…
“Ah!”
Suddenly, Adelina grimaced and let out a groan.
“Adelina?”
Lexion, who had been advancing in his mind, was startled and withdrew his hand from her shoulder.
Several red lines were drawn long on Adelina’s shoulder and collarbone.
‘Ha… I guess I can’t even touch her today.’
His calloused hands, hardened from handling the sword and roughened by the seawater during the mission, left red marks on Adelina’s body.
Her skin, soft like rose petals, would show red lines just from his rough hands brushing against it.
“Then. A fortnight!”
Adelina seized the opportunity, shouting urgently with her shoulders hunched.
‘A fortnight…’
The red marks were now slightly swollen.
He should apply some ointment immediately.
Feeling sorry for the marks, Lexion was about to consider a fortnight as quite reasonable when…
“A week?”
Adelina, impatient, even winked her eye, reducing the time by half with a very sweet voice.
She even laughed bashfully, lightly punching his chest.
It was obvious she was threatening that if he didn’t agree, she’d kill him.
In that case.
“Five days.”
“Five days… okay. Five days. Let’s do it after five days.”
Adelina reluctantly agreed, rolling her eyes, and Lexion’s face brightened.
“Lie down. I’ll apply some ointment.”
Lexion got up from the bed.
He fetched the ointment from the dresser drawer and applied it to Adelina’s shoulder.
“Ugh!”
Oh no… Even though he had dabbed a lot of ointment on his finger, another red line appeared where Lexion’s hand passed.
“Give it to me! I’ll do it!”
Adelina grabbed the ointment from Lexion’s hand and got off the bed.
“Really, are you applying ointment or causing more injury?”
She plopped down in front of the mirror and applied ointment to the wounds on her shoulder and legs.
Lexion quietly looked down at his hands in response to Adelina’s grumbling.
+++
The next morning, Lexion’s chief attendant entered the office, looking around as per Lexion’s secret command.
Lexion had even sent away his usual aides and Stephan.
As the attendant entered, Lexion rose from his seat and walked to the terrace window.
‘He must be giving me a very important mission!’
The attendant resisted the urge to clutch his chest and swallowed hard.
It was top secret.
A life-risking special mission would be assigned.
‘This body! For Your Majesty! For Ernst, I will gladly dedicate myself!’
The attendant stood stiffly in front of Lexion.
Finally, Lexion seemed to make up his mind and turned to look at the attendant.
“Get me some hand cream.”
“What?”
The attendant tilted his head, wondering if what he heard was another code.
“Ahem… something to apply on the hands… hm.”
Lexion turned his body back to the terrace, covering his mouth with his fist and clearing his throat.
‘Hand cream? For a man?’
The attendant’s gaze fell on Lexion’s hand resting on his waist.
Compared to his own hands, which were softer than most women’s from only holding a pen, the king’s hands were rougher than those of commoners.
Those hands wielded a sword and fought for the people, risking his life.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will get it immediately. In secret.”
The attendant bowed deeply.
He would do anything for those hands.
Just as he had done.
+++
The imperial palace of the Petrus Empire.
Isabelle walked quickly, almost running, to Emperor Grain’s office.
“Your Majesty!”
When Isabelle entered the office, a meeting seemed to be in progress, as a large map was spread on the table.
Emperor Grain had even taken off his jacket and was in his shirt, holding the sides of the map with his hands.
“You’re here, Isabelle. Come to my side.”
Just last night, when they heard that Evans had occupied the eastern region of Iberis, Emperor Grain’s face was bright. Now, only a few hours later, it looked haggard.
Yet, his voice was endlessly gentle when addressing Isabelle.
“Your Majesty, we will surely win.”
Isabelle approached Emperor Grain and placed her hand on his, which rested beside the map.
Duke Austin stood up and removed the red flag planted on Pale Island.
“Pale Island… has fallen to Ernst.”
At Duke Austin’s somber voice, the sound of Emperor Grain gritting his teeth followed.
“They lured Evans to the east. Lexion and Sweeney. They deceived Evans.”
Isabelle let out a hollow laugh, glaring at the map.
The east of Iberis, occupied by Evans last night, was an empty shell.
Although the dragon’s claws caused many casualties among the Iberis army, there were no civilians there.
An empty fortress. The fleeing Queen Sweeney.
Evans had gained only an empty shell.
“Your Majesty, don’t worry. If Pale Island has fallen to Lexion, we can find something else.”
Isabelle reached out to Austin for the red flag.
The aides in the meeting room looked at Isabelle in surprise.
She was a princess known for her intelligence, resembling the former empress.
The former empress had also advised Emperor Grain to tame the dragon.
“Do you have a good idea?”
“Your Majesty, the dragons will surely conquer Ernst.”
At Isabelle’s firm answer, all eyes turned to her hand.
Isabelle planted the red flag in the blue-only part of the map, next to Pale Island.
+++
That afternoon, the seasoned nobles of Ernst, including Earl Bettran, entered Adelina’s office instead of Lexion’s.
“The queen has summoned us separately. Have you heard anything?”
The nobles asked Earl Bettran if he had received any hints from Seyra.
“Isn’t it about succession? His Majesty mentioned it yesterday.”
“Haha. If so, that’s a relief. There are many noblewomen of marriageable age, so finding a concubine won’t be difficult.”
At Earl Bettran’s words, the nobles felt relieved and waited for Adelina to enter.
The office door opened, and Adelina entered with her maids, wearing a neat purple dress.
“Greetings to the Queen!”
“Please sit.”
Adelina sat at the head seat and waited until the nobles were seated.
“So, you talked about a concubine while I was right here with my eyes wide open?”
She spoke sharply just as the nobles were about to take a polite sip of tea.
She narrowed her round eyes and looked at the nobles as sharply as possible.
“Ahem…”
The nobles who had touched the hot tea hurriedly put down their cups and wiped their lips with handkerchiefs.
“Your Majesty, it is customary for the king to have several concubines…”
Earl Bettran, who was acquainted with Adelina, spoke on behalf of the nobles.
“Customary, huh. As far as I know, there hasn’t been a king in the past 100 years who took a concubine. Is my knowledge incorrect?”
“No, Your Majesty. However, Your Majesty…”
The nobles were unsettled by Adelina’s much more imposing demeanor than usual.
‘A woman who isn’t even Marquis Stephan’s real daughter!’
No one knew exactly whose offspring Adelina was.
No, she wasn’t even from Ernst in the first place.
There weren’t any with such hair and eye color in Ernst!
+++
Sensing the nobles’ mood, Adelina spoke in an even more authoritative voice.
“I understand what you’re worried about. But now is the time to focus all our minds on this war.”
“The royal succession must be secured for the nation to be stable.”
Still, the nobles weren’t ones to be intimidated by the young woman.
“There must be a nations and a people for there to be a royal family. Let’s save this nations and its people first. We’ll discuss concubines afterward.”
“Your Majesty.”
In the tense atmosphere, Seyra and the maids standing beside Adelina clasped their hands tightly.
“Before this war ends, don’t give my husband any other worries. Isn’t he already overwhelmed with just thinking about the war?”
Adelina slowly rose from her seat.
She erased the intimidating expression and looked down at the nobles.
She understood their hearts.
For 10 years, those who protected this land and its people weren’t Lexion but these people.
Their demands were so reasonable that she felt more absurd for threatening them like this.
“Please. As a wife.”
She bowed to the nobles.
She understood their hearts, but she didn’t want Lexion to be troubled by this.
She didn’t want Lexion to sleep with a woman he didn’t want because of duty.
“Your Majesty! How can you bow to us!”
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