Chapter 3.3

After the day the Minota tree appeared, the Imperial Knights’ competency exam ended without further incident. According to the knights who investigated, the Minota tree had been attached to the wheel of a passing merchant’s wagon.

Once it became clear that Minota trees could be brought in via merchant wagons, border inspections were naturally strengthened.

And Evan’s test results came out. Over a hundred items were checked, and every result was normal. As she reviewed the data thoroughly, Daphne concluded that the reason he couldn’t get an *rection was likely psychological, not related to the contraception procedure.

She had only recently learned from a book—one that Hailey had brought her with a sly grin—that there could be a link between male s*xual function and psychological issues.

If that was the case, perhaps a psychological evaluation, not a medical one, was needed. With that in mind, Daphne summoned Evan to the infirmary. It was already past 4 p.m., long after lunch, when Evan knocked on the infirmary door.

“Come in.”

At her words, the door opened and Evan entered, looking hesitant.

“Please, have a seat over here.”

“Ah, yes.”

Evan sat on the sofa Daphne indicated, his posture crisp and formal. Daphne took the test results and sat across from him. In the silence, the sound of Evan swallowing nervously echoed.

“All your test results are normal. There’s nothing unusually high to worry about, so you don’t need to be concerned.”

“Ah….”

“Erectile dysfunction isn’t always just a physical issue—it can be psychological, so I recommend you get other tests as well. Has training with the knights been particularly difficult for you?”

“No, not at all.”

His firm shake of the head made Daphne study him thoughtfully. Even now, one of his thighs was oddly bulging.

At this point, she wondered if it wasn’t psychological at all but simply that he was thinking strange things.

But that wasn’t something she could easily be sure of. She didn’t know what he hoped to gain by claiming to have erectile dysfunction, but she had done everything she could. Daphne took off her glasses and spoke.

“I think we’ve done everything we can, so it would be best to end your treatment here. There’s nothing that needs special attention at the moment, so how about we just monitor things for a few months and check again if anything unusual happens? Also, there’s one thing I’d like to ask you.”

“Um, Sir Grey.”

Evan interrupted Daphne. She had been avoiding his eyes, staring only at the papers, but now she looked up at him. He looked as if he’d made a big decision.

Daphne didn’t know why, but his tense demeanor actually made her relax a little, and she gave him a small smile.

“You can call me Daphne. I’m not a noble.”

“No, I should still address you formally since you’re part of the knights.”

If that’s how he wanted it, fine.

She gestured for him to go ahead. With a flushed face, he hesitated, taking several deep breaths, then finally spoke, his tension obvious.

“I came to apologize for what happened last time. I know I showed you something you shouldn’t have seen. I’m sure it made you uncomfortable. So…”

“Wait, hold on. What do you mean, ‘something you shouldn’t have seen’?”

Daphne frowned, not understanding his words. She realized he was talking about the Imperial Knights’ competency exam.

But what did he mean, ‘something you shouldn’t have seen’?

Daphne waited for his answer. His face was so red it looked like it might burst, and his eyes were moist.

“I… um, I made you uncomfortable, Sir Grey….”

“What do you mean, made me uncomfortable? I was never uncomfortable.”

“Really?”

When she nodded, he bowed his head deeply and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

“…Then I’m relieved.”

His voice, low and subdued, was filled with obvious relief. Daphne looked down at the top of his head and carefully spoke, knowing it was a sensitive topic.

“Sir Clyde, if you don’t mind, could you help with my research? Of course, I’ll compensate you appropriately, and your name will be kept anonymous in any papers.”

“Is there something I can help with?”

As he looked at her with innocent eyes, Daphne cleared her throat before continuing.

“Well, it’s about the correlation between s*xual function and mental health…”

“Ah.”

“I thought you might feel uncomfortable with this kind of proposal. Right, it doesn’t really make sense.”

It was just a bit of hope. Realistically speaking, who would ever agree if someone said, ‘I’d like to study your s*xual function and publish it in a paper’? He might even make a scene, saying his honor had been damaged.

“I’ll do it.”

Because Daphne was so sure he would refuse, she was actually surprised. Maybe it was because she’d only ever seen his awkward and somewhat clumsy side? The way he answered, eyes wide and face set with determination, felt unfamiliar.

“Really?”

“Yes. Didn’t you say you needed me for your research?”

Strictly speaking, it was your manhood, but… 

Daphne swallowed the words that came up to her lips and replied,

“That’s true, but…”

“If I can be of help, I’ll do anything. Just tell me what to do. I’m good with physical tasks.”

Evan clenched his fist as if to show his resolve, wanting to earn her trust. For her, it was a good thing. She could satisfy her personal curiosity and build up her research achievements at the same time.

“Come to think of it, it seemed like you had something else you wanted to say earlier.”

“No, it’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about it.”

His attitude as he shook his head made Daphne feel a bit suspicious, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask more. Since things had come this far, she thought it best to strike while the iron was hot, so Daphne pulled out some materials she had prepared personally.

“I thought it would be good for you to take a look at these. You don’t have to understand everything perfectly, but I think it will help if you read them.”

Evan’s expression changed moment by moment as he received the materials Daphne handed him with a bright face. For someone who had trained only in swordsmanship his whole life, it seemed a bit difficult.

However, the research subject’s level of knowledge wasn’t all that important, so Daphne quickly got to the main point.

“The main goal is to check and prove how s*xual function and mental health are related. Do you have someone you’re seeing?”

“Huh? What do you mean…”

Evan looked confused, as if he didn’t understand her question. Daphne took off her glasses and explained,

“I need to see what kind of reactions you have during *ntercourse. If you have someone you’re seeing, I was wondering if I could interview them separately. Of course, it would be anonymous. There’s no way this would be revealed to anyone outside.”

“N-no, I don’t!”

Evan answered with a face gone pale, as if he’d just heard a dragon had appeared. If he didn’t, that was a bit troublesome. Daphne watched Evan closely as he stared blankly at the materials.

Up until now, she’d only known that he had a rather aesthetically pleasing manhood. Of course, his face was just as striking as his manhood.

He was unusually tall—at least two heads taller than Daphne. And it wasn’t that he was big because he was overweight, but because his body had been built through tough training.

Especially, the line from his jaw to his shoulders was very masculine, despite his otherwise gentle impression. The knight’s uniform, which was probably just his size, looked as if it had been tailored for him.

That wasn’t all. His eyes, which looked as if he’d never spoken a harsh word in his life, made his physique seem even more attractive.

“Then, maybe another way…”

“Couldn’t you help, Sir Grey?”

As soon as Daphne began to speak, Evan suddenly raised his voice. It was the loudest she’d ever heard him, so Daphne blinked in confusion.

She was just startled by the volume, but Evan seemed to think he’d said something rude, and he started to stammer.

“N-no, I mean, it should be based on real experience, not that I have any ulterior motives or anything…”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

“…What?”

Evan, his face red as if it might burst, stared blankly at Daphne, who was nodding with her hand on her chin.

“No, actually, that’s even better. If I experience it myself, I can describe it more accurately. That’s a good idea. So, when should we set the date? Oh, the knights get every other week off, right? I’ll talk to the Commander about that. What’s the earliest possible date?”

“This week.”

“Great. Then let’s meet this week.”

“…Where?”

“Of course, at my place. It’s technically a dormitory, but it’s basically a detached house, so you don’t need to worry about privacy. It’s not far from here, so it’ll be easy to find. I’ll write down the address for you.”

Daphne wrote the address on a note and handed it to Evan. He stared at it for a moment, then carefully tucked it away in his pocket as if it were a precious treasure.

“Then, I’ll see you next time.”

“…Yes.”

There was a loud bang as he bumped his shoulder against the door on his way out. Feeling like a major issue had been resolved, Daphne let out a big sigh and leaned back in her chair.

She was definitely happy that she could finally start her research in earnest, but it didn’t feel completely pleasant.

“This isn’t the time for this.”

To carry out smooth research, she needed to study more about relationships between men and women. Daphne gathered up several books Hailey had left for her. She planned to read them at home.

“But what’s with this title?”

Some of the books weren’t even medical texts. <Why the Madam Gave Her Bodyguard Steak.> She doubted whether it would actually be useful, but getting off work came first.

Daphne hurriedly shoved the books into her bag before anyone could see. Her steps on the way home felt unusually light.