Side Story 1.2

“Does the Princess know what kind of place Blanc is?”

Though she asked Braden, Diana’s gaze was on Adela.

“I know, Your Majesty. It’s near the monster hunting grounds.”

“You know. Then you must also know it’s barren and dangerous?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Hm.”

Diana tapped the armrest with her fingernail, deep in thought. She liked Adela. She wanted to give her good land, but Adela wanted that particular place.

Diana couldn’t understand why Adela wanted a barren, dangerous land where monsters appeared.

“There’s no proper castle there.”

“That’s right. That’s why we need your help, Your Majesty.”

“Tell me.”

“We can somehow procure materials to build the castle and fortress, but we lack manpower. If you could send workers for construction, we’d be grateful. We’ll pay their wages.”

“You want to build a fortress even though there are no residents?”

Diana was genuinely curious.

“If there’s a wall, people scattered around the monster hunting grounds will have a place to be protected. I plan to accept them as residents.”

She intended to protect wanderers who had no place to belong.

Diana realized why Adela wanted that region and was slightly shocked.

‘Are there really such selfless people?’

A mysterious shiver ran through Diana’s body.

“Alright. Since it will be a Grand Duchy of the Empire, I’ll support you. Since you’re willing to manage that area, I hope you’ll take not only Blanc but also the regions near the monster hunting grounds as your Grand Duchy.”

Though it was barren, the area was enormous in size.

“A Grand Duchy?”

Braden asked.

“You need a title to receive an estate. You’re my only full-blooded brother. I’ll grant you the title of Grand Duke. The estate will be bestowed as a Grand Duchy, but afterward, it will be an independent principality, so govern it as you wish. It’s a troublesome land, so I’d rather not worry about it.”

At those words, Braden looked at Adela.

“Why do you look as if you’re seeking your wife’s approval? Does the Princess dislike becoming a Grand Duchess?”

“No, Your Majesty. It’s just a higher position than I expected.”

An independent principality meant a new Kingdom was being formed. Braden would be like a king, and Adela the queen.

“Well. You ran away because you didn’t want to be the monarch, right? But to end up tied to the Empire’s prince—maybe you’re destined to be royalty no matter what.”

Diana spoke cynically.

“It’s different now. I have my husband.”

Adela smiled brightly at Braden, who squeezed her hand in return.

At that moment, Diana felt as if she had been transported to a pink space filled with cherry blossoms in a warm spring breeze.

Their appearance was truly wondrous to Diana. She had never seen such a loving couple in her life, especially among royalty.

Maybe it’s because they’re not royalty now.

Or maybe they’re just fundamentally different people.

Life had been so dull, filled with a desire to die every day, but now, watching these two, she thought she wouldn’t be bored for a while.

It was like receiving a new, small joy.

“The Grand Duchy investiture will be held at the wedding.”

“The wedding?”

Diana continued to say things the couple hadn’t expected.

“I want it to be as grand as possible. It’s an event to announce to the world that my brother is alive. Stay in the Empire while the fortress is completed and participate in social activities.”

“……”

“I’ll appoint an administrator to handle the wedding. I’ll only set the budget. Use all of it. Do as you like with the rest. You may leave now.”

Diana dismissed them before they could say more.

Braden, who left the drawing room as if chased out, asked Adela,

“Adela, will you be alright?”

“With what? You becoming a Grand Duke?”

“That, and having a wedding we didn’t plan.”

“Her Majesty has a point. If we were just going to live quietly, all the procedures would be unnecessary, but we’re becoming part of the Empire. The wedding and social activities are necessary. We should do it.”

“I’m glad you think so. Honestly, I find it bothersome. Don’t you?”

“I do, too. I don’t like doing things just for show. But as much as we enjoy being royalty, we have duties, even if they’re bothersome. We’ve had our fun so far.”

Adela’s face was filled with a satisfied smile.

“That’s true. Since it’s come to this, let’s make it grand. Every time we visited your sister, I got so many glares, but now I can finally be free.”

“You were worried about my sister?”

“I told you.”

“You’re not the type to care about what others think.”

“But your sister is different. She always looked at me with a crooked gaze, as if I were a thief.”

“No way.”

Adela’s clear laughter echoed in the hallway.

***

That night, in Diana’s bedroom.

N*ked, Diana lay face down on the bed, and Lenok, also n*ked, sat astride her hips.

“You seem to be in a good mood, Your Majesty.”

Lenok spoke as he carefully massaged Diana’s back with oil.

‘Who could it be? Who made Her Majesty so happy?’

Thinking that someone other than himself had made her so happy made Lenok’s heart shrink.

‘Has someone new caught Her Majesty’s eye?’

‘Is Her Majesty going to be taken away by that person?’

“Does it look that way?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not that I’m feeling good, just that I don’t think I’ll be bored for a while.”

“Why is that?”

Lenok tried to hide his tension, struggling to keep his voice natural.

“Whether Braden and the Princess Consort will continue to be so affectionate, what will happen to the estate starting in that barren land, and so on?”

Lenok was relieved by her answer.

Lenok’s hand, which had been caressing her back, slid smoothly from her armpit to her chest.

Lenok grabbed her soft br*ast firmly, feeling it fill his palm. The sensation made his arousal even stronger.

“Ah!”

Diana let out a m*an at the sudden touch.

Lenok rubbed her whole br*ast several times, then rolled and tugged at her stiff n*pple with his fingertips.

“Aaah…”

She moaned with pleasure—a sound that always enchanted him.

A petty satisfaction surged through Lenok, knowing he was the only man who could touch the Emperor’s chest like this.

“Your Majesty, won’t you marry? The ministers keep petitioning about it.”

Lenok whispered in her ear, licking her earlobe and gently biting it. With his arousal, he subtly rubbed against her buttocks.

“Haa, what’s the point of marrying when I can’t even bear children?”

Suddenly, she turned her body to face Lenok. Her platinum hair was spread out lewdly on the bed, and her pleasure-soaked gaze was poured entirely onto Lenok.

‘My beautiful Majesty.’

‘My savior who rescued me from the fires of hell, my Master.’

Just looking down at her face was bliss.

“I only need you, Lenok.”

Lenok’s body trembled. He felt as if he would reach cl*max even before entering her.

At times like this, a dark desire to kill her arose. He wanted her to die wanting only him.

Lenok spread her legs wide and positioned himself between them. Her s*x was already wet with arousal.

Lenok rubbed his p*nis against her entrance. The sound of her fl*ids mixing with him was lewdly audible.

“Ha, really? You promised, Your Majesty.”

Lenok’s cheeks were prettily flushed, but his eyes as he looked at her were darkened with possessiveness and obsession.

“Don’t ever abandon me.”

As Lenok pressed his hips forward, his p*nis slid into her soft entrance. Her hot flesh gripped him tightly.

“Ah!”

“Haa, you too, Lenok. If you ever take another woman, I’ll kill you myself. Haa…”

She wrapped her legs around Lenok’s waist, pulling him deeper inside her. Her inner flesh squeezed him rhythmically.

“Ugh! Haa, Your Majesty, it’s driving me crazy.”

He was filled with pleasure up to the crown of his head. Lenok soon began to move his hips seductively, skillfully stimulating all her sensitive spots.

“Haa, haa…”

She let out thin, high-pitched cries of pleasure.

“Haa, Your Majesty. If you ever desire another like this, I’ll die, ugh…”

Lenok, overcome with pleasure, pleaded tearfully. At that moment, she embraced Lenok and rolled their bodies.

Sitting astride Lenok, she reached out and gripped his neck. Madness glimmered in her eyes.

“Yes, Lenok. If we ever tire of each other, let’s die together. Kill the one who betrays, then follow in death.”

“Haa, yes, Your Majesty. Haa, Your Majesty, I love you.”

Lenok’s eyes grew unfocused as his breath was cut off by her grip. His vision whitened, teetering on the edge of death, but at that moment, Lenok was seized by overwhelming ecstasy.

He wished he could die just like this, inside Her Majesty.

“Haa, Lenok, Lenok!”

She panted, moving her hips.

“Ugh…, ah!”

Gulp, gulp.

Just before losing consciousness, his p*nis thrashed wildly inside her. At that moment, she reached cl*max. Her inner flesh squeezed him tightly, almost boiling.

Lenok’s p*nis, swept up in the urge to release, spurted s*men inside her. Her hand released his neck.

“Haa, haa.”

Air rushed into Lenok’s lungs as he gasped for breath.

Her entrance, which had been contracting and relaxing, suddenly loosened, and she collapsed onto Lenok’s chest.

Regaining his senses, Lenok embraced her and rolled their bodies again. Lenok, still not free from cl*max, thr*st intensely into her entrance.

“Haa, haa…”

Her flesh quickly gripped Lenok’s member tightly again.

“Haa, Your Majesty… I am yours.”

‘Don’t abandon me, Your Majesty.’

‘Bind me like this flesh that grips my other self.’

‘Always, always.’

Lenok’s desperate thr*sts were fierce and intense.

Afterward, the two rolled together, sticky and passionate, becoming one body and exploring each other with vigor.