Chapter 3.1 – The Rainy Forest

“Wha-what? Half of it is already gone?”

Muriel opened the lid of the medicine container inside the vanity and was startled. The ointment potion, which had been full when she first received it as a gift, was already half-used. With trembling hands, she transferred the potion into a small, empty container and sighed softly.

“I need to stop by the potion store and buy more when I have time.”

She used to barely go through one container a year, but these days, it was rare for her to go a day without applying it.

Muriel placed the potion container into her bag and lightly pulled at her nightgown to glance down at her chest. Then, she grabbed her luscious golden hair and tugged at it in frustration.

“Ahhhhhh! I’m such an idiot. The most soft-hearted idiot in the world!”

Screaming, she rolled around on the bed. Recently, Lady Muriel Lake’s daily life had been overflowing with love in a very, very broad sense. Ever since crossing the line for the first time on the night of her engagement ceremony, Elexion had been seducing her at every opportunity to deepen their relationship.

She was bewildered that the novel’s plot seemed to be heading in an entirely unfamiliar direction, but all the major events she remembered were still happening without exception.

For instance, catching a pickpocket on the street by throwing her parasol, and returning an elderly lady’s handbag. Or the time they went on a date to a restaurant, only for a new staff member carrying juice to trip, ruining her hair and dress.

The problem was what came after those events.

In the novel, these incidents were summarized in just a few sentences, but reality was vastly different.

“The elderly lady turned out to be the owner of a newly opened hotel in the capital, and receiving a private suite voucher was the same as in the novel…”

Muriel hadn’t expected the simple sentence describing the two spending a cozy and happy time together to be so lengthy and intense. They spent the night testing the sturdiness of the suite’s bed and thoroughly utilizing the large bathtub the next morning.

The juice incident followed a similar pattern. The restaurant in the center of the capital was much closer to the Duke Fredior’s estate than Earl Lake’s residence. The two hurriedly left the restaurant and went to the duke’s estate to clean up.

Since it was an impromptu visit, Muriel didn’t have appropriate clothes to change into and ended up wearing only a large robe.

They laughed off the unusual situation, holding hands and taking a nap together. But then!

The nap lasted only 30 minutes, while the lovemaking went on for three hours straight.

The servants at the duke’s estate didn’t dare approach Elexion’s room, allowing Muriel, who was completely drained, to barely eat her dinner. She devoured three bowls of beef stew that evening, astonishing her future father-in-law, the Duke of Fredior.

Of course, Duke Fredior was only mildly surprised and didn’t scold Muriel. Instead, his son Elexion received a stern lecture.

The Duke gave a long speech about how a gentleman should always prioritize his fiancée’s meals, even if unexpected events disrupted their date. Elexion silently endured his father’s scolding, guilty of prioritizing his desires over ensuring Muriel’s appetite.

Days spent alternating between warm baths and near-scalding hot tubs. Muriel pondered the drastic changes in her life for several days before eventually deciding to let it go for the time being.

***

Although the story occasionally deviated from the genre of all-ages healing romantic fantasy, it was common in this world, where contraception was well-developed, for formally engaged adult couples to share intimate moments.

Just as Muriel’s close friends gifted her oversized ointment potions, Elexion also received contraceptive pills as gifts from his acquaintances.

For high-ranking nobles, bloodline management was extremely important. Male children were given contraceptive pills by their fathers or older cousins when they entered the academy, as part of their education.

This was to prevent unwanted advances from ambitious young ladies seeking to climb the social ladder.

Since one pill a week was sufficient, Elexion’s container was still mostly full, unlike Muriel’s potion, which was quickly dwindling.

“Sigh, I’m way too weak against Xion’s face. What am I supposed to do when he’s so handsome?”

Muriel’s preferences had always been ordinary, both in her past and current life. If a man was a muscular, handsome type, she’d inwardly exclaim, “Thank you, God!”

Elexion perfectly matched her ideal type, making her delighted every time she saw him. On top of that, he was devoted to her in every way—day and night, showering her with affection without lacking in any aspect.

As a result, when she became flushed and begged him, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse. Moreover, having been a quick learner in both academics and swordsmanship since childhood, Elexion’s skills in intimacy improved with each encounter.

‘Honestly, yesterday was amazing. I completely lost my mind. Oh, no!’

Yesterday, Muriel visited the trading guild operated by the duke’s estate to help out. The small guild specialized in ingredients used for desserts and was a legacy of the late Duchess of Fredior, who had passed away years ago.

After her death, the guild was inherited by her only child, Elexion, as stated in her will. However, since Elexion was still a child at the time, the actual management was handled by Gloria, the deputy guild master.

Gloria, a skilled administrator, ran the guild efficiently, ensuring steady profits that filled Elexion’s pockets and earned the duke’s satisfaction. However, Gloria was now in her late sixties, and her doctor had warned her to drastically reduce her dessert tastings.

Recognizing the need to train a successor, Gloria had written to the duke’s estate. Originally, she planned to teach Muriel after her wedding, but given the circumstances, she suggested Muriel start learning earlier.

Thus, Muriel headed to the guild early yesterday morning. She cleaned out the guild master’s empty office, sampled twelve chocolates made from twelve different types of sugar, and decided which sugar to import. After Gloria left for the port to finalize the sugar import contract, Elexion, who rarely finished work early, arrived.

While feeding her leftover chocolates from the tasting, the mood shifted, and they ended up being intimate twice—once on the sofa and once on the desk.

***

“Ugh, thank goodness the guild master’s office had good security and soundproofing.”

The office walls were thick, and the door had a special lock that couldn’t be opened from the outside once secured from within. Knowing this, Elexion had no reservations about enjoying time with Muriel. However, they needed to stay vigilant moving forward.

Starting tomorrow, the two would head out for a preliminary inspection of the forest where the royal hunting competition would be held. The event, attended by over a thousand people, required dozens of staff for preparations.

Muriel glared at her half-packed travel bag. Taking a deep breath, she emptied it of all dresses.

“Pants are harder to take off than skirts. Besides, pants are more practical in the forest, so no one will find it strange.”

She packed only pants as spare clothes and chose a shirt and pants for tomorrow’s outfit as well.

“Emergency medicine, snacks, bandages, a dagger—perfect, packing complete!”

Muriel placed the bulging bag next to the door with a satisfied expression.

There was much to do, and the meeting time at the palace gates was early the next day.

They planned to depart immediately after confirming the attendees at 7 AM.

After carefully checking to ensure nothing was forgotten, Muriel fell asleep two hours earlier than usual.

***

“Deputy Commander, all 57 members are gathered. All the luggage is loaded onto the carriages too.”

“Good. We can depart in 10 minutes.”

“Uh, but Lady Lake brought a horse. Is it okay if she doesn’t ride in the carriage?”

The Deputy Commander of the Five Knight Orders laughed heartily at the question from a newly recruited knight.

“Don’t worry. All the Princess’s close maids are skilled in horseback riding. To become a close maid, you have to pass several tests, one of which is long-distance riding.”

“What does maid work have to do with horseback riding? I don’t understand.”

“Imagine if a war broke out and the royal family needed to flee. All the knights would be out fighting. Who would escape with the young Princess?”

“A nanny or a close maid… Ah!”

“Exactly, you fool.”

The Deputy Commander, who had imparted a significant lesson to the rookie knight, moved to the front of the group.

“Commander, we’re ready.”

“Good. We should get going. Soon, the traffic will increase, and the road will be blocked.”

“We should hurry while the road is clear.”

“Make sure no one falls behind and watch from the rear.”

“Understood.”

To move quickly, they minimized both people and luggage.

Elexion, after confirming that the formation was set, held a flag high so it could be seen from the back.