01. When the Grand Duke’s lips touched her

On a darkened street, one building sparkled unusually in the moonlight. From a room where light leaked through the shutters, the intimate moans of a man and woman flowed softly.

“Ah…… Sir Noah, my knight. Haah…… Are we really together today? If, if your wife finds out…… Ooh…!! That tickles.”

“That’s a word I don’t want to hear.”

Noah—the capable magic knight of the Fabio Kingdom.

He was quite famous not only in the Fabio Kingdom but throughout the entire Europa continent as a master of fantasy barrier magic.

‘The Fantasy Magic Knight, His Fantastic Womanizing!‘ was a regular feature published in daily newspapers whenever people started to forget about it, capturing the citizens’ attention.

“While husbands like me risk our lives in war…… Women who just sit at home doing embroidery……”

“Oh my…! Risk your life? This isn’t a battlefield, is it?”

“It is a battlefield. I plan to penetrate you soon. Tonight, I might lose my breath……”

“How mischievous you are…… Pfft…… I wonder whose breath will be lost tonight.”

Through the parted shutters came the sound of flowing water and the rustling of autumn leaves trembling in the breeze.

The woman, nestled in Noah’s arms, looked around the room. A room with golden candlesticks resembling her hair color, mirrors framed in gold… A room or perhaps a prison made entirely for her.

“Kuh…… I’m about to lose my breath now, so stop teasing me and come here……”

“You’re the one who lit the fire, Sir Knight. I’ve always imagined spending nights with you. Haah…… Even if…… knows and my life is forfeit…… with you…… Ah…!!”

“Haah. Rose, my beautiful rose. I must end this wretched war, if only for your sake.”

Noah didn’t want to be apart from Rose in his arms even for a moment.

He didn’t want to go home either. From the moment he first saw this country girl who had fled to the capital to escape the war, she had stirred the desires of this man.

Of course, his body’s loneliness from commanding defensive positions and setting barriers day and night played a part too.

“Will this war really end?”

“Of course. Do you think I’m just a half-baked mage who only knows how to set barriers?”

Magic Knight Noah precariously seated Rose on the dressing table with a mirror, and frantically, greedily licked her neck.

“I am both a mage and a knight. A knight should know how to attack as well!”

“Kyaa, Sir Noah…!!”

Noah roughly turned Rose around and began untying the ribbons of her dress, which was bound in multiple strands.

His movements reflected in the mirror were quite urgent, and that urgency wasn’t limited to his hands.

His manhood also twitched impatiently, drenched in lust and desperate to reveal its desire.

“Damn it…!!”

With each loosened string, more of her white skin was revealed, and his manhood responded as if about to burst, having no more patience to show.

Noah’s touch grew increasingly urgent, and now it would be more accurate to say he was tearing rather than untying.

About halfway through tearing, his hands moved to Rose’s chest to check how far down the dress had fallen.

“Rose… I can’t hold back any longer!”

It seemed to have come down as much as he wanted. He seated her properly on the dressing table, lifted her skirt high, and buried his face beneath it.

His tongue savagely tasted Rose’s legs, and his hands violently kneaded her soft br*asts.

Rose furrowed her brow as she stroked the red hair that had disappeared under her skirt.

“Haah…… Haah…… Now I am yours. Whew…… Rose……”

Noah made strange moaning sounds, intoxicated by Rose’s hands gently stroking his hair.

Rose also twisted her waist slightly, breathing heavily.

“My own, my knight…… Haah…… Then I’ll take what’s mine.”

She raised the hand that had been resting on the dressing table above her head.

When her hand reached her hair ornament where her hair was twisted up, she firmly grabbed Noah’s hair and pulled him out from between her legs.

“Aack…!! Ro… se……!”

Noah screamed, almost shrieking as his hair was grabbed.

Taking his cry as a signal, Rose gripped the jeweled part of her hairpin, pulled out the dagger hidden inside, and immediately plunged it toward Noah’s neck.

— Squelch!

“Gulk…! What… is… this. Urgh…!!”

The thick, red artery—she aimed precisely at the most vulnerable vital point and stabbed with all her might, then pulled it out.

Noah urgently removed the hand that had been clutching her chest and grabbed his neck tightly. However, it was already too late to stop the blood spurting from his heart’s pumping.

— Thud

“Ah, the blood splattered too much. ……Ugh.”

Rose threw Noah’s hair back. With a dull sound, Noah collapsed. Blood was still gushing from his neck.

Perhaps because she had exerted herself to the absolute limit, Rose suddenly felt a throbbing in her head.

She went to Noah, who was still twitching, and stabbed his heart once more with the dagger, then pulled it out.

She stared at his pupils as life gradually faded from them. Only after confirming his unfocused pupils and that no breath came from his nose did she put the dagger back into her hairpin.

“Phew, what’s this…… Why is my head suddenly……”

Rose pressed her throbbing head firmly as she stood before the full-length mirror next to the wardrobe.

Though covered in blood, she saw a delicate woman with dazzling golden hair too brilliant to be called blonde, golden eyes resembling a lakeshore, and fair, white skin.

A round face, a nose with perfect proportions, small lips moist with shine.

Even her slightly thin figure with flawless, transparent skin that enhanced her beautiful face.

It was an appearance that met all the standards of beauty currently most popular and beloved in the Europa continent.

“Ah. Master Yuli. The honey trap really works.”

She looked up at the ceiling with a hollow laugh. Recalling ‘Yuli Sanders’ who had taught her dozens of military tactics and swordsmanship, including the honey trap….

Rose sighed deeply and opened the wardrobe door with its luxurious golden handle.

A suitable outfit caught her eye. An achromatic dress with a moderately neat design and a plain bonnet with almost no lace.

Perfect for covering her conspicuous blonde hair and golden eyes that would stand out to anyone, anytime.

“You prepared well to keep me captive, Sir Noah. May I take this dress?”

Even if he couldn’t hear, one must maintain courtesy.

“Oh, and my name. It’s not Rose but ‘Rudbeckia.’ Not a rose but a small sunflower.”

— Smile

* * *

As soon as she left the inn, Rudbeckia headed toward the dock to cross the river with stealthy steps. Not a sound came from her footsteps.

「The Fabio War」

Rudbeckia had just fastened the final button for the great task of continental unification. Now that the magic knight’s barrier was gone, all that remained was to wield swords with full force.

Emperor ‘Adam Perron,’ who had ordered the war, had devoted his entire life to continental unification. A war maniac possessed by the desire to become the continent’s ruler.

“Would you like to buy a flower?”

“A sunflower.”

The old man’s voice came from the darkness as she reached the harbor. Their identities were confirmed through the agreed-upon question and answer.

The waves rippled slightly in the moonlight, and a small boat appeared before her.

— Wobble

Even in a cumbersome dress, jumping from the pier onto a small boat was easier than eating cold porridge for the well-trained knight, Rudbeckia.

But due to her worsening headache, she nearly lost her balance and fell, causing the soldier to tilt his head in confusion as he grabbed the oar.

“A-are you all right?”

“Just…… row faster!”

At Rudbeckia’s cold command, the blue tail attached to the stern of the boat moved quickly.

This small boat, fueled by magic stones, would take her out of enemy territory in the blink of an eye.

Rudbeckia looked back at the dock, which had almost become a dot. Continental unification… so this crazy thing is really happening.

“…monster…! ……crying and making a fuss!”

“She’s waking up! …… Proper …… give birth…… or you’ll die…!”

At that moment, auditory hallucinations began with the gradually rising headache.

The soldier rowing the boat spoke to Rudbeckia, who suddenly grabbed her head with both hands and made all sorts of grimaces.

“Are you unwell?”

“No, no. Just a headache.”

Hoo…… I need to hold on until we arrive. Each minute began to feel like an hour.

“If it resembles you, something beautiful enough to be presented to the imperial family would be born, wouldn’t it?”

“Ha. Memory surge? That cursed curse was real? At this rate, I can’t even be a concubine… let alone make a marriage deal.”

A forehead burning with fever, a throbbing head—she didn’t care if her temples scarred from her fingernails. If only she could endure this headache!

The hallucinations that had been coming in fragments on the wind were becoming more substantial.

“The gates are open! Blonde hair and golden eyes are the royal family’s traits! Kill them!”

“Don’t leave a single member of the Glimm family alive! Eradicate the seeds of rebellion!”

Rudbeckia had an exceptional memory, as impressive as her fatally beautiful appearance.

Her exceptional—even terrible—memory allowed her to remember everything she had seen, heard, and felt since birth.

Not only her five senses, but even fleeting thoughts that arose through her sixth sense would never disappear once they took root in her mind.

Envious of her memory? Thinking it’s good to be called a great sage?

Nonsense. This memory is a curse. A time bomb that could explode at any moment.

It seemed that the “memory surge” had finally reached an unbearable critical point.

Who was it that said humans are creatures of forgetfulness?

“Damn it. I can’t believe I’ve crossed the threshold. Fire! Just throw the spears too!”

“With this much shooting, even the child next to her must be dead. Withdraw.”

“M-mommy… Mommy…! No, Mommy, don’t die!”

The voices that had been quietly echoing in her head now began to be heard from all directions.

The memories that had burst forth mixed chaotically in her head without missing a single one.

Her ears were now so full of ringing that she could no longer hear the rough, fierce sound of the waves.

The only way to end this surge was with Commander Caleb Sanders, who led this war.

“Damn it. Quickly… urgh. I need to get to the commander……”

Now it would be more accurate to say she felt like she would burn rather than just having a fever.

She felt hot sweat streaming down her face and warming her cleavage as it descended.

— Rip

Unable to bear the hot sensation, Rudbeckia tore her dress around her thigh.

Confusion spread across the soldier’s face as he glanced at her.

“V-vice commander. Are you all right?”

“F-faster… just row faster!”

Her mind began to grow hazy from the heat rising from her forehead throughout her entire body.

“We’ve arriv… ed. Commander! I’ve brought the vice command……”

“C-commander…. Report… right now, kugh…!!”

Fearing that a scream would escape if she opened her mouth any further, she bit her tongue hard and barely managed to stand with her hands on her knees.

“Rud…?”

Commander Caleb Sanders’ voice trembled faintly.

He immediately rushed to Rudbeckia’s side, grabbed one of her arms, and supported her.

He seemed to understand the situation at once.

With too many eyes watching to take her in his arms, he half-carried her while calling for a medic and took her into the tent.

“Oh no…!! Rud! Wake up!”

Warm heat… comfortable embrace… the only person who could subdue her raging mind….

Ah, now I can relax.

She lost consciousness with his face looking down at her as the last thing she saw.

* * *