The nobles quickly left to attend the winner’s banquet, the after-party of the tournament. Caleb also took the borrowed horse to be tended to prepare for the banquet at Marquis Argen’s residence.

While receiving the horse, the groomer told him that his beloved horse Renault had finally died. Having been together since training school… he was so heartbroken that he couldn’t move from his spot for a while.

Caleb asked the groomer if he could keep the horse he had ridden today, then walked alone toward the knight quarters.

The leaves, roughly dried, swayed in the wind, spreading the scent of fallen leaves. With each step, the sound of crisp dry leaves could be heard. The winner’s situation was truly pitiful.

While walking toward the Blue Whale Knight Order’s quarters, he heard the loud sound of horse hooves.

“Who would ride so fast from the palace… Rud! You… riding a horse like that….”

Caleb couldn’t continue speaking at the sight of her. Even though her dress for today had pleats that spread out voluminously, seeing her straddling a horse with both legs spread, her skirt fluttering as she rode, was shocking.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, making him wonder just how far she had traveled in this state.

“Cal. As you said, Werner is a good guy.”

She smiled brightly, looking relieved, and took a deep breath.

“Werner said he’s leading his mercenaries out today. But, he said after bringing down Pergos, they will take the lands of the Fabio Kingdom. I told him of course they should. You agree, right?”

Caleb nodded vigorously and laughed loudly. Who could handle matters like this in such a short time?

It was an obvious choice. Unless not a single citizen of Fabio remained alive. But they clearly survived, and he was a leader who commanded a mercenary group. If there was no one, like Rudbeckia, hiding and surviving from the Fabio royal family, no citizen would oppose his leadership.

“Rud, how would I live without you?”

“Don’t worry about unnecessary things. By the way, where’s Renault? Why are you walking?”

Caleb quietly shook his head.

“I think he was happy being with you. You cherished Renault tremendously every moment.”

Rudbeckia pulled her body more forward to make space behind her for Caleb to sit. Caleb skillfully mounted behind her and held the reins next to her hands that were already holding them.

“Compose yourself. I’ll take the reins of my horse.”

“Hmm…. Alright.”

The hands that left the reins lightly wrapped around her slender waist that seemed small enough to fit in one handful.

She was really thin. Four spans? Maybe five spans? While gauging how thin her waist was, Rudbeckia stomped her foot hard and started the horse.

The sun began to tinge the sky with golden hues. Riding inside the imperial palace in a dress, and with a man behind her at that—it felt like being in a different dimension.

His touch moved gently with the horse’s movements. His fingertips carried a hint of excitement and playfulness, making it ticklish.

“Um, Caleb. Do you… really need to hold my waist like that?”

Perhaps because all her nerves were focused on her waist, time seemed to slow down. No matter how much they rode, the knight quarters weren’t in sight, and unable to bear the tension any longer, she exhaled.

“Don’t hold the reins, don’t hold the waist. It’s not my horse, so I might fall off if I let go with both hands. Where should I hold?”

Caleb rested his head on her shoulder and whispered quietly. As his navy blue hair touched her cheek, goosebumps rose all over her body.

The moment she turned her head to the side to avoid the ticklish sensation, their eyes met.

His gently curved eyes and the deep blue irises shining like lapis lazuli jewels… She had always thought his eyes were beautiful, but…

In that moment, Caleb quickly kissed her lips before anyone could see.

“Cal! That’s dangerous. Just hold the reins.”

When she told him to hold the reins, Caleb placed his hand over hers.

“Do you really have to put your hand on top of mine?”

“If I hold them from the side, the reins will be too tight and it will make the horse uncomfortable.”

He wasn’t wrong. There is a certain way to hold the reins.

“Cal, you’ve changed. Since when did you become so slick?”

“Because I like you.”

How could he say such things so easily? Isn’t he embarrassed?

Rudbeckia shivered slightly, trying to calm the goosebumps that had risen.

When they arrived at the knight quarters, members gathered in small groups congratulated Caleb on his victory. Caleb smiled awkwardly and reported his victory once more to the commander.

Commander Henry Abingdon was already prepared to attend the banquet as if he were the winner himself. With his hair perfectly groomed, he looked quite stylish.

“Hey there, Sir Caleb. Congratulations on your victory.”

“Commander, you’re already ready to leave.”

“I’m quick to act, you know. Make sure you two get ready for the banquet on time.”

“Yes, sir!”

Rudbeckia followed Caleb inside to help him with his armor.

“You need to change your dress too. Look how wrinkled it is. Don’t ride a horse in a dress again.”

Caleb nagged, having been quite bothered by how her chemise was revealed as the dress fluttered.

“Alright. I should listen to our commander. What will you wear? The suit Dame Elda bought you before? Your uniform?”

“Uniform.”

She carefully took the uniform from the closet to prevent wrinkles and helped him remove his armor.

With each piece unfastened, a strange tension seemed to build.

Rudbeckia bit her tongue inside her tightly closed lips.

All the metal pieces encircling Caleb’s body were removed. She turned to go back to her room.

“Cal, then in a bit……”

“Where do you think you’re going? Since you’ve already undone those, undo these too.”

Before she could fully turn around, Caleb grabbed her wrist. With his free hand, he pointed to his shirt. Of course, he could unbutton it himself, but he wanted to entrust it to her.

“You’re being mischievous.”

Rudbeckia clenched her teeth and fixed her gaze only on the buttons. She didn’t want him to notice her increasingly heavy breathing as each button came undone.

— Click, click…

When the last button was undone, his firm abs were clearly revealed. Without realizing it, she traced her finger along his clearly defined muscles.

“Rud… I was holding back well, you know.”

“This is holding back well?”

Rudbeckia touched the slightly raised front of his pants.

Caleb gaped in disbelief at her action.

She focused on his face and undid the buttons of his pants one by one. It was quite entertaining to watch his skin visibly redden.

When she slipped her hand inside his underwear, it throbbed eagerly as if it had been waiting.

Caleb covered his mouth with his hand to stifle his moans, afraid someone might hear.

“So this… was inside me.”

Rudbeckia glanced down at what she held in her hand.

It seemed a bit bigger than… than what she felt that time. As she moved her fingers to gauge its size, Caleb’s waist twitched.

“Hmm. It didn’t all fit inside.”

“…What…? Oh my……”

Rudbeckia withdrew her hand and stepped back.

Seeing Caleb’s flushed expression, her own face grew hot. And what? It didn’t fit? What was he saying? She clearly felt it filling her body completely and stirring inside!

“You’re not planning to run away like this, are you?”

“Run away? I was just going to prepare for the banquet.”

“Not up to you.”

Caleb pushed her against the wall and roughly pulled up her skirt.

He lifted her chemise in one motion and felt between her legs. Then a small chuckle escaped him.

Without having to search hard, that place was already moist, and Caleb’s touch only needed to widen it.

Rudbeckia grabbed his arm tightly in surprise. But Caleb, whose fingertips had already reached her entrance, was gradually working his way inside.

‘She was going to leave just like this?’

He felt indignant. Having been called mischievous all day, he intended to be truly mischievous.

He inserted one thick finger in a single motion. Then occasionally tapped the nub.

Each time the most sensitive spot was touched, Rudbeckia’s waist bounced greatly.

She bit her finger hard to prevent her screams from leaking into the hallway.

“You’ll bruise.”

Caleb removed her hand and made her bite his finger instead.

Looking at its thick calluses, it was clear that no matter how hard she bit, while teeth marks might remain, bruises would not.

With his finger in her mouth, she tried to swallow her saliva, but her tongue kept brushing against his finger.

It tasted like unrefined cacao—somewhat bitter, yet still the raw essence of chocolate that made her want to keep tasting.

They had done this before, but the sensation was incomparable to that time.

It was the same for Caleb. How could just having his finger sucked make him lose his mind?

“Ca……”

Rudbeckia raised both arms around Caleb’s neck. Or rather, she hung from it.

Caleb lifted one of her legs.

Seeing Rudbeckia’s expression as she tantalizingly sucked his finger with a seductive look, he felt at that moment that she might bite his c*ck to the root.

There was plenty of time before the banquet began, and even without locking the door, no one would enter.

Caleb pushed another finger into her exposed lower region in the cold air.

“Ah……”

Rudbeckia bit his finger gently in surprise.

It clearly hurt, it definitely hurt, but there was also a tingling, ticklish feeling. Her waist moved with the desire to know, learn, and engrave what this sensation was.

“Rud.”

Caleb called her name, his breathing rough. At his plaintive voice, Rudbeckia pushed his finger away with her tongue.

Caleb withdrew his finger without hesitation and indulged in her lips.

As his two fingers became as wet as her moistened lips, he lifted her remaining leg that was barely touching the floor.

Suspended in the air, Rudbeckia could only hold onto Caleb’s neck for support.

All her nerves were focused on her arms to prevent herself from falling.

“Hmm… today……”

Caleb’s member entered more easily than the first time. He gradually thrust, opening the path.

Rudbeckia’s waist arched back as Caleb’s c*ck went deeper inside her.

If Caleb hadn’t supported her head with his quick reflexes, she would have hit her head against the wall with a loud noise.

She bent her waist again and clung to him. All her senses concentrated on her lower region, which was growing hot with passion as she made seductive sounds.

Her mind was in disarray. It was a mess where to focus, where to pay attention.

“Ah, no, it won’t work. No, no.”

Rudbeckia shook her head repeatedly. She already felt full, but she could clearly feel something blunt pushing to enter further, so she urgently tried to stop him.

“Already… soon……”

With feelings of wanting to know but not wanting to know, wanting him to insert but not wanting him to insert, Rudbeckia squeezed her eyes shut. Could she really endure it?

“Ah!”

Their lower abdomens fit together without any gap. Having swallowed him completely, Rudbeckia’s breath hitched.