In the Princess’s bedroom, white moonlight streams in through the windows.
It was designed this way from the beginning, just in case the princess was afraid of the dark at night.
Very few people are afraid of light.
That’s why, initially, it seemed like a good design choice.
“…”
“…”
In a situation where their faces were clearly visible to each other, it was undeniable that there were some difficulties.
Faces illuminated even in the middle of the night.
Though they had expected it to be dark and had planned not to see each other’s faces.
“…I can see you.”
“Yeah. I can see you clearly.”
Seeing each other’s faces so clearly now, it was impossible not to feel a bit of embarrassment and a faint smile.
Despite this, the atmosphere lightened a bit, and Epherna spoke more relaxed.
“Mister. Remember back when we lived together in the mansion?”
“Hmm.”
“I’m not sure when it was, but there was a time when it rained and thundered really hard. That was the second or third time we slept together, right?”
“Yeah. You were scared of the thunder.”
“That was a lie.”
“I knew.”
“…What?”
Ern continued calmly.
“Of course I knew. You think a kid who’s been living alone for ten years would be scared of thunder?”
“…”
She had thought that only she knew.
She believed she had revealed some kind of secret.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t know?”
He knew everything and now he was smirking as if to say, “Why are you bringing it up now?”
“…Why are you only saying this now?”
Overwhelmed by embarrassment, she reached out her arms.
With no place to hide her face, she buried it against his chest.
“…You could have told me back then.”
“I found it cute how you came into my room pretending to be scared while trying to hide your embarrassment.”
That’s how it was back then.
– Ern recalled the memories and hugged Eperna.
“It makes me think of when you were little.”
The child who used to be half his height and was stubborn had now grown to be as tall as his chin.
With a body that any woman would envy and ruling the country with the wisdom of a prince.
He felt a mix of pride and bittersweetness.
Bittersweet, yet proud.
And.
‘You’ve grown into a woman.’
As he held her close, these were his thoughts.
He wanted to think this was just a dragon’s instinct-driven desire.
– I want to think so, but I know that it is not the only thing.
He had to admit, with his conscience, that the human Ern Astra harbored feelings of desire for the woman in his arms.
He also understood what it meant to relieve stress.
It felt like something heavy in his chest was melting away.
The more he embraced Epherna, the stronger the feeling of stability became.
His hands tightened.
The subtle floral fragrance felt addictive, and he wanted to hold onto the soft, warm skin.
His hands, losing their rational control, began to move slightly.
He stroked her back and gripped her arms.
At that moment.
Whether it was fortunate or not, the rapid heartbeat quickly calmed down, and with a drowsy feeling, sleepiness overwhelmed him.
It was an irresistible and strange sensation.
How should this be described?
The feeling of a noble king who has completed all his duties?
The only concern was a small worry that the one in his arms might get hurt.
It felt as though everything in the world was within his embrace.
As he closed his eyes in that state, consciousness faded away in an instant.
*****
The more his hands moved and the more he felt the pressure, the harder it became to suppress the sounds threatening to escape.
She could sense his desire for her.
Perhaps it was a slim hope, but something in her heart kept wriggling, and her hand, touching his solid chest, twitched as if shocked by electricity.
She looked up at his face.
“Mister…?”
But something was strange.
His eyes were closed, and there was no response, suggesting he was unconscious.
“Mister, are you asleep?”
She waved her hand in front of his face, but there was no reaction.
So what about the hands that were caressing her back and gripping her arms?
It meant that his hands were moving unconsciously…
Was that even possible?
No, regardless of whether it was possible or not.
“Mister, seriously…”
What was the point of getting her all worked up only to fall asleep like this?
If he had stayed still while asleep, it would have been one thing, but what was she supposed to do while he was still groping around?
In the midst of her worries, Shir’s voice came from the spiritual realm.
[Then make a note for future revenge.]
Sir’s voice was heard from the imaginary world.
Epherna, seizing the opportunity, asked with a voice filled with irritation.
“Why is Mister suddenly like this?”
[Have you heard of the dragon’s precious gem?]
“The precious gem disappeared when you and I made a contract, right? Didn’t you say it remained in my essence in an intangible form?”
[Yes. It originally came from the dragon and is our half-self. To be precise, what we have is modeled after the dragon’s precious gem.]
“…So?”
[Dragons sleep while holding their precious gem. Haven’t you heard this before?]
“I have heard of it.”
[It’s similar. Just as a dragon unconsciously checks the condition of its precious gem, Astra regards you like a precious gem, caressing and sleeping with you.]
“But Mister is a hybrid. Did he inherit such a habit too?”
[This one has less ability compared to other dragon kin. Instead, he seems to have inherited many of the dragon’s instincts.]
…Why did he inherit only useless traits?
Shir dropped this comment with a hint of frustration at Epherna’s muttering.
[Anyway, to continue from the beginning, just endure it even if it’s irritating. Revenge can come later.]
“How will I take revenge? I just have to endure.”
[There might be a way.]
“There isn’t. Even if there is, it would only mean we’d use separate rooms later on.”
[Hmm… Is that possible? It seems like it would be harder for the contractor.]
“…That’s true.”
Epherna honestly admitted.
Even now, with just his touch, her mind races with all kinds of thoughts. Imagining how she would react if there was no need to endure after marriage was inconceivable.
[If revenge is difficult, how about making a list of requests or demands?]
“A list…?”
[Say it far into the future. You can present a list of various things you wanted to ask for, things like ‘you made me go through hardship back then.’ It might be hard for him to refuse.]
“Hmm… There’s some merit to that.”
Epherna nodded in agreement.
*****
The next day.
After a long time, Ern, who had slept in, immediately recognized that his physical condition had changed as soon as he woke up.
‘I feel truly refreshed.’
While his body was one thing, his mind felt extremely light.
He wondered if he had ever felt this good in his life.
Moreover, even though he had been worried about committing an impure act with Epherna the day before, now that he had slept, he felt like he could continue without issue.
‘The moment right before falling asleep is the hardest, but I can endure it.’
It seems that people are indeed creatures of adaptation.
After experiencing it once, he felt confident that the next time would be much more comfortable.
Though it was only once, as a hero, his adaptability was exceptional.
Meanwhile, Epherna wore an exasperated expression on her dazed face.
Though her tired face was covered with makeup, her usual irritated expression remained, making the surrounding attendants and Merien wonder if she was upset for some unknown reason.
“Princess, is something wrong?”
Finally unable to bear the situation, Merien, the head maid, approached and asked.
“…Merien.”
“Yes, please speak freely.”
“I’m going to the library for a bit.”
Embarrassed to directly talk about what happened the previous night, Epherna decided to look for a book.
Books have always been a source of comfort and mental relaxation for her.
Since childhood, she had relieved stress through reading.
But this time, reading a book wasn’t just for relaxation.
Having spent the entire night thinking, Epherna had found no answers to ask Ern. Instead, she decided to seek answers in a book
.
“…Which book would be good?”
[Personally, I recommend a romance novel titled ‘The Rain and The Woman’. The process of unraveling the conflicts in male-female relationships is quite impressive.]
“Romance…?”
[In a way, aren’t you and your contractor experiencing conflicts too? It might provide answers to your current worries or perhaps offer even better advice than I could.]
“I suppose. But how do you know so much?”
[I’ve lived for over thirteen centuries. My domain is the human heart. I must have read hundreds of thousands of books.]
“With that much reading, you could be called a sage.”
[Indeed, some humans have referred to me as the Sage Fox.]
“Is that so.”
Epherna acknowledged this and moved towards the fiction section.
In the library of the Princess’s palace, there were many classic novels. Though she wasn’t particularly fond of fiction, for solving her current problem, she felt she needed a story-driven book.
As she carefully examined the book titles, one caught her eye.
“…This one….”
A book she had never read before, but it looked quite familiar.
The title prominently displayed the number 19 and the title itself was quite provocative.
The Princess Who Criticizes
Epherna recalled when Bergamot had conducted sex education years ago.
– Princess! This is a must-read guide for you! Don’t forget to thank me when you remember this later…
What happened next?
Oh, right. She had scolded Merien severely and then had to leave.
That was probably when she was sixteen.
It was also the moment she learned about a new world, being so ignorant about such matters at the time.
“So it was here.”
This was a novel that Merien had adamantly warned her never to read, yet it was tucked away in such a remote corner.
‘Should I give it a read?’
Swoosh.
Turning the pages with a pure expression, Epherna began to read.
