Chapter 47. After the Incident

The following afternoon.

I awoke from a deep slumber, feeling unusually refreshed.

"Ah... I slept well."

Thanks to the fluffy blanket and pillow, my body felt invigorated, without a single ache. I must have slept for over 12 hours.

After more than a month of sleeping on a field cot, lying in a proper bed felt like pure luxury.

I rubbed my eyes and looked around. I was thirsty, wondering where I could find a water bottle.

Then, suddenly, I realized something was amiss.

"'Where am I?'"

I didn't remember acquiring a private residence in the Royal Capital.

Judging by the size and gorgeousness of the room, it couldn't possibly be my officer's quarters.

I pushed myself up with my arm, intending to get out of bed.

Then, along with a soft, yielding sensation, I heard a woman's moan.

"Hmm... Your Excellency?"

"...Young Lady?"

She seemed to be half-asleep, roused by the sudden stimulation. But the Young Lady of Arshakh's gaze was definitely fixed on me.

A look filled with affection and fondness, unlike her usual businesslike demeanor.

She seemed slightly embarrassed, but also relieved, as she offered me a warm smile.

It was then that I realized the truth. What I had been lying on with my left hand was, in fact, her large, beautiful breast.

"I, I'm so sorry!!"

'Shit, I'm screwed. What have I done? Sexually harassed a young, unmarried noblewoman?'

'No, wait. Did we sleep in the same bed last night? Me, naked next to a girl nine years younger than me? Do I need to prostrate myself and beg for forgiveness?'

I hastily withdrew my hand. Not knowing what to do, I backed away.

The Young Lady, however, clicked her tongue, as if disappointed.

"Hey, you can keep touching, you know?"

"What are you talking about?!"

"Why? After enjoying yourself all night, sucking and fondling, don't be shy now."

Covering her naked body with the blanket, she approached me with a cat-like, alluring posture. Resting her head on my thigh, she asked playfully,

"Have you forgotten what happened last night? What we did after we left the Royal Palace?"

"The Young Lady and I?... Ah."

My mind, finally awake from its long slumber, recalled the previous day's events upon hearing her words.

I had definitely left the Royal Palace, dissuaded by my subordinates, and returned to my office.

There, overwhelmed with resentment, I had drowned my sorrows in alcohol.

--'Why have I been fighting? If this is it, what was the point of my life? Was our dedication a meaningless act from the beginning?'

--'You seem to have bottled up a lot inside.'

--'I should have just surrendered to the Empire! If I had deserted as soon as I became a Lieutenant General, at least my men would have lived! At least 50,000 fewer would have died!!'

--'But the War is over now. Be grateful that no more people will die.'

--'Don't make me laugh! What good is that? Those who are already dead won't come back! Karl, Armin, Otto! They were all good men. If it weren't for the War, they would have lived happily anywhere. But instead, they became blocks of ice in the Snowfield...'

--'...We need to think about that slowly. At least we need to make sure everyone is rewarded for their sacrifice.'

One glass of port wine, one curse word.

One glass of whiskey, one lament.

I brought out all the strong liquor from the pantry and drank without restraint, fueled by the anger that had been suppressed within me.

I mourned the lost time that could never be recovered, trying to soothe my grief with alcohol.

During that time, the Young Lady sat beside me, refilling my glass and agreeing with every word I said.

Occasionally, she wiped away the tears from my eyes and emptied her glass with me.

The high alcohol content of the liquor, intended for long-term storage, combined with the lack of food, quickly intoxicated me.

My robust constitution held out for a while, but not for long. Before midnight, I was unable to control my own body.

--'Oh dear, you're very drunk. Would you like to rest at my residence for a while? My parents aren't there, since I had them arrested.'

--'Anywhere... somewhere to lie down...'

--'Alright. I'll take you there right away.'

Normally, I would have gone home and collapsed.

However, intoxicated and having entrusted myself to another person, I was unable to make sound judgments. I innocently followed the Young Lady without a second thought.

So, what would happen if a man and a woman were left alone in an empty mansion, especially when drunk?

With self-control gone and judgment impaired?

It followed the classic, predictable course of events.

Clothes came off for a wash, skinship occurred during the cleaning, and naturally, bodies intertwined on the bed.

--'I'm a virgin, so please be gentle.'

--'This is my first time with a real woman, too. I think I'm supposed to put it in here...'

--'Ah! Mmm. Slowly, please, haaah!! I'm, I'm coming!'

--'I'll cum inside. Is that alright? No problem, right?'

--'I, it's okay! I don't mind if it's you! Put it inside me as much as you like!'

Both virgins, we did everything imaginable.

Penetration, oral sex, sucking breasts, lifting and thrusting... 'Oh, shit. How starved for female companionship was I to engage in such maniacal acts?'

In the midst of scattered clothing and traces of bodily fluids, evidence of last night's intensity, I could only utter one thing:

"....I'll take responsibility."

"Suddenly?"

"I can't very well pretend nothing happened after enjoying myself all night, can I?"

Not only did I take the young lady's virginity, but countless people know about it. At least a hundred men must have seen the Young Lady of Arshakh taking me away. There's no way this won't become gossip in the Royal Capital.

I saw how the Empire's Imperial Princess nearly got raped and her life was ruined by rumors. Am I going to do the same? No matter how flawed I am, I'm not that kind of heartless bastard.

If I didn't want to permanently shatter this girl's future, I had no choice but to take responsibility.

"Fufu, it's alright. It's not like I seduced you with some kind of honey trap. I knew what I was doing when I got into bed with you, Your Excellency."

"But..."

"Ah ah. There's no need to feel guilty. Just think of it as a good experience. It was just one night, right?"

She gently covered my mouth with her soft fingers.

"If you really want to take responsibility, formally propose to me later. I'll gladly change my family name to Roytel."

With her saying that, I couldn't refuse any further.

"....Alright."

"Good thinking. Then, even though it's late, shall we have breakfast together? Our chef makes amazing omelets."

"No alcohol, please. I don't want to cause any more trouble."

"Of course. You haven't even recovered from your hangover yet, so you can't have a drink with your meal."

The young lady, now covered with a bathrobe she pulled from a drawer, turned to look at me as she was about to stand up.

"Ah, and..."

"Hmm?"

"Could you stop calling me 'Young Lady,' 'Young Lady' all the time? You can speak informally like yesterday. Ah, and please stop calling me by my family name, too."

"So, you want me to call you by your name?"

"Yes! You're older than me, Your Excellency, and I felt bad always using formal language."

I was about to refuse, saying it was difficult to suddenly drop formalities. However, the young lady looked at me with such bright, expectant eyes.

Having already been so inconsiderate, I couldn't bring myself to betray those expectations.

"Then....Camilla."

"Yes, that sounds much better. May I ask you to continue calling me that?"

Her satisfied smile as she called for the butler was dazzlingly beautiful, like a jewel.

* * * * *

Though my rest was for a somewhat unsavory reason, we were in the middle of a Coup d'état.

After finishing our meal and regaining our strength, we immediately headed to the meeting room of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction. We needed to discuss the situation while I was unconscious and decide on our future course of action.

"Your Excellency! Are you alright now?"

"Yes. I apologize for suddenly disappearing in the middle of command."

Kais, Lieutenant General Baden, Ellan, and others. All the key officers who participated in this plan had arrived. My brother and other senior members of our Faction were also present.

It seemed they'd shared information while I was out, as no one looked confused about the current situation. This would speed things up.

"First, the report. What happened in the Capital while I was asleep?"

"As you instructed, all members of the Royalty and Nobility have been apprehended and gathered in one place. You can see them at the opera house in the 6th district."

"Identities confirmed?"

"Yes. Everyone except those who had already returned to their territories or were away on trips."

Fortunately, it seemed they hadn't missed anyone they needed to catch. I wouldn't have to worry about someone escaping and calling for outside help.

As expected of a Coup d'état launched with military superiority and firm regional control, the collapse of Central Region command didn't seem to have caused any major problems.

"Good work. We'll track them down later....What about the King and his immediate family?"

"They were transferred and confined to a house we secured beforehand. We couldn't risk keeping them in the Royal Palace."

Charles VII and his direct descendants had also been taken care of. Palaces are full of hidden passageways, means of escape, and secret rooms, so it was too risky to leave them there.

Until now, I'd let him be even if he escaped because he had nowhere to go, but now, the very act of escaping was unacceptable. I had to minimize all elements of Anxiety.

"All your instructions have been carried out....but what will you do now? We need to decide what to do with the prisoners."

After the report, Lieutenant General Baden asked me about the next steps. What were we going to do with the people we’d captured?

Just as I was about to answer, Arshakh youn— no, Camilla beat me to it.

"Let's just kill them all, shall we? Let's not waste time with hangings; let's just shoot them all and bury them."

Um, your father and mother are included in that group, you know?