I've come to the riverside to enjoy a rare nighttime stroll.
Once the sun sets, this place becomes sparsely populated, exuding a serene and tranquil atmosphere, perfect for truly savoring a moment of peace.
A cool night breeze pleasantly tickles my face. The faint moonlight, slightly veiled by clouds, seems to softly embrace the world greeting the night.
"This is the taste I remember."
Since it's unlikely anyone would be out and about at this hour, I can express my true feelings while watching the moon's reflection ripple on the river, with no one to say a word.
It feels as if I've become the master of the wide river flowing beneath the bridge. This unique experience is one I can only fully savor here and now.
For this, I'd gladly pay the fine of 6 silver. It's the exact amount for violating the nighttime curfew.
But I'm wondering why there are no patrolling guards in sight today. Aren't they coming to collect their money?
It's strange. It's not as if they'd all have the day off together.
"Huh."
I stood up from the bench, lost in idle thoughts. Since I'm here anyway, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a patrol around in place of the guards.
But come to think of it, this would be a night patrol conducted personally by a war veteran and prospective Knight Commander.
Oh. Saying it like that sounds kind of cool.
Moreover, who else in the Empire but me could so gloriously package the criminal acts of violating the curfew and unlawfully interfering with another department's duties?
"Heh heh…"
Truly pointless thoughts. A silly laugh escapes me.
On the other hand, indulging in this luxury with such a completely relaxed mindset makes me suddenly realize that it's already been over a month since the dreadful war ended.
"Is it really all over now?"
Still finding it hard to believe, I asked the empty air, just as the moon was passing its zenith.
Usually, right around this time, the enemies would launch their attacks. The fact that nothing has happened despite me being in this defenseless state seems to indicate it really is over.
—Whoosh!
"Ah, got you."
The fact that my greatest threat at the moment is a mosquito buzzing in front of my face is, on one hand, a relief, but also feels a bit unfamiliar.
To feel unfamiliar with peace… It's all because the me from the past, still fighting on the battlefield, is jealous of the current me, lazing around in the capital.
Well, given some time, it'll probably sort itself out.
Anyway, this leisurely life ends today. Starting tomorrow, I have to work for the Empire again.
For now, my biggest headache is whether to wear armor or my formal uniform to the Knight Commander inauguration ceremony.
Armor is probably better, right? Honestly, the uniform is a bit stuffy. And it doesn't suit me well.
"But Knight Commander, Knight Commander…"
Repeating the name of my new appointment brings a tinge of excitement, like the first time I held a sword.
It really is quite a fitting title, isn't it? It even rolls off the tongue nicely.
I'll pass on those ominous-sounding titles like frontline assault captain or vanguard leader, which make you sound like a pincushion waiting to happen.
While pondering these and other matters, I continued walking.
'…What in the world is that guy doing?'
A muddy loach had appeared, rippling the calm peace.
He kept looking around incessantly, checking his surroundings. To anyone watching, he was clearly suspicious.
A hood covered not only his face but his entire body, making identification impossible, though he didn't seem particularly large in stature.
'He doesn't look like he's out for an ordinary nighttime stroll…'
My intuition as a fellow violator of the terrifying minor crime of breaking curfew whispered to me that this colleague was no ordinary person.
In my experience, those who hide their faces are all up to no good.
Unlike me, who came out unarmed in comfortable clothes, this fellow undoubtedly harbors wicked intentions.
I straightened my thoroughly relaxed posture, suppressed my presence, and quietly hid, following behind him.
After carefully observing the suspicious individual's movements, the result was:
'What the… Seriously… Could he be a spy?'
It became clear that he wasn't just a suspicious character but a dangerous element.
He wasn't merely checking his surroundings; he kept crossing back and forth over the bridge, trying his best to grasp the layout of the city district.
Although his movements were rather clumsy and awkward, that outfit combined with that behavior made him a textbook example of a subversive element, ripe for immediate arrest as a red-handed criminal.
So, I stared at his back and pondered seriously.
'What should I do with this guy?'
Should I let him roam freely to gather information on him in return, or should I apprehend him immediately and hand him over to the guard post?
Honestly, not knowing his identity made it impossible to say which option was better, so it seemed best to just follow my instincts.
Since I'm already here… let's watch a little longer.
After wandering around for a while, the place where he finally stopped was a dark, grassy area in the middle of nowhere.
'Was this place here?'
I've been around this area a lot, but I never knew there was such a gloomy spot along the riverside walking path. If he really is a spy, he'd probably try to contact his handler here.
I tensed up slightly and observed his actions with even greater care.
—Rustle
However, what followed was something far beyond my imagination.
When the figure, having stopped in place, suddenly removed his hat, what was revealed was long, soft silver hair and slender shoulders.
'What in the world is this situation?'
The situation had veered in a direction I hadn't even dreamed of, beyond being out of control, and my mind, filled with all sorts of thoughts, went blank in an instant.
It was a strange feeling, as if I'd been hit on the head with a battering ram. A sense of bewilderment, which I hadn't even felt easily on the battlefield, took over my mind.
What exactly is the proper course of action when an unidentified person, suspected of being a spy who infiltrated the heart of the capital, suddenly starts undressing right before your eyes?
Should I treat it as a classic honey trap and respond accordingly? Or should I see it as a type of deception tactic?
Could it be that I'm already under the influence of a mental spell or curse?
As if I wasn't confused enough, witnessing her subsequent actions left me completely frozen.
"Haa…"
Along with a faint but distinctly audible hot sigh, she completely threw off the hood that had been hanging precariously around her shoulders, revealing her back to the outside world.
Astonishingly, the woman wasn't wearing anything under the hood.
'Snap out of it!'
For a moment, I was almost captivated by the curve of her back. I scolded myself internally and barely managed to regain my composure.
Damn. Whether she's a spy or a pervert, why is her waist so slender? And why are her hips so wide? Her thighs are a bit thick, but that's actually a good thing.
Moreover, if her chest is bulging out to the sides enough to be visible, it must be quite substantial…
Although it's just her back, she's clearly a rare beauty. At this level, I probably don't even need to see her front.
Adding to the charm is her mysterious silvery hair, which has begun to shimmer under the moonlight.
A beauty with long silver hair and a well-defined figure is reminiscent of Princess Alicia. Her back view alone might be a match for the princess.
I thought I'd gotten tangled up in something bothersome and dangerous. But with this level of visual treat, the trouble feels worthwhile.
The possibility that this woman isn't a spy but a beauty with slightly unique hobbies was gradually increasing.
If she were a highly trained spy who had noticed my presence beforehand and was showing her naked body to bewitch me, I might even consider letting it happen.
Well, that's probably not the case, and she doesn't seem like she's planning to do anything stranger here, so let's just enjoy this audacious view of her back a little longer.
I know it's not exactly honorable, but honestly, wouldn't it be a shame to arrest her right away?
'Ohh…'
As I continued to admire her back view, the woman slowly began to reach her hands toward her breasts.
It seems… I'm about to witness something even rarer than mere nudity.
But right at that moment.
—Crunch
'Damn it!'
A noise occurred because some animal, a rabbit or a raccoon or something, happened to pass by!
Startled by the sound, the woman hurriedly turned around, noticed my presence, and—since there was no cover nearby—was caught completely.
A sharp scream echoed from the woman who had spotted the dark man peeping at her from behind.
"Eeek! W-who are you?"
I tried to apologize to her immediately, but upon seeing her front revealed before my eyes, I was momentarily speechless.
'Ah.'
Just how many men in the Empire have seen the princess naked?
'What do I do, what do I do, what do I do!'
Alicia von Diana Solaris.
The noble status of an Imperial Princess. Coupled with her natural beauty, earning her the title of "the flower on the cliff," she now faced the crisis of her life.
'Have I been caught? Really?'
Because the secret hobby she had been enjoying in secrecy until now had been exposed.
And by a strange man, no less.
'W-what should I do…'
Moreover, though she couldn't see clearly from a distance, the man looked very large and scary.
Alicia couldn't even begin to guess what this unidentified suspicious person might do to her.
Though it was far too late, she could only shed tears of regret, blaming her past self for being blinded by desire and planning tonight's outing.
At the end of a foolish choice made for a night of pleasure, the innocent lamb had finally encountered a beast she couldn't handle.
Just who was this man? He had a somewhat masculine face, but countless scars made his expression appear extremely vicious.
On top of that, his height seemed a full head taller than not only the capital's nobles but even the carefully selected Imperial guards.
Well-developed muscles that couldn't be hidden even by light clothing, and shoulders so broad they looked as if he were wearing armor despite being bare-chested.
In Alicia's eyes, this man seemed closer to a beast than a human.
"Ha, damn it…"
Furthermore, instead of answering her question about his identity, this terrifying man stared holes into Alicia's completely unclothed body.
As if unable to bear it any longer, he even growled and spat out rough profanity.
'S-scared…'
Facing the man, Alicia felt a primal fear, as if she were a herbivore standing before a predator, for the first time in her life.
Her legs had long lost their strength. The only thing supporting Alicia, who wanted to collapse on the spot, was one thing.
It was her pride as the Imperial Princess.
Every time she felt the man's gaze, her heart pounded fiercely with fear, and her body unconsciously took steps backward, but…
Alicia mustered all her strength and shouted again.
"I-I asked who you are! Wh-why, how did you get here at this time?"
However, the man showed no reaction to her shout and just stood there blankly.
Clearly, this place was the most sparsely populated location in the capital, which Alicia had carefully selected and even had the regular patrols canceled—a perfect private venue for her alone.
Yet, the oppressive aura emanating from this man, a mere uninvited guest, had somehow taken over the entire space.
Alicia was terribly afraid of the man. What kind of life had he lived to be able to emit such a ferocious aura so casually? And toward a defenseless woman, at that.
—Thump!
Eventually, unconsciously trying to distance herself from the man by stepping backward, she ended up sitting right down on the spot.
'For me, me, to end up like this…!'
Amid her fear, Alicia felt overwhelming shame.
It was partly because she was exposing her naked body to a strange man, but it was even more frustrating that she, a princess, was yielding to some unknown ruffian.
"S-stop looking!"
So, Alicia tried desperately to hide her unsightly appearance and protect herself from the psychological shock by covering her body as much as possible while crying out, but…
It was utterly useless.
The man remained in the same posture, maintaining his eerie silence as he looked down at her.
'Ah, I… No matter what I, the Imperial Princess, do, it must seem merely laughable to that man.'
Alicia could no longer bear that gaze. She had tried her best, but now she had reached her limit.
In that moment, Alicia felt as if something inside her had snapped.
Realizing that no matter what she tried was futile, she finally gave up.
Suddenly, she began crawling on all fours on the ground toward the man, begging like an animal.
No trace of her dignity as a princess could be found in that figure.
Now, she was simply a lamb right before being devoured by a predator.
"A, aah…! No, don't come closer! P-please…!"
Perhaps taking Alicia's struggles as a signal that the prey was completely incapacitated,
Finally, the man slowly began to approach her.
One step. Another step.
With each step the man took closer to Alicia, all sorts of ominous imaginations swirled in her mind.
In Alicia's imagination, the man became a black magician corrupting women with hypnotic magic.
He became a legendary philanderer staining innocent country girls with unknown pleasures.
He became a savage violating the bodies of pure noble ladies at will, spewing beastly lust.
All three were scenarios from the sensual novels she enjoyed reading, but it seemed entirely possible that something even worse would happen to her.
'…I suppose I will now be at that man's mercy.'
The man's chilling red eyes met Alicia's icy blue eyes.
Gulp. Facing the man's face properly, Alicia unconsciously swallowed her saliva.
As the distance between them closed to the point where reaching out would touch him, the man's stature felt even larger, and she felt even more frail.
'G-good heavens… such a…'
Up close, the man truly had a body of unbelievably ferocious proportions.
The thickness of his forearm seemed almost as big as Alicia's own thigh, and his shoulders were much broader than they had appeared from a distance. The pectoral muscles glimpsed through his shirt gaps looked like boulders.
And… the lower part, bulging out as if about to burst.
Facing that obscene shape, her head felt dizzy for some reason, and her lower abdomen began to tremble slightly.
Moreover, she could feel blood rushing arbitrarily to the shameful parts of her body she couldn't even bring herself to mention.
Toward Alicia, who was looking up at the man with a dazed expression, offering no more resistance, stretched the man's large, rugged hand.
Seeing that, Alicia tightly shut her eyes.
'Ah, oh god…'
However, despite a long time passing, nothing happened.
She felt no touch savagely groping her cheaply large breasts, nor any hand attempting to invade the forbidden sanctuary that should never be violated.
As time passed, and curiosity began to feel stronger than fear, Alicia cautiously opened her eyes a crack.
"…Are you alright?"
Then, the man was calmly extending his hand toward her.
Blink, blink. After blinking for a few seconds, Alicia finally grasped the situation.
'C-could it be… it was all a misunderstanding?'
Come to think of it, how suspicious must she have looked to this man?
Objectively speaking, Alicia was dressed in a very suspicious manner, and it was possible that the man, out for a nighttime stroll, had coincidentally discovered her and was observing her with the intent to report her.
In other words, this man was just an ordinary imperial citizen who happened to look a bit rough.
Judging by the fact that he was extending his hand toward her and staring blankly, as if wondering what she was doing here…
It was far more likely that he was the former rather than a merciless rapist and princess assassin.
Belatedly overwhelmed by shame, Alicia's face turned as red as a ripe tomato.