episode_0008

Thinking back, there were always signs.

‘And, I have nowhere else to go…’

‘…Why are you doing all this for me?’

‘Yes, Your Highness. Hehe…’

‘My hand? Ah… this. I scraped it a little while ago, but it’s fine now.’

‘That one person is Your Highness!!’

‘Your Highnessss~~’

‘A long time ago… a little. I helped my mother do it for the soldiers.’

‘I hate it… I hate seeing Your Highness get hurt…!!’

‘S-s-s… H-h-h… S-s-s… H-h-h…’

‘Your Highness…!!’

‘Ah… no, it’s nothing.’

‘Your Highness…?’

‘Your Highness… hehe.’

I clearly resolved to properly observe my surroundings, yet why…

did I fail to even properly see the person right beside me?

『[Character Story: Yuri] progress has decreased slightly.』

The moment I checked the status window that appeared before my eyes, I immediately began searching the castle for Yuri.

“Yuri, Yuri!!”

Something… something must be wrong.

“Hey, you there. Have you seen our maid, Yuri… anywhere…?”

“Wow, Your Highness? I haven’t seen Yuri… What’s wrong?”

I ransacked the entire castle, from cleaners, gardeners, cooks, and guards. I even went to the library and the knights’ training grounds, just in case.

“Your Highness!!”

Then, I heard a slightly urgent voice. It was the head maid.

“What is it, what’s going on?”

“That’s… Yuri is…”

Creak. It’s that guy. The unpleasant fellow I met at the tea party.

“Where is she?”

“She’s in the reception hall… but there are so many rooms—”

“That’s enough.”

I only need a general location. I spread my arms wide.

The guest reception area is in a slightly separate building. After roughly calculating the distance, I absorbed the surrounding mana with all my might.

『Trait, [Mana Researcher] activates.』 『Skill, [Mana Manipulation Lv. 31] links.』

Instead of spreading it around me like before, I focused on enveloping that building entirely.

I unleashed the mana through my palms.

[Mana Curtain]!!

Whooooosh…! It felt as if my arms, my whole body, were stretching out to engulf the building, and everything inside it became vividly perceptible.

‘Yuri… she’s here!’

Third floor. I can sense that man’s presence too.

I immediately ran there.

‘What, are you saying…’ ‘Your mother.’ ‘…!!!’ ‘…worked at our mansion. Kkkk… that woman’s figure was really—’

That son of a bitch…!

‘—to die a dog’s death while going to help in the war—’ ‘Kwaaack…’

Let go of that hand…

Kwaaaang!!!

The moment I burst through the door, I saw Yuri’s tears.

『Trait, [Reborn] activates.』 『Maintaining rationality.』

And the emotion remaining within me was no longer expressible with the single word “anger.” How can I make this bastard suffer the most? Can I take everything from him?

With a slight smile, I approached Yuri.

“Yuri, what do you want to do?”

Her eyes were red and swollen from quickly wiping away her tears.

I immediately noticed.

“I… intend to follow this gentleman’s wishes.”

Yuri was lying to me for the first time in front of me. Hiding her true feelings, concealing her wounds, covering her tears with a false smile.

“I see.”

I smiled slightly.

“You’ve worked hard.”

And I turned away.

Truly, you’ve worked hard. I will now remove all the disgusting shadows clinging to you from the past.

. . .

『[Prologue: The Princess is Strange] progress conditions unlocked. [Condition: Uncover the Carcen Marquis’s secret]』

Condition… a secret. It means there’s something hidden.

I immediately searched the library’s books to find a location near the kingdom where a war had taken place.

‘Here it is.’

Hinata Duchy… I see. Being a small country in the inland region, quite far from the Yamato Islands, it was the perfect target for an empire’s attack.

However, what benefit is there in attacking this place? There are far too many suspicious points.

I immediately headed towards the Hinata Duchy.

“Who are you?!”

Because I wore a cloak to sneak out alone without soldiers, my appearance was no different from an assassin. And, sure enough, I ran into the empire’s soldiers.

I can’t reveal my face here. I subdued them properly.

“Keuhuk…” “What kind of power… ugh.”

I’m sorry. I’m a little busy right now.

After laying the soldiers down amidst the building rubble, I looked around.

It was devastating. Because of the war seven years ago, most of the traces of human life had been destroyed. All that remained were traces of the war.

Swords and armor, flags and banners… I was about to tidy them away to the side of the road when…

This is…? Something odd caught my eye and I immediately returned to the fallen soldiers.

And then I examined the imperial emblem on their armor and banners.

‘Slightly different…’

This definitely necessitates the dispatch of an investigation team. It is full of suspicious points.

I returned to the kingdom with my first harvest.

“…Your Highness!”

Again, the head maid’s urgent voice.

“Did you look into what I mentioned?”

“Yes, there were more than a few suspicious points. Our maids heard from peddlers that several unfamiliar carriages had been coming and going from the Carcen Marquisate since last month.”

It’s enough, this is enough. It may not be sufficient evidence, but it’s enough reason to dispatch an investigation team to find that evidence.

‘The only thing left is that bastard’s confession.’

Even as I lay down on my bed in my room, I didn’t let go of my thoughts. Was my preparation lacking? Was this the wrong thing to do?

And, is this what Yuri wants? Is she still crying?

I felt bad about using her as bait, and I couldn’t sleep.

Just wait a little longer.

. . .

Early dawn. I was watching, hidden, as the carriage departed.

A man roughly dragging Yuri’s arm, pulling her into the carriage.

I gritted my teeth and ran after the carriage. Using [Shadowless Step] to run, I stretched out my hand, like a few days ago, and used [Mana Curtain] to engulf the carriage.

‘They were my loyal subordinates, bearing the Empire’s flag.’

‘For such… things…’

…so he finally confessed.

He had sent soldiers to the marquisate as well. There’s no need to hold back anymore.

‘I wanted to be by your side.’

‘For a lifetime, if you’d allow it.’

‘I want to fall asleep seeing your face.’

Yuri’s heart flows to me, carried on the mana.

“I heard you, your heart.”

Whoooosh! I unleashed mana from the tips of my feet and shot out at an explosive speed.

I stuck to the side of the carriage; as I opened the door, the man jumped in shock. The driver hastily stopped the horses.

It doesn’t matter. Only Yuri, lying down with her clothes torn, was in my sight.

“Yuri… are you alright?”

“Keuh, keuh… Cough, cough… Your High, ness…”

“It’s me, I’m here. It’ll be over soon.”

Fwoosh. I took off my cloak and covered Yuri with it. After carefully laying her down in the carriage…

The man, no. I looked at the Carcen Marquis’ son, Liber Carcen.

“H-h-hiik!!!”

“So you do know fear.”

Kwaaaang!! I kicked Liber in the sternum, sending him flying out of the carriage.

Thud, thud. I approached him at a leisurely pace.

“I will ask you three questions.”

“K-k-keuuugh…!”

“If you don’t answer properly, you’ll die here.”

Liber wailed.

“Why… w-why are you doing this to me?!”

……

『Trait, [Reborn] activates.』 『Maintaining rationality.』

What a ridiculous man.

“I never gave you the opportunity to ask. But…”

Three or four soldiers came riding on horseback from the end of the road the carriage was heading towards.

“I’ll tell you. Why I’m doing this.”

The soldiers stopped their horses beside me, dismounted, and formed a line.

“We greet Princess Narita.”

I waved my hand at the soldiers who were kneeling on one knee in a formal manner.

“That’s enough. More importantly, report your findings.”

“Yes, sir. As a result of thoroughly searching the Carcen Marquisate since this morning, we have discovered not only illegal drugs brought in from the Empire’s underworld, but also numerous traces of crimes in the marquis’s underground cellar. The details of which include…”

“That’s enough.”

I grabbed him by the throat.

“That’s not what I want to know. First, did you do something terrible to Yuri’s mother?”

“Wh-why…”

Kwaaak.

“Don’t you have any idea who’s standing before you?”

“Hiiik…!! I did, I did it!!”

I continued my questions.

“Second, did you intend to do the same thing to Yuri with the drugs you brought in?”

“…Yes, I did…”

“Then… this is the last one.”

Creak.

“Do you have anything to say?”

The mana, boiling with extreme anger throughout my body, is losing control. I clenched my fist so hard that my fingernails dug into my palm, and I scraped his face.

“Sa-save me—”

『Skill, [Mana Explosion Lv. 34] activates.』

Crack! Liber’s head exploded like a watermelon.

There’s a feeling like crushing an egg in my hand, and a large amount of blood…

Blood…? What, is he dead?

The headless corpse in my hand. it should feel disgustingly nauseating…

『Trait, [Reborn] activates.』

Perhaps because of the trait, I was surprisingly calm. I didn’t feel anything.

“Haaah…”

White mist formed on the air I exhaled.

The breath, gently scattering into the sky. It felt just like me.

“…Your Highness!!!”

Yuri, jumping out of the carriage, ran towards me.

“Yuri… why did you come out, it’s cold.”

“Your High, ness… the blood, the blood…!!”

“It’s okay. It’s not my blood.”

I embraced Yuri. Our chests touched and I felt her heartbeat.

“Why did you say you were leaving.”

“But… but…!! Hwaaaang…”

It’s warm. Yuri’s chest, felt through her clothes. Her neck, wrapped in my arms. Her endless tears.

It felt like my frozen body was melting.

“Do you hate me, Yuri?”

“If you say that, sniffle, I hate that…”

I pressed my cheek against Yuri’s damp cheek.

“Then do you like me?”

“I like you, I like you so much…”

“Really?”

“Yes, y-yes…!!”

Why did she leave, even though she likes me? Why did she lie while crying?

Did she feel like she wasn’t needed by me?

If so. There was something I needed to tell her.

“Yuri.”

“…Yes.”

I lifted Yuri and embraced her close to my chest.

“You know? I like the food you make the most.”

Yuri looked up at my face with bright eyes.

“The clothes you choose for me are the prettiest, and the room you clean is the most refreshing.”

She said nothing, quietly resting her head against me, listening to my voice.

“Reading books with you is the most interesting, and going for walks with you is the happiest.”

“Me too… I’m happiest when I’m with Your Highness too.”

Her clenched fists were so cute.

“So, Yuri. This is the last order I, as a princess, give you.”

“Your Highness…?”

I grabbed Yuri’s chin and pushed my face forward. I pressed my lips against her small, soft pink lips.

Peck.

“Stay by my side forever.”

“…!”

A blush spread across Yuri’s cheeks. Her pupils trembled in confusion, then her eyes welled up.

Finally, she smiled.

“Yes, Your Highness…♡”

We laughed at each other. Our breaths, clouded white, mingled and scattered into the winter sky.

『[Character Story: Yuri] progress has greatly increased.』 『 unlocked.』

. . .

That day, the royal palace was turned upside down.

A princess of a country returned covered in blood, along with her maid.

Luckily, the accompanying soldier explained the situation, and my brothers took over the cleanup.

“You should go now. You must be very tired, so rest well.”

“Thank you.”

Today, I bathed alone in the tub.

Yuri… was taken away by the other maids. It seemed like they were going to clean her up and feed her all sorts of things, saying they’d spoil her for only this once.

I should focus on resting just for today and not worry about it.

A considerable amount of time had passed, but the sun was only just setting. I lay on my bed, quietly gazing out of the window.

Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door.

“Your Highness, it’s me. Yuri.”

“Come in.”

Yuri was dressed in her usual neat maid uniform, with her usual warm smile. Except for her slightly flushed cheeks.

I read the status window that appeared before me.

-[Character Story] progress must reach a certain level to unlock. -The character’s affection has surpassed the normal level, fully opening her heart to the player. -The character awaits the next stage.

Flushed face, next stage.

I think I have a sense of what this , newly added to the test server, might be. The name is too long, so I’ll shorten it to “SEX” for convenience… Ah.

It was just that kind of event.

I got Yuri to sit on the bed.

“What is it?”

“I heard you returned from the Hinata Duchy.”

“Yes.”

Yuri slowly continued speaking.

“My name, in my native tongue, means ‘lily.’”

“It’s a beautiful name that suits you perfectly.”

“…Thank you.”

This time, her pupils fluttered slightly.

“Do you happen to know the meaning of a lily…?”

“I don’t know? I didn’t study plants very diligently…”

“They say it means purity, pure love, unchanging love.”

Yuri got up from the bed.

And with trembling hands, she began to untie the knot on her maid uniform’s waist. Slither. The waist loosened and the apron slid off.

Only the sound of rustling clothes echoed in the room.

This time, she untied the ribbon on her neck. As she grabbed the ends of her sleeves and took off her arms, the maid uniform’s black dress fell to the bedroom floor.

Pat, pat.

In the dim room, Yuri stood in her underwear.

As the moonlight entered, scars, visible in several places, were revealed across her otherwise white and clean skin.

A smooth figure without any excess fat. Limbs that weren’t too thin. Breasts and buttocks appealing to desire.

Taking off her headband and laying it on the floor, Yuri loosened her panty straps.

Swoosh. The thin cloth fell softly, and a clean cleft was revealed between her legs.

Yuri finally reached behind her back and untied the straps of her bra. The cloth that had covered her chest scattered onto the floor. Rose-colored nipples were visible on top of her full breasts.

The moonlight, previously obscured by clouds, flooded the room again.

And in my eyes. Yuri’s naked body was imprinted.

“My body and my heart belong to Your Highness.”

Her face, red and flushed as if about to burst. Resisting her shyness, she stretched out her hands towards me.

“I will give you everything… Your Highness…♡”