The Crown Princess's Man (5)

Liris stared at Saik with cold sweat on her brow. Now that she looked, there were quite a few empty bottles around them. Wondering who had drunk them all, she looked around and it seemed Kaiston and Saik were the main culprits. Marian and Liris themselves hadn’t had many drinks.

“So in Brother’s heart, His Grace’s image is like that. Naïve and reckless, someone to protect?”

“We’ve seen each other since childhood, after all.”

“Hmm… true. Brother has been in the Red Moon for fifteen years now.”

“Wow… that’s a long time. Didn’t he come here even before the Duke?”

“Yes. I heard he volunteered to come here right after his coming-of-age at eighteen.”

“That’s impressive. It must have been a difficult decision.”

How would seventeen-year-old Kaiston have appeared in the eyes of twenty-year-old Saik?

Surely Saik found great solace in Kaiston stubbornly protecting the fortress and his knights rather than giving up on himself in despair, despite his fate being even worse.

Kaiston too must have relied heavily on Saik, who stayed by his side helping collect the bodies of countless soldiers and knights as the fallen kingdom’s devastation still hadn’t faded.

“I really wanted to tell you yesterday too.”

Kaiston snatched Saik’s cup, drank it himself, and continued, “Why do you live like that, huh? Why are you stuck in this damned Red Moon?”

“I really… huh… I should keep my mouth shut.”

Marian and Liris gaped. Somehow the bickering between the two had crossed a line.

“Is being good at fights the answer, Commander?”

Kaiston choked up and replied.

“Do you think I’m only good at fighting? Crown Princess, tell him! I… ugh…!”

Sensing something very dangerous might be said, Liris quickly covered his mouth. But Kaiston looked at her in puzzlement and removed her hand.

“Didn’t you say my dancing skills were good?

Liris’s face flushed bright red in an instant. What indecent thought had he been alone imagining?

“Ahaha… right. Our Duke is talented in many ways.”

At her words, Kaiston flashed a smug smile and looked at Saik.

“I’m even someone the Crown Princess acknowledged, you know.”

But Saik scoffed and retorted.

“Well, isn’t that all something done with the body too? Our Commander is a total mess at everything except using his body.”

“What? Is that all you have to say? Besides using my body… there’s… something…”

Seeing Kaiston suddenly fall into serious contemplation and stop speaking, Liris shook her head.

“Apparently there isn’t, Your Grace. Don’t bother looking for it.”

“No way.”

Kaiston frowned and rebutted firmly.

“Crown Princess, I think the Duke should go to his room early and rest. I’ll take care of Brother.”

Liris nodded in agreement with Marian’s suggestion.

“Yes, that’s for the best. Getting this drunk two days in a row. Isn’t that too much, Duke?”

Kaiston smiled faintly and nodded at Liris’s words.

“I agree, it’s too much.”

Liris sighed and tugged at his arm.

“Let’s go. Get up.”

Kaiston rose from his seat and extended his hand to her.

“Hand…”

When Liris took his hand, Kaiston’s eyes widened as he smiled, then he started walking without much stumbling.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“I don’t think so…”

Kaiston leaned down and whispered quietly into her ear.

“This is a secret, but I pretended to be drunk because I wanted to be alone with the Crown Princess.”

“Wow, liar.”

Saik, watching the two as they walked toward the main building while chatting, sighed deeply. Marian caught the complicated emotion plain in his eyes.

“Brother, do you perhaps like the Crown Princess?”

Saik laughed as if incredulous at Marian’s question.

“What are you talking about? Why would I like the Crown Princess?”

“Then, do you like the Duke?”

“What?”

Saik frowned and looked at Marian, who shrugged.

“It doesn’t look like a casual feeling. I don’t know toward whom, though.”

Saik snorted with a laugh.

“It’s not a feeling that can be easily folded away, that’s for sure.”

Saik fiddled with the cup in his hand and drained it in another sip.

“He feels like a brother and a younger sibling at once. I want to be protected and to protect him. I want to cry with him and laugh with him. He makes my heart race unbearably. The Commander is the only man I want to stake everything on. It’s not a light feeling like romantic infatuation.”

At his words, Marian pursed her lips.

“You say that because you’ve never been in love. That description is exactly love.”

“No, I’m telling you I’m not. I’ve never once thought of pouncing on the Commander.”

“Wow… I feel like I just heard something amazing.”

Ban sat across from them and refilled Saik’s cup.

“Commander Ban.”

Marian sent a shy smile and Ban gave a slight nod in response.

“Young lady, are you having a good time?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

After looking at Marian, who answered demurely, with eyes full of affection, Ban turned his gaze back to Saik.

“Anyway, I think I understand the unit commander’s feelings. Compared to the Commander, I’ve only spent about half the time with him. He’s the kind of man who makes you burn, our Commander.”

“Is that so?”

“Please understand, it’s a world just for men.”

“Don’t dismiss us because we’re women. We have our own deep feelings too.”

Ban tilted his head at Marian, who spoke in a petulant tone.

“Is that so? I said it because I don’t know well. Please don’t be offended.”

After finishing the drink Ban poured, Saik stood up.

“I should go rest too. The Commander overworks me too much.”

“Ahaha… well, isn’t that our own privilege?”

Ban rose to follow him and helped steady the staggering Saik. Marian, worried about her brother, followed as well.

After bringing Saik to the unit commander’s bedroom next to the captains’ quarters and stepping out, Marian, who had been waiting at the door, looked up at him.

“You’re going back out again?”

“I plan to, but it would be better to bring the young lady to her room first.”

The guest rooms were in a different building from the knights’ barracks. Marian gently grabbed the hem of Ban’s uniform as he tried to lead the way.

“Um… since we’re here, could you show me the captain’s room as well?”

“My room?”

“Yes. I’m curious how the captains live.”

Ban, who had been looking down at her quietly, nodded at Marian’s words.

“There’s not much to see, but since you’re curious.”

Ban walked to the door at the end of the corridor and unlocked it with his key.

“Here we are.”

Marian slipped through the open door. Ban hesitated whether to leave it open, but chose to close it, worried someone passing by might see and misunderstand.

Marian scanned the room. True to a captain’s quarters, it was fairly spacious and even seemed to have a bathroom. The sparsely furnished interior felt a bit bare, just as Ban had said—nothing much to see.

“Boring, isn’t it?”

Ban walked up beside her and smiled sheepishly. Marian looked up at him.

“That was just an excuse, really.”

“Huh?”

“Surely you didn’t think I was actually curious about how a captain’s room looks?”

Grabbing Ban’s lapel with startled eyes, Marian rose on tiptoe and planted a quick kiss on his lips.

“Young lady…”

A crease formed on Ban’s forehead. He gently removed her hand from his lapel and stepped back.

“Don’t do this. Didn’t I tell you before? I have no intention of leaving the Commander’s side. Moreover, a high-born young lady of a marquis family dating a common-born knight—”

“You could come to the Isles with His Grace when he visits. And honestly, with your skills, Captain, you could attain a noble title quickly.”

“Young lady…”

“Marian. Please call me Marian.”

Ban sighed.

“Very well, Marian. I can’t say what will happen, but… if I become a man worthy of you, then I will send a proposal.”

Hearing that, Marian’s eyes sparkled almost painfully bright.

“So that means, Captain, you have feelings for me as well?”

Ban averted his gaze with a slightly uncomfortable expression and continued, “Who would refuse such a beautiful ‘lady’?”

Seeing joy fill Marian’s face, Ban couldn’t help but smile.

“That’s enough! With that one feeling, I don’t need anything else!”

“Young lady—No… Marian…”

Marian threw herself into Ban’s arms.

“I have to leave here in a few days. Please. Make me your woman.”

Ban was suddenly flustered and stammered.

“Th-that—What… that’s… nonsense…”

“If I don’t do something like this, then you will just dither on forever.”

“Ah, no… even so…”

But Marian paid no heed to his reaction; she took his hand and led him to the bed.

“Do I really have to undress myself?”

“Marian… ha… Damn, this really isn’t right…”

Ban ran his hands roughly through his hair.

“I’ll be beaten to death by the unit commander… No… That’s not the issue, but…”

Babbling and unsure what to do, Ban suddenly turned and looked at Marian. His gaze was so intense that even Marian flinched.

“Are you sure you won’t regret this?”

At his question, as if she’d made up her mind, Marian nodded.

“Yes. I won’t regret it.”

“Very well. There’s no turning back now.”

Marian nodded again. Ban cupped her cheek with both hands and kissed her small, red lips. It was their first kiss, awkward and clumsy, but still electric and sweet.

Their discarded clothes piled on the floor as they lay naked on the plain, unadorned bed. The curtains drawn over the window dimmed the light just enough to hide their shyness.

The man’s bestial, low, rough breathing as he reveled in the beautiful female form mingled with the woman’s thin moans—pain from losing her virginity pushed aside by the belated surge of pleasure.