The Crown Princess's Man (13)

“You with two missing front teeth must have been terribly cute, though.”

Kaiston kissed Liris’s lips again, then her nose and forehead.

“I doubt I could have waited until you were fully grown.”

Liris wrapped her arms around his neck.

“What would you have done if you couldn’t wait?”

“Well. Maybe I would have kept it in my mouth and rolled it around every day.”

“They say novels about returning to the past are popular these days. How about it… will you go back to being seventeen, Duke?”

Kaiston lifted the corner of his mouth at Liris’s playful remark.

“That wouldn’t be bad.”

Kaiston’s hand cupped Liris’s wet pussy, still slick with her juices and his seed, and pressed firmly.

“Tell me what eight-year-old you liked most. If I’m going to charm little Liris, I should have at least some information, shouldn’t I?”

“Ugh… it’s just… um…”

Her mind kept drifting as his clever touch rubbed her, making it hard to think straight.

“I was in the temple back then… uhn… so, whatever I did, things of the outside world were all…”

“Hmm… really? Shall I take you out and feed you a bunch of snacks?”

“Hng… yes… I’m sure I’d love that a lot…”

He brushed aside the glistening strand of saliva and grabbed her ankles, spreading her legs. Her wet, gleaming pink inner flesh was fully exposed.

“Will you… do it again…?”

Liris looked up at him with a slightly frightened expression.

“I need to press down so the seed I planted upside down can grow well.”

“Hng…!”

His thrust slid in at once, and her slick flesh clung tightly and sucked him inward.

Kaiston tapped Liris’s cheek with his fingertip.

“Were you hoping for this? It’s incredibly hot.”

“Mm… I guess so…”

Talking with him, she found her body heating up before she knew it. Her swollen inner walls tightened dizzyingly each time his member scraped past.

“Aah… Kai…”

“Hah. Truly unstoppable. Are you planning to melt me completely?”

When he released her ankles, her loosened body clung to his.

“Mm, it’s so good…!”

Kaiston slid his hand under Liris’s chin and licked up her pale, slender neck with his tongue.

“Aah!”

Liris’s head tipped back on its own. The stimulation from below alone made her whole body tingle, and his tongue was flicking at her sensitive spots.

“Don’t hold back. Go ahead. Let’s see how many times you can hold out and fall asleep.”

“Ugh, that, that… ugh, yes… mm…”

“You’ve been mixing your body with mine for over half a year now; your stamina must have increased, right?”

His low voice brushed her ear. She had no way to withstand his movements that probed her erogenous zones quickly and accurately.

“Huh… aaah…!”

Under his determined assault, Liris collapsed in an instant. Kaiston smiled as he held her trembling, rigid body and patted her.

“Now once.”

Liris stared blankly as his alluring violet eyes curved gently. Only today did she begin to understand why the Red Moon knights trembled in fear when they saw him.

Whether it was because Liris’s upside-down practice took effect or because of the seed she swallowed that day, at the end of that summer, her regular period finally stopped. She waited another week, wondering if her cycle had been disrupted, but what came was violent morning sickness.

Pregnant women were supposed to go to the Isles, but in this state she couldn’t move. There were so many things the Red Moon lacked that getting through her morning sickness was extremely difficult.

“Surely…”

Liris sobbed and sniffled.

“A child with mismatched eyes will be born…”

Depression seemed to come with it. Kaiston ultimately sent a telegram to Sinal ordering them to procure every kind of fruit from across the Empire. It would have been impossible without the convenient item called a magic bag, but his choice proved correct. Most of what Liris wanted to eat was fruit.

“My mother said she filled her belly only with fruit when she was carrying me.”

Sipping an aidé mixed with lemon and grapefruit, Liris tilted her head.

“Is that why your skin is so nice?”

Liris, noticing he didn’t take much care yet his skin wasn’t rough at all, touched his cheek anew.

“Mana cultivation purifies the body every day, so that’s probably why.”

“Wow… that’s great.”

“Still, it’s nothing like you. Soft and squishy…”

Seeing the heat grow darker in his violet eyes, Liris quickly covered his gaze.

“Ah, no!”

Kaiston sighed.

“Phew… right.”

Indeed, early pregnancy had many drawbacks.

Time flew without pause; summer passed and autumn came. Kaiston and Liris finished preparing to go to the Isles.

Kaiston planned to travel with only Saik, but at the Crown Princess’s suggestion they also brought along Nel, who had ties to the Isles. Unexpectedly, Millen asked to come too. The reason was simple: now that things had come to this, he couldn’t bear to see Raiden take her. Kaiston hesitated a bit but agreed, partly to show General Luther how his son had changed.

So in mid-autumn, Kaiston and the Crown Princess entered Darkan, the capital of the Aikadum Empire.

“Hah… they’re really persistent bastards.”

Saik scowled as he brushed blood off his sword. Assassins had been sent relentlessly since they left Sinal, and they appeared more frequently as they neared Darkan. Their methods became more cunning and attacks stronger. Perhaps assuming they’d relax once they reached the capital, ambushes came again as soon as they passed the outer gate, but Saik, Nel, and Millen dealt with them in an instant.

“Crown Princess, were you startled?”

Kaiston asked toward the inside of the carriage in a carefully practiced gentle tone.

“I’m fine. Though it’s terribly bad for prenatal care.”

Saik watched Kaiston nodding at Liris’s answer and sighed. With corpses all around, such an expression and tone even now seemed a bit off.

“Commander, at times like this wouldn’t it be better to look a bit displeased?”

“Hmm…”

Kaiston thought for a moment and answered.

“If I start looking displeased at this level, wouldn’t I have to frown all the time?”

“No way. The Isles aren’t that physically brutal.”

“Then what about this situation?”

“It seems Raiden has really gone mad.”

Millen chuckled. He seemed to find the atrocities of an old rival rather amusing. It was proof of how anxious he was.

“Well, fine. Actually, being on the Isles put me in a good mood. I’ll watch my expression.”

They left before the constabulary arrived. The assassins would hardly have left evidence to identify who sent them, so staying would only waste time.

They headed straight for the Imperial Palace. It had been almost a year since Liris’s return.

At the palace gate, it was Millen who announced the Crown Princess’s return. The soldiers at the gate recognized him and opened the gate without question when told the Crown Princess was in the carriage.

“Power truly recognizes power.”

Millen’s face flushed at Kaiston’s remark.

“Don’t say it like that. It sounds like you’re teasing me.”

It was an expression that would have surprised Millen’s former subordinate knights.

Naturally, the first appointment was an audience with the Emperor, and Liris and Kaiston went to the audience hall, leaving Saik, Millen, and Nel behind.

“Your Grace.”

The knights guarding the audience hall bowed politely to the Crown Princess and then looked at the man beside her.

The man, with a broad build, black uniform, and dark crimson cloak, stood with a relaxed smile yet exuded tremendous intimidation. The knights could tell he was a warrior who had reached an unpredictable mastery. Noticing their wary gazes, the Crown Princess spoke calmly.

“Please report it. The companion is Duke Kaiston Crunel.”

“What?!”

They blurted out the question in shock even in front of the Crown Princess.

“Um, of the Red Moon… that…”

“Yes, ‘that’ Duke Crunel. Hurry, don’t be rude any longer and report it.”

“Ah… my apologies.”

The knight hurriedly bowed and went to announce them to the Emperor. The remaining knights tried not to stare but couldn’t help being drawn to him. While handsome noble youths were common on the Isles, none had the bold features and captivating presence of this man. To think such a man was the rumored ‘that’ Duke Crunel—it was unbelievable.

Liris ignored the knights’ gazes and looked up at Kaiston. The hand she held told her he was nervous. Though his expression looked relaxed, she couldn’t guess what he was really thinking.

“Are you okay?”

He looked down at her at her small whisper.

“Are you worried?”

It was a heavy, low voice, yet also gentle.

The knights’ gazes turned to him once more.

“Yes. A little…”

Kaiston turned his body slightly toward her.

“It’s all right.”

Kaiston gently fussed with her hair and whispered quietly.

“Put my worries aside, Your Highness. Isn’t this a meeting with your father after a long time?”

Liris sighed and nodded at his words. Before long the doors opened, and the two entered the audience hall together.