EP.4 Mischievous Princess
"Ugh... Is it morning already?"
I barely manage to open my heavy eyelids.
Accumulated fatigue weighs on me from lack of sleep.
Especially after a nightmare, I feel doubly exhausted.
'Was it a dream...'
I slip my hand into my pocket.
What I feel is the round shape of a jewel.
"This part isn't a dream..."
A round jewel sits in my palm.
Coming from a humble background, I have no idea what kind of jewel it is.
But one thing is certain: it's rare.
After all, it's something the princess herself gave me.
"It seems a bit smaller than yesterday... Maybe I'm just seeing things because I'm tired."
In any case, it's something I must not lose.
Losing something given by the princess would be blasphemous in itself.
"Sigh... Though I've already committed plenty of blasphemies..."
"Hey! Why are you sighing so much?"
As I look down at the floor, Nelson approaches my bedside.
He looks much better rested than I do.
"It's nothing."
"Are you tired?"
"Something like that. Where did you rest yesterday? I looked for you to switch shifts but couldn't find you."
"Of course I slept here."
He's got guts.
Even if it's a room for two soldiers, it's bold to sleep during patrol.
From the looks of it, he must have been asleep the whole time.
"If you get caught, you'll lose your head."
"Don't worry. The guys switching shifts just let it go without me, right?"
"So you told them all in advance?"
"Nelson always has a plan."
I can't tell if he's dumb or just bold.
Since he hasn't been caught, I guess he's just bold.
"Anyway, nothing special happened yesterday, right? If something did, I should know so there's no trouble later."
"...."
I couldn't tell the truth.
That I met the princess while on patrol, and then did indecent things?
Even the most naïve guy wouldn't believe it.
"Not really. I was just disgustingly sleepy."
"That's a relief! Anyway, you'd better keep your head clear today."
"Why? Is there some job?"
I squint at him, and Nelson pats my back.
"Hey! Today's the day we stand guard over there."
"Where's 'there' supposed to be?"
"Geez, is this your first time?"
Nelson grins slyly.
Usually, that means something's up.
"Just tell me instead of hiding it."
"Alright. I'll tell you specially. You know where the princess goes to bathe?"
"Huh? We're guarding there? We're not even royal guards, and we're men?"
"Of course not. We're just standing guard along the path."
For some, it's a rare opportunity.
Usually, us regular soldiers can't even see the princess from afar.
If someone does catch a glimpse, he'll be grinning all day.
"Hmm... Is that so."
"Hey. Why the lukewarm reaction? She's the famously beautiful princess."
Of course I can't react more.
Yesterday I saw something far more shocking something no man had ever seen.
"All you get is a passing glance anyway."
"So you're not interested in that sort of thing?"
"Not exactly."
"If you were, you'd think differently. Anyway, get ready."
I felt strange.
How was I supposed to look at her?
If I thought about it, even pretending to know her would be awkward.
'No time to sort out my thoughts.'
For now, I should act like an ordinary soldier.
As if nothing happened yesterday.
'I wonder what kind of face the princess will make...'
No matter how much I thought, I couldn't picture her looking flustered.
The princess's office was lavishly decorated.
Elena smiled as she looked over documents.
"When should I call him?"
What came to mind was last night.
A thrilling sensation she'd never felt before.
A dangerous atmosphere.
It was beyond anything she'd ever imagined.
"I can't say I've never had naughty thoughts... but Eldric exceeded expectations..."
A soldier's name, not even a royal guard's.
A name a princess would never hear or remember.
But Elena remembered it more clearly than anything else.
"If he's suited for that too, I might look forward to it even more."
She set a box on her desk.
It was empty a box for storing the jewel.
"Raising a puppy might be fun too..."
The jewel Elena gave was no ordinary treasure.
Depending on how it was used, it could be considered a national treasure.
"It used to just roll around in a corner... but since Eldric isn't royalty, maybe he can receive its power."
It's a treasure no one remembers now.
The problem is, only non-royal males can use it.
A treasure meant to keep other royals in check.
A treasure for an outsider male taken as a consort.
'It's only natural my mother doesn't know about it. There's no risk of it being discovered.'
It's an item that should never be used.
Royals are supposed to take at least a noble as a consort.
Especially since the ancient bloodlines spread among nobles and foreign royalty.
There's a reason it was forgotten.
"If he's truly chosen by the jewel... it might take some effort to handle..."
Elena felt as if her body was floating.
No one could imagine it.
That the beautiful, excellent princess was breaking a taboo.
Knowing that made the sensation even more thrilling.
"Hehe... Seems like he's talented too..."
A faint heat lingered in her lower body.
Her slender hand caressed her most intimate area.
"Heut... When he acted so rudely... it felt so good... haah...!"
A tingling pleasure that made her forget she was a princess.
When she reached climax, Elena's mind was filled with ecstasy.
It felt like she'd finally found what she'd always wanted.
"Uuh...! Huu... I'm all wet...♥"
Moisture spread across her luxurious underwear.
Every slow rub brought a slippery sensation.
"Maybe I should go bathe now..."
If she wanted, she could have pleasured herself right there.
The lingering heat still moved her fingers.
But Elena stood up.
'Since I feel good... maybe staying like this a bit longer wouldn't be bad.'
It wasn't the same excitement she'd felt alone in the past.
It was on a different level from simple physical desire.
Her heart trembled with pleasant anticipation.
The urge to feel more moved her legs.
"Heuu... This might be a little dangerous..."
Elena left her room and headed for the bath.
An empty hallway, no one around... A tingling current ran down her spine.
She walked the corridor, knowing she could run into anyone at any time her panties still wet.
"Heut..."
Whether by bad or good luck, she didn't run into anyone.
It was late, so few people were around.
But there was always someone guarding the corridor.
"Ah...!"
Two soldiers came into view.
One of them was Eldric.
"...!"
"Gasp...! Princess...!"
Eldric's pupils widened.
But unlike Nelson beside him, he didn't make a fuss.
Only Elena noticed anything strange.
'Didn't expect to meet him here...'
It wasn't actually strange.
Even non-royal guards stand watch.
Her rational mind told her it was just coincidence.
But her body was burning too much to just walk by.
"Hey... S-she's coming this way!"
"...I know, so be quiet."
Unlike Nelson, Eldric quickly regained his composure.
Elena slowly walked toward them.
"Heut... Looks like you're on guard duty."
"Y-yes! Th-that's right!"
Nelson stiffened with tension.
He couldn't even meet her gaze.
The status gap between a princess and a soldier was more than enough for that.
"We're on guard duty."
Eldric was different from Nelson.
He was tense too, but for different reasons.
The seductive smile he'd seen last night pounded in his chest.
'She seems even... sexier than yesterday...'
A subtle sound of breathing could be heard.
Nelson, tense as he was, didn't notice it.
"I have something to ask for a moment."
Elena singled out Nelson.
He jumped, startled by the awkward situation.
"Y-yes! Wh-what is it?"
"Do you know who was patrolling that area yesterday?"
"Ah! Th-that..."
Nelson couldn't answer right away.
He and Eldric had been responsible, but he'd been asleep.
Not knowing anything, he trembled in fear of punishment.
"It depends on the time, but we were responsible."
"Th-that's..."
Eldric remained calm.
He'd read her intent in her mischievous smile.
"I didn't see the patrol who should have been there..."
"S-sorry! There was a noise elsewhere, so I went to check..."
"Normally I'd have to punish you severely, but I'll let it go this time."
"Thank you!"
Nelson bowed his head deeply.
Eldric followed suit, but anyone could see his attitude was different.
"Looks like I know who the problem is. As punishment, you stand guard alone today. The other can return to quarters immediately."
"Yes!"
Nelson quickly turned back toward the barracks.
Of course, he wore an apologetic expression.
But there was no chance to speak in front of the princess.
"Hehe... How does it feel to be standing guard alone?"
By the time Nelson had disappeared into the distance,
Elena's smile had grown even more seductive.