Lust for the King’s Wife

Chapter: Two Women (3)

“…Alf, what is this?”

After a long pause, the princess’ trembling voice broke the silence. Her tone was cold, yet her expression betrayed more confusion than anger.

Even so, it was not an easy situation to respond to. Sensing my discomfort, the king stepped in to speak first.

“My dear, I think there’s been some sort of misunderstanding.”

“Father.”

“This isn’t what you think it is. It’s just a simple social gathering. After all, with me here, there’s no reason to assume anything untoward—”

“Father.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll hear your explanation later.”

The princess dismissed her father with a distant title and turned her frosty gaze to the women still gathered in the room.

“I think this gathering should end now.”

“Ah… yes?”

“It’s quite late, don’t you think?”

Though she hadn’t even glanced at a clock, her commanding tone was firm enough to make the women bow their heads and quickly leave the room.

Once the room was cleared, the princess finally turned back to me.

“Alf, what was that?”

“His Majesty was introducing me to the daughters of noble families.”

“Only women?”

“It turned out that way unintentionally, I believe.”

It sounded like a feeble excuse, but it was the truth. After all, I hadn’t arranged this meeting, nor were its purposes particularly inappropriate. Truthfully, the women had no reason to leave as if guilty of something.

This was a situation born entirely of the king’s misjudgment, making it hard to assign blame. Yet, unable to confront her father, the princess directed her frustration toward me instead.

“Alf, come to my room—”

“No, come to my room, Alf.”

“…Your Majesty, the Queen?”

Before the princess could finish, Mirian stepped forward, surprising everyone. Her slender fingers wrapped around my wrist before the startled princess could react.

“Since something improper occurred in my castle, it’s only fitting that I, as its mistress, discipline him. Don’t you agree?”

“I’ve committed no improper acts.”

“I wasn’t aware the Hero had the authority to judge royal proprietary.”

“…”

“Come with me.”

Effortlessly dismantling my logic, she pulled me out of the room. The king and the princess, still stunned, failed to stop us.

Her firm grip on my wrist led me up to the fifth-floor corridor. As we ascended the highest level of the royal castle, Mirian finally paused to catch her breath.

“…Phew.”

“You seem out of breath.”

“Just a little.”

“Could it be that you’re jealous of me being with other women?”

“No, I’m just out of shape from not walking much lately.”

“If that’s the case, I could carry you.”

Feigning a turn, I subtly closed the distance between us. The gap narrowed to just one step, and she pressed herself against the wall, looking up at me.

“Your attitude is impertinent. I brought you here to scold you.”

“I only came at His Majesty’s request.”

“Even so, you deserve a reprimand. After all, you made a mistake.”

Her gaze remained calm and indifferent, a shade of violet as cold as ever. She lightly tapped my head as if chastising a child, then narrowed her eyes as she caught a faint scent.

“You smell like other women.”

“Does that bother you?”

“A little.”

“Then I should quickly cover myself in your scent instead.”

“Your reasoning is ridiculous.”

She chided me, gently pushing my chin away. Yet, with her other hand, she continued to hold firmly onto my wrist.

“But your conclusion isn’t so bad. I wouldn’t want to bring a man reeking of other women into my chambers.”

“I see.”

“Lower your head.”

Her whispered command curled into my ear. I complied, leaning forward until my hair brushed against her shoulder. A little more, and my lips might graze her soft skin.

But before I could succumb to the unbearable temptation, a sharp cry rang out from the other end of the hallway.

“Your Majesty, the Queen!”

“…They’re later than I expected.”

“Wait here.”

The voice, as expected, belonged to the princess. She had hurriedly climbed the stairs, her breathing heavy as she fixed us with an intense glare.

Yet Mirian didn’t push me away. Instead, she grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me even closer.

“Your Majesty, the Queen!”

The princess’ voice now carried a rebellious edge, and her eyes, once filled with confusion, began to simmer with anger.

“What are you doing? What are you doing with Alf?”

“Lower your voice.”

“Excuse me?”

“You are speaking to the Queen of this kingdom.”

Unflinching, Mirian responded to the princess’ outburst with her usual icy demeanor, fixing her with a cold, unfeeling gaze.

“I understand that you’ve spent too much time outside the palace, but I fear the maids might think you ill-mannered. If you’re aware of your noble blood, you should act accordingly.”

“If I’ve given that impression, I apologize. But what are you doing right now? It doesn’t look like discipline to me.”

“Our steps merely tangled together.”

“That sounds like an excuse. Is it just me, or does it seem unconvincing?”

“It is an excuse.”

“…”

The shameless response left the princess momentarily speechless. It took her quite some time to find her voice again.

“You’ve gone too far. Standing before you is the princess of this kingdom, and in your arms is the Hero who saved it.”

“No, to be precise, he saved you, not the kingdom.”

“From the kingdom’s perspective, it’s the same. As of now, I am the kingdom’s sole heir.”

“Which makes it even more fortunate. Your carelessness could have ended the royal bloodline.”

“…”

It was a fascinating use of language—twisting power dynamics to shift the burden of responsibility onto the victim. 

Mirian’s methods were as cunning as they were ruthless, befitting the title of a witch.

Her confidence in the princess being the king’s last heir also piqued my curiosity.

“When you think about it, you owe the Hero quite a lot. Your life, the kingdom’s future, even rare external alliances. Wanting to monopolize his heart as well might be a bit greedy.”

“Is it a sin to love, Your Majesty?”

“Not at all. Which is why it’s not your place to question whom the Hero chooses to love.”

“Alf loves me.”

“That’s what you think.”

“It’s true.”

“Shall we ask him directly, then?”

With that, Mirian grabbed my chin and turned my face toward the princess. Her expression flickered with an unplaceable anxiety as our gazes met.

Even for someone as confident as the princess, she couldn’t have responded immediately in such a situation.

“There’s no need for that. Because I already know.”

“You won’t know unless you ask.”

“No, I know Alf better than anyone. Think about how much time we’ve spent together.”

“Spending a lot of time with someone means you know them well? Then surely, you must know a lot about me, too.”

It was a loaded statement. Whether the answer was affirmative or not, it carried weight. The princess must have felt this, as her words came out in halting fragments.

“That’s… not the same.”

“There are things you can’t know, no matter how much time you spend with someone. Especially when it comes to love, a field as vast and deep as it is mysterious.”

“At least I know.”

“I hope you’re confident, princess.”

“…”

“Because I think I know what you don’t.”

Finishing her words, Mirian raised a finger and lightly tapped my throat. Then, as if teasing, her hand slid down toward my collar as though it might delve inside.

The princess could no longer stay idle. She strode forward, grabbing my other wrist.

“You keep saying strange things, so I forgot to mention something. Earlier, what happened wasn’t Alf’s fault. His Majesty specifically emphasized that he wasn’t to be blamed.”

“If His Majesty himself said so, then I suppose there’s no choice.”

“Then I’ll be taking Alf with me now. He’s probably still shaken from what just happened.”

“Perhaps. But I’d like to invite him to my chambers first, to apologize for the misunderstanding.”

“Your Majesty, the Queen.”

“But I wouldn’t want to drag this matter out any longer.”

Finally, Mirian’s fingers uncurled from my wrist. The princess, taking this as permission, quickly pulled on my arm, intending to lead me away.

Yet Mirian hadn’t entirely released me.

“But isn’t it customary to give a parting kiss, Hero?”

“Wait—”

“It would be improper otherwise.”

In an instant, her hand darted to my chin, holding it firmly. As though bewitched, she tilted her head slightly, her lips nearing mine as if she would kiss me at any moment.

Instead, she let her thumb graze my rough lips, then pressed it gently to her own.

“Make sure to observe proper etiquette next time.”

“…”

“And princess.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Be sure to inform His Majesty about this matter as well.”

With a final comment, delivered as if scolding a tattletale, she turned and walked away, heading to her own quarters. Without hesitation or lingering, her figure quickly disappeared down the corridor.

The princess, however, didn’t wait for her to vanish completely. She seized my hand and dragged me toward her room.

“Princess.”

“…”

“Princess.”

I called out to her multiple times, but my voice was drowned out by the echo of her stomping footsteps. 

Only after we entered her chambers and she shut the door did she finally exhale, her breaths coming in ragged gasps.

“Hah… hah…”

“Princess—”

“Ah…!”

Just as I was about to speak, she suddenly pushed me toward the bed. Taken by surprise, I couldn’t resist and fell onto the sheets.

Before I could react, she climbed on top of me and kissed me fiercely.

“Hah… mmph… mm…”

“Mmph…”

“Hah… hah… ha…”

Her kisses were wild and possessive, her hands exploring me without restraint. She buried her face against my skin, her lips brushing over sensitive areas, unbothered by any resistance on my part.

When she finally pulled away, it was with a voice so fragile, it was barely a whisper.

“I’m yours, Alf.”

“…Princess.”

“So you have to be mine, too.”

It was a shockingly bold declaration, especially coming from a princess of a kingdom. Yet it was perhaps her royal status that allowed her to speak such words without hesitation.

Of course, declarations alone are meaningless without action. And so, as if to give weight to her words, the princess slowly began to unfasten her dress.