I quickly glanced around like a sinner, but he was invisible. Calming her troubled heart, she grabbed the doorknob carefully.

“Welcome back, my lady.”

Was it because she was so surprised? Even without raising her voice, she turned her stiff neck back. A young knight with neatly combed brown hair was looking at her with a worried expression.

She put her hand on her throbbing heart gently.

Gillian su Feden. He was the head of the Earl Feden family, now defunct, who stood beside her for the past six years. And he was the man she loved.

“Sir Feden.”

“What happened? You really look pale now.”

“Oh, no. Nothing special.”

“Really? I don’t think so. It’s the first time you formally met your father since you were born.”

She agonized for a moment because of his incredible insight.

‘Should I tell him or not?’

But she didn’t agonize for long. She broke into a giggle, after all. Sooner or later rumors will spread, but why should she hide it? She thought that telling him honestly would show her consideration of his tireless affection for her the past six years.

“In fact, I was ordered to go to the empire as a candidate for its crown prince’s concubine.”

“… Really?”

“I hear that I’ll have to leave for the empire as soon as the Lisa delegation is formed, so there are not many days for me to stay in the kingdom.”

She made a pitiable expression, noticing lots of mixed feelings in his brown eyes.

She knew that he loved her, and that’s why he had stayed with her until now.

She once dreamed of getting out of this terrible palace and spending time with him. Although she never mentioned it to anybody because of the class difference between them, namely her status as a princess and his status as her bodyguard, she had dreamt of living with him happily as his wife.

But all of that was just an illusion. Right now, 15 days before her coming-of-age ceremony, she was ordered to go to the empire to be its crown prince’s concubine, whose face she never knew.

“Well, this is better for you, Sir Feden. Stop escorting me on this occasion and go back to the knights’ division you belong to. You have a family to keep and protect.”

“I am your personal bodyguard, princess. I can’t go back to the knights’ division. ”

She felt sorry for his firm voice, but she said, upset because he would never leave her if she didn’t, “Don’t you know? If I leave for the empire, I won’t need a bodyguard anymore.”

“Princess!”

“Leave me. It’s my order.”

“…Okay. Please do me a favor, though. Please allow me to serve you until you leave.”

“…”

“Please… I beg you. ”

Beatrice turned and nodded at his earnest request, comforting herself by thinking that it would be better to stay away from him little by little rather than letting him go right away.

***

All kinds of jewelry made by the finest craftsmen, all kinds of dresses trending with the latest fashion, and luxurious silverware and items.

Beatrice broke into laughter at the increasing number of things she had never had before. As if to belie his longtime indifference to his daughter, King Kryans III hosted her coming-of-age ceremony in a luxurious way and gave her various luxury items.

‘Can the imperial family of the empire choose me because for that?’

It seemed that he underestimated the intelligence power of the empire. She was dumbfounded to see an increase in her marriage articles in the name of wedding presents. She was just one of the candidates for the crown prince’s concubine.

“Did you call me, Your Majesty?”

“Is it tomorrow when you are leaving for the empire?”

“That’s right.”

“I called you because I have a special mission for you. I’ll ask only one before that. Aren’t you unhappy about your political marriage, right?”

“…No, Your Majesty. ”

“Good. That’s the way of life of a princess. You should keep in mind that your position as the crown prince’s concubine is an undeserved one for you.”

She bowed more deeply at his cold voice, grasping the hem of her dress. As if he liked her attitude, he now said in a more relaxed tone than before, “This is the mission for you. Seduce the crown prince and make him fall in love with you. Okay?”

“Pardon?”

“I was told that he had a very cold personality and was not much interested in women. But such a man can’t get out of a woman once he is into her. So, try to tempt him by any means. As you are pretty, it’ll be a matter of time for you to captivate him if you seduce him well.”

She twisted the crumpled hem of her dress roughly.

‘What the heck are you talking about? Seducing him by any means?’

She felt deeply insulted and clenched her teeth when he nodded as if he was satisfied, looking at her up and down. No matter what they called her, she was still a princess of the Lisa kingdom who shared his blood. How could he give such an instruction to his daughter, as if she was a prostitute?

“Don’t feel shameful about what I said. It’s all for the Lisa kingdom.”

“… Yes, Your Majesty. ”

“Once you succeed in seducing him, try to pry out valuable intelligence from him little by little. You have to make sure you are not caught. If you can do it, let me give you a big reward after I conquer the empire later.”

I thought to myself, ‘Are you kidding? You probably want me to go there to die. ‘

Stepping back, she hysterically crumpled the hem of her dress. She was frustrated to hear him mentioning patriotism even though he didn’t do anything for her until now. She felt upset and resentful at his remarks that she should sacrifice herself for the kingdom.

‘I wish I had been born as an ordinary woman.’

She regretted that as a princess she had to live such a miserable life like now. She couldn’t figure it out.

***

“Now stop drinking, princess. You’re drunk. ”

“No, I’m not drunk. I’m sober.”

“…Oh my, you are drunk. Let me put this away.”

Beatrice was smiling at Gillian, who took a bottle of wine from her. Then, she slowly got up and leaned against the table.

When he let out hot breathing, he stopped while clearing away the bottle.

Looking at the man she loved, she lifted the hem of her dress slowly. When her thigh was revealed slowly, he turned his head, breathing in quickly.

With a drowsy smile, she said in a wet voice, “Come here.”

“Your Highness?”

“…Am I not beautiful? Don’t you want to have me?”

“You drank a lot. Please stop…”

She smiled more deeply at him when he was hesitant, avoiding her eyes.

She took her hands off the table and grabbed and tore her dress abruptly as if it was burdensome.

The upper part of her dress became loose as the buttons fell off. Getting close to him, she touched his arms, with her breasts exposed.

“Don’t you want to have me even now?”

“Your Highness, please…”

“Oh my… you can’t be seduced? I’m in trouble if I can’t seduce him.”

“…”

“What should I do? I am supposed to seduce the crown prince to fulfill my duty as a princess for the kingdom.”

“… Take a break. ”

With his lips tight, he supported her who was staggering and escorted her to her bedroom.

After laying her on the bed, he was going to turn quickly, but he had to stop on the spot because she already got up from the bed and looked at him with tears in her eyes, holding his sleeves.

“Please don’t go.”

“…Your Highness.”

“I know you love me.”

“…”

“I know I will never see you again after today. Although my father told me he would give me a big reward, I know he was paying lip service. The moment my father starts a war with the empire, I’ll be dead. ” She said to him in a tearful voice, who was standing with his back to her, “I love you.”

“… Your Highness.”

“Even if I leave for the empire after tonight…please help me live with memories of you…”

“…”

“Please hold me.”

She pulled his sleeve with a trembling hand and put his hand on her cheek. He momentarily stiffened at her soft touch, then slowly turned around to look at her. While looking at her in distress when she was looking up at him in tears, he pulled her closer by the waist.

He kissed her lips and put his tongue into her mouth roughly. She was gasping for breath when he tightened his arm around her waist and didn’t stop kissing. But the more passionately he kissed her, the more firmly she hugged his neck.

“I love you, Beatrice.”

He whispered, kissing her again when she was breathing hard. Her eyes were blurred with tears at his confession. There was the sound of them taking off their clothes. In the end, tears flowed from her eyes.

While trying to feel deep inside her heart the body heat of the man she loved, she tightly hugged his neck with a trembling hand.