[Your instincts were correct.]
[Morgan indeed had a task for you.]
[This was yet another turning point in your fate.]
"Rei."
Morgan slowly moved her foot, her toes sliding down from Rei's forehead, tracing along the bridge of his nose, brushing against his lips, and finally resting on his chin.
Just as she had said before, she did not care for the man kneeling before her.
Not even after the night they had shared.
She lifted her toes slightly, hooking his chin upward, forcing him to tilt his head back.
From this angle, Rei could see the flawless legs hidden beneath her royal gown.
But he knew—what awaited him would be anything but simple.
"Answer me, Rei. Do you recognize this sword?"
Morgan was referring, of course, to the longsword embedded in the ground nearby.
Rei nodded.
"It is your blade, Princess. Though, you rarely seem to use it."
The moment the words "rarely use it" left Rei's lips, a brief flash of displeasure flickered in Morgan's gaze.
But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
She merely continued:
"Rei, pick it up."
Knowing that Morgan despised disobedience, Rei immediately complied, gripping the longsword engraved with her name and pulling it from the ground.
For someone as well-trained as he was, it required no effort.
[Morgan had placed an enchantment on the sword.]
[New Trait Acquired – Proxy: You have been bestowed with Morgan's name. In the future, there may come a time when others mistake you for her.]
[New Trait Acquired – Life for Power: While wielding Morgan's sword, you can exceed the limits of your body. However, in doing so, your life will burn away like a candle in the wind.]
[Morgan assumed you knew nothing of magecraft, making no effort to conceal the magical energy emanating from the sword.]
[This realization left you with an odd sense of disappointment.]
"What's wrong?"
Morgan pressed her toes against his chin.
"Does touching my sword displease you?"
"No, Princess. I would never be displeased by anything you command of me," Rei replied. "I simply do not understand why you would entrust this weapon to me."
"Rei, I believe I already made it clear—I do not intend for you to know things beyond your place."
"You do not have the right to question me, do you?"
"Forgive me, Princess."
"Forget it." Morgan changed the subject.
"I have no interest in arguing with you. There are more important matters at hand."
Then, with an air of cold authority, she hooked his chin up once more and commanded:
"Rei, stand and entertain me."
[Following Morgan's orders, you were only allowed to do what she permitted.]
[At the same time, she refused to let you act recklessly as you had the first time—everything had to remain under her control.]
[Your freedom, your movements—all of it was dictated by the princess. As the tides rose, they would just as quickly fall (MC freedom).]
[This was merely the beginning.]
[For the next month, she summoned you to her side repeatedly, subjecting you to both physical and psychological control.]
[Her actions grew bolder. One day, when you entered her chambers, you found her just as she had been that night of your oath—bare.]
[Yet, you did not feel that Morgan was seducing you. Nor did you believe her to be a woman of wanton nature.]
[You could see the indifference in her eyes. You realized she had never once spoken your name. Just as she had told you herself—she had never loved you.]
[It was all for a plan she would never allow you to understand.] [You did not know how long this would continue, but you endured—becoming the knight whose body she could command at will.]
[But then, things began to change.]
Three Years Later – A Knight in Chains
Inside a dark, damp prison, Rei took in slow, steady breaths. The air was thick with the scent of rust and decay.
He had been locked away like this for over three years.
Every day, Morgan came alone to see him.
Yet, she never spoke a single word.
She would simply cut her fingertip open, letting the crimson drops fall before him—ordering him to kneel and drink.
On occasion, she would even place her fingers in his mouth, lightly tracing along his tongue.
This cold, ruthless princess had never once regarded him as anything more than an object.
[You disappeared, yet no one noticed.]
[For the royal family of Britain had welcomed a new heir— Arthur.
[The kingdom erupted in celebration. Cheers and joy filled the air. Compared to such an event, the disappearance of a single knight was of no consequence.]
[Morgan never once sought to find you. Naturally, no one else did either.]
[It was as if every trace of your existence had been erased.] [Only Morgan remained as the sole witness to your continued presence in this world.]
Yet, for some reason, after Arthur's birth, Morgan's visits to the prison became more frequent.
The amount of blood she offered him increased as well.
[Trait Enhanced – Endless Stamina → Endless Stamina+: Morgan's blood now flows within you. You will never tire and can fight endlessly.]
[Trait Enhanced – Proxy → Proxy+: In the future, there will come a time when you will be mistaken for Morgan—and no one will question it.]
[During this time, Morgan finally began to speak to you.]
[From her lips, you learned of a man named Vortigern—the False King. He had appeared far earlier than you had expected. His existence was already shaking the foundations of Britain.]
[A few days later, Morgan revealed that King Uther had already taken notice of Vortigern and was preparing for war. She, too, had long anticipated this.]
The Night Before the Expedition
Click.
The iron door of Rei's prison creaked open.
Morgan stood in the entrance, holding a goblet of fine wine, its rich aroma filling the air.
"Come, Rei."
Rei did not hesitate.
Just as he had done so many years ago, he knelt before her without question.
"Princess."
Morgan gazed down at him, her expression… complicated.
"I never thought that after all these years, you would still be the same..."
Morgan's voice was quiet, almost unreadable.
"Rei, I grant you permission—starting now, you may resent me."
"But I do not permit myself to resent you." Rei replied.
"You are the one to whom I have sworn my loyalty. My entire existence is yours to command. Even if you were to imprison me until death, that is the fate I must accept."
"You..."
Morgan hesitated as if she wanted to say something—but chose not to.
Instead, she changed the subject:
"Since that is the case, Rei, do you still remember how to wield a sword?"
"A knight must never forget his discipline." Rei answered without hesitation.
"Then—"
Morgan looked down at her kneeling knight, her voice steady, deliberate.
"Rei, it is time."
"I—command you to go forth and slay my father's enemy, Vortigern."