At last, they had reached this point.
Rei gazed at Morgan, silent.
His lack of response made Morgan pinch his cheek, speaking in a dissatisfied tone:
"What's this, Rei? That expression—are you planning to refuse me?"
"No." Rei smiled faintly. "Your Highness, have I ever refused one of your orders?"
"Then why aren't you saying anything?"
"Because I didn't expect you to only now make this decision, Your Highness."
Morgan turned her face away, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness.
"Isn't it obvious? No matter what, that child carries the same bloodline as I do."
"If I had a choice—"
"I wouldn't want to do this either."
Rei nodded.
"Yes, Your Highness, but you are left with no choice."
"Then allow me to handle this dishonorable deed."
"That child holds no blood relation to me. I will not hesitate."
"Mm."
Morgan grasped Rei's hand.
"Be careful… You're all I have left. You mustn't let anything happen to you."
For the sake of caution, Morgan had kept only Rei—her most loyal knight—by her side.
No one questioned it.
After all, in public, they maintained perfect decorum.
No one could possibly imagine that the elegant princess and her valiant knight shared such a forbidden and improper relationship in private.
"I will, Your Highness. Thank you for your concern."
Morgan's mood visibly improved.
She stood up and twirled once before Rei.
"Rei, do you notice anything different about me today?"
"Yes, Your Highness." Rei nodded.
Then, with absolute certainty, he spoke:
"Your sleeves have been adjusted upward. Judging by the unfamiliar embroidery technique, I suspect a new maid tailored them for you."
"Your corset has been shortened by approximately one-eighth, which suggests your figure is even more slender than before."
"The decorative embellishments on your skirt's hem have been removed entirely. However, I have yet to discern the reason for this change."
Morgan's face was full of astonishment.
"Rei, how did you know all that? Have you been spying on me?"
"Not at all." Rei shook his head.
"Your Highness, you asked me what was different about you today. So, I simply focused all my attention on answering your question."
Morgan placed her hands on her waist, pouting.
"You should've at least left something for me to reveal!"
"Now I'm upset."
"Tonight, I'm going to punish you properly."
[Morgan always follows through with her words.]
[She ordered you to embrace her from behind as you both stood before the mirror.]
[Facing forward, she commanded you to stand perfectly straight—
Yet forbade you from doing anything she did not explicitly permit.]
[The golden dragon may soar into the sky—
But there are times when it finds itself trapped in a cage.]
[You could feel the unfair oppression placed upon you.]
[You knew that just a little further beyond, lay the dragon's rightful nest.]
[But Morgan would not allow you to think of such things—she demanded control over even your thoughts.]
"Uncomfortable, isn't it?"
Morgan stroked the hands Rei had wrapped around her waist.
"A little, yes." Rei answered honestly.
"Your Highness, you seem to have discovered a rather impressive method of punishment."
"This is only the beginning, Rei."
Morgan reached for the wine nearby.
Dipping her fingers into the liquid, she then slowly licked the droplets from them.
Her wine-scented fingers trailed down—
Gliding through the narrow space between them, closing around the knight's sword.
A sword that only she was allowed to wield.
Her blue eyes gleamed with absolute control.
"Rei, it belongs to me."
"So if you wish to use it, you'll need my permission."
"..."
"..."
Rei exhaled deeply.
"Your Highness, I was wrong. Will you let me go now?"
Morgan smirked.
"Giving up so soon?"
"Yes."
Rei sighed.
"I have lost completely."
"Alright then, as the defeated, you shall stand by the bedside for the night."
Morgan tilted her head back, wearing the satisfied smile of a victor.
"Good night."
[Of course, Morgan wasn't truly so cruel—she merely enjoyed toying with your body. It was something that brought her amusement.]
[Seeing you actually stand there motionless like a statue, she was thoroughly pleased. Soon after, she granted you permission to join her in bed.]
[However, tonight, she did not allow you to leave your mark in the usual place.]
[Instead, she permitted you to release it somewhere else.]
[You spent a pleasurable night together.]
[Morgan slept soundly by your side.]
[At dawn, you awoke early.]
[Gazing at the still-slumbering Morgan, you couldn't bear to wake her.]
[You carefully straightened your attire, erasing all traces of your presence in the room.]
[Before leaving, you took one last look at her peaceful sleeping face, tucked her in properly, and quietly slipped away.]
[The palace was silent in the early morning hours. You took a brief walk outside, circling the area before returning at a more appropriate time.]
[The guards saluted you with respect in their eyes.]
[You knew that, in their hearts, you were still the knight who had returned in glory alongside the princess.]
[This only strengthened your resolve—your determination to eliminate the other royal heir standing in Morgan's way.]
[This was for Morgan. And for yourself.]
[You decided to begin your own investigation for useful information before Morgan awoke, so you could discuss everything with her in greater detail later.]
[However, things did not go as smoothly as you had imagined.]
"The King's other child? Oh, yes, I know! Their name was… uh… wait, what was it again?"
"The new heir? Right! They're the princess's… hmm? Younger brother? Or was it a sister? No, why can't I seem to remember?"
Hearing this response from one or two knights could be dismissed as mere coincidence.
But as Rei continued questioning different people throughout the royal court, he found that, though their words differed slightly, the result was always the same.
It seemed to subtly hint at something—
The King's new heir did indeed exist.
But—
Now, however, no one could remember the name of this heir.
In that case, how was he supposed to eliminate someone for Morgan when he didn't even know who they were?
Rei suppressed his thoughts and, without revealing his inner turmoil, politely thanked the knight before him.
"Oh… is that so?"
"Well then, if you can't remember, there's no need to force it. You've worked hard."
"Not at all!"
After parting ways with the knight, Rei cautiously glanced around.
Normally, he wouldn't visit Morgan's chambers this early in the morning.
But given the circumstances—
It seemed that this time, he would have to break that routine.