[You heard Arthur's invitation.]
[You didn't respond immediately, instead falling into silence as you studied him.]
[This made him uneasy, as if he feared he had said something wrong.]
"Ah… My apologies, Sir Rei. If you're busy, then let's forget about it."
Arthur, ever polite, gave himself a way out.
"Regardless, I am still deeply grateful for your kindness."
With that, he turned around, ready to retreat to his room and endure the awkwardness.
"Wait a moment." Rei stopped him.
"Are you… sure you want to do this?"
"If I'm not mistaken, the only money you have right now is what you made from selling apples, isn't it?"
Rei wasn't just making things up.
He had personally searched Arthur's body under the guise of protocol—he knew for a fact that the boy had no other wealth aside from the money Rei himself had handed over.
"Spending it like this—are you really fine with that?"
Arthur, sensing a glimmer of hope, immediately spoke up.
"It's not a problem."
His voice was filled with enthusiasm.
"Even though these coins came from selling apples, I can still afford to spend some."
"Besides—"
Arthur Looked Directly at Rei and Smiled Slightly.
"If my elder brother and father were to find out that I accepted someone's kindness without repaying it, they would surely be ashamed of me."
The sincerity in the boy's gaze was so pure and direct that Rei found himself at a loss for words.
After a brief hesitation, he gave a somewhat uncertain response.
"Alright, I understand."
"However, I can't guarantee I'll have the time. Let's do this—if I don't show up at the inn by noon tomorrow, just assume I'm busy. How about that?"
"Noon, huh?"
Arthur nodded, his expression serious, as if committing every word to memory.
"Understood."
[After exchanging a few more words, you bid Arthur farewell.]
[It was only then that you realized how late it had gotten.]
[You thought of Morgan.]
[Quickly, you made your way toward the royal court.]
[Carefully avoiding prying eyes along the way, you eventually arrived at Morgan's chambers without incident.]
[You knocked softly on the door, waiting for Morgan to open it.]
Creak—
The wooden hinges turned, and the heavy door slowly swung open.
Yet, Morgan's figure did not appear behind it as usual.
Rei frowned slightly in confusion.
Still, since the door had been opened for him, lingering outside any longer seemed unnecessary.
"My lady, I'm coming in."
After announcing himself, Rei stepped inside.
Almost immediately, the door shut behind him with a sharp clack.
From the shadows, Morgan emerged.
Tonight, the princess was clad only in a thin, white silk gown—an attire unfitting for the autumn chill.
Moonlight streamed through the crystal-paned window, spilling across her flawless, porcelain skin, illuminating her ethereal curves with a hazy radiance.
Step by step, she approached, backing Rei toward the bed until he had no choice but to fall onto it.
She leaned over him, one hand pressed against the mattress near his ear, the other gently pinching his cheeks. Her right knee, veiled by the delicate fabric, sank into the plush bed.
"Rei, why are you so late tonight? Where did you go?"
"My lady, something unexpected happened."
[In a slightly muffled voice, you explained the situation to Morgan—how you encountered Arthur while disposing of the evidence.]
[You withheld nothing from her.]
[Including, but not limited to, his delicate features, which blurred the lines of gender, and his exceptionally polite demeanor.]
[After listening, Morgan loosened her grip—momentarily.]
[However, her knee pressed down even more assertively.]
"Why does it sound like…"
Morgan narrowed her blue eyes, studying the man beneath her, a trace of grievance in her gaze.
"You admire that person quite a bit?"
"My Lady, I Confess."
Rei raised both hands in mock surrender.
"Arthur does, in many ways, align with my personal perception."
"However, I must emphasize—he is a genuine male, and the fire of my desire burns for you alone, my lady."
A faint smirk curved at the corner of Morgan's lips.
Her knee pressed slightly into the mattress—it seemed it should have been elsewhere.
"Rei, you've grown quite bold with your words."
"That is all thanks to your generosity, my lady."
"Is that so?"
Morgan slowly lowered herself, resting against Rei's chest.
For once, the normally aloof princess listened intently to the heartbeat of the knight beneath her.
Her fingers traced faint patterns along his collarbone as she whispered softly.
"Then… have you dealt with him?"
"My lady, Arthur's situation is rather special."
Rei obligingly placed his hands on Morgan's waist.
It was so slender that he could hardly resist marveling at it.
"For now, I can't just kill him outright. If he doesn't return before his promised day, it'll only make things more complicated."
"Then what do you plan to do?" Morgan pressed on.
"Well, he intends to treat me to a meal tomorrow. I figured I'd use the opportunity to learn more about him."
"Is that so?"
Morgan tilted her head slightly, gazing up at Rei.
Her stunning blue eyes gleamed with a hint of possessiveness.
"Rei, you wouldn't be lying to me, would you?"
"You should know how much betrayal would hurt me."
Rei did not avert his gaze from Morgan's.
"My lady, though saying this might make me sound insolent—"
"My body and soul belong to you. I would kill anyone in this world for you, and I would willingly lay down my life for you."
"Tell me—"
"Is there anyone in your presence more loyal to you than I am?"
Morgan's knee, which had been firmly planted on the bed, shifted slightly downward.
Her posture subtly changed, as if she were straddling a horse.
"Hmm, you do make a rather convincing argument."
"However, Rei, there's one thing I want to make clear to you."
"What is it, my lady?"
Morgan's fingers brushed across Rei's cheek.
"The parts of you that belong to me… are not limited to your body and soul."
"Tonight, I want you to be my finest warhorse. Do you understand?"
"…Understood, my lady."
[You and Morgan shared another sweet night together.]
[You still remembered her wish to hear a morning greeting from you.]
[So this time, you waited for her to wake up before leaving.]
[Though this did make your departure significantly more difficult.]
[In the end, however, you managed to slip out of the royal court unscathed.]
[You arrived at the inn's entrance much earlier than the agreed time.]
[Yet, to your surprise, Arthur was already there, waiting.]