Chapter 53 - Complications (1) | 19

Chapter 53 – Complications (1) | 19

Translator: Lunarise

Editor: Larkspur

The golden pattern had been dyed red by Edward’s blood.

She knew that each kingdom had their army wear their respective patterns on their helmets and armors to differentiate ally and foe during war. The battle flag, however, not only had the kingdom’s patterns but also the family insignia of the person leading the battalion.

If the flag of the Blood Army and that of the imperial knights were the same, then she had to suspect the imperial knights as well. What if a brilliant knight from out of all the knights was recruited and participated in the war?

Viola imagined Lune wielding a sword, slashing an enemy’s neck. It gave her goosebumps. The heat he had dissipated had yet to disappear, and yet, her body felt like it was frozen.

Why had she think he wore different patterns? It was because Lune said he was the commander of the imperial knights …

“To think that the imperial knights used the same patterns on their flags as the Blood Army….”

Viola was very surprised but tried to stay calm. The Blood Army’s flag had the imperial family’s patterns: the color gold represented the imperial family. That was why she had doubted Lune’s identity when she first saw him. She had wondered if he was royalty.

“Why is the commander of the imperial knights at the border?’

“To suppress Orcs.”

“The crown prince….”

“He told me to take care of it this time.”

Those were Lune’swords to Viola. He had said that he did it in the crown prince’s stead … and another knight referred to him as commander and never royalty…

“From what I know, unlike the Kingdom of Koronis, all the troops that go to war in Arpen wear the imperial patterns.” Paul interrupted her musing.

“You don’t wear any patterns of the families?” Viola asked in puzzlement.

“Yes, since all the vanguards are from the royal family.”

“The royal family… the royal family….” Viola muttered.

“Yes, it can only be so—”

Viola’s mind went blank. The imperial knights guarded the imperial palace even in wartime. The commander of the imperial knights remained in the palace to protect other members of the imperial family even if the crown prince left to lead the army. Lune’s words weren’t off, but nonetheless she still harbored suspicions over him. He was a close aide of the crown prince, gaining not only his trust but also a high position. More and more she began to suspect that he wasn’t simply just a commander of the imperial knights.

Viola bit her lips, she frustrated for she couldn’t think where it had all gone wrong.

“Paul, there’s something I need you to do,”  she said.

“Command me.”

Viola brought out a leather pouch and handed it to him. No matter what or where, even expensive information could be bought with enough gold. One only needed to know where to look and whose palms to grease.

“I want you to investigate Duke Lune, whether he is really a duke. Find out all the duties he is responsible for in the Arpen Empire”

“Yes, ma’am. I shall take my leave now then.”

With that, Paul disappeared into the darkness.

Viola blamed herself for her stupidity; she had handled it all too naïvely. She regretted it. It wouldn’t have been too late to get married to him after she had some more information on him … in her haste, she had been foolishly won over by his goodwill. No… that was not it. She had failed to reject his temptations and accepted his offer of a contract marriage.

What do I do if he were related to the Blood Army? If he… had fought as a member of the Blood Army…

She felt sick, like a lump was stuck in her throat. Reflexively, she covered her mouth and gagged.

If… if you lied to me I will never forgive you. Lune… I will kill you with my very own hands if you did…

Viola felt miserable. She couldn’t get rid of this incessant feeling of being trapped. What made it worse was that the trap was the most beautiful and hot trap in the world.

She heard someone looking for her. She quickly wiped the tears from the dry heaves and went out to the person looking for her. She saw the back of a beautiful man basking in the moonlight in the middle of the drill hall. He turned around and smiled brightly at Viola.

Don’t smile. Stop smiling so kindly! Viola wanted to shout out those words that she had kept in her heart. He shook, even now, her determination to finish her mission and return home.

I want to be Queen. I don’t want something like love!

But Viola’s heart melted like spring snow as he strode up and wrapped her in his arms. In a short while, she had come to spend many moments with him… in his arms, ate the meat he had hunted, and learned swordsmanship from him.

Her waist bent back looking like it would snap and his lips overlapped hers. The wet sounds of their kisses rang throughout the empty drill hall.

The buzzing sounds of the wind filled her ear alongside the memories of her brother engulfing her heart in a melancholic ache…

♛

She was in a carriage returning back to the imperial villa. His kisses grew deeper as soon as they got into the carriage. She smelled something sweet and her whole body heated up. A hot sense of pleasure spread throughout her body, slowly stimulating all her senses and tickling her all over.

“Haa…”

“I can’t stand it. I feel like I’m going crazy down there whenever I see you.”

Her legs stiffened, he was already hard. Viola shrank back in embarrassment. She was turned on faster than usual. Her body had become aroused, skin hot in just a few seconds. She also felt that she was soaking wet down there.

He sucked and licked both her breasts as soon as her dress came off leaving fresh marks. Her breathing became rougher as her body heated up.

“Ah… when we get to the imperial villa….”

“It’s urgent. If we don’t do it right now I feel like it’s going to break. Look!” He grabbed her hand and made her touch his erectness.

Viola shook in surprise. She didn’t know where her resolve to kill him if he had tricked her went. If she kept feeling like this every time… aren’t her actions different from her intentions?