Lust for the King’s Wife

Chapter 18: Two Women (2)

“Well then.”

At the restrained gesture of the king, the maids immediately headed toward the door. 

Their movements, as if predetermined, showed no hesitation as they walked in perfect sync.

As the door opened, several women entered the room. Each was unique, but they were mostly young and strikingly beautiful.

“Oh my, it has been a while, Your Majesty.”

“Hmm.”

Some of them greeted the king warmly, a sense of familiarity evident among them, even though I couldn’t yet fully grasp the nature of their relationship.

Meanwhile, the maid who had guided me to this room subtly slipped out through the door. Before I could follow her with my eyes, one of the women approached and sat beside me.

“Hello, Hero.”

“…Pleased to meet you.”

“You’re as stiff as they said. But that makes you even more attractive.”

A young woman with red hair smiled faintly. No, more precisely, she seemed closer to a girl. Her youthful charm, like fresh summer foliage, radiated from her lips.

However, I turned my gaze away from her, looking toward the king instead. The king quickly gestured and let out a wry chuckle.

“Ah, wait, wait. I think there’s a misunderstanding. This is not what you think it is. These ladies are not what you might assume either.”

“Is that so?”

“Most of them are daughters of esteemed noble families. Well… not all, but they’re all people of high regard. It would be disrespectful for me to explain further.”

“I wasn’t aware of that.”

“Of course! Do you think I would introduce anyone to our precious Hero without careful consideration?”

The king shook his head with a chuckle, prompting the women around us to burst into laughter.

“What’s this? Did you really think we were those kinds of women? That’s a bit disappointing.”

“I didn’t think so. But if I’ve offended you by giving that impression, I apologize.”

“How harsh! We just wanted to meet the Hero in person, that’s all.”

“I’m sure there would have been other opportunities to meet in the future.”

“Oh, hardly! You’re bound to grow busier with each passing day. And chances to meet face-to-face like this will become even rarer.”

Suddenly, a subtle touch brushed against my knee. It was a fleeting gesture, like an accidental slip, making it difficult to address directly.

Yet, that seemed to signal others to begin touching me subtly as well. Even the mightiest dragon-slaying Hero couldn’t fend off the attention of so many women.

“So, are these the hands that felled the dragon? I thought they’d be covered in scars, but they’re surprisingly smooth.”

“It was merely good fortune, and the aid of a skilled sage. However, such actions are—”

“Don’t be so reserved. We just wanted a closer look at the Hero. Besides, holding your hand makes me feel oddly empowered.”

“There is no such effect.”

“Hahaha! I’m joking, of course. Don’t take everything so seriously. But then… I wonder if touching somewhere other than your hand might have an effect?”

One of the women murmured playfully and abruptly placed her hand on my chest. Instinctively, I flinched and tried to remove her hand, but the king intervened before I could act.

“Haha, don’t be so prickly, Hero. Surely you can tolerate a bit of teasing. Besides, as both a king and a Hero, one must never treat women harshly. We may not be knights by birth, but we can certainly emulate their principles.”

“As expected, Your Majesty, you are admirable. In that case, will you join us for some fun, too?”

“But today is the Hero’s day, isn’t it? This old king wouldn’t dare intrude. Though I must thank you for the kind invitation, Erin.”

The woman called Erin blinked coquettishly at the king, her gaze lingering a bit longer than proper. 

The typical aristocratic decorum seemed to waver in the situation, giving way to more direct gestures and behaviors.

Even so, the conduct of these nobles struck me as somewhat lowbrow. That suspicion was soon confirmed by another woman’s comment.

“By the way, the princess is truly extraordinary. If I were her, I’d have eloped with such an amazing man the moment he came to save me. But then again, I heard she was always timid as a child.”

“You speak as though you know the princess’ childhood.”

“Well… I met her a few times. Though it was mostly amidst her older sisters. The princess always preferred solitude, so His Majesty often sought help from noble families to find her friends.”

“Her older sisters, you say?”

“Yes, though it didn’t work out very well. The princess had a rather cold demeanor, and her sisters were too eager to befriend her, which only caused problems.”

So, most of these women are second daughters or younger from noble families. That made sense. If they were the eldest daughters, they would likely have official opportunities to meet me.

Given the nobility’s tendency for early marriages, these women likely hadn’t yet married, which meant their families might be urgently seeking matches. 

To them, my arrival might have seemed like a golden opportunity. After all, a legendary Hero might be easier to sway than other nobles’ heirs.

Their behavior, then, was not surprising. They were likely lowering themselves to match my background as a commoner-born Hero. The king, once a commoner himself, must have experienced something similar.

That explained his words earlier—about being loved by everyone upon becoming king. To the nobles, we represented newfound opportunities for advancement.

“…But at least now we have a chance to get close to the Hero. You seem like someone who hasn’t had much opportunity to make friends while adventuring. Shall I be your friend?”

“I appreciate the thought, but I’m fine.”

“Ah, does that mean you want something more than friendship? I wouldn’t mind. Marriage doesn’t have to be a one-to-one affair, you know?”

“That’s rather an immoral suggestion.”

“You take things too seriously. I’m not that easy, you know. But still, if you plan to become the king’s successor, you might want to consider multiple marriages—not for love, but for other purposes.”

“I…”

“Too complicated? Then let’s just have fun today. Don’t worry about anything else.”

Another subtle hand moved toward my chest. As I raised my hand to stop it, another woman burst into laughter and threw herself into my arms. Their noble status prevented me from pushing them away carelessly.

If they had been street prostitutes, I might have shoved them aside without hesitation. But in some ways, these women were more cunning and ruthless.

“…Your Majesty.”

“Ah, Hero.”

Finally, I called out to the king to end the situation. He approached with another woman draped on his arm, exchanging playful banter.

“How was it? Did you have a good chat?”

“Yes, a little.”

“Not as bad as you thought, right?”

“It’s different from what I consider enjoyable.”

“Oh, Hero.”

The king leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

“Of course, this is just a taste. If you truly wanted to indulge, you wouldn’t believe what’s possible.”

“…”

“You might find this a bit crass. But think about it—this is a king’s privilege. To be loved by all, to receive boundless affection. Only a Hero who becomes a king can enjoy such privileges.”

“…”

“To put it bluntly, even if we were to impregnate a passing maid, no one would dare object. Of course, that would be appalling. But think about it—if a king does it, who could say otherwise?”

“…”

“Opening the gates of liberation for someone who’s lived virtuously their entire life—is there a better gift I could give you?”

His words were shockingly immoral and direct, yet he showed no signs of intoxication. It was simply his unfiltered truth. 

With no party members or dignitaries around to restrain him, he spoke freely under the guise of his royal title.

Thinking along those lines, I felt like a fool for maintaining my manners in such a situation.

“…The law may stand above all people, but the king exists above the law. As Your Majesty said, no blemish could tarnish the august name of a king, no matter how immoral his actions.”

“Well… of course, there would be blemishes, but still—”

“As long as one fulfills the responsibilities tied to the throne, no one would raise an issue. Even immorality can be spun as a humanizing trait of the king. Would violating a mere maid really constitute a crime?”

“Ah, well. Yes, that’s true. Anyway, my point is—”

“Even coveting another man’s woman—would that really be such a grave sin?”

My quiet remark struck the king’s ears with unnerving clarity. The meaning behind my words was obvious, and slowly, the color drained from his face.

It must have brought back memories he had been desperately trying to ignore. But I continued speaking without hesitation.

“A Hero is, above all else, an adventurer. Unable to suppress the restless spirit within, he took to the road and achieved great things by his abilities, eventually ascending to the throne. Yet, no matter how glorious the title of king, how could one suppress their nature and remain bound to the throne?”

“…Ha.”

“For a man whose blood boils with desire, responsibility is little more than a shackle. And for one who craves universal love, even a single lifelong partner might feel like too much restraint.”

“…”

“Wouldn’t you agree… my senior?”

At the last moment, I addressed him with a peculiar title. Then, in a calm tone, I repeated words from the past.

“What I have always desired is but one thing from the beginning.”

“Alf.”

“If Your Majesty intends to discard something useless atop that, I will gladly accept it.”

“You mean…”

“To be precise, I mean taking two things Your Majesty no longer needs.”

“…”

“Isn’t that right?”

The king and I locked eyes midair. The sharp gaze of a warrior, honed through years of battle and struggle, once again turned toward me.

And then, unexpectedly, he laughed—a genuine chuckle carrying some degree of sincerity. It was an unexpected reaction, and I frowned slightly at his behavior.

Before I could discern what that laughter meant, the door suddenly slammed open, and a girl’s voice rang out loudly.

“Alf!”

“…”

I turned toward the source of the voice, spotting the maid who had left earlier, now accompanied by the princess. 

Her furious expression made it clear to anyone what she was feeling. For the first time, the king flinched and stepped back.

And when Queen Mirian appeared behind them with her cold demeanor, even I felt myself stiffen.

“Ah… well.”

“…”

Caught in the act, the king wore a sheepish expression, while I, though involuntarily part of the scene, bowed my head slightly out of guilt.

The princess, naturally, shot a sharp glare my way. From her perspective, her future fiancé had been found mingling with other women, making her reaction inevitable. By the same token, Queen Mirian fixed the king with a stern gaze.

At least, she did so initially. But then, her gaze faltered slightly, and her eyes shifted toward me.

“…”

“…”

A moment that should have been unremarkable suddenly took on an uncomfortable dynamic. 

The princess ought to have focused on me, while Mirian should have kept her eyes on the king. But when those glances drew an uneasy parallel instead of intersecting, the fragile balance that had been maintained began to waver.

Though the shift was subtle enough to go unnoticed by most, the princess caught the weight of the tilted gaze. Seeing this, she twisted her lips into a slight grimace.