Chapter 21

Octavia was welcomed as a private tutor, and the evening after the first lecture went smoothly, Zenshiro, freed from the tension of several hours, spent a relaxing time with his wife Aura in one of the harem’s rooms.

After a bath, Zenshiro, as usual, had a can of carbonated beer. On the other hand, Aura held a glass of brandy in front of her face, savoring its rich aroma. It took Aura a few days to finish a bottle of white wine, and the next choice was this boxed brandy. Apparently, distilled spirits were not common in this world, and at first, Aura choked on the alcohol content of the brandy. However, once she learned how to drink it, she seemed to enjoy it more than wine.

As Zenshiro had vaguely recalled, "I believe brandy is best served straight at room temperature," Aura drank it straight, without any mixers. She held the brandy glass up to the LED light, enjoying the amber shadow it cast, and slowly sipped the contents.

"Hey, is that good?"

In response to Zenshiro’s question, Aura nodded contentedly and replied.

"Yes. The aroma is surprisingly high, and the flavor is rich. Once you get used to it, you can’t stop."

"Hmm, is that so?"

To be honest, Zenshiro, who couldn’t even tell the difference between brandy and whiskey, didn’t understand Aura’s appreciation. But the brandy Aura was drinking was called Hennessy XO, and it cost over 10,000 yen per bottle. Those who knew would understand. Zenshiro, who didn’t know, was content with his cold carbonated beer.

Aura put the empty brandy glass back on the table and spoke to her husband, who was sitting next to her.

"So, how was it? I’d like to hear your thoughts."

Caught off guard by Aura’s sudden question, Zenshiro took the can of carbonated beer away from his mouth and answered honestly.

"Ah, yeah. To put it simply, I was more exhausted than I expected. I was repeatedly reminded of my lack of etiquette and manners. Especially during lunch, I hardly remember what I ate."

"I’m sorry to have put you through that."

"It’s okay, it’s necessary, right? Besides, the magic lecture was interesting. Well, when I heard it would take more than three years to be able to use it, I was a bit discouraged."

Zenshiro said this and, with the hand not holding the can, waved at Aura. In fact, he was genuinely excited to see magic. While traveling between worlds was also a form of magic, he hadn’t seen it in action. In contrast, the magic Octavia showed this time was very clear—holding water in a ball at the tip of her fingers. The persuasiveness of magic was several times greater in this case.

"Well, there are no shortcuts in magic. If you want to master it, you have to work hard. On the other hand, if you put in the time, anyone can learn it. If you have the determination to see it through, it will never be a waste of effort."

Aura said this and, as if to encourage him, wrapped her husband’s arm in her deep cleavage.

"Aura..."

Surprising her husband with the soft sensation, the queen smiled a bit mischievously and whispered in his ear.

"So, how was Lady Octavia? Did she appear attractive to you as well?"

The name of another woman from her wife’s lips. As is often the case with men, Zenshiro, though he had nothing to hide, reflexively shuddered.

"Hmm? How was she?"

Holding his arm tightly so he couldn’t escape, Aura asked again. Zenshiro, looking up at the ceiling, answered.

"Ah, yeah. She’s definitely beautiful, and she seems very approachable. I really understood why this type is popular in this country."

"Hmm."

Aura’s short reply seemed a bit lower than usual.

"Does that mean you found her a desirable woman?"

Aura, who was not lacking in confidence, was aware that she was the opposite of Octavia. She couldn’t help but ask in a probing tone. Zenshiro, who was not so dull as to miss his wife’s worsening mood, replied.

"Well, it’s a strike, but it feels like a low outside corner. If I swing and mess up, it might affect my ability to hit a straight fastball."

However, the excuse he hastily came up with was completely incomprehensible to the people of this world. Still, Aura, understanding Zenshiro’s meaning from his tone and overall nuance, smiled and asked for more direct words.

"So, what exactly do you mean? Can you be a bit clearer?"

To be honest, Zenshiro’s true feeling was, "Can I say it?" He wasn’t the kind of person who could ignore his embarrassment and say things like, "I only love you" or "You’re much more beautiful."

"Huh? Be clear, right?"

Without looking at his wife, who was playfully shaking his arm, Zenshiro, still looking at the ceiling, struggled to find a balance between his embarrassment and his wife’s request.

"Um, well... So, if on the day I was summoned, it had been Octavia instead of you, I wouldn’t be in this world right now."

As he said this, Zenshiro realized his cheeks were flushed. Would this answer satisfy Aura? With his head still up, he turned his eyes to the side and saw Aura’s red long hair sway gently.

"Hmm... Hmm, I see. I see."

Aura’s delighted laugh.

It seemed that Zenshiro’s answer was enough to touch Aura’s heart.

"I also consider it the greatest fortune that the one summoned was you."

Saying this, Aura pressed her warm, wet lips strongly against Zenshiro’s cheek.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Late at night. As usual, Aura, who had fallen asleep with her husband Zenshiro in the same bed, woke up in the middle of the night and, being careful not to wake Zenshiro, who was quietly snoring, got out of bed.

There was an LED stand light in the bedroom, but she couldn’t turn it on with Zenshiro sleeping. In the dark, Aura felt around for her clothes. Eventually, her hand found a soft, thin fabric.

Aura held the extremely smooth, thin dress—a red, see-through negligee—and tried to suppress a laugh.

Before going to bed, as a way to show her gratitude for her husband’s delightful answer to her question, she had put on this seductive nightgown. Zenshiro’s reaction at the time was so amusing that she wanted to capture it with a "digital camera."

"Whaa!?"

He let out a wordless scream and froze. Despite the embarrassing situation, Aura couldn’t help but laugh at her husband’s reaction. Zenshiro, who didn’t think Aura was unaware of the existence of the "sexy nightgown" (she had been thoroughly searched on the first day of her transfer), was surprised by the effective ambush.

Although Aura was the one wearing the embarrassing outfit, Zenshiro was the one blushing and struggling with his embarrassment, creating a rather peculiar situation.

Still, Zenshiro seemed to be sufficiently stimulated by his wife’s alluring negligee. Last night’s activities were a bit more intense and longer than usual.

"..."

Recalling the night’s activities, Aura’s cheeks softened as she found the one-piece nightgown she had worn before bed. Holding the nightgown, Aura, being careful not to wake Zenshiro, quietly left the bedroom.

Moving from the bedroom to the main room where Zenshiro spent most of his day, Aura turned on one of the LED stand lights and quickly put on the nightgown. Wearing the blue, sleeveless one-piece, Aura sat on the leather sofa and rang the bell on the table.

After a while, a young maid entered the room. She had probably crossed the dark corridor by the light of the candle she was holding. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, perhaps dazzled by the LED light in the dimly lit room. The maid, with her long blonde hair, which was rare among the people of the Kingdom of Carp, was originally Aura’s attendant and now worked closely with Zenshiro.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty."

Aura glanced at the maid, who bowed respectfully, and, crossing her legs on the sofa, said,

"I want to hear your report."

The loyal maid, receiving her lord’s words, began to speak, being careful not to mix her personal feelings.

"Yes. From what I observed, there were no suspicious signs from Lady Octavia. She seemed to be sincerely fulfilling her role as Zenshiro-sama’s tutor."

The maid, who had entered Zenshiro and Octavia’s study multiple times during the day to bring water and towels, reported this in a steady tone.

"Hmm, I see. So, Lady Octavia is just a reconnaissance agent, after all?"

Aura muttered this to herself after hearing the report. Originally, Octavia was a straightforward woman who was not suited for scheming. The Marquis, through his wife’s eyes, probably wanted to understand the character of the "husband of the queen." While caution was necessary, there was no need to be overly anxious.

"Understood. In the future, only report if Lady Octavia shows any suspicious behavior."

"Yes, understood."

Nodding at the bowing maid, Aura continued.

"Then, how has the prince been spending his days recently? Has he shown any interest in any of the maids?"

Among the kings of the past, those who did not touch the harem maids were in the minority. Moreover, unlike the kings who visited the harem, Zenshiro lived in the harem. It would be unusual for him not to show any interest in the young, beautiful maids.

However, the maid shook her head slightly, looking a bit confused.

"Well... So far, there has been no one whom Zenshiro-sama has touched, let alone shown any interest in. In fact, Zenshiro-sama tends to dislike our presence in his room. Therefore, we avoid entering this room unless we are specifically asked to do so. Conversely, when we clean this room, Zenshiro-sama moves to another room."

The maid’s report, which suggested that Zenshiro avoided the maids, was unusual in the relationship between a master and a servant. It seemed that Zenshiro still hadn’t fully adapted to the lifestyle in this world, much like a father being chased by his mother’s vacuum cleaner. Nodding at the maid’s report, Aura gave instructions.

"I see. As I’ve said before, the prince is a person who is weak in expressing his desires. He seems to view expressing such desires as a form of 'vice.' It’s a difficult type to serve, but please try to understand his intentions and fulfill his needs."

"Yes, understood."

"Good, that’s all. Thank you for your hard work."

"Yes, excuse me."

The maid bowed and left the room. In the room where the maid had left with a pat, Aura sighed.

"...I’m thirsty. I’ll have some water."

Realizing she was thirsty, Aura decided to drink a glass of water before returning to the bedroom. She opened the refrigerator, took out a silver water pitcher, poured a glass of water, and returned the pitcher to the refrigerator.

"Hmm"

Drinking the cold water in one breath, Aura, in the dimly lit room illuminated by a single LED light, muttered to herself.

"I see... Zenshiro hasn’t even glanced at Lady Octavia or the maids."

Unconsciously, Aura wrapped her arms around herself. This body, which had been loved by Zenshiro multiple times tonight, still felt the touch of his fingers and lips. Aura knew, through her body, how passionately Zenshiro desired women.

And yet, the fact that such a man showed no interest in any other women.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm"

Aura couldn’t help but laugh. What was this feeling? She had never imagined that being loved by a man could be so comforting.

This warmth rising from deep within her body was different from the satisfaction she felt as a queen handling state affairs or the sweet victory she tasted as a general on the battlefield. If she had to put it crudely, it was a kind of 'superiority.' The joy of knowing that a man found her attractive and the pleasure of being recognized as the best woman.

"This is bad. I’m starting to feel possessive."

If she let this feeling take over, she might reflexively oppose Zenshiro taking a concubine in the future. Aura was confused by her emotions, which she couldn’t control. What was even more surprising was that this out-of-control emotion felt very comforting to her.

"Well, it’s fine. There’s no need to worry about future possibilities now."

Shaking her head, Aura turned off the LED stand light and felt her way to the bedroom door.

Back in the bedroom, Aura took off her nightgown and slid her tanned, well-endowed body next to Zenshiro, who was sleeping soundly.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm"

Aura pressed her bare breasts against Zenshiro’s back and hugged him.

"..."

Zenshiro’s back, not particularly broad, gave Aura a strange sense of comfort. Being like this made her feel like she had "come home." In fact, it didn’t take long for Aura, hugging Zenshiro’s back, to fall into a deep sleep with a peaceful expression.