Watching Kay leave the room with a smile, the expression on Guinevere's face gradually smoothed out. She turned her gaze to the blonde personal maid standing beside her.
"Did you find out?"
"I did. Although the Earl has provided many maids for him over the years, he has never had intimate contact with any woman. The Earl has had a headache over it for years; everyone in the castle knows."
The corners of Guinevere's mouth curled upward. Although she wouldn't have minded even if Artorius had slept with many women, it would be for the best if his first time was with her.
"Congratulations, Princess!"
"Doris, instead of saying useless things like that, why don't you help me think of how to make my husband fall in love with me?"
Guinevere let out a soft sigh.
Her plan to conquer her lover through his stomach and win over his family had been successful—especially that little girl, Lia, whose eyes practically sparkled when she looked at her—but it was obvious that Artorius was still deliberately keeping his distance.
Even though Lia looked very much like Artorius...
She wasn't into girls!
The one she wanted was Artorius. What was the use of Artoria liking her?
"..."
Doris, the personal maid, remained silent.
Having grown up with Guinevere, she understood the Princess's temperament perfectly. A princess as flawless as her didn't need empty flattery; in fact, constant hollow praise only made her angry.
But what could Doris do?
Because of the Princess's severe obsession with cleanliness, none of the maids dared to fool around with nobles or knights like the servants of other aristocrats or princesses did.
Once, a maid who was even closer to the Princess than Doris had done exactly that. The Princess—who they had always thought was the height of gentleness—flew into a rage for the first time. She had that maid, along with the high-ranking young noble she had slept with, executed.
Although the incident was hushed up by the King's orders, basically all the knights and nobles in the kingdom who had enough status to interact with the Princess and her retinue knew about it.
In short, as Guinevere's maid, they didn't even dare to have a crush on a man, let alone have a secret affair. How could they possibly provide any "experience" in that department?
"Never mind."
Seeing the troubled look on Doris's face, Guinevere shook her head. She stopped questioning her maid and instead moved to the window, staring blankly at the night sky.
"Princess, the hot water is ready."
After an unknown amount of time, a maid's voice called out from behind the door.
Guinevere finally left the window and exited the bedroom, flanked by her personal maids.
"Is this his bathroom?"
Standing in the steam-filled room, Guinevere looked around carefully, as if trying to commit every detail to memory.
"Allow me to undress you, Princess."
Doris and another maid with long red hair stepped forward to gently remove Guinevere's garments.
The other maids stood to the side with their heads bowed.
Even though they were the Princess's personal attendants and she allowed them to serve and support her, they still had to avoid skin-to-skin contact as much as possible, as that too would displease her.
Only Doris and the red-haired maid were exceptions. Having grown up with the Princess and becoming her closest confidantes after the former "adulterous" maid was chopped up and fed to the dogs, the Princess didn't mind their touch.
The maids stole glances at the Princess's body.
Even though they had seen it countless times, and even though they themselves were beauties hand-picked from across the country to serve the King's only and most beloved daughter, they couldn't help but feel a sense of envy.
Her white hair fell like a waterfall; her legs were long and slender, her waist narrow, and her hips curved perfectly. Every inch of her skin looked like a masterpiece of divine craftsmanship, too perfect to be a creation of the mortal world.
Only after the two head maids had removed the Princess's clothes did the others approach, taking the garments one by one.
"All of you, out."
"Yes, Princess."
The bathroom door clicked shut behind them.
Guinevere walked on her long, pale legs toward the edge of the tub. She dipped a foot in, and finding the temperature perfect, she stepped inside.
Sitting in the bath, feeling the water envelop her body and catching the faint scent of Artorius's presence that seemed to linger there, Guinevere felt the fleeting illusion of being held in his arms.
"Why don't you like me? When I love you so much..."
Guinevere murmured to herself, closing her eyes. She immersed herself completely in the fantasy of being held and cherished by Artorius, gradually drifting into a dream.
It wasn't until a sound like shattering glass echoed in her ears that Guinevere regained some consciousness.
Then, catching a faint floral scent and feeling a sudden surge of heat within her body, Guinevere's eyes snapped open. They were filled with a cold indifference and fury that was absent in her daily life.
"Who is it?!"
As her mana surged, intending to eliminate the person who dared to intrude upon her, Guinevere suddenly froze.
Across from her in the tub sat a man—the very man she had been yearning for in her dreams just moments ago.
"Artorius?"
Her mana dissipated, and the fury on her face was replaced by confusion and bashfulness. She didn't understand why he was here. The bathroom had been empty when she arrived, and her personal maids were guarding the door...
Wait, that shattering sound and the floral scent?
Guinevere suddenly realized something, her heart skipping a beat. Just as she was about to move, an strange sensation rose from her lower abdomen and spread to her every limb. The Princess, who had just begun to stand up, felt her body go limp. With a splash, she fell back into the water.
"Who's there?!"
Artorius, who had been in a deep sleep, jerked his eyes open. When his sharp gaze met Guinevere's, his face was instantly masked with bewilderment.
"Guinevere?"
"I... no, it's not me..."
Guinevere bit her lower lip, her face flushed with an unnatural, feverish red. Her voice was strained and broken.
"Someone is... ngh..."
Having just woken up, Artorius was momentarily dazed. His first thought was: Has this woman really become such a stalker?
But before his disgust could fully take root, he realized something was wrong. Guinevere's reaction wasn't right.
Furthermore, if she had broken in, the sounds of his maids stopping her or the door opening would have woken him.
The most critical factor was the undeniable scent of flowers.
The moment he caught the aroma, Artorius felt a rush of heat surge from his gut, spreading through his body at a terrifying speed. In an instant, he understood why Guinevere had appeared silently in the bath, and why she looked the way she did!
"Teacher, I f***ing...!"
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