OH DEAR, IT'S BROKEN AGAIN.
IT IS ALL RIGHT, YOUR MAJESTY.
WHO COULD EVER BLAME YOUR HIGHNESS OVER A TRIVIAL MATTER LIKE THIS?
NOT WHEN YOU ARE THE ONE AND ONLY IN THIS EMPIRE.
THE SOLE ROYAL BLOODLINE.
IRREPLACEABLE. PEERLESS.
THE WORLD USED TITLES LIKE THAT TO DESCRIBE ME, THE CROWN PRINCE OF XENOMES.
BY THE TIME I GREW TALL ENOUGH THAT LOOKING DOWN AT THE CROWNS OF PEOPLE'S HEADS FELT MORE NATURAL THAN MEETING THEIR EYES—
I BECAME THE KING OF XENOMES.
IT'S TOO PEACEFUL.
THE CONQUEST OF HENBURG WAS MERELY FOR A SINGLE LINE IN HISTORY PRAISING MY DEEDS.
STEP PAST THE BURNING WALLS,
TRAMPLE THE ROYAL CASTLE UNDERFOOT.
AND SEVER THE HEADS OF THE ROYALTY SCREAMING OF THE BLESSING OF THE
AND IT WOULD ALL BE OVER.
IT HAPPENED IN AN INSTANT.
AS IF THE WORLD HAD STOPPED,
THE FLEETING EXPRESSIONS PASSING ACROSS HER FACE IN THAT BRIEF MOMENT...
I'LL DO ANYTHING...!
LOOKING UP, THE PRINCESS OF HENBURG BEGAN TO PLEAD.
AS IF SHE WERE PERFORMING AN ACT.
IT WAS SO PRACTICED, LIKE SHE HAD REHEARSED IT DOZENS OF TIMES.
IN THAT MOMENT,
I BECAME CURIOUS ABOUT WHO SHE TRULY WAS BENEATH THE FACADE.
DO YOU WANT TO LIVE THAT BADLY?
HER NAME WAS ADELHEID.
HAVING DESTROYED HER KINGDOM WITH MY OWN HANDS, SHE HAD NO FAMILY NAME LEFT.
THEY SAY THE CAPTAIN KILLED THE DRAGON OF THE SOUTH TO WIN THE WAR,
BUT HOW PITIFUL COULD HENBURG'S BLESSING HAVE BEEN TO COLLAPSE SO EASILY?
"OUR LINEAGE SHALL ENDURE FOR ETERNITY!!"
THE KING HAD CRIED OUT THOSE VERY WORDS BEFORE DYING,
SO I COULD GUESS THE NATURE OF THEIR BLESSING.
MY QUEEN, I HAVE A GIFT FOR YOU.
UM... YOUR MAJESTY, WHAT IS THIS?
MEDICINE TO MAKE YOU BARREN.
TAKE IT FAITHFULLY. RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES.
'ETERNAL PROSPERITY FOR OUR LINEAGE'?
WILL IT REALLY BE SO?
ADEL IS DULL, YET ENTERTAINING.
SHE HAS A KNACK FOR WALKING THE TIGHTROPE BETWEEN THE TWO.
OH? MY QUEEN.
...IT FEELS QUITE HEAVY.
SEEING HER ACT AS IF SHE ANTICIPATED MY EVERY MOVE BORES ME, YET—
DO YOU DISLIKE IT?
IT MAKES ME WANT TO SEE THE MOMENT HER LITTLE ACT BREAKS.
OF COURSE NOT.
WHATEVER MY KING GIVES ME, I TREASURE.
WHEN MY QUEEN ALWAYS SAYS THINGS LIKE THAT,
IT MAKES ME WANT TO SHOWER HER WITH EVEN MORE.
ADEL, YOU'RE SPOILING ME ROTTEN.
YOUR MAJESTY, ANOTHER SCANDAL HAS SURFACED IN MOND PALACE.
...STRIP THE ESCORT KNIGHT OF HIS KNIGHTHOOD AND CAST HIM OUT OF THE PALACE.
LEFT ALONE FOR MERELY A FEW WEEKS, AND SHE ALREADY PULLS A STUNT FOR ATTENTION.
THIS TIME-
I SHALL APPOINT THE CAPTAIN AS MY QUEEN'S ESCORT KNIGHT.
PARDON...?
NOW THAT HE HAS RETURNED FROM A LONG WAR,
HE OUGHT TO GET SOME REST.
HOW WILL ADEL REACT TO A MAN AS STOIC AS STONE?
I MUST HAVE LEFT MY QUEEN FEELING QUITE LONELY.
ENOUGH TO LURE THE EMPIRE'S HERO INTO HER BED.
GO ON, SEE FOR YOURSELF.
STILL, I WILL CONSIDER ASSIGNING OTHER GUARDS.
WHILE GUARDING THE QUEEN, WATCH CLOSELY TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING GOING ON BETWEEN THEM.
YOUR MAJESTY...
I ALREADY TOLD YOU.
I COULD NOT SLEEP LATE AT NIGHT, SO I ONLY WENT TO THE STUDY BY MYSELF...
...AND SIR LOGAN WAS THERE,
AND HE TRIED TO SUBJECT ME TO MOLESTATION.
AH, WHAT IS THIS FEELING?
BETRAYAL?
COULD I REALLY FEEL SUCH A THING TOWARD THIS WOMAN?
THE QUEEN HAS COLLAPSED. CALL A PHYSICIAN.
CAPTAIN, CARRY HER TO THE BEDCHAMBER.
HOW STRANGE...
SHE REFUSES TO PUSH AWAY THE ONE SHE SHOULD KEEP DISTANT...
YET PUSHES AWAY THE ONE SHE OUGHT TO KEEP CLOSE...
FASCINATING.
The King of Xenomese recounts conquering Henburg and taking Princess Adelheid captive, and giving her a drug that leaves her barren. Amid the escort knight scandal at Mond Palace, he makes the Captain returning from war the queen's new escort knight. As Adelheid says she was harassed by Sir Logan, she faints, and the Captain carries her to the bedroom.
