Chapter 468 – The First Battle for Supremacy, and What Followed (2)

The sound of a young woman swallowing her breath echoed in the silence.

“Camellia.”

One of the noble guardians, the owner of Descanso Garden, and the sole survivor of the Camellia family. She was also the one abandoned by the World Tree, which she had worshiped as a deity throughout her life.

“…”

I pulled a chair over, placed it beside the small table, and sat down.

I slowly examined Camellia’s body, her eyes closed.

There were few scars,
Her eyes were vacant. Faint traces of tears were visible.
From her face down to her body, both of her arms were cleanly severed, save for a single joint of her fingers. The condition of her thighs was similar. The airy hem of her skirt was bent at a right angle where her knees should have been.

Camellia lay on the bed, saying nothing. Her shallow, gasping breaths were evidence of her consciousness.

“It would be best to accept your situation calmly.”

“…You are accepting it.”

Camellia’s defiant voice emerged.

Only through communication can one’s situation be improved or not.

“And this voice, surely you’re not… Weeden-“

“That’s right. I’ve been by your side from the beginning. The one next to me was my disciple.”

“That’s preposterous… Then at any time, I… Why, why for such a long time…?”

“Are you curious?”

I could have concealed the truth, but instead, I chose to reveal it. Camellia’s face contorted in pain.

“I wanted to see firsthand what kind of attitude the Flower and the World Tree would display towards you.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I understand everything now.”

“Yes.”

The World Tree attempted to kill Camellia,
while ATU and Flower sought to secure Camellia by force.

“The World Tree maintained an ambiguous stance, observing all along. It clumsily tried to kill you for some reason, the issue being that Kim Soo-yeon was responsible for you.”

“….”

“How does it feel to be betrayed?”

“Terribly… Are you really asking me that?”

I have to ask. I’m curious.
I’m truly intrigued by the twisted psychology of revering such beings as gods.

Dongbaek is a follower of the Mokinkyo faith. Even when his arms and legs were whole, he was known to be so devout that he would repent at least once a week.
The World Tree is authoritative, with many varieties and diverse opinions. The sect is on the verge of division, and I don’t recall it ever making an efficient judgment.
Why on earth would anyone want to believe in such beings?

“No! There must be a reason—”
“None.”

I was resolute.

“If the World Tree was really watching over you, at the very least, you wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

As I scratched the itchy spot, Dongbaek twisted his lips in sadness.

“No… There must be.”

Is there a reason?
I genuinely asked.

“Truly, I envy you.”
“Pardon?”
“The World Tree hasn’t done anything for me, yet a loyal noble willingly comes to its side.”

It was half sarcastic.
A wildcat, still hiding somewhere within my sphere of influence, was undoubtedly waiting for the perfect opportunity to betray me.

A reliable ally was needed, but finding one seemed like plucking stars from the sky.

As she lay there, Camellia cautiously inquired.

“…What happened to Camellia?”
“What, a servant? She probably didn’t die. Neither did your friend.”

Camellia exhaled, seemingly relieved only after confirming their survival.
Although it was too soon for relief, seeing her worry about others brought to mind someone I knew, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“…I’m glad. So, what will happen to me…?”

Only time would tell.

I reached out and tapped Camellia’s neck. Her collarbone vibrated beneath her delicate neckline. My hand continued to move downward.

“…Wait a moment.”

The tense Camellia held her breath. Escape was impossible. No matter how she struggled, she was slower than a bedbug.

My hand, which had reached just above Dongbaek’s chest, paused.

“Do you understand?”
“…It’s the worst.”

I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but if Dongbaek knew about my reputation, she might have associated it with that.
That was the answer.
However, it wasn’t the case right now.

‘Prophecies tend to be abstract.’

It wasn’t necessarily skillful to force a connection, but the prophecy could have meant something else.
Nevertheless, there was no reason to skip the most probable aspect of intertwining our bodies.

Dongbaek was within my sphere of influence.
Up until now, I could have tried anything.

“…You’re a truly despicable person. Are you willing to do anything for pleasure?”
“Pleasure? If it was that, it would be better—picking and choosing who to indulge with.”
“Picking and choosing… Then what is it? Is it for power…?”
“That’s already enough. At least for now.”
“Then, what is it?”

As Dongbaek boldly asked, I let my hand, which had stopped at the edge of her chest, slide down.

Her chest tightened within the grip of his hand. Dongbaek gasped for breath.

“…It hurts… Ugh!”

“How many people have I been with so far?”

He muttered dryly and released his hold. Dongbaek’s pained moans emerged.

“Ha… Ha…”

At this point, the mingling of their bodies repulsed him.
He had done it that much.

“Anyone, as long as they were of the same kind, regardless of appearance, body, or shape.”
“…”
“There was no need to force it. There are so many who crave human men.”

The revulsion he felt did not stem from his own body’s state. He constantly desired intimacy.
A pinnacle of contradiction.

The act disgusted him, twisted to the point of loathing. Now, he considered it a monotonous task.

Yes, a task.
It was merely sex.
A pinch of pleasure, a woman’s moans, some subtle delight, but devoid of deep emotions.

That was all the crown had wanted.
It didn’t matter with whom he did it, and in fact, his body felt the same way.

Over five thousand have already passed through my body.

I thought I would remain unchanged, but that wasn’t the case. At least when it comes to carnal interactions, I am nothing more than a whore. That’s the extent of my character.

All of this to increase and stabilize the king’s power.

“…Why?”
“You asked.”
“Isn’t it possible… without doing it?”
“Then you all would have killed me.”

Camellia fell silent. After a considerable pause, curiosity seemed to get the better of her, and she asked me a question.

“What about your relationship with the person you love… Did you ignore everything?”

A person I love. Shouldn’t we be asking whether such a person even exists?

It’s laughable, really. How can I entertain such thoughts when I’ve worn the crown, vowing not to discriminate in my methods, and climbed to this position with a heavy heart? Crossing the line and wallowing in guilt is the most contemptible thing. This is separate from my longing.

I never thought a romantic lover would appear, at least not in my story. A scumbag who makes women cry? That might be more accurate.

“Well, then… at least let me prepare myself.”

I hadn’t planned on doing it, but Dongbaek spoke urgently. It was a brave statement, so I shrugged my shoulders and replied.

“Suit yourself.”

There was still plenty of time.

* * * * * * * * * *

I made one mistake: underestimating the difficulty of caring for a person with a disability.

“….”

I crossed my arms and glared at Dongbaek. She couldn’t feel my gaze, but her cheeks flushed red.

Handling her personal needs… it’s nearly impossible.

“Ugh.”

– Startle!

Camellia hung her head and her crotch twitched. The dampness seemed unpleasant.

At the moment, there weren’t many trustworthy people in the Third District. Under normal circumstances, I would have asked Gu-seul, but she’s currently injured and unable to move due to her damaged legs. However, I was afraid to delegate the task to lower-class individuals because of the high status of The World Tree of Growth and the importance of the prophecy.

‘The World Tree of Patience or Growth…’

As I mentally sorted through potential candidates, I eventually shook my head.

‘No, forget it. I’ll do it myself.’

With a swift step, I approached Camellia, who flinched and trembled at my presence.

“…Please…don’t touch me. It’s dirty.”
“Dirty because of you, isn’t it?”
“…….”

I swiftly lifted the prone Camellia. Her petite frame and slender body made her incredibly lightweight. It’s astonishing how light a person can be without arms and legs.

Considering that legs constitute 42% of a human’s body weight, and taking into account the arms, Dongbaek’s weight would be, at most, equivalent to a 20kg bag of rice.

“Ah…”

The damp white dress touched my knees. Dongbaek closed her eyes tightly, even though she couldn’t see.

I hastily wrapped my arms around her lower abdomen and lifted the hem of her skirt with my hand. The subtle sense of unease felt in my grip wasn’t actually that unpleasant.

-Thud.

“Uh, where…”

Seeing the tear stains on her face, she must have been filled with self-doubt throughout the night. But even that sadness couldn’t possibly overshadow the absurdity of the present situation.

“Ah… ah.”

Dongbaek muttered to herself in a bewildered voice. Wordlessly, I turned on the water at the sink and began to undress her, piece by piece.

“Ah! Wait a moment… please, just a moment!”

After removing her dress, I pulled down her damp underwear. Her pubic area, covered in soft, white hair, was revealed in its entirety.

“……!!!”

Heek, Camellia stifled her breath and her body went rigid. As she gently caressed her intimate area with a water-soaked tissue, Camellia shuddered.

From the crotch to the hip bone.

– Rub, rub.

“Please, please…!”

Her severed shoulders and thighs twitched several times.

“Really… Your Majesty, why…?”

By the time she had managed to wash away the residue, the devastated Camellia trembled with sorrow. The humiliation was not over.

– Jorrrrr.

The clear liquid flowed out again.

“I had been holding it in… De.”

It didn’t seem like the same Camellia who had shuddered with a sense of betrayal yesterday. Even if it had been me in this situation, I might have been wrought with sadness and frustration, setting aside any feelings of betrayal. Furthermore, Camellia had no limbs and was unable to resist.

Silence descended as Camellia’s mistakes continued.

– Jorre, pop.

It was over. Wordlessly, I dampened the tissue with water again and wiped her clean, while Camellia, having no hands, couldn’t wipe away her tears.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“Ahahahaha!”

Gu-seul’s laughter rolled across the bed.

“Ah, hehe. The king… has to pee on the kidnapped child… hahaha.”

Gu-seul’s room was full of piled-up comic books. As she signaled that she was laughing too much, she wiped the tears from her eyes and got up from the bed.

It had only been a few days, but her physical condition had improved significantly. The power of healing had done its job well.

“Ah… that’s hilarious.”
“We should bring Melia.”
“Yeah, we should. I don’t want to do that either. Right? A urinal.”

Instead of scolding Gu-seul for her teasing remark, I secretly tightened the restraint. The restraining device, which was attached to her thigh, dug in a few centimeters deeper than usual, causing Gu-seul to scream.

“Aaah! Time, time!”

Gu-seul screamed while tightly gripping my thigh.
I loosened the restraints and let out a sigh.

“…You really can’t take a joke, huh?”

– Smack.

As I slapped her buttocks firmly, Gu-seul flinched and shivered.

“Tsk. What are you going to do today? I’m ready now.”

Gu-seul, who had gotten up from the bed, grinned while pointing at her loosened bandage.
Wearing only underwear and nothing else, I noticed a small spot when I looked at her wide-open thighs.

“Yeah, are we doing it?”

As I stood up and picked up the oil from the bedside table, Gu-seul reacted.
I took a step closer and laid her down on the bed. Disheveled, Gu-seul giggled.

“Must be pent up, huh? You couldn’t have done it with Hong-Yeon since it wasn’t the weekend.”
“Being informal with your superior?”
“Mhm, I’m informal with the king too~”

– Flinch.

Gu-seul trembled at my touch. Her eyes wide open, she glanced at my lower body and grinned, as if teasing me.

“Today… you’re using it there?”

With a moist sound, my fingers spread Gu-seul’s intimate area apart.

“…If you’re going to use it, apply lots of love gel. All the way inside. Yes… just like that.”

– My fingers stirred her insides, creating an audible squelching noise. Her body only shook slightly, and her expression remained unchanged.

Her intimate folds were coated generously with the sticky oil and love gel. I probed with my finger, and it felt hotter than I had expected. I thought I had applied enough, but Gu-seul snatched the love gel from my hand.

“No, are you just going to rub it?”

She spread an enormous amount of the gel onto her palm with a slick sound.

“I dry up quickly because I don’t produce much natural lubrication. Fill me up properly.”

Gu-seul’s hand overlapped with mine, and the viscous fluid oozed between our fingers. As I inserted my finger into her opening, her muscles clenched tightly around it. I hadn’t realized the pressure would be so intense, having never tried this before.

Gently, I filled her to the brim with the slick gel.

Expressionless, Gu-seul had been gazing at her own intimate area. Now, as if satisfied, she subtly eased her back. Gu-seul, having assumed a comfortable position for our intimate encounter, looked up at me.