If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 157

I had thought it would be something serious from the moment his voice lowered, but I never imagined it would be this serious. “The cause is unknown?”

 

“Yes. Does Sasha have any idea what might have caused it?”

 

“Not at all.”

 

Since the cause was unknown, there was no way to tell whether the weakening phenomenon the mad emperor was experiencing was temporary or whether it would continue to progress. Moreover, the mad emperor was an exception in every respect, the first of his kind. Finding the cause would not be easy.

 

“First, we need to verify whether the information is genuine. If it’s true…” Without even needing to look in a mirror, I could tell that my eyes must have been shining with enthusiasm. “The plan might be able to be moved up quite a bit.”

 

Regen was even more eager than I was. “Would it be difficult to do it right away?”

 

“What? Right away?”

 

“My mana core has completely recovered.”

 

“Really?”

 

So Regen’s strength had finally been fully restored. My voice rose slightly with excitement. Catching myself, I quickly composed myself again.

 

“That’s wonderful news. But moving right away would be hasty.”

 

“Is that so?” Although phrased as a question, the nuance was closer to a mild protest that seemed to say, ‘Why do you think we can’t?’ In fact, his head was slightly tilted to one side with his eyes narrowed.

 

“We don’t know for certain whether the mad emperor’s dominion has really weakened. We need to accurately assess the enemy’s condition, then make a plan to put it into action. Let’s proceed safely.”

 

“Yes.” Perhaps because his strength was a matter of pride, Regen obediently accepted my answer without argument.

 

I continued persuading him earnestly. “There’s an even bigger reason.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I need to seize control of the power, not just conquer the imperial palace. In that regard, I think using force right now would be premature. First, we need to cut away the rotten branches from within.”

 

“By rotten branches…”

 

“Duke Arondit, Marquis Osbond, and the chief chamberlain.”

 

If we removed them, a considerable portion of the mad emperor’s ability to govern would be paralyzed. Only after cutting down the mad emperor in that state would the blood I had inherited from a tyrant finally prove its worth and provide me with justification. Whether through succession or usurpation.

 

“I see. Sasha is right. I understand.”

 

Only then did I sense genuine sincerity in Regen’s agreement. Perhaps to change the subject, I lightly grasped the hem of his shirt with my fingertips and gave it a little shake.

 

“Regen, Regen.”

 

“Yes, Sasha.”

 

“How about we check your mana core after such a long time? Since you said your strength has fully recovered, I want to see what state the tree is in.”

 

“That sounds like a good idea.”

 

Just as much as I wanted to see his fully recovered oak tree, it seemed he also wanted me to come and see it.

 

I cautiously asked what he preferred. “Then here…? Or on the bed…?”

 

While my consciousness was inside Regen’s mental realm, our bodies in reality became defenseless and vulnerable. Choosing the location was a very important matter. It absolutely wasn’t because of any ulterior motives.

 

Regen made a very rational choice. “The couch is narrow, so… I think the bed would be better…”

 

“Right? I think so too.” I readily nodded.

 

We moved to the bed. Rather than sitting casually on the edge, I climbed all the way to the middle and sat facing him.

 

“It’ll take a while if I’m going to look around properly…”

 

“Yes.”

 

Based on our experiences so far, whenever I visited his mental realm, I would always end up lying there tangled together with him. I had only climbed onto the bed so that we would have enough space to assume a comfortable position. Once again, I truly had no ulterior motives.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

I take that back. I had developed a little ulterior motive.

 

As I gazed deeply into his eyes on the bed, memories of the many nights I had spent with him came flooding back. The first time had been in his bedroom. But afterward, we had taken turns changing locations. Even on the bed where we were now, mine, there were more than a few memories of rubbing our bare skin together and embracing each other. It was fortunate that it was broad daylight. If it had been even a little darker, I might have put off checking the oak tree and done something else first.

 

Just then, Regen suddenly asked as though he had thought of something. “Wouldn’t the dress be uncomfortable?”

 

We would be falling asleep soon, and the voluminous dress certainly wasn’t suitable as sleepwear. Regen must have been concerned about that.

 

Should I take it off? But isn’t the uniform Regen is wearing just as uncomfortable? Then… should we take them off together? I spent so long silently staring at Regen while thinking about that, which led Regen to misunderstand my gaze and become flustered.

 

“I didn’t mean that because I had ulterior motives.”

 

“Now I’m disappointed that you don’t. I won’t take it off.”

 

When I deliberately pretended to sulk, Regen became even more flustered. His reaction was amusing. Honestly, I felt like I could spend the entire day just looking at him and still have a fulfilling and enjoyable day.

 

“I’m joking.”

 

Of course, I restrained myself appropriately. I shouldn’t make things too difficult for him.

 

To go see the oak tree that had taken the form of his mana core, we had to make eye contact while having Regen’s body come into contact with my lips. At first, I had used his index finger, but ever since I began proving my devotion, it had become customary for us to press our lips together. Unless he said otherwise, Regen would naturally try to kiss me now as well.

 

At this point, a little mischievous impulse rose within me. “Regen. I was thinking.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“We’ve done the lips quite a lot, so I think somewhere more unusual would be nice. Where would you like to be kissed?”

 

I asked him the same question I had asked him on the first day we began treating his mana core. Back then, absorbed in playing the roles of older brother and younger sister, he had answered on his cheek. But what about now? I was curious what he would think.

 

Instead of answering, Regen swallowed hard. The prominent Adam’s apple of this man, sensual down to every inch of his body, visibly bobbed before my eyes. Since he had turned his head to the side, I could see it even better. He even rubbed his face with one hand. No matter how I looked at it, this was clearly a sign of agitation.

 

“You shouldn’t ask questions like that so carelessly.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

Why? I was curious, but he didn’t particularly explain why. Instead, he spoke with a sigh.

 

“The forehead… wouldn’t make me able to see your eyes, so please do it on the bridge of my nose.”

 

“Okay.”

 

I liked that. It felt like the sort of place one wouldn’t kiss or allow to be kissed unless there was affection involved.

 

I raised my knees, putting myself in a position where I could look down at Regen. When I cupped his cheeks with both hands and pulled him toward me, he raised his head without resistance and was drawn toward me.

 

First, I pressed my lips to the spot between his brows, then slowly traced downward. I stopped at the tip of his sharply sculpted nose. I could see his golden irises. Through eye contact, the power of dominion was activated.

 

As my eyes grew hot, I saw light gather in his left eye and form a pattern. During the domination, only one of his eyes had retained its sight, so whenever I used dominion, he would end up with mystical heterochromia.

 

It was just as the pattern began to swirl around in a circle. A large hand pressed against my back, pulling me tightly against him. At the same time, he tilted his head backward, changing the angle. My lips slipped past the tip of his nose, over his philtrum, and met his lips. I felt a tongue slipping between my teeth. Despite having overlapped our lips countless times before, it seemed a deep kiss was ultimately his favorite after all.

 

The moment I curved my eyes into a smile, I felt my consciousness beginning to fade. Regen’s tree was calling for me.

 

✦

My eyes slowly opened as I felt the cool breeze. Fragments of light, broken up like a mosaic between the green leaves, squeezed through my eyelids. Since my retinas stung, I covered my eyes with my hand.

 

I felt the familiar softness beneath my back as I lay there. It was the leaf bed, like the nest of the enormous bird I had seen before. I wondered if it was the same one as before, but judging from the leaves, which were larger and greener than they had been previously, it seemed to have been newly made. Standing up, I turned toward the tree.

 

“My goodness. It’s enormous.”

 

Regen’s fully recovered oak tree possessed an imposing grandeur, as though an entire gigantic mountain had been transported here and placed before me. Somehow, it felt like something beyond awe, almost sacred.