26-59

EP.59 The Princess Caught in a Trap 

The room Elena led her to. 

Katrina sat quietly, lost in thought. 

‘I didn’t expect there to be a wife…’ 

It was a mistake born from lack of information. 

If she’d misused her charms, things could have gone wrong. 

But it didn’t seem hopeless. 

"Those eyes…" 

When Elena left and they were alone, 

or even before then, Katrina had felt his gaze. 

Especially when her skirt had inadvertently ridden up. 

"It looked… possible enough." 

It was the gaze of a male with desire. 

She’d seen it many times before and knew it well. 

Everyone just restrained themselves with self-control. 

‘If I approach first…’ 

Having many wives was no shame. 

The more capable a man, the more concubines he’d attract. 

And Katrina was not just beautiful; 

the position she offered was beyond the reach of most nobles. 

"It should… be possible." 

She was already prepared. 

From the moment she left, she was ready to offer her body for her country. 

It just meant she had one more thing to watch out for. 

‘If I get close to Lord Eldric… that woman will be pushed aside as a concubine. She might try to interfere, so I’ll have to be careful.’ 

Katrina left her room right away. 

The darkness of the halls hid her movements. 

As a guest, no one suspected her. 

She’d already asked about Eldric’s room. 

Since there was a wife, Katrina decided to be bold. 

‘Even if not tonight… if I wait for a moment when the wife’s not there…’ 

She didn’t worry about failure. 

The lack of surveillance only made her more confident. 

Above all, she remembered his last look at her. 

When she’d shyly lifted her skirt, 

Eldric’s eyes had been filled with obvious lust. 

‘He won’t refuse. Even if he does, it’ll only be temporary.’ 

It was a common story: 

a great hero swayed by a woman’s charms. 

Katrina planned to seduce him just like in a fairy tale. 

"Here… I guess…" 

The lord’s bedroom was quiet. 

Luckily, there were no guards. 

Whether it was because of his confidence or for comfort, she didn’t know. 

But for now, it was a good sign. 

Just as she was about to peek through the door, 

a woman’s voice spoke from behind. 

"Walking around at night do you need something?" 

"Huh…?!" 

She couldn’t help but be startled. 

It was Eldric’s wife. 

"Uh, I… had something to discuss, and wondered if he was asleep…" 

The worst-case scenario. 

She’d been caught by the one person she shouldn’t have. 

Elena looked at Katrina for a moment. 

‘If she gets suspicious…’ 

Tension was high. 

But Elena’s reaction only confused Katrina. 

"Having trouble sleeping?" 

A smile like the moon in the night. 

But the atmosphere wasn’t gentle. 

It was more like a playful taunt. 

"Yes… It’s just an unfamiliar place…" 

"You don’t have to worry. I know what you want." 

"You know…?" 

Katrina’s hand drifted to her tool. 

She was ready to end it all if necessary. 

"Do you think I spilled the tea earlier for no reason?" 

"…" 

"You came to seduce my husband, didn’t you? But that’s fine." 

"Fine…?" 

She couldn’t help but react in disbelief. 

She couldn’t understand the situation, 

and just looked at Elena, waiting for an explanation. 

"If my husband likes you, I don’t mind being pushed aside as a concubine. Of course… there should be some benefit for me, too." 

"I’ll consider it. I’m sure it would help your husband." 

"Then… I suppose letting you have him is the best support I can give as a wife." 

It was too easy. 

If she didn’t feel uneasy, she’d be lying. 

But she didn’t want to miss this sweet opportunity. 

"Then…" 

"But it won’t be easy to satisfy my husband. If you don’t work hard, even if you catch him, I won’t be able to stop him from leaving you." 

"What do you mean?" 

"My husband really enjoys women. He doesn’t like foolish or hesitant girls." 

It sounded like a proposal for cooperation. 

Otherwise, there’d be no reason to say it. 

At least, that’s how Katrina understood it. 

"…Thank you." 

"You’re welcome." 

Elena smiled sweetly, 

but kept her true intentions well hidden. 

Even as she walked away, Katrina had no idea. 

Who could imagine 

that the one telling her to try to satisfy her husband was a princess herself? 

It was impossible to expect from the start that this was a trap. 

"Well… I should go in…" 

There was someone inside the bedroom. 

Since he hadn’t come out, he probably hadn’t heard the conversation. 

"Excuse me." 

She didn’t knock. 

She simply grabbed the handle and opened the door, 

unaware that Elena was watching from afar. 

"What brings you here?" 

Katrina entered the room. 

It was just as the princess had described. 

She looked quite nervous, as expected. 

"I… came because I have something to say." 

"I told you I’d think about it." 

"I came to help you decide." 

"Help me decide?" 

"…" 

A short silence passed. 

I just waited quietly. 

"I couldn’t say it earlier because your wife was here… but if you cooperate with our kingdom, I’ll offer you my body…" 

Her delicate voice trembled. 

She wasn’t a cunning schemer  

all she could offer was her body. 

In reality, she’d be the one to take the throne. 

"It’s certainly an attractive offer. But how can I trust you won’t change your mind later?" 

"I’ll prove it to you directly. I can satisfy you, Lord." 

Her delicate hand gripped her clothes. 

She’d dressed for this from the start. 

She began to shed her clothes, one by one, like shedding a skin. 

Her clothes piled up on the floor. 

What was revealed was skin as soft as silk. 

I expected it, but I couldn’t help but be impressed. 

"Hmm… I’d heard you were beautiful, but your figure is perfect too." 

"If you accept our offer, you can do whatever you want with me." 

She was just pretending to be calm. 

Her inexperienced face was already flushed red. 

Her ears were tinged pink, making her look even more alluring. 

If my circumstances were different, I might have given in. 

"How can I trust that? You might change your mind later." 

"Is my body right now not enough?" 

Standing there in nothing but underwear, 

Katrina looked at me, swallowing her shame. 

"Even if I marry you… suddenly becoming queen would be difficult. I don’t think it’s realistic." 

Princess Elena and Katrina were in different situations. 

Even now, the princess was working behind the scenes. 

Katrina, meanwhile, could only offer herself as a bargaining chip. 

"…Of course, I’ll be queen in practice, but I think there’s plenty of merit for you too." 

"I see." 

"At the very least… I’ll fulfill my duties as a wife. Even if it’s hard in public…" 

"In private, you’ll obey me as your husband?" 

"Yes. If you’re not satisfied, I’ll keep trying until you are…" 

I almost laughed. 

It was all going too smoothly. 

Like prey caught in a trap, she was practically preparing herself for me. 

"Then how about we make a contract?" 

"A contract…?" 

"If you satisfy me within a set time, I’ll give you whatever you want. If you want to be a spy, I’ll let you. You don’t even have to marry me. Just use me as you wish." 

"And if I fail?" 

"Then I can’t promise to cooperate. And you’ll have to obey my orders." 

It was a gamble with everything on the line. 

But it was a gamble she couldn’t resist. 

Instead of giving up a little to gain something, she could win it all. 

She didn’t even realize what kind of contract it was. 

If she had any magical knowledge, she might have sensed something was off. 

"What will you do?" 

"Is there no other way?" 

"No." 

This was my house. 

She must have thought there was no escape. 

"If you fail to satisfy me and admit defeat, you’ll have to follow my orders. That’s the contract." 

"…Alright." 

In the end, she agreed to an unfair contract, 

not realizing what she was getting into. 

If she’d known more about magic, she might have sensed something. 

"Let’s start right away. But… you’re still wearing something, aren’t you?" 

I looked at her white underwear, 

as if giving her an order.