The latter part of the last chapter has been revised.
Please take a moment to read it before continuing.
Late Afternoon, the Next Day.
I woke up from a long sleep, feeling incredibly refreshed.
“Ahh… that was a great rest.”
Thanks to the soft blankets and pillow, my body felt completely rejuvenated with no soreness whatsoever.
I must have slept for more than 12 hours.
After over a month of relying on field cots, lying in a proper bed felt like pure luxury.
I rubbed my eyes and glanced around, looking for a water bottle to quench my thirst.
That’s when I noticed something strange.
“Where… am I?”
I didn’t recall owning a private residence in the capital.
And judging by the size and opulence of this room, it definitely wasn’t my officer’s quarters.
I pushed myself up from the bed, leaning on my arms.
But then, I felt something soft beneath my left hand—a yielding, pillowy sensation.
At the same moment, I heard a woman’s drowsy voice.
“Ahh… sir?”
“…Young Lady?”
She blinked awake from the unexpected touch, her expression still groggy.
But it was unmistakably Lady von Arschach looking at me—her eyes filled with warmth and affection rather than her usual professional demeanor.
She smiled faintly, her expression a mix of subtle embarrassment and evident relief.
That’s when I realized what my hand had been resting on: her large, beautiful breasts.
“I-I’m so sorry!!”
Oh, damn it. What the hell have I done? Did I just harass an unmarried noblewoman?
No, wait… did we sleep in the same bed last night?
Completely naked, no less?
She’s nine years younger than me! Do I need to prostrate myself in a full dogeza to apologize?
I hurriedly pulled my hand away and backed up in a panic, utterly mortified.
The young lady clicked her tongue in mock disappointment.
“Aww, it’s fine if you keep touching, you know?”
“W-What are you saying?!”
“Why? After you spent the whole night enjoying yourself—kissing, fondling, and everything—don’t act coy now.”
Covered only by a blanket that barely concealed her most vital areas, she crawled closer to me with the grace of a cat.
Resting her head on my thigh, she looked up at me with a playful smile.
“Did you forget everything that happened last night? Don’t you remember what we did after leaving the palace?”
“Me… and you? …Ah.”
As my drowsy brain finally processed her words, fragments of the previous night began resurfacing.
I distinctly recalled leaving the palace reluctantly after being persuaded by my subordinates.
From there, I headed straight to my office, consumed by frustration.
There, I drank recklessly, pouring out my bitterness and despair:
What was the point of all this?
What was the purpose of everything I’ve fought for?
Does this mean our dedication was meaningless from the start?
You’ve been holding onto a lot, haven’t you, sir?
We should’ve just surrendered to the Empire! If I had run as soon as I made Major General, at least the men under me might’ve survived.
At least 50,000 fewer would’ve died!
But the war has stopped now, hasn’t it? At least no one else will die. Isn’t that worth something?
What a joke! What does it matter? The ones who’ve already died won’t come back! Karl, Armin, Otto—all of them were good men.
If not for the war, they would’ve lived happy, fulfilling lives.
Instead, they’ve become frozen corpses on an icy battlefield…
That’s something to reflect on in time. For now, focus on ensuring everyone’s sacrifices aren’t in vain.
A glass of port wine, followed by a string of curses.
A glass of whiskey, followed by a bitter lament.
I dragged bottle after bottle from the storeroom, drowning my grief and rage in alcohol, the anguish of lost years gnawing at my soul.
The young lady stayed by my side throughout, silently refilling my glass and affirming my every word.
Occasionally, she would wipe away the tears pooling at the corners of my eyes.
Sometimes, she even shed her own, matching me drink for drink as we emptied bottle after bottle together.
Since the alcohol content of the drinks had been increased for long-term storage, and there were no snacks to accompany them, the effects hit me quickly.
Although I held out for a while thanks to my strong constitution, it wasn’t long before I was too drunk to control myself.
By the time midnight rolled around, I could no longer keep my body steady.
“Oh dear, you’re far too drunk. Would you like to rest at my estate for a while? My parents aren’t home anyway—they’ve already been sent off under arrest.”
“Anywhere… anywhere I can lie down…”
“Understood. I’ll escort you there right away.”
Normally, I would’ve gone straight home and collapsed into bed.
But in my intoxicated state, having surrendered all control to someone else, I couldn’t make sound judgments.
I naively followed her without a second thought.
And so, the two of us—alone, intoxicated, and in an empty estate—found ourselves in a situation where the possibilities were both obvious and inevitable.
What could happen when reason fails, self-control breaks, and judgment is clouded? It was the natural course of events.
You’ve lost control and can’t think straight.
It was a standard, predictable sequence.
Undressing to wash, making out to clean each other, naturally laying down on the bed.
I’ve never been with a girl before, so please be gentle.
I’ve never been with a real girl before either. I’m sure I should put it here…..
I’ll take it. Are you sure it’s okay if I go in there?
Oh, no, it’s okay! I don’t mind if you do! Feel free to put it inside!
We’ve both been virgins, and we’ve done everything.
I’ve rammed it down her throat, taken it in my mouth, sucked her tits, lifted her up and rammed it in her…..oh fuck.How much woman-hungry are you?
I was so hungry for a woman that I did such a maniacal act.
I’m sure we kissed a few times along the way, but I think I fucked her a lot more than I fucked her inside.
Clothes and traces of bodily fluids scattered around the room bore undeniable evidence of the intensity of last night.
“…I’ll take responsibility.”
There was only one thing I could say in this situation.
“Suddenly?”
“I can’t just pretend nothing happened after spending the night indulging myself.”
Not only had I taken the virginity of a young noblewoman, but there were countless witnesses who had seen her lead me to her estate.
The number of people who saw us must easily number in the hundreds.
There was no way this wouldn’t become the talk of the capital.
After seeing how the Imperial Princess nearly had her life ruined by rumors alone, how could I repeat the same mistake?
No matter how flawed I am, I’m not such a heartless scoundrel.
If I wanted to avoid ruining this woman’s future forever, I had no choice but to take responsibility.
“Hehe, it’s fine. It’s not like I seduced you with any ulterior motives. Sharing a bed with you was something I did fully aware of the consequences.”
“But still—”
“Now, now.”
She placed a soft finger against my lips to silence me.
“You don’t need to feel guilty. Just think of it as a pleasant experience. It was only one night, after all.”
She smiled warmly, her tone gentle and understanding.
“If you truly want to take responsibility, then formally propose to me later. I’ll happily change my last name to Royten when the time comes.”
With her saying that, I couldn’t argue any further.
“…Understood.”
“Good choice. Now, though it’s late, would you like to have breakfast together? Our family’s chef makes excellent omelets.”
“Just make sure there’s no alcohol. I don’t want to cause another incident.”
“Of course. Besides, you’re still recovering from last night’s hangover. Drinking with breakfast would be overkill, wouldn’t it?”
The young lady pulled a bathrobe from the drawer to cover herself, then paused before standing up and turned to me.
“Oh, and…”
“Hmm?”
“Could you stop calling me Young Lady all the time? Feel free to use casual speech, like last night. Oh, and no need to address me by my family name anymore either.”
“Are you suggesting I call you by your given name?”
“Yes! You’re older than me, so I’ve felt a little bad about us always speaking so formally.”
I initially wanted to refuse, finding it hard to suddenly switch to casual speech, but the eager sparkle in her eyes made it impossible.
Having already crossed so many boundaries, I couldn’t bring myself to disappoint her now.
“If that’s what you prefer… Camilla.”
“I knew it! I like being called that much better. Please continue to do so from now on.”
Her smile was radiant as she called for a servant, her beauty shimmering like a precious jewel.
While the circumstances of our rest may have been less than ideal, we were still in the middle of a coup.
After finishing breakfast and regaining our energy, we headed straight to the meeting room of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction to review the situation and plan our next steps.
“Sir! Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes. Apologies for suddenly stepping away in the middle of command.”
Kys, Vaden, Elan, and all the key officers who had participated in the operation were already gathered.
Even senior members of my faction, including my elder brother, were present.
Judging by their calm demeanor, it seemed they had already exchanged information during my absence, and no one appeared confused about the current state of affairs.
That would save us time.
“Let’s start with a report. What happened in the capital while I was out?”
“As per your orders, we’ve detained all the royals and nobles and gathered them in one place. You can find them at the Sixth Opera House.”
“Did you confirm their identities?”
“Yes, sir. Everyone is accounted for, except for those who had already left for their estates or traveled far away.”
Good. It seems we didn’t miss any critical targets.
There would be no need to worry about anyone escaping to seek external assistance.
As expected from a coup launched with military superiority and solid regional control, the collapse of central command didn’t cause any significant issues.
“Well done. We can deal with tracking down the ones who fled later. What about the King and his family?”
“They’ve been transferred to a secured residence and placed under house arrest. It’s too risky to leave them in the palace with all its hidden passageways, escape routes, and secret rooms.”
“Good thinking. And Carl VII and his direct relatives?”
“Handled as well. We couldn’t leave them in the palace for the same reasons—it’s too dangerous. Even if they had nowhere to run, allowing them to remain there was unacceptable. Now, they don’t even have the option to attempt escape.”
Eliminating potential risks as much as possible was a necessity.
“All the directives have been carried out, sir. But… what do you plan to do now? We’ve captured them, but some kind of decision has to be made,” General Vaden asked, seeking clarification on what punishment awaited the detained royals and nobles.
Just as I was about to answer, Camilla interjected ahead of me.
“Why not just kill them all? Save time by skipping formal hangings and just shoot them en masse. Then bury them somewhere.”
Uh, Camilla? You do realize that includes your own parents, right?