This was the innermost sector of the Torun’s triple walls.

In the center of the city is the mansion of the former ruler, Count Jaworski. 

 Although it is a spacious home worthy of the city’s ruler, it still pales in comparison to the building beside it.

That building is the most impressive in the city ― a villa owned by Margrave Sigismund Jagiellon. It is typically sealed up, and only the family or those close to Margrave Sigismund Jagiellon would be permitted to use it.

House of Jagiellon is the most influential aristocrat family in the central Castall. They are immensely powerful that a mansion was dedicated for them in Torun city which is the border between north, central and western Castall. 

The conqueror had wrested the building and I had put Lucino Jaworski in there.

"Excuse me."

I open the door of the temporarily borrowed house without waiting for a response after knocking and excusing myself.

My eyes dart at the two spearmen standing guard in front of the house to relieve them off their duties, before going to the first floor where she is staying. 

"Ah……"

Lucino rises from her chair inside the room as I enter.

"I guess I was being a little rude. Well, please understand that I cannot be too polite in front of my men."

This is the place where she and her son are using as an address until a permanent home is found. Seika, her son who I beat up badly, was sent to a doctor and, as such, she is here by herself.

A soft smile forms on my face as I urge the woman to sit back down and I find a convenient box lying around to sit on.

Because she doesn’t have much time to organize, the room is still a mess and the only things set up are the chair she’s occupying and a bed.

"No, you were not……"

In her current mental state, I’m sure conversing won’t have much effect.

I speak over to her and get straight to the point.

"I first want to say that you and your son will be pardoned as promised. However, since you are related to the former ruler, you will not be freed. At the very least, until the subjugation is complete, you and your son will be monitored closely."

This is an important decision regarding her life, so I make sure to tell her the truth, no matter how harsh it might sound.

The woman sits up straight like her body is pulled up with a wire.

"Next, if you are seen contacting the enemy or behaving in any manner that would cause doubt――you would immediately and unconditionally be executed. I will not yield on this point so I advise you to refrain from doing anything suspicious."

I stare into the Lucino’s eyes and speak in a cold tone.

She nervously looks back and continues listening.

Alright, that should take care of all of Brain Haddock’s mandatory directives.

I break the tense atmosphere with a grin.

"――that’s it for the Military Commissioner’s warnings. Man, he raised his voice at me, telling me not to act disgracefully in front of my men."

"F-fueh?"

I smile at her after finishing the serious topic and inch the box I’m sitting on closer to the her chair.

"Who would have thought he dared to attack me."

I chuckle, jokingly massaging my arm a few times.

"M-my sincerest apologies…… I will scold that child!"

She begs for forgiveness unnecessarily, her face somewhat relaxed.

I inch closer to the woman.

"No, no, he was literally fighting for his life. It’s natural that he did whatever he could to win, in fact, I should be praising him for his efforts."

I nonchalantly take out a bottle of wine and a glass from my pocket, then hand it to her.

Taking advantage of the need to give her the glass, I close the distance even more until I am within arm’s reach.

I fill the bewildered woman’s glass to the brim and lightly tap the bottle against hers.

"Forgive me, your majesty. How about you?" She nervously asks.

"Oh, I don't drink wine and alcohol."

"You don't drink.."

"It's my strict way of life. Don't worry, you can drink."

"Please be at ease. I’d appreciate if you don’t try colluding secretly with the enemy though."

I maintain a casual tone and stop her from bowing her head in response to the part about colluding.

"Hahaha, I was kidding, don’t worry. More importantly, please have some of this delicious fruit alcohol."

Partially due to her nervousness, she quickly empties the glass.

Despite the gentle aftertaste, the alcohol is actually rather strong…… well, I’m sure one glass is fine.

It won’t be easy for her to excuse what I did to her cute son.

To be honest, I couldn’t bear hearing her pained screams during the match.

Admitting to her that it was all an act wouldn’t reflect well on me either.

"……"

Sure enough, she’s speechless.

Right when I am about to say sorry again, Lucino suddenly stands up from her chair, lowers both knees and hands plus her forehead to the floor. I couldn’t help freezing from the unexpected gesture.

"Thank you very much for saving me and Seika."

I help her up and have her sit on the bed.

Then I sit beside her.

She says,

"Thinking logically, you could have easily killed us on the spot if you got upset at the fact a knife was pointed at you. Considering you only moderately beat Seika and even freed us from slavery, I could tell you were trying to save us."

My initial impression of her was someone who is susceptible to becoming flustered, but she’s actually pretty intelligent and observant.

It would be embarrassing to have her see through me so simply, that’s why I’ll tease her a little.

"I’m grateful that you evaluate me so highly, but I might have enjoyed tormenting the boy, you know?"

Seika has a fairly ambiguous appearance and could be mistaken as a girl.

She giggles and quips back.

She smiles beautifully and elegantly tips her glass.

The sweet alcohol’s palatability makes it easy to drink.

I add more liquid to her glass and reduce what little distance is left between me and the red-faced woman.

As I get closer to her, my thigh touches hers.

I casually lean my shoulder against hers and rest my hand on her lap.

She turns toward me.

Our heights are different, so she inevitably has to look up at me.

I don’t know if it’s the alcohol or because she feels safe, but her eyes are somewhat moist.

Our gazes intersect.

The Baroness carefully lifts my hand off her leg and separates from me.

Shyly, she looks down and begins to unbutton her shirt.

"I’m not very proud of my body."

After her shirt falls to the floor, she removes her skirt.

Next, her plain underwear comes off, exposing her modest but shapely breasts.

There is a brief moment of hesitation before she resolves to strip the last piece of clothing covering her most precious place, showing her entire nude body to me.

"T-this might not even be worth the price of my life, but please relish this humble offering."

Being embarrassed, like I thought she is, her hands are still shielding her chest and crotch.

Moreover, she is trembling.

I approach her and throw my clothes off.

Unsurprisingly, she does not say anything, almost like she is mentally prepared for me to get naked, until I peel off my underwear and she let out a gasp, her eyes reflecting fear.

When I put my hand on her shoulder, she flinches.

I ignore it and proceed to wrap my arm around her shoulder and her waist. And then…

"Kyaaaa!!"

I push her onto the bed and, while embracing her, roll twice on the dusty sheets.

"W-what was that!?"

"Hahaha, did I scare you?"

I wrap her body with sheets as she protests the abrupt impact.

"Let’s talk for a bit."

"Talk? Wah! Kyaa!"

I pull the enveloped woman toward me and slide her on top of my arm.

Our bodies are stuck together, but the sheets protect skin-to-skin contact, and thus eliminate her previous trembling.

I’ll delay sexual intercourse for now.

She will obviously accept if I ask for it, but that would be no more than thanks for saving her son’s life.

Sex out of obligation is no fun, and the relationship that follows will be dull.

Rather than treating her as a captive or a mother, I need to bring out the female within her and love her as such. That’s how I will capture her heart.

"Yes, that’s right. Although I still don’t know much about you, I don’t believe you’re someone who would turn traitor just to attain a high-ranking position. I would like to hear more about your circumstances."

I tighten my arms around the sheet-covered woman.

The dusty sheets aren’t the most pleasant, but at least I can feel her warmth.

She is pondering something and says,

"Where…… should I start…"

My body temperature should also be transmitted to her.

It’s cute how she’s glancing repeatedly at my body.

"Lucino. That’s a nice name. It has a sense of nobility, purity and overflowing love."

I pour praise onto her, casually addressing her without honorifics.

She doesn’t seem like a person who dislikes deliberate flattery. That’s more true especially as a person with status.

Uncomfortably, she retells her story.

It turns out that her first husband, in other words, Seika's father was formerly a noble of the royal palace without a job and was essentially being used by other nobles.

Coincidentally, and also luckily, he increased his achievements enough to become recognized by the margrave and was given a small demesne in northern region.

The Baronet did not particularly excel in any area nor did he seem foolish in any area, and somehow managed to compete with his neighboring feudal lords socially, politically and territorially.

He accompanied Margrave in war against Dark Elves and was killed.

He left behind Lucino, and a baby boy, Seika.

As Baronet, Lucino was supposed to protect the house until Seika grew up, but things did not go smoothly.

"When I took over the household, the merchant families who lent money to my husband during the time he was alive and the neighboring feudal lords he kept a good relationship with turned around and gave me the cold treatment."

"Upkeep of the territory became difficult, debts piled up and conflicts on the border occurred more frequently."

"Our dispute reached the royal palace, which resulted in the royal family sending a messenger to warn us…… it was a matter of time before our territory would be confiscated."

In all probability, other feudal lords tattled on them.

It’s an underhanded tactic; something Baron Broniec would do.

"There was nothing I could do…… I had to depend on someone else with more power. With that in mind, I sought patronage from Count Jaworski, an influential feudal lord in the central region…… and he willingly accepted my request. Upon doing so, disputes between the other feudal lords settled down, merchant families resumed conducting transactions with me, and various problems within my territory melted away."

I ask,

"And the price for that was.."

She casts her eyes downward sadly.

"I had to marry Count Jaworski's nephew. That was three years ago."

"I became a disgusting mother when I sold my body to protect my son and my serfs. But it is all useless now."

Lucino starts to cry.

I hug the woman’s shoulder.

"It was out of your control. It’s not your fault. The bad guys are Count Jaworski, Margrave Sigismund Jagiellon and his gang."

I hold Lucino tightly until her crying ceases.

"Besides, there is some good that came from it."

She lifts her face, revealing her red eyes.

"You meet me. You don't have to worry about anything from now onwards."

She lets out a short gasp.

Her tears dry up and a different type of emotion wells up in her eyes.

I can feel her body temperature rising.

"But...sorry for asking..There is one more thing."

I look at Lucino with a serious expression.

She unconsciously braces herself.

"Excuse me for being rude, but how old are you?"

"I’m sorry?"

This is important.

I initially guessed she was in her early-thirties.

That age matches her matured body and the fact her son is in his early teens.

From the quick glimpses of her naked body now, her skin seems younger and more elastic than what I first expected.

Even without her underwear to support her breasts, they are holding up fine, and her nipples are pointing forward.

Her body simply seems to have aged from the stress and fatigue, and I don’t think she is much older than her early-thirties.

If that’s the case, then something else is weird.

I was just told that Seika is 12.

Her age doesn’t align.

Lucino bursts out laughing when she sees my puzzled face.

"Hihi. you’re right. It mystifies everyone. I will be 26 this year."

"What!?"

This is where I shout the loudest. I mean, it makes sense if I judge based on her body and face.

But, 12 subtracted from 26 is 14.

Is my calculation wrong?

"No, you are correct. I was a daughter of a small merchant family and was raped by the head of the low baronet family at 14 years old―― ahem. I got pregnant and became a mother."

Well, no use dwelling on it now.

"Hihi, I am not aware of who that individual is, but the family head is quite hardcore. He pursued me eagerly until I was 18, and once I passed 18, he stopped treating our relationship as a married couple."

I smile wryly and tug on the sheets hiding Lucino’s body.

She doesn’t resist, but buries her face in the pillow in embarrassment.

I move in between Lucino’s legs, place both hands on either side of her face and press my hips against her.

I grab her thigh, and position myself to thrust my hips forward to penetrate the vagina she rarely uses. 

But rather than doing hard as usual, I just slowly and gently move in and out of hers, so that we could enjoy the moment.