Love Letter From The Future

〈Chapter 336〉 5. Bread and Dagger (34)

Muffled cries and groans kept slipping out without cease.

Each time the Imperial Princess rubbed her crotch, a slick sound echoed through the room.

Shi-en’s careful touch of the intimate area reflected an act guided by instinct—though this was her first time indulging in such self-pleasure.

Her underwear had long been soaked with licentious fluids. All night long, memories of the scene witnessed within a room had invaded her mind. It was on a completely different level from the mating of snakes.

Voices exchanged, tongues entwined, filling the act with the primal lust of beasts—it was an act that should have been despised.

No, it felt even more sorrowful and despicable. A feeling akin to a corpse submerged in the river, eaten away by fish. Jealousy burned her heart like the sadness of a woman who had lost her beloved man.

And yet… why?

Through clenched teeth, a breathy moan slipped out. Despite her attempts to suppress it, she couldn’t hold back.

Firmly, firmly. She couldn’t stop rubbing herself, as dominating her thoughts was not only anger and pain but also self-blame.

“Do I have the right to be jealous of anyone?”

It was once a question that clawed at the Imperial Princess’ heart like a swarm of flesh-eating fish.

Shi-en was a criminal.

At the very least, the Princess considered herself as such.

Because of her mistrust of too many people, she might have nearly lost the perhaps first and last chance at true connection.

The image of the man who had lost consciousness with a pale complexion was clear in her mind. That was why she had no choice but to be cautious.

It felt like a violation just to approach him.

But fearing he would drift away, she’d even considered being more of a pet rather than a woman.

And here we are now.

Do I even have the right to envy anyone?

“Ah, uh… ah…?”

A languid sense of joy spread through her body, like some kind of fever. A pleasure that made her jaw shake every time her hand grazed the cracks.

Justifying failure and abandoning herself to inferiority. That had been her life, always reaching for something she could never hold—not unlike an inevitable loss.

This was not a defeat befitting the Imperial Princess.

Hot breaths escaped through tightly clenched lips, and a tear hung at the corner of her eye.

It was painful and exhausting.

And even more so, it was stimulating.

Instinctively, the Princess slid her slender fingers inside her underwear, and as soon as her fingertips slipped into the depths, they grazed a swollen spot.

Simultaneously, a sensation akin to an electric current raced up her spine, leaving her breathless.

“Ha-ek, hah, het, uh, uhn, eooo!?”

Like a female animal, her hips bucked automatically. The pleasure was overwhelming. She thought she might go mad.

Crying, she rejoiced.

The young maiden didn’t understand herself either. All she could replay was the night that her unrequited love lay with the blonde woman.

The gray depths of her eyes dimmed further.

“Het, uh, ah!”

It wasn’t jealousy.

It was a brain that had become addicted to the foolish pleasure it once scorned. Rational thought was impossible now; she only gnawed on her lips.

Pak, pak, pak.

White sparks exploded in her head.

“Ha-ek, huk, heee!”

No, it wasn’t jealousy.

As the Princess nearly lost consciousness from the electrical currents racing through her brain like fireworks, she managed to endure the intense sensations coursing up her arched back.

Tears flowed freely as her eyes became sharp with focus.

She thought, “I’m only informing someone who needs to know. What crime is in that?”

Compared to herself and those who lack the right to love Sir Ian, countless women who love him deserve that chance. And thus, she justified her need to check and irritate that cat-like figure.

The Imperial Princess had her past, after all.

No matter what the other party did, she who was mere servant could only watch silently from afar.

As it had happened today…

“Het, et, uh…!”

The Princess lost herself for several hours in her own pleasures. A night filled with tears and ecstasy dragged on, probably lasting longer than even the mating of the two-headed snake.

The next morning, the Princess took action.

It began with a rumor.

The Princess yawned with a tired look. The droop of her shoulders clearly conveyed that she wasn’t in a good mood.

Coincidentally, the rest of the group felt the same way.

Including the Virgin Saint and Senior Elsi and Emma.

The only exception was the male, Yulen.

With a voice untouched by fatigue, he spoke.

“Then I’ll go fetch Sir Ian.”

Being the only male except for Ian, his role was naturally assigned.

Though that man had likely spent the night elsewhere.

Rarely, this was perhaps the reason for his tardiness.

It was a memory replayed countless times.

But the lump left in the girl’s heart was erased by the too-brief night. The Princess couldn’t help but feel a surge.

The Princess let out a depressed voice.

“…Why has Sir Ian come here?”

The Virgin Saint and Elsi looked at the Princess with tired eyes. Of course, those two had already heard an explanation from Ian.

The existence of the “love letter from the future” was known by only a few.

It was unseen, and its content unknowable. They only knew of its very existence through Sir Ian’s words.

Believing and following such an unfounded story would require deeper trust.

The Imperial Princess had noticed this.

The silver-gray pupils vertically split, revealing the two women’s irritation. It felt like the immature girl was saying something useless again.

The only one who showed any interest was Emma, who merely glanced at Shi-en.

Even this was enough.

A tingling current ran through Shi-en’s spine as if scratching it.

Lady Virgin Saint and Senior Elsi were close to Sir Ian like no other.

Only Shi-en knew something they didn’t.

This strange pleasure made Shi-en’s speech all the more fluid.

Everyone had forgotten, but acting was one of Shi-en’s specialties.

She had spent her life playing roles, dressing to please others.

“Yesterday, a maid was saying strange things. She said something about the relationship between Instructor Yuridina and Sir Ian seeming a bit off…”

“Of course, it’s probably nonsense.”

Senior Elsi casually dismissed the suspicion with an offhand remark.

At least she bothered to use polite speech, treating the Princess with a modicum of respect. Yet the casual, dismissive attitude showed no real reverence.

This stemmed from their unusual relationship dynamics.

Shi-en, who had once ranked lowest in the group, was still seen with a remnant of disregard.

This suited her just fine.

They wouldn’t suspect Shi-en of plotting anything.

For them, she was just an naive and unaware girl.

“Master Sir Ian has always been like that. Being such an accomplished person, many women naturally get involved with him…”

“There were whispers of people noticing physical contact between them.”

At this, Elsi fell silent mid-sentence.

Shi-en’s gaze captured the emotions of the group with perfect accuracy.

Embarrassment and suspicion.

Shi-en couldn’t help but feel a trace of schadenfreude.

“So… uh… it might be false rumors! Maybe Senior Yuridina did something wrong and that led to conflicts, hehe…”

No one answered her weak attempts to backtrack.

Rather, this was better.

The women started to wear slightly serious expressions, indicating that they might go investigate rumors themselves.

People trust information they gather personally more easily.

In that case, it wouldn’t take long before those two learn who they should truly be wary of.

The only slightly unsettling part was that Emma observed her calmly, without a trace of disturbance.

It didn’t matter, of course.

Emma was a commoner. She lacked the means to counteract Yuridina’s successor to the family.

Afterward, the Princess stared blankly at Sir Ian with a dazed expression.

When she was alone, she passionately consoled herself. Each recollection of last night’s events left her feeling on the brink of insanity.

That’s why she secretly infiltrated Sir Ian’s tent.

A forgotten fact, but the Princess was a top student in the first year of the Magic Department. An achievement even Senior Elsi hadn’t reached.

While her battle capabilities might be questioned, she certainly had tricks up her sleeve.

There, the Princess caught a scene.

Sir Ian was creating an intimate atmosphere with the Lady Virgin Saint, almost leading to an act of intimacy.

With a handkerchief already soaked with her own tears, the Princess pressed it to her nose instinctively. The male scent invaded her mind.

She squeezed her private parts again and gritted her teeth.

She tried her hardest to suppress her panting and held back her tears. She couldn’t just sit by idly.

The escape plan unfolded swiftly.

Shi-en caused a massive explosion, drawing everyone’s attention. Panicking soldiers stirred the entire military camp, screaming about intruders, as she slipped away during the chaos.

Though caught by Sir Ian, she managed to slither through.

After all, to Sir Ian, she was merely a childish girl.

A clueless brat.

Certainly not a real threat.

Returning to her own tent, the Princess inspected her underwear. After Sir Ian’s offer to go north, she’d spent much time contemplating the right lingerie, but ultimately, the chosen white ones were ruined by her actions the previous night, soaked thoroughly.

In the end, only some bear-patterned panties remained.

This was why Sir Ian could only view her as a brat.

Thus, this became the next morning’s self-debunking incident.

“Good day, Your Highness.”

A woman with brown hair maintained perfect etiquette.

She was unusually dressed in a maid’s uniform.

A personal maid? There hadn’t been any formal request for such.

Her olive-green eyes carried a wicked glint.

“My name is Neoris. As per the Imperial Court’s request, I’ll be temporarily attending to you, Your Highness. Please forgive me.”

At that moment, the Princess recognized the woman’s identity.

Neoris, the “Queen of the Martial Arts Festival,” in her fourth year at the Swordsmanship Department.

Why would such a figure be willing to serve as a personal maid?

Just then, one phrase echoed in the Princess’ ear.

“…Because I admire Sir Ian immensely.”

The silver-gray pupils narrowed instantly. The Imperial Princess forced her lips into an awkward smile.

This woman was a figure sent by Sir Ian.

Forced relations, as evidenced by her tone when mentioning “Sir Ian.” It lacked genuine friendliness.

The Princess reflected on the situation.

“This would disturb me every night.”

Of course, while she maintained a trembling, polite smile on her face, the Imperial Princess extended her hand.

“My pleasure, Senior Neoris.”

This happened just before entering the coniferous forest.

*

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