If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight

It seemed as though his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and internal conflict before settling, calm and still like a deep lake. Before long, his eyes took on the look of someone who had made a firm decision. His gaze was unwavering—clear and resolute—carrying a strangely solemn air.

“Understood. I am the one who is desperate and in need, so it is only right that I do it.”

“What?”

One of his hands lightly gripped the edge of the stool I was sitting on.

“I would appreciate it if you closed your eyes.”

“Wait, hold on—”

As his upper body leaned toward me, I instinctively pulled my head back in a hurry.

“My lips will be enough. Sir Regen doesn’t need to do anything.”

“…Please say things like that sooner.”

✦

Regen, having returned to his original position, ran his fingers through his hair, using the gesture as an excuse to cover his face. It was the only way to endure the overwhelming embarrassment. Just as the heat around his nape began to cool, Sasha startled him again.

“So, I need to kiss you, Sir Regen. Where would you prefer it?”

“..”

Where would he prefer to be kissed? That was far too provocative a question. And did that mean she would do it anywhere, as long as he said so?

Fortunately, by the time he had to answer, he had regained his usual composure. There was a correct answer to Sasha’s question. He simply needed to respond in line with the roleplay they had agreed upon.

“A place suitable for a younger sister to kiss her older brother should be fine.”

“The cheek…?”

She had already set the answer herself, so why was she asking again so cautiously?

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

Sasha rose from the stool. Pulling up the shawl that had slipped down her arms, she walked over and sat beside him without any rush. Every movement was as graceful as a bird folding its wings.

To close the height difference between them, she fully climbed onto the bed. Sitting with her legs together like a mermaid, her delicate ankle and the protruding curve of her ankle bone were clearly visible. They were beautiful.

“Sir Regen.”

The scent of her filled his nose. Without realizing it, Regen inhaled deeply, filling his chest with breath.

A princess in a light nightgown, the two of them sitting together—on a bed, no less. And the way she moved, even if unintentional, carried far too many elements that could stir a man’s thoughts. To think he was playing this ridiculous game of ‘big brother and little sister’ with a woman like her now.

“Look straight ahead.”

“…Yes.”

He sat in the most proper and upright posture he could manage, fixing his gaze firmly forward. Regen waited as if enduring something. At some point, time began to feel strangely slow. Then, soft warmth landed on his right cheek before quickly pulling away. It felt nothing like the touch of a younger sister. But that wasn’t the issue at hand.

“Why isn’t it working?”

“…”

“This shouldn’t be happening.”

It was fascinating to see this unreadable woman so visibly flustered.

“Hold still.”

As if she had completely abandoned her shame, she began to peck at his cheek repeatedly, like a small bird feeding on grain. One of her hands even cupped his other cheek as if trying to hold him in place.

For now, the issue of the treatment not working could wait— The problem was that it tickled. Not just his cheek. Something deeper inside him. So much so that it was becoming unbearable.

“Enough…”

As he tried to stop her, he turned to face her—at the worst possible moment.

“…”

“…Ah.”

Their lips met. The instant the accident happened, Regen saw a mystical symbol appear in Sasha’s eyes. At the same time, heat flared up in his left eye. His vision burned white, and his consciousness was pulled away into something unknown.

✦

So I had to look into his eyes. Although it was an accident, it fulfilled the condition needed to enter Regen’s mental realm.

“Ah.”

As I walked, I realized I had been absentmindedly touching my lips with my fingertips the entire time. Even though no one was watching, I flinched and hurriedly lowered my hand. Wait, no one really saw that, right?

“Sir Regen? Can you hear my voice?” I called out several times, but all I got in return was an echo.

This was his inner world, but he seemed unable to perceive or access it. That matched what the mad emperor had told me, so I felt relieved.

I turned my focus to my surroundings. Regen’s mind was even more desolate than I had expected. A narrow, winding path stretched out before me, flanked by countless gravestones. At least there weren’t actual corpses. Otherwise, I would have had to walk with my eyes shut.

The ground was dry and brittle, like a wasteland on the verge of becoming a desert. The barrenness of it made me worry about the state of his tree.

According to the mad emperor, the form of a person’s mana core—visualized as a tree—varied for each individual. Some had towering conifers that seemed to challenge the heavens. Others had massive broadleaf trees with trunks so thick it would take several people to encircle them.

Where could it be?

After following the path for some time, withered branches began to appear, draping over the trail from both sides. Even if the branches were dry, the fact that I had found the branches at all was a good sign. That meant his core should be nearby. But then, I realized something.

Wait… This isn’t a forest.

I could only see branches—no trunks. Which meant that all of these branches were part of a single, enormous tree.

And soon, I found the massive trunk that was their source. It was so large I couldn’t even estimate how many people would need to hold hands to encircle it. Could the mythical world tree look like this? I had known Regen was powerful, but seeing his manifested core like this filled me with something beyond awe—bordering on reverence.

How do I even heal this?

The tree was completely stripped of its leaves, looking pitifully bare. I reached down to pick up a fallen leaf, hoping to at least determine its species. But just then, through the scent of decayed leaves, I caught the fresh aroma of greenery.

At my feet, new grass was beginning to spread outward. I turned around in surprise. Everywhere my footsteps had landed, the ground had been restored. So all I have to do is walk around?

I trailed my fingers along the tree’s branches as I moved. It felt as though life was slowly returning to it. The air became fresher, filling me with motivation.

Gripping my dress, I lifted the hem and slipped off my shoes. Then, I began to run— Just as I had in my forgotten childhood.

✦

Rosasia Trinite Magnarod. Regen’s feelings toward her were complicated. First of all, she was the daughter of the mad emperor. She had likely grown up indulging in the hoey-like spoils squeezed from the blood of others by the mad emperor, so it was only natural for her to share in the blame for all the mad emperor’s crimes. And beyond that, she had used the power of the imperial family to force him into a knight’s oath—binding him to her as master and servant. That was oppression. That was violence.

If Regen wished to hate her, he had every reason to. But the Sasha he had observed was not ‘the daughter of the mad emperor.’ The mad emperor had no ordinary paternal love for his children. Even as a princess, she had not lived an easy life. She even called him ‘mad emperor’ instead of ‘father,’ openly expressing her hatred. She had even given Regen a chance—an opportunity for his cause, his vengeance. And though she had used her power over him, she had never exploited him. Instead, she had been considerate at every turn.

To hate her, he would need to make a concerted effort. He would have to narrow his own vision, wallow in self-pity, and twist all of her intentions maliciously. But Regen wasn’t that kind of person. The layers of justifications for hatred buried deep within him wouldn’t disappear, but they wouldn’t ignite either. So long as they maintained clear boundaries, there should be no problem. If they could just do that, they could fulfill each other’s needs and maintain a dry, indifferent relationship. And yet…

“…”

“…”

When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying in the same bed as Sasha. A beautiful woman, fast asleep and completely defenseless. For a moment, Regen was stunned. But then, he recalled what had happened.

He brushed his fingers over his lips. It was just an accident, he convinced himself like that. Only then did the lingering warmth fade from his mind.

“Mmm…”

There was a change in Sasha’s presence. It seemed like she was about to wake up, so he hurriedly sat up and moved to the stool chair by the bedside. He acted as if he had never been lying on the bed with her, maintaining a neat and composed demeanor.

“You’re awake?”

“Ah, Regen.”

Still half-asleep, she only managed to say his name without any formalities.