touchnovel Chapter 71 The King's Frustration
Chapter 71 The King's Frustration
In the dead of night in Tokyo, the lingering echoes of the city's hustle and bustle have gradually subsided.
The Satsuki family's mansion was enveloped in a tranquil, magical atmosphere, with moonlight filtering through the Gothic windows and casting dappled shadows on the corridor floor.
Three hours after exchanging goodnights, the entire mansion should have been deep in slumber.
Arthur lay on the bed in the guest room, the moonlight streaming in through the window illuminating the scabbard and making the blue and gold patterns glow slightly.
His breathing was steady and rhythmic, his chest rising and falling slightly with the steady four beats of the Dragon's Furnace.
As the red dragon of Britain, his intuition never shuts down, even in his sleep.
The door was pushed open a crack without a sound, and the hinges made no noise.
The feeling wasn't like someone pushing the door open and entering; it was more like a natural flow of air, or perhaps the world itself tilting towards the room.
There were no footsteps in the hallway, and the wooden floorboards did not creak.
Arthur's eyelashes trembled slightly, then he opened his emerald green eyes. The dark golden light deep in his pupils flashed for only a moment before receding on its own.
Because he could already smell that familiar scent, with a faint floral fragrance.
"Love Song?"
Arthur sat up, and the moonlight just illuminated the girl standing by the bed.
Saya Aika wore a light white lace nightgown, her long hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall, her bare feet on the wooden floor, her ankles so slender they seemed as if they would break at the slightest touch.
Her eyes, which seemed to connect her to the source of everything, possessed an ethereal beauty in the darkness, yet at this moment they carried a hint of obvious grievance.
"Your Highness, I can't sleep," Aika murmured softly, her voice slightly hoarse and carrying a coquettish nasal tone.
She stood by the bed, her hands clasped in front of her, her fingertips gently twisting the ribbon of her nightgown.
"The moment I close my eyes, all I see is our date during the day, the warmth of Arthur's hand holding mine, and the image of you smiling at me..."
She rattled off a series of accusations: "The world is too noisy; I can only hear quiet when I'm next to Arthur."
Arthur looked at her. He could command the Knights of the Round Table and raise his sword above his head in front of Vortigern, but he was helpless against the straightforwardness and purity of this girl.
Her frankness contained no calculation, and her purity had no moral boundaries.
"Aige, it's already past midnight," Arthur gently advised. "Good sleep is essential for the human body..."
"I want to sleep with Arthur."
Aige interrupted him directly. Without waiting for Arthur's consent, she took another step forward barefoot.
Her knees were already touching the edge of the bed, and with one hand she loosened the ribbon and naturally lifted a corner of the blanket.
Her movements were light but firm, and her eyes were so clear that it was impossible to look directly at her.
"Only in this way can I be sure that this is not a beautiful dream that Genyuan casually wove together."
Arthur paused slightly, for in his past years he had been raised by his adoptive brother, Kai.
She was the disciple who was sent flying by Scáthach's spear in the training grounds of the Land of Shadows, and the King of Britain who grew up amidst Merry's teasing and pranks.
He rarely had such close contact with women without any fighting or political purpose.
In his memory, only Meryl had ever squeezed into his room without any restraint on nights when he was exhausted from overtraining.
They shared a bed under the pretext of "dream replenishment," but at that time, Meryl was more like his mentor and older sister, and more of a tease, a very unceremonious person.
But the love song in front of me exudes an extremely real warmth called "girlishness".
"...I understand." Arthur finally moved to the side, making room for half of the bed, his tone carrying a hint of resigned indulgence.
"Just this once, Aigo."
Ai Ge didn't answer; she had already lifted the covers and lightly slipped into bed.
When the blanket fell, it covered both of them, leaving only Aigo's long golden hair scattered on the pillow, shimmering faintly in the moonlight.
Arthur's body tensed up instinctively.
So close, so close that Arthur could feel her breath, warm, light, and with a very faint floral scent.
He was so close that he could feel the softness and warmth of the girl's body through the thin fabric of her clothes.
This was indeed the second time in his life he had shared a bed with a woman, even though he had already experienced the baptism of epic battles.
But at this moment, when the girl's body temperature came through two thin layers of fabric, the Star King found that his Dragon Furnace was beating even more violently than when he was facing the Hero King.
He lay flat on the bed, his hands folded over his abdomen, his eyes slightly closed, but he couldn't fall asleep no matter what.
Calm down, Arthur. This is just a simple rest. Why can't your heartbeat calm down?
If it were Mary, she would probably laugh and mock my naivety right now... and then use her photo-taking magic to document it.
But Aige... she's completely different from Meili.
"Arthur, are you nervous?"
Aige's gentle voice rang in her ears. She turned to the side, propped her head up with her right hand, and took in every subtle change in Arthur's expression.
A slight smile played on her lips as she discovered a secret that made her incredibly happy.
"No, I was just... meditating," Arthur said, trying to keep his voice steady.
"You're lying." Aigo chuckled.
She extended a slender finger and gently ran it along the fabric of Arthur's shoulder.
Arthur was only wearing close-fitting clothing, making the sensation of his fingertips tracing his skin exceptionally clear.
Aige was like a child who had discovered a new and exciting toy, her fingers restlessly sliding from his shoulder to his collarbone.
Then it continues upwards, following the line of the neck, finally stopping gently on Arthur's slightly sliding Adam's apple.
"Arthur's body is hotter than I imagined." Aika moved even closer, almost lying on Arthur's chest.
She could feel the heartbeat, like a thunderous drum, a power powerful enough to shake the stars, yet now it was disrupted because of her.
"Aige...stop fooling around." Arthur opened his eyes, a helpless struggle flashing in his emerald green pupils.
His fingers twitched unconsciously, trying to grasp her mischievous hand.
But the moment he held her hand, he felt the coolness and slight trembling of Ai Ge's fingertips.
That was a physiological reaction caused by Ai Ge's excessive joy.
For this girl who is connected to the roots of life, this may be the first time she has truly felt the thrill of "being alive".
"Arthur, you're mine, aren't you?" Aika buried her head in Arthur's neck, her voice becoming deep and aggressive.
She pressed herself against Arthur's collarbone, her nose brushing against the side of his neck, her blonde hair scattered on his pillow.
"Even if he went back to Britain, even if he faced Morgan or Merry... Arthur could only look at me."
As Arthur felt the almost suffocating attachment of the girl in his arms, his initial awkwardness gradually disappeared.
He sighed softly, put his arm around Ai Ge's shoulder, and pulled her closer to him.
"Rest now, Aigo. I'm here with you, and that will never change."
His fingers ran through her blonde hair behind her head, very gently. Aigo didn't answer, but simply buried her face even deeper.
It was buried in the softest hollow of his neck, in the spot where his pulse was clearest, and then it fell silent.
Ai Ge listened to that steady and powerful heartbeat, which was the only and most authentic frequency in her life.
For the first time in the dead of night, the noise from the source finally subsided completely.
The past, the future, all possibilities of this world, the endless information that never let her go even when she was asleep... all of it was now blocked out by this man's heartbeat.
Arthur closed his eyes, the delicate floral scent from the girl's hair still lingering in his nostrils, making him unable to deny his instinctive stirrings.
Despite the unfamiliar, warm touch in his arms, his body remained slightly tense.
But at this moment, protecting the beautiful dream of the girl in his arms has become the Holy Sword Wielder's only mission tonight.
The moonlight outside the window gently bathed the two of them, blending the girl's golden hair and the knight's golden hair into the same warm color.
At the end of the corridor, Ayaka's door remained closed.