The damp scent of roses.

The princess always carried a fragrance that could only be described that way.

The scent of a freshly bloomed rose, soaked in early morning dew.

It was a mixture of intoxicating sweetness and the deadly threat of thorns.

That was why, whenever she came close, I deliberately kept my distance.

But this time, she wasn’t going to allow such tricks.

She firmly held my neck and pressed her lips to mine.

“Hmph...”

“...Mmph.”

“Hah... Mmph... Mmph...”

Even though I didn’t resist, the princess kept pressing her lips to mine.

Despite her own breath growing ragged, she continued to push forward, not once stopping.

In the midst of it, her inexperience was clear; she could only press against my skin.

But when she finally gathered the courage to push her tongue into my mouth, I was taken aback by the unfamiliar sensation and briefly pulled away.

“Haah...! Hah...!”

“...” “Hah... Hah... Hah...”

But soon after, she came back, grabbing my hair.

The first taste of pleasure, like a drug, dug into the girl’s mind, delivering a deeper sense of excitement than ever before.

It took a long time to calm down.

As soon as I pulled back, I felt a lingering ache that almost made my chest tighten.

“Hah... Hah... Hah...”

“Princess.”

“Hah... Alpheus... Alpheus...”

“Shall we stop now?”

I spoke gently, but firmly, trying to soften the moment without dismissing it outright.

But, of course, the princess wouldn’t easily accept that.

“No.”

“It’s immoral.”

“Why? Because we’re not engaged?”

“And there are dozens of other reasons.”

“Then tell me. I’ll enjoy this time until you’re convinced.”

For a brief moment, I smelled the fragrance of Mirian from the princess. In the blink of an eye, the thorns of a rose seemed to sprout in the heart of this young girl.

But she wasn’t Mirian. And she couldn’t become her. Therefore, her heart wasn’t deep enough to pierce mine.

“If you keep doing this, we might need to call someone.”

“Someone? A maid? A guard? Whoever comes, it won’t be in your favor.”

“Maybe they’ll arrest me. Lock me in a cell and prepare to cut my head off.”

“If that happens, I’ll be locked up with you.”

“That would be a great tragedy for the kingdom.”

“Is that the only way I can have you?”

A bitter self-mockery slipped from my lips, but the princess quickly shook off the sentiment and gave me a faint smile.

“Just kidding. I shouldn’t have made things so heavy. And this isn’t what you think, Alpheus.”

“Then what is it?”

“I want you to teach me. How do I do this? Everything I’m learning, you’ve taught me.”

“But...”

“Yes, I know. It’s immoral. But it’s okay. We love each other.”

“...” “Even if we didn’t, teach me how I can have you.”

Her desperate whisper was followed by a heartfelt kiss on my forehead. The soft sound of her lips against my skin made my consciousness blur for a moment.

Pushing me into a light stupor, the princess undid my upper garments before I could protest. Then, she gave me an embarrassed smile, offering a modest excuse.

“I think I’ve heated the room too much. It’s a bit too warm.”

“Shall I open the window?”

“It might be too cold. I don’t feel like going over to the window either.”

“I’ll go.”

“I see. Then I’ll do it this way. Is that alright?”

Perhaps she was a bit embarrassed herself.

The princess stopped me from standing up, pulled the blanket over us, and laid back.

The Alpheus-grown wolf’s teeth seemed too weak to pierce my nape.

But even so, the sensation of bare skin touching mine wasn’t erased.

After a few moments of contact, the princess seemed to realize that it had an effect.

She pulled me in tightly with her entire body.

“This feels warmer.”

“It’s probably just in your head. Wearing clothes is better for keeping warm.”

“Enough with the boring talk. You know, your skin is rougher than I expected.”

“I suppose it’s from living outside.”

“So, are all the other men like this? I guess it doesn’t matter. In the end, you’re all I need.”

The weight of the heart is too heavy to hold up with just the body. If I let it go, it felt like she would bury me in her embrace forever.

Not long ago, I had only thought of her as a child. The girl who trembled in the dragon’s maze was now kissing my nape.

Time is never on my side. I realized that as my ankle felt shackled. I noticed her thigh slowly sliding up my leg.

“It feels strange. It’s like my heart is beating faster. Isn’t it odd? We’ve shared beds many times, but just taking off one piece of clothing can make me feel this way?”

“Is that so?”

“This must be what it’s like to be close to someone. Just feeling their body heat makes my heart race. Am I being too unusual?”

“...”

“Or maybe you’re just indifferent.”

Her hand slipped beneath my clothing. It caressed my chest, stomach, and waist, then seemed to lose direction, coming to a stop near my side.

Was it that she couldn’t cross the line any further? For a moment, I entertained the thought. But suddenly, the princess grabbed my wrist and pulled it toward her body.

Then, she placed it gently over her chest, where only a thin undergarment lay.

The soft, supple feeling made me flinch and lift my head.

“Princess...!”

“Hah... Haha...”

“You can’t do this, princess.”

“Your tone is so stiff again. Even you must be affected by this, huh?”

“I...”

“Now, is your heart beating faster?”

The princess seemed to be measuring my pulse, pressing her fingers to my wrist.

Then, with a sudden soft smile, she bumped her forehead gently against mine.

“My heart is beating so loudly, it’s hard to tell.”

“Then please stop.”

“But it feels so good. I finally feel like my feelings are reaching you. Being this close makes it feel even more so.”

“Princess.”

“Alpheus.”

Just as I was about to protest again, the princess met my gaze.

For the first time, she spoke seriously, her voice dropping in tone.

“Don’t be deceived by Queen Mirian.”

“...”

“She’s a witch. She’s playing with you. It’s nothing more than a summer night’s entertainment, and nothing deeper.”

“...”

“You love me, Alpheus.”

Among all the things the princess had said, this was the deepest and most sincere truth I had heard.

She would never become a woman who could manipulate others, nor a witch who could control hearts.

She could never become Mirian. Gently, I pulled away from her, then stroked her hair and whispered,

“It’s still raining outside.”

“Yes. I think it’s going to rain all day.”

“The sun will set soon. I think you should sleep a bit earlier tonight.”

“If you’re by my side, I’ll do that.”

“Then put your clothes back on.”

The princess smiled at that. It was a smile that seemed to shake off all the tension from the moment.

But she didn’t put her clothes back on. Instead, she rested her head on my arm and slowly closed her eyes.

“I always have trouble sleeping when it rains. Even on my travels, I’ve spent many sleepless nights.”

“Because there was always underground water in the labyrinth. Maybe it’s because of that memory.”

“But when I’m with you, I sleep well. So during this rainy season, stay by my side.”

“What if I say no?”

“I’ve already asked someone to move your things.”

That was quick. She must be desperate to keep me close. Her hand still clung to my arm like a shackle. Even as she closed her eyes, I could feel the strength in her grip.

I let her hold onto me as I turned my gaze toward the ceiling. The princess’s room was on the fourth floor. We had only moved one level down from where we were earlier.

So she was right above us. Maybe even right in front of me. I could almost see her, lying just beyond the wall.

“...Ah.”

Even in this moment with someone by my side, I was consumed with thoughts of her. I could feel the intensity of my feelings, thick and heavy, making it impossible to pull away.

It was just as the princess said—I was playing into her hands.

“...”

Meanwhile, the princess had fallen asleep, her breath soft and steady. But I could not close my eyes. I kept staring at the ceiling.

My heart was in turmoil. The bed, which I lay on, was burning hot from the weight of my own betrayal.

The cold bed.

As always, the witch lay on it, gazing blankly at the ceiling. She wasn’t really doing it with any particular meaning; it was simply to pass the time.

She passed the time. Since entering the palace, this was the action she repeated most often. The witch’s dreams always took the longest to come to fruition.

However, people weren’t really necessary. That’s why, in all those years, she had always been alone.

“...”

An inevitable chill settled into the empty space.

It soaked the air, making the room feel cold.

If left too long, the heart would become cold as well.

Fortunately, pain fades eventually, and the witch no longer felt loneliness after some time.

But today, for some reason, the feeling of being alone was bothering her.

She stared blankly at the ceiling, occasionally glancing around and reaching out to touch the empty sheets.

She couldn’t understand why, but she still let it be.

She worried that if she didn’t, forgotten pain might come back.

Then, suddenly, she raised her thumb and touched her lips.

The same finger that had traced the hero’s lips earlier.

“...”

She didn’t press long.

She wasn’t feeling any particular longing.

And she didn’t want to explore the traces of him either.

But for some strange reason, her heart felt soft.

Without realizing it, the witch placed her thumb back to her lips.

Once again, a strange sensation pressed on her chest.

She forced herself to hold back, feeling as though something might burst out.

Finally, she whispered,

“It’s warm.”