Before I knew it, I was being led by Maximilian to his private quarters.
The Crown Prince’s private quarters were far smaller and more modest than I had expected compared to the other halls of the imperial palace, especially for the residence of the heir to a great empire.
Rather than a splendid exterior or grand decorations, his thoroughly practical personality seemed to be reflected in its appearance.
But the real thing was inside.
“……”
The moment I stepped into the residence, I was so startled I nearly bolted back out.
In stark contrast to the dry, desolate atmosphere outside the building, women in provocative attire were wandering through the corridors and lobby of the residence.
Some wore only thin, translucent silk slips that clearly revealed the skin beneath; others had on precarious corsets that blatantly displayed the curves of their bodies; there were even women whose bare skin flashed with every step through skirt slits cut all the way up to the tops of their thighs.
The women, exuding the heavy scent of perfume, bowed to Maximilian as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and even toward me, whom they were seeing for the first time, they poured out sultry smiles.
‘……I thought this man was a bloodless, tearless bureaucrat from the way he looked.’
Not knowing where on earth to put my eyes, I stared fixedly at the chandelier in the air and tried to hide my bewilderment.
Maximilian, on the other hand, led me deeper inside with leisurely steps, as if this scenery were entirely familiar to him.
Just as we were about to go farther into the residence, a woman with light brown hair, very plain and demure in appearance, slipped out from around the corner of the corridor.
In sharp contrast to the half-naked women scattered around us, she wore a drab gray dress buttoned tightly all the way up to her throat.
Her pale face devoid of any makeup, she noticed us approaching and quietly pressed herself to the wall, bowing her head to Maximilian.
“You have returned, Your Highness.”
Without even stopping, Maximilian jerked his chin vaguely toward her and introduced her to me as if tossing the words out.
“Ah, my wife. And this is Prince Ian from Sterling.”
“It is an honor to meet Your Highness, the Crown Princess. I am Ian Sterling.”
Horrified, I bent deeply at the waist.
To be honest, it was rather shocking to see the Crown Princess walk out so calmly in such plain attire in the middle of this atmosphere.
With a dry face whose expression did not change in the slightest, she gave me a light nod.
“Pleased to meet you, Prince Ian. I am the Crown Princess.”
“I’ll be drinking through the night with this friend today, so you may go in and sleep first, my lady.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I hope the two of you have a pleasant time.”
The Crown Princess replied in a mechanical, businesslike tone, then slipped away to her own room without looking back.
At the Crown Princess’s attitude—showing not the slightest affection or respect for her husband, and seeming to feel not even jealousy at the sight of scantily clad women roaming through his quarters—I felt a deep discomfort.
But Maximilian, as if he did not care at all about his wife’s reaction, even hummed as he opened the door to the reception room.
“Come in.”
The inside of the room was on an entirely different level from the corridor outside—a true pinnacle of decadence and splendor.
The top-quality mahogany cabinets that filled the walls glittered with all manner of precious bottles of liquor brought in from every corner of the continent, and on the broad marble table were arranged fine cheeses, fruit, and smoked meats that looked delicious.
And those who had prepared and were serving all of it went a step further than the thinly dressed women I had seen in the corridor earlier: they were beauties in perfect nakedness, not wearing so much as a thread.
Dazzlingly beautiful nude women moved gracefully like intricately trained dolls, polishing wineglasses.
“……”
I froze completely, my mouth hanging open.
Maximilian pointed to a large, plush armchair in the center of the room, wrapped in the finest velvet.
“Sit back and make yourself comfortable.”
I lowered my gaze and awkwardly approached the chair, about to sit down.
At that moment, one of the naked women waiting by my feet very naturally lay down on her back on the carpet.
Then, looking up at me as I stiffened in surprise, she gently gathered her full, round breasts with both hands and lifted them upward.
“Um, excuse me, what is this……”
As I panicked and tried to jump back, Maximilian, who had already settled familiarly into the chair opposite me, gave a small laugh.
His two feet were already comfortably buried between the voluptuous cleavage of another naked beauty.
“Have you never used a woman’s breasts as a footrest?”
“……Of course not.”
“It feels far better than you might think. It’s as if all the fatigue in your body, stiff from being buried under documents all day, simply melts away. Now, hurry and put your feet up. That girl is desperately hoping you will rest your feet on her as well.”
Just as Maximilian said, the woman was staring at my feet with hazy eyes, like a puppy waiting for its master’s touch.
Having missed the timing to refuse, I ended up, almost reflexively and with the greatest caution, placing both my feet lightly on her soft breasts.
‘This is driving me insane. The feel is certainly as soft and warm as clouds, but……’
Faced with the Crown Prince’s far too blatant tastes, even that softness felt like a bed of thorns, and cold sweat trickled down my back.
Sinking deep into his leather chair, Maximilian added with a cool expression.
“If there is any girl in this room you particularly like, don’t be shy. Just pick one at random, sit her on your lap, and play with her. You may take her back to your lodging too, if you like. Consider it my reward for your diligence today.”
“N-no, Your Highness. I am overwhelmed by your grace, but I am not yet mentally prepared. I am deeply grateful, but I must respectfully decline.”
I hurriedly waved my hands and tried to slip my feet off the woman’s breasts, but failed because the woman lying on the floor gripped my ankles tightly with both hands and would not let go.
Maximilian shrugged, as if my refusal did not particularly bother him.
“Well, I won’t force you. Enjoy yourself however you wish, in whatever way makes you comfortable.”
He lifted a glass of strong, dark amber whiskey that a naked maid had poured into a crystal tumbler. I, too, picked up the glass placed on the table for me.
“To the endless prosperity of the great empire…… and to your excellent debut in the Crown Prince’s office. Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
Clink.
We touched the clear glasses together and simultaneously poured the strong whiskey into our mouths.
The fiery heat sliding down my throat loosened, if only a little, the nerves that had gone stiff with bewilderment.
Savoring the lingering aroma left in my mouth, I lightly rolled my tongue.
“……Oh. This is an extremely good liquor.”
“Does it suit your palate? I would like it if you could tell me specifically what flavors you sense.”
“It is excellent. The moment it enters the mouth, the peaty aroma of the oak cask rushes in, but after swallowing, the sweetness of dried fruit, rich dark chocolate, and the flavor of vanilla remain. The finish is clean, with a slightly spicy woody scent. It seems to be a top-quality whiskey aged for at least twenty years.”
I may not look it, but I know how to drink fairly well.
It had been a hobby in my previous life, and in this life as well, being a noble of sorts, I had had some opportunities to drink.
At my assessment, Maximilian’s eyes, as he lounged at an angle, flew open.
He sprang upright and smiled brightly, looking genuinely delighted.
“Oho! You really do know how to drink!”
“Pardon?”
“The administrators under me, even when I offered them something this precious, were only busy gulping it down. You are the first fellow to accurately point out this one’s true worth. Perhaps because you are of royal birth, you have an excellent palate, Ian!”
Apparently overjoyed that I had recognized the value of a liquor he cherished, Maximilian excitedly gestured for the naked maid to fill my glass again.
He emptied his own glass in good spirits, set it down with a thud, and stared at me with interest.
“But Ian, you seemed quite flustered. Did you not know I enjoyed such debauched living at night?”
I did not bother denying it and nodded honestly.
“To be frank, I was extremely surprised. During the day, Your Highness devotes yourself to state affairs more diligently than anyone else. I never imagined you would have such…… primal tastes.”
“Hahaha! My friend, how can a person live every day looking only at scraps of paper?”
Maximilian burst into laughter, extremely cheerful and yet somehow chilling.
“During the day, as the Crown Prince of the empire, I fight documents until my bones ache and fulfill my heavy responsibilities. But the moment the sun sets and I enter this room, I enjoy pleasure meant only for me. I release my suppressed instincts without restraint. Without minding anyone’s gaze.”
“……”
“Our great ancestor Ujarat left behind this famous saying: there is nothing shameful at all about a hero being fond of women. As long as one does what he must do properly, what problem is there with how many one embraces at night? Am I wrong?”
“……There is reason in your words.”
I swallowed another mouthful of whiskey and slowly studied the Crown Prince before me.
A man utterly honest with his own desires, and without the slightest hesitation in reducing others to tools in order to relieve the stress that had built up during the day.
‘……Come to think of it, in the original work, the Crown Prince was the one who treated the heroine the worst.’
In the original novel, I think the Crown Prince had truly used the heroine as a means of relieving stress.
The more I heard the breathing of the woman quietly serving at my feet, the more strangely uncomfortable this place began to feel.