After finishing dinner and taking a bath, Arthur returned to his study to handle the remainder of his work.
"Strange. Where's Mery?"
According to the habits they had formed over the past two months, whenever he was working alone in the study, Mery would invariably show up to harass him. Usually, "doing work" would eventually transition into just "doing it." Yet today, even after he had finished every last task, there was no sign of her.
"Did something come up? Does a succubus have a cycle every two months or something?"
When Mery had been coming to see him every day, Arthur hadn't thought much of it. But now that she had suddenly stopped, he felt a strange sense of restlessness, a lingering tension that was becoming quite uncomfortable.
"Should I find a maid to help take care of it?"
After a moment of hesitation, Arthur dismissed the thought and headed straight to his room to sleep.
Meanwhile, in Bedivere's room.
"Ugh...?"
The young woman, who had been carried back by the maids, slowly drifted awake.
Her head didn't ache.
The wine Mery brewed didn't cause the typical alcohol-induced headaches or nausea, even if one overindulged. In fact, Bedivere felt quite comfortable—warm, cozy, and filled with a strange, restless energy. The only problem was...
She was craving a man.
Bedivere lay staring at the ceiling, feeling a dull heat in her lower abdomen. Arthur's silhouette instinctively flickered through her mind. It took a long moment for the realization to sink in as the memories of her drunken antics came rushing back with startling clarity.
"I've completely humiliated myself!"
Bedivere covered her face and let out a desperate, muffled wail.
She didn't care as much about Kay seeing her like that. But in front of Lily and Arthur, she had always maintained the image of a proper, dignified older sister. Yet there she was, clinging to His Majesty's leg, whining for more wine, and even kissing him while declaring, "I love His Majesty the most~"
"I knew it... I should never have touched a drop of alcohol!"
"I want to die!"
The more she thought about it, the more despairing she became. She considered going to Arthur right now to explain that it was all "nonsense" or that she "didn't remember anything," but she was far too embarrassed to face him.
Ultimately, Bedivere collapsed back onto the bed in defeat.
What else could she do?
Life had to go on. She couldn't exactly write a resignation letter under the cover of night and sneak home; if she did, Kay and the King would surely drag her back the very next day.
"Fine. At worst, I'll just die of shame!"
Bedivere rolled over in despair, her eyes falling upon two bottles of wine sitting on her nightstand.
The bottles were identical to the ones containing "Mery's Brew." Recalling the evening, she vaguely remembered Arthur saying, "If you like it, take a few bottles back with you. Just let me know when you run out."
So, these must have been given to her by Arthur when the maids carried her back.
"It's all your fault!"
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made such a fool of myself!"
Bedivere lunged upward and grabbed one of the bottles, making a motion as if to smash it against the floor.
But her hand slowed mid-swing. Eventually, she looked at the bottle, her throat bobbing.
"Well, it already happened. And I can't blame the wine for everything."
"Besides, this is wine brewed by Lady Mery and given to me by His Majesty. It would be a waste to throw it away. And I'm alone here; it won't matter if I drink a little more."
With that thought, Bedivere pulled the stopper. Instantly, a refreshing floral fragrance filled the room—a different scent than the wine she had at dinner.
"Is this... the scent of roses? It smells delicious."
Inhaling the intoxicating aroma, Bedivere instantly forgot her previous worries. She raised the bottle and took a large, healthy gulp.
Unlike the cool, lily-scented wine from earlier, this one tasted of roses and had a much richer, heavier body. It also carried a faint, sharp sting of alcohol. Caught off guard, Bedivere covered her mouth and let out several small coughs, her face flushing red once again.
"Mmm... it is good."
With just that one sip, Bedivere's head began to sway, her eyes turning misty.
Giggling to herself, she took another sip and curled up on the bed, hugging the bottle while staring blankly at the moonlight outside the window.
"I really want a man..."
"Ugh, why wasn't I braver back then? Why didn't I just accept His Majesty's confession?"
"But if I had, he wouldn't have been able to marry Princess Guinevere, right? Still, I shouldn't have run away two months ago. Is that why he hasn't teased me lately? Because I ran away? Ugh... I just want him so much."
Her voice grew softer and more dejected. Finally, she buried her head in her knees and began to sob.
Arthur had liked her first!
And now, Princess Guinevere, Lady Mery, and even little Lily were all starting to openly seduce him. Meanwhile, two months had passed, and her relationship with Arthur hadn't progressed—it had actually regressed!
"Wahhhh! Arthur! My Arthur!"
Bedivere cried while she drank, and drank while she cried. By the time she had finished both bottles, she lifted her head from her knees, a look of drunken determination flaring in her hazy eyes.
She couldn't wait any longer.
She wanted her man!
She wanted Arthur!
Bedivere scrambled off the bed, stumbling and falling directly onto the floor. However, her alcohol-numbed body felt no pain. She used the wall to steady herself and began to stagger toward the door.
"Lady Bedivere?"
The maid stationed outside the door was startled to see Bedivere emerge. Her nightgown was damp with spilled wine, radiating a sweet floral scent, and she was swaying precariously.
"Why are you out of bed?"
"Don't... don't worry 'bout me, ugh!"
"Lady Bedivere, you've had too much to drink. Please, go back and rest."
"Leave me alone! I have business to attend to!"
Despite her clouded mind, Bedivere was still too embarrassed to state her true goal. She broke free from the maid's grasp and stubbornly staggered toward the end of the corridor.
"Don't follow me!"
Hearing Bedivere's slurred command, her personal maids exchanged a look. Ultimately, they chose to follow her silently from a distance.
As they followed, the two maids realized something was wrong.
She was heading toward the King's chambers!
"Lord Steward?!"
The twin maids guarding the King's door were also shocked to see Bedivere swaying toward them, reeking of floral wine. They hurried forward to meet her.
"Why have you come here?"
"I... I need to find Arthur!"
Bedivere slurred, pushing past them toward the door.
"His Majesty is already asleep. If you have an urgent matter..."
Before the maid could finish, Bedivere had already pushed the door open and stepped inside. Watching Bedivere as she began to discard her clothing while walking deeper into the room, the guards turned their gaze toward Bedivere's own personal maids.
The four of them looked at each other in silence. Finally, the maid closest to the bedroom door stepped forward, gently pulled the door shut, and turned her head away.
They had seen absolutely nothing.
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