70. Shamelessly Savoring a Maiden’s Wine of Embarrassment

[Artoria began fulfilling her promise.]

[Having officially ascended to the throne, she prepared to grant each member of her newly formed knightly order—including you—the ranks befitting their responsibilities.]

[You, Gawain, Kay, Gaheris, Agravain, Gareth.]

[These were the first six knights of the Round Table, but the order would not remain so small.]

[You knew that each of them had different thoughts as they looked at Artoria.]

[But you didn't care about that—because you knew exactly what your own goal was.]

[The new king's ceremony of knighthood had begun.]

[One by one, the six knights approached Artoria's throne.]

[Seated upon the throne, she spoke with a voice that was stern yet full of encouragement, carrying the authority of a true ruler.]

[Unique Skill Acquired: Last Honor—Honor now stands before you, and you must decide whether this is the last chance you will ever have.]

[Your reputation had soared to unprecedented heights.]

[But you remained unaffected by such things, for there was something you had to accomplish during this ceremony.]

[It was now your turn to step forward.]

Rei took a deep breath.

There was a faint sweetness in the air—a scent of wine, slightly cool, tinged with the delicate shyness of a maiden.

Artoria sat upon the throne.

Her frame was small, yet it did not evoke a shred of pity.

Her eyes gazed down upon the assembled knights—cold and unyielding.

To the crowd, she was a figure of unquestionable authority and power, a ruler worthy of the title "King."

But—

The moment Rei stood before her, everything changed.

Even in this moment, where she was expected to maintain absolute dignity, the emotions she harbored for the man who held her last remaining sense of attachment overflowed in her gaze.

Rei, of course, knew this well.

So, he deliberately slowed his pace, ensuring that every ounce of Artoria's attention was fixed solely on him.

And he succeeded.

Like a shameless schemer, he used her lingering affections to make himself the only thing in her world.

But this was merely a small test.

Rei wanted more than just her undivided gaze.

"King of Knights, I ask for your blessing." Rei reminded her.

With a single sentence, he pulled Artoria back to reality, making her realize she had nearly forgotten the duty she was meant to perform.

She quickly composed herself and resumed the ceremonial bestowal of knighthood.

And at the final step—the moment when she would personally award his insignia, when they would be closest to one another—Rei whispered to her in a voice only she could hear.

"Artoria. Come here again tonight."

For a moment, confusion flickered across her face. Then, a deep blush rapidly spread across her cheeks.

To her, it was a secret only the two of them shared.

[The ceremony of knighthood had concluded.]

[You were granted the title of the First Knight of the Round Table—at least, for now.]

[No one questioned this decision—your prowess far exceeded that of an ordinary knight, and you were, after all, the father of many of the others.]

[You returned to Morgan's side, basking in the respectful gazes of those around you.]

"This thing doesn't suit you in the slightest."

Morgan grabbed the knight's insignia that Artoria had just awarded to Rei, looking as though she was about to throw it away.

Rei made no move to stop her.

After she flung it away in anger, he simply bent down, picked it up, and turned back to her with a calm smile.

"My lady," Rei said smoothly, "Would you like to throw it again?"

"..."

Morgan pursed her lips, realizing she had overreacted.

She turned her face away.

"Rei, are you trying to say I'm being unreasonable?"

"My lady, 'unreasonable' is a term reserved for strangers."

Rei met her gaze, unwavering.

"But clearly, I am not a stranger."

"So whatever you do, I could never consider it unreasonable."

"…Hmph."

Morgan scoffed, though her grip on Rei's hand tightened ever so slightly.

"Rei, when you stepped forward just now, that woman couldn't take her eyes off you."

"My lady, isn't that natural?" Rei replied without hesitation.

"As the King of Knights, she must pay attention to each knight she knights."

"No." Morgan shook her head.

"The way she looked at you was completely different from how she looked at the others!"

"I can tell—she had ulterior motives when she insisted on making you a knight!"

"It's fine, my lady."

Rei met Morgan's gaze with unshakable certainty.

"I will use this attention to my advantage—mark my words, she will regret ever allowing me so close."

"..."

Morgan fell silent for a long time before speaking again.

"Rei… You don't have to go this far."

"You know as well as I do that I don't love you, don't you?"

"My lady, but you also know that even so, I will always love you, don't you?"

Morgan opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something more, but in the end, she swallowed her words.

"…You really are a hopeless fool of a knight."

[You and Morgan returned to your chambers.]

[She was exhausted.]

[After speaking with you for a while in bed, she drifted off to sleep.]

[You understood—today had been the most draining day of her life.]

[It strengthened your resolve.]

[You, a knight of lowly schemes, knew it was time to put your plan into motion.]

[A maiden's embarrassment must be savored.]

[You knew this was your only path forward.]

Rei tucked the blankets around Morgan, then rose from the bed.

He left their chambers, stepped outside the palace, and wandered into the streets of Camelot.

The people were still immersed in the celebrations of the knighting ceremony.

As the newly appointed First Knight, Rei was met with countless praises and cheers.

But none of them held any meaning for him.

For all those accolades came from Artoria.

One day, he wished to hear such words spoken in the name of another.

At sunset, Rei pulled aside Gawain, who was also basking in the admiration of the people.

"Gawain, if your mother asks for me, tell her I have something to attend to and will return soon."

"Understood, Father."

Gawain watched Rei's retreating figure with a strange sense of unease.

He couldn't shake the feeling that his father was heading down a path from which there would be no return.

But—

At least for today, he would allow himself to hope for the best.

[You left the bustling streets of Camelot.]

[You returned to the palace.]

[Just as you had done long ago when secretly meeting with Morgan, you avoided the sight of every guard and servant.]

[You arrived at the grand doors that Morgan had twice led you to—where you had received your knighthood.]

[You knew what lay beyond these doors. And you knew that once you stepped through, there would be no turning back.]

Rei suddenly found himself chuckling.

Not at anyone else—but at himself.

Artoria was so pure, so untarnished, a rare treasure.

And yet, here he was, hesitating.

Turning back?

Hadn't that option disappeared long ago?

What was he afraid of?

All he had to do was push the door open.

Yet somehow, the small distance between his hand and the door felt impossibly vast.

But fate had already set the wheels in motion.

The heavy doors slowly creaked open, revealing a golden-haired girl peeking through.

"Sir Rei! I knew it was you!"

Her smile was as radiant as the sun over Britain, undiminished by the night.

[Artoria pulled you inside.]

[As you took in the sight before you, a rare sense of disorientation washed over you.]

[But the girl remained oblivious to your internal turmoil.]

"Sir Rei?"

Dressed in her white gown, Artoria tiptoed closer, waving a hand before his eyes.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"…It's nothing," Rei replied, lying with ease.

"It just feels different seeing this place at night rather than during the day."

"That's only natural…"

Artoria clasped her hands behind her back, looking slightly bashful.

"Normally, no one is allowed here at night."

"But—"

She lifted her gaze to meet his.

"Since it's Sir Rei… we can make an exception."

"After all, I am the King of Camelot. I have the authority to decide such things!"

She said it lightly.

But Rei knew—she must have agonized over this countless times before convincing herself with such reasoning.

"Um… Sir Rei…"

"Yes?"

"How… did I do today?"

Artoria traced small circles on the floor of the throne room with the tip of her foot.

"Did I disappoint you?"

"..."

Rei gave her a reassuring smile and gently patted her head.

"You did exceptionally well—flawless, even. There's nothing to criticize."

"Really?!"

Hearing his praise, Artoria's face lit up with joy.

"I knew it! As long as Rei is here to help me, I don't feel nervous at all!"

The words had barely left her mouth before she realized how boldly she had spoken.

A little flustered, she quickly grabbed Rei's hands.

"Anyway… thank you, Rei. Truly."

As soon as she finished speaking, Rei felt a small weight press against his chest.

Once again, she buried her head against him.

[You realize that this is the moment when Artoria is at her most vulnerable.]

[It is also the perfect time to take advantage of the situation.]

[The image of Morgan's pain flashes through your mind, and your resolve solidifies.]

[You know exactly what kind of person you must be.]

Rei took a deep breath and lowered his head slightly, pressing a soft kiss to Artoria's luscious lips.

At first, she stiffened slightly, but she soon relaxed, completely yielding to him.

Time passed.

Only when he was certain she had fully accepted his gesture did Rei finally pull away.

"Rei…"

It was the first time he had initiated such an intimate gesture, and Artoria's face turned an even deeper shade of red.

She looked as though she wanted to say something.

"Shh—"

Rei raised a finger to his lips.

"This isn't the time to make a fuss."

"Mm…"

Artoria quickly covered her mouth and nodded.

Seeing her hesitance, Rei wrapped an arm around her waist and spoke again.

"The wine… is it still here?"

Hearing this, Artoria's cheeks flushed once more.

She didn't respond right away. Instead, she let her actions speak for her.

She grasped the hem of her dress, hesitating for just a moment before proudly revealing the answer.

Beneath the moonlight—

Rei saw the bottle of wine Artoria had carefully preserved.

It was untouched, its contents rich with a sweet, alluring fragrance.

The cork was slightly loosened, as if waiting to be uncorked with the gentlest pull.

Even without seeing inside, Rei could tell—it was undoubtedly of the finest quality.

He knew this was the right moment.

Leaning close to Artoria's ear, he whispered:

"The scent seems to have deepened."

"Artoria… may I have a taste?"

Artoria's emerald eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she lowered them, nodding shyly.

"If it's you, Rei…"

"Then I don't mind."

Rei felt something stir deep within him.

But he knew—this was not the time for hesitation.

He had to take this step forward.

Lifting Artoria gently, he carried her to the throne.

Nothing in the room had changed—

But Rei knew that what was in his heart had completely shifted.

Seated upon the throne, Artoria presented the wine she had carefully kept for the entire day.

"Rei… please enjoy it."

"If it's not enough… we can always prepare more later."

With a quiet pop—

The bottle was finally opened.

Under the moon's glow, Artoria's shy yet radiant smile softens as she embraces you, engaging in a tender and loving kiss.

She was a king who bore a heavy responsibility, but at this moment, she was simply a girl trusting the person before her.

The white jade-like hands restlessly rubbing the throne, as if trying to scrape off the gilded surface. As she twist and turn, she was a cold-blooded king, but now she is also the only wine vessel that he can use.

The scent of grapes and the soft moans of the girl echoed through the tranquil night sky. 

Once again, the throne bore witness to the knight's transgression. 

Some found themselves sinking into the allure. 

While others crossed the line with an unwavering resolve.

[You have tasted a one-of-a-kind wine.]

[Innate Talent "Magic Reinforcement" has been replaced with "Dragon's Lair Brew": Your body has been imbued with an unknown mystical power, granting you new insights into magic.]

[You realize that Artoria's existence holds a far greater secret than you previously imagined.]

[However, more than that, what you have gained today is Artoria's unwavering trust.]

[You will use it to shape her into the kind of ruler you desire.]

[And after tonight, the battle for the throne will begin in earnest—without a single sound.]