Chapter 2: Princess, I Cannot Bear to See You Sad
[The Princess's bedchamber was wide open, and you could even glimpse a corner of it from outside. The scent of fine wine permeated the room.]
[With evil thoughts born within you, you walked into Princess Morgan's bedchamber.]
[You saw her, tipsy and sprawled on the golden silk quilt embroidered with noble patterns, her light pink lips still stained with a few drops of wine.]
[You were stunned, for you had never seen Morgan like this before. In your memory, she had always been difficult to get along with.]
[You approached her and made the decision that would change your life.]
Although the things echoing in Ian's mind might just be lines of text.
He could feel himself continuously receiving the memories brought by these actions.
The luxurious wool carpet in the Princess's bedchamber;
The scent of fine wine filling the air;
And Morgan, slumped on the bed, reeking of alcohol—everything felt so real.
Having exhausted all possible words to describe it.
Ultimately, only the word "magnificent" remained.
Yes, everything was so indescribable,
If the young woman he met in Chaldea served as a sixty-point baseline;
Then Morgan before him was a hundred points. Ian did not believe anyone in the world could ignore her.
This was perhaps what was known as a legendary encounter.
Having sighed with such emotion, everything continued.
[You touched Morgan's hand and lingered there. Even Morgan, drunk on wine, felt your movement.]
[Morgan woke up, but in her drunken state, she did not immediately stop any of this. Instead, she asked you an absurd question.]
"Am I beautiful?"
Along with the sensation came Morgan's question.
Awake, she was scrutinizing Ian, dressed as a knight, with her deep-sea blue eyes.
At this moment, Morgan didn't seem to care why Ian was here, nor did she intend to question why he dared to do such a thing.
More than any of that, she simply yearned for the answer to her question.
"Am I beautiful?"
Though it was presumptuous, Ian honestly reported his thoughts.
"Princess, regarding your question, my answer is that you are exceedingly beautiful."
"Throughout all of Britain, it would be difficult to find a haven as gentle as you."
Everything seemed to fall into place so naturally.
[Talent Affinity activated.]
[Morgan believed your words implicitly, but she fell into an even deeper sadness. She seemed to greatly dislike the term 'gentle haven'.]
[Morgan pushed your hand away, hugged her legs, and curled up on the bed without a word.]
"You sense that this entire situation seems connected to this grand banquet."
"You decide to risk your life and inquire."
"Princess, have you encountered something troubling? If you could tell your subordinate, perhaps there might be a solution."
Hearing this, Morgan lifted her head.
In the prime of her youth, she looked at the presumptuous knight before her and suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"Are you trying to atone for your sins?"
"Princess, I do indeed have that thought," Ian replied truthfully, "but I want to know even more why you are so sad."
"None of your business," Morgan replied coldly.
"Foolish knight, do not push your luck. You should be grateful to the great King Uther and that damned wine for allowing you to stand here now."
"But Princess, I am not pushing my luck." Ian touched the long cross-sword at his waist.
"This is my duty as your loyal knight, Princess."
The simulation continues.
"After hearing your words of loyalty, Morgan remained silent for a long time."
"She was touched by your words just now and seemed to want to say more, but in the end, she decided to remain silent."
"There was some concern in her heart."
"You waited for a long time and realized you couldn't just sit there and do nothing."
"You decide to encourage her, to make the drunken Princess reveal her true feelings to you."
"You succeeded."
"She is now going to ask a question that will decide your fate."
"I ask you," Princess Morgan looked at Ian before her, her eyes still filled with apprehension.
"You just said that as a knight, you are loyal to me, right?"
"Yes, Princess," Ian replied without hesitation, "to obey you and fight for you is the greatest honor a knight like me can attain."
These skilled words of oath were closely related to Ian, as if he inherently understood them.
This was an accompanying memory—after all, in this simulation, he was already a knight who had experienced many lives.
He could utter these words of loyalty in an instant.
"Then—"
Morgan looked around. The vast room now contained only her, drunk, and this presumptuous knight.
Moonlight streamed in from a nearby stained-glass window, shattering into a colorful curtain of light on the floor.
Dark clouds drifted by.
The room fell into darkness.
Morgan's voice sounded at this moment:
"But what if, at some point in the future, I no longer possess Britain, and another king sits on the throne?"
"Will you still pledge your loyalty to me?"
Ian had not expected Morgan to say such words at this moment. He was stunned for a moment and could not answer her question immediately.
The dark clouds dispersed.
Morgan's face was once again illuminated by the moonlight—but it was a face on the verge of collapse.
"Indeed, everything is just a false illusion… I never truly possessed anything."
The Princess's voice was sad and sorrowful.
"Because of your momentary hesitation, Morgan fell into endless sorrow."
"You realized you had made a huge mistake and wanted to make amends, but it was all in vain."
"Morgan began to fall into extreme self-doubt, approaching madness."
"You are not clear why she became like this after attending the banquet, but you know that this cannot continue. You try to find a way to temporarily free her from this pain."
Looking at Morgan, who was alternately sneering and sobbing.
Ian knew he could not stand by and do nothing—her sorrow stemmed from his hesitation, so he had to be the one to end it all.
A few clangs.
The knight's armor fell to the ground, making a clear sound.
"Foolish knight, what are you doing?!"
Although she was descending into madness, Morgan still retained a minimal level of sanity.
But Ian did not stop there.
He took a deep breath, as if heading to a battlefield.
"Princess, I cannot bear to see you sad."
"Although I might be executed by you after this, I still hope to do my best to resolve the sorrow in your heart."