How to Survive as a Princess in a Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 79
‘Why does he have to phrase it like that…….’
It had made me spiral into all sorts of unnecessary thoughts.
At least I could rest easy knowing it wasn’t some grand betrayal.
“If you leave the ointment here, I’ll apply it myself.”
“This ointment alone won’t suffice. Please grant me permission to apply it myself for better results.”
Since it’s the same ointment anyway, what difference does it make who applies it?
The thought crossed my mind briefly, but this was a man who had mulled over a passing comment I made during the day and sought me out late at night because of it. His care was evident, and though his persistence was clear, I simply nodded, knowing better than to argue.
“Fine, go ahead.”
As I sat down on the nearby bed, Isaac naturally knelt before me. It wasn’t particularly surprising—having seen him in a similar position multiple times before, I had half-expected this.
“May I ask exactly where it hurts?”
“The lower part of my thigh…… and the inner side.”
Only after I said it did I realize how awkward the location sounded.
‘I should’ve insisted on doing it myself.’
The small consolation was that Isaac didn’t seem fazed in the least.
Granted, I was still wearing underclothes, and we’d already seen more of each other than this in various situations. Acting shy now would probably seem more absurd.
“Your Highness, may I ask you to lift your skirt?”
His calm voice brought me back to my senses. I reached down and pulled the hem of my skirt up as far as necessary, carefully gathering the fabric to avoid any excess exposure.
While I was distracted, Isaac spread the ointment generously onto both hands, then cupped the underside of my thigh as though cradling it. His hands, warm with a comfortable temperature, began kneading my muscles with care.
“Ah…….”
“Does it hurt?”
I quickly shook my head. There was no way it hurt—his touch was gentle, almost cautious.
If anything, it tickled a bit, the cool sensation of the ointment surprising me as it seeped in. It felt refreshing, almost like applying a patch of menthol. Combined with his large hands pressing and kneading with just the right amount of strength, the tension in my muscles gradually melted away.
‘So that’s why he insisted on doing this.’
Compared to the light massages my maids occasionally gave me, his touch carried more strength and purpose. It felt undeniably effective…….
But as I looked down at him, so absorbed in loosening my muscles, an odd feeling crept up.
His neatly tailored uniform gave him an air of restraint, a stark contrast to the intimacy of this moment.
‘Ah.’
Once I became conscious of it, I couldn’t stop being conscious of it. Knowing that Isaac himself felt nothing made me feel even more guilty.
I was trying to act natural, averting my gaze slightly to look elsewhere.
“Your Highness, could you please relax your legs?”
My body flinched at the voice coming from below. It was a perfectly natural thing to say in this situation.
I must have been unconsciously tense and straining, so it was a reasonable thing to say, but why did it feel so…….
At this rate, I couldn’t bear it any longer. The diligent and focused man kneeling before me contrasted too painfully with the strange thoughts swirling in my head, and I found myself unable to tolerate my own reactions.
“Lord Isaac, that’s enough.”
“It’s not finished yet—”
“It’s enough. You may leave now.”
I cut him off, my tone deliberately firm. I reached down to lightly push his hands away, then lowered my skirt back into place.
Isaac paused for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he bowed politely, as always, and left the room. Only after the door clicked shut did I let out the breath I’d been holding, collapsing onto the bed with a soft thud.
It was embarrassing and frustrating to see myself so tense and flustered over something like this. They say familiarity breeds fear, and now I understood what they meant.
No, but still is it really possible to fall so hopelessly into this?
It had started as a matter of survival, but now, I was the one who was enjoying it, even craving it.
“Get a grip. Get a grip…….”
I had to think of Jiyu. I had to return to reality. I shouldn’t assign meaning to things that would eventually become meaningless.
Repeating that in my head, I felt a little better. But still, there was a sense of emptiness that lingered. It was unavoidable.
* * *
Three days later, I was informed that Evgenia had set up temporary barracks within the palace grounds and brought people in.
When I visited the barracks myself, it was packed with people. To give you an idea of how many…….
“Wow, there really are a lot of people here.”
Even Reno, who was sightseeing alongside me, was impressed. Through Quest’s information, I knew that 50 commoners were scheduled to stay here.
However, I hadn’t considered all the staff needed to care for and guard them. When you added up the knights, maids, cooks, mages to help with verification, and palace healers, there were truly a lot of people.
‘I’m glad they’re not asking me to do this directly.’
Looking at just the numbers, it had seemed simple, but it apparently wasn’t as straightforward as I’d thought.
“They all look unwell.”
“Well…… we’ll need to see if it has any effect.”
Since changes in diet could affect the results, they were to be fed their usual diet, but with iron chunks that had been pre-boiled added to it.
‘But how are they planning to verify the changes?’
