I Became The Extra King With Seven Wives-Chapter 27: Dorothy Stoneford [1]

Having finished my midday meal entirely alone despite possessing both a mother and a sister, I departed the dining hall in silence.

I had only myself to blame for the solitary repast, but it was a necessary consequence. Everything of true importance would be decided within the coming weeks.

Would I die by an assassin’s blade, precisely as the original gamestory had dictated, or would I manage to survive this looming fate?

Let us be entirely honest: if I truly ended up murdered while possessing full knowledge of the impending assassination, the sheer humiliation of it would be unbearable. I might sooner throw myself from the highest tower out of pure embarrassment before the killer ever reached me.

Setting those thoughts aside, I now wandered alone through the sprawling stone corridors of the castle. I had reassigned Alice to serve Lenora, and I had instructed Regina to take the rest of the day for herself, leaving me entirely unaccompanied.

A few eager maids instinctively tried to shadow my steps, as a King walking without an entourage of attendants was virtually unheard of and frankly frowned upon, but I dismissed them all.

I needed solitude. More importantly, I needed to distance myself from any potential spies or treacherous servants more than capable of sliding a dagger into my back. In truth, I could not bring myself to trust a single one of them. That inherent paranoia was precisely why I had entrusted Alice to Lenora’s side.

Alice was beyond reproach, truly trustworthy. I had known her since childhood, and I knew she would sooner fall on a sword than allow harm to befall me or my family.

According to the original plot, my mother and sister were not meant to die at the same time as I was; they were kept alive only to be tragically killed off a few months after the main storyline commenced. However, I was against taking such dangerous risks.

I refused to place blind faith solely in the events of the Game. Altering the timeline was bound to cause unforeseen ramifications, meaning I had to be prepared to face any shifting variables and construct several contingency plans.

I would never forgive myself if I lost either my mother or Lenora simply because I had grown careless and naive, relying too heavily upon my foreknowledge and foolishly believing all was well simply because I knew the future.

As I continued my idle pacing, I paused to peer through an arched stone window. Rather than looking out toward the expansive outer castle bailey, my gaze fell upon an enclosed, square-shaped courtyard tucked deep within the keep. It was a secluded space adorned with blooming flowers and carved stone benches designed for quiet rest and private conversation. It heavily resembled the famous cloister garths often found nestled within medieval monastic complexes, offering a sheltered sanctuary surrounded by covered arcades. Sunlight filtered down beautifully into the open enclosure, illuminating the vibrant greenery and casting an incredibly tranquil, relaxing atmosphere over the hidden garden.

However, it was not the scenic beauty that had drawn my attention. The true reason I had stopped to look down was the solitary figure occupying the space.

It was Dorothy.

She was sitting quietly on one of the stone benches. A tall stack of leather-bound books rested neatly beside her, while her undivided attention was captured by the heavy tome resting open upon her lap.

Placing a steady hand on the edge of the stone sill, I vaulted over the window frame without a second thought.

A mere moment later, my boots hit the soft grass of the courtyard below.

"Eeek!" Dorothy yelped, flinching violently as I landed only a few paces in front of her. The sudden fright caused the heavy book on her lap to tumble down onto the ground with a dull thud.

When her wide eyes registered that it was me, a fleeting wave of relief washed over her features, only to be immediately replaced by a look of stuttering nervousness.

"Y-Y-Your Majesty...?!" She stammered out, scrambling to gather her wits.

"Why are you reacting as if you have seen a monster, Dorothy? I am your husband, remember?" I said, slowly approaching her.

"Yesh!" She bit her tongue in her haste to stand up, scrambling backward slightly.

But her gaze soon fell upon the book laying discarded on the grass. Panic flashed across her features as she reached out to retrieve it, but I had already crouched down to pick it up.

"Hngh!"

Since she had lowered herself a moment too late, her head collided sharply against mine.

She recoiled instantly, her hand flying to her forehead as she winced in pain. But as she realized what she had just done, all the color drained from her face, leaving her deathly pale.

"I—I apologize!" she gasped, bowing her head so quickly it must have made her dizzy.

Obviously, I hadn’t felt a thing. My forehead felt as though it were forged of solid steel, but the impact had certainly hurt Dorothy.

I picked up the heavy tome, gently patting the dirt from its leather cover before I looked back at her. Reaching out my hand, I lightly touched her bruising forehead.

"Does it hurt?" I asked softly, gently rubbing my thumb over the tender skin.

Something felt weird as I did, like a mounting sensation but I ignored it.

Dorothy’s cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink at the contact.

"N—No... Your Majesty," she said.

"That is a lie."

"I apologize..." She muttered meekly, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

I smiled inwardly, seeing her react exactly like this.

She was perfectly identical to how she appeared at the very beginning of the game. Sweet, innocent, and desperately trying to survive alone in a highly dangerous world. In that aspect, the game’s original protagonist had been much the same, which likely explained why she had felt such a strong closeness toward him.

"Wow!" I suddenly felt as though I had thrust my hand into an open flame and instantly withdrew my fingers from her face.

I widened my eyes, staring down at my thumb, which was now bruised an angry, blistering red.

Did I just get burned?

I was supposed to be entirely immune to fire...

No, this wasn’t a mundane burn. This was something else entirely.

I raised my gaze, my eyes narrowing as I stared at Dorothy.

Did this have something to do with the fact that she was the Moon Witch?

I knew the ancient tales of the Deity of the Moon and the Deity of the Sun despising one another, but I had never imagined it could manifest in such violently visceral reactions between someone connected to the sun and another tied to the moon.

"Y—Your Majesty... are you alright?" Dorothy panicked. Throwing propriety aside, she immediately caught my hand in her smaller ones to see what was wrong.

When she saw the angry, burnt flesh, her panic escalated into sheer terror.

"I—I... I am so sorry!"

She didn’t know exactly what had happened, but she instinctively knew it had something to do with her.

"Haangh!" Right after she touched me, she flinched sharply in pain, immediately letting go of my hand.

She looked tearfully down at her own palms, which were now showing similar signs of pain, though not nearly as severe as mine. While I possessed a blistering burn, her skin looked as though it had been lightly but painfully stung by a thousand tiny needles.

"W—What... happened?" She asked, glancing up at me with timid, frightened eyes.

"Well, it appears that something deep inside both of us violently refuses our union and any kind of physical contact," I said, masking my surprise.

"I—It cannot be... but why?" She asked, her voice trembling.

She was not yet aware of who, or what she truly was. She was only supposed to discover her true nature much later in the gamestory.

I personally didn’t care about the plot’s timeline, so I could have easily told her the truth right then and there. But this was hardly the right time or place.

This castle possessed far too many hidden ears right now.

"Who knows," I sighed, taking a seat on the stone bench beside her, allowing the tall pile of books to serve as a barrier between us. "Perhaps you simply do not like me, Dorothy."

"T—That is not true!" Dorothy retorted quickly, turning toward me with surprising assertiveness.

When I glanced sideways at her and our eyes finally met, she flushed a deep, embarrassed crimson and quickly shrank back into her seat.

"I apologize..." She said tearfully, clenching her hands in her lap.

Now that was a shame.

So I could not even touch Dorothy, my own wife?

I mean, I could wear gloves, but true skin-to-skin contact mattered between husband and wife. And if I wished to draw closer to her, to make her feel safe and truly sheltered, words alone would not be enough.

I doubted I could do anything about it, though.

Perhaps I should ask Apollina when the time for my Second Ritual comes.

Until then... I will have to be careful.

My gaze lowered to the book I had picked up.

History of Helios.

"You are reading about my kingdom," I said, smiling.

"Yes..." She nodded.

"Trying to learn more about the realm you live in, and are now tied to is a worthy initiative, Dorothy," I said, genuinely satisfied by her dedication.

"Thank you, Your Majesty..." She smiled, just a little.

"Then go on," I said, handing the book back to her. "Continue your reading."

"But..." She hesitated, since I was still seated right beside her.

Perhaps she thought it improper to read and ignore me while I lingered at her side.

"Do not mind me," I told her. "I am merely resting."

Dorothy nodded shyly, then took the book, opened it again, and resumed reading.

She was not as focused as before, how could she be, with me slouched on the bench beside her? She kept stealing glances, brief and guilty, yet she managed to gather herself little by little.

As for me, I simply sat there for the next hours.