Chapter 1402: Intermission 4: The Judgement (1)

I was currently together with Myrcella.

Steam drifted through the bath chamber in slow waves, clinging to the walls and clouding the mirrors slightly. The warm scent of soap mixed with the faint fragrance of flowers floating in the bathwater, making the entire room feel strangely calm.

Meanwhile, Myrcella sat inside the bath while several maids carefully washed her body, lathering soap across her skin with practiced movements. She looked relaxed on the surface, but the expression on her face said otherwise. There was tension hiding behind her eyes, the kind that didn’t disappear no matter how much hot water or luxury surrounded you.

I leaned against the doorway of the shower room quietly, watching the scene in front of me while listening to her talk.

"It really is a shame," she said softly. "I didn’t think they were the kind of people who would try to do something like this..."

Her voice carried genuine disappointment. That part surprised me a little. She sounded less angry and more frustrated that things had turned out this way in the first place.

"Well, I guess it’s something that can’t be helped," I replied.

"They’re quite powerful people too..." she continued while one of the maids rinsed soap from her shoulders. "I feel like it would be a waste to lose them."

She let out a small sigh after saying that.

The issue itself was simple enough to understand.

One of the noble families who had already opposed Myrcella’s coronation had apparently been caught planning to move against her rule. From what I understood, they were preparing something close to a coup.

Honestly, it wasn’t hard to figure out why.

They hated the fact that the throne had gone to her instead of a man they considered more fit to rule. People loved pretending they cared about competence when half the time they were really just obsessed with tradition. A woman sitting on the throne probably irritated them enough to lose sleep over it.

Pretty pathetic, honestly.

Unfortunately, people like that rarely changed their minds quietly. Once resentment settled in, they would keep feeding it until it turned into something uglier.

"I already told them," Myrcella said, sounding more tired now, "that if they wanted to discuss something with me, they should’ve simply spoken to me face to face instead of going this far."

"Well, I guess it’s natural for people like that to act this way, isn’t it?" I said.

She lowered her gaze slightly, watching the ripples in the bathwater.

"It hasn’t even been that long since I was crowned," she murmured. "Everything I want to establish under my rule is only just beginning. Yet they already dislike me enough to move against me this early, even though there hasn’t really been enough time to judge whether I’m doing the right thing or not."

There was frustration in her voice now.

Honestly, I understood it.

People who already hated someone usually didn’t care about waiting for proof. They didn’t care whether you succeeded or failed. The moment they decided they disliked you, they would twist anything into a reason to drag you down.

If she solved problems, they would complain about how she solved them.

If she delayed action, they would complain about her hesitation.

At that point, it wasn’t even politics anymore. It was just stubborn pride mixed with a bruised ego.

Human beings really could be exhausting.

"You all may leave for a moment," Myrcella suddenly said to the maids. "I think I can handle the rest on my own now."

The maids immediately bowed politely.

"Understood, Your Majesty."

One by one, they quietly left the room. The sound of the door sliding shut echoed softly through the chamber, leaving only the faint sound of water behind.

The atmosphere immediately became quieter after that.

"What do you think we should do with them, Leon?" she asked while resting her arm against the edge of the bath.

"Well, at this point, I don’t really know," I admitted honestly. "You’re the King, so shouldn’t you be the one deciding what to do with them?"

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"Well, I know what I want to do," she said. "But you’re the King too. I’m only acting as one because that’s how people see me. In the end, I’m still under your power, right?"

As she said that, she slowly lifted her legs from the bathwater. Water slid down her skin in thin streams before dripping back into the bath with quiet splashes.

"It’s your choice what happens to people like them."

"I don’t necessarily think I should be the one deciding that," I told her. "You’re the one ruling Milham right now. You hold the authority here. Honestly, I’m happy seeing my woman have this kind of power."

Her smile widened slightly after hearing that.

"And me being your woman basically makes you the ruler of Milham too, doesn’t it?" she asked teasingly.

"Or maybe just the ruler of your body," I replied.

"Fufufu."

Her soft laughter echoed lightly through the room.

Honestly, hearing her laugh like that after discussing something so serious felt strangely refreshing. Politics really had a way of sucking the life out of a conversation. One minute you’re talking about ruling a kingdom, and the next you suddenly realize you miss normal conversations that don’t involve possible executions.

"Do you want to have sex with me right now, Leon?" she asked casually.

"Well, I’m not against it," I answered. "Though, are you sure you’re okay with that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell how tired you are, you know?"

That much was obvious.

Even though she hid it well, exhaustion still lingered in her movements. The slight heaviness in her eyes gave it away. Ruling a kingdom wasn’t exactly the kind of job that let you relax peacefully in a bath all day.

"Well, it doesn’t matter," she said. "I think I can still give you a little quicky."

She slowly stood up from the bath.

Water streamed down her body as she turned around and offered her ass toward me before glancing back over her shoulder with a smile that looked both playful and inviting.

"Come, Leon," she said softly.

Well, she clearly didn’t seem against it.

So I walked toward her.

Soon enough, we started fucking there in the bath chamber.

***

After having sex, we stayed inside the bathroom for a while longer.

The atmosphere had calmed down considerably after that. Steam still lingered in the air while the warm water eased the tension from our bodies. Honestly, baths after sex really hit differently. Maybe that was just one of life’s simpler luxuries.

Myrcella rested quietly in the bath beside me before finally turning her gaze toward me again.

"Did that make you feel good, Leon?" she asked.

"Of course it did," I answered.

Having sex with my women never really became less pleasurable. If anything, I had probably gotten too used to enjoying it at this point. Though, considering my current life, complaining about that would make me sound ridiculously spoiled.

Truly a difficult life I was living.

Myrcella let out another soft laugh, probably noticing the expression on my face.

"Now then..." she said quietly after a moment.

The mood shifted immediately.

The playful atmosphere from earlier slowly faded from her expression as her eyes became more serious again.

"I guess it’s time to talk about it."

I went silent the moment she said that.

Of course I already knew what she meant.

That was the real reason I had come here in the first place.

The bath, the conversation, the sex, all of it had only delayed the inevitable topic waiting for us.

Myrcella lowered her gaze slightly before speaking again.

"Julius’s execution."