Your Majesty, I’m Not that Man - Chapter 11: For You (3)

“G-Good morning, Your Majesty…”

“Hmm.”

His face lit up with a radiant smile, even more stunning in the morning light. Levinia swallowed hard and hesitantly opened her mouth to speak.

“Um… It’s about time for someone to come, so…”

“Time for what?”

“C-Could you, um… take it out now…?”

Her voice grew smaller with every word. Seeing her shy and flustered expression, Cassion’s smile broadened mischievously.

“This?”

“Y-Yes…”

“What exactly?”

Without waiting for a reply, Cassion suddenly flipped Levinia onto her back, pinning her beneath him. Lying on the bed, she could only look up at him, her face turning crimson at the lewd anticipation in his eyes.

“S-Someone really will come in soon! If they see this—”

“They’ll shut the door and leave quickly.”

Cassion gently stroked her cheek, his eyes brimming with affection, before pressing a soft kiss on her lips. The Sun Chamber, like all rooms in the palace, was massive. Unless she screamed loud enough to wake the entire wing, no sound would escape.

The problem was that Cassion always managed to make her scream quite loudly.

“I don’t want that!”

“Then we’d better hurry, shouldn’t we?”

Cassion chuckled slyly and spread Levinia’s trembling legs wide apart. Without hesitation, he began thrusting into her soaked entrance, creating wet, squelching sounds. Even though he had already teased and rubbed her thoroughly, it was nothing compared to the stimulation she felt now.

“Hnn… haa, ahhh! W-What are you—ahhh?!”

“If your voice leaks through the door, the maids won’t dare enter.”

Cassion’s mischievous whisper made Levinia flush a deep red.

“Ahn! T-That’s not what I—ah! Ah! Ahhh!”

The relentless piston-like thrusts wiped her mind blank. It felt as if a mass of pure pleasure was rampaging inside her, and she writhed desperately in response.

Cassion, however, had no intention of letting her escape. He hooked her legs over his sides and pounded into her mercilessly.

“I’ll make your sweet cries echo throughout the palace ceilings.”

His teasing murmur sent a jolt through her body, and Levinia shook her head in protest, but Cassion wasn’t about to stop. Whether or not her voice reached the roof of the Rose Palace, the room’s door remained eerily quiet despite the time that had passed.

She realized with horror that someone had definitely overheard them. Mortified, Levinia momentarily forgot Cassion was the emperor and pinched him hard in retaliation.

＊ ＊ ＊

As their eyes met, Levinia blushed and shot him a sultry glare that made Cassion’s heart flip. After an indulgent night and now a blissful morning, it was turning into a perfect day in his eyes—until Levinia spoke.

“I’ll be leaving Rose Palace today to tell Ipherian, ‘His Majesty has given permission.’”

“You’re meeting that guy?”

The words shot out of his mouth without even passing through his brain. Levinia showed no reaction to his use of that guy, merely meeting his gaze.

“I’ll keep the maids and guards close at all times.”

“……”

“And once I’m done, if Your Majesty permits, I’ll even visit your office.”

That softened Cassion’s expression, though only slightly. He deliberately kept his face cool and asked,
“So you’ll prioritize meeting him before the emperor?”

“I’ll simply deliver the message to Lord Ipherian and return right away. But with Your Majesty… I want to share a meal together.”

Her words were followed by an innocent, questioning look, as if to ask, Isn’t that okay with you? How could he dislike that? Of course, he was thrilled—he just couldn’t say out loud that he was planning to time how long her meeting with that guy lasted.

“…I have little patience.”

Though he knew walking away now would earn him more favor, Cassion couldn’t resist slipping in that warning. The mere thought of Levinia meeting that Ipherian guy made his blood boil. He’d find a way to cut that meeting short—or even better, interrupt it entirely.

“Be quick and come to my office afterward.”

With a face full of regret, Cassion placed a lingering kiss on her lips. He wanted to kiss her so thoroughly that it left her lips swollen and undeniably marked as his—but he knew Levinia wouldn’t be too fond of that.

“See you later, Your Majesty.”

Levinia’s warm tone was tinged with hesitation as she gazed at him. Assuming she had something more to say, Cassion paused.

“Why?”

Levinia gently tugged at his hand—not to pull him toward her but to gesture for him to lower his head. Curious and expectant, Cassion bent down, and Levinia leaned in to place a soft kiss on his cheek.

Smack.

Even though it was a light peck, Cassion’s eyes fluttered in surprise. The sensation sent a dizzying thrill through him.

“…Have a good time at your council meeting, Your Majesty.”

With that, Levinia stepped back and turned away. Though she could feel his burning gaze on her back, she kept her chin high and walked with unwavering confidence.

＊ ＊ ＊

Levinia’s changed attitude had two clear reasons. One was to avoid being nagged further by Cassion regarding Ipherian. The other was because her conversation with Ipherian had shown her a possible way forward.

The Witch’s Tower…

Theo wouldn’t be able to reach the top floor without Albert’s help. Without him as an ally, Theo would fail to clear the tower’s barriers. However, Levinia, who knew the entire plot of the original story, was different.

Albert and Theo had always solved the riddles and passed the tests together, but Levinia remembered all the answers. With a few magical tools, she could unlock those gates easily.

‘The timing is the issue…’
She had to reach the Gray Forest without encountering Theo’s group. On top of that, she needed to prepare for the events from the original story that would soon unfold.

If Levinia were to take Albert’s role, then the dark forces would start moving soon. That was also why she wanted to send Ipherian to her duchy. Few people knew that Ipherian was a magician.

‘One of the maids close to me… will probably try to use Ipherian.’

She wasn’t worried about Ipherian—he was a highly skilled magician, described in the original story as the greatest magician on the continent. Why would she worry about someone like that? Even the dark sorcerer under the villain’s control was no match for him.

‘I hope nothing happens…’

In the original story, once the situation between Cassion and Albert began to stabilize, certain factions tried to take advantage of Albert. Though Albert was a Swordmaster and could protect himself, it didn’t mean he didn’t suffer. People around him died.

One tragic case involved a young servant named Richard, whom Albert had grown somewhat fond of. Unfortunately, Richard was exploited and eventually killed. Levinia could still recall the scene vividly—Albert sobbing while clutching Richard’s lifeless body. But really, what was the point of tears after someone had already died?

‘I know who the culprit is. Why can’t we just throw him in prison now?’
If Levinia gave Cassion a hint, he’d likely launch an internal investigation. If they couldn’t find any evidence, Cassion would fabricate something and have him executed anyway.

‘Johan Beradin, Count of Beradin.’

He was a young man who inherited the title after his father fell ill and became unable to manage the family estate. Johan had a rather sickly appearance, with a pale complexion and unremarkable social presence. Since he rarely attended banquets or balls, most nobles barely knew him.

No one would have guessed he was the mastermind pulling the strings from the shadows. After all, he had no known connection to House Wendell. Without her knowledge of the original story, Levinia would never have suspected him.

‘He’s a dark sorcerer who specializes in mental magic.’

She planned to control Cassion by using Albert, who was favored by the emperor. Since Albert harbored only resentment toward Cassion, it must have seemed like a perfect opportunity to Johan.

‘He must see me the same way.’

At least Albert, being a Sword Master, could put up some resistance. Levinia, on the other hand, had almost no mana and wasn’t even a magician. In a situation where she couldn’t fully trust Cassion yet, the sudden appearance of Johan would be… a total disaster.

Frustrated, Levinia felt a renewed irritation at her own helplessness. What had she been doing all this time, burying herself in her studies? Politics, economics, finance—none of it was of any use in a situation like this.

‘Seriously! The Wendell family never even involved itself in politics in the first place!’

Although a ducal family, Wendell’s lineage had always distanced itself from politics, unlike Anais’s bloodline. Levinia shook her head, recalling how she had once diligently trained in swordsmanship and pored over magic books. It wasn’t that she hadn’t made an effort—she had just been told she had no talent for it.

Though some had said she had the brains for magic, the problem lay in her lack of magical power. Without an innate gift, it was impossible to become a magician, no matter how hard one worked or how clever one was.

‘Well, top-tier swordsmen and magicians are all geniuses who’ve added hard work on top of their natural talent…’

A hardworking person without talent could only go so far. If it were as easy as carving a hole into a rock with a trickle of water, she’d have just pierced it with a spear from the start!

‘Ugh, these cliché fantasy novel settings…’

Anger welled up inside her, but Levinia calmed herself by thinking of the Witch’s Tower. It was there that the power to overcome her natural limitations lay dormant. Once she obtained it, she’d at least have the strength to resist Johan’s magic.

‘But… the exact nature of that power wasn’t clearly described, was it?’

It was a great power that could instantly shatter the powerful curse afflicting Theo. However, since Theo himself had been unable to wield it properly, the power was wasted solely on breaking his curse. When Levinia had read the original story, she had lamented that Albert hadn’t been able to acquire that power. Even knowing it had to go to Theo because of the curse, it still felt like a waste.

With Cassion’s permission, Levinia left the Rose Palace and made her way toward the harem. Accompanied by her escort knights and maids, she walked toward the empress’s quarters. Everyone who saw her lowered their heads. Though Cassion hadn’t made any formal announcement, it already felt as though she were being treated like the empress.

‘Even if it’s just out of respect for the Duke of Wendell, it’s a bit much.’

Feigning composure, Levinia passed through the crowd and entered the harem.

More than half of the harem had already been vacated, and the liveliness it once had was gone. The maids and attendants working there showed only minimal courtesy, appearing worried that they’d be dismissed now that their masters had left.

“Where is Ipherian’s room?”

When Levinia asked the maid accompanying her, the maid nodded and led the way without hesitation. Having worked in the harem herself, the maid knew exactly where Ipherian’s quarters were, as he had been staying there for quite some time.

When they arrived at Ipherian’s quarters, the attendants greeted her first. Initially treating him as an insignificant prince of a fallen kingdom, they seemed shocked when Levinia came to visit him.

“His Highness will be out shortly.”

Levinia was led to the drawing room, where refreshments were prepared for her. Although she doubted they had actually received permission from their master, she sipped her tea and leisurely observed the room.

Since Ipherian was nothing more than a concubine without significant support, his quarters were rather modest. However, there were subtle touches here and there that reflected his personal taste, making it noticeably different from Levinia’s own residence.

“Welcome, Duke Wendell.”

With a bright smile, Ipherian hurried into the drawing room. Levinia set her teacup down and rose to greet him. Though he was the prince of a fallen kingdom, she intended to treat him with the respect due to royalty.

Though she had sent word for permission, she hadn’t expected him to come out so quickly. Ipherian almost reached for her hand in an unrestrained display of affection but stopped himself, thinking it might startle her.

“Please have a seat, Your Grace. I’m not sure if the tea will suit your taste…”

The tea served in Ipherian’s quarters was a specialty he had specially imported from his homeland. While not expensive, it had a unique fragrance that some people found unpleasant. Originally, he should have stocked a variety of teas, but since he was destined to leave the palace soon, his attendants had decided there was no need to procure more.

“It has a refreshing scent. Just what I needed—I was feeling a bit tired, but it’s already lifting my spirits,” Levinia said with a smile.

Though the attendant kept his expression neutral, he seemed visibly relieved by her response. Ipherian, noticing this, chuckled softly.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Your Grace,” Ipherian said.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re as kind as ever.”

Ipherian’s warm smile caught the attention of his attendants, who glanced at him in surprise. Though he was one of the more sociable figures in the harem, known for receiving guests frequently, Levinia was the only person who had ever seen him wear such an expression.