Under the moonlight.
The young man and the beauty sat in the rose garden, toasting and drinking together. Both possessed the most stunning appearances among humans, which only enhanced the romantic, dreamlike atmosphere.
It felt like something straight out of a beautiful fairy tale.
At least, on the surface.
But in reality…
"Let's toast to a wonderful night."
"Alright, Prince Leon."
"Let's toast to a better tomorrow."
"Okay, okay, Prince Leon."
"Let's toast to your beauty."
"Alright~ … Next."
"Let's toast to… well, anything."
"Cheers~ Cheers, come on, cheers~!"
Leon soon had Guinevere thoroughly drunk.
Although Leon had brought out a milder-tasting white wine, it was still wine—and even the strongest men wouldn't dare down it recklessly, given its high alcohol content.
Guinevere, who underestimated the white wine, soon paid the price with her sanity.
By the third glass, her low alcohol tolerance became apparent. She grew dizzy, her thoughts melting away like snow touched by hot water.
"Well, looks like she's almost there."
Leon poured himself a glass and sipped it leisurely.
Of course, he wasn't actually drinking each time. Every toast, he discreetly opened a "spatial channel" at the rim of his cup. To the eye, it seemed he was swallowing the wine, but in truth, it was being dumped into his storage space.
Meanwhile, Guinevere drank happily, only to soon end up like this—
The beautiful queen's cheeks were flushed, she let out adorable little hiccups, and her eyes were hazy, like a lost girl's. She swayed back and forth, reaching her hands toward the sky as if trying to catch the moon.
Eventually, her arms fell limp.
The lovely queen slumped on a bench in the White Pavilion, her vulnerable expression a true test of Leon's self-control.
If she weren't someone with such immense pride, dignity, and self-restraint… but instead another man—
"Well, you don't seem like the loud, unruly type when drunk. Otherwise, I'd have to tie you up."
Leon looked at the quiet, graceful beauty before him with satisfaction. In her drunken state, Guinevere radiated a captivating charm that could easily tempt dangerous thoughts.
Leon was grateful she was the type to stay composed even while intoxicated. After all, drunk men and women alike can become beasts that wreak havoc on reputations.
"Guinevere, let's talk about your husband. What kind of man is King Arthur?"
"Arthur, my husband… no, Artoria, she… waaaaaah!!"
"Whoa, okay, that startled me."
The sudden wail made Leon's hands shake, spilling wine from his cup.
He stared, wide-eyed, at the stunning woman who had suddenly burst into tears like a heartbroken child. For a moment, he didn't know what to do.
All he could do was hand her his handkerchief… and scoot a bit farther away.
Could she be a victim of domestic abuse?
"Why did this have to happen? Woo woo… I just wanted to live my life with the man I loved… I just… wanted to be like any normal person, to marry the one I desired… woo woo~"
"Why is this happening to me…?"
Dignity and etiquette were tossed aside, together with her reason, under the influence of alcohol.
After Leon mentioned her husband, Guinevere couldn't stop crying.
Leon blinked in surprise—then realized he might have found a key point.
Britannia, though barren, was one of his targets for conquest.
But the Knight King, Arthur Pendragon, was undoubtedly an exceptional ruler—noble, powerful, upright, just, and rational—always leading his army and knights to victory.
So perfect it was almost unnatural.
Leon had yet to discover any weakness or scandal about the Knight King.
But Guinevere's reaction made him feel he had just stumbled onto something. After all, there's no such thing as a flawless person.
Leon's curiosity deepened.
What could that noble, perfect Knight King have done to make his wife cry so bitterly?
"Queen Guinevere, please, explain clearly."
Unconsciously, Leon took out a magic recording device.
Guinevere wept as though she had suffered a deep betrayal and injustice. Her normally suppressed emotions poured out under the wine's influence.
Finally, she revealed the Knight King's secret.
"Arthur… why are you a woman…?"
"Holy… shit…"
Leon froze.
CRASH!
The wine glass in his hand slipped and shattered on the ground.
What had he just heard?
The King Arthur—a household name, the legendary Knight King who led from the front in every battle and whose valor could shame any man—was actually a woman?!
While there were many female rulers in this world, much like the divide between nobles and commoners, some places still clung to the prejudice that men were superior to women.
Such was the case in Britannia.
But no one could have guessed that the Knight King was actually a woman disguised as a man.
"Queen Guinevere, the night is still young, and we have plenty of time to talk… so tell me everything you know!"
Leon was thrilled. What had begun as a casual probe had turned into the discovery of a massive bombshell.
The world-renowned Knight King, Arthur Pendragon, was in fact a woman!
Now, certain details began to make sense—
According to intel gathered by his women, the Knight King's face was so beautiful it put others to shame, and their frame was slender and delicate—far from masculine.
Then there was Guinevere's melancholy when they first met. Any heterosexual woman would naturally feel unhappy upon discovering her "husband" was also a woman.
And her behavior—so pure.
Leon had been puzzled before. She'd been married for years, yet still seemed like an untouched maiden. Looking back, it was likely she had remained chaste all this time.
"Let it all out, Queen Guinevere."
"Ah, right… who are you again?"
"That's not important. What matters is, you no longer have to hold it in. Tell me more about your husband's secrets—tell me everything."
Leon skillfully applied psychological tricks from countless books to coax Guinevere.
Under his words, her defenses gradually crumbled, and she felt as if the chains binding her had vanished in that moment.
But before her grievances could pour out completely…
Her physical longing came first.
Leon didn't even realize it when she suddenly reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck—
—and kissed him.
---
(End of Chapter)