"Hehe, Lia, hehehe, Lia~~"
Rarely, Guinevere didn't grow dizzy after their deep kiss. She eagerly went in for a second, but when her hands began to wander, the startled King of Knights pushed her away, making it clear that it wasn't yet time to go further.
"Hehehehe, my Lia~~"
Both lay side by side on the bed in their nightgowns, their eyes locked. The King of Knights couldn't help but feel that Guinevere had gone completely mad tonight.
She rubbed her temples, but still allowed Guinevere to move forward and embrace her, basking in Guinevere's unique warmth.
Due to the Holy Sword, the King of Knights would never grow, forever frozen in her fifteen-year-old form. But Guinevere was different; Guinevere would continue to grow.
In just four months apart, Guinevere had grown taller again, forcing the King of Knights to stand on her tiptoes to meet her gaze, her toes barely touching Guinevere's instep.
"Guinevere, are you almost 1.7 meters tall?"
"Just a little bit more."
"That's wonderful..."
Locked in their embrace, they spoke quietly, the King of Knights' perpetual melancholy lingering on her face. Before other knights, she had to carefully curate her expressions, but only with Guinevere could she freely show any emotion without restraint.
"Lia, do you wish you were taller?"
"Of course, if I could. I'm only 1.54 meters tall. If I were a bit taller, I wouldn't have to stand on higher ground when I'm with the knights, and when we walk together, the people wouldn't immediately recognize me as the King."
"Huh?"
"Never mind. The shortest one is the King."
"Pfft!"
"Guinevere, you're laughing at me..."
The King of Knights' melancholy transformed into sternness, but she wasn't angry at Guinevere. After a prolonged gaze, the feigned seriousness melted away, leaving only the urge to tickle Guinevere's soft waist.
In Guinevere's presence, the King of Knights didn't need to maintain her regal facade. She could freely express her emotions, a sign that she remained a young woman in her early twenties at heart.
So, when the impulse struck, she acted on it, tickling Guinevere until tears welled in her eyes and she curled into a ball, begging for mercy.
When two people are in love, their personalities blur into one, their actions becoming intertwined, regardless of their usual temperaments.
This was especially true for Guinevere and the King of Knights, both strong-willed individuals who, beneath their occasional moments of tenderness, always followed their impulses wholeheartedly.
Exhausted from their play, the King of Knights watched Guinevere sprawled on the bed, panting heavily. She, too, struggled to catch her breath.
Guinevere didn't resist; she retaliated directly.
"Lia, if you truly want to grow taller, try letting Excalibur leave your side for a while. Isn't that what's been stunting your growth? During that time, you could use my replica—it looks exactly like me.
Just be warned," she added with a mischievous glint in her eye, "if you choose to grow, you might end up growing sideways before you get taller!"
Lying beside Guinevere, the King of Knights mimicked her unreserved posture, listening attentively to her suggestion and pondering it earnestly.
When Guinevere mentioned "horizontal growth," the King of Knights paused for a few seconds, then her gaze drifted to Guinevere's own, um, horizontal growth.
The King of Knights felt a twinge of envy.
But...
"No, never mind. If my true gender were revealed, it would only cause unnecessary trouble."
"Oh, then pretend I didn't say anything."
Guinevere had merely been thinking of the Lancer-class King of Knights, recalling how she had grown again after losing the Holy Sword, and the suggestion had slipped out.
However, noticing the King of Knights' regret about not growing, Guinevere was struck by the terror of her own continuous growth.
She was only nineteen after the New Year, perhaps too young to dwell on such matters. But if she couldn't find a way to freeze her appearance, in a decade or two, standing beside the King of Knights, she might be mistaken for the King's mother.
Should I ask Morgan again? Or continue deluding myself with unreliable Merlin? Or pose this challenge to the mages who just formed a cooperative pact with me? Fortunately, while true immortality is rare in this world, methods to freeze one's appearance are plentiful.
The establishment of the Magecraft Department had brought Guinevere both threats from the Holy Church and offers of service from various Mages, giving her new options when she needed to rely on Magecraft.
However, when it came to something as crucial as creating children, Guinevere would never entrust such a task to someone she didn't fully trust.
Though Morgan hated the King of Knights, if she were to ask Morgan to create the King of Knights' child, the result would undoubtedly be the King of Knights' own offspring.
"Guinevere, you're drifting off. What's on your mind?"
Tilting her head, Guinevere gazed at the King of Knights, whose breathing had finally evened. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to tell the King everything: about the Holy Church, the Mages, and Morgan's request.
So many misunderstandings arise from things left unsaid.
"Lia, rest assured, now that I've told you this, I have no intention of sleeping with her. You mustn't suggest you'd allow it for the sake of the Kingdom's stability."
If Guinevere hadn't spoken so plainly, the King of Knights might have reluctantly endured it, prioritizing the nation's welfare over her own feelings.
In the original tale, she had genuinely endured Guinevere's affair with Lancelot, enduring it for a long time.
Alas, her forbearance only paved the way for the kingdom's downfall.
"Guinevere, I understand. I'll find time to speak with my sister and ask what conditions she requires to help us conceive an heir."
At tonight's Round Table meeting, the King of Knights and Guinevere were blessed in such a manner that the King of Knights had no choice but to consider the matter, especially now that she knew Morgan possessed a way to achieve it.
However, when the King of Knights offered to negotiate with Morgan herself, Guinevere immediately seized her hand and shook her head vehemently.
In the original story, the King of Knights had been drugged by Morgan, and then...
In short, Guinevere's sudden, electric-like start was born from her fear that destiny might force this matter into its preordained path.
"Lia, you believe I can see the future, don't you? Then promise me you'll leave this matter to me."
Confusion, bewilderment...
"Guinevere, what have you seen?"
"I've seen my heart shattering into pieces. In any case, you must be wary of Lady Morgan and prevent her from making a move against you!"
The King of Knights wasn't stupid. At this point, she understood exactly what Guinevere had seen.
"I was violated by my sister? No! I can't get pregnant!"
"Huh? Cough, cough, cough, cough!"
Guinevere choked, and the King of Knights realized she had misunderstood. She found the idea absurd; even if drugged, she could never bring herself to attack her own sister.
"I understand. I'll be wary of my sister and never let her succeed. Or... after drinking her potion, could I... use my hand?"
For the sake of the kingdom, the King of Knights would do anything. As a knight who had fought on countless battlefields, she knew all that needed to be known.
But Guinevere resolutely refused to let this happen. She pressed herself firmly against the King of Knights, gazing down at her with intense seriousness. She spoke slowly, each word deliberate:
"I! Will! Never! Allow! Such! A! Thing!"
Their eyes locked. The King of Knights understood Guinevere would never back down on this matter. Her heart jolted, and she shrank back a little, murmuring, "I swear on the honor of my father, King Uther, that I will never do such a thing."
Having the King of Knights swear on her father's honor, Guinevere finally believed her.
Guinevere breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that if she hadn't brought up Morgan's matter today, and Morgan had approached the King of Knights herself, her Lia might actually have gone through with the very thing she had just sworn against.
"In short, Lia, if you ever do something like that again, I'll abandon you and run off to a convent to live out my days in solitude!"
"Guinevere, I'm sorry!"
Despite having already sworn an oath, Guinevere continued to press the matter, making the King of Knights realize that her girl-loving queen was genuinely furious.
"Guinevere, do you still want a kiss now?"
"Mmm... yes!"
Overcome with shame, the King of Knights was particularly adorable at that moment. And out of embarrassment, when Guinevere's hand once again strayed to where it shouldn't, she hesitated briefly before letting it linger without protest.