Special Side Story (5)
I crouched down, bringing myself to the man’s eye level.
I tapped his shoulder to get his attention as his eyes darted around frantically, as if he couldn’t believe this situation.
“You captured the king of this country, a man on the verge of declaring himself emperor, and yet, you were not executed on the spot. Shouldn’t you be thanking me?”
“…What?”
“You kidnapped the ruler of the land you’re standing on, and you’re talking about rules and order…wouldn’t you call that ridiculous?”
I chuckled, and the man’s head began to turn creakily.
His gaze landed on Alois, who was organizing the crowd and issuing orders to the knights.
“And you know what…”
I rose to my feet.
I dusted off my clothes and walked over to Alois, who was offering me his hand to escort me.
His manner was elegant and polite, almost out of place for the situation around us.
“From the moment you earned my distaste, escaping to another country became impossible.”
“…Hiiik!”
“So you better not even think about escaping. There are countless people who would gladly bring your corpse to me just to earn my goodwill.”
I turned around.
“W-wait…!”
As I was about to leave, someone grabbed my clothes.
Alois reflexively moved to knock the hand away but paused once he saw who it was. I tilted my head and looked.
It was the people who had been imprisoned just moments ago.
“Th-thank you so much!”
We weren’t the ones handling what followed afterwards.
“Thank you for saving us, L-Lady Saintess…! And… Your Highness.”
But the trembling, tearful gratitude from those who could hardly believe they had survived and struggled to stand on their feet to thank us, were ours to receive.
***
Only after half a day more of riding did we arrive at the villa that was supposed to be our destination.
We entered a room inside the well-maintained villa that didn’t seem to have a single sign of life.
Click—.
The door closed, and it was as if that sound was a signal.
“…Mph!”
Our lips met.
Deeply, fiercely.
As if quenching a burning thirst, I clung to him, greedy and unwilling to leave.
My back pressed against the heavy door. The cold, hard surface clashed with the burning heat from the man in front of me, and it felt like something inside my head was exploding.
“I couldn’t ruin the pilgrimage, and you weren’t here. Do you know how anxious I was?”
Alois whispered, a shallow breath spilling out from his lips.
The firm grip supporting my back made my toes curl on their own.
“And yet, you didn’t say anything like that in your letters…,” I replied, allowing myself to sink into his arms.
“Because I feel childish, being impatient and fretting all on my own.”
We had slept together every night since we got married so this was the first time that Alois and I had been apart for so long.
“I really…really missed you.”
At some point, his presence had become so natural that I felt strange without him around. So strange that I even wondered how I ever endured the times when I was alone before.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. His gaze met mine, heavy and hot, like it was reaching a boiling point.
“It’s a pity we ran into a useless band of thieves,” Alois muttered.
“But thanks to those useless guys, you got a good amount of things done, no?”
“True. It is leaps from what I planned but something like that is sort of a fitting start for us.”
I burst into laughter.
When my head tilted back, he buried his face into my neck.
Without pause, he scooped me up and strode straight to the bathroom.
I found myself plunged into the hot, waiting bathtub, still very much dressed.
With a splash, the water overflowed, spilling onto the floor but neither of us cared.
All I could manage was a stifled sound.
“We’re at peace and stable and I’m moving to achieve what I want but you are still shining where you are…it’s still not enough.”
Even as Alois spoke, his hands were blatantly entangling mine.
“Being with you like this, I can never have enough.”
The thin shirt clung to him, tracing every muscle of his well-trained body.
His broad shoulders and the perfect V-shaped torso rippled faintly, radiating heat.
“You’re mine and yet…”
“Yes, I’m yours, Alois.”
I cupped his cheek and pressed my forehead to his.
Droplets of lukewarm water glittered faintly in the trickling light.
“I want to keep you, have you all to myself and yet, I admire how much you belong to everyone, how you are envied, and I find myself ridiculous.”
His breath mingled with mine.
As his hands roamed my body, my eyelashes fluttered, and I brushed the damp strands from his forehead.
“It’s fine. Because I love even that side of you.”
“…”
“You know what? I feel exactly the same…”
Words cannot describe the realization I got while we were apart.
Alois looked into my eyes and opened his mouth.
“Do you know what I did while you were gone? I worked like a madman.”
He pressed between my legs, leaning his weight into me. As if I didn’t want to drown, I clung to him even more tightly.
“I even thought about throwing everything away and just running to you.”
His tone grew more raw, more direct. His reddened eyes betrayed his emotions clearly.
“I was finally in the position I’ve always wanted, doing what I wanted… but without you there, it was excruciating.”
I felt the same way.
The sense of security and warmth that came from knowing he would be there at the end of my day made every moment feel different.
Even within the repetitiveness of everyday life, even as time flowed on, the single fact that he was there, changed me more than I could ever measure.
“In a way, I’m glad we ran into those bandits today. Otherwise…the moment we arrived at the villa, I wouldn’t have let you go.”
His lips captured mine. I bit his lower lip and felt Alois invading my mouth. I grabbed his shoulders tightly.
“Mn…! Ngh!”
He gave me no time to breathe.
As if he meant to unleash all his pent-up desire in that moment, he grew even rougher.
It felt like every breath I had was being swallowed whole.
“I thought I have quite a bit of patience, but now I realize I don’t,” Alois remarked.
I gasped for air, unable to catch my breath.
The look in eyes was as if he was ready to devour every inch of me and I squirmed.
“You know, Alois, I still remember the day I first met you.”
As I exhaled and swallowed between breathless gasps, I let out a faint smile.
“It was so intense. A prince of a kingdom suddenly approaches me and spills out his desires…how could I not look at him?”
“I sought you only to achieve my goal, but the moment I laid eyes on you, I couldn’t look away. You are beyond beautiful. And I’ve been lost in your eyes ever since the moment we first met. I feel myself changing in countless ways because of you.”
Our first encounter was long ago now, yet the memory was as vivid as ever.
I couldn’t possibly forget that moment.
“Even now, every single moment, I sense myself drowning in this feeling called love.”
Alois lifted me up, forcing me to look down at him from above.
The sunset was beginning to seep through the window, and its light cast a glow on his face.
“The moment I began wanting your gaze, your touch, your voice, everything, we were destined to be this way.”
I slipped my hand beneath his shirt. Even though I could feel him, it wasn’t enough.
Buttons tore away, and I pressed against him, burying my face in his scent.
“Me too.”
And I spoke honestly.
The emotions surging in my chest burst out all at once like fireworks.
“From the very first moment I met you until now… I haven’t stopped looking at you for even a single moment.”
I wanted to call it fate.
At first, it was simple curiosity, then wonder, then growing into an irresistible urge to know more about him. At some point, I began to chase Alois.
At the end of my gaze, he was always there.
He approached me with playful steps and stopped, and I unclenched my fists, reaching out to him.
“Continue to lose yourself in me. Look only at me.”
He wasn’t the only one consumed by animalistic desire.
I also felt like it’s enough, no matter how much of him I had.
No matter how much I tried to fill that hole, I always remained thirsty.
So I had to keep him by my side and keep filling that hole.
Like a promise for eternity.
“Because you came into my life and turned it upside down.”
Looking back, it was true.
So many things had changed since he entered my life.
In hindsight, back then, all of it was in chaos.
Moments I thought I was calm were in truth full of confusion and complexities.
And after he appeared, my story only fell deeper into a labyrinth.
But every labyrinth has an end.
As long as you choose the right path, as long as you don’t stray, you’ll find the way out.
“Emilone… the fact that you chose me, I’ll make sure you’ll never regret it for the rest of your life.”
“Will there be a reason to regret?”
“There won’t. I’ll make you happy with me forever.”
Even so, Alois, I don’t want to escape this labyrinth that I’ve fallen into with you.
The best thing I’ve ever done in my life…
“I am so happy you’re my husband.”
…was likely choosing you.
“I would bet that I am way happier than you are.”
I hugged him tighter as the light of the sunset poured down on him like thunder and I kissed him again, deeply. Even though the falling droplets had cooled, I didn’t have chance to feel cold.
“I love you.”
Because he was with me.
I was happy.
〈EMILONE’S TEMPTATION LABYRINTH〉
〈THE END〉
Translator’s Corner:
And that’s it for this novel! Woohoo, we got some steamy love confessions at the end, finally!
My personal thoughts, you ask? Well, I thought Princess Ronella Nestro would play a bigger role in this story, but her arc ended up a little underwhelming (for me). I have to say though, I ended up really liking Emilone as a Saintess. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story with an actual good-alignment Saintess, so this was like a breath of fresh air. Alois? I have no opinion. Reneben? Where did he even go…
That’s it for my thoughts on the story. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
I hope you enjoyed this journey with Emilone~ and if you’re looking for something new to read, I welcome you to try out my newest translation: [Honey, I’m Going on Strike]. I’ll be releasing 3 ch/week for HGOS and one of the criteria for my next project was a LOT of romance and lightheartedness so…lool, it’s full of romance and smexy time ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).
See you soon~!
-Miss Ruby
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 140 - October 7, 2025
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 34 - October 7, 2025
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 139 - October 3, 2025