I Have No Intention Of Training The Male Leads - Chapter 21 Part 3

“Ow, my back.”

Eve muttered, her eyes glued to the documents on her desk.

Their morning workout had been a bit too intense. She rubbed her lower back, wincing.

After bringing him to another three orgasms, focusing solely on his rear, Eve had finally regained her senses when Castel, thrashing and whimpering, passed out completely.

By the time she had finished cleaning him up, applying ointment to his abused entrance and changing the sheets, it was almost time for work. She had barely managed to splash some water on her face before rushing out the door.

‘I wanted to ask him to have lunch together if I finished the paperwork early…’

Eve clicked her tongue, scratching her chin.

Her adjutant, noticing her massaging her back, commented, “Back pain?”

“Yeah.”

“Perhaps… this?”

The adjutant raised her pinky finger suggestively. Eve set down her pen, interlocked her fingers, and smiled sweetly. 

“Dame Elise, you’re on morning duty today, aren’t you? Want to spar with me in the training yard after your shift?”

“What?”

“Want to get your ass handed to you in front of your juniors?”

“Gah! I’ll refrain from making such assumptions.”

“And you were the one who spouted that bullshit to Dame Katarina last time. Do you even realize what kind of rumors are circulating in high society because of you?”

“Oh my, look at the time! I have some documents to submit to the administration office.”

The woman, her blonde hair chopped short like a man’s, quickly gathered her papers and scurried out of the office.

Eve snorted and picked up her pen.

While the adjutant’s insinuation was accurate, she couldn’t possibly admit that she had almost thrown out her back after a night of passionate entanglement with her colleague, who was something akin to a ‘friends with benefits’ situation. 

The ?rumors in high society? were the reason she had been promoted to Captain of the Third Knights, responsible for outer palace security and administrative tasks.

The Third Knights were mainly comprised of newly commissioned knights, those from less prominent families or commoner backgrounds, and female knights skilled in administrative duties.

It was a demotion in disguise, but Eve didn’t mind. In fact, on her first day as captain, she had celebrated, thrilled to finally have a position with fixed working hours.

Three weeks before, she had been summoned by Crown Princess Amelia, who had reprimanded her with a ?You should have been more careful?, while explaining the situation.

From what Eve could gather from Amelia’s subtle hints, a scandalous rumor was spreading throughout the court, involving a love triangle between the Emperor, his closest bodyguard, Castel, and the only female knight in his personal guard, Eve.

The rumor had spiraled out of control, with whispers resurfacing about the female knight being the same cross-dressing lady who had been entangled with both Edward and Grand Duke William in the past.

While it wasn’t entirely fabricated, Eve was baffled by how such a rumor could have spread, especially since she had never been publicly affectionate with either man.

Edward, with the discreet help of physicians and magicians, was undergoing treatment to suppress his fertility. He had long declared Amelia as his heir, promising to abdicate in her favor once she completed her training.

Therefore, even the slightest possibility of him fathering an heir could potentially be exploited by the old nobles who opposed Amelia’s ascension.

The fact that she had been abruptly transferred from the Emperor’s Personal Guard to Captain of the Third Knights, just as the position of Vice Captain of the First Knights had opened up, with her name being considered, was a result of these circumstances.

‘I’ll be back in the personal guard once Amelia becomes Empress anyway. It’s a temporary transfer with a guaranteed return. Plus, it has its perks – I can keep an eye on Edward more easily, and she’ll probably find me easier to boss around than Castel.’

Eve considered it a temporary relocation, a chance to take it easy and work at a more relaxed pace until Amelia ascended the throne.

After finishing the reports and reviewing the documents requiring approval, she glanced at the clock.

‘I have some time to spare. Should I just head home?’

As if anticipating her thoughts, a knock sounded from behind the door. 

“Yes.”

The door opened, revealing Sir Cain Wesley, one of the Emperor’s personal guards.

“Good work, Dame.”

“Thank you, Sir Cain. What brings you here?”

“His Majesty has summoned you.”

“…What for?”

“Well…”

Cain hesitated, his expression troubled. 

“He… He told me not to tell you beforehand…” 

“Ugh… Argh!”

Eve bit back a curse, barely managing to maintain her composure.

“Alright.”

After tidying up her desk, she instructed Elise to lock up the office and followed Cain out the door.

“How’s his mood?”

“…Normal.”

Eve rubbed her face in exasperation at the knight’s reply, which concisely summed up the Emperor’s usual temperament—whimsical and crazy.

As they climbed the stairs to the Emperor’s private quarters, Eve realized that Cain wasn’t taking her to the office or the reception room, but to the dressing room. She muttered a curse under her breath.

“Oh, you’re here already, Eve.”

“Your Majesty. What is the reason for this summons?”

“Come here, take a look at this.”

Edward beckoned her closer. Eve, seeing the servants lined up against the wall and the two knights standing behind him, forced a smile on her face and approached him.

“Which one looks better? This blue one? Or this greenish one?”

“Ah… well…”

Edward was in the middle of changing, dressed in a dark navy frock coat and a soft silver waistcoat. Eve’s eyes glazed over as he held up two silk scarves for her inspection.

Repeating the mantra “Don’t hit your boss,” ten times in her head, Eve stared at the two scarves, struggling to discern the subtle difference in color. She randomly picked one. She knew he would tease her if she hesitated or seemed indifferent.

“I think this one’s prettier.”

Edward smiled and instructed a servant to put the other scarf around his neck. Eve’s eyes glazed over again as the servant carefully removed the scarf she had chosen and set it aside.

‘Crazy bastard. If this were Korea, I’d have reported his abusive behavior to the labor board.’

She stared at his blond hair, shimmering in the sunlight streaming through the window, then quickly shook her head, trying to banish the image of her dream from her mind.

“Do you have an outing scheduled today?”

“I just decided, so you wouldn’t know. I suddenly felt like getting some fresh air.”

“…For Your Majesty’s safety, please inform the Royal Guard of your schedule at least three days in advance.”

“What can I do if I suddenly feel like going out? Surely you don’t think of me as a caged animal?”

Eve was speechless but managed to respond calmly, “No, Your Majesty.”

“That’s why I summoned you.”

“Yes…?”

“You’re the second best Sword Master after Sir Castel. Who could possibly harm me with you as my escort? Unless it’s Sir Castel himself, or you.”

Eve sighed deeply at Edward’s wicked sense of humor, his casual words bordering on blasphemy. She could sense the knights standing behind him stiffen.

“Please refrain from making such remarks, Your Majesty.”

Edward watched Eve, who was silently playing the role of the loyal knight, with a knowing glint in his eyes.

She no longer acted recklessly or lashed out as she used to. After a certain point, she had matured, her gaze now regarding his antics as mere childish tantrums. Her cold, detached eyes, filled with a mixture of pity and disdain, occasionally sparked a desire within him to break her, to strip her of that facade of composure and bring her back down to earth.

Of course, the fact that she still treated him like an object, devoid of will and agency, when they were alone, only intensified his desire.