Five years passed. In Villendorf’s royal palace, my beloved Catalina turned to me. She was now past twenty-seven years of age, and she’d only grown more bewitching and enchanting since the day I first met her.
“Faust, I’d like to ask you something,” she said. Her tone was a touch berating.
I feared what she had to say, but I answered her call.
“What’s wrong, my dear Catalina?” I asked.
“You’re far too wanton, are you not?” she inquired. “Do you understand what I’m saying? You’re too lustful; your libido is far too high. You’re too lascivious.”
I knew you’d say that, I thought. I knew you’d ask, but it hurts when it comes from the woman I love. I can’t really fault you, though.
“You proposed to me and officially became the prince consort of Villendorf’s royal family,” Catalina said. “I’m ecstatic that you came to my side, and Liesenlotte seems to have accepted this arrangement as well, so I don’t have any complaints. Indeed, I’m very much overjoyed and I have no issues.”
After I became prince consort, the citizens and nobles of Villendorf had unanimously welcomed me with open arms. The Polidoro fief was governed well, and Villendorf dispatched excellent magistrates to look after my land, allowing my fief to prosper far more than when I was at the helm. House Polidoro’s heir was still an issue on my mind, but while Catalina and I shared an intimate relationship as we lived together, we were blessed with a child who could succeed the throne of Villendorf. I was certain that a second and third child would be born soon enough. If either of them agreed to succeed my fief, all would be well.
“Surely, you’re aware of the problem that I have,” Catalina said. “I’m talking about your actions in Villendorf. You said that you cared for me, that you loved me more than anyone else in the world. And I replied that no matter who you hold in your arms or love in the future, as long as you stay by my side and hold my hand in our final moments, I’d be more than satisfied.”
She was right. I loved Catalina. She’d already given birth to our first daughter, Claudia. She’d inherit Villendorf one day and be the one to wear the tiara on her head.
“You loved me,” Catalina said. “You showered me with love, and I felt your emotions loud and clear. Even in the bedroom, your passionate, intense actions left me completely satisfied. I felt your love fully, and I love you from the bottom of my heart.”
“Catalina,” I murmured.
My wife’s name escaped my lips as I was moved by her words. I felt tempted to drag her into bed right this second—if I were to be greedy, I wished she’d beg me to whisk her into her bedroom so that I wouldn’t earn her ire for dragging her there. I tried to entice my beloved wife.
“But that aside, I must ask if you laid your hands on my younger sister, Nina von Reckenbell, along with our guest, Yue,” Catalina went on. “I heard all about your deeds moments ago.”
Ah, yes. I did lay my hands on them. Lady Nina was already seventeen. When she was a young girl, her eyes had been large and round, but as she’d grown older, she began to resemble her late mother, Claudia von Reckenbell. Lady Nina’s eyes became narrower, and she transformed into a tall and slender lady. Everyone in Villendorf would burst into tears of joy when they laid eyes upon her, claiming that she was the spitting image of her mother. That always bothered Lady Nina immensely.
She was a touch emotionally unstable, and when we went for an outing not long ago, she’d clung to me with tears in her eyes. That was when she pushed me to the ground. She declared that she’d sleep with me and surpass her mother, Claudia von Reckenbell. Frankly, I felt like her method of attaining victory over her mother was a bit…odd, but well, what could I say? I wasn’t one to lose, and I rose to the challenge. My method left much to be desired.
“Nina became pregnant,” Catalina said. “She implored me to acknowledge that you’re the baby’s father, Faust.”
Since I’d won every time Lady Nina tried to take me in her arms, she’d visit me once a week for a rematch in bed. It didn’t matter when, where, or what situation we were in. And I’d made an oath to never flee from a duel proposed by a Villendorf knight. So, you know, I wish you’d look the other way for this one. I told my side of the story confidently.
“Hmm, are you sure that you weren’t just happy that a young woman who’s a decade my junior wished to have these secret rendezvous with you once a week?” Catalina asked.
Well, I can’t deny that I had some ulterior motives. And I didn’t wish to lie to my beloved. This young girl, tall and slender with narrow eyes, had asked me to join her in bed—she pushed all the right buttons for my fetishes. I couldn’t deny that there was a hint of excitement in my heart. Okay, I was really excited about the entire affair. However, I still loved Catalina the most in the world—that didn’t change. Furthermore, I wasn’t the one who’d forced myself on Lady Nina. I made my excuses.
“Well, I can turn a blind eye to Nina,” Catalina said. “She’s Reckenbell’s daughter, which would make her my sister. I’d rather have you plant your seed in her than have some random guy ravish her body. I suppose I can forgive that.”
She forgave me!
“But what about Yue?” she asked. “I can also offer you my forgiveness if the circumstances called for it.”
Lady Yue was a military officer and a guest of Villendorf. She was also emotionally unstable. In the end, Toqto’a Khan never did head west. I wasn’t quite sure why, but the reality was that we were never threatened by her and her nomadic tribe. That was all that mattered. But Lady Yue had lost her entire family, cast aside her family name, and used every fiber of her existence to train herself. She did it all so that she could finally get revenge, but now that Toqto’a Khan was gone, Lady Yue had no idea where to direct her emotions. That made her unstable.