Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 74

“It hurts down there.”

I, Faust von Polydoro, was in a severe predicament.

During the investigation period of the assassination case of His Royal Consort, Lord Robert, Her Majesty the Queen—whom we agreed to call Liesenlotte simply—pressed her bosom against my back and hips. She is a 32-year-old redhead, a long-haired widow with a voluptuous figure.

The skinship was clearly excessive.

What is skinship? It is touching each other’s bodies or skin to enhance feelings of intimacy and belonging, sharing a sense of unity.

Indeed, as the Queen mourns Lord Robert, she naturally seeks comfort in me. She wants to share her grief with someone.

By touching skin, she tries to erase her loneliness.

I deeply sympathized with Liesenlotte.

If possible, I too wanted to share those feelings.

At this moment, that’s what I should do.

However, I am plagued by the remnants of my past life’s sensibilities, not accustomed to this bizarre world where gender roles concerning chastity are reversed.

When a widow’s large breasts are pressed against me like this, my excitement becomes uncontrollable.

Hence, the current situation.

“It hurts down there.”

My erection, was painfully pressed against the iron chastity belt.

“Faust, you look troubled. Is something the matter?”

“Yes, Liesenlotte. I am indeed deeply troubled right now.”

Hiding my feelings and trying not to let my turmoil show, I spoke words that seemed both false and true.

I was filled with self-loathing.

Liesenlotte is grieving. She has lost her beloved husband here in this rose garden and is utterly heartbroken.

And what about me? What is my current state?

I am imagining obscene things, excited by the touch of a widow’s ample bosom.

I felt like I was going to vomit with disgust at myself for entertaining such unhealthy thoughts.

Ashamed, I struggled to find the right words.

“I am deeply troubled that I cannot alleviate your sorrow.”

Calm yourself, Faust von Polydoro.

Liesenlotte does not harbor any carnal desires towards me. She does not feel lust; she is a woman who has lived solely devoted to her late husband, merely seeking empathy in her grief.

To me, she embodies the ideal of purity—chaste, a widow, and well-endowed—qualities that inadvertently appeal to my direct inclinations, yet it is wrong.

My excitement only grew worse.

My beloved horse, Flügel, has been taken by Duchess Astarte for breeding.

Why shouldn’t I engage in breeding activities as well? The thought crossed my mind, but it was impermissible.

If I were to act on my impulse and overpower her, it would be the end. A furious Liesenlotte would undoubtedly kill me.

Liesenlotte would despise such behavior, and my comrades, like Princess Anastasia and Duchess Astarte, would hold me in contempt as well.

I shall likely receive a severe reprimand from my fiancée, Lady Valiere, at present.

I’m not calling the current Valliere-sama, a 14-year-old Lolita with red hair and small breasts.

In the future, as a member of the royal lineage, her body might mature even further.

Or rather, if the engagement talks fall through.

In the values of this world, if I am perceived as a lecherous male knight, my honor will be utterly destroyed.

I would no longer taste the salty communion wafers of the Cologne sect, given once a week.

My Polydoro domain would be seen as governed by a lascivious knight of supposed chastity.

Calm yourself, Faust von Polydoro.

Haven’t you been doing well up until now?

As the lord knight of a domain with barely 300 subjects, it was unbearable to think of them being ridiculed, regardless of my own standing.

My subjects are all my property.

My subjects are all mine.

Therefore, the thought of them being ridiculed is something I could not bear, even in death.

Endure it, Faust.

Chew on the dirt.

Endure it with the grit of chewing gravel, bear this feeling.

“Lord Wesperman, I know it’s a bother, but could you go over the circumstances of Lord Robert’s death once more?”

“I’ve said it many times, but you may simply call me Marina, Lord Polydoro.”

Marina was 16 years old and poorly breasted.

Like Lady Valiere, she was a refreshment for the soul.

My heartstrings remained utterly untouched by the situation.

I am a breast fanatic.

A proud breast fanatic, at that.

When it comes to small breasts, I require that they do not even catch my eye in the nude, or else there would be no reaction whatsoever.

—

“Lord Robert passed away right here. He was found face down in this rose garden’s path. There were no external injuries.”

“Really?”

I raised my doubt.

I should be focusing on the investigation right now.

I try to endure the sensation of the ample bosom that Queen Liesenlotte pressed against my arm, feeling as firm as rock.

Investigation is the priority.

If my guess is right, it couldn’t possibly be without any external injuries.

My mouth moved on its own.

“I am a minor lord with just under 300 subjects. I understand the life of a peasant. It’s impossible not to have any injuries when working in gardening.”

“Lord Polydoro, what are you suggesting?”

“I’ll get straight to the point. Is there a possibility he was stabbed with a needle?”

A three-inch incision can kill a person.

Similarly, if a needle is inserted into an organ, it can be fatal.

If assassination is considered, a needle is indeed a plausible means.

If I recall my past life, perhaps he was killed by an assassin disguised as an acupuncturist in the common streets.

However, Marina shook her head.

“At the time, I was only 11 years old. I only know the circumstances from what my mother told me about the investigation. But even the previous generation of the Wesperman family considered it. There truly were no injuries that could be called external. What was found were marks like those of bee stings—common across the body—and maybe some scratches from rose thorns.”

Well, it would be strange if the Wesperman family, who are accustomed to assassinations as part of their duties, didn’t notice it.

This world is a medieval-like fantasy, and its basic cultural level can be assumed similar to historical medieval times.

However, there are several differences.

There are binoculars, communication devices called crystal balls, and weapons and armor enhanced by magical engravings.

In my previous life, bloodletting, a completely unfounded medical treatment involving drawing blood from the body, was practiced until the 18th century.

In this insane fantasy world, such practices have completely fallen out of use.

Some monasteries and universities in medicine are promoting the advancement of medical science throughout society.

Islamic medicine from my previous life, considered foreign medicine, has been actively incorporated for centuries throughout the sacred Gusten Empire.

A medical revolution is taking place.

Of course, technology for crime investigation has also advanced.

—

“At first, everyone thought it was an assassination. The possibility has not yet disappeared. But that voice has lessened. Why would Lord Robert be assassinated? If someone were to be killed, wouldn’t it be Her Majesty the Queen? Why, when he was kind to everyone and would not hesitate to cut his own expenses if it helped others, would Lord Robert need to be killed?”

Marina paused, seemingly deep in thought.

Then, she resumed speaking.

“I will say it again. The possibility that someone who was jealous of his position as the consort to Her Majesty the Queen did it has not disappeared. However, that is truly a slim possibility. The likelihood of Queen Liesenlotte choosing a replacement consort because Lord Robert passed away is low. At the time, Lady Anastasia was already 11 years old, and Lady Valiere was 9 years old. If Queen Liesenlotte were to become pregnant with a new heir, it would complicate matters…”

Marina suddenly halted her speech, as if afraid of something.

Queen Liesenlotte turned her back to me, her gaze directed towards Marina. Her expression was inscrutable.

Driven by curiosity, I called out to her.

“Liesenlotte?”

“What is it, Faust?”

Queen Liesenlotte turned around, smiling. Her smile was charming, almost youthful, which is uncommon for a 32-year-old widow. Of course, even though Liesenlotte wouldn’t chide me, I must not call her cute. That would surely anger her. Perhaps saying she’s beautiful might be acceptable.

“So, there were no visible injuries?”

“None.”

No external injuries. Well, I knew that but I had to ask.

“What about an autopsy?”

“Do you think I would allow anyone to dissect Robert’s body?”

Queen Liesenlotte whispered this while clinging to my arm. Understandable. One would want the deceased to rest peacefully.

“No external injuries. The internal damage is unknown. I heard that Lady Valiere was the first to discover him?”

“Yes. She found his body, not yet stiff, still warm. She screamed and cried, and soon the squires and knights of the royal court gathered, all of them wailing.”

It seems he was discovered shortly after death. However, I cast a glance at Marina.

“Why assume assassination? Given there were no injuries, could it not have been an accident or a sudden heart attack?”

“The Wesperman family believes it was poison.”

“Poison? I heard silver didn’t react?”

In this world, the typical poisons are arsenic and its compounds. However, I heard silver did not react. Of course, in a world where magic exists, it is possible for an alchemist, skilled in both magic and science, to create a poison that wouldn’t react with silver.

“Right here, on this ground. He fell, clawing at the earth in agony, leaving traces of his struggle and vomit. It wasn’t just a fainting spell followed by cessation of circulation.”

“So it wasn’t a sudden heart attack?”

“Lord Robert was only 29 at the time. It would be understandable if he were an old man…”

This is getting us nowhere.

Mysteries aren’t really my thing.

How can I possibly arrive at a conclusion that the Wesperman family, experts in their field, couldn’t reach in five years?

I am superhuman, but I am fundamentally a man of action, not thought.

“Poison, then?”

Indeed, it’s hard to believe that a healthy 29-year-old man would suddenly die of natural causes.

However, when it comes to poison, that is completely outside my area of expertise.

It seems I must leave it to the Wesperman family.

“But they’ve been investigating for five years and haven’t found anything.”

Queen Liesenlotte expressed her frustration with the Wesperman family’s ineffectiveness.

Marina flinched slightly before responding.

“It is indeed embarrassing. The vomit is still preserved, but despite consulting various alchemists and physicians, nothing has been found…”

It’s a total dead end.

Let’s summarize the Wesperman family’s hypothesis:

– It’s not a natural or disease-related death.

– There are no injuries, except possibly bee stings or scratches from roses.

– Internal injuries are unknown.

– It’s suspected to be poison, but the nature of the poison is unidentified.

– The perpetrator’s motives are unclear.

– While grudges or jealousy are possibilities, they are thin leads.

– It’s understandable why five years of investigation have yielded no results.

“I understand that nothing has been determined regarding the method of killing. Now, about the route of the assassination…”

“The investigation was made easier because all personnel in the royal palace volunteered, wanting to find the perpetrator behind Lord Robert’s assassination. However, alibis prove all personnel were not at the scene, and there were no assassins around him…”

“Let’s reinvestigate.”

I proposed a reinvestigation, rejecting Marina’s words.

First and foremost, we must do everything possible to clear Liesenlotte’s mind.

As a knight, I am determined to conduct this investigation fervently.

“Let’s ask, who was particularly close to Lord Robert?”

“There are too many to count. However, the closest one is near us.”

“Who?”

I inquire.

Let’s start the investigation with those who are nearby.

“Just, please don’t be too forceful in the investigation. These are people who have already been cleared of any wrongdoing.”

“Let’s start with those close to him. The possibility of an outsider entering the palace is low, right?”

“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say zero. Alibis for those individuals have already been established…”

Marina’s words became murky.

She seemed reluctant to introduce them.

However, to clear Liesenlotte’s mind, it is necessary to demonstrate that everything has been done.

“I’ll ask again. Who was close to him?”

“The gardener maintaining this rose garden alone—well, it’s a bit complicated. I should explain in advance that Lord Robert took in this troubled child due to various circumstances after he suffered severe abuse from his parents.”

“Uh-huh?”

Marina hesitated.

I could tell there was a complicated reason, but what she meant was unclear.

As I waited for her to speak, Liesenlotte began first.

“The gardener maintaining this garden. Robert picked up the child, feeling pity for him. He was, how should I put it, a victim of severe abuse from his parents, a product of madness—you could say, the child of a wandering minstrel. That’s why he needed to be carefully protected.”

Liesenlotte frowned.

Ah, I’m beginning to understand.

Even a fool like me could see it now.

A eunuch.

Someone who was castrated to serve in the harem.

A castrato.

To preserve their ability to sing in high pitches, some male singers were castrated before puberty to prevent their voices from breaking.

Their voices were so compelling that conductors and musicians would stop playing to listen.

Opera singers.

Could it be? In this absurd world with a male to female ratio of 1:9, such a figure exists?

“Due to his singing ability, he was castrated by his insane performer parents. Robert felt deeply sorry for him and decided to bring him to the palace to at least allow him to live a full life as a person. His name is Michael. I won’t stop the investigation, but I can hardly believe that child, who was 12 at the time and now 17, could have done it.”

So it was a eunuch.

And a castrato.

I never thought such things existed in this mad world.

Resigned, I decided to meet this Michael.