The Abandoned Prince Heals an Enemy Soldier on the Frontlines, Only to Discover She’s the Seventh Imperial Princess - Chapter 08: The Abandoned Prince Gets Thoroughly Enjoyed

Chapter 08: The Abandoned Prince Gets Thoroughly Enjoyed

A week had passed.

“Oh? So this is the refrigerator that Sister Yelona made for you?”

“That’s right!! Now I can have ice-cold juice whenever I want!!”

I proudly showed off the large refrigerator that had just been installed in my room.

It all started a few days ago while we were repairing the broken shower in the bathhouse.

That’s when I asked Yelona to build this fridge for me.

I never actually expected her to finish it in just one week…

At this point, she might not just be the best magic tool maker in the Empire—she might be the best in the world.

As I basked in my triumph, admiring the fridge, Rosemary tilted her head in confusion.

“I can understand that chilled drinks taste better, but did you really need to go so far as to have a magic tool made just to keep things cold? Wouldn’t an icehouse be enough?”

“That’s the kind of thinking only rich people have, Rosemary.”

“Hm?”

Sure, if all I wanted was a cold drink, an icehouse would do the job.

But icehouses were a luxury only the wealthy could afford.

In the summer, ice was ridiculously expensive. Back in the Agarham Kingdom, only nobles and a handful of wealthy merchants could get their hands on it.

That’s where the refrigerator came in.

It wasn’t exactly cheap, but it could last over a decade.

Of course, the materials and development costs were still too high to mass-produce at a low price.

The best approach would be to sell it at a high price to the rich first, establish the concept, and then refine it until it was affordable for commoners.

That way, eventually, everyone could enjoy ice-cold juice and alcohol.

I explained this plan to Rosemary.

“…Hmm, I see. But I must say, you seem to care quite a lot about the common folk.”

“Huh?”

“Normally, inventions like this are reserved for the elite. You limit production, keep the process a secret, and only hire a select few workers. That way, you can keep the prices high and maximize profits.”

…Ah.

She had a point.

Back in Japan, refrigerators were so common that every household had one.

It felt natural to think everyone should have access to one.

Even if I didn’t try to make it widely available, selling them exclusively to the rich would still turn a profit.

For a moment, I considered that approach.

But…

“Well… I don’t really like that idea.”

“You dislike it?”

I nodded.

“I think things like this develop because more people know about them.”

“Hmm?”

“If someone tries to copy the refrigerator to make a profit, they won’t be able to sell it unless it’s better in some way. So they’ll have to innovate, refine the design, and improve on it. That’s how technology evolves—by constantly building on past inventions. But if you keep something a secret, it won’t advance as quickly.”

Of course, that was just my personal theory.

I didn’t want to bring it up, but the same thing applied to weapons used in war.

Nations created better weapons to gain an advantage over their enemies.

To do that, they had to study enemy weapons, understand their structure, and then improve upon them.

That cycle of imitation and improvement eventually led to terrifying inventions like nuclear weapons.

But what if a country chose not to use the weapons they developed?

The answer was simple.

If no one deployed them, there would be no need for other nations to counter them with better versions. As a result, the technology wouldn’t advance.

…And that’s when something clicked.

“…Wait. Is that why guns and cannons haven’t advanced in the Empire?”

I had never seen gunpowder in this world, but I had seen substances similar to it.

Explosive minerals, for example.

With the Empire’s level of technology, they should be more than capable of developing guns or cannons by properly refining and utilizing those materials.

The only reason they hadn’t done so yet was simply because no one had thought of it.

But if that was the case, then something didn’t quite add up—why hadn’t anyone come up with the idea yet?

There were geniuses in every world.

Even if no one had invented full-fledged firearms or cannons, someone should have at least created the foundation for them by now.

…Could it be that any genius who got close to the idea was secretly eliminated?

…No, that was too much of a conspiracy theory.

Maybe I’d just been reading too many of those kinds of novels in the imperial library lately.

I decided to stop overthinking things.

“Well, in any case—if useful things like refrigerators spread, it’ll eventually make my life even more comfortable. And if that’s the case, keeping them a secret just doesn’t sit right with me.”

“…Heh. Haha!!”

Suddenly, Rosemary burst into laughter.

“Huh? What? What’s so funny all of a sudden?”

“Ah, no, I just found it amusing. I can’t tell if you’re being selfish or selfless.”

“I’d say selfish, probably? This all started because I wanted ice-cold juice.”

“Fufu, exactly. That’s why I laughed. Your selfishness ends up making everyone happy. It’s a wonderful thing. As expected of the man I fell for—ah.”

…Wait. What?

“Ah—n-no, I didn’t mean—”

“Ah. Ahh, yeah. It’s fine. I get it.”

“R-Right!! Hahaha, it sure is hot today, huh!!”

“A-Ah! Well, I’ve got some juice chilling in the fridge!! W-Want some!?”

“I-I shall have some!!”

I quickly grabbed a bottle from the fridge, popped it open, and poured the juice into a glass.

Handing it to Rosemary, I watched as she downed it all in one go.

“Mm! It’s cold and delicious! Hahaha!!”

“T-That’s good to hear. …Hm?”

“What is it?”

I frowned as I looked at the juice bottle.

Now that I took a closer look… I didn’t remember putting this brand in the fridge.

“Wait… Did I even put this juice in here?”

“Guh!?”

“Huh? W-Wait, Rosemary!?”

“W-What… is this…?”

Rosemary crouched down, gasping in distress.

T-This is bad. That juice definitely had something in it!!

Was it poison!? Who would do this!? No—figuring that out can wait!!

“J-Just hold still! I’ll heal you right now!!”

Panicked, I placed my hands on Rosemary and activated Perfect Regeneration.

That should’ve fixed everything—

But she was still struggling.

“W-What!? Why isn’t it working!? I’ve never found a poison I couldn’t cure before!!”

“R-Reyshel…”

“D-Don’t worry!! I’ll definitely fix this!! Damn it—!! I’ve always relied on my cheat skill, so I have no idea what kind of poison this even is!!”

“Hah… hah… Reyshel…”

“W-What!?”

Rosemary called my name weakly.

Then, she spoke again—

“D-Don’t… touch me…”

“Huh? N-No, wait! T-This isn’t what you think!! I didn’t put that juice there!! Someone else must have—”

“That’s not… the problem!!”

She suddenly shouted, making me flinch.

Then, still panting, she looked up at me with flushed cheeks.

“I-I can’t hold back ♡ Just looking at you is making my whole body ache ♡ If this keeps up, I’ll end up doing something terrible to you ♡”

I looked between the juice and Rosemary, and it finally clicked.

I understood what had been inside the drink.

My Perfect Regeneration was designed to automatically remove anything harmful to the body.

But if something wasn’t harmful—like medicine—it wouldn’t be removed unless I consciously focused on it.

Which meant…

The juice had been spiked with an aphrodisiac.

Technically, it was still considered a type of medicine.

But that wasn’t a problem. If I focused, I could remove it.

“W-Wait right there! I’ll heal you right—”

I still didn’t know who had put it in the fridge, but I had no time to worry about that.

I quickly reached out to heal Rosemary—

And that’s when it happened.

She suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled herself closer.

“R-Rosemary…?”

“Hah ♡ Hah ♡ This is your fault  I told you not to touch me, and yet…♡ This is your fault ♡ You did this to me ♡”

“W-Wait! Just calm down for a second!!”

I tried to step back—

But Rosemary closed the distance.

Before I knew it, I was backed up against the wall.

I glanced sideways, looking for an escape route—

BAM!!

A sharp wall slam.

She blocked my way out.

“Reyshel.”

“R-Rosemary…?”

At an extremely close distance, Rosemary and I locked eyes.

Her warm breath brushed against my skin, sending my heart racing.

And, of course, my faithful sword reacted.

I quickly averted my gaze from Rosemary’s intense stare, looking down—

Only to be met with the sight of her very ample chest, which only made things worse.

Noticing my reaction, Rosemary leaned in closer and whispered—

“Reyshel ♡”

“W-Wait, just calm down! Y-You’re acting weird because of the aphrodisiac, that’s all!”

“Shut up ♡ Look at you—you’re already hard down here ♡ What an obscene size and shape ♡ I never would’ve imagined it from your appearance ♡”

She murmured as she gently stroked my sword.

S-Stay calm.

I tried to steady myself, but then—

Rosemary whispered again, her voice laced with heat.

“Say that you love me ♡ Say that you want me ♡”

She was forcing a confession out of me.

It was likely the last bit of rationality she had left.

She wasn’t outright forcing herself on me—she wanted me to say it, to consent, so she could convince herself that this was mutual.

Strangely, I didn’t feel disgusted by it at all.

But…

This wasn’t what Rosemary truly wanted.

She was only acting like this because of the aphrodisiac.

I knew that.

So, instead of giving in, I resisted—even if just a little.

“W-What if I say no?”

“In that case ♡ I’ll just keep going until you do say it ♡ Until you tell me you love me ♡”

…Ah. No escape, huh.

Well, in that case—should I just say it?

I do like Rosemary, after all!!

Running away now would be a disgrace as a man!!

“Rosemary. I love you.”

“—♡♡♡♡ Ahhh ♡ I love you too ♡ I adore you ♡ You’re mine now ♡”

And so—
That night, Rosemary thoroughly enjoyed every inch of me.





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[Afterword]

Author: “A normal protagonist would probably try to talk their way out of it, right?”

R: “DUN-DUN!! Who was it that put the aphrodisiac juice in my fridge!?”

Author: “Hey!! Don’t change the subject!!”

If you thought, “Guilty!”, “No, he’s innocent! He was the one being pursued!”, or “I’m jealous, so he’s definitely guilty!”—

Then don’t forget to leave a comment, bookmark, ★ rating, and review!