In the world of Type-Moon, it all begins with becoming Morgan's husband!

What are you planning to do riding a horse at this time?

Ian's doubts did not last long.

As he followed these traces, he soon came across a magnificent scene.

Under the full moon's glow, East Starion stood in the center of the woods.

The white silver light fell on the well-groomed mane, giving the steed an air of nobility, like an aristocrat among horses.

But at this moment, it is not the focus of attention.

The real protagonist is the girl Artoria who rides on it.

Her fair legs, which she used to ride the horse, seemed to blend perfectly with the mane of East Starion.

Her pure and flawless body sat quietly atop the horse, neither concealed by the kingly armor of a knight nor by the girlish beauty of a white dress.

The bright moonlight covered every inch of her skin, making it as white as the first snow, and the flowing lines from top to bottom created a beauty like that of a flower.

The girl lowered her usually haughty head, waiting for something, appearing shy and bashful.

Such a scene is simply too beautiful.

It took Ian a long time to come to his senses and call out her name.

"Artoria."

The girl was startled at first, then turned around, revealing a joy that she only showed when she saw her beloved.

“Mr. Ian, you’ve finally arrived.”

"Let's get on the horse first."

"..."

Without much hesitation, Ian accepted Artoria's invitation and, after a long time, mounted the horse he had given her.

As soon as he sat down, the girl leaned into his arms.

She asked softly:

"Mr. Ian, does this version of me offend you?"

"how could be……"

As Ian felt the girl's delicate, fair skin, a flutter of excitement stirred within him.

"I just didn't expect you to do this."

"If we get caught, it'll be hard to explain, won't it?"

“Yes.” Artoria nodded shyly. “But I believe Mr. Ian will arrive here before anyone else.”

"So I'm not scared at all."

"..."

It was neither hypocrisy nor flattery.

All she had was the girl's determination to give something beautiful to the one she loved.

Ian didn't know how to respond.

Lost in thought, the girl's voice came again.

“Mr. Ian, there’s no need to be nervous.”

Artoria took his hand.

"I... just wanted to show you my best side."

"I don't ask for your response, nor do I need you to take any responsibility for it."

"I just want you to look at me one more time, that's enough."

"..."

Artoria is as cold to others as she is to herself.

He clearly only wanted her to be a puppet he could control, but he discovered that she didn't actually mind becoming his plaything at all.

How should I respond to this sincerity?

Ian lowered his head and embraced the girl.

“That’s probably far more than just a glance, Artoria.”

"I think I need to experience it for myself for a while."

"Eh--?"

Although Artoria was somewhat surprised, she eventually nodded in agreement.

"Hmm... I think so too."

The girl's ethereal voice resonated with the young birds in the small grove.

And it all stemmed from the hands of another man who had stained the dragon's lair.

He composed and painted every gentle note.

The clear spring flows gently, and the melodious singing echoes through the night sky.

But East Starlion remained as composed and elegant as ever, befitting a fine horse.

It knows it has been the subject of different stories—but it still maintains a silent stance.

The most important quality of a warhorse is its loyalty to its rider at that moment.

As for who that person is, it's actually not that important.

You and Artoria had a perfect night with minimal restraint.

[Besides you, no other knight knew that their knight king still harbored such a burning, yearning heart of a young girl.]

Everything was silently concealed within the war.

You are the king's most powerful knight, and she is the knight's most powerful king.

You have won another battle.

At this moment, a knight who called himself Percival appeared before you.

74. The Holy Lance, the Maiden, and the Bitter Wine (4,000-word chapter)

Like Bedivere, Percival also seems to have come here because he admired King Arthur's reputation.

On his first visit, he almost mistook you, who were much taller, for King Arthur.

He seemed somewhat surprised upon learning that the woman beside you, Artoria, was the true King Arthur.

However, he continued to express his remorse, hoping to prove that he did not do it intentionally.

Of course, Artoria didn't care about that much.

On the contrary, she seemed somewhat pleased at the moment of the misidentification.

This gave Percival an opportunity akin to a roundtable meeting.

[And during this free time, Gareth has something he wants to say to you.]

"Father, Father~"

Gareth waved at Ian.

"Could you come over here for a second?"

"..."

Although I didn't understand what Gareth wanted to do, Ian still came to her side as she wished.

"Gares, what's wrong?"

"Father, I want to ask you a question~" Gareth blinked his big, bright eyes.

"Why did Mother ask me and Brother Gao Wen to keep an eye on you and Wang?"

"..."

Gareth's words made you realize that Morgan hadn't completely let go of his suspicions about you because of your previous explanation.

This should have been a somewhat unpleasant experience, but for some reason, you felt a long-lost sense of comfort—like a ray of sunlight suddenly shining into a perpetually dark place.

However, you know this isn't something Gareth should be involved in.

"nothing."

Ian smiled and patted Gareth's head.

"Your mother is just concerned about me."

"Just out of concern?" Gareth seemed skeptical of this explanation.

“Yes, it’s about concern.” Ian confirmed again.

"Gareth, these are not things you should be thinking about."

"Huh?! Why are you saying that even, Father?!"

"Even I say that?" Ian asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Uh-huh!"

Gareth pointed to Gawain, who was listening to the conversation between the king and Percival not far away.

“Brother Gao Wen said exactly the same thing as you did.”

"..."

Ian looked at Gawain with a complicated smile on his face.

"Um--"

“Gareth, my son, so you should understand that this is not something you should be interfering in, shouldn’t you?”

“Oh…” Gareth nodded thoughtfully, then seemed to remember something.