The NTR Knight Commander has Decided to Desert

Chapter 14

Let me make one thing clear—

I am absolutely not impotent.

The emotion known as sexual desire very much exists within me, and whenever I saw a beautiful woman, I naturally felt the stirrings of lust.

And in that regard—

"Gulp..."

At this moment, I was overwhelmed by such an intense temptation that I couldn't help but swallow dryly.

Franklin, pulling my body close and staring at me with burning eyes,

Then she—

Spoke in a voice so sweet it felt like it would melt right into my ear.

"I've been waiting... ever since the first time I saw you. I've been waiting for this moment."

"...Ge-General?"

"You probably don't know... just how much I've admired you all this time. How my heart pounded every time I saw your flawless self, so different from me..."

"Huh?... Wh-What are you..."

She suddenly began throwing out something like a confession, completely catching me off guard.

Then, breathing hotly toward me, she gently began to caress my face.

"Heheh... So cute... our dear Commander..."

With those words—

"Uh... Wa-wait a minu—!!!"

She slowly tightened the arms she still hadn't let go of and began to pull me in.

And then—

-Smooch...

"!!"

A soft sensation at the edge of my lips.

It was fiery hot, like touching a flame, and yet unbearably sweet.

At the same time, it gave the feeling of being wrapped in a strange sense of peace,

And through that kiss, something intense began to pour straight into my mind.

A feeling I couldn't possibly endure.

It made my head spin and my heart race wildly.

And at the same time, my vision began to blur.

As I belatedly realized what it was—

'! Shit... alcohol...'

I—

Began to lose consciousness rapidly.

'Wait... don't tell me this counts as indirect drinking... Damn it. Of all times, why now—'

The alcohol, now a high-concentration vapor, had filled her stomach and mouth.

Reacting to Franklin's natural magic, its potency had grown unnecessarily strong, and through our kiss, it began to flow rapidly into me.

And this unintended strike of hers—

Proved quite fatal to me, who was already teetering from just two drinks.

"Hngh... zzz... zzz..."

*

Being someone others had high expectations for wasn't always a good thing.

It meant receiving many things, but also bearing just as much burden, and when things didn't go as planned, it could become an overwhelming pressure.

A life where even the smallest mistake was unacceptable.

A life where you always had to appear perfect.

She had been born into such a position.

Whether she wanted it or not—

Regardless of who she truly was—

She had to live her life always wearing the mask called perfection.

Even when things were tough or painful, she had to pretend to be fine.

Even when faced with difficult challenges, she had to overcome them while feigning composure.

She knew full well that this was a false image.

In truth, she was far from perfect, and her natural talent was nothing remarkable.

The only reason she'd managed to craft the mask of who she was today was because of the relentless effort she'd poured in behind the scenes.

To get ahead with talent no greater than anyone else's, she had to invest even more time.

Those who didn't know that simply thought she was amazing.

But behind it all was someone who had endured agony as if coughing up blood, barely maintaining her current self.

And—

To someone who had lived such a life, that man...

Unlike her, who only pretended to be perfect—

That man, who had always shown true flawlessness—

Even if he was an enemy, he was more than enough to be an idol and object of admiration.

Someone who embodied the ideal she truly sought.

Even if there was a fundamental gap between them, to her, who had always experienced quiet despair, he was someone who lit the path forward.

That was—

The image of the man named Cromwell, etched in the heart of the woman named Franklin,

And the reason she came to hold admiration, reverence, and something else entirely for him.

*

"...Ugh..."

Franklin slowly regained consciousness through the pounding pain in her head.

With a raging hangover and the urge to vomit from excessive drinking, she began to feel an unbearable thirst.

'What the... what even happened?... I remember drinking at the end... but after that, everything's blank...'

Her memory had cut off after downing several drinks Cromwell had poured for her.

Confused by that fact, she forced her heavy eyelids open.

And then—

"...Huh?"

The next moment, the sight of that man appeared right in front of her nose.

It was... Cromwell, lying asleep beside her on her narrow bed.

'W-What is this?... Wh-What the hell happened? D-Don't tell me I actually... with Commander Cromwell last night...?'

Her mind was still foggy, so she couldn't be sure, but something had definitely happened.

In a panic, Franklin flung off the blanket and checked her own condition.

However—

'A-At least... it looks like nothing serious happened...'

She was still in her uniform, looking almost exactly as she had the day before.

There were no signs that her clothes had been removed or tampered with, and based on that, she could tell that nothing had crossed the line.

'But... then why is the Commander sleeping next to me...? Could it be... he laid me down while drunk and then just fell asleep too? Hmmm...'

Feeling confused in many ways,

She got up and looked down at Cromwell, who was fast asleep beside her, oblivious to the world.

'Well... considering Commander Cromwell's character, that would make sense... But still...'

She accepted the situation for now and felt a bit relieved.

But regardless of that, at this moment, a fundamental sense of disappointment as a woman began to stir within her.

'Still... come on... to not even touch me in a situation like that... Does that mean I'm just not attractive enough?'

Considering she'd laid the groundwork with that in mind, it wasn't exactly a pleasant thought.

In truth, he had touched something far more important than just her hand, albeit somewhat forcibly—but with that memory gone, Franklin's misunderstanding was understandable.

With such a restless feeling inside her—

Franklin glanced at him lying defenseless before her and swallowed dryly.

'Well... so what? Now that it's come to this, I just need to make it a done deal. The process got a little twisted, but the ending's about the same. So right now...'

If he wouldn't cross the line, then she would.

Having made up her mind, Franklin slowly began to approach Cromwell.

But then—

- —"General Franklin! Please come out at once!"

"!...You son of a—"

A ruckus echoed from outside.

At the urgent voice of her aide interrupting at such a critical moment, Franklin couldn't help but let out a string of curses.

"What the hell is this commotion? This early in the morning..."

Muttering her complaints, Franklin stepped outside.

But immediately after—

Franklin found herself frozen, unable to voice her earlier complaints, her expression turning stiff with silence.

In that moment, a group of people came into her view.

Not soldiers or warriors, but people who were clearly civilians at a glance.

Though a few young men were among them, most were elderly, women, or young children—

People who clearly didn't belong in a war-torn fortress like this, all wearing miserable faces and looking utterly despondent.

Their appearance was the very image of the word "refugee."

Especially the woman standing at the front as their representative—her expression was chilling, as if her soul had fled her body—

And she was displaying a raw emotion that could only be described as hatred.

Just like that, the once festive mood of yesterday's banquet was now overshadowed by the grim atmosphere pervading the fortress.

Watching this, Franklin asked the aide beside her in a quiet, hardened voice.

"Who are they...? Judging by the looks of it, they seem like local settlers, but why is everyone in such a state..."

"Th-the thing is..."

At Franklin's question, the aide cautiously began to explain the situation.

As she listened, Franklin couldn't help but furrow her brow.

'Those filthy Imperial Army bastards... I know things are desperate, but to think they'd go that far!'

Seething with rage,

Franklin immediately gave permission for the woman standing at the front of the group to be brought inside.