Lewd King's Bucket List-Chapter 72: Just a Beast

Runa wandered through the nearly deserted halls, her footsteps echoing softly in the silence.

"Where... is the exit?"

Despite two weeks in the palace, she still couldn’t map the place in her head.

As for where she was going...

Ixion had called her and the bird to the rear garden. Runa had just received the message from Sebastian and was attempting to navigate her way there.

For what did King Ixion want her? Who knew?

Yet, Runa had grown accustomed to being summoned without any apparent cause.

As she walked, she swung Lot’s cage, its metal frame creating a rhythmic scraping sound as she ventured down another hallway. She silently prayed that this path would lead to the back exit.

Alas, it did not. That hallway led to a ballroom.

Turning back from whence she came, Runa continued to scour the halls.

As she did, memories of her lessons with Se’van, which had been forefront in her mind recently, surfaced.

The first class seemed normal, and all. Learning history, Ranks, Aspects, and everything else; however, once the king left, Se’van changed.

Her demeanor, her cadence, how she taught.

Like she was much less focused on teaching, more focused on learning about Runa.

For example...

As Se’van was teaching Runa how to write Common, she wove in questions asking her what she thought about King Ixion.

Naturally, Runa withheld all true criticism, but she didn’t play sycophant either. That wasn’t her style.

Runa was a brutally honest liar.

When asked her opinion of the King, she didn’t say he was great nor awful.

What she said was.

"I think he’s misunderstood..."

She left her response cryptic, as she didn’t know what she meant herself. But there was a clear doubt that Runa held in her head about the King.

The stories she’d heard as a traveling merchant, a noble hero like that wouldn’t go mad and turn on the people — nobody that selfless grows that self-absorbed.

From willing to die for the world to wanting to see its end? It made no sense.

Then again, not much sense remained in Kaldora.

Runa may be wrong.

But she could be right as well.

Runa sighed as she backtracked another hallway which had led nowhere.

’Why is navigating this place so tricky?’

Well, that answer was obvious. It was so that assassins or other invaders had a tough time.

Runa turned down another hall. One that looked quite promising with grand double doors at the end and a guard standing by.

As she stepped toward the door, she thought to herself about the other questions Se’van had asked her over the last few days. A lot of them framed not about the King, but his views to avoid suspicion.

Though Runa damn well knew what Se’van thought of Ixion from the look in her eyes. Hide it as she may.

Se’van asked:

"Do you truly think the world is doomed in five years?"

And Runa had replied:

"I’ve seen the front lines once in my travels. And it’s only once because I’d rather die than witness a horrible sight like that again. If my previous employer asked me to return, I’d flee and risk death."

Another cryptic answer, but it was one that pointed toward the King’s truth.

Se’van wasn’t particularly fond of that one.

In fact, she wasn’t too fond of much of anything Runa said.

She’d tried to probe Runa on why King Ixion had taken a liking to her, but not even Runa knew the answer to that one. He’d informally bought her life and a parrot...

Quite an odd, inexplicable happening.

Especially so when considering she could leave at any point if she wished. Though perhaps that ship has sailed now.

All the nobles hated the bird-carrying demihuman. It probably wouldn’t take long for her to be assassinated once she left the king’s protection. Not to mention life in the palace was as cushy as it could get on Kaldora, minus the stress of assassins.

Approaching the guard at the door, Runa spoke in the clearest Common she could.

"Excuse me, does this gate lead to the rear garden?"

The knight looked at her and scoffed, as if he’d just noticed her.

"Oh, it’s the king’s plaything."

’Plaything?’

There were also those kinds of rumors circulating around her. That the king coveted her for her body, and that she obliged.

She had indeed noticed the king’s gaze on her form a few times, but that man had made no intent to approach her.

’Quite odd self-control for someone known to be self-indulgent.’

That restraint only deepened the man’s mystique.

With a tone tinged with annoyance, Runa replied:

"Well, is this the right gate or not?"

The knight with vibrant brown eyes peeking through the visor laughed quietly.

"The king’s little pet beast got lost, has it?"

Runa rolled her eyes.

"Just tell me if this is it or not."

The man let out a dismissive snort.

"Sure, it is."

Runa looked around, noticing no one else in the hall. It was just her and the knight.

’No wonder he’s so confident.’

But...

’Is he that trusting in his helm to hide his identity? Is he not worried that I’ll tell the king of his actions?’

Runa stopped swinging Lot’s cage.

"Well, then. Would you let me through? The king has summoned me."

"Is that so? Well then, let yourself through. I don’t open doors for beasts."

Runa rolled her eyes, then gripped the ring handle and pulled.

"It seems it’s locked."

The man laughed; the pieces of his armor clinking

"Ah, is that so? Well then, you’ll have to find another exit."

Runa sighed, then muttered under her breath in Praxian.

"Seriously, asshole."

"Huh? What was that?"

Failing to hide her annoyance, Runa spat back in Common:

"I said, I know you have the key. So, open it. Lest you wish ‌me to tell the king of your wicked treatment."

The knight chortled.

"Awe, the beast would tell on me to a beast that I hurt her feelings... how pitiful."

Then he slowly reached behind his back and threw an iron key on the floor.

"There," he said. "Pick it up."

Runa knelt and took the key, her gaze locked with the man’s warm brown eyes.

She couldn’t see it, but the man definitely smiled.

"Probably not the first time you’ve been on your knees for the king, right?"

Runa clicked her tongue and stood, placing the key into the lock. After a slight clink, she forced the door open with a creak.

She tossed the key back on the ground and turned away.

Lot twitched, looked at the guard, then screamed:

"Fuck you!"

The guard looked both confused at the bird and annoyed at the key on the ground.

Runa translated for him.

"The Lord of Truth has spoken. Fuck you! He says."

The knights eyes narrowed.

"Why you—"

"Don’t look at me, the parrot said it."

With that, she stepped out into the vast garden and slammed the door behind her.