'Six hours?' Prince Orion thought, slumping in his chair as he tousled his hair with his characteristic closed eyes. One hand drummed against the table as he sensed the control he had been holding onto slipping away, feeling a moistness in his crotch area from the ejaculation he had experienced just now.
Since the previous night, he had battled to maintain dominance over his body while striving to strengthen his mental fortitude against his physical urges.
With sheer willpower, he had successfully resisted the urge to ejaculate for an entire six hours, but the consequences were becoming painfully evident now.
''Is anyone there?'' Prince Orion asked, tilting his closed eyes toward the door, which swung open to reveal a maid stepping inside, her cheeks flushed from the muffled sounds she had endured all night while stationed just outside.
''Yes, Your Highness. How may I assist you?'' the maid replied, lowering her gaze. Memories of her own experiences, having been similarly treated by Prince Orion like that noblewoman, flooded her mind, making it challenging to mask her discomfort, especially with her back still sore from a long day that had compelled her to take leave.
Yet, her slight unease lingered. Unbeknownst to her, she recognized the prince's dedication to his studies and business acumen, often neglecting opportunities for romantic encounters. It seemed he was finally exploring his sexual desires upon turning 23.
Although his approach was unconventional—rather than merely yielding to his instincts and acting on impulse—he exhibited a growing awareness, learning about his body's responses, how far they could go, and what results he could derive from a phenomenon called sex.
Having served as his maid for over five years, she had observed this shift in him, noticing his reading habits of various explicit texts over the past months and verifying those lessons through personal experience. Throughout this, he retained his princely facade, never lowering himself to a degree that could expose any weaknesses.
Thus, the women he bedded were primarily trustworthy maids or shrewd noblewomen who were easily manipulated to meet his desires.
"Call the doctors," Orion commanded as he opened a document before starting to go through it.
''...I will do so immediately,'' the maid replied, startled by his urgent request. She yearned to ask why he needed a doctor but held her tongue, acutely aware of her position as a mere maid, despite her long tenure at his side.
It seemed Orion had picked up on her unvoiced concerns, elaborating, ''Inform him that my overexertion has resulted in severe prostate pain. Also, mention that I suspect some damage to my pelvic muscles.''
This somehow prompted him to consider a slight risk, knowing that if the compensation turned out to be larger than expected, it could lead to other noblemen stumbling in Princess' side.
After all, in the end, everyone wanted to make a profit and earn, and the sheer presence of the world's richest man at Princess Katheria's side had already proven this fact.
'1 billion could be the limit,' As he relaxed in his chair, Prince Orion reflected on the situation, realizing that since the Marquess had avoided any losses this time, it was likely that the negotiation amount would be close to a billion Imperial crowns.
This was to be expected, as the Marquess was a shrewd businessman, and Princess Katheria was wise enough to recognize the importance of preserving their relationship for the future.
With that, he closed the document, leaning forward, his left hand cradling his chin in thought. He had finally resolved matters with the Vrandins and their kin.
He recognized that, despite acquiring the information, Marquess would be unable to take significant action, and the princess posed no real threat to him, as he had already secured more noble allies compared to Princess Katheria.
Everything was proceeding exactly as Orion had planned.
In conclusion, the Marquess would likely provide a sum of money, around a few billion at most, to get information about him being behind the aphrodisiac accident.
With no proper evidence, since Patric Vrandin would most likely already be dead, no one would believe his words, allowing him to leave unscathed from all this drama while getting support of one more noble family: the Vrandin family.
With this, in this small chess game, Orion had captured another pillar called Vrandins while sacrificing pawns like Marquess Croceaus and Princess Katheria Arinphiam.
He will incur no losses and remain the one who will hold both of these individuals in his palm, particularly Marquess Croceaus, who is expected to shoulder the majority of the losses and play the way he wants him to.
'It's pity but Marquess, I would be busy for few days', Orion stood from his place the moment heard the footsteps approaching his room, appearing to the doctors who have swiftly arrived. He stood as moved towards his bed while knowing how he will rest for few days while letting side pawns play their games.
"Doctor! Here!" Maids and doctors finally entered the room before the treatment commenced, while the news of this was sealed within the walls of the palace of Prince Orion Arinphiam.