TPOP 37

Chapter 37

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The small cabin also had rooms for servants. It was small compared to the annex, but it wasn't what you'd call a shack. It was more like a luxurious vacation home.

At mealtimes, the chef from the annex would personally bring food. Perhaps due to the Crown Prince's influence, Diana's meals were carefully prepared.

In addition, maids would come at dawn, clean the interior, and disappear again. When Diana woke up at dawn, the cabin was already spotlessly clean. Perhaps it was her imagination, but it seemed like a lot of the cluttered furniture and objects were gone compared to the first day.

Was that all? At mealtime, food magically appeared on the kitchen table, and at bedtime, the bedding was neatly made. Fresh bandages and ointments were placed on the nightstand every day. It was clear that someone was coming and going, tending to Diana's needs without a trace.

A sense of relief washed over her when the watchful, disapproving eyes disappeared.

But this treatment of a maid was sure to draw more envious glances if word of it reached the annex.

"Master, I will prepare the meals and bedding myself."

"That's not your job. Your job is to make what belongs to me flawless. I'm getting tired of waiting."

The scratches on her body seemed intolerable by his aesthetic standards. Even though Felix had brought her here, he hadn't touched her.

He wasn't painting either; there was no need to interpret his actions; he was simply waiting for Diana's wounds to heal.

If he paints corpses, wouldn't he like scars as well...?

Or perhaps he was just tired of the lifeless body and was now interested in flawless things. Driven by her master's silent demands, Diana examined her body, pressed hard here and there, and generously applied ointment on her wounds.

Three days passed in this manner, until Felix's patience, worn thin with boredom, reached its limit.

Sitting at an angle on the sofa on the ground floor, mixing his paints, he suddenly cursed.

"Damn it. Who’s the master here, anyway?"

"If you need anything, I..."

"Don't repeat yourself like a parrot. Come here. At least your hair color's good."

The paint on his palette was a mess, a jumble of oatmeal, beige, and blonde. None of the colors matched the maid's hair color, and this fact stung Felix's pride.

Some colors were too bright, some were too pale, and some lacked the desired transparency. Felix couldn't wait a few seconds for Diana to climb onto the sofa and grabbed a handful of her hair.

Should he cut it?

Could he mix the cut hair to create the desired shade? But he wasn't satisfied with just guessing. It had to be perfect.

Besides, cutting Diana's hair would mean compromising the very subject of his painting.

Even the small marks scattered across her body were offensive. The very idea of cutting her hair made no sense; the thought of damaging even the smallest part of her filled him with intense revulsion.

Eventually, his thoughts returned to the beginning. Felix had never faced such a vexing dilemma before.

His voice grew sharper.

"Eisen could not have chosen this for no reason. Did he say I would find you interesting?"

"No, His Highness didn’t say that... But I overheard Viscount Depierre talking to him. He said it was probably a color you had never mixed before."

"Hah!"

Felix laughed, a mocking laugh, like a madman. It stung his pride that things were unfolding just as his half-brother had predicted. The very idea of caring for a mere maid was absurd.

The arrogant, blind maid seemed to test his nerves at every turn.

Felix hadn't struggled this much since he first picked up a brush. The image of the nearly finished painting flashed through his mind.

One piece. One painting, one satisfyingly finished painting, and everything would be solved. It didn't matter if he returned her to Eisen, used her as a minion with her psychic background, or did something completely different.

Diana moistened her lips with her tongue nervously, and Felix's thoughts shifted once more as he watched her react sensitively to his presence.

No, it seemed such a waste to send a woman who could captivate a man like this to someone else. To make matters worse, those pesky bruises meant he couldn't truly have Diana yet.

Years of unfulfilled desires in the palace were reaching their limit. At his breaking point, Felix tucked Diana's head into his lap.

"Take care of it."

Hesitantly, Diana slid off the sofa and knelt in front of him. With trembling hands, she unbuckled the belt loosely around his waist, revealing the strong presence within. Even before her fingers touched it, the rod was already tense, reacting violently at the touch of her fingertips.

It was difficult... but as always, Diana had no choice.

Reluctantly, she put the end of it in her mouth, but there was already too much. She hadn't taken in much, but her mouth felt full and it was hard to breathe.

Relying on her previous experience, she reached out and gently gripped the base, moving her hands rhythmically with her saliva as lubricant. Her lips moved diligently, but no matter how hard she tried, a faint sound escaped. The obscene sounds she made by her own doing left her confused and humiliated.

"Ah..."

Felix groaned contentedly above her, and encouraged by his response, she traced the length with her tongue, concentrating on the sensitive tip. His body shuddered, and she felt the sharp tension in the air grow even stronger.

"Deeper, Diana."

Felix's voice was hoarse, filled with restrained desire.

The firm sensation reached as far as her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. Knowing how uncomfortable his movements were, Diana desperately rocked her head back and forth, trying to match his rhythm. Her efforts were noticeably better than before.

As her jaw throbbed and her lips went numb, his body tensed even more, and she braced herself. The sensation she remembered from before touched the back of her throat.

"Mmm, mmm..."

Diana's delicate throat moved with difficulty. Despite her best efforts, his release escaped her lips and trickled down her chin. She gasped and pulled away, her cheeks stained a deep shade of red.

Without a word, Felix reached out and gently wiped the liquiq from the corner of her mouth, then, with surprising gentleness, brought it back to her lips. It was an unspoken command in his gesture.

Suddenly panicked, Diana coughed faintly. The discomfort was evident in the way her face contorted.

“….”

After a moment's silence, Felix's fingers gently brushed away the residue from her tongue, a meticulous observation evident in his action, as if to confirm that nothing remained. Diana blinked in confusion. Her lashes were damp with unshed tears. A single tear slid down her cheek.

Felix sighed deeply and wiped the liquid from her chin with his hand.

"Damn... Diana Escalif, your very existence is a weapon. Give me your hand."

Only then did Diana realize she had been gripping the hem of his robe with all her might. Before she could move, Felix took her hand and placed a glass of water in it.

"Rinse."

Diana obediently took the water into her mouth. The unpleasant aftertaste gradually dissipated. Meanwhile, Felix took a napkin from beside the water pitcher and wiped his hands. When he was satisfied that no traces remained, he let her go.

The uncomfortable sensation in her mouth was gone, but his thick scent still lingered, overwhelming her senses. Every breath she took was filled with his presence.

What a strange man...

Her stomach churned, but she couldn't tell if it was from the liquid she'd swallowed or from her rapidly beating heart.

Felix scooped her up in his arms and sat her on his lap. He picked up a palette from the table and spoke calmly.

"Hold still, I need to match these colors to the color of your face."

Diana closed her eyes as his hand stroked her hair. The cool brush glided from her forehead to her temples. Slowly, she felt him paint her with the colors he'd chosen.

This isn't right, she thought, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

It felt like she was falling into a deep, dark abyss from which she could not escape.

"Diana, you must never lose yourself. You can't live if you lose yourself."

She wanted to ask her father, who was no longer in this world.

Father, please tell me what to do. Tell me how I can harden myself, let no one into my heart, and stand strong on my own.

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