TPOP 55

Chapter 55

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"Ah.”

The sack was still on her head.

For some reason, the air had felt strangely stale and tight in her chest since she'd been sitting in the carriage, but she hadn't realized it because she'd been so engrossed. 

Her wrists were bound, and she couldn't take them off.

The weight of the ropes around her neck and shoulders felt like an afterthought. As Diana lifted her bound wrists and scratched at the stubborn rope around her neck, the commotion outside quieted.

The man who'd yanked the door open again gritted his teeth when he saw her. He was in front of her in just two steps. Diana froze like ice.

He grasped the rope she had just fiddled with and pulled. The pull wasn't strong, but it sent a shiver down her spine.

Something cold snapped the rope around her neck, sending goosebumps all over her body as she realized it was a sharp blade.

The rough cloth was yanked over her head, followed by her wrists being freed. Only one.

The removal of the binding did not change much in Diana's world. The flow of air that had been stifled reached her cheeks as usual.

Felix tossed the dagger with which he had cut the rope somewhere. A hand that reeked of iron reached out and squeezed both of Diana’s cheeks at once, forcing her head up. A more impatient gaze touched every inch of her blank, white face.

Diana’s pupils held not the slightest hint of her usual willingness to recognize her opponent. Light green eyes, half-hidden by long lashes, stared vacantly into space.

There was nothing but silence after that.

Seconds, perhaps minutes, passed.

"Take her."

The Crown Prince withdrew his hand.

Diana’s head dropped toward the floor. She didn't want to know where he was taking her.

But did he really have to send her away twice like this? What's the point of a confirmation kill, she’d rather go to Hilde....

But the master's orders didn't end there.

"Get her cleaned up and put her in the bedroom."

Diana stared blankly into space. The bedroom. The word burrowed into her head a beat too late.

A harsh voice cut through the frozen air.

"One hair out of place and you'll all end up like them."

The Crown Prince spat the order through clenched teeth and turned on his heel. Diana turned her head in the direction of his distant shout. Handmaidens rushed to her aid and helped her to her feet.

She struggled to her feet, pulled by them. For the third time today, she was being led by strangers. The realization that the day was not yet over terrified her.

As they stripped her naked and scrubbed her all over, the maids were stubbornly silent.

Even when they saw the bruises and scars that marked her body, they were determined to keep their mouths shut. They had seen the blood trickle down the knight's forehead as he fell down the stairs earlier. The Crown Prince's reputation for gentleness made it all the more shocking that he had kicked a large man in the face with his foot.

The people who worked in the main palace were understandably stunned, as they had never encountered a Crown Prince before. Lunok, the chamberlain of the secluded Palace, hurried to the main palace and ordered his subordinates to join him.

"Keep your wits about you, and obey whatever His Highness commands. Don't you dare talk, and don't you dare gossip among yourselves. Anyone who speaks of the event today, for whatever reason, will be punished with death."

"Bring the balm."

The oldest handmaiden instructed. The women exchanged glances and moved swiftly.

If the Crown Prince himself had ordered, "Bring her to the bedchamber," the meaning was clear. This was the woman he wanted to sleep with. Every hair, every inch of her body, every speck of dirt was to be removed.

Only after the precious balm had been applied to her skin, making it as smooth as a pearl, did the maids let Diana out of the bath. There, another group of waiting women dressed her in a thin slip.

It was a luxurious material, far different from the one she usually wore under her maid's dress. The delicate lace felt so thin against her fingertips that it looked as if it would rip at the slightest snag.

"I don't like this dress...."

Diana pursed her lips after her silence.

"I'm always bumping into things, and I'm sure the fabric will wear out quickly."

"That's what they're made for."

The blunt reply came back. It was the woman who had instructed someone to fetch the balm from the bathroom.

"Don't worry about it, it's what it is. I need to fix your hair, so lift your head."

Diana’s eyes narrowed as she pondered the implications of the answer. The nape of her neck burned as soon as she understood what the maid meant.

"Keep your hands off my chest. Will you do that in front of His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Diana hesitated, lowering her hands. Her breasts showed through the thin slip. A soundless gasp swept through the handmaidens.

But that was it. No further conversation ensued.

Finished with her grooming, Diana was led to somewhere again, and after passing through a few doors, the air became richer and warmer. Everything smelled of fine wood.

The maid sat Diana down somewhere. Diana winced as she felt her buttocks slide in.

‘A bed...?’

It was the fluffiest, softest bed she'd ever slept on in her life. She'd touched it a few times when she'd tidied up the Crown Prince's bedchamber in the palace, but she'd never dared to lie down on it. It seemed to be even fluffier than the bed in the hunting lodge.

The comforter and pillows smelled of clean fibers. The fabric rustled pleasantly when she touched the corners of the duvet.

Diana fiddled with the quilt, mesmerized. Her thoughts, which she had deliberately suspended, slowly returned.

This was no secluded palace, but the Crown Prince resided here. The master had moved as of yesterday, so this must be the main palace.

Even Diana, who hadn't fully felt the grandeur of the palace, gasped at the weight of the words.

Why did he bring her here?

She didn't have to think long before she realized that her attire, and this entire room, was the reason. Her stomach tightened with nervousness.

The look on his face showed that he wanted to sleep with her again, but his grip on her chin was rough. Judging by his behavior toward the knights, he hadn't even gotten over his displeasure. There was no hint of lust in his tone or gesture.....

No, she didn’t want to jump to conclusions about him.

If she made assumptions, she would expect things she didn’t know, and when the mountain of expectations shattered, she would regret her wish, her greed.

Diana’s mind went blank again.

She was exhausted; she hadn't eaten or slept in days, and her accumulated fatigue was about to reach its limit.

She'd been hugging the blanket for a while, trying to pass the time.

She heard footsteps.

She didn't realize he was there until he was only a few steps away.

Her body reacted first. Diana slid out of bed and bowed deeply. It was customary to bow to the Crown Prince at all times and in all circumstances.

But the moment she bent her upper body, her body snapped.

Felix grabbed her by the waist and threw her onto the bed. The next instant, a dizzying wave of lightheadedness washed over her, and her lips were immediately seized.

Diana opened her unseeing eyes wide. She hadn't expected he would kiss her first.

His tongue was fierce and forceful as it pushed through the gap between her lips. Her swollen lips ached from days of biting and nibbling.

She was powerless to resist anyway. Diana’s body went limp.

Felix pressed her limp wrists into the sheets, changing the angle of her head. His lips pressed deeper, and his tongue swept across her tongue, coating it with saliva.

He tasted the twitching little tongue, then scrubbed across the delicate flesh all around her mouth. Her back arched as the pointed tongue licked at the sensitive roof of her mouth. Diana let out a weak moan.

"Ughhhh...."

It was a small sound, drowned out by the rustle of the blankets, but the man who had sensed her reaction had picked just the right spot to tease, and her knees and toes twitched. Her body, battered from the hunt, responded uncontrollably to his erotic touch.

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