TPOP 60

Chapter 60

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"Ha..."

Felix pressed down on her and moved his hips. Due to their close proximity, rough back-and-forth movements were impossible. Instead, his penis, as hard as an iron rod, stirred her sensitive vaginal walls.

“Ugh, uh.”

Without saying a word, Diana wrapped her thighs around his lower back. She was more sensitive to the gentle stimulation than the rough piston-like movements. As he heard her moans mingled with growing excitement, Felix felt an odd sense of stability.

He was clearly different from that foolish emperor. He would not allow a woman to shake him or dominate him. He would strip her of all will and freedom, so that she could not even dare to think such thoughts.

It was a very good method. It was the only correct answer.

Felix held Diana tightly and pushed forward to meet the flood of pleasure that was once again overwhelming him.

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7. Forest and Fire

….

The place where Diana was imprisoned was a secret room adjacent to the space where Felix resided in the main palace. There was a window facing outward, but it was so high that even an adult man could not reach it.

However, it was not an isolated prison-like space. The carpet on the floor, the bed frame and canopy, the furniture and curtains were all on par with those in the crown prince's quarters. It was even possible to go directly to the bathroom connected to the crown prince's bedroom.

The treatment was also generous. Three times a day, at set times, a maid would bring in a tray and set the table for meals. Diana, who had never eaten more than seven plates at once, could barely manage to chew and swallow the soup and bread.

Then, she accidentally burned her hand on a plate that had been heated to keep the food warm.

As soon as Diana let out a small scream, the servants tensed up. Someone hurriedly brought a first-aid kit and wrapped her fingers.

At this point, she couldn’t help but ask.

“Why are you going to such lengths for me?”

“The Crown Prince ordered that not a single scratch should come to your body.”

The maid who had been the only one to speak to Diana before answered bluntly.

“If your body is harmed, it is we who will incur the prince’s wrath. So you must cooperate.”

“What did His Highness say about me?”

“His subject.”

“……”

“He said you’re the body that will adorn his canvas. Therefore, it is only natural that you should be carefully nurtured.”

“Better than being a prostitute.”

Diana muttered absentmindedly, then clamped her lips shut. She seemed to regret her words, lowering her eyelids in a gesture of regret.

Emile, the maid assigned to her, watched Diana closely.

The blind maid who had been transferred here from the palace was neither talkative nor overly attentive. After feeling her way around the room she was staying in to get a sense of its layout, she did not stray far from the bed and table. The effort to round the corners of all the furniture at the master's command had been in vain.

After taking care of her for several days, it was difficult to call her a mere maid. If it weren't for the ugly mark on her chest, she would have looked like a lady raised in a noble family. She would not be outdone by even the most beautiful women in high society.

She needed no adornment. All artificial elements were merely obstacles that diminished her beauty.

That was probably why the Crown Prince insisted on drawing only this woman's naked body. However, perhaps because he was not satisfied with his work, his sketches were crumpled up on the paper without ever making it to the canvas.

Those sketches also ended up in the Crown Prince's studio in the secondary palace. Emile swallowed hard as she recalled the scene there. The studio was the place where those closest to the Crown Prince, who knew his true nature, feared him the most and restrained themselves.

“…From now on, eat the food at a moderate temperature. There’s no need to clean the dishes after eating. Just leave them as they are, and the maids will take care of them.”

“Thank you.”

In any case, the blind maid did not stop eating or do anything suspicious. Considering that the Crown Prince had instructed Emile not to take her eyes off the blind maid while he was away, her behavior was quite ordinary.

Emile quietly watched the woman’s hand as she picked up the spoon.

“And, if possible, avoid causing any injuries to His Highness’s body while in bed.”

“Injuries…?”

“Like nail marks.”

“Oh.”

“Just in case, bring your hands here after you finish eating. It seems your nails have grown again.”

Then, by the time the bath was over, two maids were each attached to Diana’s hands, trimming her nails. The thought that she might have left marks on the Crown Prince’s body made Diana’s face pale.

“So he was upset?”

“He didn’t seem to mind much. But who knows if he’ll always be like that.”

Diana nodded and finished her meal in silence. The attendants took away the plates, and Emile began to trim her nails.

“Is there anything else I should be careful about…?”

“Ask His Highness directly. You are in a different position than us servants. His standards are different as well.”

Emile made it clear she didn’t want to continue the conversation. Feeling an invisible wall, Diana fell silent.

“…Still, people need sunlight to live.”

As Diana’s ten fingernails smoothed out, Emile muttered to herself. Diana struggled to calm her heart, which began to race as if in response to a lie.

Can I go outside for a moment? The words rose to the tip of her tongue.

‘Not yet. Be careful. If those words reach that man’s ears…’

Any conversation she had with Emile would undoubtedly be reported in detail to the Crown Prince or the Duke. Diana bit her lip and suppressed the urge to speak.

After Emile left, Diana was alone again in the small room. She crawled under the blankets and curled up into a ball.

The room smelled of very old paint. At first, she didn't realize it was the smell of paint. The subtle scent of wood was similar to the smell of dried paint. It meant that Felix had used this room at some point.

Felix did not embrace Diana here. Every night, faceless maids bathed Diana and laid her in his bedchamber. As she waited for him there, she would drift off to sleep, and then, without fail, she would hear the sound of charcoal scratching.

Though he had seemed to have given up painting during his time at the hunting grounds, he had begun sketching again. Diana showed no reaction that she should have. She simply lay there like a doll, and when he put down the charcoal and climbed onto the bed, she reacted according to his actions.

Where is this?

What aspect of me are you drawing?

The questions she wanted to ask rose up like acid reflux.

However, he had said not to question anything beyond what he had permitted. No actions were allowed.

Disobeying the order would be pointless. Diana forced herself to swallow the questions rising up inside her. She had to behave herself to get an opportunity.

It was easier to endure by emptying her mind. Or perhaps it would be better to simply surrender to him. At least when she was consumed by pleasure, no distracting thoughts troubled her.

Lost in such thoughts, she drifted off to sleep again in the secret room. When she opened her eyes, the familiar sound of charcoal crackling filled the air.

Scratch, scratch.

The bed Diana lay on had also changed. This texture was clearly the blanket from the Crown Prince's bedroom. A thicker, cozier blanket than Diana's covered her shoulders.

Scratch, scratch. The light friction sound suddenly stopped.

Felix, who had set down the charcoal, approached the bed where Diana lay.

“Diana.”

His seductive voice tickled her earlobe. Diana tried to keep her eyes closed and let her consciousness drift into a dreamlike state.

“……”

Felix felt a slight sense of frustration.

Given her keen hearing, she should have woken up at the sound of his footsteps alone. Yet her eyelids, shut tightly, remained motionless.

“Diana. Open your eyes.”

At his command, her delicate eyelashes finally trembled.

Her eyes, her limp hands, and her slumped posture revealed no sign of her willpower.

“……”

Felix’s eyes narrowed slightly.

It had been ten days since Diana had been brought to the secret room. The woman, who had completely given up resistance, existed in his space as quietly as a still life. She did not raise her voice or shed tears, just as she had done on the day she was first carried into his bedroom. It was as if she had accepted her circumstances and fate.

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