Beneath My Feet - Chapter 41

The storm-like time passed, and Laurencia, who had fallen asleep like she’d fainted, slowly opened her eyes.

After blinking her drowsy eyes for a moment, she turned her gaze at the strange feeling—the surroundings were pitch black, whether night had fallen.

A scoff escaped at the absurd reality.

She’d clearly come here when the sun was at its zenith, but when she opened her eyes, it was night.

Just how many hours had they been doing that?

Dumbfounded by the fact they’d been stuck together like beasts without rest was brief—Laurencia, realizing how completely she’d changed these past few days, gave a bitter smile.

When she turned her head again in the quiet stillness, she saw Ashar’s face, sound asleep.

Deep shadows fell across the man’s face bathed in moonlight.

Perhaps because of that, his sharp features looked like an intricately crafted sculpture.

She’d felt it from the start, but it was quite a handsome face. And that face contained various atmospheres.

When expressionless, his neat features created a refined and calm atmosphere. But the moment a smile appeared, he instantly transformed into a shameless, mischievous beast.

She was used to it now so it didn’t matter, but at first she’d felt an inexplicable sense of discord between those two faces.

But now she finally knew the reason.

Why he hadn’t seemed like a slave, why his presence had been far too imposing for a mere knight.

Because he was royalty.

But strangely, knowing that fact didn’t make him look different.

To her eyes, he still only felt like an impudent spy, a brazen slave, a lover she could indulge in whenever she wanted.

Whether it was because she’d grown this accustomed or because Ashar had made her this way, she didn’t know, but the truth was she’d become comfortable enough with him now that she wasn’t ashamed to reveal her instincts without reservation in front of him.

Suddenly, the question Ashar had asked came to mind.

That persistent question asking if she’d never wavered toward him.

Actually, she’d planned to say no until the very end.

But for some reason, in that moment alone, she’d wanted to be honest just once.

Since she’d never see him again anyway, it seemed fine to reveal her heart one last time.

So she’d said it impulsively. That she’d wavered.

Of course, she’d added a bit of a lie, but just uttering those few words had made her feel like her heart would burst.

And his reaction had been truly unexpected.

Laurencia carefully withdrew her hand from the embrace of the man holding her body and lightly touched the long eyelashes hiding his blue eyes.

The bright blue eyes hidden beneath had trembled so much that in that moment, her heart had pounded along with them.

The sight of the man tensing with a surprised face, like the answer had been unexpected, had looked so cute that she’d even thought it was good she’d been honest.

Of course, he’d transformed like a beast in the blink of an eye.

Remembering that moment made the corners of her mouth twitch naturally.

His obsession, clinging far more persistently than before, had felt almost desperate. That yearning desire had filled her body and heart with an indescribable sense of fulfillment.

Slowly lowering her hand, she carefully touched the man’s tightly closed lips this time.

Those lips that had poured out such hostility had endlessly explored her body today. They’d licked and sucked even dirty places without hesitation, craving her heart.

‘If we hadn’t met in this situation like you said… what would it have been like? Would you have sent me a marriage proposal?’

“Since I rejected all those proposals, maybe even you wouldn’t have caught my eye back then.”

She was murmuring without realizing it when suddenly the eyes that had been peacefully closed snapped open.

Her heart sank at the blue eyes she’d suddenly met.

Belatedly trying to lower the hand touching his lips, Ashar quickly caught her wrist and spoke with eyes that had immediately turned cold.

“So you did know.”

“…!”

“I had a suspicion. That b*stard’s become a dog and his mouth’s gotten loose too—Rubid.”

Laurencia’s golden eyes trembled as she was left speechless.

All the fine hairs on her body stood on end at the k*lling intent she was feeling for the first time in a while.

The gaze that had embraced her hotly and yearned for her before sleep had completely disappeared, and eyes filled with even more hostility than when she’d first seen him were glaring at her.

“So that was it?”

Laurencia’s brow furrowed.

The voice still drunk with sleep was clearly the same person as before, but as even his manner of speech changed in an instant, he gradually began to feel like a stranger.

“Did your heart soften because I’m not a lowly slave after all? Is that why you deliberately brought me all the way here to seduce me and even answered like charity that you’d wavered?”

Being flustered by the sudden situation was brief.

“Well, I guess royalty is better in many ways than playing with a slave b*stard. Saves face too, right?”

“What’s so great about royalty?”

A cold voice finally flowed from her mouth too.

Furious at the fact she’d wavered for such a petty man, Laurencia decided to cut him off coldly now that things had come to this.

“To me, royalty and slaves are both equally insignificant.”

“What?”

Ashar’s brow contorted sharply.

Even in this situation, Laurencia, angry enough to want to rip out her throbbing heart, deliberately poured out even harsher words.

“Still, you were useful enough in bed so I kept you by my side, but your arrogance pierces the sky.”

When she tried to pull out her caught hand, Ashar suddenly climbed on top of her body and growled with a fierce face.

“Arrogance? You don’t seem to grasp the situation. When an enemy reveals their true colors, you should know to lower your tail and be obedient. What use is being this arrogant?”

Looking up impassively at the man threatening to violate her body right now, she let out a scoff and asked.

“What, are you going to kill me? You were so restless earlier, curious about my feelings, but now that your identity’s been exposed, you’ll kill me?”

“Think I can’t? Think I really wavered just because we slept together once?”

The two gazes that had craved each other just a few hours ago now clashed like they’d kill each other.

She, who’d been glaring fiercely, was the first to calm her hostility.

Laurencia, forcibly suppressing her anger, asked one thing she was curious about, though she didn’t really need to hear it.

“What’s the problem with me knowing you’re royalty? Didn’t you already prepare yourself when you talked about your past friendship with Rubid? Besides, shouldn’t you have hidden being a spy more?”

“That’s separate—the problem is you knew my identity and didn’t tell me. And you met that b*stard Jedrian right after learning that fact.”

“Do you think I revealed your identity to Jedrian?”

“I don’t know about that.”

“What…? Ha!”

She was beyond dumbfounded—she was flabbergasted.

She had no more desire to listen or clear up the misunderstanding.

What could she say to someone in whom the seed of suspicion had already sprouted?

“Move.”

“You already have a record. Just before, you acted like we were on the same side and then stabbed me in the back.”

Laurencia looked pathetically at the man bringing up the story from the first day of the banquet, then turned her gaze away sharply.

Then Ashar grabbed her chin and forced her to meet his eyes, persistently pressing.

“If not, then say it’s not true. Make an excuse so I can believe you.”

The fiercely sharpened blue eyes gradually began to tremble.

Seeing those eyes, it seemed like he’d believe her if she said no, that she’d never done such a thing.

But the relationship was already broken. No, it was a relationship that would break anyway.

She had no intention of patching it together with a few words.

Laurencia decided to completely shatter this relationship that had become futile.

“Jedrian told you, didn’t he? That if you slept with me, he’d cut off your c*ck and skin you alive to throw to the beasts.”

Ashar’s eyes flashed fiercely again.

“After hearing that, you… desired me.”

“That’s—”

“No need to make excuses. I don’t care. That’s what we were from the start anyway. People using each other.”

At her relaxed expression that seemed sincere beyond nonchalant, k*lling intent fell over Ashar’s eyes once more.

Regardless of that sharp gaze, Laurencia continued what she was going to say.

“Does this make us even for things we didn’t tell each other?”

Just as he seemed about to say something, his lips twitching, she spoke first.

“The problem is that Jedrian found out. That you… desired me.”

“…!”

“So he’s decided to kill you.”

“Ha! So it came to that after all?”

Her chest ached at the man’s eyes glaring with contempt mixed in again.

Still, she wanted to mock him that his arrogance had put him in danger, but in the end she couldn’t say even that.

Chewing the inside of her mouth and maintaining a deliberately nonchalant expression, Laurencia decided to just tell him what she’d wanted to say and end her relationship with him.

“So run away. This is the last mercy I’m showing you.”

“What?”

“The justification that you’re my lover no longer works on him. So if you want to live, run. You have to survive first to try revenge or your cause, don’t you?”

A grinding sound leaked from between Ashar’s teeth.

A hint of regret mixed into his furious face.

Laurencia thought that regret was about sleeping with her. But it didn’t matter anymore.

He was a man she’d forget soon after today passed.

When she pushed him away, Ashar, who finally withdrew obediently, stared fiercely into space.

Just as she slowly got up and tried to gather her clothes while ignoring him, a sharp whistle sound came from somewhere.

Ashar, furrowing his brow, suddenly approached the window.

Then, after checking someone outside, he opened the window slightly.

Soon, the man who returned hurriedly picked up his pants and put them on before going outside the room.

Sensing something serious had happened, Laurencia quickly wrapped herself tightly in the blanket and approached the door.

After a moment, an unfamiliar voice urgently reported to him.

“This is terrible.”