Areos laughed softly. A sibling with such tainted blood? Unthinkable. The stunning Creusa, notorious for her many affairs – who was to say she hadn’t taken another man to bed?
Even if she had lived quietly in the royal villa after her affair with his father, that didn’t mean she hadn’t brought someone else into her life. There was nothing impossible about that.
“Surely you’re not seriously considering making her crown princess?”
It was absurd. The idea of making that woman Crown Princess? Surely that position should go to someone from a respected noble family, not an illegitimate child. Areos shrugged indifferently.
“There’s no chance of that happening, so you can stop worrying.”
“In that case, it’s time to either arrange a proper marriage for her or send her away altogether. A decision has to be made.”
Why? The question almost slipped from his lips. Even though he understood why such words were being said, it still didn’t sit right with him. His mind resisted the logic, no matter how clear it seemed.
Areos pressed his lips together, holding back the words that threatened to escape.
“As long as she remains here, it will undoubtedly trouble the future Crown Princess…”
Someone spoke cautiously, skirting the issue, before another, bolder person spoke their thoughts directly.
“Even if she is only a half-sibling, such relations between siblings are unacceptable.”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
“What kind of relationship are you talking about?”
Areos asked coldly.
“There are rumours that you hold her in your arms every day.”
Rumors? What nonsense.
Areos let out a soft laugh.
“And what will you do if a child is born?”
“I have no intention of having children with Cyrene.”
“Who can say for sure? Still, how long do you plan to keep her at your side? When you’re done enjoying her, won’t you send her away?”
Done enjoying?
Areo’s eyebrow twitched slightly. Cyrene was still undeniably beautiful, enough to make him forget the shock of seeing Creusa just once as a child. But to whom would he give her? While he had no problem showing her off to others, the thought of someone else touching her stirred a faint sense of displeasure.
“Enough. I don’t understand why Cyrene is even mentioned in a conversation about my marriage.”
“Do you plan to keep her with you after you’re married?”
“And why not?”
Even after marriage, having a mistress or two wasn’t a problem. If anyone dared to question him, he could always use the excuse that they were siblings. Not that he ever wanted to acknowledge her as his sister, nor had she ever been formally recognised as one.
When Areos made no effort to hide his displeasure, the room fell silent. Why did he care so much for Cyrene? She had no place in his marriage – she was nothing more than a beautiful plaything.
“Your Highness.”
Someone spoke suddenly. It was the Duke, who had been silent until now. His unexpected voice caught the attention of everyone in the room, their breaths held as they leaned in to catch his words.
“Could it be… that you like her?”
“What?”
Areos let out a hollow laugh. It was an emotion he had never even considered. Like her? Of course he treasured her. There was nothing as beautiful as Cyrene. Hadn’t he been the one to raise her, to take care of her since she was a child? From head to toe, her entire being had been shaped by his hands.
He had spent years taming her, even teaching her to share his bed. It had been well over ten years since she had been at his side, but the thought of liking her had never crossed his mind.
Areos loved Cyrene. Yes, that was all it was – to cherish her as one would a rare and precious jewel. He handled her with care, showed her off to others with pride, and then locked her away safely in a hidden place.
Like her?
The thought made him laugh uncontrollably. Who could believe that he, of all people, felt for Cyrene the way a man might feel for a woman? When Areos’ laughter finally subsided, he turned to the Duke and asked, still amused.
“Do I look like I like Cyrene to you?”
The Duke stared at him for a moment before answering.
“Yes. That’s what it looks like.”
“You have no sense when it comes to judging people.”
The Duke was unimpressed.
“Then you love her?”
“Ha, love?”
When he said he didn’t like her, they asked if he loved her. The question made him laugh.
“So, because I don’t like her, you ask me if I love her?”
“Don’t you cherish her?”
“Yes, I cherish her.”
“Then why do you cherish someone you neither like nor love?”
“Because she is beautiful.”
“Is that all?”
“That’s all.”
Areos answered firmly. Even after attending countless parties and seeing countless people praised for their beauty, none of them could compare to Cyrene.
Her pale platinum hair cascaded in soft strands around her small face. Her bright blue eyes sparkled beneath lashes that were often wet with tears. Her delicate jawline fit perfectly into one hand, leading to a graceful neck and shoulders, a slender back, and a soft, upturned nose with perfectly shaped lips. If God had made everything in this world, then Cyrene was surely His most beautiful creation.
Even her slender fingers and pink nails looked as if they had been carefully carved, and the sound of her soft, whining voice was both sweet and captivating. Her flushed, sweat-soaked white skin and small, delicate tongue were so exquisitely shaped that it seemed almost unnatural.
Areos stared at the Duke with quiet intensity, his gaze hardening as the Duke took a deep breath and prepared to speak.
“If you cherish her simply because she is beautiful, then why not show her to others?”
“What?”
“She’s just something beautiful, isn’t she? Show it to others. Let them admire it too.”
Areos’ heart pounded in his chest. The words “Shut your mouth” were on the tip of his tongue, but he forced himself to swallow them. Instead, he stared at the Duke, who stood firm, showing no intention of backing down.
“That precious thing – you should let others enjoy it too, shouldn’t you?”
“……”
“Keeping such a treasure for yourself, Your Highness, means that no one else can appreciate its value. Value is created by showing it to others, is it not?”
“She is mine.”
“Even if you show it to others, everyone will know it belongs to you, Your Highness.”
The suggestion, so unthinkable, left Areos speechless for a moment.
“You said you didn’t like her. You said you didn’t love her. Then what is the problem?”
“……”
“A gift from the Crown Prince would be appreciated by anyone who received it.”
“I have no intention of giving her to anyone.”
“Even to allow others to use her for a short time would be considered an honour.”
Disgust twisted in Areos chest. The mere thought of someone else spreading Cyrene’s legs, thrusting into her body and filling her with their seed made his brow furrow in anger. His fingers twitched as they tapped irritably on the table.
“Or is it that you really love her? So much that you can’t stand the idea of others touching her, that you want to keep her all to yourself? If that’s not affection, what is it?”
“I never said that.”
Not to someone like an illegitimate child.
Still, Cyrene’s face lingered in his mind. Her blank expression when she sometimes offered a shy smile. The way she sobbed and clung to him, leaving him so overwhelmed that every nerve in his body seemed to hum with excitement. And the way her bright, curious eyes would light up at the smallest things – those moments always made him chuckle softly.
But it wasn’t affection. It couldn’t be. He refused to believe that he could feel something like that for her. For someone like her.
The Duke met his gaze directly, unflinching, as if determined to push him to the brink. Areos felt the weight of his unrelenting gaze, silently daring him to face his own feelings.
“Keeping it won’t do you any good.”
“……”
“Give it to someone else. Throw it away. Or at least prove that you have no feelings for it. You know what people say, don’t you?”
Areos remained silent. He knew only too well of the rumours that circulated. That something had been conceived that should never have been born. That he was so consumed by forbidden desires that he couldn’t even bring himself to take other women to bed.
It wasn’t as if he needed other women.
Why look for anything else when he already had the very best? That was all there was to it. He whispered the name that was on his lips.
“Cyrene.”
“So the accusation is that I’m so in love with her that I’ve delayed marriage for her sake.”
“Prove otherwise. Prove that the most important thing is the choice of the Crown Princess. I am sure Your Highness will understand.”
Choosing a crown princess meant abandoning Cyrene, one way or another. Even if he kept her as a mistress later, it would mean marrying her off to another man, having her bear his children, and then…
Damn it…
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sahari
The prince has an interesting and complex psychology. To reduce his emotions as simple “love” is wrong.
You can feel affection for someone without loving them, you can be possessive and obsessive without loving that person. To begin with, I take away all trace of humanity from Cyrene, she is “his doll”, something nice that he values and appreciates, but “something” not “someone”.
Even abusive husbands occasionally caress their wives’ faces, that does not make them lovers in love, but a human being balancing emotions.
It would be more interesting if, gradually, the prince “restored” Cyrene’s humanity, if he gradually developed real feelings for her. So far there is only possession and obsession, nothing more.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)