Frustration surged within him.

There weren’t many options. He couldn’t give it to someone else. Nor could he throw her away. She had lived comfortably within his castle walls, but casting her out into the streets would lead to a certain fate. She would be taken to an unknown place, and after that… Areos’ brow furrowed.

If he were to marry, then Cyrene would have to marry as well. And the thought disgusted him. The thought of her, the one he had raised and cherished, carrying another man’s child – what was the difference between that and a pet dog running off into the streets, mating and returning with puppies?

Areos rose abruptly from his seat, his irritation clear on his face.

“What are you going to do?”

“If that’s what you want, I’ll grant it.”

The murmur filled the room as Areos walked out of the conference hall without looking back. Letters would surely pile up by tomorrow, all from men desperate to spread Cyrene’s legs, clamouring for their turn.

It was just lending her out for a while.

Nothing more. It was considered a great honour to allow the nobles to use something that belonged to the royal family. This time it happened to be Cyrene. But for some reason, the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. He couldn’t understand why he felt that way.

He didn’t like her, he didn’t love her. She was just something he cherished. So why did it feel so wrong?

Areos entered the castle with long strides. His eyes immediately found her, sitting near the iron bars in a secluded corner of the garden. Without hesitation, he walked over and pushed her down onto the soft blue grass.

“Your Highness…?”

The crushed grass gave off a sharp, earthy scent. He grabbed her slender ankle and pulled her closer. Sensing his mood, Cyrene flinched and hunched her shoulders, as if bracing herself for what was to come.

“Ahh…!”

He thrust between her not-yet-prepared legs, her body stiffening at the intrusion. The discomfort briefly distorted her expression, but it wasn’t long before it dissolved into pleasure.

“Mm… ahh…”

Breathless moans spilled onto his chest, her voice trembling with excitement. He didn’t like her, didn’t love her – Areos repeated this thought over and over again as he thrust into her, losing himself in the rhythm of her body.

***

Cyrene blinked, her gaze meeting Areos. His expression was colder and more intimidating than she had ever seen him before.

Did I do something wrong?

No matter how much she thought about it, nothing came to mind. He had seemed in a relatively good mood recently. What could have happened?

As Cyrene cocked her head in confusion, he made a small, authoritative gesture with his hand.

When she stepped quietly closer, he reached out with a displeased expression and removed the pin that adorned her hair. The carefully arranged strands unravelled with a gentle rustle and cascaded down her back.

“Your Highness?”

Next came the necklace, then the bracelet, and finally every last ring. Having stripped her of all her jewellery, he reached for her clothes.

The sharp sound of tearing fabric filled the air as her dress fell to the ground. Startled by Areos’ rough behaviour, Cyrene instinctively stepped back, her eyes wide with alarm.

“Your Highness… Ah!”

He gripped her arm tightly, almost painfully, his gaze trailing down her body, clad only in a thin muslin slip. Beneath the light fabric, her slightly flushed n*pples were visible, their soft pink colour peeking through.

“Haaa……”

Without saying a word, he brought over his robe and draped it over her. It was a complete mess. He tightened the sash around her waist with such force that it almost hurt, his expression dark and dissatisfied as he frowned at his handiwork.

“Your Highness.”

She couldn’t even bring herself to ask what was wrong. It was not her place to ask questions or pry into things – it never had been.

“Just act as you always do.”

“What?”

What did he mean?

Before she could even begin to guess, a maid came in and grabbed her arm, dragging her away.

Where was she being taken, leaving Areo’s chambers like that?

The maid led her down a corridor to the guest quarters.

“Where are we going?”

As expected, there was no answer. The maid stopped at a door and knocked softly.

“Come in.”

A man’s voice came from inside. Before Cyrene could even express her confusion, she was pushed forward and forced into the room. The first thing her eyes fell on was the large bed – and the man sitting casually on its edge.

Cyrene stared at him blankly, unable to comprehend the situation. The man rose and walked confidently towards her. His gaze lingered on her face and he uttered a series of admiring exclamations.

“Ah, so this is what His Highness cherishes so much.”

Should she answer?

Her mind spun in confusion. Being alone in a room with a man who wasn’t Areos felt sickeningly wrong. Flashes of severed tongues and hands filled her mind. As Cyrene instinctively tried to back away, a large hand grabbed her arm.

“L-let me go!”

She twisted her arm to free herself, but his grip didn’t budge. His hand moved to caress her cheek, then slid through her hair. Areos touch had always frightened her, but this – this made her stomach churn so violently she thought she might vomit.

“Mmph…!”

His lips pressed hard against hers, forceful and relentless. As Cyrene struggled, her robe slipped from her shoulders and fell to the floor, leaving her n*ked. The man’s eyes roamed over her body, sticky and invasive, as if savouring every inch of her. Her mind spun in confusion, her thoughts racing back to Areos and his strange behaviour earlier that day. What did he mean by “just act like you always do”?

“Let go…”

Her entire body shook uncontrollably as she twisted and turned in an attempt to escape. But instead of breaking free, she was pinned to the bed, her body bouncing lightly against the mattress. Her mind went blank, overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all.

She knew that the man before her would face no consequences, not in Areos’ palace. That much was clear. The Crown Prince wouldn’t allow such a thing unless it was sanctioned. Flashes of Areos’ rough hands tearing off her jewellery came rushing back, the memory of his dark gaze sending a shiver down her spine.

“Ah!”

She gasped as the man carelessly pulled up the thin cloth that barely covered her, exposing her entire body.

As Cyrene tried to get off the bed, he grabbed her ankle and pulled her back.

“No! Stop it!”

She screamed, her voice echoing like a desperate cry, but her legs were being forced apart. The harder she struggled, the more the weight pressing down on her thighs pushed deeper, pinning her in place. Cyrene gasped for breath, her voice breaking into another scream.

Would Areos really ignore this? Did he truly intend for this to happen?

Her thoughts spiralled into chaos, tangled and frenzied.

“Be quiet.”

A hand clamped over her mouth, cutting off her screams. The pressure made it hard to breathe, and the more she struggled, the tighter his grip became. Tears welled in her eyes as she felt something hot pushing against her p*ssy. She didn’t need to look to know what it was.

“Mmph! Mmm!”

The sensation spread through her body like a sickening wave, reaching even her fingertips. Never in her life had she imagined being in a situation like this with someone other than Areos. Even when others had seen them having s*x, it had only been to see. But now, the unfamiliar size and shape of the p*nis against her – the way it was so different from Areos’ – made her gasp and sob in panic, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

“Haa… ha…”

The man’s sticky breath spilled over her br*ast. His p*nis, already slick with prec*m, slid along her parted folds. Impatiently, he pushed his hips forward, his p*nis slipping at the tightly closed hole and thrusting into her abdomen instead.

“Ah… ah…”

A cracked voice escaped her already hoarse throat. Cyrene’s eyes fell to the swollen, reddened p*nis. The man, clearly aroused, thrust at her repeatedly before finally forcing her hole open and thrusting inside in one swift motion.

“Agh…!”

The dry, unprepared walls of her insides scraped roughly against the invading flesh, the friction burning painfully. Cyrene’s fingertips trembled uncontrollably. The sharp, tearing pain was nothing like what she had felt the first time she had taken Areos.

“You are truly beautiful. More beautiful than any woman I’ve ever seen.”

His words, mixed with panting breaths, were barely audible. Tears streamed down Cyrene’s cheeks, soaking her flushed skin until it was sticky and wet.

“Ugh… ah… ugh…”

Her body shook uncontrollably with each jarring blow and muffled moans escaped her lips as if she were being squeezed. It didn’t take long for Cyrene to realise that there was no escape, no way out.

Accepting the fact that Areos had placed her here was far harder than she could have imagined. Her vacant eyes stared up at the ceiling, which swayed in her vision with every thrust of the man’s hips. The creaking of the bed matched the rhythm of her unwilling moans, creating a soundscape of humiliation.