“Eldan… Eldan Berend…”

“Did you tempt him? With this body?”

She tried to shake her head, but trapped in his grip, she couldn’t.

“No… no, I—ahh!”

“You let him have you. Didn’t you?”

“Ahh—hhhk, ahhh!”

“Tell me how many more you dragged into your bed.”

“There’s no one else—nghh!”

Zephion’s p*nis stirred her insides into ruin once more. The hard p*nis inside her made her feel as though her whole body was being pierced through. Her folds, overflowing with slick heat, drenched her thighs until the lewd, squelching sounds echoed through the dungeon.

“Ahhh… ahhh…!”

Her body writhed and twisted, her breath hitching as she threw her head back. Another dizzying cl*max swept through her, leaving her legs trembling violently. She could hardly stand, yet she wasn’t allowed to collapse.

“Haa—hhk.”

Zephion groaned low, his breath ragged as his hips moved at a slower grind. Her walls, soaked with pleasure, twitched and clung desperately to his p*nis.

Across from them, Kaelid watched, teeth clenched tight, his gaze burning into their joined bodies.

“You pretended to belong to him, but behind his back, you must have rolled around with countless other men.”

His mocking words made her squeeze her eyes shut. She had never—she swore she hadn’t. But Zephion showed no sign of believing her.

“Kaelid Berend—now you see, don’t you? You never even had this.”

“Th-that’s not—ahh!”

His p*nis thr*st sharply upward, tearing a cry from her lips. Zephion’s hand gripped her chin, forcing her face up, his mouth curving into a cold smile she had never seen before.

“You just liked men, that’s all.”

“Haa… haa…”

“To you, it never mattered who he was, so long as someone was willing to take you.”

His thr*sts grew rougher, pounding into her until her toes lifted off the floor, only to slam back down again. Each stroke drove the air from her lungs.

“Pretending to love them—easy, wasn’t it? Any man would have fallen for it.”

“Nhhn… ahhh…”

She clawed at his hand, but his grip only tightened, her jaw aching from the force.

“Did you enjoy deceiving me?”

“No—ahhh… no, please… listen, I—ahh!”

Her words broke into cries, the ruthless invasion of her body scattering her thoughts until they blurred into nothing but heat and pain. Her eyes stung as tears welled, spilling with each ragged m*an.

Her body shuddered violently, clenching around him as another cl*max surged to her fingertips.

Zephion’s jaw clenched hard, his breath harsh with the effort of holding back.

“Did you ever… miss him again?”

His voice was so low it was almost drowned by the sound of their bodies colliding, heavy and wet.

“Enough to go back… and bear his child?”

She clenched her teeth, shaking her head desperately in answer to his question. His lips pressed so close it felt like they would meet.

“Haa… haa… hhhk, Zephi—mmph!”

As if he could no longer bear to hear her, he crashed his mouth against hers. His thick tongue forced its way inside and wrapped tightly around hers, tugging at it roughly. Then his teeth bit down hard on her tender flesh.

“Ahh!”

She cried out in pain, her body flinching violently. The p*nis stretching her tight walls drove even deeper; she felt as though it might reach her throat. Reina’s legs shook uncontrollably and her whole body turned red. Her thighs were drenched in slickness, spilling freely down her skin.

“Hhhk… hhhngh…”

Zephion repeatedly bit down on her tongue before finally releasing her jaw. He seized her br*ast with his large hand, kneading it roughly and pinching and twisting her hardened n*pple until her body arched away in shock.

“Ahhh… ahh…!”

Another cl*max tore through her—she had lost count of how many. As her walls convulsed, his p*nis moved more savagely, pounding her so hard her hips throbbed in pain.

“Haah…”

Zephion groaned lowly as he thr*st deep inside her and spilled his seed. She could feel the sudden warmth flooding through her, leaving her trembling and weak.

When he withdrew, his s*men trickled down her thighs and the air was heavy with the mingled scents of sweat and s*men. Her legs gave way and she collapsed to the floor.

Everything was ruined. She could sense it in his movements — Zephion was no longer the same. There was no tender touch, no sweet kiss. Only the rough, relentless motions of a man seeking to satisfy himself remained — just as Kaelid had done.

Hard and glistening with their fl*ids, he stepped towards her again.

“No… don’t…”

He seized her ankle, dragging her helplessly across the cold floor. She pushed at his chest with all her might, but he easily pinned her wrists and pressed his p*nis between her slick thighs once more.

“Don’t—mmph!”

His calloused hand clamped down over her mouth, cutting off her protests. The rough stone scraped painfully against her back. Whether from the sting of it or the man Zephion had become, her vision blurred and tears welled up.

“Mhhhnn—nghhk!”

She squeezed her eyes shut, and the tears spilled hot down her cheeks. The sound of his harsh breathing and the wet slap of flesh echoed off the stone walls, filling the dungeon.

***

Reina held Aaron tightly in her arms.

She had no way of knowing how many days had passed since she was thrown into the dungeon. Not a single ray of light reached its depths. She had slept with Zephion several times in Kaelid’s presence — not out of love, but as an act of vengeance against the Marquis of Berend.

Although she found it horrific to be held in that way, her body, accustomed to pleasure, cl*maxed repeatedly. She had tried to speak to Kaelid more than once, but each time he silenced her by covering her mouth with his hand, as if he was unwilling to hear a word from her.

Instead of raging and screaming as she had expected, Kaelid just watched her in silence, looking dark and sullen.

Today, Zephion had quietly brought her clothes and a cane. They were white.

The moment she saw them, she knew. This was the end. White showed blood most clearly.

Once she had changed into the clothes, she was finally allowed to see Aaron again. She had feared that he might be dead by now, having been left uncared for all this time. But to her shock, the child looked exactly the same as before, as though someone had been taking care of him.

Bowing her head, she gently kissed his warm forehead.

Zephion, who had been watching quietly, stepped forward in long, steady strides. He didn’t tell her to follow him, but she obeyed without a word, trailing silently behind him.

They arrived at the execution grounds.

Kaelid was already standing, bound in chains, upon the platform.

‘So this truly is the end.’

At least it gave her a small measure of comfort to know she would follow after him. It meant she would die only after witnessing him lose everything.

Aaron tugged at her hair. She lowered her gaze to the child in her arms.

“…What am I to do with you?”

No matter what she said to Zephion, it would sound like nothing but excuses to him. How could she ever expect a man who believed her love was a lie to accept this child as his own?

Reina gave a bitter smile as she caressed the baby’s soft cheek.

Would Aaron die as well? The only comfort was perhaps that he would not be left alone — that she would die with him.

It pained her that Zephion’s hatred, her grudge against House Berend and all her sins had dragged this innocent child into the same fate. If only she had never let her thirst for vengeance consume her. If only she had never brought Zephion back into her life. If only she had pushed him away until the very end.

In this final moment, regret was all that remained.

She had vowed never to feel this way. Yet here she was, bowing her head to press a kiss against Aaron’s tiny nose.

As she breathed in the baby’s warm, gentle scent, a faint smile slipped across her lips. She could feel others watching her.

Did they think of her as nothing more than a woman from the hated House Berend? Or did they believe her to be a shameless wh*re who had slept with and had a child with her own brother without feeling any shame?

Zephion slowly ascended the platform. Soldiers forced Kaelid to his knees and pulled his head forward. Reina watched him in silence.

On the brink of death, he laughed.

“See you in death, Reina.”

His head was severed before the words had barely left his lips, tumbling to the floor. Blood sprayed upwards and fell in thick drops. The crowd erupted in a roar of cheers, revealing just how deep their hatred of House Berend ran.

Kaelid’s body was dragged away like refuse, discarded without care. Soldiers reached for Reina, but she brushed their hands aside and stepped forward of her own accord.

Aaron blinked up at her with wide, innocent eyes, knowing nothing.

She stopped where the blood still pooled, warm and fresh. Countless eyes fixed on her. She set the child down behind her, out of reach of the blood, and straightened her back, standing tall.

“If you have any last words, speak them now.”

Perhaps it was mercy—because she had once shared his bed. Zephion’s voice was hard, unyielding.

She looked at him steadily.

“Spare only the child…”

“…”

“He’s your son.”

Unable to hold it back, Reina spoke the truth at last.

His eyes widened—then twisted with fury.

“Even now, you cling to lies.”

So he would not save the boy. She gave a bitter smile, closing her eyes.

“That’s all I have to say.”

She clasped her hands together tightly. The wind blew her hair back, catching the dim light on the cheap jewels in her earrings.

Zephion raised his bloodied sword. With a swift motion, the blade fell against her slender neck.