Nadia had dressed her today. Lately, the maids had realised that dressing Malyn too much only caused more bruising on her body from the jewellery, so they kept her dressed as simply as possible, which meant fewer maids were needed. Layla had helped her bathe in the afternoon. As soon as they’d entered the bathroom, he’d sat her in the tub and given her intimate attention. After some giggling, they’d finished and Layla had gone to drain the water, mentioning that he had to go to the laundry room. She didn’t know if he’d returned.

The laundry was behind the king’s guards. If it was discovered that Layla was a man and had dared to touch the king’s woman, he’d be killed on the spot. Malyn clenched her now cold fingers.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, Your Majesty.”

“Ha, Layla. Do you really claim to know nothing?”

The king sat down and crossed his legs. His elaborately decorated silk shoes came into view, each with a golden snake ornament that Malyn could never afford, even after a lifetime of work. She thought it suited him well – a cunning, merciless snake, always looking for an opportunity to harm and devour her.

“Truly… I don’t know, Your Majesty…”

Tears trickled from Malyn’s eyes, partly an act, partly genuine fear. How much did he know? How much would she have to deny? Could she claim that she hadn’t known Layla was a man? That she had only recently found out? A flood of possible excuses raced through her mind, but none of them felt like the right answer. Instead, all she felt was an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

What if he’s… already dead?

As this thought consumed her, there was nothing Malyn could do. She clasped her hands to the floor and bowed her head, touching her forehead to the ground.

“Your Majesty, please spare me. I know nothing, really nothing.”

Tears streamed endlessly down her face. The merciless king looked down at her, then pushed her head with the toe of his shoe, signalling for her to look up. He stared into her tear-filled eyes for a long moment, then let out a light, mocking laugh.

“They say those who know nothing are the most frightening.”

“…”

“You did it because you knew nothing, I suppose. Isn’t that right?”

“I… don’t understand what you’re saying…”

The king laughed in a way that sounded almost like a sigh, mixed with mockery.

“A filthy woman who I thought was only mad for sperm, and yet you enjoyed yourself with women behind my back.”

Malyn’s mouth parted slightly as the king continued.

“They say you’ve had a maid between your legs every night, begging her to use her fingers on you, even asking her to bring artificial tools. I heard this from someone who witnessed it first hand.”

“Ah…”

“I have summoned your maid, Anessa, and questioned her. It seems that for some time now you’ve insisted on having only a maid from your own family with you for your baths.”

Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. There was so much she wanted to say, but she didn’t know where to begin.

The king nudged her head lightly with the toe of his shoe. “Ah!” Malyn cried out as she stumbled to the side and the king crouched down beside her. He grabbed her nightgown and tore it roughly, exposing her br*ast with a loud rip.

“Lustful women…”

Amid the chaos, Malyn kept her eyes wide open, watching the king closely. He was crouched with his legs spread, almost like a frog, and his groin was already noticeably swollen. His lips were slightly parted, as if he could barely contain his excitement.

“Fooling around right under my nose.”

He slapped her bare br*ast over the torn nightdress.

“Ah!”

Malyn moaned as if on cue, carefully gauging his reaction. Instinctively, she understood that she was no longer in imminent danger of death. The king didn’t know Layla was a woman. But she wasn’t completely out of danger. She was, after all, the King’s woman who had dared to make love to a maid in secret. She could guess what his intentions were, but the King of Veldam was an unpredictable man.

After roughly groping her br*ast, the King pushed Malyn to the marble floor.

“Spread your legs.”

Trembling, Malyn lay there, sobbing as she spread her legs in an undignified manner. The king stood, arms crossed, and walked around her. Dressed in his elaborate, richly decorated robes and still wearing his mask, he studied her n*ked body with an intense gaze that made her feel deeply ashamed. Why was this happening? She looked away, only for the king to kick her in the side.

“Ah!”

“What are you looking at?”

The king muttered irritably as he looked around. His chamber was now filled with whips and rods as if it were the norm. He picked up a short goatskin whip. Ignoring Malyn’s trembling, he bent down and began to stroke her br*ast with the end of the handle. He did the same along her inner thighs, spreading the outer and inner folds of her intimacy. He stared at Malyn for a long moment before he let out a small laugh.

“You tried hard not to get caught, didn’t you?”

“Ah, Your Majesty. Please…”

The tears began to flow again.

“I only sought a brief pleasure because it seemed you didn’t love me. But it happened only once. I’ve regretted it ever since. I am yours…”

Malyn’s lips trembled. It was humiliating. Even at that moment, instead of worrying about Layla, she was calculating how to speak to ensure her own survival. Lying there, she cried and begged.

“I belong to you, Your Majesty. I have always wanted only you. I’ve never thought of using artificial tools. Since I first heard in Dion that I would be yours, all I wanted was to bear your child, ah!”

The king kicked her again, as if he couldn’t bear to listen any longer, his mouth twisted in displeasure.

“Impudent creature.”

“I was wrong, I was wrong.”

Malyn sobbed, crying uncontrollably. The king knelt beside her, breathing heavily as if aroused.

“A woman who claims to want a child… yet indulges herself with other women.”

“Sob… sob…”

“On the other hand, it would be even more ridiculous if you somehow got pregnant while being with a woman. I’ve never poured myself into you.”

After a moment’s thought, the king threw down the whip and stood up, beginning to pull down his trousers in obvious irritation. Malyn rose quickly to help him remove them. As she loosened the knot, the king’s hard, musky p*nis was revealed. As Malyn moved to put it into her mouth, the king pushed her face away with the back of his hand, then shouted.

“Is anyone there?”

“Yes.”

The waiting maid answered immediately.

“Bring in the maid from the Princess of Dion’s household.”

Malyn froze. She heard the maid’s confirmation and the sound of footsteps fading away. The king smiled cruelly.

“I will spill my seed on her before your very eyes. Then I will throw her to my dogs. We’ll see if she likes women or dogs more.”

“Your Majesty! I was wrong! I was wrong!”

With a choked sob, Malyn begged desperately, her vision blurred and the back of her head cold.

“Please, don’t leave me! I’ll do anything! Your Majesty! No, please!”

Despite everything, she continued to lie there, sad. “Don’t leave me,” she begged – a tender plea hardly fit for such a king. She clung to his knees, begging. The king tried to kick her away, but struggled because he hadn’t completely removed his trousers. Sobbing, Malyn took the king’s p*nis and put it in her mouth. He tried to push her down, but Malyn noticed that his hands lacked real strength. She sucked deeply, thinking about how, if he could bring Layla here and somehow undress him…

Tears streamed down her face, but her mouth was too full to make a sound. The king thrust deep into her throat. Despite her gag, Malyn thought she’d rather suffocate than stop. His cum filled her throat, and when he pulled back, the rest spilled onto her face.

“Your Majesty, I’ve brought the maid from the Princess of Dion’s household…” came a voice from outside.

A voice from outside. Malyn didn’t even think about wiping her face, but immediately grabbed the largest of the king’s favourite whips and handed it to him. It was a whip for war horses. The king raised an eyebrow and Malyn began to laugh, sobbing.

“Your Majesty, please, just do it to me. I’d rather die than share you with another woman.”

It was half sincere. The king took the whip from her hand and smiled. He had considered using it before, but Alexis had been so frightened and crying that he hadn’t really tried it. Now the king swung the whip. With a sharp crack, a high-pitched scream escaped her. “Ahh,” she managed to stifle the pain and the king frowned.

“Didn’t I tell you to scream louder?”

“Yes, I will… I will! Ah!”

Concentrating only on trying out the new tool, the king did not notice that the maid from the princess’s household was standing frozen outside the door, unable to enter or leave, forced to listen to the princess’s screams until the king was done with his game.