The Princess Needs a Scandal

Adela – Princess of the Edel Kingdom.

A beauty with black hair and blue eyes.
A princess whose conduct is as flawless as a textbook of etiquette.

Since the age of 14, she has ruled the Edel Kingdom for eight years as its de facto sovereign, to the point that she was called God’s representative.
A workaholic who poured her body and soul into the kingdom’s prosperity and stability.

But now Adela needed a scandal that would tarnish her spotless reputation.
For an effective scandal, she sought out Braden, the hottest gladiator in the Colosseum.

“To make a contract, do I have to sleep with you?”

Braden – the Colosseum’s greatest gladiator, and the supposedly missing prince of the Sovaro Empire.

A man with platinum hair, teal eyes, a sculpted face, and a beastly body.
A walking weapon.

So disinterested in women that he was reputed to be incapable of desire, yet before him appeared a woman who stirred him—none other than Adela, the very symbol of grace and nobility.

Adela proposed that he become her partner in scandal, in exchange for an enormous reward.

‘I will give you the perfect scandal you desire, Your Highness.’

[Preview]

“My face and the scandal have nothing to do with one another.”
“And do you think the clever people you want to deceive will fall for it? They’ll see through the lie in no time.”
“Just as a ship leaves no trace upon the water, no one can truly tell if a woman has lain with a man.”
“You’re wrong, Princess. I’ll show you the proof.”

His lips pressed roughly against Adela’s, sucking as though to swallow them whole.
But it didn’t end there. His tongue traced over her lips, then nipped at them lightly with his teeth.

“Ah.”

At the slight pain, Adela parted her lips. Immediately, a strange tongue forcefully invaded her mouth.
His tongue was very hot. The two tongues tangled, and the heat spread to Adela’s tongue.

Haah, haah.

Her breath grew ragged, her heart pounded as though it might burst, and her mind went blank.
His tongue explored every corner of her mouth, touching every tender spot. Then he swept back over her lips, biting at the lower one, sucking until they ached, only to repeat it again.

What is this?
It felt like her body was melting.
She felt she might go crazy from the tingling sensation enveloping her whole body.

Her shoulders trembled. Tension coiled in her lower belly, her legs lost strength.
As her lips and tongue were drawn into his, shivers ran to the tips of her toes, leaving her unable to think.
Adela staggered—but instead of falling, she collapsed into the firm arms wrapped around her waist.
Trapped in his hold, she couldn’t move an inch. Meanwhile, the kiss grew rougher, deeper.

She lacked air—or perhaps it felt as if everything in her was being consumed by him.
Their lips finally parted.

“Haah….”

Adela gasped for breath, tangled in the harsh exhalation that escaped between his lips.
So this is what a kiss is?
For a first kiss, it was shockingly overwhelming.
His fingertips traced slowly over the fullness of her swollen lips.

“How do you feel now?”

In the mirror, she saw a woman.
Eyes of water-colored blue, glazed and unfocused under heat, cheeks flushed, lips red and parted, hair disheveled under a man’s touch.
The image of a wanton woman, one that could incite all sorts of shameful thoughts.

Is this me?
How could my face change so much in such a short time?
Adela was confused.

“See, Princess? When a man and woman press their bodies together, traces like this remain.”

His voice, deep and sweet like a stringed instrument, whispered in Adela’s ear.