Anita was confronted with a kind of malice unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

In that moment, she truly understood what it meant for a person to be warped.

Her body stiffened and her instincts screamed at her to run.

‘I have to get out of here…’

Instead of meeting Cedric’s gaze, she turned her head away and tried to reach out.

Without hesitation, Cedric seized her, clamping a hand over her mouth. At the same time, he pressed his knee down against her thigh. Caught off guard and pinned in an instant, Anita froze, drawing a sharp breath that came out as a muffled sound.

“Mm—! Mmph!”

Watching her struggle to speak sent a sharp thrill down his spine.

He had never realized that looking down on someone so powerless could feel so intoxicating.

Cedric briefly averted his gaze from Anita to scan his surroundings. There were plenty of things he could use to muffle sound. His own cravat would suffice, as would the soft bedsheets. Even the crumpled hem of the girl lying beneath him would work.

But was there an easier way? A way to cover her mouth?

Cedric twisted his lips into a lopsided sneer and called her name.

“Princess.”

Someone with their mouth blocked couldn’t possibly answer. All she could do was let the sheer terror bring tears to her eyes and silently beg him to stop.

“Do you want to send something to Calllitea? Are you dying to do so?”

However, at his next words, Anita’s eyes wavered. Seeing her more spineless than he expected, Cedric thought it was getting a little boring and removed his hand. Sure enough, Anita didn’t scream but was staring intently at him.

“You said you’d give up anything back then, didn’t you?”

“……”

“This seems much more valuable than your knees.”

Cedric pressed his knee down on hers and twisted it between her soft thighs. Startled by the sensation of the gap being lightly prodded, the stiff Anita flinched, flailed her arms and let out a piercing shriek.

Despite the loud noise, there was no sign of anyone outside the door. Who would actually enter? The Crown Prince was in the Crown Princess’s bedroom. Cedric scoffed, not hiding his derision, and drawled.

“I don’t care if the sound leaks out. However.”

“……”

“The moment you rush out or someone walks in, you’ll never see me again. You won’t get a single chance after that.”

“……”

“What will you do?”

As he spoke, Cedric relaxed his body. Just enough for Anita to be able to slip away if she wanted to. However, instead of scrambling away from him, Anita’s lips trembled, and she spoke in a faint, barely audible voice.

“Why, why…”

“……”

“Do you… h-hate…”

The sight of her unable to form a single word was foolish. Cedric clicked his tongue and placed his hand on Anita’s cheek.

“You’re slow on the uptake. I told you.”

He gripped Anita’s chin and tilted her face upwards, as though he were inspecting a piece of merchandise. His eyes lingered on hers for a long, unsettling moment before his hand slid to her neck and his fingers pressed lightly against her skin.

“This.”

“Ugh!”

“It looks more valuable than your knees.”

Cedric nudged her lightly with his knee between her thighs and moved his fingers to the small pearl buttons at the nape of her neck, undoing them one by one.

Each button caught in her hair, tugging at her scalp and causing a faint sting as it came loose. The dress gradually slackened beneath the slow trail of his cold fingertips.

Although the fabric that had been choking her throat was now loose, Anita still gasped for air. Her chest felt tight and her breath caught as if invisible hands were still holding her by the throat.

“You said you’d do anything. Was that just empty words?”

Cedric continued speaking, still kneading the bare nape of her neck, as his hand drifted lower. At his touch, a few buttons snapped open with a faint crackle, the fabric slipping aside to reveal the curve of her slender shoulder.

“What can I do when it’s my turn to get what I want? Huh?”

The man traced the hollow of her collarbone with his thumb, slowly and deliberately. At that moment, Anita knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what he wanted from her. A wave of nausea rose in her throat. Her hands and feet trembled uncontrollably; she was seized by the same revulsion one might feel in the presence of something unspeakably vile.

But she couldn’t refuse. She should have pushed him away; she should have hit the man pinning her down. But her body wouldn’t obey her. Her limbs were rigid and her tongue was frozen, as if terror itself had sealed her in place.

“Why? Why like this, like this…”

Tears spilled down her cheeks, blurring her vision until she could no longer see his face clearly. Feeling utterly foolish—pathetic, even—Anita forced out a single word, her voice trembling and raw.

“Why?”

Of course, Cedric had never expected Anita to resist. Yet when he saw her crying, frozen to the spot and unable to shake her head, he couldn’t help himself. A low, startled laugh escaped him that sounded sharp and cruel. He seemed taken aback by the sound himself. Leaning close, he whispered in her ear, his breath brushing her skin.

“There’s no such thing as a wh*re.”

He watched as her trembling suddenly ceased, the sobs dying in her throat. Her tear-filled eyes, clear as glass, reflected something hollow and broken—like a wound carved deep into her soul, one that would never heal.

“Why? Am I wrong? Isn’t a woman who offers her body for a price usually called a wh*re?”

It wasn’t her business. He had actually said that to make her do it.

“Ah, of course. I don’t think you’re the kind of person the author had in mind when they wrote ‘wh*re’. You’re no different to those who cozy up to nobles and the wealthy, talking about art and patronage.’

He sounded both amused and contemptuous. But his contempt ran deeper than mere words. He no longer planned to disgrace the Princess of Callithea with insults alone. He was determined to make her pay for acting in a way he didn’t understand, and for presuming to bring him fig jam. He was going to exact that price himself.

“You’re the incarnation of the goddess, aren’t you? In that case, wouldn’t the lower part of your body be special too? If I poke it, maybe a blessing will come out.”

Cedric chuckled and moved his hand carelessly, causing the dark blue dress to slide down and reveal her rippling, rounded br*asts. Realizing that what was tightly bound was much more spectacular than he had expected, Cedric suddenly slid his hand under the hem of the dress.

His calloused hand touched her smooth, soft thigh. He moistened his dry lips at the feeling and hummed.

“I have high expectations.”

··· ✦ ···

Anita didn’t get any petting or f*replay. Cedric enjoyed squeezing her slightly overflowing br*asts and teasing her n*pples. Then he moved his hand, which had been caressing her thigh, to a more intimate place.

Anita’s body twitched unconsciously as his fingers probed her.

“Are you going to go?”

But Cedric’s brief words stopped her in her tracks. He was pressing down on her so hard that she couldn’t move properly. He simply mistook her struggle for resistance.

Cedric was relaxed until long fingers dug into his flesh. This wasn’t his first time holding a woman, and although he wasn’t a fan of casual s*x, he wasn’t devout enough to remain celibate.

His lower body burned when he touched her engorged cl*toris, stimulated by a few strokes. Hot breath escaped from Anita’s lips as tears streamed down her cheeks.

She wasn’t fully wet yet. Cedric had neither the patience nor the inclination to wait. Feeling his *rection, he flipped the hem of her dress up completely.

He then grabbed her slender ankles and positioned himself between her legs.

“No, no… Whew.”

For the first time, Anita whined and shook her head in disapproval. She knew that touching her would cause her excruciating pain.

Without saying a word, Cedric gripped her thigh hard enough to leave a mark and pushed his veiny p*nis inside her. Her parched v*gina could barely accommodate the tip of his p*nis.

“Ouch!”

The pain was so intense that she couldn’t scream properly. Ignoring her agonzing cries, Cedric thrust his hips forward.

There was no mercy. Anita gaped at his p*nis, which had been thrust all the way in at once. Still unable to come to her senses, she silently struggled, trying to escape.

Cedric frowned and held her down in the cramped space. He pressed down hard and tightened his grip on her thigh.

“S-stop. I was wrong… ugh.”

Anita’s pleas tumbled out as a shudder of pain ran through her body and her lips began to quiver. “Please… stop… I was wrong,” she begged, the words spilling out unthinkingly.

Cedric’s expression clouded over as he watched her beg for forgiveness, even though she didn’t know why she was apologizing. Looking at her pale, tear-streaked face, he seized her flailing wrists and forced them down with one hand.

“Ugh… Stop. Please. Ugh.”

“…It’s quite a sight.”

With Anita tied up, Cedric began to move slowly. Savoring her tears, he rubbed her cl*toris with his thumb.

His p*nis thrust in and out of the tight space once, twice; the slurping sound gradually growing louder. Despite struggling to breathe, Anita let out a sob at the sensations and sounds that shook her entire body.

“For a first-timer, you’ve got some talent.”

Cedric was amused by Anita’s half-conscious, trembling state and bombarded her with verbal insults and teasing. She was so shaken that she was unable to respond to his low blows.

“Ugh, huff! Ugh… squeak!”

Every time Cedric thrust in and out, Anita felt as though she were being ripped apart. The thudding sound of their groins slamming together echoed in her ears mercilessly.

This time, he gripped her waist tightly. He thrust inside her with no consideration for her pain. The feeling of being pressed so tightly inside her was driving him mad.

His only goal was to hurt her, but pleasure temporarily clouded his intentions. In fact, he regretted not having violated the woman beneath him like this since his first night in Laxion.

“Ugh, squeak!”

With no strength left to resist, Anita swayed aimlessly in Cedric’s grip. Through her tear-clouded vision, the man moved into view. Unlike her, who was panting and struggling to breathe, Cedric appeared completely unperturbed, his face merely slightly flushed.

“Why….”

When their eyes met, Cedric raised the corners of his mouth. For a moment, even her barely-there breathing was difficult. Anita shivered, feeling as though it had happened countless times.

“Please, just end it now.”

But Anita’s desperate wish remained unfulfilled. Cedric continued to pin her down, smiling with satisfaction each time he thrust inside her. Her vision flashed. Ultimately, it was Anita’s mind that reached its limit first.

Her resistance vanished and she could no longer endure it. Her senses blurred and her consciousness became hazy.

The dark ceiling moved closer and away, and the man on top of her repeatedly faded and reappeared. Any remaining faint hope was completely extinguished. At that moment, Anita blacked out.