Coinquinatus (Tale of South Demosthan)

Chapter 6

Rays of sunlight splashed throughout the expanse of the large bed.

Ciara opened her eyes. The thin quilt slowly uncovered her body as she sat up. She knitted her eyebrows, unsure if she was annoyed or confused.

Ah! She remembered it! Last night he went here. She...she did her plan. She tried to kill him but it backfired as expected.

She grimaced when she felt the aching of her inflamed wrist. She examined it and was a bit surprised to find it carefully wrapped up.

Ciara sighed. It was a reckless act indeed. But her judgment was heavily clouded. She only desired his death the moment she saw him.

Hold the line for a second.

How was she able to sleep? What happened after...

"Seduce me." He breathed. He flipped her body and crashed his mouth into her lips without a warning. Ciara was too appalled to react.

His weight pressed down on her. She felt suffocated, in a not-so-bad way. It made her throw off balance. What was happening? Why was she letting this?

His kiss was invasive, too aggressive. Like he was treating it as a war rather than a mere kiss. He clearly wanted to win this one.

By the time she came back to her senses, Veozardo had urged her to open her mouth but this, she refused to do. She swayed her head to the side, breaking the contact for a moment. The emperor grabbed her jaw and made her face him. It didn't hurt but it constrained her from protesting.

"Mmph!"

He plunged his lips to hers again. He vigorously entered without her consent. Her objections were silenced by his tongue.

Suddenly, Veoz flinched away, holding his lips, he smiled coldly.

She bit his tongue without thinking twice.

"You wanna play this game? Fine." He swiftly wrapped the quilt around her and got up.

"Someone, come." He spoke in an authoritative voice.

Dario entered quickly upon hearing His Majesty's summon.

"Where's Dulcinea?"

"She's outside, Your Majesty."

"Have her call an imperial physician."

Eunuch Dario slightly raised his forehead, seeing His Majesty's hand with blood, he panicked. He looked at Ciara on the bed, gasping for breath. Knowing what had transpired, he looked at Emperor Veoz intently.

"Your Majesty, this...is this an attempted assassination? We must tell, no, t-the imperial guards we—this servant, I—"

"Lady Ciara is merely confused and exhausted. I originally intended to spend the night with her, but it seems that she cannot serve me for the time being. Let's head back to my palace."

His steps paused, darting a glance towards the four maids. Alvina's face flushed. Being stared at by a monarch, she found it quite flattering.

"That servant," He pointed at Alvina. "She is to be promoted as my bed attendant. Tonight, I will have her instead."

Ciara's cheeks turned crimson. Not because she was flattered or anything close to that when she recalled but because she felt so degraded and shameful.

Slam!

One, two, three...six old maids barged inside as if they were going to arrest her.

Ciara's eyebrows rucked into a frown.