Duchess Of Sebria ✔️

Inferno Of Jealousy

15

Tears of helplessness betrayed Renai's eyes as women washed her body with milk. She failed to fall for the fact that this was the same man who she was friends with for years. He was going to snatch her virtue and no one around her would be audacious enough to voice against the injustice. In fact, these people were also those who direly needed justice like herself.

A warm splash of milk cascaded on her shoulder, causing her eyes to shut close. It was an order from the king to prepare 'his mistress' for tonight. More tears fell over this thought. They thoroughly scrubbed her body and took her to another room after wrapping her in a towel. There were groups of professional women standing in her waiting. Once she sat on the stool before a mirror, they began fixing her face with products she had never seen in her life.

Basina attended to her hair while others did her nails and body. One of the women came inside the dressing room to hand Basina a bottle containing fragrance. It was also from the king. She told them he wanted it on her tonight. Basina shed the towel and spritzed it on every inch of her naked body. Renai silently saw herself getting ready for her doom. Her nose crumpled up when she recognised the scent. Roses. It didn't take her long to realise it was the same scent he used to wear eight years ago.

Her tears gushed down when she remembered she used to tell him she loved this scent. He would always tease her saying she wouldn't be able to have it as it was only made for him. But now, every fibre of her body was soaked in that scent. It was oddly saddening.

Her eyes flitted toward Basina who was coming back to her while holding something in her hands.

Basina turned her around and helped her wear red silky undergarments before draping her in an ankle-length robe. She quietly slipped into it and followed her back to the honeymoon room that she realised was exclusive to the king. The room was heavily scented with rosy fragrance apart from hers. There were rose petals sprinkled on the floor and as well as on the bed.

Renai's chest congested while observing the romantic aura of this room. Her eyes roamed around thinking this would be her room where he would corrupt her. This was the same bed where she would take her innocence.

Her heart started to thump at a maddening pace. Anxiety was troubling her.

"Go, lay in the centre of the bed. He shall be here any minute," Basina told her, coaxing a tear out of her eyes. Renai blinked and more tears streamed down.

"This is the honour every maiden yearns to seek and here you are being ungrateful," Renai's chin wobbled but she didn't reply even when every part of her heart screamed. She lowered her eyes and climbed on the bed, crawling to the centre as told.

Basina pressed her lip in a hard line while staring at her. Just as she turned around, she rolled her eyes and left the room afterwards.

Renai blankly sat there with her heavy heart. She stared out at the window while silently lamenting over her fate. More tears pooled in her eyes and eventually, she broke into loud sobs with a hand covering her mouth. She squeezed her eyes and cried. Fate wasn't having it. She was being tormented for something she had no idea of. What cracked her up more was that the man on the throne wasn't her best friend, but a heartless and notoriously lustful man. He had become the opposite version of who he was back then. A kind boy who would never think of hurting her. He respected her enough. He was protective of her which she needed all her life. How naive of her that she could never understand his intentions. For her, he was like a friend but to him, she meant something else. Even when both of them knew their relationship was never possible.

And now, yet they met again, resuming from the same line where they left. Him wanting her body. But there was much difference now compared to that time. Back then, Renai was going to surrender her consent in his favour.