Chapter 85
Hesitantly, I stumbled back only to find my retreat blocked. Reynard had moved behind me, preventing my escape. “We’re not finished talking, Adelina.”
“Reynard. I’ve said all I need to. Please, just move… Ah!”
Clovis approached, closing the distance between us as my back pressed against Reynard. Trapped between Clovis and Reynard, I was utterly cornered. Clovis tilted my chin upwards. “You have no idea what I wagered to save your life. So don’t… Haha.”
I wanted to tell him, to tell him that I did know. I knew that the esteemed heir to the imperial throne had sacrificed an eye to keep me alive. But I also wanted to tell him that I had offered my own body in return because I refused to live indebted to him.
“Let… Let go… Mmmph!”
Clovis’s lips crashed against mine. Startled by the sudden kiss, I tried to pull away, only to be stopped by Reynard, solid as a wall. “Mmm…”
The only soft part of that hard man pressed against me, invading my space. His strong grip held my jaw captive as his tongue explored my mouth, while from behind, Reynard bent low, kissing my shoulder and neck.
Overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, I rolled my eyes—the only part of my face I could still control—towards Helion and Seikan. Helion, his expression a mixture of sorrow and grim determination, watched me trapped between the two men, his fists clenched. His expression, like that of an ascetic enduring penance, conveyed a resolve to endure even the most unbearable pain.
And Seikan… “It’s alright to hate me, Adelina. Please, hate me. But you have to be alive to hate me, don’t you?” He offered a bitter smile, his fists clenched just like Helion’s.
“Nnngh!” Clovis tightened his grip on my jaw, forcing my head back towards him, as if forbidding me to look away. His soft lips and tongue continued their relentless exploration, stealing my breath and my senses. Behind me, Reynard deftly untied the intricate fastenings of my priestly robes. The robe had two sets of ties, so complex that even putting it on was a challenge for someone unfamiliar with it. As the heavy fabric fell away, I absurdly wondered if this, too, was a skill honed during his mercenary days.
With my robes gone, leaving me in my thin undergarments, Clovis pressed his body against mine. He wore only a linen shirt and trousers, both made of a light fabric that allowed me to feel the full extent of his arousal as our bodies met. As the kiss deepened, Clovis’s growing er3ction pressed against my stomach. Reynard’s own considerable hardness rubbed against my back as he continued to kiss my exposed shoulder and neck.
“Rey… Reynard… No. Stop… Hngh!”
Both of them, at the same time? Like this? The presence of their hard lengths pressing against me from both sides filled me with a primal terror.
To be honest, when I noticed my body weakening, barely sustained by kisses and touches from Seikan, I had begun to prepare myself. Seikan had promised to keep our encounters a secret, but that promise held only if his efforts were enough to keep me alive. With each passing day, his gaze grew heavier as my condition worsened, and I could clearly sense his desire to possess me overriding his concern.
I was only human. Once I realized I had unconsciously been making a spectacle of my desperation to live, I truly wanted to survive. When I made the decision to fight for my life, I accepted that I would have to go further than I initially intended. But I had imagined something like a drunken kiss, not this.
“No… Ah, Ahh!” Clovis scooped me up into his arms. Desperate, I reached out for help, even knowing it was futile. “Helion! Help… Help…” Then, I saw the papers Helion had been fiddling with on the table. Folded and unfolded pieces of paper, numbered one through four.
“…I’m sorry, Lina. It’s not my turn today.” Helion’s somber reply nearly made me combust. They had been holding a serious meeting, and it turned out they were drawing lots to decide who got to… me first?
“So it goes.” Clovis, holding me tight, cupped my br3ast with the hand beneath my arm. “Haa!”
“Thank the gods, I’m first.” He tossed me onto the bed and quickly shed his shirt. The sight of his well-defined muscles made my body rigid with fear. The horrific pain of his previous assault was still vividly etched in my memory.
Four pairs of eyes watched as I trembled, my teeth chattering, and scrambled backwards on the bed. Helion, tears welling in his eyes, bit his lip and looked away. Seikan, his gaze bleak, bit his lip until it bled. Reynard, removing his own clothes, spoke in a soothing tone. “Don’t tremble so much. Just relax, and it will be alright. Alright?”
And Clovis…
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