I’m a Hostage Princess, But My Confinement Is Way Too Cozy - Chapter 48

Volumes 1 & 2 of HPCWTC are available uncensored on ko-fi! ※ This work contains depictions of coercive relationships, explicit language, and other graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

Alone, he knelt before the Emperor of the Valencha Empire. Restoring his shattered kingdom by himself was impossible. It was common knowledge that the greedy Emperor had designs on the Kingdom of Roang. To succeed in his revenge, he needed a greater power.

Zeke had to use the Verdion people to sow discord within Roang, ensuring the Valencha Empire could destroy it. In return, the Emperor promised that once Roang fell, he would restore the Kingdom of Verdion and provide all necessary support to break Zeke’s curse.

Until then, Zeke had to be the Emperor’s dog, carrying out any and every order. The Emperor was investing in the possibility that Zeke could become the King of Verdion, ensuring a future Verdion monarch would be subservient to him.

But Zeke was not the type to be used and remain obedient. He never forgot who he was, not for a single moment.

Ten years later, Zeke succeeded in his revenge.

Roang was brutally crushed and erased beneath the banner of the Valencha Empire. Those who had destroyed Verdion were all dead, without a trace left.

Only one member of the Roang royal family survived.

Sylvia Arperio.

The woman who now bore the sins of her family and her nation alone.

The Emperor, true to his word, freed the people of Verdion. The transaction was neatly concluded. Zeke no longer had any reason to live as the Emperor’s dog.

But one final task remained for him. Breaking the Curse of Kinamun.

The issue wasn’t simply having two sets of g******s. This curse was created to exploit humanity’s endless lust, and from the moment he was cursed, he had lost his ability to reproduce.

A king who cannot produce an heir would only sow chaos in the kingdom he had so painstakingly revived. Even though the people of Verdion awaited him with desperate hope, he did not return as a heroic king. Instead, he voluntarily imprisoned himself within Drémoor Castle.

All to find a clue to break this vicious curse.

After Roang’s fall, he personally interrogated the captured priests, but the only thing he learned was that “only a member of the royal bloodline can break the curse.” Therefore, to break the curse, he had to use Sylvia.

The woman who had destroyed his homeland, and whose homeland he had destroyed in turn.

He was loath to even exchange words with her, let alone share the same space. Just looking at Sylvia made disgust and guilt twist together, tightening around his heart. Yet, no emotion showed on his ice-sculpted face. After losing his kingdom and being cursed, he had lost the human warmth one ought to possess.

He could never forget the moment Sylvia was thrown into the cold banquet hall of the Valencha Empire.

He, more than anyone, knew bone-deep what it felt like to lose the world you loved in an instant and be met with scorn and predatory gazes.

That’s why she made him even more uncomfortable. She reminded him of his own weak past self. If only she had been as arrogantly willful as rumored, he could have simply disliked her on a human level—.

‘I am well aware of the situation I’m in.’

For a princess once beloved by all and known for being whimsical, she was far too aware of her place and her spirit was too noble. Not only was she cautious in her attitude toward a mere guard, but she didn’t even complain about her harsh circumstances.

She was a strange and pitiable woman.

No wonder she was getting under his skin.

‘Medicine. Apply it.’

Bringing her the medicine to treat her wounds was nothing more than a tactic to win her favor. That was certainly the plan at first.

The Sylvia he saw was soft-hearted and timid. A woman like this easily develops feelings for someone who treats her kindly. It was a fact he knew well.

Moreover, since she was being violated by two men, it wouldn’t be difficult to exploit the vulnerabilities in her trampled heart. Since he even felt a measure of human sympathy for her, he figured he could use that as is, and winning Sylvia’s heart would be the work of a moment.

That’s what he thought, but—.

‘Z-Zeke… why…?’

Lust. Desire.

The inappropriate emotions stirring in his chest had ruined everything.

The truth was, from the very first moment he saw Sylvia, he had desired her just like the other men.

No matter how much he tried to deny it, it was useless. Ever since the moment he heard Sylvia’s moans from beyond the wall, dropped his pants, and sought his own relief, his lust for her had grown uncontrollably.

He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop. He resented his own body for reacting to just the scent of her drifting through the door crack. How could he possibly be in heat for the daughter of his enemy?

After the desire erupted, an overwhelming sense of self-loathing crashed over him. He despised himself. Yet, the next day, and the day after that, he fell into the same heat, until he finally crossed the threshold into her bedroom.

And then he got caught.

He was flustered, but he didn’t regret it. A part of him even felt relieved. Perhaps, on some level, he had wanted to be caught.

But he never, in his wildest dreams, thought the Princess would accept his lust.