The Crown Prince’s Courtesan - Chapter 66

It was the promised night.

Russell stood in front of the tightly shut door, his brow furrowed. He couldn’t bring himself to open it easily. His heart was pounding in a strange, unfamiliar way.

He didn’t feel like himself. It was like he was experiencing someone else’s emotions.

But perhaps that just meant he was truly nervous. Nervous about all the truths he was about to confess to Marie, and the decision she would make because of them.

‘Your rut period is approaching. Please be careful, Your Highness.’

He hadn’t forgotten the chamberlain’s warning.

He had intentionally taken a full dose of suppressants before coming. That’s why his body felt duller than usual, and he had a slight fever. But even so, he couldn’t afford to delay this even one more day.

Russell had given the noble lady only half a day to collect herself.

Currently, the Duchy of Dietrich was under siege, and Arwena would be standing trial in just a few days for the murder of the Queen and the Crown Prince’s fiancée.

A death sentence was inevitable, and the truth would soon spread like wildfire throughout the capital.

“Marie.”

At that moment, Russell opened the door, which felt heavier than iron.

Marie Alphrose was sitting quietly on the bed. For a brief moment, Russell couldn’t speak. He could only look at the woman who was gazing back at him.

Perhaps even the first time he saw her, she’d had that look in her eyes. Like she had already given up everything, yet with an unyielding will still burning beneath it.

Ah. Was that when he’d fallen for her? When he first laid eyes on her? Had he kept her in his heart while hiding behind the excuse that she was his enemy?

“Marie Alphrose.”

“You’ve come?”

She didn’t seem upset.

Her hair was pinned up beautifully, and the nape of her neck where he often liked to bury his face glowed softly.

Through the thin nightgown, her slender waist was visible, and her full b*****s seemed to emit a gentle, inviting scent.

“I came because I have something to tell you.”

His heart raced. No, it felt like it would burst from anxiety.

At that moment, Russell began to suspect something.

Were these really his own emotions?

The pounding of his heart was unmistakably his, and yet why did it feel like standing at the edge of a cliff, that same fear clutching at his spine?

It felt like someone else’s emotion.

Someone else’s emotion…?

‘No, it couldn’t be.’

Russell’s eyes widened. Just then, Marie moved. Watching the man’s sluggish gaze follow her, she thought to herself:

‘He’s reacting differently than usual.’

In truth, she had anticipated that the Crown Prince would be dull and slow tonight. That was precisely why she had chosen this moment.

Talks about the ultra-dominant Alpha’s rut cycle were something the palace staff were particularly attuned to. She had overheard it often enough.

That he always endured his rut with suppressants. That this time would be no different.The decision had already been made.

When Marie heard that, cornered as she was, she had felt relief but also sorrow.

He said he had something to tell her, and yet he had clearly decided not to touch her. Not to lay a hand on a courtesan like her.

It was laughable. Even if he had tried to touch her, she would have run for her life. And yet, knowing he wouldn’t made her heart ache.

“Your Highness.”

Marie released her pheromones freely — just like in that last moment when she couldn’t control the heat. Looking straight into the Alpha’s hard face, she stepped toward him.

The distance closed in a blink.

Come to think of it, it was the first time she had ever approached him first.

Russell must have noticed that too. His eyes widened again.

That proud, cold Crown Prince, always so handsome yet so distant, looked unexpectedly adorable in that moment.

Marie smiled faintly.

Thinking this might be the last time — somehow, her fear began to fade and courage took its place.

Her outstretched hands gently came to rest on his cheeks. Stroking his smooth skin like that of a tender lover, she brought his face closer to hers.

“Russell.”

“You… seem to be in a good mood today.”

No, Your Highness. I am sadder than I have ever been.

“Whatever it is you came to say, I’d like to take care of my business first.”

“And what might that be?”

At a distance where their noses could almost touch, Marie rose onto her toes. Their lips met, softly brushing against one another.

She saw the prince visibly startled, his mouth parting slightly.

Marie moved boldly. Her body, responding instinctively to the faint trace of Alpha pheromones seeping through the air, felt as though it would burst into tears.

“Please kiss me, Your Highness.”

His eyes changed instantly. Even with suppressants dulling his senses, Russell was likely at the edge of his restraint, vulnerable to the smallest trigger. Marie willingly embraced the man lunging at her with hunger. After all, this would be their final contact.

“Marie. Marie…”

Even this desperate kiss, calling her name—

When they briefly parted, Marie quickly slipped the prepared item into her mouth and threw herself into his arms again. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she slid her tongue past his lips.

Her nails dug lightly into his tense, solid shoulders as she pressed her tongue against his, slipping what was in her mouth into his throat.

Gulp—he swallowed and it didn’t take long until his body lurched backward.