Chapter 22
Was this burning sensation… pleasure? Gazing at the flushed face of the Emperor, she wondered what her own expression might be. His eyes narrowed.
“Curious?”
He grasped the back of her head, pulling her up sharply. Her br3asts were crushed against his chest. Inside her, he shifted, triggering a strange, new sensation.
“Ahh!”
A cry tore from her throat, her hands flailing uselessly in the air. He turned her head. She saw a mirror, and before it, two severed heads.
“Haa!”
A scream ripped from her lungs. She squeezed her eyes shut, desperate to block the sight, but his low voice, laced with warning, cut through the darkness.
“Open your eyes and look.”
No…
But his command was absolute. Jia opened her eyes, forcing herself to look at the mirror, trying to avoid looking down.
She saw their intertwined bodies. And below…
“N-no…”
The eyes seemed to bore into hers, accusing.
I’m dead, but why aren’t you?
Tears welled up. She buried her face against the Emperor, seeking refuge from the piercing gaze of the dead. She wanted to cover the heads, but his earlier warning against touching him echoed in her mind. Her hands hovered awkwardly in the air. He spoke, a hint of concession in his voice.
“You may touch me during our coupling.”
Such a small thing, yet his words made it seem significant. A bitter smile touched her lips. She deliberately let her arms hang limply.
It was a small act of defiance, a fragile defense of her pride, as flimsy as a sandcastle. The strength drained from her arm, the one she’d been using to stab his shoulder.
“Hngh, hah, ah….”
He thrust in and out, their breaths mingling in ragged gasps. His blue eyes, blazing with arousal, raked over her body, devouring the sight of her swaying b*****s, her n*****s, her navel. His hand tightened on her thigh.
“Hngh!”
Her legs lifted, draping over his shoulders. Her hips met his, deepening their connection. The sword slipped from her grasp, falling onto the sheets.
Sister…
A faint flicker of pleasure sparked within her. She squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to deny it.
I’ll go back… I want to go back…
Die.
The whispered words pierced her consciousness. Jia opened her eyes, her gaze colliding with the vacant stare of the dead.
No… No, no. The words echoed in her mind as tears streamed down her face.
The pleasure, once a flicker, now surged through her, rising to her throat. Each time it intensified, she opened her eyes, forcing herself to meet the gaze of the dead.
A desperate attempt to anchor herself, to remember who she was.
In the end, her hands never touched him, not until their coupling was complete.
Utterly drained, she slipped from the Emperor’s bedchamber. Two knights stood guard at the door, and Julia waited beside them.
At first, she would have blushed with shame, but now she was too exhausted. Only Julia’s presence brought a flicker of embarrassment. She was the first woman Jia had met since arriving…
Jia clutched the remnants of her dress, trying to cover herself. Tristan removed his cloak and draped it around her shoulders.
“You needn’t return it.”
“…Thank you.”
Only a few steps separated the Emperor’s chambers from her own. She started to imagine what they must have thought as they waited, but stopped herself. Such thoughts only led to a downward spiral.
The knights remained at the door. Only Julia followed her inside. Regina hadn’t been seen since that day. It seemed she’d been permanently removed from her duties.
“Shall I help you bathe?”
“It’s alright. I… I don’t need to.”
“Do you use magic to cleanse yourself?”
That wasn’t the case, but Jia didn’t want to prolong the conversation, so she simply nodded. Julia smiled gently.
“There’s nothing quite like a warm bath to lift one’s spirits. It’s nothing to boast about, but I’m skilled in the magic of water. Would you like a warm soak?”
Warm water…
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