The Runaway Maid is Loved by the Archmage - Chapter 140

※ This book contains depictions of coercive/dubcon/noncon acts, violence, and immorality. Reader discretion is advised.

Roina said to him,

“…Don’t you have proper clothes?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t make it a habit to carry women’s clothing. My pants would probably slip right off you.”

Well, that would be quite a sight, too. But I’d prefer to be the only one to see it.

Roina looked at him with a disgusted expression.

Wearing nothing underneath and just a loose shirt—it was an embarrassing situation, no matter how much she tried to convince herself it was like wearing a dress.

Even though she oddly didn’t feel much aversion toward him, the shame didn’t go away.

If anything, she felt more embarrassed than when she was completely naked.

Maybe it was because that inexplicable euphoria had faded—she wasn’t sure.

“You kidnapped me out of nowhere—what exactly were you thinking?”

“Hmm, like I said before, it was my nasty little prank that couldn’t resist the opportunity. That arrogant Yellow Dragon needs to learn just how blessed he truly is.”

As he spoke, he poured hot water into a teaware set placed on a tray atop the table. The shriveled, dried tea leaves floated up in the water.

A fragrant scent seemed to waft up with the rising steam. Clack. He closed the lid of the small teapot.

It was a zisha teapot, made of ceramic and shaped like a tiny kettle. It was a familiar shape she hadn’t seen since arriving in this world.

As someone who’d always liked tea, Roina felt another strange emotion stir within her.

“Of course, getting to have you to myself for a little while is a great joy for me as well. It’s not easy to come by such a chance.”

“Enough with the side chatter,”

Roina slightly furrowed her brows. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were circling around the real topic.

“Let’s talk about the actual reason you lured me here.”

He quietly poured the tea into another vessel set to the side. It was to keep the tea from steeping for too long.

Then he tilted the lid askew and looked at her again. The fragrant scent of tea filled the room.

“You…”

“You don’t want that bastard to die, do you?”

Roina’s eyes widened. He had been talking about completely different things until now, but then, as if everything up to this point had been a lie, he pinpointed exactly what she wanted.

“Yes, I know. The secret behind his death.”

“Then…!”

Shh. He raised one index finger and brought it to his lips. As the wide sleeve slipped down, his firm and seemingly long forearm was revealed.

“If I tell you that story, what will you give me in return, Lady Roina?”

“…What?”

Roina felt flustered. He really was someone who did everything on his own terms. Even though he had orchestrated this entire situation, he constantly seized back control of the conversation.

“Judging by the way you say that, it sounds like there’s something you want from me.”

“As expected of Lady Roina. So clever.” He covered his mouth and laughed again. His laughter rang out softly.

He took a long stride toward her. Though slender, he was much taller than she was. His shadow fell over her head.

The purple eyes that had been slightly narrowed in playfulness now stared down at her with a sharp edge. His intense gaze openly scanned her body, and his vivid red tongue slid across his thin lips. There was a lazy yet dangerous energy radiating from him.

Roina instinctively stepped back a little. The shirt that barely covered her felt completely useless, as though she were naked.

“What if what I want is your body?”

In one much longer stride than hers, he stepped forward again. As he did, the corners of his mouth curled up, but his eyes showed no trace of amusement. It seemed like his pupils flashed red for a moment.

“It’d be nice if I could have your heart too, but I suppose that’s not possible, right? That greedy Yellow Dragon must have already taken it. But how about this instead? What if I at least shared your body with him?”

Just imagining the Yellow Dragon’s face twisted in displeasure felt incredible. As he said that, he slipped his hand through her hair. His hand had turned cold again at some point. When his chilly fingers touched the back of her neck and scalp, goosebumps broke out across her skin.

“In exchange, I’ll make you feel very, very good. What do you think? Sounds like a good deal to me.”

He lowered his head and whispered into her ear. His snake-like voice gripped her throat and wouldn’t let go. The white snake that had disappeared earlier climbed back up her ankle.

Gulping, she looked at him with trembling eyes. In his eyes still burned that red light—full of desire.