Chapter 112

The thin slip she had chosen was made of such delicate fabric that it revealed more than it concealed. In truth, it might as well have been the same as wearing nothing at all. Yet greeting him completely unclothed felt unbearably embarrassing, so she had put something on regardless.

She had soaked herself in bathwater perfumed with oils and spent a long while bathing leisurely. She had also prepared a bottle of strong wine, potent enough to leave someone thoroughly intoxicated. Now there was only one thing left to do.

Wait for the man who would share her bed tonight.

Standing before the mirror, Odelliana examined the indecent figure reflected back at her. The absurdity of the situation made a faint laugh escape her lips. To think she had dressed like a courtesan just to seduce a man. Her selfishness, clinging stubbornly to the end, disgusted her.

Still, she forced herself to remain composed.

In the end, this was a transaction.

Each of them would give the other what they wanted.

And tonight, she intended to add one more condition to that bargain.

Even if it meant trampling the innocent devotion of the boy who had once looked at her with such pure affection, she had no choice. The trap Jocelyn had laid around her was too tight, too carefully constructed. Her desperation to escape it had grown unbearable.

When she thought about it calmly, the truth was obvious. She had no ability to defeat someone like Jocelyn alone. He was a prince, a man with immense authority and influence, and he possessed the backing of the northern territories. A lone woman could never match that kind of power.

If things continued like this, she would inevitably be forced into the marriage he wanted.

Despite everything she had accomplished, she remained weak. Helpless.

But she was not entirely without options.

She still had one card left to play.

Matthias.

No longer a boy, but a grown man who had returned as a hero who saved the nation.

Even so, Odelliana had no confidence that she could keep Matthias by her side forever. He had said he desired her body, nothing more. That was far from the same as offering up his entire life. And once his fame continued to grow, she wondered whether he would still pay attention to someone like her among the countless beautiful women who would surely surround him.

Which was why now was her chance.

While his gaze was still fixed on her.

While his feelings had not yet faded.

She would bind him before he could wake from that infatuation.

In truth, she wanted to wish him happiness. She wanted him to live freely. But circumstances had left her with no other path. She was selfish, and her own survival mattered more than anything else.

When disaster loomed, people inevitably thought first of themselves.

She was no exception.

Tonight she would take him.

And through the institution of marriage, she would tie him tightly to her side so he could never leave.

She had to settle the matter before the foolish beast regained his senses.

Oddly enough, she did not feel nervous.

She was not inexperienced, and she was not afraid.

Yet despite that, her throat felt unbearably dry, and a sharp pang of guilt kept surfacing inside her. Even she could not welcome this miserable situation with enthusiasm. To greet a disciple returning from war only to thrust her body at him before anything else could be said.

Still, she had been cornered.

Without Matthias, she could see no way out.

And she wanted him near her.

For an entire hour she fidgeted in restless discomfort, unable to keep still, her fingers twisting together as embarrassment and shame gnawed at her.

Then at last, a servant’s voice sounded from beyond the door.

“Miss, Sir Matthias has arrived.”

The guest of honor had come.

Matthias stepped calmly into the room, unaware of what awaited him. But the moment he saw Odelliana’s attire, he halted.

For a brief moment he hesitated.

Then, as though nothing were amiss, he closed the door behind him.

Odelliana greeted him with the same composed expression.

“Welcome,” she said quietly. “Sit here.”

Matthias took the seat opposite her, his gaze lingering over her bold attire. Though the sight must have surprised him, his expression remained calm, almost leisurely.

“Well,” he said at last, a faint smile tugging at his lips, “this is certainly unexpected.”

“Are you surprised?”

“A little.”

Odelliana poured wine into his glass and then into her own. She still did not know how to begin the conversation, so she raised her glass and emptied it in a single swallow.

Matthias leaned back against his chair and watched her silently as she drank.

For a man who had once complained that he wanted only her body, his restraint was almost excessive. His gaze rested on the skin visible through her slip, yet he made no attempt to display his desire. Instead, he simply observed her.

His composure made her even more uneasy.

Unable to do what she intended with a clear head, she kept refilling her glass and draining it again. The alcohol rose quickly, warmth spreading through her body.

Yet frustratingly, her mind remained sharp.

“What do you think I’m about to do with you?” she asked suddenly after downing another two glasses.

Matthias tilted his head slightly as if considering the question.

Then he smiled.

“I’m not certain what you intend to do, Master,” he said lazily. “But I have a fairly good idea of what your disciple intends.”

“And what would that be?”

“Most likely bury my face between your legs like an animal in heat.”

Odelliana flinched at the blunt answer, so crude it clashed strangely with his composed expression. After a moment she let out a low laugh.

“For someone who says something like that, you look awfully calm.”

He chuckled softly.

“I already told you I’d give you time,” he said. “So why are you behaving like this? Unless you truly wish to lie beneath your disciple, it’s quite a provocative display.”

“I do wish to,” she replied simply.

She stood and walked over to him.

The warmth of the alcohol had begun to heat her body. Slowly, deliberately, she sat down on his lap.

“I still want you,” she said quietly. “So I’m giving myself to you.”

“So take me,” she continued. “Just like you promised.”

Her hand came to rest against his chest. One by one she began unfastening the buttons of his shirt.

Rather than stopping her, Matthias slid both hands around her waist, holding her firmly.

The shirt fell open, revealing the solid muscle carved into his body by years of war. Odelliana traced her fingers lightly across his chest before speaking again.

“Take me,” she said. “And marry me.”

It was a strangely simple proposal to accompany such brazen behavior.

Matthias blinked, clearly surprised. Then he laughed quietly.

“So Master herself intends to marry her disciple?”

“That’s right.”

Among nobles, marriage required a long and complicated process. For commoners, however, it was far simpler. A free citizen could visit a temple within the parish and declare their union before a priest serving as witness. If they belonged to a territory, they needed their lord’s approval as well, but the procedure was still straightforward compared to aristocratic marriage.

Yet despite its simplicity, the vow held absolute legal power.

Once married, a woman’s legal rights belonged not to her parents but to her husband.

If Odelliana married Matthias first, the Duke of Grüsewald would lose the ability to claim her.

“I told you,” she murmured. “If you still wanted me, I would give myself to you.”

Matthias burst out laughing as though the situation amused him greatly.

“So impatient, Master,” he said. “You’ve stolen my chance to propose.”

Then one of his hands slipped beneath the thin fabric of her slip.

The cool touch of his fingers brushed against her stomach before slowly moving upward.

His large hand closed around the curve of her breast.

A quiet gasp escaped her lips.

“You should at least explain the circumstances,” he murmured near her ear. “Otherwise how can your disciple properly accommodate you?”

She hesitated.

“Does the reason matter?”

His fingers tightened suddenly, sending a sharp shiver through her body. She clutched at his neck, breath catching in her throat.

“It matters,” he said calmly. “Marriage is not a trivial matter. If you accept it impulsively and later regret it, asking to be released… that would put me in a difficult position.”

She trembled beneath the sensations running through her.

“Then… I’ll explain,” she said breathlessly. “Just stop.”

At last he stilled his hand.

After catching her breath, she spoke again.

“Jocelyn intends to force a marriage between us.”

The amusement faded from Matthias’s eyes.

“You already know he’s my sister’s fiancé,” she continued. “But their engagement was never announced publicly. Only a handful of family members and members of the royal household know.”

Matthias didn’t speak.

“He apparently told my brother that he wants to replace Odette with me. And he’s already spread rumors about me through the newspapers.”

A quiet laugh escaped Matthias.

“They’re calling me a brilliant strategist who helped the prince in war,” she said bitterly. “And the woman he fell in love with.”

Her existence had surfaced.

Soon everyone would know she was the Duke of Grüsewald’s hidden daughter.

“And the moment I’m formally registered in the family,” she said softly, “my father will gain full legal authority over me.”

She took his hand and placed it gently against her thigh.

“There’s something else I never told you,” she continued quietly. “My leg isn’t a natural disability.”

Matthias nodded.

“The Beast’s Curse,” she said. “I was raised as a sacrifice.”

She explained everything. Her birth. The curse. The truth behind her existence.

Matthias listened without interrupting.

When she finished, he clicked his tongue.

“So you were meant to die for your sister’s heart,” he said flatly. “Your family intends to kill you.”

“Blair refuses to believe the curse,” she said quietly. “But once I’m registered in the family…”

“Your father will control you completely.”

“Yes.”

Matthias smiled suddenly.

“So in the end,” he said, “your disciple is your only escape.”

Odelliana swallowed down the guilt tightening in her chest.

“Yes,” she admitted. “This marriage is my way to protect myself. I’m using you.”

Even she knew how terrible it sounded.

But Matthias only smiled wider.

“In that case,” he said lightly, “I’ll gladly accept.”

His easy answer startled her.

“You’re not disgusted by me?”

“Why would I be?” he replied. “It’s a perfect transaction. We both get what we want. I’m simply pleased to know I’m still useful to you.”

She stared at him.

“Marriage means belonging to each other,” she said quietly. “It means tying your life down.”

“You don’t want me tied to you forever?” he asked.

She said nothing.

He lifted a hand and gently brushed her cheek.

“I want exactly that,” he murmured. “So this is nothing but profit for me.”

Then he asked quietly, “Did you consider anyone else?”

“No,” she said at once. “You were the first person I thought of.”

And it was true.

Matthias had no family, no obligations. No complicated permissions were required for him to marry. His recent achievements in the war had already secured his future. Everyone agreed he would rise far higher still.

Objectively speaking, he was an extraordinary match.

Blair would never oppose such a marriage.

And even Jocelyn would struggle to openly pressure a man now celebrated as the nation’s hero.

Odelliana knew all of this perfectly well.

Which was why she had chosen him.

Even if it meant binding him to her through selfish means.

“I’ve said everything I needed to,” she murmured at last. “So you can continue.”

Her body stiffened with tension.

Matthias wrapped his arms around her gently.

“You didn’t need to go this far,” he said.

“You said you only wanted my body. Marriage is different.”

He laughed quietly.

“So you did something reckless you’d only dare while drunk?”

“I was desperate,” she admitted. “And ashamed.”

He watched her silently for a long moment.

Then he said quietly, “I could take you right here.”

Her breath caught.

“But I won’t.”

“…Why?”

“Because the proper order matters,” he replied calmly. “The wedding night should come after the ceremony.”

“Do we really have to?”

“If we’re going to do this, we’ll do it properly.”

Just as relief began to wash over her, his hand slid lower.

“But,” he added with a low chuckle, “I can at least help you relax.”

Before she could react, he pulled her closer and kissed her.

The movement was slow and gentle at first.

But once their lips met, the intensity deepened.

Odelliana’s breath hitched.

His other hand tore the thin slip from her body with ease.

She trembled helplessly against him, overwhelmed by sensations she could neither control nor escape.

When it was finally over, she collapsed against him, breathless.

Matthias simply held her, laughing softly to himself.

For the first time, Odelliana realized the boy she had once known no longer existed.

And the man he had become was far more dangerous than she had ever imagined.