Chapter 44

Elise’s throat was held firmly, the grip unyielding. When he attempted to exert force, his fingers encountered an unexpected resistance. It felt as if invisible chains bound each digit, pulling them taut.

What is this? Rezette groaned irritably, removing his lips from Elise’s. He noticed a bruise on her partially exposed bre*st, resembling a crimson burst of flower juice on white paper. For a fleeting moment, a primal satisfaction coursed through him.

But as Elise struggled for breath, his senses snapped back. Her breathing sounded abnormal. “Your Highness?” he called out, briefly lifting his head to assess her condition, only to discover a handprint on the back of her neck.

Confusion struck him like a sudden blow to the head. That mark was definitely not there a moment ago. And then, his gaze fell to his own hand, and his heart sank. Dark, glossy scales were spreading over his wrist and the back of his hand.

Rezette hastily withdrew the gathered mana in his right hand. The dragon’s power, confined within his human form, surged uncontrollably, almost taking the shape of a dragon. For Rezette, this manifestation centered around his right arm and hand.

“Damn it,” he muttered, a wave of dizziness washing over him. He realized with a shudder that if he had clenched his hand a bit more, he might have snapped her neck. Actually, had his hand not stopped abruptly, as if restrained by an unseen force, the damage would already be done. The handprint on Elise’s neck was evidence of the agony she endured. He carefully examined her pale face.

“Your Highness, are you alright?” he asked, concerned. Elise tried to hide her pain, but her labored breath betrayed her efforts.

Rezette’s frustration intensified. Why wasn’t she speaking? He couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought, wincing at the realization. She didn’t need to speak. This woman was determined not to utter a word, no matter how much she struggled or suffered. Her purpose wasn’t to engage with him or indulge in pleasure.

It was as if someone had splashed cold water over his head. The overwhelming desire that had clouded his judgment and heated his mind suddenly waned, revealing itself as a delusion.

“I’m fine, but…” Elise gasped, trying to catch her breath. “Why did you stop?”

“I think I’ve found what I was looking for,” Rezette replied cryptically. “Unavoidable circumstances.”

“What?” Elise looked perplexed. As she tried to gather her shawl around her, Rezette hurriedly helped her button it up.

In an instant, her fair skin, previously exposed to the sunlight, vanished under the dress. The fabric that had been pulled up to her thighs returned to its rightful place. However, the red mark on her neck stubbornly refused to hide under the collar. Rezette pressed it firmly with his thumb. It seemed like a blemish from her flawless beauty, rather than a mark of his possession.

His gaze turned ominously dark. He had almost lost control, almost shattered her life in just a moment. The idea that his attention slipping for a mere second could have led to her suffocation haunted him.

“Rezette?” Elise’s voice brought him back to the present. In an attempt to divert her attention and avoid the situation, he released her body and instead clasped her hand tightly

Rezette lifted Elise’s hand, and the wide-open sleeve cascaded down her forearm like a trumpet. It revealed her delicate wrist, which appeared quite slender.

“Weight,” he murmured.

Elise was taken aback, not understanding his comment. “What are you saying?”

“You need to gain some weight,” he clarified.

Naturally, Elise was not amused. “Are you kidding me right now? I don’t feel like playing along with this!”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes either,” Rezette retorted, taking a step back from her. Elise tried to pull him closer, attempting to prevent him from escaping, but her efforts were in vain.

Rezette gently wrapped his hand around the back of hers and guided it to her shoulder, then down her arm and wrist. “Shoulder, arm, wrist. And from here, to here,” he explained, prompting Elise to touch her own body under his guidance. A warm flush crept up her cheeks.

As she followed his directions, she faintly felt the outline of her ribs just below her chest. Rezette released her hand and pressed that area firmly himself, releasing a low chuckle. Elise stiffened, clutching her shoulders tightly.

“Now, breathe normally,” he instructed.

Elise finally let out the breath she had been holding. Rezette’s hand moved down to her waistline.

If he had flicked his hand the wrong way, it could have easily resulted in a fracture. Perhaps the mysterious force that blocked him a moment ago was still present. However, the intangible, claw-like energy that had been caught between his fingers had now vanished.

Rezette held his breath as he gently supported Elise’s waist. “About 10 pounds… no, maybe 20 pounds should do.”

“What are you talking about?” Elise asked, clearly flustered.

“If you gain just that much more weight, it should be enough,” he replied.

“Body weight?” Elise’s eyes welled up with tears. This person always managed to time things so perfectly when getting close to her. Now he was criticizing her every move, draining her energy.

“Are you really going to do it then?” she asked, hesitatingly accepting the absurd excuse.

Elise found herself reluctantly accepting it, her pride taking a backseat to her current situation. “This really will be the last time.”

“Swear on your name. Stake everything, including Van Yela and Rotiara,” she demanded.

“I will,” Rezette vowed.

With care, he seated Elise in a chair and then abruptly excused himself, claiming to have work to do in his study, before swiftly leaving the room.

With determination and forcefulness, Rezette’s retreating figure left Elise with no chance to stop him. In an instant, she found herself alone at the table, her neck still tingling with the sensation of his touch, her legs tightly pressed together, and a lingering feverish heat consuming her.

Annoyed and frustrated, Elise let out a sigh of exasperation. She glared at the plate of chicken leg meat in front of her and lifted her fork. Trying to suppress her tumultuous emotions, she stabbed the fork into the middle of the meat.

***

Steam billowed from the bathtub, filling the bathroom with heat. Ivetsa looked worriedly at her gloomy and melancholic master. Ever since the lunch gathering with the duke, Elise had been in a somber mood, ever since she returned to her bedroom.

“While I was helping her change her clothes, I noticed some marks,” Ivetsa confided. She pointed to Elise’s left chest and the back of her neck, where traces had appeared unexpectedly.

Now Ivetsa understood why the duke had suddenly summoned a physician. The marks on Elise’s chest could be interpreted as affectionate traces between a couple, but the handprint on the back of her neck told a different story.

Over time, the faint marks on Elise’s body had gradually darkened into bruises. Crouched inside the bathtub, she murmured in discomfort, “It hurts.”

Ivetsa concernedly asked, “Where do you feel uncomfortable?”

“My back…” Elise replied, moving her hand underwater to touch her scapula.

She wondered if he had touched this area too, but her heart raced, and she couldn’t recall if he had. Her mind was clouded with the unfamiliar sensations she experienced during their encounter.

“Oh, come to think of it, this is it,” Elise said suddenly, realizing something. One of the five magic circles that Andrei had engraved on her body was located there. She stood up in the bathtub and approached the mirror to examine her reflection.

Though invisible to the naked eye, Elise could clearly see the magic circle with her own eyes. Placing her hand behind her back, just below her left scapula, a faint bluish light emanated from the pattern.

“Thank goodness. It’s still there.” The magic circle was one of the offensive spells that Andrei had carefully placed in a location where her hand could reach in case she was bound from behind.

Her gaze then shifted down to the largest magic circle on her body, covering her spine from the center to the waist. Andrei had engraved this magic circle on her when she was fifteen years old.

Unconsciously, Elise whispered to herself, “Should I learn magic?” She sensed something changing within her body. Lately, at the age of twenty-two, she had been enjoying the healthiest period of her life. Could this mysterious transformation have anything to do with magic?

Elise wasn’t well-versed in spellcasting, but she had observed Andrei for a long time and knew how to draw magic circles. On her body, she bore the marks of the magic circles he had left behind. Replicating them wouldn’t be too difficult.

“I should try it later, when no one is watching,” she mumbled under her breath.

Ivetsa guided her back to the bathtub. “It’s cold, Your Highness. Please get back in.”

“Yeah, sure,” Elise replied, submerging herself in the warm water and allowing Ivetsa to care for her. As Ivetsa placed a warm towel on Elise’s neck, she hesitated before asking, “Aren’t you scared?”

“About what?” Elise inquired.

“These marks… they’ll soon turn into bruises. Aren’t you worried?”

“What’s the problem if they leave some scars?”

Ivetsa’s voice rose in surprise. “You shouldn’t have scars, Your Highness! His Highness probably stepped back because of that!”

“Could that even be possible? You’re saying things that contradict each other,” Elise questioned.

“Where is the contradiction?” Ivetsa replied.

“Huh?” Elise was puzzled. “Did you think I wanted to offer myself to a dragon without accepting the consequences?”

“No, it’s just…” Ivetsa struggled to find the right words.