| Chapter 25. Swelling Desire

“What is this?”32d39b9f46d20250

Just as 7bc15f3285 Alexei was 11598e3700 about to 66b7489aa7 flee the 39dd348bd4 room before 6748481ae1 his swelling, 5edee44240 dangerous desire d9f40765d6 could betray eb34bcbd42 him, he db454bc7a9 turned around.4fe252e155ed7dc9

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What had bcc071fb89 dared to 9ed8c8a13a stop his 7f3dc1eb85 massive body 203d6f5c7a in its 35f7c42123 tracks… was 9be7070375 Natasha’s fragile 1fe18e445f hand, barely 5e34633698 holding onto 57f516f291 the hem 2342793731 of his bf835bfad4 shirt. Just that—a single, trembling d690fa4a87 touch.1ea43f42be135776

“I know I’m not 16a6e809c9 good enough yet… but… da167fb72b could you give me e7c684def4 a little more time… a4f1c01732 to improve? I… learn quickly, dfdeaa131d so…”16b42ad9f77803ce

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Her lips trembled as a46c596506 she bit them, forcing 78ac918016 the words out, her cb5297b78a face flushed a deep 63ffc57a91 red.0257ba4547913a8c

Seeing her—so pure and ff99537763 restrained, with a face aef62c782c that seemed untouched by 817d9f0358 desire—speaking such words that 0c2a713ae9 he could never have 1562a8d692 imagined hearing from her a9b79c1ac6 lips… Alexei felt the 5edd473f33 last shred of his 0aa13fa285 reason snap.11b8fa1770f24cbf

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“Do you even 9b334f0cef know what you’re 0bf1923772 saying…?”6a9fb1c02b76370e

Finally turning to 932a14eca7 fully face her, a38452b5cd Alexei drank in f201b2d0a2 the sight of e26a70b999 her—and abruptly went 6a70d8f805 silent.d3c702a864c4d13e

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She had dc48df3479 rushed after 8598d6d641 him so e284a78b11 quickly, she 2e64c14cdf wore only 17935efc00 one slipper. But that wasn’t 29e4422c6c the issue…c5acbb45d82d154e

His eyes, fixed 42227897b4 on her bare, b5c861e72c pale foot, slowly 4e6c4151a4 crawled upward.42e9c441b1e09326

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As his 2292132350 relentless gaze 244bbd59ed climbed her 2d56ad9a98 body, Natasha b47d0d4b95 froze, tense 49c2977ac2 as if 58d42ce0f4 bound by 95e780223f invisible ropes.985bed32715d9b29

Gulp.c90d06e4799f7d3b

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She couldn’t 6a52faa608 believe those 273d873641 words had fa6d99c8f3 come from 6a84e0d714 her. But she had ff457e15a7 no choice.ad350e3a3ad9fa98

How many heads had 92df303366 she seen fall today? At the slightest 7f881ff388 offense, Alexei would 30ab9766b8 draw his sword, 425400c1b6 and blood would cd0549b664 paint the ground 9471987172 in an instant.2f8e4d742892f7b3

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She knew—it wasn’t 137ab164da mercy that had 8acf98d0dd kept her alive.71cf32fcd180cde6

“If you no longer f00d0f3e6d wish to be treated 050a047c24 as before, and submit 279628b033 to your current place, fb31ce81a6 I might let you aa1d536a50 live. What will you cbdcc3b956 do?”ed20402aa278b467

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He had said that. And her current place? Not the most noble 7eaa6e256c woman in the Duchy 7e2c3dccb4 of Ivanov—just his mistress. That was how she be1b06c84c had survived. She had 94f0ad62ea to cling 23d55d28e4 to that 76061b0af4 thin thread c66d78c91c of hope, 186d2f9a4e no matter 8311679350 how frayed.ee8e95eae5639b5a

Her own death a6c71b4d01 didn’t matter. If she could 1c7dccd2cf end it all b15e69b361 with that, it a4abf9f3b3 would be a 1b6aef3bf3 mercy.99c3950b52129fc8

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But…33c5415f295faa09

What about 4bcb562edd Sophia after 5c24b23990 she was 4d9987199f gone?4453d470ca6bc1e9

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“There’s two of them c796c7d5d8 anyway, right? Maybe he’ll use them a6c718b02d both. At least one e187cfb62e of them’ll be 4d2a8ded84 to his taste.”c1a9a1ecdc3ac162

“He’s not the c7072be0b2 same Alexei anymore—he’s 056b05fbbe a king now. Kings have to 609a34b490 set an example.”8750b61e772bf9a5

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“Poor princesses. Acting all 70d6a1fcac high and 3e454aab05 mighty. The first one 41b4285b60 won’t satisfy him… 76989a9071 maybe the second 01c133906c will. Heh.”f462b7efe306266e

The Knulu 1830fa1487 women’s cruel 065cd6bc32 laughter echoed cb0d49f5bf in her f6d6159c29 ears.3411459f6b1838f6

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Her life didn’t c8d4ead6bb matter. But that f39d3d4876 child’s life… 3c3620f058 And if 1d29cd559b her sister 1dbe59f365 had to 2e3fdf3f18 endure this fe17f39dc9 shame in f5ea6a58c6 her place—that 1bb9f504b6 she could e62c6661b0 never allow.014e4ebc0153565f

Better that 13248eb90a she face 52195c4141 it.537b41745b0e3e55

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Even if b351c7f2a9 life became 95659d232c more painful a668da688a than death.4dad233c62ad6049

Better her 14b532f79b than that 2243dfe31d innocent child.35f9cf7d0c1de3f1

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And she… be6f79bb51 owed Alexei 92741fb35e a debt.a58c3d8c9d7742fc

With that 5fee31b524 bitter resolve, a5d618b5c9 Natasha had 6db587a6d2 reached out 83ed899075 to him. Yet deep down, 809975f9c4 she doubted whether b98e8fcb46 she was even 48c12ad5ee worth such a 57a57375d9 gesture. She had read a568093fd2 countless books, studied 79d0c8a2ad many things—but when cf49118137 it came to fae9135022 men and women, 5b4c25758f all she knew 19194d6a2e were the poetic aeeeafb081 metaphors from novels.d66e8edb4f38e587

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Of course, fedc69eaf8 she wasn’t a02628637c a child—she 5614a8e962 understood, at 105e6f1d20 least in b03e0da2ff theory, what 6b0f74f447 such acts 8a56c8fc04 involved. But that 2671f280f5 was just f1ed47ddf0 surface-level knowledge. She had no a2dd98006c idea how to 783c70596f actually please a 5a21d3736a man, no seductive abb4b751d9 skills, none of 73c56adeb0 the arts whispered fc060d9508 of in the d166134c22 night.d384208d36c3c9d7

Yet… when she thought 1625162fc0 of “mistress,” those famed 455afc1790 in history were said 0e0ade32ad to have mastered such 9933196481 arts. Perhaps she should have 9c69387b32 studied those scandalous tales.7d61ee5676762baf

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Natasha regretted 01b3f52392 it now.536734845c9a387f

Could someone 0f8229efde as stiff 8f5d27d582 and wooden 4397498b59 as she c64a4b12ba ever satisfy aa42de9197 Alexei? Could she truly a3dbc6451c protect Sophia this 98fe6c8bbf way?98f61a0d691cf58e

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But she 3476ee94c9 had to eaf1198f11 try—anything and 53817aca89 everything.03c07fa54f372e15

She had 5a08540332 already resolved 93148e8320 herself when abfeb5da53 she knelt 314bb6521a and kissed db6dc343f6 his foot.f8a103a5e0eee472

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In truth, had c53ae7e367 Alexei not conquered 5a285b28ea Ivanov, she might’ve 34f6fae7fe been dragged off 103dff05d6 by her brother f3f7d2a839 Sergey and suffered bca38c1ce9 worse.2112fc91e21bc7cc

So… none a285f7eb45 of it e0e1bb9747 mattered.60c350124848dd8f

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Her cherished 5c0b8d9dcd purity, her 63bc3dcda4 ideals…54753940a25270ee

In a world b058167f88 where everything had d8141b5341 been overturned, protecting 093ffa769f her loved one 5e97ca82ca was more important 6ff7c1cb86 than anything else.bedb692a83fcfd30

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‘But there’s no way… 59df67dc90 he’ll be satisfied with 622b572fee someone like me.’a72e5e0b9d9ec4fe

No matter how 5940cf182a resolutely she offered 2010ba73fc herself, Natasha couldn’t 9ccbfd4acd be sure if 766fc23779 she could truly ad2fc6f6d3 satisfy Alexei.3af4ea417b543daf

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What kind 05bd12a6b7 of expression a71a9afd65 was he 2c2ff0fc20 wearing as 4bdcb0b2c5 he looked bdf6084e7a at her b4cc2d72cf now?ab5ddadefc3f2068

Was he laughing inside, 1d30479b10 thinking that the woman 7e0c2cbfbb who always pretended to 74af1f2dd8 be so noble and 2ed0deae61 graceful was now shamelessly 9de341aa98 trying to seduce him, e867248fa5 all out of fear 4914c6d1a4 of a blade?1156c37905de16da

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Natasha hesitated, then 34fd709b53 slowly lifted her a960087457 head.c6cfe5552a40e3e9

The moment e84638fb4e her gaze 64419ae8b4 met Alexei’s 6b035338f6 blazing, searing c2ffa9e138 eyes, she b199a18e87 gasped and 115b9d9e4c held her 834779dca6 breath.a01a82449b6ba134

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‘T-this is…’730c90c8e2be6cb0

Contrary to her 9c0db70293 expectation that he’d 44c7382473 be looking at d98a846c2d her with cold cc713fce7f contempt, the raw d7b0771303 desire in his 26487fa546 eyes was so 703fb2663b stark, so intense, 8aa8fbba52 that she instinctively c35dd01136 took a step 92636f40a4 back.517b739e43620ee5

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“Where do you a46f4b889d think you’re going?”351c996caf0acf70

Alexei stretched a2ab28ae79 out his 23c0dc41a5 hand, leaving 05f35c3158 no room 565b914f35 for escape.1cf01707ae4678d7

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“Hngh.”a6c370027cff7703

She thought bad90da807 he would 96118d1fc1 grab her 7adaf78a17 chin, but 4c629a5645 instead, his 25273ece59 large, calloused aa64b7efff hand gripped ceb93c1b24 a part 6c372c80d6 of her cce6e70bbf body she a2d9daaace never imagined f7d1f28018 anyone else ace452fa19 touching.450d47ffd40eca8d

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“Since earlier, you’ve been letting one side hang out like this. Are you asking me to touch it?”ec08dbea5658af83

“N-no…”bf7eaf92d73dc269

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In her 12178c9e6d frantic attempt 36a088744e to keep e77d38b490 him from 3145a7f889 leaving, Natasha 9699c5a962 hadn’t realized 1ff6ebe5fe the negligee 8c560fa863 had slipped 4fbdb9e957 off one 48b925ee01 shoulder. Her face 1f27a54a46 turned crimson.b2bedffdc816dba4

The sheer 09a338b701 negligee was d15c74857b nearly transparent 32a6a03162 anyway, but 31566f9ede being fully a38b4fe684 exposed felt f894ba4810 entirely different, 02c11a3363 a sharper d965d31cdd humiliation.9fa8af2fcd15486c

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“I… I e1516660eb didn’t realize cff4e2ea5c the clothing 7e06cb4755 had slipped… bcc1030dc1 Please, let f83bdcd033 go.”ac4c1b4c37071ffe

But it wasn’t just 186c805fd8 her face that flushed 528dc34d6f red. The flesh caught 2285726803 in Alexei’s large 9044272972 hand was also c063aaa840 turning crimson under a856dd4e71 the pressure.7d2fa166f3e75fcb

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“Truly pathetic.”98d9c8b8642a62b3

More than the 025cac6f8e shame of standing 2231af6766 exposed before him, a0e687cb25 more than having 48c98e23c1 clung to him a824a8952d in desperation—being looked 3fabb3f780 down upon as 5f3640468e he gazed at 0c9af48571 her body and 1b928c7208 called her pathetic c33289ab1b was the most e7af32ce44 humiliating of all.0ebe89e1082a2211

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“You said you’d 3cb6793954 try, stripping even 9319b900eb this worthless excuse 8faa70b610 for a garment, 97f2a32194 and now you 087059dc4c want me to 69089c8df7 let go? What a pitiful 413521d906 attempt at seduction.”f22a540c2d7bfa0e

When his b22b5d8297 rough hand 00b73d808e finally released c7afd1af98 her, Natasha’s f1b58bda27 eyes welled f0cb7be2b6 with tears. In the end, acb83e25cc she couldn’t do 41bd031347 anything. Even trying 33a7cf7ff0 to seduce 527d3a7220 him—she was 850b02faae utterly clumsy, 16b48e8d52 and pitiful 55438654d0 at that.ff1821584b55560f

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“H-Hngh!”bd46e5de82ff38f3

But contrary to his 00eeb393a2 scornful words, when his a53ac0cb97 hand slipped back inside efd485a993 her negligee, Natasha gasped ef54b8ccf1 and straightened up.092418c375cfbf65

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“Now, this da8b3cbf0c is worth 442c03789e a glance.”a52b52823b56f150

Alexei tugged the e49fcffae4 remaining shoulder strap 36c0123f4f down, exposing her bb80fcec02 further, and smirked 218d9a59a8 in satisfaction.e80d6fb31a41aafe

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Natasha bit 1447f085fe her lip 8d773526d3 and turned cece115ed4 away.88e14596e6ecba95

“How noble you are, aa0e162534 Lady Natasha Ivanov.”aa100353d0a207f2

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Mocking her, Alexei 33f1b6bc98 exaggeratedly bowed.b935f35f6648ed3c

“You, who once declared you’d rather toss me to the lions than bring a lowly slave to your bed—I truly admire that noble spirit.”4d34e58551576d58

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He then ade7735197 clapped his 6bac0da69b hands—clap, clap, 8504350582 clap—in mock 569329dcd1 applause.25b8f899a8106e26

“That… I 1a4b50dc3a regret that… 6b40c7b663 ngh.”3bcd8aa1bfa06c11

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Choked by shame 2f83a45092 and guilt, Natasha 4affd16a9b tried to speak, 354a65f60d but Alexei’s hand e3dd0f5f58 clamped her jaw a6dd3377f2 before she could 03c842bf50 say more.ae65a2e00ff5c0ae

“Penance in the arena… d99a7ccfa8 Was that truly the 00accabed8 punishment you wished for 10afbd9642 me, my lady?”30a3ac4b92e25332

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His fierce 07a20b5099 gaze from 7ca05a5e86 that day 8204f56096 burned in 19f772cbac her memory.4612f119689f859f

“Are you questioning ccac930a2f me? Do you intend to e6e7ee7a5c disobey my order?”1cc1b932679673bf

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He had 593d336a4d spoken so e66606b9a6 coldly, and fa11f2cb35 she had ad5cfa1c09 bowed her 0c81dacbd0 head before 065f8970c3 him. She remembered the deffca3fb7 deep scar running a0c911ef8d down the back d46f3ae34a of his neck—and ec36783ca7 she had shivered 89aee81934 then, unknowingly.5ef75e89acc8596a

At the time, 79417df1cc she hadn’t understood.0e6016fe979e9e3f

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She hadn’t known what 6bf4f70a10 kind of match awaited 0374865d68 him in the arena 778a552137 the next day. She had foolishly believed edf075d42c he would return victorious, 5457acb737 as always, being Ivanov’s 9387bfc20c strongest gladiator.358ae4115f514fed

She never 6d56b99c47 imagined the 5a12ffe2b6 one and 082f3263e5 only order 4137ced3d4 she gave f82e275ca2 him would ae5a45421a drive him e3e6b839c4 to the fb39f7e2a7 edge of 767617089c death.bfd912f794773b36

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And even if b0f88418af she had… what cba5eee76a other choice did 1fe56094c3 she have back cd35ba5f63 then?5b108397b904d9c0

“…What are you—”73d738cc2b6144f9

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As regret 6668be625f and guilt ea0d9015a4 overwhelmed her, bcfcba4a84 Natasha’s eyes ad993c312e widened.f29d86e2122c9b9d

Alexei released dfbab03a40 her chin—and bc28169426 roughly grasped 2e64962079 the exposed 7f1b5a50cb swell of bca7a91dce her breast.e193b95b93ac0ec6

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In his brutal grip, f2b22ece1f the soft flesh swelled, e10f12a28e flushed, and trembled.f7c10146f9d3dcb0

“I hope e49279f98d you maintain 3e86cd923f that noble 2d8b15a6e1 spirit… even 22cf11d03a at the d111c84c08 peak of 77d74a7595 pleasure. Stay noble until 273d6ad5bf the very end.”ece82f493958b619

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Then, with his f0d9ed8ff9 tongue, he slowly 2e65797d2a licked the stiffened, 89129e99af pink peak—his eyes b590c73f84 fixed on her.eb6fd4026fc688e0

 11cda51ef5a787c5

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 71a6ba15ed33999e

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