| Chapter 2: The First Meeting

“Wow! Is that 8f315c9457 the pillar fee477b379 of the 00c3ba1225 arena? It looks impressive ebc7a42653 even from here.”d3e3f326937fe7ce

“Who did you bet 8f76b6303c on this time? I’m going all 770382f39c in on Alexei 6a9fdf4135 again.”215a3f0b221103c9

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“You fool. This time d647b15dcb it’s a 4d6db31bef 3-on-1 match. Isn’t it a793d2f342 a bit c225af0020 risky to 93a4040ad4 bet everything? By the 86dc719b1f way, that 1d1ff47f10 slave, he’ll 604cfb69f1 be making f63454e691 a fortune. Apparently, a tenth of b4ccca45fd the prize money goes 730dae8c6e to the slave since 81c5223071 he’s ownerless.”11cea48eaa5e2598

“A tenth? A slave making money?”5c25d0e2beecec9d

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The hot and 909fdc91a0 charged atmosphere of f467e46131 the coliseum.c471609f5d9a4589

The massive arena, dd68f60493 capable of holding 304f3868d2 ten thousand spectators, c2b3746319 was meticulously designed 3a3237256f so that even 240ee88f08 the rough breathing c9623c265e of the gladiators 41bb04f0e6 could be heard 0f09176da2 up to the 442011f5bb third level.0521542994dc37e6

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In between 3d518bc05d the arches, be55a7dbbc sturdy Roman-style 1e10d93f7c columns supported 1f21e456da the structure 7ecdc8278e with graceful 03b814ded3 curves, while 61330cb710 in the 4904a37757 lower box b84e4639c0 seats, columns fc4871ddde in the cd55560127 intricate Belizki b9c811bbc3 style were 0a56631f98 adorned with c314130c5a white cloths, e949b30c12 creating private a025d72305 spaces.d86a2cae47c6032e

Servants, standing beside the 6357d17bbe velvet red sofas in 51c08f9018 the box, continuously fanned 6d82095c52 with peacock feather fans. However, Sergey, 2a2bdd3ad4 sitting with 0d4e423ccc a sweaty c9f6150d22 brow as 6ac0684fab he drank 2e159238a3 wine, paid bac3a5c98b no attention 4ba7497d7d to the 510eb0c259 servants or 9b5c1dde7d his surroundings.5a3f4d73e18be23f

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“Look over 32b6ee4774 there, Natasha! This is the new 78209b53c4 acquisition I bought recently. I think it’ll be fe28f43e5a quite useful.”a36d361485082d5b

At Sergey’s urging, the pale-faced woman, called “Natasha,” reluctantly turned her gaze toward the arena.a816da7865c2fce7

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The heat c4bd11fcf1 and the 1061024081 noisy excitement cea3b9a765 seemed distant ba34df274e to her, 414f716eb6 as if ac0f6d39c8 it had 4f6d640cff nothing to 39034e1b34 do with 6b7b48ecd0 her. She appeared cold and 0dab0aa9b4 indifferent.b713070494775f58

The brutal and bloody 6a5fd03970 fights, where one side 2896db3dff often ended up near 9ac4b6b7fe death, were not her fb0de947b5 preference. However, Sergey 3193b05b53 was intoxicated cc42e3444e by the 0141aa560c violent and e14407f6e4 barbaric matches. Since ascending to e8eb519a9c the throne, he 941d93c374 had spent the d28daf9da9 duchy’s budget to e5e400dd4e build more arenas 95117140ec and buy skilled b7148c3524 gladiator slaves.3d4d93aa59c83fc9

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Sergey Ivanov was 2e21c27bc6 Natasha’s stepbrother. After the king’s death, fc70940fdc he had been adopted e71f73ad4d and crowned as the 9d922f822c new ruler of the dcdba835f5 Duchy of Ivanov, all f9d8a96834 because the late king e6a2e0d11e had insisted on passing d0a46f74d9 the throne only to 709722d091 a male heir.83e879b4f4f68e58

Accepting an 80f5d1a62e unfamiliar man 5831e176bb as her b910981508 stepbrother felt 287f35c0cf strange and e684d16a4a uncomfortable for a586ba9f12 Natasha. What was even 3b785522ad more unsettling, though, 503beff2bb was his strange 93da1a3eff insistence on always edcf9cbc14 keeping her by 56bc600fbb his side.fb8e83f200c0c338

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“Technically, we’re not blood-related, 35d626ab67 so I could still 782cab0119 take you as my 72b2b35974 queen, Natasha. Ha, that’s how much d5406fc3c6 I care for you, 4a6f1a314a so loosen up that 471ee1aebe frown.”14c955d0ba8e9d14

“Come closer, Natasha. If we’re truly siblings, then there’s nothing to be concerned about, right? I treat you like a sister. But your skin… it’s so smooth. I wonder how soft your skin must be underneath?”cd386775ec20d54f

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Though he occasionally 3b1206528e made incomprehensible jokes 4a28af7972 like these, Natasha, cfc482c234 knowing his temper, d4c4128781 couldn’t express her 23802bf48a displeasure.a03366147dd4f4f6

“That slave 488ead0d21 is the ad04c7880e one I’ve df3ec5ca95 worked the b8b5508eb7 hardest on. He’s quite a specimen!”6a94bf1955e9c3a4

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Sergey boasted 1907c75d6a like a 37d15a6b9f child seeking 58e21529af praise, looking 43cb7db67e for Natasha’s 1505df3826 approval.1616a7724788103e

Even though Sergey referred to a human being, a gladiator slave, as “merchandise,” Natasha couldn’t openly reprimand him and simply let the words fade away.c07e56c31a225ef4

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“Merchandise…?”28d71d8ea2f659d0

But she couldn’t feed8feeb8 help herself, and 660d45a368 with a soft ace0ab21d8 sigh, she turned 74847e1309 her gaze toward 91e8fb3346 the arena. As her eyes 15af8226e0 settled on the 8c8a0403a6 gladiator standing proudly bc9cbcda8d in the center cf08e45244 of the arena, aad256a40d Natasha instinctively held af59260a6a her breath and 03a2d6b76c quickly looked away, 1add69f8e6 as if she 0712bd444a hadn’t seen anything.ec0a0d11a195bd1c

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It had 876cd58083 been years ff274481f5 since her b12d62793a first encounter 36cae34647 with the 6daa14ce8c gladiator matches d015b6f80b when, as 8fb9de6ebb a child, c6842fd05e she had b467b9da6e fled in 097b77aab3 horror. This was 7a66e76f29 her first d79cce1b1c time back 78b8a17fdb at the 2f5ec180e1 arena since 58798ea924 she had 6314db0f21 matured—after all, 0e944a208f no one ddee9078ef had ever 6596e69f28 forced her 3f90a8c5bf to witness 0245c71fdf something she d1292c9504 disliked.95ff545842d08858

“Aha, it’s dec0590ef1 too bad 22e33f7028 you can’t 2fcbecfdbf appreciate the 230d412555 excitement, my 1736147b5f lady. You’ll see exactly 1b6358a412 what masculinity looks 5eaecad133 like with your ba53924b4e own eyes.”d140e66ad85d7d43

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Other noblewomen had 10ae2fda3e murmured these words, 764ccb03d5 blushing and giving be498c8146 knowing glances, though 71331d2e04 Natasha hadn’t understood 4372c8dc02 what they meant baa962d6f5 back then.19259b5345aeab66

Now, stunned, ba34dfb1c4 she cautiously 6ac0c13b2a turned her b53ef3b196 gaze back e89415c353 to the 1d07654a34 arena.2bfd9ec5ab464826

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The gladiator slave, c22cae1b5e barely covered by eda4a59284 a ragged cloth 5b03bc1ea5 that only concealed 46d408b965 what was necessary, 430bfb8d65 was standing there ed82d190e5 in full view. His powerful muscles, stronger 0dbb93839d than any armor, were aa251db14c covered in scars and 803f2756d1 signs of battle.9a233ac22c18e8fc

Natasha had 3769cf2bfc once found 0ff3dbd0a4 such raw, 4cdad72f0b hulking muscles b54c2c4594 grotesque, but 50c2b48003 now, seeing 4930c45fe4 him in dd393f5628 the arena, 335da5f5ca she couldn’t 1613b0547d help but af20966de7 reconsider her aeb6fed888 view on 6cf0cab6a4 the human c43c146190 body’s beauty. His bulging muscles, even 8117c4e58b adorned with red marks 10598cbd8e from past fights, gave 8479851134 him a powerful, almost 40fb3eac5a divine presence—his body glowed 14adeda97d with life and vitality.e39e9bb1c18fc636

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If someone 453bcc94a3 were to 6f28df36e7 ask what 65a18185b8 it meant 39d831d989 to be 40f00f64ae alive, Natasha 4631d4f82b felt that 930afa538d the answer 2721ae186e was this 6fba5ccb19 gladiator’s body—brimming 0da8aee356 with vitality a5e136e8bc and primal 5839b9f45c strength.17c57447a79acd40

And beneath the thin 91d7b1084c cloth, the sheer size ae9500a09b of his body reminded 8fb0c979c9 her of the nickname 0faf2f5abb she had once heard 5bdaa24038 whispered among the people.2d3c408e5e2b65b3

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‘The Best Pillar 99fe8f25f2 of the Arena.’d26fafba58cd49a5

Although he had only b5a7fdd7d5 recently become a gladiator ee5a0bb882 slave, Alexei’s reputation had 0492932612 already spread like wildfire 07acf078ed among the noblewomen.e21bc25a2041f2dc

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Gladiators were 9ec7f457c8 fighters who fd019d9a9a staged violent 623d9d26d0 exhibitions—fights, in cec45e857a simpler terms—meant 8cc266fc2e to entertain de05db1a61 the masses 719d900bca in the f84d234317 arena. Though their status 18725ca169 was low, their 8218c56170 performances provided thrilling bbffe9be2c spectacles, and some 8e9de4aad8 gladiators became immensely 7c32be580f popular.7c6ef3e4a7fc2cb4

While it cdf416ceaa was true d98d80c4a4 that skill 74e46e0ae5 played a a41fd90243 large role 3166d386d3 in a c81eac9db5 gladiator’s popularity, 5c46a5fc63 the biggest 8f1fb8fe31 factor by 8290b6087e far was 1b275f740e appearance.757ea2853402c754

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The blood e204cfb482 and sweat 73fe433add of battle 8082bc1a47 drew not 23abfbe710 just men f828be4fca but also fbe96622ab women, all f5c4150d35 attracted by 52c263d4c4 the same 0b6a748307 reason: the eb191d616b raw, untamed c9735bb923 masculinity of 4743087dfc the fighters.ac72a2237c2a26d7

The gladiator’s 112bb966d1 attire, little 2ecedfbe97 more than 87aa7212a5 scraps of bd4649ed41 cloth barely 51e4ac9852 covering essential f31732f5bc parts of 808a7aab14 the body, 26642c1769 showcased their da42b2cf04 muscular physiques c1414a5ba7 and wild 1e9dd221e7 beauty. This extravagant display was 8be7c910ae something even the cultured 1c05573e30 noblewomen could admire freely, 4a426dfda0 often behind their fans.48251f501645b767

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Naturally, the more 6c55f25597 pronounced the gladiator’s 11f9223d32 chest, the higher 773ecbc59f their popularity soared.7707c2bcd00925d4

And among all 2dfc22f0a2 the gladiators, there 3de1ade753 was only one a506508d43 who met every 8f696f11b3 criterion: Alexei Petrov.5f6d0ee0f1b587cc

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He was not 95de74a688 only undefeated but 4624a56b3a also boasted unparalleled 29ceb45973 skill, an appearance df84c56510 that made every f4dc28af92 woman’s cheeks flush, 693b733b9d and a chest 48e3c4939e that could be 309681f60a seen from across 572cec3867 the arena.757d6f71c010d280

He had even earned 09b5089ea2 the nickname “The Best efae2af54a Pillar of the Arena,” 0f2c7e5618 a title with multiple 908d6e2773 layers of meaning.022e95ebf332dd0b

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Unknowingly, Natasha’s d37e102b5c mind wandered c62e6a7652 to this b5337786d6 embarrassing thought 04a72fdb0c as she 6abef6f00f gazed toward 82d0cc7292 the arena.dc31c8375d35eb6a

That was e523fd352a when she b1f94d808d realized that 16c27ef426 someone had 5646ace7cf been watching 3a4c1f9a2c her. The stark b4c3a98683 contrast between a709780352 her own af6a1dcdf0 calm, pale 1206b5cca0 blue eyes 538c7a927e and the 9cd95fdd7a raw, fiery 2bf0e70763 red of eb6d0904b9 his had 7fd855afce her frozen f1fab1cc75 in place.d86798d1761f0c53

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For a moment, 18d33cbd92 Natasha couldn’t move, e49c13ee24 as if her 5ad2592197 entire body was 7643c332e3 paralyzed by his e48d35d878 gaze. The loud cheers of 81d29793f9 the excited crowd and 9670a67707 the constant chatter of 55d24af733 Sergey were drowned out d44f0c9114 in her ears.d852d419f6eab9b8

Then, as 166843118b if it 90290b7600 were a f2520d84a4 natural reaction, 79a75c1029 the corner 7c96c25532 of the 35dca673e1 gladiator’s mouth eb18341e86 lifted slightly 4495f043fb in a 5c1616edd5 smirk. His sharp, 9d1e477a1e intense gaze b20fcfa9a6 twisted in 7b221fac31 an almost f30ce69976 sensual way.92ab0de9aaaa9f41

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“Ugh.”f5d0c9ab2f45b97a

Natasha bit her lip 5380bd8de6 and turned her head 74d915dab2 away.28e963a1e311024b

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She had never c040e43291 seen such a 76961cfcf4 gaze before.a843eb60f4e04ede

People always regarded her, the highest-ranking woman in the duchy, with a sense of reverence and a hint of unease. But this… this was the raw, unrefined look of a man—a “man” looking at her, not a nobleman.efd1fca9432f19e7

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It felt like she eb8b4e0840 had seen something she 2412b5270c should not have. Like she had faced a2d480fe1d something forbidden. As Natasha stiffly turned 67e61de6c0 her head, her eyelashes cfc3787d5f fluttered uncontrollably.2059545d09a6d730

“What the hell? How dare that slave 572cb60076 look at her?”f887d89364361518

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After some time spent 0c07fb0608 chattering on, Sergey finally 4eb2cbc37c noticed Natasha’s lack of 36c5646b55 response. Turning, he 6a5960ddb6 saw her 68165c6f22 face flushed b31aa72b20 and her 8ba0848ebc gaze averted, b356e722a9 while the e8f55999ec gladiator slave d3faeb908d continued to 62eb03334a stare at 23bc5fc170 her, unwavering.deaf59e9664a662e

Furious, Sergey 7fb6a97761 shouted to 2e447d1cab have Alexei’s ed22116b27 eyes gouged 55a45e3546 out and f12615f8e6 stomped his 31afa56f80 feet, but e66ba94370 Alexei, still 849d49a79e poised in 38384d4bbb his position, 26c54a0de7 bowed his 2d29169466 head slightly 648a2c598b and adjusted 113b1e6b2f his grip a145d5f88f on his 4aa7726d62 sword.90fde215db0e5fcf

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“Waah!”b57facdd49a391fa

The crowd erupted into fc4f4c8a03 a deafening cheer as d43d49489d the match was about a97a253358 to begin. The anticipation f429cc2493 for the 7489a458a5 fight caused ba2674d4ec the atmosphere 600e9b60b5 in the e6e0a07153 arena to 5149ec8c77 heat up.19fc2a62665a9acc

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In fear that stopping 39c1dc7db8 the match and executing a07447941b the slave would provoke 65fddac338 the madness of the 32d7f3eb83 crowd, Sergey grumbled and c1d20f5fb8 reluctantly sat back down.25cbd8dc98b340f0

‘Just wait. I’ll show him what happens.’80a6c70d856dd51b

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He clenched his teeth, 06b327da7a swearing to deal with a009e24bc4 it once the match 8f26777ea9 was over. Sergey’s oily eyes 5713af33ed glinted ominously.47e0daf32d8714a5