âChapter 06
No way, does he even remember me?â
The wonder was brief.
He licked his lips and whispered to Evelyn, who couldnât answer, only gasped for air.
âWhy are you here now, huh?â
It sounded like the plaintive plea of a man reunited with a long-lost lover, and Evelyn forgot that she should push him away and cupped his cheeks tenderly in response.
At the same time, the anxiety that had been burning within her faded and an uncontrollable relief washed over her.
Emotions that she thought were dulled now began to stir in the recesses of her mind as if they had always been there.
âI missed youâŚâ
She looked into his red eyes and was about to kiss him once more.
âHa!â
His lips lunged forward, ready to bite into the nape of her neck, sucking hard on the pulsing spot.
The sensation of white, soft flesh being sucked into his mouth was eerily vivid. Evelyn tightened her grip on his shoulders.
âUgh! I, Your HighnessâŚ!â
He pressed her squirming legs together with his knees as he hastily unbuckled his pants.
âNow is not the time for this, you need to get yourself togetherâŚâ
As she said this, something peeked out from between his pants.
Evelynâs eyes widened in an instant. She didnât understand if what she was seeing was real.
âOh, my God.â
Sheâd slept with him before, but it was always pitch black, so sheâd never gotten a good look at him.
But there it was, right in front of her, and its mere presence was enough to frighten her.
âOh, noâŚâ
She flinched instinctively, and the corners of his mouth tilted wickedly, as if he was watching a frightened prey.
His grip on Evelynâs thighs tightened, spreading them apart as if he had no intention of letting up.
âIâm sorry, but itâs too late.â
Wiping the smile from his face, Kalian swiped at Evelyn with his large hand.
âUgh, this is, uhhhâŚ!â
A sweet breath escaped Evelynâs lips.
âHow the hell did this happen?â
A vague sense of fear washed over her, but she didnât want to run.
It was hard enough to fight off a manâs strength, and she wanted to quench this thirst.
*Whimper*
Just then, the sound of steady footsteps came from beyond the great doors. The hairs on her head stood on end.
If they opened that door, they could see them. Theyâd be there, pressed up against each other in their most intimate places.
ââŚâŚ!â
It suddenly dawned on her that she was facing his knights through a single door. For whatever reason, this shouldnât be happening.
Evelyn looked up at him and bit her lip to keep from groaning.
But her fragile willpower crumbled with a single gesture from the man.
âShh, itâs okay.â
As if he didnât care if she was okay or not, he couldnât take it anymore and pulled her waist closer, meeting her center.
âUgh!â
Evelyn reflexively clamped her mouth shut against the groan that threatened to escape.
âNo⌠Ugh, noâŚ!â
But he was acting like a crazy animal.
He was rubbing downward at an uncontrollable pace, like a male marking his territory by smearing his scent on his female.
âIâm going to lose my mind, Iâm really going to get caught.â
Evelynâs nails dug into his forearms, her face contorted with the violent stimulation, but he didnât care.
His shoulders slumped as he stared down at her with the ferocity of a predator.
Just then, the sound of footsteps in the doorway faded away, accompanied by a noise like someone moving something.
I breathed a sigh of relief, my heart racing at an uncontrollable pace, the heat rising to the top of my head like an explosion.
The tension that had been building to a breaking point was replaced by anguish.
âI canât take it anymoreâŚâ
Sparks flew in front of her eyes and her breathing became ragged.
Knowing from past experience that she wouldnât last much longer, Evelyn squeezed his ass as hard as she could, surrounded by the hard, lean muscles of a demon.
âArgh!â
Her thighs shuddered. She was swept aimlessly along in a tidal wave of pleasure.
âHaahâŚâ
They sagged, feeling like they were floating in a sea of ruin, their bodies soaked with blood, sweat, tears, and each otherâs fluids. Her half-closed eyes watered.
âWhat have I done, she thought, what was this man thinking?â
She took a shaky breath to collect her thoughts.
âWho are you?â
A heart-stopping bass voice crashed into her ears.
âWho am I? Did I hear this man right?â
Evelyn squinted at the dark ceiling and stared blankly into Kalianâs eyes in her blurry vision.
His eyes, which had burned red as if dipped in blood, now glowed a cool golden color.
The air in the bedroom changed in an instant.
âIf you value your life, youâll have to tell me. Who sent you, and what youâve done here.â
With one hand on her wrist, he growled like an animal and glared ferociously at Evelyn.
Gone was the man who had so passionately teased her a moment ago.
Evelyn was speechless at the manâs flip of the palm, but she couldnât speak.
âHmph.â
Evelynâs eyes widened as she realized that the dagger, which seemed to cut off her breath at the slightest touch, was aimed precisely at her wound.
Evelyn swallowed back the terror that threatened to burst into tears and endured the manâs stare as if it would tear her apart.
âYou donât remember anything?â
Surely he was acting like he remembered Evelyn, even if he had lost his mind in a raging fever.
Thatâs why she couldnât push him away like a determined man, and why she kept losing her temper.
But given her position, given the circumstances, it was easy for her to be mistaken for him. As much as she resented it, it was time to take a step back.
âForgive my rudeness. Iâm just trying to help⌠your highness.â
His eyes flicked to her slender wrist, and he interrupted her with a low chuckle.
âAnd you broke into my bedchamber for just that reason, with this frail body that looks like it would break if I dared to touch it?â
Whenever Kalian went on a rampage, he either locked himself away or left no one around until his sanity returned.
Perhaps this reaction was to be expected from a man who was so wary of the possibility of his unbridled madness harming anyone.
âBelieve it or not⌠Yes, itâs true. I have the power to cleanse the evil magick and calm the rampage.â
Kalianâs grip on Evelynâs wrist tightened, threatening to crush her, and he abruptly let go.
Apparently, he had dismissed her answer as bullshit. One corner of his mouth twitched up in a crooked grin, as if he saw no reason to continue the conversation.
âI see youâre listening to nothing.â
Even the sarcasm was lovely.
The light line in the middle of his ruddy lower lip gave him an odd hint of color.
He looked away quickly, and the blood rushed to his fingertips, tingling them.
âUgh.â
Evelyn grimaced and rubbed at her wrist, which was now stained red from his handprint.
In the blink of an eye, he retracted his dagger and cupped the tip of her chin, rubbing his thumb gently over the smooth skin.
âNo one is allowed to touch me, especially not a woman.â
The hand that had been caressing her jawline stroked the nape of her pure white neck.
It wasnât a sexual touch, but the languid movement made the hairs on her back stand on end.
His grip on the nape of her neck tightened lightly, as if he knew better than to talk about her nervousness.
âYouâll be lucky if your throat isnât snapped, your limbs torn off, and youâre thrown out as bait for the beast without a mouse or bird noticing.â
âIf I donât back off, that will be my story.â
A sigh escaped her at the obvious intent of the threat.
But it would be hard to deny that she had purified Kalianâs magick.
Evelyn couldnât let this opportunity slip away. She was at the edge of a precipice, and if she stepped back, all that was left was a fall.
âIâll forgive you this time, but please leave quietly. I donât want to cause a disturbance on the Countâs estateâŚâ
âI know where the next gate opens.â
Kalianâs hand froze as he tugged on the string to call for his escort.
He turned his head as if to say, âWhat kind of bullshit is this?â and gave her a strange look.
âI might get a little rough with you if you keep pulling weird tricks.â
The air thickened.
Evelyn held still and locked gazes with him, resisting the pressure that filled the silence.
âFerum, the Twilight Forest, as I recall⌠No, my guess is in two days, but have your knights ready just in case. Itâs not far from the capital, so they shouldnât do too much damage if they rush there immediately.â
As if to heighten the mood, the sound of rain pounding on the windows gradually amplified. Evelyn added in a calm voice.
âBut if you donât act immediately, there will be damage to private homes again, and since itâs near the capital⌠you wonât be able to stop the rumors this time.â
ââŚâŚ.â
âLike the gate in the desert. It was announced that there was no damage, but we know thatâs not true.â
As he looked Evelyn straight in the eye, she saw the top of his throat rise and then fall slowly. But the agitation was short-lived.
He laughed through his nose, as if to say that anyone could say such a thing, even if they were speaking like a prophet.
âYou must have picked that up somewhere.â
Evelyn took a deep breath, and then she answered with a good-natured smile.
âBy the time you realize what Iâm saying is true, Iâll be long gone.â
Golden pupils, the color of cold, calculating temper, stared back at her from the darkness.
âA threat.â
âAn offer.â
âAnd if an offer, to what end?â
Her heart pounded uneasily. Perhaps it was his voice, heavy as if he were speaking from a cave.
Curling her trembling fingertips, Evelyn swallowed hard.
âHelp me get away, out of anyoneâs reach, andâŚâ






