The Tyrant Covets The Slave -R19 - Chapter 4

 

Beher raised her head quietly at the low voice and tried to hastily pull back as Lucai approached, but it was impossible because his hands were holding her waist.

 

“…wait a minute!”

 

Behet defended herself by putting her hand on his lips.

 

Hot and thick. She could feel his breath on her fingertips. It was a strange feeling.

 

Beher looked up at him and raised her eyes. Lucai stared at her, maintaining a slightly curled position.

 

His fingers were fidgety, as if he was telling her to move her hand on his mouth away immediately.

 

”Your Highness….”

 

The silence was awkward for a while, and Beher was deeply troubled as to whether or not she should move her hand away. After a few moments of agonizing, she hesitantly moved her hand away.

 

It was as if a hot iron had touched her waist. Meltingly, Beher bit her lip and immediately opened her mouth.

 

“..I accept Your Highness’s offer.”

 

“…It took you long enough.”

 

As of satisfied with her answer, Lucai moved his hands around her waist and stared at Beher.

 

“But you must promise me that all these agreements will allow me to enjoy the powers of the Grand Duchess.  As Your Highness said, I will obey your orders, so give me my freedom.”

 

It was an emphatic reply. Beher didn’t miss a moment and secured what she had to enjoy.

 

“You’re arrogant.”

 

“You’re the one who chose an arrogant woman.”

 

Beher was more than a little surprised to find herself speaking without fear. It was a strange feeling to be so slow to recognize herself.

 

Grand Duke Lucai drank the wine again in one gulp. The gulping sounded sensual.

 

In terms of authority, the only thing you can do is pretend to be the owner freely in this house. Do as you please. The play has to be perfect anyway. However, you must not wish for what you have enjoyed after the play is over. Be it person, power, or whatever.”

 

Her permission was granted. Beher’s expression changed slightly, and she nodded.

 

“Of course. I don’t want anything from you, Your Highness.”

 

It was not this man that she wanted. She just wanted freedom.

 

“I like your clear answer. We have a lot to prepare. You will be provided with maidservants and knights who will help you along the way. Trust and follow them. And trust no one but them.”

 

Maybe he is  trying to keep an eye on me.

 

That’s fine.

 

***

 

The dream lasted for a while. She continued to run in the darkness, where the end was unknown. She was trying to escape from someone who was chasing after her. No matter how much she ran, the distance didn’t get wider.

 

And then…

 

“Beher! You can’t escape from me! Come here! You have to experiment until the end.”

 

It was a horrible voice, cold without affection.

 

Even she thought she was dreaming, she was scared. In the end, Beher’s arm was held by him, forced to turn, and looked into the eyes of someone with an evil smile.

 

“Now, give yourself to me.”

 

“I don’t want to!”

 

How dreadful she must have felt. Beher was awakened from her nightmare by someone.

 

The bright sunshine fell through the window. It was so excessive that Beher covered her eyes with her hands. The tips of her fingers trembled. It felt like she was still in a nightmare.

 

“Miss, are you okay? Look at all this sweat!”

 

“…”

 

“Please wait a moment. I’ll wipe it right off.”

 

Beher heard a lively voice. With yellow hair tied up into a neat knot, she hurriedly wet the cloth with the water she had brought. It was the maid who had escorted her to the room last night.

 

“You look tired, so I didn’t wake you up on purpose. I should have woken you earlier. I….”

 

The maid, who introduced herself as “Lucy,” had seen Beher having a nightmare. She sighed the whole time, as if it was her fault that Beher was having nightmares.

 

A cold cloth touched Beher’s forehead. She couldn’t even tell that she was sweating because she was deep in the nightmare. When she came to her senses, her whole body was wet.

 

“Are you sick or uncomfortable?”

 

Beher shook her head.

 

‘If mother was alive, I would have felt this warm and fuzzy.’

 

When Beher was an imperial Princess, the maid was someone her father had planted. It was their duty to report on what she did, how she acted, and what she was thinking.

 

Growing up seeing only emotionless people made this kind of hospitality awkward for Beher.

 

Lucy looked all over Beher’s face. She felt frustrated that Beher didn’t say anything.

 

 

“Miss, no. I got some good scented oil and soap this morning, let’s wash up first!”

 

As soon as Beher got up, Lucy led her to the bathroom. The maids, with the exception of Lucy, bowed their heads.

 

“Look at your hair! How can it be so soft?”

 

Lucy marveled and stroked Beher’s hair all the way down. Then she lavished high scented oil on it.

 

She talked incessantly and took care of Beher. It looked like she could have left it to the other maids, but she was doing everything herself.

 

Beher wanted to talk to her. There were a few eyes looking at her, so she was cautious. One of the people Lucai had mentioned last night would be Lucy.

 

It wasn’t easy to talk when there were so many people around.

 

“Everyone, please leave.”

 

The maids who had been waiting around hurried out of the room as Lucy spoke in a voice that was even lower than her cute chattering voice.

 

Click.

 

When the door closed, Lucy opened her mouth cautiously.

 

“Are you uncomfortable?”

 

Beher thought Lucy was airheaded for laughing so often and talking so much, but she turned out to be more thoughtful than she thought.

 

“No.”

 

“Young lady, you can speak to me freely. You are the soon-to-be Grand Duchess, so please do so.”

 

She seemed to already know about Beher and Lucai’s situation.

 

“Lucy, I’m not as great as you think. You don’t have to treat me well, Lucy.”

 

She had given up her status as an imperial Princess. So… Beher had nothing left.

 

Lucy’s hand paused for a moment, then rubbed Beher’s back gently.

 

“That’s not true. I don’t know anything else, but I’m certain My Lady is a great person. I can feel it all from the gestures, actions, and tone of speech. Since His Highness has chosen you, you must be a good person. So, Young Lady, please help me to take care of you.”

 

Lucy replied earnestly, and Beher watched the rippling water absentmindedly.

 

If there had been no movement, the water would have been quiet and collected. However, even a small breeze caused the waves to spread.

 

Lucy’s words made Beher’s heart throb. Her chest, which had been cold, felt warm. No one had looked at her inner self. The corners of her eyes grew hot.

 

Beher reflexively slumped down to hide her tears, but she couldn’t hide the droplets of water floating in the tub.

 

Her heart ached even though Lucy was someone who might be a watcher.

 

Lucy silently patted her back. Stroked her hair again. Then she saw the scars spreading shallowly behind her back and thought.

 

‘She must have had a rough time.’

 

Lucy, who wanted to comfort her with anything, quietly moved away so that Beher could cry freely.

 

“Young lady, if you feel dizzy, please ring the bell to call me. I’ll be waiting outside.”

 

Lucy left, and Beher burst into heavy tears.

 

‘What is so sad that I am doing this?’

 

She thought she had lived her whole life without emotions, but… Lucy’s words made her fall apart.

 

On the one hand, she was happy that she could cry. She felt like she was becoming an emotionless monster like the people who existed around her.

 

Afraid that her sobbing voice would leak out, Beher covered her mouth with both hands. Tears were coming out from every knot in her fingers.

 

I will never lose this battle. 

 

I will struggle and rise for my happiness. I will never taste hell again. 

 

Beheru vowed to her tears.

 

Let’s be happy. Let’s make the best of life for me.

 

*******

 

Steam rose up from Beher’s body, probably from being in the bathtub too long. Ice packs were placed on her swollen eyes.

 

She was lying on the bed.

 

Lucy silently devoted herself to knitting at Beher’s side.

 

“Lucy.”

 

“Yes, Miss.”

 

“I’m fine now.”

 

“No, you’re not. You need to lie down longer. That’s why I told Lady to ring the bell. What were you going to do if you fell down?”

 

Lucy’s voice was quite deliberate, as if she was nagging her child.

 

Earlier, Beher wobbled and fell, but not so much that she couldn’t move. It was thorny to be lying like this, and she wanted to do anything right now.

 

“Did His Highness order anything?”

 

Beher threw the bait. If the Grand Duke ordered something, Lucy wouldn’t be able to ignore it.

 

“His Highness wants Lady to get better too.”

 

 

Seeing that she was not easily fooled, Beher let out a small sigh.

 

“I’m getting a little tired of being taken care of.”

 

“Then, I’ll give you a list of things to do in the future, so please listen while eating this.”

 

Lucy left her knitting down and presented Beher with a bowl of warm crab soup.

 

Perhaps it was because she was comparing it to the food she had eaten in the Vitan Empire. The soup looked very good.

 

Beher nodded and took a sip of the soup. Despite appearances, it was indeed a perfect soup. Her body melted into the just the right temperature and deliciousness.

 

Lucy, who was watching Beher, finally opened her mouth.

 

“First of all, young lady, you need to memorize the list of nobles of the Horn Empire and the members of the imperial family. Among them, make sure you know the personality, language, and family history of that particular person.”

 

Beher listened quietly.

 

“You should also know their dining etiquette, their history, and information about their businesses. You also need to learn how to dance, which you will need when you enter society. There’s a lot of work to do.”

 

Lucy frowned as if her head hurt from seeing so many things at once.

 

“So, I will have an assigned teacher?”

 

It was quite a challenge when rumors circulated that the would-be Grand Duchess didn’t know even simple things like history and dining etiquette. She should be assigned a trusted person…

 

“Yes! I will be in charge of Young Lady’s education from now on.”

 

Lucy rose quickly from her seat. She clenched her fists tightly. It was Beher who was bewildered at the sight of her stretching her chest and shoulders.