You Were My Sl*ve - Chapter 40

He untied her hair ribbon and stripped away the rest of her clothing. As his lips pressed against hers with rough intensity, Elona accepted his kiss without resistance, wrapping her arms around his large frame.

Unlike him, who was still fully clothed and composed, she was entirely bare. Beneath the unfamiliar sensation of his outer garments brushing against her exposed skin, she could feel the taut muscles of his body.

When she reached out to unfasten his clothes, her fingers fumbling at his front, he broke the kiss and looked down at her for a moment.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking off your clothes…”

“Then it’s this side, not that side.”

He grabbed her hand and guided it downward. Feeling the rigid, erect presence below his belt, Elona froze momentarily. Sensing her hesitation, Kazan leaned in and murmured in a low voice.

“Hurry up and take it off. I don’t plan on putting it in your mouth today.”

“Mm…”

Even so, Elona’s hands moved slowly. It was her first time undressing him herself. As she clumsily worked at his clothes, Kazan kissed her neck and chest, holding back with considerable restraint. He desperately wanted to take it out himself and plunge it in right away.

“Is this okay?”

Finally, his belt loosened, and Elona gently wrapped both hands around his length. The sensation was so overwhelming that he felt he might lose control. To suppress his urges, he bit down softly on her neck.

“Hah… ngh!”

When she let out a soft whimper of pain, it became even harder for Kazan to hold himself back. In the end, he pulled her into his arms and began to slowly press himself against her. It had been a while, and he had wanted to savor the foreplay longer, but Elona’s reactions were far too enticing. Her slick, warm flesh against the tip of his shaft was more than satisfying.

‘It feels too good to be true.’

Everything was so perfect that it felt suspicious, yet the moment he touched her body, his overwhelming desire drowned out any other thoughts. He needed to properly test why she had become so unusually submissive, especially since he suspected she wasn’t fully recovered yet and had resolved not to push her too far tonight.

But all those scattered thoughts evaporated the moment she spoke.

“I… I might not be able to hold back my voice. If someone hears me—ahhh!”

Overwhelmed by the intense sensation of his thrusts, Elona couldn’t help but let out a moan. Her body tensed as she instinctively raised her hips, but Kazan pinned her down with his broad frame, like a predator subduing its prey. Even though he hadn’t fully started moving yet, her body trembled uncontrollably. It had been so long since they’d been together like this that even the brief contact left her feeling dazed, as though it were her first time.

“Kazan, it’s not fair… I’m the only one like this…”

Elona tugged at his collar in frustration, her voice laced with indignation. After all, he had only pulled his pants down slightly, leaving his upper body completely untouched.

He exhaled a deep, ragged breath before commanding her.

“Take it off. I won’t wait for you.”

“Okay, I’ll… ah, wait! Just—hngh!”

He started moving, completely disregarding whether Elona had managed to reach out to him or not. She clung to his collar as if gripping it for dear life, but she didn’t seem to have the focus to actually undress him. Every time he thrust into her roughly, her hands slipped away as though drunk, only to climb back up again with difficulty. His fierce movements gradually disheveled not only his hair but his clothes as well.

“Hah, ngh…! It’s too much—go slower…!”

Tears welled up in Elona’s eyes, even though she knew it was futile. Kazan had never been one to follow her pace; he always pushed her to her limits. She had no choice but to endure him, her mind half-dazed.

But today felt different.

“…Kazan?”

He raised a hand and gently wiped away her tears. Though their bodies were still connected, he had stopped moving and was now gazing down at her. It felt as though he was giving her a moment to catch her breath.

“Does it hurt?”

“No, it’s not that….”

“Then that’s fine.”

Kazan leaned in closer, his voice a soft murmur.

“Tell me if it hurts. Just don’t tell me to stop.”

“Why?”

“I’ve held back for almost a month. Stopping isn’t an option.”

This time, he moved slowly, deliberately, his motions unhurried and gentle. Unlike before, the sensations were sweet and tantalizing, almost ticklish, making Elona let out a faint, fluttering sigh without realizing it.

Supporting her waist with one hand, he pressed their bodies fully together.

“Mm… this feels… strange….”

Elona gradually lost strength and melted into his embrace. Beforehand, she had only felt the pressure to respond to his demands, but that sense of obligation had long since blurred and faded.

“Why does this feel good?”

Though he acted rough at times, he would occasionally check on her, showing a rare moment of tenderness. In those fleeting hesitations, an indescribable sense of satisfaction swelled within her. Even though the feelings would be quickly forgotten once everything was over, those brief moments were precious to Elona.

“I wish this would never end.”

But his movements gradually grew more intense. Realizing the end was near, she clung to him tightly. In the final, electrifying moment of pleasure, amidst the sound of his heated breaths in her ear, Elona clearly heard it.

A loud rustling noise came from the distant bushes. At first, it sounded like leaves brushing against each other in the strong wind. But footsteps don’t usually follow the wind.

Lying down, Elona turned her gaze toward the sound, but the garden after sunset was shrouded in darkness. Had someone seen them? While she was caught up in this thought, warm clothing was draped over her bare body. Kazan wrapped her in her discarded clothes and his own outer garment, speaking calmly.

“It’s late.”

At first, she thought it was his way of saying it was time to leave. But instead, he picked her up, still wrapped in the clothes, and began heading toward Mano Palace. Avoiding the gazes of the people they passed, Elona buried her face in his chest. Considering that there had been a witness in the garden, rumors were bound to spread quickly.

That the great King Sindar had fallen so deeply for the slave princess of Parsion, waiting for her to recover from her illness, that he would hold her in his arms regardless of the time or place.

The rumors, which had grown too close to the truth, spread farther and wider than Elona had ever hoped for.

*

Prime Minister Harnuc Padisha had been in a foul mood lately. The first reason was his daughter, Irid.

“Father, I need more money to pay the maids. After that one maid died such a horrible death, none of them will move a finger for anything less than an exorbitant sum. They’re all terrified.”

After her failed attempt to poison the slave princess, Irid lost much of her influence among the servants. She was plotting another way to kill Elona, but it seemed unlikely that she could act on it anytime soon.

“My dear, how are the preparations for His Majesty’s coronation anniversary coming along? What about the plan to invite the merchants from our family’s side to Perma?”

“That’s impossible now too. Lord Sindar has no intention of following our lead. He insists that this year’s anniversary be conducted strictly by palace protocol. And to think, he’s never been one to care about tradition or formalities before.”

The second reason for Harnuk’s discomfort was King Sindar’s recent behavior. Ever since the uprising of the foreign tribes, Harnuc had sensed a subtle but growing distance between himself and the king. Within the palace, Sindar was steadily eroding Harnuk’s influence.

“If this keeps up and I lose my position as prime minister, every business venture I’ve built up will collapse as well.”

Harnuk desperately needed a way to break through this crisis—a new source of funds, or something that could divert the king’s attention.

*

“A delegation from the Kingdom of Bahalen is coming?”

King Sindar subtly furrowed his brow at the prime minister’s words. Bahalen was a peninsula nation bordering Parsion, with a thriving maritime trade that had maintained strong ties with Ashatra—at least until its civil war had erupted.

While Kazan sank into thought, Harnuc quickly bowed and continued his report.

“With the Parsion region still under reconstruction, establishing trade with Bahalen is urgent. Now that the long war is over, it’s time to begin earnest diplomatic relations.”

It wasn’t an unreasonable argument, but the king’s reaction remained indifferent. This couldn’t fail, not this time. Nervously sweating, Harnuc pressed on with his persuasion.

“Now that we’ve occupied Parsion, Bahalen, sharing a border with it, must feel greatly threatened. That makes it highly likely that they’ll come to us with proposals in our favor.”

Though every word he said was truthful, the king’s expression remained unenthusiastic. Finally, after a long silence, the king nodded.

“Prepare a list of matters to negotiate with Bahalen. Adjust the size of their delegation to keep it from becoming excessive. Make sure this meeting is strictly pragmatic, with no ulterior motives—purely for mutual benefit.”

“As you command!”

Delighted, Harnuc practically skipped out of the audience chamber. Left alone, Kazan exhaled a shallow sigh.

Bahalen. Even just hearing the name still brought a heaviness to his heart.

*

Prime Minister Harnuk was staking everything on the success of the Bahalen delegation’s visit. Sensing the king’s reluctance toward engaging with Bahalen, he was careful not to deviate even slightly from the king’s instructions.

“Twenty people? That sounds perfect! The Blue Sand Palace can comfortably accommodate up to thirty, so there’ll be plenty of space. By the way, who’s leading this delegation?”

Irid frowned as she checked the letter again.

“The second prince, apparently. Hah, not the king, not even the crown prince—they’re sending their useless second son? What do they take us for?”

“Still, he’s royalty, so it’s not bad. In fact, being the second prince, he’s likely to tread cautiously around His Majesty. That should make for an interesting dynamic.”

The prospect of trade with Bahalen filled Harnuk with anticipation. How much more wealth would the Padisha family amass from this venture? Just the thought of the gold coins made him giddy, but Irid couldn’t shake an odd sense of unease.

“Parsion and Bahalen were on good terms before, weren’t they? Surely this won’t lead to any problems because of that slave princess, will it?”