Tanya knelt before Werner, her fingers deftly peeling away the damp fabric of his trousers. Her breath hitched—his skin was unmarred, not even the faintest pink from scalding.
"Your Highness." she whispered, half-relieved, half-bewildered, "you're not hurt at all."
Werner's lips curled into a wolfish grin. "I know."
Before she could react, he hauled her up and tossed her onto the bed. His hands mapped her body with possessive familiarity, skimming over the curves of her waist, the swell of her hips. Tanya gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders as she hissed into his ear :
"We're in the Campbell house—someone could—"
"Exactly." Werner murmured against her throat, his teeth grazing the pulse point there. One hand slid between her thighs, coaxing a shudder from her. "I'm making it up to you. You can't be my wife, but here we are—fucking in my future bride's home. Consider it... advance retribution."
Tanya bit down on her lip hard enough to bruise. Her eyes glazed, tears of arousal and resentment mingling as his words sank in. "My King..." The title spilled from her in a broken moan, her hips arching greedily against his touch.
Then, with sudden boldness, she flipped their positions. Werner laughed low in his throat as she straddled him, her fingers working frantically at the laces of her dress. Fabric pooled to the floor, leaving her bare beneath him—a stark contrast to his still-clothed figure.
She guided his hands to her waist, then reached between them to free him. Her touch was reverent, almost worshipful, as she sheathed him inside herself with a sigh of satisfaction.
Werner's brows arched. "You're different today," he mused, thrusting upward to draw a gasp from her.
Tanya's only answer was to tighten her legs around him, her silence louder than any confession.
Tanya's body was alight with desire, her skin flushed a deep rose, her fingers clutching the bedsheets as she arched into Werner's touch. Her breath came in shallow gasps, her lips parted in silent rapture, as if every movement of his sent waves of pleasure coursing through her. The peaks of her chest trembled with each thrust, her entire being surrendered to the rhythm of their coupling.
Her voice, when she finally found it, was a whisper—raw and reverent. "I would give you everything, Your Highness. My body, my loyalty... my shame. If you demanded my dignity, I would lay it at your feet without hesitation."
Werner's grip tightened at her words, his vanity stoked like a flame. Her devotion, her willing degradation—it was intoxicating. His movements grew rougher, more possessive, as if he sought to brand himself upon her very soul.
When it was over, Werner lay back, sated, watching as Tanya rose from the bed with trembling limbs. Her back was pale and smooth in the sun light, her hair tousled from their passion, the lingering blush on her cheeks giving her the appearance of a delicate flower in full bloom.
"You don't look like a maid," he mused, his gaze tracing the elegant curve of her spine. "With that figure, that grace... you could pass for a nobleman's daughter."
Tanya turned her face slightly toward him, her lashes fluttering as she bowed her head in feigned humility. "Yes, Your Highness. Ever since you favored me, my life has been... much improved."
She smiled softly to herself as she fastened the last button of her dress.
The door creaked open to reveal Evelyn leaning against the opposite wall, idly whistling a lilting tune. At the sound, she straightened with practiced grace and dipped into a flawless curtsy.
Werner, still basking in his satisfaction, waved a dismissive hand. "No need for formalities." His gaze lingered on her with amused appreciation. "That melody you were whistling—quite charming. What is it?"
"An old folk tune, Your Highness." Evelyn replied smoothly, though her eyes flickered to Tanya—whose face burned scarlet, her breathing still uneven.
Alarmed, Evelyn reached out instinctively, pressing the back of her hand to Tanya's forehead. "My lady, are you unwell? You're feverish!"
Tanya recoiled as if scalded, slapping Evelyn's hand away before clapping both palms over her flushed cheeks. She staggered back, mortified.
Werner threw back his head and laughed—a rich, unguarded sound that echoed down the corridor. Evelyn stared, bewildered, as he wiped a tear from his eye.
"Oh, this is priceless," he managed between chuckles. Still grinning, he started down the stairs without another glance, calling over his shoulder: "Tanya, do explain yourself to our dear Evelyn."
For a heartbeat, Tanya stood frozen—then, she gathered her skirts and fled after Werner, her face buried in her hands.
Evelyn blinked after them.
Then, remembering her duty, she shook off her confusion and hurried to catch up.
By the time they returned to the parlor, Tanya's composure had settled like a mask back in place—yet Cassie's sharp eyes missed nothing.
The maid's hair, though hastily smoothed, bore the faintest ripple of disarray at the nape of her neck. The skirts of her dress, once immaculate, now carried subtle creases along the seams, as if pressed against something—or someone—for too long. Worst of all, the delicate ribbons at her hemline hung slightly loosened, their bows slack like secrets barely contained.
Cassie's breath caught.
They hadn't just lingered in that room. They'd—
Her gaze darted to Werner, who lounged in his chair with the smug ease of a cat who'd stolen cream. Then to Alice, her daughter, oblivious to the humiliation festering beneath her own roof.
A hot coil of outrage tightened in Cassie's chest. That the Crown Prince would dare defile a maid here, on the eve of his courtship—it was an insult draped in silk. Yet what could she do? A countess could no more accuse a prince than a sparrow could scold a hawk.
Her fingers clenched around her fan. Look at her, she thought desperately, watching Alice smile at Werner, she doesn't even know the viper she's welcoming into her nest.
Cassie forced her expression into neutrality, but her eyes—those betrayed her. They lingered on Alice with a grief too raw to name, and on Tanya with a loathing so potent it near trembled in the air between them.