"Hmm," Zarniya was tickled when she felt someone was grazing her neck. A heavy object was placed on her stomach, and she could not move, but the object was warm and hard but soft.
She opened her eyes, and a different angle of her ceiling greeted her.
She blinked a few times.
'Oh,' she thought and shifted her eyes to the person beside her.
He was still sleeping.
His warm steady breath was directed at her neck, the sunlight from her window was shining on her room and she could see his bareness, he slept half-naked, and there was no blanket covering them. But because he was enveloping her entire stature, Zarniya was not cold, he was warm. But he might be cold since he was naked like that.
After crying last night, she did not know how, but she fell asleep when he stopped taking advantage of her. She guessed that he did not do anything because he was in this position when she fell asleep.
He was weirdly clingy.
Zarniya had been sleeping alone since she had gained consciousness of the world, however, she found this position although uncomfortable... comfortable at the same time.
The intimacy they shared yesterday was both confusing and scary for her, Zarniya did not fail to realize how possessive his touch was but there was consideration in the way he held her.
It was her delusion, but it felt like he was not willing to set her free from his embrace ever again. He was not willing to part from her, so, it was like this when being embraced?
Somehow, Messiah Elizart was a mystery for Zarniya.
Were all slaves like him? Would he behave the same way if it was the eldest who was with him?
Zarniya's lips lifted into a smile of irony.
She would like to think she was somehow special when she was not.
He made her feel desirable because that was his purpose, there was nothing else to it.
She felt violated with his kisses, she even cried because despite that made her think he wanted her. His actions were driven by lies; he did not want her- it was false actions. Why'd he, do it? Several reasons came to mind.
But what she considered the most realistic was he was doing his best to be liked by this new useless master he ended up with, which was her.
Because he was abandoned by the best master he could have, this might affect his ego as a perfect slave. His anger might have been rooted in that as well. Because Zarniya took his nice life with the eldest and dragged him here to the rear palace she lived in. Which if she compared it to the eldest life, it was like heaven and hell.
His actions were understood, but it would be a lie if Zarniya said that she was fine with the retaliation he did to her.
She did not plan to live like this with him for a long time.
She did not want conflicts.
And upon recalling everything that happened yesterday…
Zarniya was still embarrassed by their interaction. They were all intimate gestures; it was all alienated for her. But he was so good at it as if they were already lovers on the first day. It might be how Messiah was trained before coming here, this was how he was supposed to serve the eldest once he was received.
Zarniya was cognizant of this blessing she attained; she should be grateful that the eldest let her experience this kind of thing from a beautiful man like Messiah before she was married off.
But staring at the dark hair and protective arm hugging her, Zarniya was not happy.
She would be lying if she denied that she did not like Messiah.
Even though he was not originally hers.
He still became hers.
Possession was a strange notion.
Although he was a dangerous entity that she considered. Because of the thought he belonged to her, Zarniya had this strange emotion inside her, as if she was given a torch in a dark tunnel that was supposed to give her delight.
It was making her annoyed.
She liked him and she hated it.
She would be living and walking in that kind of tunnel all her life, why give her a torch that would not last long? What should she do once the light is extinguished? She was already used to the light, then she needed to adjust to the darkness again.
It was cruel.
To give someone hope just to take it away.
People have already adjusted not want more, why give them temptation?
Zarniya did not move even after waking up.
Her mind was too occupied as her emotions were looming within.
Her reaction to being meek and timid was how she behaved all her life, she could not change her nature in one night. Crying last night was because of overwhelming emotions but it was not entirely because of fear of him.
He might be aggressive, dominating, demanding, and controlling but he was not trying to kill her.
Humans were living in irony.
She hated this and liked it to the point of not resisting him.
She closed her eyes.
She was returning him today to where he belonged.
It was only right to do so.
The sooner the better too.
Last night she was happy thinking that he would be gone from her castle and return to its desolate state. However, waking up today, she could not help but think that the sunlight and the state of the room were especially cozy and brighter today. His body was warm and strong, she felt so safe— so warm.
Thinking about yesterday, they were not that bad. She was just too surprised with the development. She realized how gentle he was… and it was making her feel fuzzy.
This was the first human warmth she experienced. Was it bad to cherish?
Yes. It was.
It was scarier when you felt safe, you would put your guard down. People were easiest to defeat if they were vulnerable.
She was not in a battlefield but in this place, it was a constant fight,
"Niya," his voice sounded. It was rasped and deep— he just woke up.
His arm which was embracing her, tightened its grasp. His lips on her neck formed a smile, it was ticklish. They stayed for a moment in that position as he whiffed into his system. Zarniya only felt that her reaction was turning into a stone.
He gently moved to release her. His elbow used to be a pillar as he positioned himself above her. He used both of his sturdy arms, locking her just to look straight at his face.
He was simply a remarkable sight.
His long jet-black hair covered the sunlight, but it was not dark.
It was a beauty attack; she was already vulnerable waking up like this. But now, he was looking exceptionally gorgeous under the shine of warm light.
His face was inches close to her face, his eyes were directed at her eyes. "Good morning, Niya."
He landed a light kiss on her nose.
She stared at him in awe.
She did not even notice the way he addressed her as 'Niya'. Because her thoughts were leaning toward the idea that this was all a dream. Thinking that this man was a dream was easier to accept.
Maybe she was asleep all this time and she entered the state of illusion. Maybe she had gone crazy, and this was all delusion.
That was right, maybe it was her who went crazy.
She thought she was fine alone, but maybe she was lonely and invented a conventional lover.
Right?
How could a slave be domineering? Her characteristic was timid, so she preferred a dominant lover. Since she did not want a powerful figure who she needed to share with an exceptional woman, her mind created a slave that only belonged to her.
Right?
His smile widened as Zarniya was making sense of the situation.
He landed kissed all over her face and played with her hair as his hands were above her. Then he seemed to remember something and rested his head on her chest acting coquettish. Twirling his finger on her hair, like a cat playing lazily...
"You said last night we're going to the first princess palace, Niya … Master, you slept so long. The temperature indicates it is almost afternoon. Is the plan canceled? Are we staying in bed all day? I'm fine with it."
Zarniya's chest rose and fell as she inhaled and exhaled deeply. The weight of his head was quite heavy.
"We n-need to g-go..." she finally spoke.
"Hmm," he hummed lazily. "Fine," he did not stand up and it was like he put more weight above her, so she was stuck.
Zarniya looked down and saw his hair, his hand playing with her hair. His head lay flat on her, and his free hand intertwined with her fingers.
Zarniya looked at the ceiling, he was heavy, and it was slightly hard to breathe.
"Me-Messiah, w-when are you ge-getting up? I need-need to get ready," she said when she felt sleepiness invading her system.
He sighed dejectedly and pushed his arms to sit up. He looked at her and smiled again, pinched her nose, "Master, I've been starved. And you're so pretty, I want to eat you up."
Zarniya's body sprang, and she quickly went away from the bed.
Starved, pretty, eat.
Zarniya's face was already red due to his constant kisses and tight embrace. Realizing what he meant, her entire face, ears, and neck flared up even more. The image of last night's passionate kissing flashed in her head. If she did not stop it, today she was no longer a virgin.
Not that virginity was so precious, in this kingdom, it was rare for anyone to be a virgin at the age of eighteen. The pleasure was not deprived of the people in this country, it was a liberated place. Women were not scorned for indulging their needs as so as men.
However, Zarniya was one of the cases that did not experience any reality, she knew things from rumors she heard and books she read. She did not personally experience anything with another person, even conversation was hard for her to attain, what about kissing? What about hugging? What about coupling?
The maidservants were already waiting outside her room, her disheveled appearance was what they saw when she opened the door. None of the servants made comments, however, their eyes were scrutinizing her.
Zarniya was more embarrassed thinking that they were thinking something happened between her and Messiah.
She did not need to explain her circumstances to the servants, so she did not speak a word about her matters with Messiah. They would know the truth once they tidy her bed. She was a virgin, the blood on the first night was not yet drawn.
She somehow calmed down having other people around and not being alone with Messiah.
She glanced at the bed.
...
He was there.
He was grinning.
He looked happy and mischievous.
Like he did something naughty and was caught but proud of it.
The blanket and sheet were disheveled, Messiah was half-naked, lying lazily, his hair was messy, and the sun was making him sparkle.
Zarniya blinked her eyes and almost stopped breathing.
Her entire face felt numb from burning.
Why...
Why did he have to look like that?
Zarniya managed to look away and found that it was not only her that was charmed, but the maids were also all dumbfounded and blushing. Yes, this was a normal reaction if a normal person saw a person who looked like a deity.
As she was able to look away from the gorgeous sin, she quickly walked to the chair and waited for the maidservants to prepare her.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three minutes.
Zarniya was about to turn her head and say a word to the maidservants who seemed to turn to stones to tell them to wake up when Messiah was the one who spoke.
"Prepare Her Highness a beautiful green dress and bring out all her jewelry. We'll be visiting the first princess's castle in the afternoon. You go and inform the palace of our appointment," Messiah's gentle voice turned indifferent and authoritative once again.
Zarniya almost thought that his gentleness a moment ago was an illusion.
Novel Bin 