Chapter 17

Fiona woke up feeling dazed for a while, but as she came to understand her situation, she tried to escape.

Her hands and feet were free. She attempted to break the window and escape through it, but she couldn't activate her magic.

She headed for the door, determined to get out of the room. However, she couldn't move her hand that was gripping the doorknob.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't leave the room, and feeling utterly helpless, she returned to the bed and hugged her knees.

The room where she had been brought by the prince and put to sleep was completely different from the room where she had been living since making the contract of servitude.

The furniture and bed were all luxurious, like first-class items. But Fiona felt extremely uncomfortable.

The furniture was predominantly black, the frames of the abstract paintings were adorned with gold, and the sofa and cushions were leather. Everything in the room seemed to be something the prince would like. It made her feel sick.

After burying her face in her knees for a while, Gilbert came into the room.

"Good morning, Fiona. Isn't this a lovely room?"

He smiled and spoke in a gentle tone.

—Disgusting. Idiot. I hate you.

Although her actions were restrained, her freedom of thought remained. She decided to say what she wanted without hesitation or fear.

"It's not lovely. It's disgusting."

She answered expressionlessly without looking at Gilbert. She didn't care if he hit her in anger.

He opened his eyes wide and then wore a blissful expression.

"Haha. To speak to me like that... I can't resist."

He hugged himself, writhing in pleasure. Fiona frowned at his unexpected reaction.

Gilbert sat next to her. She tried to move away, but the words "Come here" overpowered her, and she ended up sitting next to him.

The bed was fluffy but uncomfortable. Next to her was the man she hated the most.

She didn't want to be there, but she couldn't do anything about it. Fiona asked the prince with a cold look.

"What have you done to me?"

She had no memory of being branded with a new curse mark. The prince's voice echoed in her head, and when she tried to resist, her chest felt hot and painful, and then she lost all freedom of action.

"Hehe, it's the power of this."

Gilbert rolled up his right sleeve. His arm was covered with dark red patterns from his wrist to his elbow.

"This is a secret technique passed down in the empire, the Blood Contract. It's drawn with your blood, you know."

"Mine..."

Fiona's face contorted.

"Yes, by this, you now belong to me. To activate it, I had to get close enough to you. That's why I had to go there."

Gilbert rarely left the palace to avoid danger. He was a coward.

Going to a dangerous battlefield was something he would never do. But to get Fiona back, he went to that place.

"This secret technique shortens the user's lifespan, so I didn't want to use it, but it was the only way to make you truly mine. Oh, I'm glad I saved your blood."

"...Did you not hate me?"

He never gave her proper meals, overworked her, and deprived her of sleep. She had no memory of being treated well.

"I just couldn't help but bully you because I liked you. I regretted losing you. I promise not to be cruel to you anymore, so please accept my love."

"I refuse. I don't want that kind of love."

The prince, who was glared at by Fiona, was ecstatic. Being rejected by Fiona was a thrilling stimulus for him.

"That expression is great. It's so enticing. You're one of the few who can reject me. ...I can't resist."

Why was this man so delighted, his cheeks flushed? Fiona felt sick.

During the months they hadn't seen each other, the prince had become a pervert, adding another reason for her to hate him.

"I hate you. I don't even want to see your face."

She turned away.

"...I see. Even so, you can't escape from me now. I'll make sure you can't be satisfied without me. Hehe, I'm looking forward to tonight."

With a lecherous smile, Gilbert touched her thigh.

She shuddered but couldn't escape, so she tightly closed her eyes.

She realized that tonight, she would be defiled by this man. Even if she wanted to reject it, she couldn't escape. What should she do?

No matter how much she thought, there was no answer, and instead, tears streamed down her cheeks.

"...Matthias"

She called out the name of the person she loved in a trembling voice.

"Is that the name of the man with the blue sword? It's disgusting. Fiona, I won't allow you to call that name again."

"..."

She couldn't say Matthias' name anymore.

When Gilbert left the room, her tears wouldn't stop.

"...Ugh... No..."

She didn't want to be here. She wanted to go back. She hated this place. She wanted to return to her warm room.

The room she had lived in in the Elsida Kingdom was very comfortable.

Though the bed and furniture were luxurious, the bedding and cushions were in cute colors and patterns that women would like, and the curtains were a soft, calming light orange.

The books were a selection that anyone could enjoy, and there were cute stuffed animals on the sofa. The landscape paintings on the walls were beautiful.

She could feel the care taken to make her happy from every corner of the room.

She was moved when she later learned that Matthias had chosen them with Leila's advice.

He always cared for her, was kind and warm. She loved being with him more than anything.

But she couldn't return to that place. Knowing such a happy life, she couldn't go back to this colorless, painful life here.

For dinner, a lavish meal was served, but she didn't eat anything.

She didn't feel hungry. A constant feeling of nausea lingered in her stomach, and she had no appetite.

She didn't even feel sorry for the serving woman who had brought the food, and she told her to clear it away with a cold look.

Suddenly, the glint of a knife on the table caught her eye, and Fiona reached out with her right hand.

She held it and tried to cut her own arm, but her right hand stopped just before the knife touched her skin.

It seemed that during her sleep, she had been given an order not to harm herself.

After that, she was taken to the bathroom by three women and washed thoroughly. Despite the relaxing oils and flowers in the bathtub, she felt nothing.

She didn't think it was beautiful.

I'll drown myself here.

She thought and tried to submerge her body, but she couldn't go any deeper once her chin was slightly submerged.

It seemed that any attempt to end her life was not allowed.

After cleaning her body, a black nightgown was prepared for her.

"Can you kill me?"

"..., I can't do that."

She asked the woman who was dressing her, but she was refused, and Fiona let out a dry breath.

When the woman left, she was left alone in the room. On a round table next to the bed, there was a small lamp, a gold bracelet, and a small bottle.

It was probably a love potion, and she grabbed the bottle and threw it into a corner of the room.

While staring at the pale light of the lamp, Gilbert came in.

She sat on the bed, hugging her knees, and glared at him.

"Fiona. Show me well."

At his words, the curse mark on her chest throbbed. She couldn't refuse.

She stood up from the bed, and Gilbert approached her with a blissful expression.

The black nightgown was mostly see-through, but she felt no shame. She only felt disgust and nausea from his lecherous gaze.

"Aren't you a prince of this country? You should be with someone more noble, not someone like me."

She told him coldly, but Gilbert still had a relaxed smile as he pulled her into an embrace.

"Of course, I intend to have a successor with a woman of good blood. You just need to be loved by me."

"I don't want that. I'd rather die. Kill me."

"Hehe, you're really a brat. I can't resist."

He said with a playful voice, pushed her onto the bed, and straddled her, placing his hands on either side of her face.

"Let's enjoy ourselves thoroughly."

He licked his lips and caressed her cheek, making Fiona shudder.

"No, stop. It's disgusting, don't touch me."

"Hehe, you're one of the few who find me disgusting. But you can only be defiant for now."

His hand moved from her cheek to her neck. It was disgusting. She didn't want to be touched by such a disgusting hand.

She knew a much warmer, kinder hand.

"The pain will only be at the beginning. You'll get used to it soon."

Fiona, who had been strong until then, started to cry.

"No, please... stop... please, I beg you."

Her trembling voice and pleading made Gilbert even more excited.

"Ah, that face is irresistible. I want to make you cry more."

He reached for the ribbon at the chest of her nightgown with a smile.

"...No..."

Just as Gilbert was about to untie the ribbon, a slashing sound was heard, and a blue light streaked across the ceiling.

The ceiling split along the line and fell with a loud crash, shaking the ground. The sound of it collapsing echoed.

The room, now more open, revealed the night sky, and Gilbert, illuminated by the moonlight, opened his mouth in surprise.

"What...?"

With his mouth still open, he got off the bed, approached the window, and opened the curtains to look outside.

A blue light flickered to the right, and when he looked in that direction, Gilbert's eyes met those of a figure in a black robe, carrying a blue sword on his shoulder.

—There.

The blue eyes peeking out from under the hood glinted sharply. The figure picked up another person in a black robe and drew a wind magic circle at his feet, flying up and landing where the ceiling had been cut.

Fiona, still sitting on the bed, looked up in shock at the suddenly appearing figure. She couldn't see his face under the hood, but the blue sword in his hand was unmistakable.

"Hey, Matthias, you're really rough!"

The person on his shoulder shouted.

"There was no choice. It was a close call."

"Really? Wow, it is."

"Stop looking. I'll kill you."

"Come on, that's not right."

Fiona, startled by the commotion above, covered herself with both hands. The see-through nightgown, which she had not cared about before, now made her feel embarrassed.

"Fiona! Kill the man with the blue sword!"

"..."

At his words, she immediately started drawing large magic circles. She put on the gold bracelet as instructed and, crying, drew many circles around the black-robed figure.

"No... I don't want to..."

Tears streamed down her face as she drew one large magic circle after another.

She couldn't hold back. She didn't want to attack the person she loved, but her body wouldn't listen to her.

The robed figure watched her with a pained heart. He continued to slash the magic circles before they could activate, and his hood fell off.

His smooth golden hair was illuminated by the moonlight.

"Fiona, it's okay. I'll come to you, don't worry."

Matthias reassured her. In reality, he was cutting and dispelling every magic circle before it could activate.

However, this would go on indefinitely as long as she wore the gold bracelet.

"Take care of that man."

With those words, Matthias tossed the person on his shoulder.

"Rough handling!"

The hood fell off as he was thrown, revealing red hair.

Luke grumbled as he fell but gathered magic in his hands, creating a band of light with black patterns.

"Fiona, this man also—..."

Before he could finish his command, Gilbert's mouth was sealed by the band of light. Another band wrapped around his neck, immobilizing him.

Luke landed on the floor with a thud, holding his face and stomach as he crouched. After a while, he staggered to his feet and approached the motionless Gilbert, placing his hand on his chest.

"Ouch... Matthias is really ruthless... Well, I'll take care of it."

Luke rolled up Gilbert's right sleeve without hesitation.

"Whoa, what is this?"

He grimaced at the dark red patterns covering Gilbert's arm.

He immediately started the counter-curse, but the patterns remained on his arm, unchanged.

This was a secret technique passed down in the empire, not something a regular curse-breaker could undo.

Gilbert smirked internally. While Luke was struggling, Fiona would surely finish off the man with the blue sword. She had an endless supply of magic. And the commotion would attract others to the room.

"There's no choice."

Luke sighed and took out a necklace hidden under his clothes. It was a black chain with several black, twisted orbs.

He channeled magic into the necklace with his left hand, and it emitted a black mist.

"I don't want to use this often, but..."

He said with a frown, then touched the curse mark with his right hand. Gilbert's arm was enveloped by the black mist, which slowly seeped into the dark red patterns, eventually making them disappear.

"Alright, that's it. Matthias, it's done!"

"–!?"

Luke shouted up.

Gilbert, who had used his lifespan to cast the secret technique, was shocked to see it easily undone. He opened his eyes wide and let out a silent scream.

With the curse mark gone, Fiona stopped drawing magic circles. Her eyes were red from crying.

Matthias sheathed his blue sword and immediately jumped down to her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Ugh... Matthias... Matthias..."

She could finally call his name, repeating it as she clung to him tightly.

Matthias let out a relieved breath, loosened his embrace, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes.

"Are you okay? Has anything terrible happened to you?"

"..., I'm okay. It was a bit dangerous, but... oh."

Fiona remembered her attire and covered her chest with both hands.

The see-through nightgown barely concealed her, and the outline of her body was clearly visible. She was so embarrassed that her tears stopped.

Matthias glanced down for a moment but quickly turned away, taking off his black robe and draping it over her shoulders.

"Put this on."

"..., thank you."

She put on the large robe, buttoning it up. As she got off the bed, the sound of several people running towards the room was heard.

"Fiona, create a wall to block any interference."

"Okay, I got it."

She immediately created a thick wall of earth that covered the entire room. It was a strong, impenetrable barrier.

"Luke, get to work."

"Got it."

Matthias approached the still stunned Gilbert.