Chapter 4: Whispers of Resentment
1286 Words
“Hiss… are you a dog?” Su Beitang murmured breathlessly as Charles injected his rose-scented pheromones into the gland at her neck.
Charles lingered, his tongue gently tracing over her gland before releasing her and leaning in, as if to kiss her again. But suddenly, his strength drained away, his body collapsing against her like a deflated balloon.
Watching his eyelids droop, Su Beitang’s lips curved into a slight smirk.
The drug had taken effect.
“G-give me…” Charles’s voice faltered, clinging to the last remnants of his awareness.
“No, you don’t want anything right now,” Su Beitang whispered, tightening her grip on his shoulder. Charles surrendered completely, slumping onto her.
Soft strands of golden hair fell across Su Beitang’s chest, tickling her skin with each rise and fall of her breaths. His warm weight pressed against her, the lingering ache in her legs oddly soothed by his closeness.
She didn’t push him away immediately, instead staring up at the sapphire chandelier above.
Tonight had been full of unexpected turns.
But one thing was certain—she would no longer be confined to the darkness of an underground prison, devoid of sunlight.
“Theosen…” Su Beitang pressed her tongue against her teeth, hissing out her stepfather’s name through clenched teeth.
Nineteen years of imprisonment, crippled legs—hatred burned within her, a flame she could neither swallow nor extinguish.
Glancing down at Charles, unconscious on her chest, Su Beitang’s lips curved in a cold smile.
“My dear Duke, I will make the most of the title of Duchess you’ve granted me.”
She gently kissed the crown of his head, then pushed him off to the side of the bed.
Rising, she adjusted the oversized shirt barely covering her hips and went to the bathing room to retrieve her discarded white dress. Hidden within the large sleeve was her last vial of potion—a transformation potion she had stolen from her stepfather, Baron Cro.
Originally, she had planned to use it to disguise herself after escaping the manor. But now, with new strategies in mind, she chose to keep it safe for later.
She slipped the vial into a crack in the wall near the bathtub before stepping out of the room.
The moment she opened the door, a shadow appeared almost instantly before her.
“!”
“What are you doing?” Charles’s voice came from above her.
“...Your Grace, you’re awake?” Su Beitang exhaled, relieved.
He truly was a 5S male; despite the sleeping pill, he had woken so soon.
Terrifying.
“Call me Charles,” he said, stepping back to allow her to pass. He extended his right hand, a silent invitation for her to take it. “Will you… give me a mental calming session? I feel… unsettled.”
His golden gaze fell to her bare legs, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he fought to maintain control.
It was excruciating.
The last shreds of his sanity were struggling against the lingering heat within him.
He wanted to devour her, to pull her closer, to erase the distance between them.
But reason told him that if he lost control now, he would never again taste her calming orchid scent, never feel her soft embrace or experience her gentle touch.
He wanted to be near her. He wanted her entirely.
“Very well.” Su Beitang regarded his outstretched hand, pausing. “In bed again?” she asked, implying the previous position.
“Yes,” he replied softly.
“Fine. Change your clothes and lie down,” she responded in a businesslike tone.
Charles glanced down at his outstretched hand, which she had left hanging, and nodded.
Returning to the bed, he retrieved a set of sleepwear from somewhere nearby and, without hesitation, removed his last remaining item of clothing—a pair of black trousers.
The sight of his dark blue boxer shorts seared itself into Su Beitang’s mind, a vision that lingered no matter how much she tried to banish it.
Especially that area… she could see nothing else every time she blinked.
“…”
That… that size… we’d both be dead if I tried to survive a night with that…
My poor heart…
She squeezed her eyes shut in exasperation, yet the heat blooming across her cheeks was undeniable.
“All done,” Charles’s voice brought her back to reality.
Su Beitang opened her dark red eyes, only to find that Charles had, at some point, positioned himself directly in front of her.
Their position was somewhat… suggestive.
Charles sat with his legs apart, while she stood between them.
The heat from his body seeped through the thin silk barrier, causing her legs to tingle and tremble as if she could barely stand.
“If you’re unsteady, you can sit,” Charles said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her onto his lap.
Her vision dropped, and her eyes fell upon his chest, her earlobes growing redder by the second.
This was too much…
And even in a sleep shirt, he had opted for a deep V-neck. It was as if he were flaunting those impressive pecs on purpose…
Perhaps it was because he was still affected by the estrus, but the heat emanating from his body felt unusually intense.
In her nineteen years in this world, she had never experienced a night as suffocatingly warm as this.
“Let’s begin,” Charles said, his gaze steady as it rested on her flushed cheeks.
She didn’t push me away… could that mean she likes me?
Charles’s heated gaze lingered on her soft, inviting lips.
He wanted to kiss her.
“Fine… I’ll start now.” Reluctantly, Su Beitang tore her gaze away from his chest, placing her arms around his neck.
Closing her eyes, she rested her fingers on his gland, releasing her mental energy.
This time, entering Charles’s mental realm went smoothly.
As soon as the black cat landed, it was ambushed from behind by a golden lion, pinning it to the ground.
The cat struggled fiercely, but the size difference was too great. It eventually gave up, letting the lion lap at its fur in thorough strokes.
Relenting, the black cat rolled over, placing its paw on the lion’s powerful foreleg and began its healing magic.
She had no idea how long it took—long enough for the lion to lick the black cat until its fur was soaked through. Only then did Su Beitang withdraw from Charles’s mind.
Exhaustion washed over her as she slumped against Charles’s chest, her cheek pressed to his steady heartbeat.
She deserved some compensation.
With such a golden opportunity laid right before her, she would be foolish to let it go to waste.
“Thank you.” Charles’s voice was soft, his arms wrapping around her, holding her close as he took in her delicate fragrance.
He tightened his embrace slightly, drawing her nearer.
“I’m tired. I need to sleep,” Su Beitang muttered, attempting to pull away as she sensed his subtle movements.
“Alright.” Charles didn’t let go; instead, he lifted her in his arms, placing her gently on his bed.
“Stay here tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll arrange a room for you.”
Sinking into the soft mattress, Su Beitang closed her weary eyes.
But his words made her frown slightly. “You’re going to announce me as your Duchess, yet we’re to sleep in separate rooms? People might think we don’t get along, and before you know it, some lovestruck noblewoman will come trying to worm her way in. Just the thought of it makes me sick. Don’t bother with a separate room.”
- Writer
