Chapter 74 SAGE
"What condition? I asked, frowning.
"You''re going to grace me every night until I say so," he said.
I chuckled, which eventually burst intoughter. Myughter echoes along every corner of the corridor. I was holding my belly as I couldn''t help butugh upon hearing his condition. I was expecting something heavy in return for my favor. But ↑ wasn''t expecting how simple his request was. "Please do enlighten me, mydy, Is there something amusing?" Titus''s voice dripped with irritation, his eyes narrowing as he watched me, clearly displeased by the hint of a smirk on my face.
I cleared my throat, forcing myself to breathe evenly before meeting his gaze, unafraid. "Let me get this straight, Your Majesty," I said, my voice calm but edged with disbelief. "You want me to sleep with you in exchange for a lighter sentence for the woman who betrayed
me
His frown deepened, his expression hardening as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Isn''t that what you were asking for?" He replied, his voice cold, as if he couldn''t quite grasp why I found his proposal insulting
I scoffed, shaking my head slightly. "Yes, I asked for a reduced sentence," I acknowledged, "but judging by the condition you''ve justid out, it''s clear you think very little of me, Your Majesty," My words were sharp, each one cutting deeper as I watched his brows furrow in confusion, trying to make sense of what I was saying. "It''s funny," I continued. my voice dripping with sarcasm. "You''re both the smartest person I''ve ever met... and the dumbest." "Mydy!" ra''s shocked gasp came from the corner of the room, her wide eyes darting between us as she took in the audacity of my words.
I didn''t bother looking at her. My focus remained solely on Titus, who stood before me, rigid and silent. "You really believe I''d sell my body to save the very person who has made it their mission to ruin my life?" I asked, my voice full of disdain. "1 thought you were smarter than that, but clearly, you''re not." The silence that f t followed my words was thick, charged with a tension so palpable I could almost feel it pressing down on me. My heart pounded in my chest, and though I refused to show it, my nerves were on edge. I had just spoken to the most powerful man in the kingdom with a level of disrespect that no one would dare. I had crossed a line, one I knew I had no business crossing-no matter how much I despised his arrogance, no matter how angry I was. And yet, here I stood, waiting for the inevitable outburst-the explosion of rage that I knew wasing. The kind of fury that would remind me and everyone else in this room just who he was. His temper was infamous, his authority absolute. No one crossed Titus without consequences. Ev with his growing fondness toward me, I knew I had tested his patience, and 1 was fully prepared face the fallout. But then, something strange happenedMaterial ? N?velDrama.Org.
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Instead of the roar of anger or the cold threat of punishment, there was a shift in the air, something subtle but unmistakable. I expected the storm, but what I got was far more disarming. A slow, mischievous smile curled at the corners of his lips, lips I couldn''t help but notice were soft and red, stark against the chiseled angles of his face. The smile spread wider, revealing a sh of white teeth that sent an involuntary shiver down my spine He wasn''t angry at all-he was amused. The sudden shift in his expressionpletely threw me off bnce. This wasn''t the reaction I had braced myself for. His eyes glinted with a dangerous kind of yfulness, a wicked gleam that made it clear he was far more entertained by my defiance than offended by it. I stared at him, momentarily stunned, trying toprehend what had just happened. The King, the one feared by everyon around him, was smiling at me as though my defiance was some kind of delightful challenge. 1/3
"Well, well," he murmured his voice low and smooth, his eyes never leaving mine. "You surprise me yet again, kitten."
My heart skipped a beat, caught off guard by the warmth in his tone; the way his smile seemed to deepen as if he was savoring the moment. I had expected wrath, punishment, perhaps even the end of whatever fragile rtionship we had built. But instead, here he was, enjoying my insolence, as if my sharp tongue had only intrigued him further. you?" Titus
what
So, t you''re saying is you''re refusing to do what I asked, even though that man specifically requested it fe asked, a slow, mysterious smile curling his lips. There was a glint in his eyes, one that made it impossible to tell if he was amused or irritated-or both. + d his gaze, my expression unwavering. I''m not stupid, 1 replied, my voice steady, even as the weight of his presence bore down on me. I only asked for the sake of the good things Holt has done for me in the past. Fle''s earned that much, and I''m not heartless. But don''t mistake that for ine being willing to sell my dignity in exchange for a favor."
1 held
Titus''s smile faltered slightly, as if my words had struck a chord, though his expression remained impassive,
"If you grant my request, I continued, standing taller, "I would be truly grateful. But if you won''t, and you insist that I must do what you asked before granting it, then no, thank you. Annika can rot in hell for all I care. tension in the room was palpable, thickening as my words hung in the air. Titus''s gaze sharpened, his smile fading into something more serious. He stepped closer, his towering figure casting a shadow over me, his eyes boring into mine as if trying to unravel what I was truly thinking.
The
"I wonder," he murmured, his voice low and dangerous, if you truly mean that."
flinch. meeting his challenge head-on. I do," I said firmly. "Because if you think I''dpromise my self-respect, then you''ve underestimated me, Your Majesty
I didn''t flinch.
The silence between us was heavy, the tension almost unbearable. And yet, through it all, I refused to back down, my heart pounding but my resolve unshaken.
After what felt like an agonizing eternity, the silence between us thick and oppressive, Titus finally loosened his grip on my arm. His touch lingered for a moment before he let gopletely, and I half-expected him to forcefully insist on his condition and demand that I give in to his wishes before he granted anything. But instead, what came next caught mepletely off guard. "Scott will take care of it," he said, his voice calm, almost casual Tell ra to inform Holt that he can coordinate everything
about Annika with Scou
at him in disbelief. He''s actually agreeing? He was going to do what I asked, even after 1 t-out refused his demands. I had been prepared for a fight, but now he was giving in?
I blink, staring at
A frown tugged any lips as my mind raced. What got into him? This was the same man who rarely backed down, who held power over every coner of the kingdom-and yet here he was, conceding without asking for anything in return. It made no sense. I had rejected his condition outright and defied him with sharp words and unwavering defiance. And still, he was going to honor my request?
I nced at him, searching his face for any sign of his usual calcting arrogance, but there was nothing Just the cool,posed expression of a man who had already made up his mind.
He was impossible to read, and that only unsettled me further. He looked so mad a while ago, but now his face lightened up as if he heard good news
"You''re really going to do it?" I asked, my voice betraying the confusion I felt.
he cut me off, his eyes meeting mine, unblinking. "I told you I would grant your request, didn''t
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. A thousand questions swirled in my mind, yet I couldn''t manage to voice a single one. Before I could gather my thoughts, he reached for my hand, his grip firm yet gentle, and began pulling Chapter 74
me along to who knows where
"Join me," he said, his tone surprisingly calm. Thaven''t eaten yet He continued guiding me, his touch light but insistent.