I Tamed the Monstrous Prince - Chapter 15
Chapter 15
“Uhhh!”
A horrifying sound ripped through the air. My sleeve tore, and a searing heat bloomed on the back of my hand. Unbearable pain parted my lips.
“Ah, ahhh…!”
I looked down to see a gash, nearly an inch long, on my hand. The throbbing heat overwhelmed the pain. I struggled to steady my trembling hand.
‘There’s no other way. I had to admit I’d made a terrible mistake.’
But fear gripped me.
‘How could he inflict such a deep wound with his bare hands?’
My hand was sliced as cleanly as if by a sharp knife. My gaze fell upon his monstrous claws—longer and darker than his other fingers.
He stared at the drop of blood clinging to his elongated nail before flicking his tongue out to lick it clean. The sight triggered a flashback to the previous night. He’d lost control then, too, and had shown a peculiar fascination with my blood after I’d been injured.
“….”
Amidst the chaos, I forced myself to think clearly. And then, I made a decision. I had no certainty it would work. It was a gamble, based solely on what had happened when he regained his senses yesterday.
“Here.”
I offered him my wounded hand. Cesar seemed momentarily taken aback, almost intimidated. Emboldened, I spoke clearly, enunciating each word. “Do you want this?”
He responded with a guttural sound. Taking it as a cue, I tightened my fist, forcing more blood to well up. I gritted my teeth against the pain.
“Then I’ll give it to you.”
My hand trembled uncontrollably. A strange sensation washed over me, a churning in my stomach as if I’d swallowed a swarm of bees. Nausea threatened to overwhelm me, but I fought it back, my eyes fixed on him. My heart pounded in my ears.
A thick, crimson liquid smeared across his lips. His tongue followed the trail of my blood.
‘Blood. Blood…’
‘Some beasts sustain themselves by drinking the blood of other creatures.’
‘Perhaps Cesar is one of them. Perhaps the Dragon’s Curse has transformed him into a monster that craves human blood.’
“Hiss.”
A sharp pain brought me back to the present. Cesar was now gnawing on the back of my hand.
‘If someone were to see this from afar, they might mistake him for a knight kissing a lady’s hand.’
‘Some things can’t be understood unless seen up close. Many things in this world appear beautiful only from a distance.’
‘It’s fortunate no one is here. A prince, engrossed in drinking my blood… If anyone were to discover this, the consequences would be unimaginable.’
The sound of him swallowing, the wet, sucking noises, filled my ears. Seeing him like this, in the bright light of day rather than the dimness of the bridal chamber, was strangely dizzying.
The feeling of his tongue lapping at my wound… It was a pain I could never grow accustomed to. Yet, somehow, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
‘Why? I don’t understand. Perhaps I’ve become as strange as he is.’
Everything that had happened to me had been far from normal. The sudden arranged marriage to a monstrous prince, my expected death that never came…
“Ah.”
In that moment, I realized.
‘I survived.’
My chest tightened. My heart pounded erratically. My breath hitched, and I covered my mouth with my hand. I was relieved. I hadn’t truly believed I would live to see this day.
It was paradoxical, absurd, but this pain was proof that I was alive. And therefore, I couldn’t help but welcome it.
‘But how long does he intend to drink my blood?’
Dizziness clouded my head, and my body felt weak.
“Stop now.”
“Mnn…”
My plea was ignored. He leaned closer, his weight shifting towards me. By the time I registered the movement, my back was already against the floor.
‘This… this is rather problematic.’
