The Runaway Maid is Loved by the Archmage - Chapter 16
Roina couldn’t take a single step outside the Crown Prince’s bedroom or the adjoining rooms for several days. More than the suffocation, it was the meaningless lessons and the Crown Prince’s torment, now in new and different forms, that weighed on her. He toyed with her at every opportunity, and without hesitation, ordered Ethan to force himself on her.
During that time, Roina observed the man who never left her side for even a moment.
The one who, under the Crown Prince’s orders, inflicted horrifying experiences on her.
Yet also the one who had apologized to her.
“And…”
Roina suddenly took a step closer to Ethan. Though slight, Ethan flinched and avoided her gaze.
“He’s definitely conscious of me.”
Her feelings were complicated. Since coming to this world, no one had ever shown her any goodwill, let alone romantic interest. It was strange, truly strange.
“Could he help me get out of here? Could this man be the key?”
It wasn’t something she could act on immediately. Her emotions were still too jumbled. Was it even right to sacrifice someone else to aid in her escape? Based on the Crown Prince’s behavior so far, he would never leave a guard who helped her unscathed.
But, if it was a very simple request, perhaps it wouldn’t be too much to ask?
“Sir Ethan.”
“…”
“I know you can hear me.”
Today was one of the rare days when the Crown Prince was absent. According to the unwritten rules of this pseudo-confinement she had endured over the past few days, she was required to stay inside Roberto’s bedroom. And each time, Ethan, the Crown Prince’s knight, remained as her watcher.
His brown hair, thick brown eyebrows, firmly set lips, angular jaw, tanned skin, solid build—his large and undeniably masculine appearance gave off an impression of coldness, but there was no denying he was conscious of her. Even now, though he didn’t turn around when she called him, perhaps on purpose, his hand momentarily clenched the hilt of his sword before relaxing.
Unless it was under the Crown Prince’s direct orders, he avoided all contact with her. To the point that the whispered apology he had once murmured to her felt like an illusion.
Still, when the reins of the Crown Prince’s orders loosened, his emotions would occasionally peek through in subtle ways.
There was no doubt—he had feelings for her. If not that, then at least he harbored guilt toward her.
Roina sat in the corner of the Crown Prince’s bedroom, curled up on the sofa with her knees hugged to her chest, and muttered softly,
“I want to see the garden.”
“You cannot.”
The answer came instantly. She let out a deep sigh. She could sense his shoulders flinch ever so slightly.
“Sir Ethan, why do you serve the Crown Prince?”
“…”
“Were you rescued after being a slave, like me?”
“…”
He was utterly unresponsive, like a statue. The man who had once licked her so diligently and stimulated her was nowhere to be found.
Roina unfolded her legs from her embrace and scooted a little closer to him. As the distance between them lessened, his back became so close it felt like she could almost touch it.
“Don’t be like that, Ethan.”
Her unusually coquettish, laughter-tinged voice made him flinch ever so slightly. Roina chuckled silently and reached out toward him.
Using a man? Becoming corrupt? What did any of that matter in this situation? Instead of surrendering to the will of this detestable Crown Prince and becoming his dog, Roina decided she might as well become a bad person herself.
The knight did not brush away the hand extended by the maid reclining languidly on the sofa. With minimal resistance, he was turned toward her, his Adam’s apple moving prominently. When he faced her, his expression was an odd mix of shame and joy.
Then, seeing her appearance, his face turned red. As she had shifted positions, her skirt had become disheveled, the hem riding up to expose her pale thighs. It was a sight she had never shown before, always striving to appear neat and proper. The knight covered his face with one large hand.
“…I was a remnant of the defeated Castrello Kingdom.”
Roina, unconcerned by his reaction, slipped her fingers into the inside of his sleeve, brushing against the soft skin of his wrist. It was a bold, deliberate touch. Even as he tried not to react, she could feel the front of his trousers begin to swell.
“A knight of a defeated nation either dies or becomes a slave.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Roina, deciding she had nothing more to lose, placed her hand on the waistband of his trousers. She didn’t immediately touch his aroused part but slowly ran her hand along his waist, feeling the softness of the flesh beneath his clothing.
He let out a tense breath through his teeth, then suddenly grabbed the hand circling his waist, flipping her over in the process. Their positions reversed in an instant—Roina was now lying on the sofa, and he was above her, gripping her wrists.
“I have no honor or pride left to my name. I have given my life and soul entirely to the future sun.”
He spoke quietly, lowering his lips to her neck and exhaling warm breaths. His eyes seemed to shut tightly, as though in pain.
“I cannot betray him. Please… treat me as though I do not exist. I beg of you.”
He spoke in a quiet yet compelling voice as he looked down at her. It seemed as though he was about to move away from her, trying to distance himself. That is, until she grabbed his collar and pulled him back down.
“What will you do for me if I grant your request?”
His startled eyes wavered, uncertainty flashing across them.
Roina looked him straight in the eye, her gaze challenging, and spoke with conviction.
“Your master holds my leash as well. I cannot betray my light either. My request does not go against his orders. I swear it.”
Before they knew it, Roina had reversed their positions. He continued retreating, and she kept advancing toward him. Their faces were so close now that their lips seemed as if they might touch at any moment. Perhaps they already brushed ever so slightly.
“It’s just a small favor. Nothing difficult. If you grant my request, I’ll do as you ask in return.”
She let her words linger as she grazed past his face, whispering softly into his ear, so quietly that only he could hear her.
