Shailoh writhed, letting out a short, sharp cry. “Ah…!” Her waist twisted with a jolt, and her vision spun.
“Look at me, Sasha. See who’s claiming you right now.”
“…”
The man whispered. Startled, Shailoh dug her nails into his shoulder.
“Yo-Your Highness… please, stop.”
“Say my name.”
“Caleb…”
Shailoh meant it as a plea for him to stop, but instead, it only seemed to excite him more. He gripped her hips and thrust in deeper, locking her in place as she tried to pull away.
“Please, stop…!”
Tears and snot ran down Shailoh’s face as she raked her nails down his broad back, drawing blood. Even the slightest brush of air against her skin sent a rush of sensation through her, her mind drowning in pleasure. She’d been trained by him—now there was no turning back. Because of this hateful man.
Soon, Shailoh reached her limit and went limp. When she opened her eyes again, it was the middle of the night. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and she saw a familiar bareback. The man, slipping his arms into a dress shirt, turned around.
“Sasha.”
“…”
“You’re awake.”
Shailoh forced a twisted smile with the last bit of strength she had left. She knew all too well that the more miserable she looked, the more he would sneer.
“You can stay the night. I don’t mind.”
His feigned mercy made anger flare up inside her. Shailoh barely managed to keep her smile as she clutched the blanket.
“Don’t fool yourself. You’re just my tool. I’m sure you already know that.”
“That’s a relief. I trust you’ll throw me away once I’m no longer useful.”
“There’s no need to worry. If I ever need a wife or a child, I’ll find a woman of noble blood. Not a fake like you.”
Shailoh knew her place. Not once had she forgotten how Caleb saw her.
Her whole body ached as if she’d been beaten, unable to move even a finger, while the man before her looked infuriatingly unscathed—except for the red scratch marks on his back.
As the silence stretched on, Caleb pulled on his pants and then his shirt before turning around. “You’ve learned quite a bit, Shailoh. You’re ready for the mission now.”
“It’s all thanks to your teaching. You must be very experienced.”
It was a petty jab. Yet Caleb let out a low, rumbling laugh.
“You were just as eager to learn. You picked things up quickly, Miss Shailoh.”
She’d thrown the words at him through gritted teeth, but unfortunately, he didn’t even seem to feel a sting.
“And not only that, you’re better than any woman I’ve ever been with. You have real talent, Miss Shailoh.”
“Thank you.”
With her teeth clenched in a forced smile, Shailoh managed to pull the blanket up from her waist to her shoulders.
“I’ll be sure to tell Prince Albert tomorrow. Thanks to his kind older brother’s help, I’ve learned how to serve him well.”
As exhaustion washed over her and she turned away, Caleb’s hands froze mid-tie. He approached silently, grabbed her shoulder, and turned her so she was facing the ceiling.
“What are you—!”
As Shailoh tried to resist his rough handling, she gasped. In the darkness, his sharp eyes glared at her like a predator.
“I told you just to seduce him.”
“…”
“If you so much as try anything with that bastard without my permission, the moment I hear about it, I won’t let it slide.”
Caleb bared his teeth as he delivered the warning, demanding an answer. Reluctantly, Shailoh averted her gaze and nodded, and then, slyly, his gentle fingers traced along her ear, behind it, and down her neck. The sensation, like smoke on her skin, made her feel as if she might suffocate.
“Sasha.”
Reluctantly, Shailoh lifted her head and met his turquoise eyes, which stared down at her without blinking. A few strands of his disheveled platinum hair clung to his forehead, a stark contrast to his usual immaculate appearance.
“You must be very tired.” Caleb gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand before straightening up as if he hadn’t just been so aggressive. “I pushed you too hard yesterday. Take a good rest today.”
As his footsteps receded, a chill of foreboding crept up her spine. Shailoh hurriedly called out to him as he was about to leave the room.
“The deal!”
“…”
“You promised to uphold the deal. You said you’d release me if we both fulfilled our parts equally.”
“Of course.”
Caleb was about to scoff when something stopped him, his parted lips slowly closing.
“Prince of West?”
Strangely, his lips refused to form the words to tell me he’d discard her whenever he pleased.
“Answer me.”
Shailoh’s urgent voice pressed him, and Caleb fled the bedroom. As he strode down the corridor like a man escaping, Shailoh’s determined words echoed in his mind.
“I will never miss the chance before me. I’ll seize it and cling to it until I find happiness.”
The memory of Shailoh’s eyes, sparkling with determination, flickered in his thoughts. Simultaneously, the face of a girl he had long buried began to surface in his consciousness.
Ignoring his heart, now beating with an unfamiliar rhythm, Caleb quickly navigated the maze-like corridor and disappeared.
* * *
He should have realized it then. Something had definitely felt off.
Caleb regretted it bitterly. Though he had been entangled with Shailoh many times before and after, that night remained seared into his memory. Whenever he closed his eyes, it replayed in vivid detail.
Shailoh’s exhausted, limp, fair body. Her disheveled hair and moist blue eyes. Her cries mingled with sobs, and her hands clung to his back in desperation.
Shailoh—that woman—had disappeared. To be precise, she had screwed him over and vanished without any news.
“Find her immediately! No matter what it takes!”
The once-immaculate office lay in ruins. Decorative porcelain and frames lay shattered across the floor, and the tapestry hanging on the wall was torn to violent shreds.
“Yo-Your Highness.”
The butler surveyed the scattered debris with fearful eyes. He had never witnessed the prince in such a state, with bloodshot eyes and a fury that radiated from his very being.
“What will you do if you find her?”
Caleb swept his hair back from his forehead with irritation as he responded to the cautious inquiry. “I’ll break her ankles and gouge out her eyes.” He muttered darkly, crumpling my cheeky parting gift with savage force. “So that this insolent Nereid can never dare to leave her master again.”
In the next moment, the letter was tossed into the fireplace, where it burned with a vengeful intensity.
[To Prince of West, the Crown Prince of Lancaster Empire, Your Highness Caleb Alexander Lancaster.
By the time you read this tedious letter, I will have already boarded a smuggling ship and left this empire. Your Highness might have shattered your expensive porcelain and vases in a fit of rage upon realizing my absence. After all, your obedient and ‘loving’ pet has disappeared. But to be fair, our relationship was purely transactional, and now that the deal is done, we owe each other nothing. It’s best to end things cleanly. Let’s drop the pretense and get to the point.
Ah, you have no idea how unbearable these past years have been. It was torture trying to please your perfectionist tendencies, getting excited by your clumsy touch, and forcing myself to feign pleasure. Honestly, I should be compensated extra for my troubles. Maybe two islands? But I’m more frugal and detached than I seem, so it’s irrelevant now.
My final words are that I sincerely hope Your Highness becomes utterly miserable. Go die, Caleb. I hope your arrogant pride is completely shattered. Become the most unfortunate soul and crawl at the bottom of hell because that’s where you truly belong. You devilish bastard. You lecherous fiend. May you suffer eternally in the fiery pits of hell, you damned dog. If I had my way, I’d fill ten more pages with the vulgar curses you once admired, but unfortunately, space is limited. Well then, farewell.
From Shailoh, your former pet and loyal servant, with sincerity and affection.]
Caleb glared at the letter, now consumed by flames, with eyes blazing with madness.
Fine. He’ll find her. Wherever she is, he’ll track her down. Whether it’s heaven or hell, he’ll find her and remind her who her master truly is.
The butler trembled and lowered his gaze to avoid the prince’s piercing stare. The usually calm turquoise eyes now shone with a primal, beast-like intensity.
