It had been bothering me for a while now, but this man… he wasn’t reading the book, was he?

  He merely stared at the pages, eyes unfocused, as if the words themselves were beneath him, just as their author surely was. It confirmed what I already knew. Valen Ashmoor remained unchanged.

  The same hateful, narcissistic man who shackled reason and morality and cast them into the deepest dungeons of his soul.

  He was vile.

  A vile man who had coerced my father into selling me like livestock. ‘For the good of the Realm. For the good of the Kingdom,’ he had said, again and again, while I wept at the news of who my husband would be.

  And Goddesses… I wept that day. But I was not weeping anymore.

  Now, I worked for myself, for the other women trapped in the same gilded cage, and for the very same reason my father had given me away.

  For the good of the Realm. For the good of the Kingdom.

  Yet there were… issues.

  The first was that I could not tell what Valen Ashmoor was planning.

  As much as I loathed him, since arriving at his mansion, since the very moment we met, he had given me no justification for it. I taunted him. Insulted him. Disrespected him openly.

  And yet… he did nothing.

  In the past, his restraint made sense. We were always under my father’s watchful eye, surrounded by men loyal to the Church. But now? Back at his empty mansion? Alone in a carriage, far from witnesses?

  He was merely… bored.

  No. That was an act. It had to be.

  There were signs. Subtle ones. His movements were wrong, his posture too stiff, his gait unnatural, as if the body he wore did not quite belong to him. Even his skin looked uncomfortable, as though he wasn't used to it.

  Something was off. And I needed to know what.

  Was he plotting something greater? A coup? A revolt? But his lands were calm. Prosperous. Disturbingly so. As peaceful as one could expect with a man like Valen Ashmoor ruling them.

  Focus, Elowen... You were trained for this.

  The sun was setting now, and as expected, we had to stop.

  Traveling at night with so few guards would have been dangerous. Even Valen Ashmoor, for all his arrogance, knew that much.

  But for me… this was an opportunity.

  An opportunity to witness the true nature of the demon who dared call himself a man.

  An opportunity to gather proof that I could place before my father and say, 'See?'

  To show him that Valen Ashmoor was not merely dangerous. He was a mistake. One better buried than allowed to breathe.

  So, once the guards finished setting up our tent, we were led inside.

  And the moment Valen laid eyes on the bed, he frowned. Deeply.

  “Is it… not to your liking?” I asked, studying his every move.

  He blinked at my question, eyes locked on the bed, “No,” he replied confidently despite his apparent confusion, before he turned to face me, light-blue eyes meeting mine, “Don’t you have your own tent?”

  For some reason, that question angered me. I didn’t want to be here either, but unfortunately, we were engaged. And that meant putting up with facades even if I didn’t want them. What angered me most was how he acted.

  As if he didn’t want to.

  As if he were uncomfortable with the idea.

  The very same man who had forced it into existence now looked unsettled by its consequences.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  “No,” I replied coldly, lifting my chin. “I do not.”

  “I see,” he muttered, turning to look back at the bed, “...In any case, let us first have dinner.”

  After what could be best described as a silent dinner from the provisions he prepared, he pushed the plate away from him and raised his head to me.

  It brought me great anxiety and sent a shiver down my spine, but I met his eyes, waiting to see what he had to say. A minute later, we were still staring at each other.

  This quickly became a battle of wits that I, as confident as I was, felt like I would be losing. His eyes studied every inch of what he could see of my body, making my skin crawl. I felt disgusted with myself for only allowing such a man to look at me. But then… he blinked, looking away, forfeiting the victory.

  Odd. Very odd.

  “The bed will be all yours,” he said domineeringly, his voice steady and strong.

  Nevertheless, despite a victory I should have cherished, this felt as if it were a defeat. A trap he wanted me to fall into.

  “Why?” I asked, tilting my head, “Pray tell.”

  “No reason in particular,” he shrugged, pulling out the same damn book he stared at for the entire day, “Sleep in peace.”

  “Peace,” I chuckled, “My peace died a long time ago.”

  At my remark, his eyes moved downward toward the page of the book, “Even more so, then. Do not think I can’t see the discomfort you have with the idea. I am not tired yet, so feel free to take the bed.”

  I blinked at the explanation, even more baffled than before. Only a fool would fall into such a trap.

  “Is that so?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

  He just nodded, casually moving the page, “That is so.”

  Something snapped in me, anger overflowing as I slapped the table, “Put that damn book down and talk properly.”

  For a moment, he stared at the cutlery on the table, ensuring nothing broke, before turning to me. In his eyes, the ceramics on the table took priority.

  Then it all fell into place.

  Valen was using this to test me, tormenting, manipulating me into a place where he had the advantage.

  I’ve seen your traps… snake. I am not the fool you think I am.

  “Forgive me,” I said, getting to my feet and offering a curtsy, “I overreacted.”

  “You did,” he replied flatly, “For no reason either.”

  “It is expected of us to show that our relationship is progressing smoothly, Count Valen. Isn’t that what you wanted?” I asked, a plan already in my mind.

  At that, he pointed toward the table with his chin, “By slapping tables? That ought to show them.”

  I clenched my jaw, maintaining the smile I painted on my lips, “By sharing a bed, my Lord.”

  “Is it that important to you?” he asked, staring into my yellow eyes.

  “This engagement… and the marriage that would follow it are something I, with honesty, have not desired.”

  He listened, not surprised to hear me say that. After all, this wasn’t about love. It never was to begin with. No… he wanted the power and influence that would bring him if he attached his name to that of the Archbishop.

  Nonetheless, I continued, “This is not about me, nor you, my Lord. This is about appearances and expectations. A good relationship would prove that our bonds and our alliance through it are strong.”

  “Do forgive me,” he interjected, “But I fail to comprehend how all that is important when it comes to sleep. We are not talking about anything else here. Just. Sleep.”

  “... All the same, it is important.” I shook my head, patience barely at my limit.

  I knew what kind of man he was. His lust and all the stories that were told about him. But he would have to get reborn in order to even hope of ever seeing past my ankles. I knew he would try… and that was what I was hoping for. The proof I needed.

  And to have that proof, it was paramount that he would fall victim to his desires and dare to touch me.

  If he were to remain awake, away from the bed, I could not control the situation to where I wanted it.

  But if he were in the bed… then, that would be easy.

  “Fine,” he raised his hands, slapping him against his thighs, “I will sleep.”

  The trapper has just fallen into the trap someone else prepared for him. I thank the Goddesses that you are a fool, Valen Ashmoor.

  He did nothing.

  Nothing at all.

  After we moved into bed and found ourselves sharing one blanket, I expected the moment he thought I was asleep to be the moment his lust would take control of him, allowing for mistakes to happen.

  But he just stood there, casually on his back, breathing silently, until… he just fell asleep.

  Not even ten minutes into my plan, his breath steadied.

  For another hour, I pretended to do the same, thinking that it was just part of the plan. But after that long hour, I lost patience, turning to see that the man really was asleep.

  I audibly clicked my tongue in frustration right then and there, before letting my head fall back on its pillow, just looking at the monster I was lying next to.

  It was a pity that he was a man filled with such hate, for in the darkness, with his mind lost to sleep, he didn’t look that bad.

  Not bad at all, really.

  But his past actions, his personality, and all that he was, past, present, and possible future, were far too dangerous to be left unchecked.

  If it were easy, if he were some commoner, I could’ve just cut his throat and be done with it.

  But he was important enough that such an act would send me to the executioner myself. My life was far more valuable than his was. It was not a fair exchange, even if I were to take into account all those whom I would save by killing him.

  No… he needed to be put down by the law of the Kingdom. By the laws the Goddesses gave us. And for that, he needed to be watched closely by someone.

  That was the sacrifice I was willing to make… until I, too, fell asleep.