“AAAAAH!”

The scent of an unwashed body hit her nose and turned her stomach inside out. It felt like her head was filled with hazy smoke, to the point that it was hard for her to remember where she was. Her slender ankle, writhing, was caught by a large hand and her legs were forced to open.

How did this happen?

Saye bit her lips until it bled. She hoped the pain would help her come to her senses.

***

Saye’s parents were part of a nomadic tribe. They were people who moved from one small village to another. Had the Sultan’s army not passed near the village they were staying at, she wouldn’t be in this situation right now.

Her father, who sent his seven-year-old daughter to Sultan’s harem.

Her mother, who was sorry but couldn’t do anything to help her.

The Sultan, who put the girl into his harem and promptly forgot about her.

That seven-year-old girl was able to survive in the harem where nearly a hundred women lived. She held her breath and lived like a ghost so that no one would notice her. Hiding in the deepest, darkest corner, she’d sneak out late at night when the whole palace was asleep to eat their scraps.

Yet, she lived with hope. She kept believing her mother, father and brother would come to rescue her.

11 years passed.

11 unbelievably long years had gone by.

She can count on one hand the times she saw the rising sun. By hiding in the darkest corner where sunlight doesn’t even reach, her skin became so pale that it almost looked blue. Day by day, her body lost it’s youthfulness as she became emaciated due to lack of proper nourishment.

She didn’t know how long she could last.

By then, she’d accepted the fact that no one would come to save her. Yet, she kept on hiding her existence.

She would willingly suffer through the whole thing again if it meant she wouldn’t appear in front of the Sultan.

One night, she snuck out of her hiding place to wash. Everyone was in bed except for the slave who guarded the harem.

On that fateful day, her luck had run out. She was caught by the Sultan who was on his way to Desar’s bed chamber, his favored concubine.

“Who are you?”

Saye stood still. It was clear he was talking to her. When she caught sight of the Sultan stroking his long beard contemplatively, she knew there was no turning back. However, the Sultan only gave an order to the servant next to him and went on his way without another word. Saye felt relieved and started breathing again.

Three days later, the Sultan called her into his own bedroom.

“That right, I remember now. You were that young nomadic girl.”

The Sultan found prepubescent girls who hadn’t had their monthly bleed yet distasteful, which was why he placed her in the harem and forgot about her. The Sultan’s harem was full of concubines, some of which he hadn’t embraced even once. He scrutinized the girl in front of him.

With his wrinkled fingers, he raised her lowered face.

He smiled with wicked delight as he gazed at her pale cheeks.

“What a beautiful color.”

They weren’t by themselves in the Sultan’s chamber. There were always guards and dozens of servants around him to cater to his needs.

At first, he thought her hair was white, but upon closer inspection, he found out it wasn’t.

The pale moonlight made her hip-length hair glow, making it look like silk woven from silver. Her eyebrows and long eyelashes were the same silvery color. Even her eyes, which were looking up at him, were a shade of dark grey.

“Where have you been all this time?”

She caught his attention. It was a pity he overlooked her beauty for such a long time. Well, he’s going to make up for all that lost precious time.

The clothes she was wearing were designed to be easily taken off. With a small tug, it fell to the floor.

A lush, young body was revealed under the moonlight. The Sultan leered at Saye with lascivious eyes.

Suddenly, Saye was lifted and thrown onto the bed. She tried to get up, but the Sultan covered her body with his own.

“Am I your first?”

“Your Royal Highness….”

Her weak voice trembled.

The only part of her body that was a different color were the lips that called to him. The Sultan leaned down and devoured her lips.

When her mouth opened in surprise, a wet and slippery tongue pushed in between.

When she instinctively pushed him, the Sultan bit her lips and cursed.

“Impudent girl. If you refuse me again, I’ll cut your hand off.”

She knew that was not an idle threat. Saye’s trembling hands which were pushing him lost their strength and fell back into the bed.

She wished time would pass more quickly. She wanted the whole thing to be over soon, so she could cower back in her dark corner where she felt safe.

The Sultan bit Saye’s neck, while his hands groped and squeezed her breasts. He roughly handled her fair bosom and buried his face between them. His scratchy beard left painful red marks.

“Ah!”

That was not an exclamation of pleasure, but of pain.

She squeezed her eyes shut when she felt his hands move lower. The moment his finger touched her nether regions, Saye struggled to get away but was grabbed by the ankle and dragged back.

“This body doesn’t know pleasure, huh?”

The Sultan was over sixty. Despite his age, a day hasn’t gone by when he hasn’t deflowered a woman.

When his hands rubbed her mound, Saye felt no pleasure, only excruciating pain. He ruthlessly invaded the area no one had touched before.

She knew this day would come eventually. She comforted herself with the thought that all women would have to go through the same thing. Nevertheless, she could not stop tears from falling from her tightly closed eyes.

“Eugh!”

His finger pushed through her tight, dry channel. His nail scratched her insides as he roughly pushed it in and out. She clenched her teeth hard as she tried to endure the pain.

Without warning, the Sultan grabbed her hair.

“Open your eyes.”

Will the Sultan let her go if she was unresponsive and uninteresting? With that naive hope, she opened her eyes slowly. Her expectations were quickly dashed when she caught a glimpse of a rough black bush and a ponderous chunk of flesh.

“Put it in your mouth.”

His thick fingers tried to force her mouth to open.

He’d kill her if she refused, she knew instinctively.

The Sultan’s eyes were glistening with desire. She knew what would happen t0 a woman that couldn’t satisfy the Sultan or who would dare to harm him. Such a rumour spread like wildfire and reached her ears, hidden as she was.

He pried her lips open and pushed his appendage in. The hard organ filled her mouth. It carried a foul stench, which assailed her nose and left the taste of disgusting raw fish on her tongue.

He kept on pushing it deeper on her throat, and she didn’t know what to do about it.

“Urgh!”

He only pulled back when his meat grazed her teeth.

Pulled!

Her mind went blank. She saw all the servants lower their heads and the guards put their hands on their swords.

Belatedly, she realized blood was flowing from her lips. Before she could do anything, she was pushed down the bed again.

The Sultan splayed her legs wide open. It was futile to resist so she just lowered her head. Sultan rubbed his **** on her parched entrance. The wet and slippery head of his ***** started to penetrate Saye.

The coppery smell of blood pricked her nose and made her want to puke. But if she did that, she was certain her severed head would decorate the castle walls come daybreak.

…….Saye, do you want to live?

She was eager to live. Even though she didn’t have any reason to keep on living, she still yearned for life.

She just – she just…

She just wanted to go outside. She hadn’t stepped outside ever since she joined the harem eleven years ago. She wanted to see how the world outside had changed and breathe in the fresh air.

The Sultan’s **** went deeper. Even one finger was painful enough. She couldn’t imagine how much it would hurt her later when he finished his assault. She clenched her teeth in anticipation of the imminent pain.

“Sultan, your royal highness!”

“Do you wish to die?! Where do you think you are?!”

The servant girl who burst into the chamber turned pale. She screamed when the guard’s leader drew his sword and pointed it at her neck.

“T-There’s a revolt!”

The Sultan suddenly moved away from Saye as fast as lightning.

“What are you talking about?!”

“Please leave this place at this instant. Half of the palace is already -”

“Who the hell headed the uprising?”

“The 9th Prince – Prince Kainer did!”

Sultan haphazardly put on his clothes and beckoned all his guards and servants out of the bedroom. In an instant, Saye was left alone in the room *****.

“Prince Kainer…”

She knew him. She’d seen him several times from afar. The security in the harem was only tightened up at night. During the day, a limited number of people were allowed to enter the harem.

In the daytime, Saye spent most of her time in the Sultan’s library where people rarely go. She loved reading books because it gave her a way to escape her reality.

The only people who visited the library were Saye and the 9th Prince. Too late she realized it was her who was intruding on his space rather than the other way around. She could only laugh bitterly at that fact.

Clang! Clash!

The sound of a fight indicated that the uprising was real. The loud sound of clashing metal caused Saye to sit upright.

It was not the right time to be idle. It might be her last chance to escape, her last chance to survive and step on the soil of the world outside…

If the current Sultan was deposed, his concubines could be freed –

“Or killed,” Saye whispered.

Will Prince Kainer release all the women in the harem? She couldn’t be sure as she only knew him superficially.

Any of the two was fine. If she was released, then she can start a new adventure in the outside world. If not, she was also fine with dying.

She wished she’d be able to step outside the harem before they killed her but she’d resigned herself to the fact that it might not happen. After all, her destiny was set ever since she entered the harem.

She grabbed her clothes and put them on quickly. It was made from thin, transparent silk that showed her body. She knew she couldn’t make it far in just her pajamas. Nonetheless, she just wanted to be rid of this place, no matter what.

She hadn’t fully made up her mind but she couldn’t bear it any longer. So she ran.

“KYAAAAA!”

She shuddered when she heard the scream from afar, but her legs never stopped running.

She returned to the harem and saw all the servants and concubines running around trying to escape with their precious jewelry.

Saye ignored them and ran into the harem’s garden. Located near the back of the garden was a small door used to receive deliveries of produce from outside. No one knew about it except for the person in charge of food. Saye only found it by chance.

Would it be possible to escape using that door tonight?

She contemplated running away and using that door as the exit a few times before. However, it was closely guarded so she gave up. Today might be different.

Sharp stones pierced her feet. Even when it registered she was running barefoot, she didn’t stop.

Everything was just like she hoped. The door was left unguarded. She grabbed the door handle and pushed as hard as she could.

Creeeeeaak.

Did all the slaves escape already? The door, not as heavy as it looked, opened.

She took her first step outside…

Splash!

Something warm dripped down her face. Her eyes went blank as she looked straight ahead. Something massive blocked her view before it fell to the side. She realized that ‘something’ was the body of the slave who usually guards the door.

“Is she the Sultan’s woman?”

She was blinded by the light of bright torches. They were standing in the shadow so she couldn’t recognize them. The substance around her was not blood, was it?!

Dozens of corpses littered the ground. The foul smell of the blood made her nauseous. Now’s not the time for that.

She needed to take one more step. She wanted to step on dry land, not one soaked with blood.

With a stoic face, she was about to step around the bodies when –

“Stop.”

A sharp blade pointed at her neck.

Instead of cowering, Saye smiled brightly. The edge of the sword trembled a little. She could feel the man’s bewilderment, but she couldn’t stop.

Instead, Saye grasped the sword with both her hands until blood dripped down her wrists.

The silk pajamas which were barely hanging on her body fell down.

As she took one more step to the dry ground, her ***** body was clearly revealed under the light of the torches.

Slowly, Saye released the sword from her grasp.

“Now it’s enough.”

She smiled as she looked at the person aiming the sword against her. It was only then that she realized how young he was, as he looked to be around her age. She thought it was crazy how such a young soldier fought with his life for Prince Kainer.

“Enough what?”

A cool voice came from behind the soldier holding a torch.

She didn’t answer the question. Instead, she stared at the sky above for the last time. The moon that shone in the Sultan’s chamber before, continued to shine brightly even then. If it was not for the light of the torches around her, maybe she’d be able to see the stars next to the moon. It was such a shame.

Before she knew it, she was wrapped with voluminous cloth and lifted off the ground.

“Huh?”

Upon closer look, she realized she was wrapped in a black cloak and was held up by a man’s strong arms. She held her breath when she recognized the owner of those arms.

Hair as dark as the night. A high nose bridge and sharp jawline. Eyes the same color as his hair. He was twice as big as Saye even though they were around the same age. The magnificent image was only ruined by his lips which were pursed tightly.

“Prince…?”

When she called him unconsciously, he turned his gaze slightly to look at Saye.

“Be-Beurk!”

The nausea she endured before had returned. She struggled to get away from him, but he didn’t budge.

In the end, Sayed spewed the contents of her stomach over his shoulders.

“You weren’t afraid to die by the sword, but you’re afraid to puke on me?”

She hadn’t eaten anything so what came out of her were stomach juices.

The Prince entered the harem with her in his arms, not the least bit bothered by the filth on his shoulders.

“Kyaah!”

The women, who were trying to escape with their valuables, screamed at the approaching group of armed men.

“QUIET!”

Prince Kainer’s left hand man threatened them with a sword, which only increased their hysterical screams. The left hand man thought all the women might be killed if they didn’t stop. The Prince doesn’t like messy and noisy situations.

“Gather all you can and leave. All those who are still here by morning will be executed.”

The palace was now his. The previous Sultan may have escaped with his guards, but the Prince wasn’t worried. The rest of the servants have sworn allegiance to him and wherever the dethroned Sultan may be hiding, he’s confident he can find him.

From the beginning, he only had one purpose for uprising.

Kainer looked down at Saye who was still in his arms. Her eyes were closed so she must have lost consciousness.

“Call the healer.”

“Yes, Sultan.”

Everyone knelt at Sultan Kainer’s feet.

─────────────────────────────

She smelled like sunshine. She can’t remember how long it’s been since she last smelled it. She liked the whiff of it emanating from the soft pillow.

Her body felt stiff as if she had been beaten all over. When she stretched out her hand to pull the blanket up, she felt a sharp pain. She felt wide awake in an instant.

The first thing Saye saw after she opened her eyes was the ray of light which illuminated the bed warmly.

Saye’s room was in the farthest corner of the harem, where the sunlight didn’t reach. Also, this room was ten times bigger than hers. She looked around but she was alone.

“Ugh…”

She felt another sharp pain from her palm. When she looked down, she saw that both her hands were wrapped in bandages.

She tried to recall what happened last night. After she vomited on Prince Kainer’s shoulder, she lost consciousness. That was her last memory.

What happened after that and why the harem which was usually noisy at this time was deathly quiet, she didn’t know.

A little bird was singing on the railing. Because of that, she broke out of her reverie and stood up.

When she stepped on the cushy carpet, she felt a piercing pain from her right sole. As a matter of fact, there was no part of her body that did not ache – her shoulders, both her feet – she was sore all over. Then, she remembered how the Sultan desired her …

Last night was like a nightmare.

She opened the door and went outside, but there was no one there. The place which was usually full of dressed-up women laughing was now empty.

Saye was alone.

She stood still and looked around the spacious bedroom with regret in her eyes. To be precise, she felt wistful about being in the warm sunlight.

“Bye,” she whispered to the bird on the railing as she closed the door behind her.

As she got accustomed to the pain in her body, she felt hunger. Usually, she’d forage for leftovers in the sitting room at night.

She went to the sitting room but there was no person or food there. Clutching her stomach, she headed to her room.

Opening the ancient door, she saw the familiar dark void waiting for her.

It was the only place that let her sink into the comfortable darkness. She hadn’t used the bed in a long time. The bed felt cold and she was frightened because it seemed she fit in with the darkness too well. Instead, she scampered to the corner of the room and curled up.

“I don’t want to open my eyes again,” she prayed everyday.

She closed her eyes and wished to fall asleep and never wake up. If she couldn’t escape from this place, she’d rather die instead.

⧫⧫⧫

Kainer’s gaze was as sharp as a blade. In his chilled glance, the servants fell flat on the floor and begged for his forgiveness.

“W-We were just gone for a bit, but – ”

“You mean to say you left this room all together?”

Three days had passed. Since she’d been unconscious all that time, the four maids who were watching her left to get a light snack. When they returned, the room was empty. Before the Sultan found out, they searched for Saye but he’d arrived before they could find her.

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“Behead all of them.”

The maids begged before those merciless words came out from his lips.

“Please, please give us mercy once more! Sultan!”

“We will find her. We will find her and…”

“I will find her by myself, just pay your sins with death.”

Leaving those ominous words behind, Kainer turned around. The guards on his side pulled the howling maids out of the Harem.

“Hassan.”

“Yes, Sultan.”

Kainer’s friend that was always beside him, Hassan, the commander of the guards, knelt and waited for his command.

“If no one came out of the Harem, that means she’s still here. Find her.”

“Yes.”

As they spoke, his men were combing through the Harem which had about 150 rooms in it.

“Is the person in charge of Harem not here yet?”

It had been three days since Kainer became the Sultan. Everytime a new Sultan ascends, all the chiefs in charge of various departments get replaced.

As soon as he got wind of Saye’s disappearance, he ordered the person in charge of the Harem who was in the underground jail to be brought to him.

“I’m here, Your Majesty!” said the servant who hurriedly knelt down.

“I have a question.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Where is Saye’s room?”

The kneeling servant fervently tried to remember who Saye was. The Sultan ordered the guard to call him, the person in charge of the Harem, to find a woman. It seemed like the new Sultan was interested in someone in the Harem. It was not unheard of for a son to take his father’s woman.

He found a way to save his life. He tried to recall each and every woman the former Sultan favored but he couldn’t remember a girl named Saye.

“Do I need to cut one of your hands to help you remember?” Kainer spat out irritably.

“N-No Sultan. I remembered now!”

He recalled a girl who was always veiled who was always hiding during the day. He’d seen her sneak out at night and rummage for leftovers a few times.

“T-The room in the north. The farthest room in the north.”

He silently praised himself for remembering such information. Kainer did not respond and simply passed by the servant on his way out.

He passed numerous rooms. The handle of an old door caught his eye. Slowly, he opened it and saw darkness inside.

“We will bring a candle, Your Majesty.”

Before Hassan could order a servant, Kainer raised his hand to stop him. He opened the door wider so the light could illuminate the room. The Sultan slowly approached the rickety bed in the middle of the room. It was full of dust, a testament to its disuse.

“She’s not here. Let’s look somewhere else…”

The room was not habitable. A room devoid of sunlight did not suit her. As he turned to leave the musty old room, something in the corner caught his eye.

A small body crouched like a sleeping doll.

“Your Majesty, I’ll take her.”

Hassan tried to take the girl instead of Kainer.

“Shh. Can’t you see she’s sleeping?”

Hassan quickly stepped back because of Sultan’s attitude – as if he was worried that the girl in his arm would wake.

“Uhm…”

When the light touched Saye’s face, she opened her eyes with a small groan. The light revealed her dark gray eyes, peeking beneath her silver eyelashes.

Kainer tried to hide his smile as he saw her look of incomprehension.

“… Your Highness, the Imperial Prince?”

“I’m now the Sultan.”

He corrected Saye’s words and opened the door to the room where she was supposed to be. He put Saye down on the bed and knelt before her.

“Your Majesty, how can – !”

“Everyone, leave and close the door.”

They were visibly confused by Kainer’s behavior as Hassan herded them out of the room. Saye grabbed the blanket and pulled it all the way to her neck as she looked at the shut door.

“Why did you kneel…”

“So I can look you eye-to-eye.”

As if it were natural, Kainer leaned closer towards Saye.

“Your Majesty…”

At that moment, Kainer frowned. Feeling as if she’d made a mistake, Saye looked down to avoid Kainer’s eyes.

“Your wound was almost healed but it opened again.”

Her wound opened up and dyed the blanket red because of how strong she gripped it. She only realized what she was doing when Kainer pointed it out.

“Ah…”

“Did you only feel the pain now?”

She didn’t understand. Why was Kainer being nice to her?

“Hassan!”

When he heard Kainer shout, Hassan, who was waiting outside the door, came in.

“Bring me some clean cloth.”

“I will call the healer,” answered Hassan as he looked at the Sultan grab Saye’s hand and unwrap the bloody bandage.

“Just bring me some clean cloth. I’ll do it myself.”

Hassan’s face hardened. Kainer was no longer a mere prince, he was now the Sultan. For such a person to personally tend to a girl’s wound was unheard of.

Hassan did not say a word and merely did as he was told. He returned and handed a white cloth to Kainer.

“Does it hurt?”

“It’s okay,” Saye said with a shake of her head. Now, she didn’t feel any pain. Kainer replaced the bloody bandage with a clean one, all the while not letting go of Saye’s hand.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Saye asked impertinently. She wasn’t concerned as she thought she’d die anyway. Nothing would change. She didn’t know why Kainer chose to keep her alive and she didn’t care because she was feeling overwhelmed and tired.

“I’m not sure.”

He looked at her with gentle eyes. When Saye realized he was looking at her with a small endearing smile, she lowered her gaze.

Everyone in the Harem knew about this handsome Prince. Some said he resembled the former Sultan a lot. Others thought he would succeed him because of how alike they were. On the other hand, others thought he wouldn’t because he was far down the line of succession.

When she first saw the rumored Prince in the library, she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. It was only then she understood the line ‘a man who can make a woman’s heartbeat race’.

She once daydreamed about reaching out and touching that fringe of his, to make those black eyes which were staring down the book look at her – like now.

“If I hold you, would I be able to answer your question?”

Kainer grabbed Saye’s chin and forced her to look at him.

“Yes,” Saye answered as she smiled faintly.

He was the Sultan. There’s nothing he wanted that he couldn’t have.

Again, she would have to lie on the bed with her legs spread open and wait for the long night to come to pass. What would happen to her after that night? Could she get out of here like the rest who’d already left the Harem?

“What’s the meaning of that smile?”

“As you wish, Sultan.” Saye bowed her head gently.

Kainer looked down at the girl who said she’d hold him. He couldn’t begin to fathom what was going through her mind. Instead, he slowly raised his hand and stroked her silver hair.

“…Your Majesty?”

“It’s soft.”

The silver hair slipped between his fingers. He rose from the bed. Instinctively, Saye curled her body and closed her eyes tightly. The sun had set. She was ready for the long night ahead.

Instead, she was dragged into his arms and held on a tight embrace.

“Let’s just rest for today.”

“Pardon?”

“The last three days have been tough for me, too. We need to rest even for just a night, don’t you think?”

Her face was buried in his neck. She could see the tanned, silky skin move as he breathed.

He felt her worry so he kissed her forehead to reassure her. When she felt his warm lips, she exhaled some of the breath she was holding back.

After a while, the sound of even breathing was heard throughout the room. Saye, who was frozen in his arms, looked up to see Kainer soundly sleeping.

… Why didn’t he hold her?

***

─────────────────────────────

Realizing he’d lost the warmth he’d held in his arms, Kainer woke up in a foul mood. The moment he opened his eyes, a familiar headache hit him. Pressing his throbbing head with one head, he suppressed his anger. How many times had that little woman tried to run away? He was getting angry now.

Kainer got up from his bed, thinking he’d have to kill the one who let Saye out the door in the middle of the night in the deep darkness. Midnight in the desert was very cold. Even on a soft, warm bed covered with fox fur, he quickly lost the warmth he just had.

“Anyone there?”

The moment he called a servant on standby outside the door, Saye, who was crouched at the foot of the bed, raised her head to look at him. He stared at her wondering what was going on. She lowered her head and murmured an answer before shutting her lips.

“Please come closer.”

Saye lifted her head with an embarrassed look and hesitantly looked at him.

“Are you hurt somewhere?”

Kainer asked if the wound that he wrapped a little while ago had opened.

“No.”

She stepped barefoot on the softly carpeted floor. Why was she sitting on the floor instead of the bed at night when the temperature had dropped? When asked this question, Saye sat back down.

“I need to check it with my own eyes.”

Once again, Kainer knelt in front of Saye.

“S-Sultan, how can-? In front of a woman like me…”

The fact that he was kneeling in front of her didn’t make sense. She bit her lips and tried to retreat again, but the frame of the bed kept her in place.

A growling sound pierced the air.

He thought the wound was too painful for her to move, but he didn’t think that was it. His stomach was fine, so it must be hers that wasn’t.

“…Are you hungry?”

“I was afraid I’ll wake Sultan up…”

She couldn’t sleep because she was famished. She was afraid that her stomach’s growling sound would wake up Kainer, that’s why she moved under the bed. She couldn’t even remember how long it’s been since she last ate.

“Ha!”

Kainer laughed, struck dumbfounded.

“No one gave you food?”

“No, it’s not like that. I – I’m just…”

“You haven’t eaten for more than 3 days so you must be starving. Anyone there!”

As if they were waiting for Kainers’s command, the servant opened the door and came inside.

“Prepare our meal. We’ll eat in the garden. And bring anything that’s easily prepared first.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As the crowd left the room, only the two of them remained. He touched Saye’s head, who had it lowered in embarrassment, with his palm.

“Why are you so stiff in front of me?”

How could she not? Depending on his mood, he could kill people or save them.

Kainer looked at Saye’s lowered head with unsatisfied eyes before he lifted her up in a flash.

“Please put me down.”

“This is because you wouldn’t look at me.”

Again.

Again, that voice with a trace of faint laughter. Saye squeezed Kainer’s hem unconsciously.

Kainer took Saye to the garden of the Harem. As he hugged Saye and sat down on a chair, the servants started serving food on the table. Most were ready to eat foods like honey-dipped fruits or freshly baked bread.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

She couldn’t eat while sitting on his lap. She saw a honey-dipped plum, but couldn’t reach it. She could feel his firm thighs on her butt.

“Do you want me to feed you?”

“No, you don’t need to!”

After she denied his offer twice, he looked at her with sharp eyes which prompted her to pick up a plum. She took out the seed and put the dried plum in her mouth. Looking at Saye from the corner of his eyes, Kainer put his chin on his hand and smiled.

“Are you going to keep that one in your mouth all day long?”

Maybe she thought he was scolding her, that’s why she jammed olives in her mouth. Looking at her thin figure, Kainer slightly clicked his tongue and swept Saye’s cheeks with his finger. When Saye froze, Kainer held back a laugh.

“What did I do that scared you? You think I’m gonna eat you?”

“….No.”

“What do you mean by no? Is that all you can say?”

“Your Majesty….”

Why are you doing this to me? That’s what she wanted to ask.

“Tell me a story.”

“What story?”

“A story from a book you read recently.”

He hugged Saye’s waist with one hand and said politely with one hand, still holding her chin.

“It was an adventure story about crossing the desert and the sea.”

She still vividly remembered how impatient she was to read the next book. She hadn’t read it yet, but she was curious about what happened next. She didn’t know why he was asking her to tell him about that all of a sudden, but Kainer, in silence, expressed that he was listening to her.

“The merchant who wrote the book met a bandit across the desert on his way to the sea. The shopkeeper was leading a large tower of more than a hundred people, and he thought he was going to die…”

Saye’s face blushed. It was endearing that she would be so excited about the book but on the other hand, he also found it funny.

“I’ve read the part where the merchant was about to be shot by an arrow so I’m so curious about what happens next.”

Saye said while she kept eating dried fruits. Kainer looked at Saye’s red lips, which were shiny with honey from the fruits.

“Your Majesty?”

“Kainer. That’s my name.”

Why did he tell me his name?

As he tilted his head, he took one of her fingers to his mouth and sucked the honey left on it.

Her eyes which were drawn the smooth corners of his mouth were soon struck with astonishment.

She could feel the smooth texture of his tongue as he kept looking at her eyes while doing it. Saye swallowed dryly. She wanted to it to stop but she couldn’t move.

“Ha – ah…”

Saye sighed as his face came closer. With one hand wrapped around her waist and another holding her nape, he was close enough she could feel his breath. Saye’s silver eyes were shaking in front of his beastly black eyes.

“You have something here also.”

She saw the end of his mouth rise in a smile as he devoured her lips.

“Mmph!”

Kainer’s hands around Saye tightened, keeping her in place. Saye’s hands had nowhere to go except his shoulders. She couldn’t bring herself to fully grasp it so she only held the hems.

The heat she felt from her fingers was now felt on her mouth. His tongue entered her mouth without hesitation and tangled with hers. The more she struggled to escape, the more aggressive he became. He even lapped the saliva which ran under her chin.

When the kiss ended, she leaned on his shoulders and took a deep breath. With his hand still on her waist, Saye was strangely relieved. She felt she could rest because she was under his protection. She looked at the Harem behind him.

10 years had passed. No one had protected her except for a young servant who was driven out by the Sultan’s women for doing so. Saye had never seen her after that.

That was the only favor she’d received in the Harem. Under the fear of their master, everyone pretended Saye didn’t exist. In the Harem, Saye was a nobody.

“Your Majesty…”

Saye, who was still leaning on his shoulder, initiated the conversation for the first time.

“Speak,” said Kainer as he looked down at the silver hair tickling his neck. He was satisfied after tasting honey from Saye’s lips.

From the tone of her voice, he noticed that she wanted something.

He was looking forward to it. If it’s her wish, he thought he’d give it all to her. If she wished for this desert empire or even the world, he would offer it at her feet.

“I wish to leave this place when the morning comes.”

She wanted to get out of the place that served as her prison. Since he also released the other women, she thought he’d free her too. At that moment, she couldn’t see his face which was why she was able to say that.

“Really? If you wish, you can do that.”

That was easy. One word from him and she’d be a free soul tomorrow. She couldn’t believe how simple it was to leave the Harem.

However, the feeling that rose from the bottom of her heart was not joy. She belatedly realized that she was hurt by his careless reply. Saye swallowed the hot lump that formed in her throat.

Kainer, who didn’t try to hold her back, wrapped her tightly and kissed her forehead without looking at her. His lips gradually moved to Saye’s ears.

“Everyone that you meet after you leave will die. If you look at someone else, I will kill him. If you go out and touch someone, I will kill him. If you touch the cheeks of the passing kid because you thought they’re cute, I will also cut them.”

A soft voice crept into her ears. The sweetness of the tone, as if secretly whispering love, deceived her. She stopped breathing after she realized the meaning of what he said.

“There will be blood dripping on the path you walk. So Saye, go. Try and leave me.”

Kainer, who tenderly called her name like a lover, laughed sweetly.

The table was served with fresh bread, meat, and other rare dishes that she couldn’t eat before, but now she couldn’t lift a finger to even try them.

“Why are you not eating it?”

He gently turned Saye’s attention back to the table as if nothing had happened.

“Ah. I- It’s okay.”

“If you don’t eat, you’d have to spend the rest of the night with me.”

It wasn’t clear whether he was joking or not. He continued playing with her silver hair. Saye picked up a slice of bread with a trembling hand.

Avoiding Kainer’s gaze, Saye put the slice of bread in her mouth. Her thoughts were a mess.

“You must be really hungry.”

Was she hungry?

Saye, who had forgotten that fact, kept eating till her stomach almost burst.

***

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