Chapter 07: Preference of the Thirteenth Princess

Zarniya had the thought that people could not always run away from dire situations. 

Those who knew they could defend themselves were powerful, those who knew how to retreat were smart. 

The result of any situation could be delayed, but it would only make the consequences worse. 

In a fight or flight reaction, Zarniya was in between, the person who took a while to respond. The first one to die because of her slow processing. 

She was not stupid, her reaction was valid, normal people were not fast to react to situations as well. Zarniya was a member of the royal family but again, she was an average person, not a genius or a talent. She was a mediocre girl. If she was not a princess, she might have been at the lowest of the society. 

It was expected for the slave to serve their master in any way to make them comfortable and pleasured. Zarniya had not uttered a word of command to him to make a move on her.

That kiss… was not expected.

It was the first time Zarniya was kissed, she read romance books, and those kisses were pure and light. This was oppressive and heavy, but did she like it? They said every kiss was likable but this one… 

Was she allowed to hate it? She felt so wronged. She did not want it but if she told him that. She had that feeling that she would suffer more. 

She gulped and tasted the rustic flavor invading her taste buds. 

Her mouth was in pain, and her tongue was numb. She could taste the blood from her lower lip, she remembered that he bit her lower lips aggressively earlier. As if he was angry at it… 

Zarniya unconsciously hid her lips and tightly closed her mouth as her expression displayed injustice. 

He loosened his grasp on her, his handsome smile did not fade, and stared at her with interest. Zarniya grabbed support from an object and took multiple steps back away from him. However, the touch and warmth continued to surround her body, the graze of the lace of his robe, the heat from his skin, the way he felt on her mouth, and his embrace. 

Zarniya's entire face was as red as a ripe tomato. Her eyes fell on the carpet on the floor her breathing was unstable, her hands were clenched in a fist and her eyebrows were knitting as she was trying to process what happened to them. 

"No," she muttered. "You… are… aren't." 

It was hard to explain without stuttering but did she have a choice?

"I-I… I don't n-need t-that," she said. 

She did not need him to give her that kind of service. 

This must be his mission, or what was instilled in his brain. He had to bring pleasure to his master, he must have been trained hard to please the eldest, but Zarniya was not the eldest. She did not even need a slave in the first place!

And why? Why was he taking the initiative? It was clear that he was dissatisfied with something about her. Did he hate serving? Right, how could a proud person be happy if he was beneath a person who was not even worthy of him? 

Zarniya rubbed her fingers. 

"You—" 

"Messiah," he said. 

By this interruption, she subconsciously looked at him. 

"Master, you named me, you should call me my name," he said with that smile on his face never leaving. 

"..." Zarniya bowed her head again, "Me-Messiah, y-you aren't h-here to serve me that… way."

"What do you mean by that, my Master?" 

"I don't- don't," she shook her head and inhaled deeply. "N-need… yo-your service i-in bedroom." 

Once it was said, he did not immediately reply. Zarniya did not bother looking up to see what face he was making. Either way, his eyes were dangerous, but he feigned his anger with his seraphic face. 

"Did I kiss you too hard? Should I be gentler? You were too soft," he said running his fingertip on her wounded lip. "I can't help it; it was a psychological response to bite you… But then, I was rude. Master, you should forgive me."

Zarniya narrowed her eyes on the pattern on the carpet. 

She did not want to look at him, somehow, she could imagine his smile and expression being so twisted that it was terrifying her. His tone was light and casual; however, his words were proud, and it did not sound like what a servant would say to their master at all. 

With those words spoken, Zarniya felt like he was even blaming her… and telling her to not be so difficult. When he said that she should forgive him, he sounded like he did not acknowledge his mistake. 

No, that was right. He sounded like he knew he did not make a mistake instead it was her who was making it a big deal. 

She knew it. 

First glance. 

She knew it. 

He did not have a slave mentality. 

Zarniya was aware of how high grades the eldest slaves had, but why was this man like this? Were all high-quality sub-humans like him? Why did the eldest give her such a difficult person to handle? She had seen slaves behave to the other princes and princesses. They were not as aggressive as Messiah. Or was it because they were alone? She heard private moments were… usually like this. 

Her heart pounding was deafening. She did not want another alone moment with him. 

"N-no, yes… yes. You are for-forgiven," Zarniya nodded. "B-but you did not ne-need to ple-…please me in t-the future." 

Like before, he took a step forward at her with no sound. However, Zarniya had already put up her defense. When she saw his feet appearing in her sight as she was bowing her head, she quickly took a step back and stretched her hands to gesture to him to stop. 

"Master, are you dissatisfied with me? I can be whatever Master wants, tell me what you prefer, and I'll be that. Don't abandon me, hmm?" His tone was dejected. Which made her want to see his expression. She did not want to offend him, so she could not make him feel unhappy. 

Zarniya redirected her eyes back to him. She was stunned seeing him closer than he already was and still smiling, he did not look sad nor dejected. 

What was this situation? Why did it feel like she was facing a crazy person? 

Zarniya's brows flinched when she felt her bruised fingers. She rubbed too hard, she was getting more and more nervous staying alone with him in this room. 

"I… don't have pre-preference, I d-don't need it," she said. 

His eyes looked down at her hands, and she quickly hid them behind her back.

"Master, take a rest first," he said. "Return to your room and sleep, we should talk once you calm down."

Zarniya thought that she was being dismissed by the King, if he did not call her master, it was like she was a servant. Regardless, her body's reflexive reaction was to curtsy and follow the order. In just a snap, she found herself lying on her bed, she did not know how she got back to her bedroom. 

But she was dazed as she tried to analyze what just happened. 

He called her Master. 

Yet, from the moment he entered her sight, he did not show any reverence. He was staring straight through her and he did not bow his head even once. He made a move on her without her acknowledgment, he made a mistake, but he made it look like she should be sorry instead of him. His tone was light, but his words were domineering and almost tyrannical. 

Between the two of them, it felt like she was the one who had gained a master.

The strangeness kept on happening… Was she dreaming after all? 

Zarniya licked her lower lip and flinched. 

Still hurts. 

Her hand moved to her lips, but she did not touch it. 

Her mind involuntarily remembered that dominating kiss. 

As she remembered it, it was as if he was trying to eat her, and he was furious with her. As if there was a grudge. Even his embrace was too oppressive, almost crashing her into his body. There was a notion that he was aiming to destroy her. 

Zarniya shivered at the frightening notion. 

They just met and he was already this angry with her? Was it because she was his master?

He didn't like her a bit. She guessed so. 

Zarniya firmly closed her eyes and felt wronged. She did not wish for him to become her slave; she did not ask him to kiss her or touch her. Why was he making her feel like she made a grave sin? She was weak and powerless; it was not up to her.

If she could, she would reject receiving him at the very beginning. 

But he was bestowed to him during the dinner gathering by the Queen. How could she go against the Queen?

Wait, could she return him to the eldest? 

He was handsome, the most handsome man Zarniya had ever seen. He was strong, he had a sturdy rock-hard body. She heard that before the eldest got sick last month, she was looking for a man who could warm her and please her. 

With such an attitude, beauty, body, and capabilities he had; Zarniya thought that it was only the eldest who could handle this kind of man. It was not suitable for a quite simple and ordinary person like Zarniya herself to have such a remarkable subhuman.

Especially that kind of crazy man.