Chapter 18
Arkin stared in stunned silence, shooting her a few quick glances. This was okay? Why all of a sudden? Was she that good-natured, or did her memory just suck? They’d parted ways in the woods and it hadn’t been pleasant at all, yet here she was acting as if nothing had happened. I definitely snapped at her earlier….
“By the way, Arkin, did you see that palanquin?”“LT__/p>
Arkin stared blankly in the direction Nefetia pointed. A massive palanquin wrapped in green vines coiled around one of the corner pillars, dominating the courtyard. His gaze drifted to the soldiers’ waists—enormous crescent-shaped blades hanging from their belts. He’d never seen anything like it.
“This is an act of desecration against our Ivica!”
The temple officials had ordered the palanquin moved aside, but the guards refused. The argument was escalating.
“Uh… I don’t know.”“LT__/p>
Arkin finally answered, but he couldn’t focus on anything else right now.
A sweet, fruity scent drifted from somewhere. Flowers? Fruit? He’d never smelled anything this intoxicating, this warm and soothing.
…And the scent was growing thicker.
“Hey, where are you looking? I said over here!”
She only brushed against his slender frame, but Arkin’s entire body went rigid in an instant. He had no idea what was happening, yet he sensed that whatever it was must never reach Nefetia. No matter what happened….
Nefetia, however, was faster on the uptake.
Before Arkin could even recoil, she pressed both hands firmly over the back of his hand. Her face drew close, eyes locking onto his with unsettling intensity.
“That’s it, right? My prediction was correct!”
Arkin couldn’t pull away or shake his head fast enough. He desperately wanted to deny it, but if he opened his mouth, a strange sound would surely spill out. He clamped his lips shut tight.
“Admit it!”
No! Arkin violently shook his head. Sweat poured down his back.
“See? Why lie?”
Because this is madness, obviously….
As Arkin struggled, Nefetia refused to break eye contact. She studied every hidden sensation inside him, never once looking away.
“What are the symptoms? Short of breath? Feeling feverish?”“LT__/p>
He couldn’t deny it. Just looking at himself, it was obvious—panting, face burning. If it had been anyone else, his cheeks would have been scarlet….
A strange shiver ran through him as he realized the truth.
Why is Nefetia perfectly fine while I’m like this…?
“I’ve accepted everything, but you haven’t, is that why?”“LT__/p>
She didn’t even ask, yet she answered so casually. Was fate involved?
Nefetia gently stroked the back of his hand while answering with perfect calm.
“Just admit it first. Once you accept it, we can talk about what’s happening together.”“LT__/p>
“…I won’t.”“LT__/p>
Arkin finally opened his mouth, then shook his head stubbornly. Accepting this strange sensation… no. It would make him lose control, like someone who had drained an entire bottle of honey mead, or someone who had swallowed some weird herb and gone completely haywire.
And that was something Arkin—someone who always kept himself tightly reined in—could never show anyone. The thought of making a mistake or being humiliated in front of many people was pure terror to him.
“The stronger the rejection inside you, the more uncomfortable and painful it becomes.”“LT__/p>
“There’s no rejection….”“LT__/p>
That couldn’t be. How did one accept and endure this? Did she know what was going to happen? Arkin clung desperately to every thread of self-control he had left.
No matter what it was, this moment was dangerous. A sinking feeling warned him he might lose everything he’d been after.
“Really? Then what about this?”“LT__/p>
Nefetia raised one hand, eyes blazing. What was she trying to touch? Arkin’s eyes widened. No—no!
“Ugh….”“LT__/p>
Her hand pressed against the top of his thigh.
“Ah, damn it… what is this?”“LT__/p>
A short groan slipped from the tip of the prince’s lips. His knee was that sensitive? Heat bloomed beneath her palm.
“Ugh… it’s hot….”“LT__/p>
The volume startled Nefetia; she flinched and frowned.
“Oh no, Arkin! People are watching. Keep your voice down.”“LT__/p>
“No, you… you should… pull away….”“LT__/p>
Ah! Only then did Nefetia release the pressure she’d been using to pin his knee and hand. Arkin finally managed to draw a shaky breath, clutching his chest as he staggered.
It felt like drowning too long underwater.
Arkin pulled out a small waterskin from his belt and drank greedily. After wetting his lips, he looked at her and asked in a cracked voice, “So if I accept this, what happens? Am I allowed to be your mate?”“LT__/p>
He gulped down the water while desperately hoping it wasn’t true. But Nefetia’s eyes sparkled with seriousness.
“We can feel ultimate pleasure in even a single union.”“LT__/p>
LTPLOOF
The water in his mouth shot out in a spray.
What insane nonsense was this?
While Arkin could barely speak from shock, Nefetia explained calmly.
“Union with a fated soulmate is like a divine blessing from the gods. When we lie together, we will feel that ultimate pleasure we’ve never experienced in our entire lives, Arkin.”“LT__/p>
“Wait a second….”“LT__/p>
“I’ll send you a palanquin. It’s only fair that I provide it for my precious Hetasept who traveled far to be with me. Right?”“LT__/p>
Arkin’s mind reeled. Even though the content was absurd, her tone made it sound completely normal. How could she say something like that so casually…?
Arkin tried to think rationally. He had no idea why he was even entertaining her nonsense, but he should probably deny it first.
“According to you, you and I are fated to….”“LT__/p>
“He-ta-sept.”“LT__/p>
“He-ta… well, whatever, let’s just say that.”“LT__/p>
Arkin exhaled once and continued.
“So we have to meet periodically just to feel that pleasure? And in Kepet, the king is not allowed to have a mate. Am I understanding this correctly?”“LT__/p>
“That’s right. And through the sacred union with your Hetasept, the moment a king experiences ultimate pleasure, he will be able to conceive a magnificent successor who will stir the next generation.”“LT__/p>
…So it was basically that I had to serve as the royal breeding mare?
“Stop with the nonsense. Don’t misunderstand.”“LT__/p>
Arkin shot to his feet. The moment rage flared, his entire body throbbed with pain that surged upward.
LTTHUD THUD THUD THUD
Blood roared in his ears; his heart pounded with pressure. Arkin spat each word like venom while the terror of losing control clashed with it.
“That’s humiliating. Let me be perfectly clear—I have no intention of entangling myself with you. From this moment on, you have become ten times more despicable to me.”“LT__/p>
“No, you want this. Be honest, Arkin. Otherwise it will hurt every time you’re near me.”“LT__/p>
“Get lost.”“LT__/p>
Arkin’s eyes burned with ice. He would no longer let himself be dragged in by Princess Nefetia’s antics. He took a step back, putting distance between them.
On the central stage, priests were moving holy relics into braziers, circling them, and chanting. Silver trays and pristine white towels with olive branches sat neatly before the altar. Arkin gritted his teeth while staring at it. He thought of the oracle he was supposed to receive.
“Fate or no fate, I will refuse it. I’ll find someone else.”“LT__/p>
Golden eyes watched him steadily. The pressure she radiated was suffocating. Arkin forced his own eyes to stay locked on her.
“The opening ceremony is about to begin. I’ll keep my distance and do only what I must.”“LT__/p>
“But Arkin, my explanation—”“LT__/p>
“I have to live more intensely. Just so I don’t have to listen to useless nonsense like ‘let’s sleep together’ or ‘let’s be friends’ with some random stranger I met today.”“LT__/p>
Arkin took another step back and glared at her. The bizarre sensation that had been squeezing his body slowly eased, and he finally felt a little relief.
“I have my own path, Nefetia. Stay out of my way and keep your distance.”“LT__/p>
Nefetia opened her mouth to protest, but Arkin ignored her and walked away. While servants and royalty mingled in the crowded courtyard, he hurried down the semicircular stairs without once looking back.