Chapter 40
The nobles who were sipping their wines were discreetly peeking with interested expressions on their faces from behind the duke. Riftan clenched his jaw tightly and moved away, taking his steps slowly. He heard Uslin urgently calling his name from behind him, but he didn't look back.
His heart began to pound violently and uncontrollably against his chest as he climbed up the stairs. Riftan repeatedly thought to himself that he was trembling due to the humiliation he was in. However, he couldn't deny the urge he felt to run away like a coward. He took a deep breath as he reached the room and stood in front of it.
"Go in."
The soldier who stood guarding by the door urged him to hurry. Riftan glared at him fiercely then pulled the doorknob. The light from the fireplace flared through the small opening of the door. Riftan swallowed dryly once more and finally opened the door wide enough to enter the room. Then, he saw Maximillian sitting on the bed covered in a golden veil.
Riftan hurriedly closed the door behind him. She was wearing a dress so thin that it embarrassed him. As he ran his gaze through her slim figure outlined by the candlelight, the heat that arose in his body almost forced Riftan to take a step back.
Shamefully, his groin instantly became hard as a stone. His face contorted as he drowned himself in self-loathing, but he couldn't bring himself to take his eyes off her. Her loose hair that fell to her waist glistened colorfully under the light and her pale skin blushed pink in a coveting manner.
He looked at her full lips and then dropped his gaze down to her deep-cut neckline. Her cream-colored breasts were half-showing over the slightly see-through thin linen dress she wore. His face burned up and his throat was scorched. He was speechless as he waited for her to open her mouth and say something. Unable to overcome his patience, he nervously walked towards the table where a glass of wine sat.
Then, Maximillian, who had not moved an inch, began to tremble like a bird. Riftan felt like someone had placed a block of ice on top of his head as he gazed down at her. Her gray eyes were begging, she didn't want him to be here. Having his heart stabbed would probably hurt less than what he felt right now.
He turned away to hide his wounded expression and picked up the glass of wine. Then, he sipped the wine, buying time to calm down his nerves. It would do both of them better to accomplish the deed sooner than later. Riftan turned again to face her and spoke in a composed manner, suppressing the emotions from showing on his face.
"Take off your clothes."
Then, he pulled his own clothes over his head and glanced at her. Maximillian blinked blankly like she didn't understand what she had just heard. Riftan's eyes frowned at the sight.
Back when he was a mercenary, most of the prostitutes who would secretly hide in the rooms of the inns where he stayed would take their own clothes off. It was all that he had experienced with women, they would crawl naked into his bed and he would struggle to prevent them from taking off his clothes.
Riftan turned his body towards her and nervously asked. "Should I be the one to take it off?"
She took in a sharp breath, shocked. Her eyes were filled with fear as she looked blankly at his exposed body in the light. It was very obvious that she didn't have a good impression of his appearance. He felt like an ogre, seeing the expression on her face like she was about to faint.
"You're looking at me terribly. My appearance doesn't really suit your liking, does it?"
He asked in a sarcastic way but secretly hoped that even if it would only be a white lie, she would deny it. Instead, she only stammered impassively.
