Was this how it felt to be touched by a man?
The temptation was too much; she felt like she was drifting closer to madness as this man continued exploring and tasting her body.
It was sweet yet frightening at the same time. She let a man who attacked her land have his way with her body like this. Her heart ached with bitterness, yet her body still shamelessly yearned for his touch.
Aisha was mortified and disgusted by herself. She didn't expect herself to be so weak against a man. She hated herself so much; she wanted to bite her tongue.
But then, she remembered Maya and the purpose she did this in the first place. It gave her the courage and strength to push forward.
Better to end this as quickly as possible before she regretted her choice.
Aisha gritted her teeth and slowly wrapped her trembling hands around his neck, pulling him closer to her. She braced herself, preparing for what was to come next.
Archibald immediately ceased his advance and raised his head. He did nothing and only stared at her.
In this dimly light room, she couldn't tell what kind of expression he had.
"Ah, this is no fun. I quit."
Archibald removed himself from her and sat on the edge of the bed. He messed up his hair in frustration. "The mood is just getting good, but you ruined it. If you want to seduce me, then at least do it right. With this kind of service, how do you expect to coax me to grant your wish?"
He spat out harsh words, but there was almost no anger or annoyance in his voice, only helplessness. "If you can't do it, don't egg me on. Silly woman."
"Y-Your Majesty?"
Aisha was bewildered and about to get up, but Archibald pushed her back to the bed. Then, he covered her eyes using his hand.
"Just stay still. And close your eyes. I don't want to see it for now."
Unlike his rough action before, his touch was cautious this time. Aisha really couldn't understand what was running through his mind. One time he would treat her gently like he was trying to treasure her, yet in the next second, he would flip his switch and return to an overbearing tyrant.
"I'll grant you my permission, so don't try to do this again. It's revolting."
Aisha was elated to hear that. It meant that soon she could meet Maya again.
She didn't know what had happened, but her action seemed to turn him off. A sense of relief washed over her.
"I shall remember your generosity forever, Your Majesty."
"Hmph. You only know how to sweet-talk."
For a good few minutes, none of them speak. Aisha wanted to return to her tent, but she had just her request granted. Something bad probably would happen if she tried to push her luck. Archibald wasn't someone she could order around or easily bargained with.
Even now, he still had his hand over her eyes, but she stayed still without trying to avoid it.
"Are you sleeping?"
Archibald's small voice interrupted her thought. "Your Majesty, I'm still awake."
"Since I have done you a favor, let me do this at least."
Archibald retracted his hand and lowered his body to the bed again. He casually pulled the blanket over to cover their bodies before lying beside her and putting his arms around her. "Stay with me tonight, and I'll forgive your impudence. You don't have to do anything. Just stay still like this."
Archibald pulled her closer, so their bodies practically pressed to each other. The warmth radiated from his naked upper body seeped through her thin gown, making her blush again.
He carefully cradled her head and let her use his arm as a pillow. The gesture was very intimate, unlike his forcefulness earlier.
"Stay and sleep." He said curtly.
Aisha had no idea what had just happened. Her mind blanked out, and her body automatically followed his orders. Not long after, she could hear an even breath from above her head.
He had fallen asleep quickly. Was he not afraid she would kill him in his sleep?
A dark thought swirled in her mind again, thinking about everything this man had done. If only she had her dagger with her, this would be an excellent opportunity to finish him off.
"Don't get any funny idea. Even if I'm asleep, you still won't be able to kill me. Or do you prefer me not to sleep and continue where we left off earlier?"
Aisha's whole body turned rigid at his threat. He read her mind like a book.
"What are you saying? Why would I want to kill you? I'm just admiring how handsome you are." She said awkwardly.
"Stop thinking about useless things and just sleep."
Aisha no longer dared to have a strange idea and decided to stay put.
She thought she wouldn't be able to sleep, but the rhythmical sound of his heartbeat slowly soothed her nerves. Her tense body gradually relaxed.
After some time passed, Aisha looked up again and couldn't help but admire his perfectly-chiseled face. His draped hair made him look younger and gave him a different charm.
"What exactly are you trying to do?" Aisha whispered, but no one answered her.
Eventually, Aisha couldn't fight back her sleepiness and fell asleep beside him.
***
When Aisha opened her eyes in the morning, Archibald was already gone. The spot where he was lying last night was cold, meaning he had gone out pretty early.
The coldness slightly chilled her heart too.
The next moment, she realized how ridiculous her thought was. Shouldn't she feel happy that a dangerous man like him wasn't around? Why did she feel disappointed instead?
Had she gone crazy for real?
Looking at the mess on the bed, her mind involuntarily traveled to what had happened last night. Her heart itched like it was scratched by the cat, and her cheeks reddened.
"Snap out of yourself. Don't read too much into it. What you felt last night wasn't real. You are attracted to the foreign feeling because you have never experienced it before."
Aisha slapped both sides of her cheek. Only then did her mind becomes clearer. "I should ask Leslie to bring me to where Maya is."
As she slipped out of bed, a familiar voice came from outside. "Priestess? Have you woken up yet?"
Speaking of the devil, it was Leslie's voice. "Yes, I am."
"May I enter now? There is a message from the Emperor to you."
"Yes, please go ahead," Aisha answered casually without thinking much of it.
"Please excuse me," Leslie greeted politely as he stepped into the tent. However, he looked shocked when he took in Aisha's appearance.
Her flimsy nightgown was skewed, with the strap falling off her shoulder, exposing her milky white skin under the warm sunlight. If he looked closer, there was a trace of redness on her neck and shoulder blade, an obvious sign of what transpired in the tent last night.
His gaze lingered for a moment before he quickly withdrew his gaze.
"Ahem. It seems you still need some time to prepare, Priestess. I shall wait until you are ready outside."
Leslie quickly put a change of clothes on the table and turned around.
"Huh?" Aisha exclaimed in confusion when Leslie walked briskly outside as if he was running away.
She looked down to check on herself, only to realize the unkempt state she was in. Last night, it was too dark to see, but the kiss marks were conspicuous in the bright light.
Aisha blushed again in embarrassment, hoping she could crawl into a hole.