When Maximilian dropped the fork down, a short silence hovered in the room, however, his predatory eyes never left her.
Genevieve felt relief in her heart as she thought she was finally free from the king's torture.
Subtly, she slowly tried to shift away, increasing the distance between them. However, his question made her freeze midway,
"Tell me….how did it feel to be fed by me, Genevieve?"
At his question, Genevieve's heart paced frantically. She tried to find the words to answer, but they seemed to have vanished from her mind.
"I..." she started, her voice barely audible.
The king revealed a devilish grin, "Seems you have forgotten so soon, Genevieve. Shall I perhaps remind you by starting over again?"
Her eyes subconsciously widened, when she realized the meaning behind his words. He was planning to feed her again.
"It feels…" she whispered in hesitation, her voice betraying her. "I don't know what to think."
Maximilian clicked his tongue in feigned disappointment, "How sad," however, a smug smile soon appeared on her face, "Tell me, Genevieve," he said, his voice dripping with density. "Did you enjoy being fed by the king? Or was it too much for you?"
Genevieve suddenly felt her cheeks flush red. She wanted to protest, to tell him that it had been humiliating and badly uncomfortable, but the words caught in her throat.
However, before she could try to say those words, Maximilian was observing her... "You look flustered, Genevieve." He commented outrightly, "Are you embarrassed? Or perhaps…" the king trailed off.
Genevieve felt the blood rush to her face, her body betraying her with a shiver of shame.
Maximilian chuckled softly. "Perhaps you would like to be fed again," he whispered, his voice reverberating against her eyes, like the wind.
"N-no," she quickly protested timidly.
"No?" Maximilian raised an eyebrow, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Are you sure about that, Genevieve? I sense there is something else that you desire. Perhaps it is not the act of being fed that you find so objectionable, but how it was done. Perhaps you would like to be fed more...elegantly?"
Genevieve's heart skipped a beat at the thought.
In her head, the thought of the king acting elegantly towards her in contrast to his nature made her body creepily crawl internally.
"I'm okay, Y-your Majesty."
"How boring," Maximilian's lips twitched. Somewhat displeased with Genevieve's refusal. However, he didn't intend to force her once more….it was so unlike him.
For some reason, Maximilian didn't want to force her. He would certainly compel her to succumb to his wishes, but for now, he wanted to let things slide aside and let her be.
Feeding her and watching her helplessly comply was the one thing that excited his bored nerves and he had all the time in the world to do such things…. It wasn't like she was running away after all.
Once more the room turned silent. Genevieve realized that the king was no more piercingly staring at her, his gaze which bothered her was now withdrawn, fixed on the food on the table.
The porridge potato turned colder as time passed, Genevieve tried to focus on the food, but she realized she had lost interest in eating. With each bite she took, it felt like it was the king feeding her and she struggled to get rid of the thought.
She was halfway down with her food when she finally put the fork down. With a shaky hand and tensed heart, she turned to timidly look at the king.
The king didn't seem to notice her stare, nevertheless, Genevieve remained silent with her gaze.
She saw how he swiftly reached for the food with his fork, putting it into his mouth. His lips shut, moving so smoothly as he ate the food in his mouth. Genevieve watched him do it for the third time and she didn't know she was lost in her stare, not until she heard his low and deep voice comment sarcastically.
"With the way you look at me, Genevieve. I might actually think I've become the next meal you intend on eating."
When the king's gray eyes snapped to look at her again, she swiftly withdrew her gaze as her brain tried to process his words.
E-eat the king? H-how could she want to do that?
"N-no, Milord." She responded negatively to his comment. "I-I have finished e-eating and I would l-like to leave." She continued without another breath.
Genevieve's words hung in the air, a palpable tension permeating the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the king's eyes looked at the food she had barely eaten.
Maximilian smiled a smile that sent shivers down her spine. "Leave?" he repeated, his eyes glinting with amusement. "And here I was, hoping you would stay forever. Where do you plan on going, Genevieve?"
Genevieve swallowed hard, her heart pounding. "T-to my room, Y-your M-majesty."
Something switched in Maximilian's eyes, and he decided to make the poor princess' heart race for him one more time.
"How lousy that you've forgotten the rules, Genevieve." Said the king.
Rules? She thought. What rules could she have forgotten?
"Did you forget to remember that you must stay at the table till the king finishes his meal and leaves before you can leave?"
When he replied, Genevieve's eyes internally widened in horror and she lost her stability to sit well.
Oh no, was she doomed? H-how c-could she have forgotten such a thing?
Back in Alexandria, Genevieve had never in her life eaten with the king and other members of the royal family at the table. She had always eaten alone, so she wasn't used to such a rule. However, Sarah had occasionally told her about it, but she barely remembered, not until now.
"I-I'm s-sorry, Your M-majesty." Genevieve quickly apologized, lowering her gaze in fear. She hoped the king wouldn't ponder on why she failed to keep the rule….or even ask her about it.
However, the king uttered next, what she never would have expected.
"I am the king of Darkshire, Genevieve," Maximilian said, his voice low and eerily calm. "I certainly am not a man who lets people leave so easily, Genevieve. If you want to leave this room...you will have to earn it."
Genevieve's breath caught in her throat. "E-earn it, Your Majesty?" she stammered, her voice quivering.
Maximilian leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers. "Yes, earn it," he repeated, his voice like silk.
"You see, Genevieve, I appreciate a good challenge," he said, his voice deceptively light. "So, here is my proposal. If you can entertain me, truly entertain me, then I will allow you to leave this room….But if not, well...."
He let the sentence hang in the air, the unspoken threat heavy between them.
Genevieve felt her heart racing in her chest, her mind spinning as she tried to process his words.
S-she couldn't believe the tyrannical king of Darkshire was making a deal with her. But the worst of it all, she had no talent.
H-how could she end up entertaining him?
"So, Genevieve," Maximilian drawled, lounging back in his chair. "What will you do to entertain me? Will you sing for me? Dance? Or perhaps you have some other talents that I am not aware of?"
Genevieve tensely wracked her brain, trying to think of anything she could do that would impress the king. But her mind was a blank slate, her nerves frayed to the point of breaking.
"I...I don't know, Your Majesty," she said, her voice small and trembling.
Genevieve bit her lip, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for a way out. But there was no escape, no reprieve from the king's gaze.
The silence stretched between them, thick and heavy. Genevieve's mind raced, desperate for an idea, any idea, that might appease the king's twisted sense of entertainment.
Maximilian smiled a smile that sent chills down her spine. "It seems, Genevieve," he said, his voice smooth as velvet, "that you are not as resourceful as I had hoped. What a pity." His lips tugged up, cruelly.
Genevieve shrank back in her chair, her body tensed. King Maximilian's words had affected her in a way she didn't think, and she struggled to find the courage to speak.
"I...I'm sorry, Your Majesty," she said, her voice small and quavering.
Again with the apology, Maximilian's lips twitched further, hearing her apologize.
"For what, Genevieve?" His eyes gazed unwavering into hers, with a tilted stare.
"I didn't mean to disappoint you. I will try harder next time, I promise." She responded in a low voice.
Genevieve sighed inwardly, her hands clasped against each other. She failed to appease the king and she knew she would wait till he was done, which didn't look like that would happen any soon, as he suddenly began to eat the food deliberately slow.
"You may leave, Genevieve." Contrasting her thoughts, she heard the king say.
Hearing his words, she thought she was still hallucinating, not until the king pulled a rope and a guard stepped into the room the next second.
With a bow, the guard greeted the king.
Maximilian's eyes turned cold, "Escort her to her room. Make sure she has no part missing from her. Not even a strand of her hair."
Genevieve noticed the way the king's aura had switched to coldness, unlike how he lively talked to her.
"Yes, Milord." The guard nodded, as he stepped away, leading the way.
Not knowing what to say, Genevieve bowed, uttering, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Before he could change his unpredictable mind again, Genevieve hastily stepped out of the room with the guard. As she walked away, Maximilian's gray eyes continued to observe her and when she was out of sight, his demeanor completely switched to his malevolent villainous state.