“...Can you say that one more time?”

Starchis asked, thinking there was no way he had heard her correctly.

Rose blushed and hesitated.

It had taken a lot of courage to say it the first time, and she needed a moment to gather herself again.

“Miss..? I didn’t hear you properly. Can you repeat it once more-”

Starchis was so bewildered that he hoped Rose would quickly confirm he had misheard. However, Rose just needed more time; she had no intention of changing her wish.

“B-Bitch... Actually, something even worse would be fine...”

Embarrassed, Rose pressed her forehead against Starchis’s chest.

Her heart was pounding so fiercely that her whole face felt like it was buzzing. Numerous reasons combined to make her heart race.

The anticipation of his response made her nervous, the liberation made her happy, and the situation excited her.

It seemed like a single intense heartbeat, but it was actually a blend of three different feelings.

‘W-What is this...’

Starchis was shocked.

He had always seen her as an innocent noble lady, but the hidden side of her was not easy to handle.

He thought the wish she was about to make might be something simple or something that made his heart flutter.

Or maybe it was all just a joke.

“Ahaha... Miss. That’s a funny jo-”

“I mean it. It took a lot of courage for me to say it.”

- Huff.

Starchis shut his mouth.

“...This is a wish I’ve never told anyone.”

Rose said with a trembling, moist voice.

Starchis was dumbfounded that such a wish existed, but then again, that was his standard.

His older brother had always told him not to judge others by his own standards.

‘...She must have her reasons.’

He tried to respect her. He couldn’t understand, but he tried.

Nonetheless, it was still a difficult situation.

“How...how can I say such a thing to you...”

“I’m okay with it. And we’re friends, aren’t we? Stop treating me like I’m above you.”

“Alright, alright, but...”

Since Rose was leaning against his chest and not looking at his face, Starchis frowned and pondered.

Why did she make such a request of him?

What did she see in him?

Was it because she didn’t know much about the world?

“...You shouldn’t make this kind of request to just anyone, Miss...”

“...Do you think I’m a fool? I’m asking you because it’s you, Starchis. I told you, it’s the first time I’ve asked anyone for this!”

It was a completely insane request, yet there were still rational aspects to her.

That made it even scarier.

“But why me...?”

“....”

Rose swallowed her next words.

She couldn’t bring herself to say that he was the perfect person to be her master, or that she liked his kindness, or even that she liked that he could be ruthless.

Wherever Rose went, people felt uncomfortable around her. Perhaps it was because she was a noble lady, but everyone treated her that way.

The heroine of ‘The Submissive Elf Princess’ had the same problem.

As a princess, no one felt at ease around her and everyone wore masks.

They flattered her, wanting to be in her good graces. In her long elven life, she had never even heard casual speech directed at her.

She had always been revered.

Then, the male protagonist appeared.

He was kind but transformed when they were alone, treating her with disrespect and speaking harshly.

He used words she had never heard in her life as a princess. Yet, he owned her and cherished her in his own way.

He treated her roughly and shook her up, but deep down, he loved her more than anyone else.

Rose couldn’t count how many sleepless nights this novel had caused her.

Rose had always longed for something she didn’t have.

She wanted friends who could speak casually and comfortably with her, who weren’t awkward around her.

She wanted to laugh secretly at others’ misfortunes.

She wanted to pull silly pranks.

She didn’t want sharing her deep concerns to be seen as exposing a weakness.

Moreover, she wanted a lover who could be merciless, yet also guide her and love her in their own way, someone who could make her forget she was a noble lady.

She wanted someone who could free her from all her shackles, who could be completely honest with her.

She wasn’t a great person.

She had just been lucky to be born into a good family.

She didn’t like being held in high regard and treated as precious when she had done nothing to deserve it.

The burden it brought was unbearable.

She felt uncomfortable being revered by those strong, independent people who couldn’t do anything without her.

Even going to a commoners’ restaurant meant everyone inside was cleared out.

It was too much.

So she wanted someone she respected to treat her with disdain, to be harsh with her.

She wanted someone to tell her she was just a bitch and not some great lady, to lift the heavy burdens from her shoulders.

Right now, in front of her, was a man like Starchis.

He was an extraordinary person who didn’t settle for the current situation but risked his life to pursue his dream of following his brother.

He was someone who would willingly sacrifice his life to protect his party members.

Rose was gradually falling for him.

As Starchis stood still in shock, Rose insisted.

She lifted her forehead from his chest and stood on her tiptoes again. She whispered in his ear once more.

“Please... Please, just do it once... Yes...?”

Rose felt like her legs would give out if she heard those words from him.

She couldn’t stop now that she was so close to her goal.

Her true nature, which she hadn’t even known, was coming out.

“Please, Starchis... Do it. Just once, I beg you, it’s my wish.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck so he couldn’t escape.

She mixed in casual speech as she persuaded him.

Rose had never imagined she would try to seduce someone. But since Starchis didn’t outright reject her with a merciless “no,” she couldn’t help herself.

Starchis stepped back, but Rose clung tightly and followed.

As he looked back at the path they had come, he saw the two bodyguards watching them nervously.

The words she said were one thing, but just being so close was already a problem.

If her father, Hian Nisti, saw this, he wouldn’t stand for it.

They weren’t even lovers, but they were too close.

He felt uneasy doing something Hian would disapprove of, especially since he owed him his life.

It was a complex emotion.

Having a cute girl like Rose clinging to him made him feel a bit excited. He liked the feel of her two breasts pressing against him.

But everything she was asking for, and the way it would look to others, weighed heavily on him.

Starchis pulled himself together and said.

“Miss Rose..! Please, step back..!”

He tried to push her away by the shoulders, but his left hand, which didn’t move well, made it difficult.

The more he tried to push her away, the tighter she clung to his neck.

He could have easily shaken her off if he used force, but he didn’t want to treat her so roughly.

“Say it, Starchis. You said you’d grant my wish..”

“Didn’t you say... I didn’t have to do it if I didn’t want to?”

“..........You don’t want to?”

Rose swallowed hard.

For the first time, she was revealing her deepest desire to someone.

Maid Elza was one thing since she was the one who gave her the book, but revealing it to a completely unrelated man was a first.

If he rejected the sincere wish she had mustered the courage to reveal, she wouldn’t show it, but she would be deeply hurt.

Rose thought she was hiding her anxiety, but Starchis could see it clearly.

Her drooping eyes, trembling pupils, and her arms wrapped weakly around his neck.

It seemed she really had never told anyone about this. Of course, this wasn’t something she could just tell anyone.

‘Don’t think about it, don’t think about it.’

Starchis tried not to think about it, but his mind was already considering her perspective.

How long she must have held onto this wish, what experiences led her to want this.

Even though he knew he shouldn’t, his heart wavered.

His back touched the wall as he stepped back.

There was nowhere else to run.

“Just once... just once.”

Her warm breath heated his ear.

He hesitated.

This was a wish she had voiced with such anxiety.

She had saved his life.

It was something simple, just a few words.

If he didn’t say them, Rose wouldn’t let go.

“Please...?”

She looked desperate.

And lastly... well, fine.

After this, they wouldn’t have many chances to meet.

He had already lied to his party members, and he didn’t need this kind of situation anymore.

He might see her occasionally, but not regularly.

He could think of it as a final farewell gift.

It didn’t have to mean anything. He just had to move his lips. He could act.

Starchis had heard about people like this.

He never thought Rose would be one of them, but he had heard of people who felt pleasure from being treated harshly and spoken to roughly.

This would be the last time...

Starchis sighed and made up his mind.

“Alright, Rose. Just once.”

Rose’s eyes widened in anticipation, her breath quickening as she looked up at him, waiting.

Rose felt a slight, very slight disappointment.

Given the current mood, it seemed like he might reject her.

And the current situation wasn’t exactly what she had imagined.

Though novels and reality are different, there was a hint of regret.

Right now, she was the one pushing him.

He was leaning against the wall, unable to escape, and she wasn’t letting him go.

The roles were reversed.

For the situation to be perfect, he would have to pin her against the wall—

—whoosh

Starchis suddenly gathered his strength and spun Rose around.

“Ah..!”

Rose, swung around, hit the wall a bit roughly. She was dumbfounded.

One moment she was pushing him, and the next moment she was pinned against the wall.

She felt completely trapped. Even if she wanted to escape, she couldn’t.

“...Hey.”

His rough voice made Rose’s heart pound painfully.

It was beating so fast her head was spinning.

Like an animal cornered by a predator, her body froze.

Her eyes darted around, finding nowhere to rest.

She breathed heavily.

“Ha... Ha...!”

She was more excited than she had ever been before.

She couldn’t even meet his eyes.

She just stared at his masculine Adam’s apple, which bobbed with every word.

Starchis pressed his hand against the wall, leaning in to trap her.

This was the last time, so he decided to act.

He wasn’t talented at lying or acting, but the darkness concealed his awkwardness.

Given the series of events, he had become adept at changing his tone of voice.

Starchis spoke words devoid of emotion. It was solely for her.

He slowly lowered his head and whispered in her ear.

“...What is this filthy bitch asking for in public?”

“..Ah..”

-Squelch

Rose’s legs gave out, and she slumped to the ground. Her body trembled slightly.

She was overwhelmed, both by the excitement and the realization of her deepest desire coming true.

****

Starchis ran away, panting heavily.

“This is just crazy..!”

It was unclear who he was talking to—Rose, who had wanted this, or himself for granting her wish.

When Rose slumped to the ground at his words, Starchis was startled.

As he stood there, unsure of what to do with Rose, whose cheeks were now as red as her pink hair, the two bodyguards, Pippin and Brook, approached and checked on her.

They asked Starchis what he had done, but he couldn’t answer honestly.

He just said that he had said goodbye. It wasn’t a lie.

Unless by some coincidence, he wouldn’t see her again.

In the end, Rose couldn’t get up on her own, and Pippin and Brook helped her back to the mansion.

The house wasn’t far from the alley, so she would be alright.

Starchis looked back.

The alleyway he had been in was now so far away it was just a dot in the distance.

He scratched his head vigorously.

Starchis kept pushing back the dark part of himself that threatened to surface.

He hadn’t wanted this, but the guilt of having spoken so harshly to a noble lady like Rose...

—Slap, slap!

Starchis slapped his cheeks hard.

It was all because of Rose’s beauty.

He was shaken by her delighted and satisfied expression.

He had to forget about it.

They wouldn’t meet often anymore.

Starchis rubbed his hands together and looked ahead again.

The restaurant where he had eaten dinner was visible in the distance.

It was now closed, and the magical lights were all off.

But someone was crouched in front of it, staring blankly at the moon that had risen in the sky.

A woman with hair darker than this deep night.

His long-time friend.

Luss was still sitting there.

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