Between Seduction and Survival

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, pressed against his as her pulse raced.

Even while being interrogated, she could feel it.

The fierce vitality emanating from the masculine planes of his body.

It was desire as vivid as a burglar breaking down a locked door.

His grip around her shoulder tightened.

Hector hooked one leg around hers as though setting a snare.

Their lower bodies pressed together.

With her back braced against the rock, their bodies tilted as one.

His gaze suddenly flicked past Chloe’s shoulder.

A new light entered his eyes, as though he had noticed something unfamiliar.

“A cave? Was there something like that here?”

Chloe swallowed dryly and studied his expression.

He did not seem to be feigning ignorance.

Hector appeared not to have seen it before.

A bolt of realization struck her.

He does not remember the previous life!

Only Chloe knew of the catastrophic tragedy that had unfolded before time looped back.

This ravine was rarely visited, as one had to dismount and descend a steep slope to reach it.

Considering the aristocratic style of hunting—remaining mounted and firing guns—it was not easily accessible.

In her previous life, Chloe had carried out a rather elaborate plan to lure him into that cave.

Now, Hector—clearly stepping here for the first time in this life—examined the crevice between the rocks.

The cave, large enough for two people, was concealed behind thick vines.

Surely he was not pretending ignorance while secretly remembering?

Thinking back, even on the day she had taken revenge on Count Philip, Hector had treated her as though they were strangers.

There was no reason for him to feign ignorance.

It was far more likely that he did not recognize her at all.

Until now, she had wondered whether someone else might also have traveled back through time.

Only after confirming that Hector retained no memories and had not relived the repeated years did relief finally wash over her.

It was a blessing beyond measure.

Thanks to that, he had not discovered the marrow-deep hatred she harbored against him.

She could wait for another opportunity to escape.

But first, she had to survive the situation before her.

He showed no sign of retreating.

“Your Majesty… please, just a little—”

The arm braced against the rock wall was immovable.

His other hand slid from her shoulder to wrap around the nape of her neck.

Enclosed in his embrace like iron bars, Chloe could not budge.

She twisted awkwardly, but unless his grip loosened, escape was impossible.

The vivid blue of Hector’s eyes darkened to the depth of lapis lazuli.

It was the shade that signaled a dangerously souring mood.

His large hand seized both her nape and a fistful of her hair.

With a coercive motion that allowed no resistance, he pulled her scalp taut.

“There is one thing I am curious about.”

His tone was calm, utterly at odds with the barren tension surrounding them.

The corner of his lips curved without warmth.

Her neck stretched long under the force of her pulled hair.

A breath that raised goosebumps brushed over her skin.

“Why do you avoid me?”

Her chin was forced high enough that her veins showed as she swallowed stiffly.

Her eyes, lifted helplessly, betrayed every flicker of unease.

It was a flimsy pretense.

He had clearly noticed her desperate attempt to flee.

And she absolutely could not acknowledge it.

Yet there was something he had not discerned.

He did not know the depth of the emotions she carried.

His shallow question—why she edged away from him—meant he had no inkling of the hatred that had crossed death itself.

The resentment rooted deep even in her reborn body.

She lacked the strength to lash out impulsively.

Her unvoiced desire for revenge only boiled within her chest.

She must not reveal her heart.

If something goes wrong, I will die.

She fluttered her lashes, damp with sweat and mist, toward the sky.

Her denial came slowly, almost halting.

“Not at all… If it seemed that way, it must be because I have endured harsh events lately and my nerves are frayed.”

Her throat felt constricted.

His fierce gaze pierced like a blade.

He was an absolute ruler who could take her life at any moment.

His faint sneer was terror itself to her.

Clicking his tongue softly, Hector stepped even closer.

The straight line of his nose nudged beneath her chin.

“All talk.”

He saw through her polished words at once.

His lips traced upward along the center of her chin, nearing her own.

As cold and sharp as the drifting fog, the sensation of his mouth was perilous.

It felt as though she stood at the edge of a cliff.

She had to do something to survive.

Raising her chin as his warm lips lingered, Chloe shook her head gently.

“I do not wish to incur Your Majesty’s misunderstanding. Please show mercy.”

Would he truly accept her brazen behavior as a misunderstanding?

Unlikely.

Ordinarily, such defiance warranted death.

Her only hope lay in the fact that, as in the past, he desired her body.

She had to use that to her advantage.

Lowering the corners of her eyes, glistening faintly with tears, she appeared pitiful.

Between his meaningful smile, cold teeth flashed.

“Very well. Let us assume you absolutely, utterly do not disdain me.”

He mimicked her stiff tone.

Then his leg slid between hers.

Her inner thigh wavered, forced apart by the intrusion of firm muscle.

“Then shall I understand this irritation as your attempt to gain my attention?”

She had gone to great lengths to avoid attention.

Yet her efforts had backfired.

How could she escape the hand tightening around her?

There was only one posture she could take.

If she wished to live, she had to read his desire.

“How could I dare harbor disrespectful thoughts toward Your Majesty?”

One corner of his cruel mouth lifted.

“Choose one. Flirt with me, or oppose me.”

If she admitted hostility, she would not live.

That would be tantamount to treason.

The answer was decided.

Chloe slowly closed her dimmed eyes.

She could not bear to witness herself choosing against her own heart.

Her lashes trembled against her pale skin as her lips parted.

It was no different from the moment she had been placed upon the pyre.

“I wanted to seduce you.”

The lie made her cheeks twitch and her entire body recoil.

Her hand gripping the mossy rock turned white.

Her nails nearly blue.

Her body, straining to conceal the truth, trembled within his unyielding embrace.

She had no intention of becoming entangled with Hector again.

She had tried her utmost to distance herself from unwanted attention.

Why, then, did fate flow once more into the same ravine?

Was this the sole purpose of her resurrection?

Whatever transcendent being had returned her, it was unbearably cruel.

A strangled breath escaped her.

She could not allow tears of despair to fall under his watchful gaze.

Instead, overwhelming emotion filled her chest.

In her previous life, trained by Count Philip, she had lured the Emperor here.

She had waited along a favorable hunting path and revealed herself.

After exchanging calculated words tailored to his temperament, she had guided him toward a deeper encounter.

The seduction had progressed smoothly.

Captivated by her otherworldly beauty, Hector had reached for her and crossed the line on their first meeting.

The cave between the rocks was hardly comfortable, yet it sufficed for a spontaneous coupling.

The Count had cleaned it beforehand and spread fresh leaves in place of bedding.

In that space, perfectly arranged for two bodies to intertwine, Chloe had parted her legs for the first time in her previous life.

She had swayed her body to suit the arrogant man’s temperament, casting coquettish glances.

After unfastening his trousers with effort, she had moved atop him.

But this time was different.

Though the location was the same, none of the former intimacy lingered.

Far from intimate, she felt crushed beneath overwhelming pressure.

It was one-sided and rough, as though she were being taken by force.