Chapter 85
Rashid gave her a slightly unfamiliar look. He spoke quickly, avoiding Rosetta’s startled gaze.
“I knew you were not the real bride, so if you asked me to let you go, I had no excuse to hold you, so I decided to pretend I didn’t know.”
“Oh, my God….”
Rosetta’s mouth fell open.
“Come to think of it, you’ve never called me Rosie, not even once, even though you probably should have.”
“Because I didn’t want to call you another woman’s name.”
At that answer, Rosetta narrowed her eyes and glared at him.
“Do you realize you’re being very impudent?”
“I know, and I wish I’d been honest with you when I first found out, because then none of this would have happened today. I’m sorry.”
Instead of fighting back as usual, he bowed in apology first, leaving Rosetta momentarily at a loss for words.
“I, I didn’t mean to blame you,” she said, “I didn’t mean to lie to you either, but later on, I did it on purpose. I thought I would be taken advantage of in some way if you found out I am a princess.”
Rashid thought to himself. What if this woman had revealed herself as the Princess of Lysa from the beginning?
Before the emotions ran as deep as they do now, he would have found a way to take advantage of her. Perhaps he would have threatened the princess’s life, demanding an explanation and compensation for the recent events in the Quat.
“…I can’t say it wasn’t a possibility.”
“I knew it!”
Rosetta slammed her fist into his back. Rashid flinched for a moment. The fist, weaker than cotton, wasn’t the problem. It was because he could feel the curve of Rosetta’s breast, the tip of it brushing against his skin, all too clearly as her body moved for a moment.
“You’re the same person who immediately dumped me as soon as you found out I am Princess Lysa. You’re so cold and heartless.”
Every time Rosetta moved to strike him, Rashid swallowed a shallow groan. He glanced anxiously toward the fire, hoping their clothes would be dry by now, but when he saw that they were still wet, he clenched his molars.
“I did everything wrong, so stop.”
Rashid crossed Rosetta’s arms in front of her and pulled her back into a hug. He had succeeded in essentially blocking her body from further contact, but now she began to sob and cry. Rashid really didn’t know what to do. Should he continue hugging her, or should he wipe away her tears?
“Rosetta….”
“I thought you wouldn’t come.”
Rashid realized she was referring to the incident in the forest. Rosetta looked up and saw him standing right in front of her, but she dismissed it as an illusion, a reaction that could never have happened if she had expected him to come.
“You’re not coming because you’ve already gotten over your feelings for me. No, even if that’s not the reason, you won’t come because of your parents.”
Rashid felt a pain in his chest as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out, recalling how she had crouched there with no expectations, no hope.
“Still, I wanted you to come,” she said, “I was waiting for you to come. How much I love you….”
Rashid leaned down and covered her lips with his, realizing that this was the quickest way to stop her tears.
Her tear-filled green eyes squeezed shut. The tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes ran down her temples and soaked his fingers hotly.
Grabbing Rosetta’s hand and bringing it to his heart, Rashid said, “It’s yours now, the life you saved.”
Rosetta stared at him in puzzlement. Rashid kissed her fingertips, bringing her hand to his forehead, then to his lips.
“So you can use me as you wish.”
“What do you mean, when did I ever save you?”
Rashid smiled faintly at that.
“When the blessing prayer you performed on me worked.”
“You mean the one I did for you at the banquet? But that was just words that didn’t do anything….”
Rashid grabbed her face and kissed her deeply again. Someday she would know the meaning. It just didn’t seem like the time was right yet. Maybe there is a reason why she doesn’t know anything.
Rashid explored her warm mouth, sucking in every last bit of breath and saliva. Rosetta soon closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him back, more passionately than ever.
It wasn’t long before Rashid pulled her away from him.
“If we keep this up, I might end up hugging you here.”
It was a humble place, with no proper bed and no place to wash. And she was a princess who had been raised to be precious. This was probably the first time she’d ever been out in the rain, and Rashid couldn’t let her have her first experience in a place like this.
“It’s less dry, but it’s better to get dressed now….”
This time Rashid was interrupted. He was about to reach for his clothes when Rosetta grabbed his face, turned him around, and kissed him. Their tongues intertwined. As the kiss deepened, Rashid felt his patience reaching its limits. He was about to pull away again when Rosetta whispered.
“Hug me.”
Looking into his wide blue eyes, she spoke again.
“Hug me now, Rashid. It doesn’t matter where we are.”
“Rosetta….”
“You said your body is mine, so I’ll do what I want with it.”
Despite the boldness of her words, the hand on his shoulder was trembling. It was a mixture of fear of what she hadn’t yet experienced and the embarrassment of being rejected after all of this.
Rashid removed her hand from his shoulder. Just as Rosetta’s face was about to show a hint of disappointment, Rashid pressed his lips to the palm of her hand.
“Yes, my princess. No, my master.”
Rashid looked into her trembling eyes and smiled.
“Anything you want.”
Rashid spread the clothes on the floor of the cave. Then he carefully laid Rosetta down on top of it. Climbing over her body, he looked down at her for a long moment, then brushed her golden hair from her forehead. The firelight from the fire burning in the darkness tinted her hair red. Red sparkled in her normally clear green eyes.
“Can I touch you?”
Rosetta asked, reaching for his chest, and Rashid nodded. Rosetta rubbed his firm chest with her palm, and her fingers began to trace his delicate muscles.
“A man’s body is so different from a woman’s…. It’s hard as stone.”
With a small gasp of admiration, she stroked his body in an exploratory manner. The small hand that had been caressing his chest moved down his center and began to caress the hard muscles of his abdomen. Rashid’s breathing grew a little ragged, and he offered no restraint, desperately holding himself back, allowing her to touch him to her heart’s content. Only the occasional uncontrollable groan escaped him. But when Rosetta’s hand moved further, he grabbed it.
“Not there yet.”
Before she could complain, Rashid covered her mouth with his lips. Their tongues mingled, and this time he began to caress every inch of her body.
Her body gradually grew hotter. When she began to moan sweetly, he really couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’m sorry, Rosetta. I might not be able to do it gently.”
He was already reaching his limits. His whole body tingled as he tried to control his urges. But he might hurt her in this state, and before he could move, Rosetta reached out and pulled him into a hug.
“I’m okay.”
Rosetta whispered, “You can make a mess of me. Hurry….”
The words snapped whatever rationality he had left.
“Ah!”
Rosetta squeezed her eyes shut and let out a pained moan, but even that was muffled into his mouth.
Through the shock of feeling the world shatter and shake again, Rosetta clung to Rashid for support. It feels like being swept away by a raging storm. I’ve never been to the ocean, but this must be what it’s like to face the big waves, crashing in and out, then being swept away again. Somewhere between the pleasure and the pain, Rosetta floundered.
“I love you, Rosetta.”
He whispered his love to her over and over again as they made love. A man who didn’t believe in love suddenly becomes a man who expresses it more than anyone else.
“Me too. I love you too, Rashid.”
In that moment of pouring it all out, Rosetta’s confession made him even more ecstatic. Rashid breathed raggedly, his forehead touching hers. Her sweat cooled and her trembling gradually subsided as he kissed her passionately, in her already exhausted state. Rashid knew Rosetta was about to fall asleep, so he shifted his position and pulled her to his side.
And he continued to whisper his love in her ear until she fell asleep. So that she would not forget it in her dreams.
***
When she woke up, it was bright outside the cave. The rain had stopped and the sun was shining long and bright inside.
Rosetta, fully clothed, was lying on top of Rashid’s legs. Probably he put clothes on her while she slept.
She felt a hand gently stroking her hair. She looked up to see Rashid staring straight ahead, deep in thought.