"My Lady? Are you alright?"

"Please don't!!!"

Adira suddenly screamed—horrified, shaken and pale to the tips of her fingers as she trembled badly.

Reflexively hugging her body in an attempt to move as far as she could from the man, she felt her back touch the frigid stone walls and hear the loud and cold clanging of chains.

"Princess?"

"Mommy?"

Both of Alex and Heise wondered what happened to Adira as she continued to look unto this man with fear evident in her ash-grey eyes. She looked as if she was looking at the devil incarnated itself, while softly repeating to herself,

"Please, no more. Please stop."

"My lady?" The perplexed man watched the fear-stricken eyes of the lady before she jolted yet again and averted her eyes while muttering an apology over and over again.

Alexander and Heise, not understanding what was happening to Adira, immediately shielded her from this man's sight.

There was something not right here. A woman as strong and as brave as Adira can't suddenly act like this—as if fearing for her life—without reason.

And he didn't smell right to Heise's nose. Something about him was familiar yet not. Something so rotten and sinister that makes him want to gag.

The man, confused to what was happening, immediately raised his hands as a gesture that he did nothing and meant no harm to the lady.

Heck! He didn't even know why she was acting like that!

"I'm sorry?"

"No. Please excuse us. It seems our Lady wasn't feeling well in the first place."

Alexander politely bowed to apologize in behalf of his mistress. Because, it was true that he did not do anything. Adira just suddenly had this anxiety attack he never once saw before.

She was always so calm, firm and collected. She never broke down or anything. She always stood strong. So seeing this vulnerable side of hers made him want to protect her even more.

Something unnecessary was kicking up a fuss again, but he was not gonna bother to stash it in this time.

Alexander pivoted on his heel and offered a hand to the frightened Adira and smiled warmly when she looked up to him. It seems to him that she needed something or someone to keep her grounded.

"Alex... It's Alex." She muttered and suddenly clung to him.

The Adira right then have long stopped thinking what her actions entailed nor the consequences after it. She only needed something that would remind her that she was way past this man now.

That she had lived through and escaped him. That this was not her first life anymore. That the chances of her fate and future being interlinked with this man was way below zero now.

Because Casimir would not allow it—her husband this lifetime would not allow it.

"Let's go back to the palace now." Alexander softly spoke to her and, even if it was not the right moment or the most appropriate time, he took the chance to embrace her in his arms and feel her warmth.

A chance that was as rare as the blue moon.

"Yes. Let's go home. Please take me home. To Casey." Adira muttered weakly and tightened her grip on Alexander as he helped her up.

Heise, who was still keeping his sharp and doubtful glare on the man, reached out for his mother's hand. He was briefly stunned with how cold she was and immediately directed his anger at the man that triggered everything.

Who are you? Why is my mother scared of you? Like a ghost that has come back to haunt her.

"Heise, Baby, let's go. Don't let go of mommy's hand. Don't leave me, okay? Don't let me go."

Adira spoke to the child shakily, as if starting to doubt Heise's loyalty to her—as if when Heise lets go, then she'll forever be lost inside that nightmare this man brought with him.

"Heise won't leave mommy! I love you mommy so I won't leave you! I won't ever let you go!"

"Thank you, baby. Keep loving mommy, okay?"

The pale woman bent down to plant a kiss on the child's forehead as soon as they were inside their carriage and settled down comfortably—well, maybe not.

Even as they reached the capital and she hadn't seen the man for awhile now, she still can't help trembling involuntarily.

His piercing amber eyes still continued to haunt her. She believed she would not see him ever again this lifetime because Casimir loved her. Because it was Casimir she decided to marry this time.

But why? Why is he still a part of her story?

"Mommy, Heise is here. Heise will not leave Mommy. Heise will always go wherever Mommy goes so Mommy can't leave Heise as well."

The child, not tearing his eyes away from his unstable mother, tried to embrace her as much as he could and give her his warmth. She was shivering too badly.

Feeling her son's arms wrap around her, gradually warming her up, Adira's shivering gradually settled down and she kissed the child on his head while whispering her gratitude and returning his hug.

It was fine. Everything was different now. Seeing the man once doesn't necessarily mean he would be a part of her life again. Not again.

...

Arriving back at the palace, Adira had considerably calmed down and forgot about her grave encounter with death a while earlier.

She and Heise walked towards Casimir's office only to be met with a quivering Roman standing in full attention and a very cold and dreadful aura hanging inside that cramped room.

The man, who emitted this glacial aura, was sitted there and briefly glanced up at them before turning back down to the papers that almost looked bloody red with the marks he left.

Even the slightest mistake didn't escape his eyes this time.

"Princess!!! Y-You're back!! Thank heavens! Please help us!!! Please pacify the de—umm the first prince!! I shall take the little prince and leave the both of you! Goodluck!"

Roman rushed his speech and immediately took Heise away—much to the surprise of the little child and growled dangerously at Roman but stopped when he saw Adira's helpless smile and gestured for him to follow his Uncle Roman.

"It'll be okay, dear. Mommy and Daddy will follow soon, okay baby?" She said before closing the door and turned to her fuming husband.

"Umm.. husband?" She gently tried to act cute and pitiful to try and pacify this demon lord acting up again.

But there was no response.

"Sweetie? Dearest? My king? My love?"

She tried different endearments but still to no avail as the man remained silent and didn't even glance at her again.

It was the first time his sulking reached this far without him giving in to her acting cute.

Man, you really challenge me every single time! Let's see how you ignore the honey-trap then.

Deciding and braving this storm, Adira shuffled towards Casimir's back and slowly and seductively ran her hands across his chest before she dipped her head and kissed the man's cheeks and whispered,

"Go on and ignore these unpretty lips, then."

She smirked when she felt the man's muscles tense up under her touch.

Of course, you cannot endure me this far. Stop making things difficult for you, Casey.

She continued to gently pepper light kisses on the man's forehead, eyes, cheeks and all the way down to his neck and renewed her stamp of territory.

And, try as he might, he couldn't hide the effect his wife's touch always has on him. It magically makes things better even when he's practically an inch close to blowing up and quite possibly making everyone's life a living hell.

But! He stood his ground this time! He was not gonna be swayed this time.

The man continued to ignore her, even when his body practically cannot, but he was trying his best.

A few minutes into him ignoring his wife, her small hands suddenly cupped his cheeks and forced him to look at her.

He never once glanced at her again cause he knew damn well that when he so much as sees her pretty little face, then he'll be forced to surrender again!

He needed to be loved as well!! And he was sulking about how they left him and went to Baron Niveria's fief to have a date!!! So he was gonna act spoiled as much as he wanted to.

However, all his plans crumbled down when he saw the tears silently streaming down the woman's face. There was a complicated look in her eyes.

It was somehow a mix of sadness, fear and relief.

"Look at me, please. Don't take your eyes off me, please. I'll pleasure you, love you and serve you as much as you want so please, don't let me go. Keep loving me, please.

I'll give you everything-anything you want-so keep holding on to me tightly. Love me always, please, Casimir. Please, Casey, not you. Don't betray me. Don't ever stop loving me."

Casimir was too shaken with her words as she begged him over and over again, each words piercing him deeper than the last.

He might've went too far this time.

"I won't ever stop loving you. You know that. No matter what happens, I'd rather die than let you go. I'd rather let everything else go but not you. What do I need to do so you'll always remember that?"

Casimir spoke as he felt his wife's pain, doubt and uncertainty. He felt as if she was walking on a tightrope. Always on guard beneath that calm and easygoing smile.

And now, she was acting as if something upset her balance.

Which must be why she suddenly answered him,

"Make love to me."

Notes:
A second update since I will be absent again next week! Love ya! See ya! 😘

I'll see if I can find time to write again! Love you guys! 😘 banzaaaiii! 🎉

P.S. I was crying while writing Adira's pleas. I don't know. I somehow feel a woman's pain when she begs for another's love. Anyway, that's only me though.