Chapter 27: What a Noble, Compassionate, Kind Hero
Qin Chu needed Angelica to believe that her survival, her very existence, depended on him.
He had to be her savior, her only hope in a world that had shown her nothing but cruelty and betrayal.
He had to be her anchor, her sanctuary.
Angelica felt her breath hitch in her throat, her heart pounding against her ribs. His words, his promise of protection, delivered with such a potent blend of strength and tenderness, were impossible to resist.
She was utterly smitten.
Her cheeks burned, her breath quickening as a wave of longing washed over her.
She couldn’t meet his gaze, afraid that her emotions, her overwhelming desire, would betray her.
She lowered her head, her heart racing, her body thrumming with a dangerous, unfamiliar heat.
After a long moment, she finally looked up, her voice trembling slightly. “You knew… about my scars?” she asked, her golden eyes searching his.
Loseweisse, despite her cruelty, was obsessed with her image, her reputation.
She had tortured Angelica relentlessly, but she had avoided leaving marks on her face, her neck, her arms, her legs, any area that might be visible to others. Her cruelty, her sadism, had been focused on the parts of Angelica’s body hidden beneath her maid uniform.
“I saw them the moment we met,” Qin Chu replied, his voice soft and reassuring. “You tried to hide your pain, but it showed in your eyes, in the way you moved.”
Angelica pressed a hand to her heart, her voice choked with emotion. “Is that why you chose me, Master?” she asked, her eyes shining with tears. “You saw my scars, knew my suffering, and you… you saved me? You gave up the Holy Maiden, the princesses, all those beautiful, noble women… for me?”
Qin Chu smiled, his expression enigmatic. He didn’t answer her question, allowing her to draw her own conclusions.
Sometimes, a woman’s imagination was far more persuasive than any words he could utter.
Angelica, her brow furrowed in thought, her heart swelling with gratitude, constructed a narrative that fit her idealized image of him.
He was so kind, so compassionate. He had seen her scars, understood her pain, and had chosen her, despite the potential damage to his reputation, the whispers and judgments of the court.
He had sacrificed his own happiness, his chance to be with a beautiful, high-born woman, to save her, a lowly maid, from a life of misery.
What a noble, selfless, extraordinary man.
Shame washed over her. She had doubted him, believing his interest was purely physical. How could she have been so cynical, so disrespectful?
Her only regret was that his feelings for her weren’t… romantic.
If only he loved her, even a little, if only she could hold a small place in his heart…
No, she thought, pushing down the yearning, the impossible dream. She couldn’t ask for more. He had saved her, given her a chance at a new life. To desire more would be greedy, ungrateful.
But despite his lack of romantic interest, she knew her own heart was lost.
She would earn his love, she would prove her worth, she would show him that she was more than just a maid, more than just a broken, scarred creature.
She clenched her fists, her resolve solidifying. The emotions swirling within her, the gratitude, the admiration, the burgeoning love, were too powerful to contain.
She threw her arms around him, her lips pressing against his in a desperate, yearning kiss.
Propriety, decorum… it all vanished in that moment.
She had to touch him, to taste him, to offer him everything she had.
Qin Chu froze, his mind reeling.
It was his first kiss, his first real kiss. Loseweisse’s medicinal ministrations didn’t count.
The sensation was… unexpected. A ripple of something akin to… desire? … disturbed the carefully constructed walls he had erected around his heart.
He hesitated for a moment, then returned her kiss, his arms encircling her, drawing her closer.
A strange, unfamiliar urge to protect her, to cherish her, flickered within him.
He quickly suppressed it.
He had been fooled before, his trust shattered, his heart broken.
Angelica might be devoted to him now, but what about the future? What if she found someone stronger, someone more reliable? What if she was offered a better deal, a chance to escape her past, to achieve a higher status? Would she betray him, just like the others?
She was a tool, a weapon to be wielded against his enemies. He couldn’t afford to develop… feelings.
The kiss deepened, their bodies pressing closer, her breath quickening, her eyes glazing over with a mixture of passion and adoration.
He could ask her anything, and she would obey.
They finally broke apart, their lungs burning, their bodies trembling.
“Master,” she gasped, her cheeks flushed, her voice husky with desire. “I’ll… I’ll prepare the bed…”
She wanted to finish what she had started, to fulfill her duty.
But Qin Chu stopped her, his hand gently resting on her shoulder. “You need to rest, Angelica,” he said, his voice soft and concerned. “You’re exhausted.”
“And… while I chose you to… ease your suffering, I also… find you… attractive. That part is true.”
His words, unexpected and potent, pierced through her defenses, shattering the fragile composure she had painstakingly rebuilt.
He hadn’t said he loved her, only that he found her… attractive.
But that, somehow, made his words even more believable, more powerful.
For the first time in her life, someone cared for her, someone had rescued her, someone found her… desirable.
Her heart ached, tears blurring her vision. She wanted to cry, to release the pent-up emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.
Qin Chu, sensing her distress, gently cupped her cheek. “It’s alright to cry, Angelica,” he said, his voice a soothing balm to her wounded soul.
Her lips trembled, her throat constricting. To cry in front of her master was a breach of etiquette, a sign of weakness. But she couldn’t help it.
The fear, the pain, the years of suppressed emotions, all came crashing down, overwhelming her carefully constructed defenses.
There had been a time when even crying was forbidden, her tears only eliciting more abuse from Loseweisse.
She had thought she had forgotten how to cry.
But now, the tears flowed freely, cleansing, cathartic, washing away the pain, the fear, the despair.
Qin Chu held her close, his arms a safe haven, his presence a source of comfort and strength.
She loved him, she realized.
It wasn’t gratitude, it wasn’t a desire to please, it wasn’t a desperate hope for a small place in his heart.
It was love.
A love that consumed her, that filled her with a joy and a terror she had never known.
Even if it was unrequited, even if he found someone better, someone worthy of his love, her feelings wouldn’t fade.
She loved him.
The Church, the Holy Maiden… it all seemed insignificant now.
Her body, her heart, her very soul, belonged to him.
Leave a Reply to Lucisragnor Cancel reply