In This Life, I Will Be Your Dog - Chapter 62

Mona did not arrive at Impes’s office but rather at his bedroom.

The atmosphere was entirely different from what she had expected, and the greeting she had prepared remained unspoken. Instead, she found herself flat on the floor, trembling before the languidly seated man.

Whatever had happened during the night, the crown prince’s bedroom was no different from a battlefield.

The room reeked of strong alcohol and the aftermath of lovemaking, mixed into a nauseating stench. Broken liquor bottles and torn clothing were strewn across the living room.

Furthermore, a woman lay naked on the floor beneath the bed. Whether she was dead or alive, Mona could not tell.

The sight that frightened Mona the most was the cold, sharp sword standing beside Impes.

“Are you the girl named Mona?”

“Y-yes, Your Highness.”

“You’re Ether’s servant?”

“Y-yes, that… that is correct.”

Impish laughter came from Impes, who then took the bottle of liquor from the table and drank deeply.

It looked as if he still wasn’t fully sober from drinking all night, and the more he drank, the more his bloodshot eyes lost their sanity. A chill ran through Mona’s entire body.

“Haa…”

Breathing roughly, Impes wiped his wet lips, then suddenly extended the bottle toward Mona.

“Want some?”

“N-no, thank you.”

Seeing Impes’s unstable appearance, Mona pressed her forehead to the floor, trying to act in a way that wouldn’t offend him.

“I heard you were close to Bellona’s servant.”

“Ah… well, that…”

She couldn’t bring herself to answer. Eshil hadn’t left the knights formally but had fled, making her essentially a criminal.

If she admitted to being close to someone like that, she was certain the trouble would fall back on her.

As she hesitated, glancing nervously at Impes for some sign of what to say, he suddenly leaned forward and grabbed a fistful of her hair.

“Red hair, huh.”

“……!”

“Red hair is quite beautiful when it catches the moonlight.”

A faint smile crossed his face, as if recalling an unforgettable night.

“Even after being ruined by that enchanting sight, I still want to see that wretched woman again. What am I supposed to do?”

As he gently stroked her hair, his grip suddenly tightened, causing Mona’s head to snap back painfully.

The excruciating pain made her face twist in agony. Impes’s crimson eyes stared into her face, now close to hers.

“Why do you look so familiar? Have we met before?”

Seeing the prince’s face this close, one that was more breathtaking than words like “handsome” could describe, Mona’s heart pounded as though it might burst.

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his mesmerizing gaze. Trembling, she looked up at Impes, her lips quivering.

At this close distance, their lips could touch if she leaned in a bit more, making her breath catch.

Had she really spent a night with a man like this?

She couldn’t believe it.

And yet, dark desire began to stir within her.

Just like before, Impes wasn’t in his right mind. If she tried to seduce him now, wouldn’t he fall for it just like before?

If she could satisfy him and make him recall that night!

‘Perhaps he would look at me, not Bellona.’

Mona’s trembling lips parted. “Your Highness, actually, I…”

Before she could continue, a gasp escaped her lips in fear.

Impes had grabbed his sword, and with its sharp tip, he traced the front of her dress.

A few days ago, a knight had died at the hands of the crown prince—right in Ether’s quarters, no less. The knight had practically been Ether’s right hand.

Mona’s hair stood on end, and her entire body shivered. One wrong move, and the sharp tip of that sword might pierce her throat.

“Continue.”

With a short command, he smiled, playing with her as if she were a small, helpless creature. He began cutting the strings that held the front of her dress together.

As the strings fell away, her voluptuous breasts began to show through.

“So… about that…”

“You have big breasts.”

“……!”

“Bellona’s were about this size, too, I think.”

His vulgar comment made Mona shut her mouth.

Seeing her tremble, Impes chuckled, letting go of her hair.

“There’s no need to be so scared. No matter how I act, I’m not going to suck the tits of some lowly servant.”

His fair face twisted in disgust, as if the thought repulsed him.

As if doused in cold water, Mona snapped back to her senses, quickly adjusting the front of her dress and lowering her head. Still, her face flushed red in shame.

“So, what is it you wanted to say? Were you close to that servant or not?”

“I… I was merely a fellow squire.”

“I see? But I heard you were close to Bellona as well. Isn’t that true?”

Imped looked somewhat disappointed, making Mona chew her inner lip.

He still longed for Bellona. Though it had been her body that had pleased him, Bellona was the one holding his heart, and it infuriated Mona.

She wanted to spill the truth, to tell him everything about that night, but Bellona’s warning and Impes’s words just now kept her from opening her mouth.

Still, her heart burned with jealousy.

Not knowing what answer Impes was hoping for, Mona hesitated and settled on a response that straddled both sides.

“R-rather than being close, Sir Bellona often relied on me. I had no idea she would leave so abruptly without saying anything to me…”

“Right, right. After giving everything to me that night, after looking at me so longingly, she still made that foolish choice.”

Impes wore a bitter expression, then took another long drink from the bottle.

Mona clamped her lips tightly, turning her gaze away. She couldn’t predict how he would react if she told him the truth in his current state.

Impes glanced briefly at the unmoving naked woman, and then suddenly, his cold blade lifted Mona’s chin.

His arrogant gaze made her heart contract in fear, and she looked down, terrified.

“Bellona relied on you, did she.”

“……”

“Good. In that case, there’s something you need to do.”

Impes leaned in again, his eyes shining as he slowly looked her over.

His hot breath fanned across her face, and her body seemed to remember that night, her lower belly tightening involuntarily.

Misinterpreting the silence, Mona’s eyes began to tremble.

Suddenly, the voice of the chamberlain rang out from outside.

“Your Highness, Sir Ether has arrived.”

“Let him in.”

“……!”

Only then did Mona remember what Ether had tasked her with. Still, she couldn’t move, her chin held by the cold blade.

A moment later, the door opened, and she heard Ether enter.

“Your Highness, you requested to see—”

Ether’s words stopped abruptly, and a strange silence filled the room.

Impes, still gazing at Mona, smirked. “You’ve got quite an amusing servant there, Ether.”

“Y-Your Highness.”

Ether approached quickly, bowing, casting a fierce glare at Mona.

“Her eyes are bold. If I told her to strip, she’d do it without hesitation. She’s just dying to seduce me.”

Despair washed over Mona’s face as her true intentions were laid bare. If she left like this, Ether might kill her today.

Mona’s eyes suddenly glimmered as she quickly thought through her options.

If she was doomed either way, perhaps it would be better to die by the crown prince’s hand.

“Your Highness, please order me as you wish. I will do anything in your service, even at the cost of my life.”

“Shut up, Mona!”

Even as Ether yelled, Mona kept her eyes fixed on Impes.

Impes laughed at her desperate gaze, finally lowering his sword and giving her a haughty look.

“You certainly have ambitions. You might even be more useful than Ether here.”

“Your Highness!”

Ignoring Ether’s urgent call, Impes continued to focus solely on Mona as he gave his command, “From now on, I’ll keep you by my side. I’ll see if you can live up to those grand words.”

“I swear my loyalty to you, Your Highness!”

Mona bowed so low her forehead nearly struck the floor, and Impes burst into loud laughter.

***

Returning to her quarters to pack her belongings, Mona’s face was flushed with excitement. An unexpected opportunity had come her way.

She was only a servant, but this was far better than being the squire to a one-armed knight.

For the first time, it felt like the sun was shining on her miserable life.

She had no idea what Impes would order her to do, but as long as she stayed close to him, other opportunities might arise.

Seeing the cut strings of her dress, Mona’s cheeks flushed. The thought of a man she once couldn’t even look at actually undressing her made her heart flutter.

Clutching her half-exposed chest, she closed her eyes tightly.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

“You filthy wench! How dare you wag your tail at His Highness!”

Ether stormed in, not even giving her time to dodge, grabbing Mona by the hair.

Her face twisted in pain as his rough hands pulled at her hair. She struggled, pinching and clawing at his arm.

“Let go of me! I’m now the crown prince’s servant!”

“Ha! Just like I thought—the moment a woman gets spoiled, she starts climbing without end. Let’s see how far you can crawl.”

Ether threw Mona, who was barely half his size, onto the floor and climbed on top of her, tearing apart her exposed dress with one hand.

Seeing the rage-filled man about to pounce, Mona’s eyes suddenly caught sight of the sword at his waist.

In one swift motion, she grabbed the hilt, pointing the blade at his neck and growling.

“If you don’t get off me right now, I’ll kill you for real.”