The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 61

Islay silently watched her lewd struggle. He looked down at Stella, who was gasping for breath, with eyes filled with madness.

After a long while of writhing, she finally let her legs fall limp. Her rounded chest heaved in the afterglow of her climax. It was the first orgasm of her life.

Islay planted a kiss on Stella’s flushed cheek before straightening his body. But there was no further contact.

Instead of shoving his swollen desire into her, he chose to pleasure himself. Stella, her chest rising and falling heavily, watched as he pleasured himself.

She could see the veins bulging on his thickly muscled forearm, the engorged redness of his shaft, and every moment until his pent-up desire finally erupted.

With a rough groan, Islay’s sticky semen shot onto her flat lower belly. He sprayed her smooth body with his thick white release over and over again. There was no counting how many times. Stella stared in a daze at the fluid pooling on her abdomen and trickling along her curves.

With a low sigh, he pulled Stella—now covered in his traces—into a tight embrace. Her eyes gradually closed as she buried her face against his solid shoulder. Even in her hazy state, she didn’t want to let go of his warmth, so she nestled deeper into his arms.

A night that could briefly soothe her loneliness. A night she could hold him tightly. If one were to peel away the layer of ecstasy, it would be a night filled with longing.

***

When she opened her eyes again, it was a bright morning.

No one had woken her, but Stella awoke from sleep and lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

It was the same place as before—the inn room where Islay stayed.

Her mind felt as blank as if it had been bleached. How deeply had she slept? She remembered his low voice murmuring something as he kissed her forehead until dawn. It was so faint she couldn’t tell whether it had been a dream or reality experienced while half asleep.

Stella lowered her chin in confusion to look over herself.

She hadn’t picked up her clothes, nor had she dried herself off—she’d simply fallen asleep, naked. Yet, at some point, her body had been dried, and she was fully dressed in her clothes.

Stella tightly closed her eyes before opening them, her face warming with a slight fever. The memories of last night vividly unfolded in her mind.

The fact that she had fallen asleep in his arms, unclothed, and that he had dried her body and dressed her while she was out of it, made her face flush. And what about everything she had done while fully conscious?

To convulse while pressing her most intimate part against his had been such a shocking experience. It would have been less embarrassing even if they had actually had intercourse.

But she had no regrets. If she could, she wanted to hold him again. She wondered what his thoughts were.

When her thoughts reached that point, Stella realized how quiet the inn room was.

“…Islay?”

There was no response. He had disappeared without a trace, making the events of last night feel like a dream.

Weren’t they supposed to head to Nortelli together today?

Stella rubbed her eyes and sat up. She grabbed her robe and stepped out into the hallway, where she happened to catch Mikel standing by the stairs.

“Sir Mikel.”

“Yes… Weren’t we supposed to leave for Nortelli today?”

“Indeed. But as you fell into a deep sleep, princess, you couldn’t join us.”

Mikel shrugged his shoulders as if it were nothing significant.

“In any case, the meeting spot wasn’t far from the inn. The captain took the gems and left to meet them, so please rest assured and wait in the room.”

“When will he be back?”

“He should return before the next meal.”

It would have been quicker to go together, though. Stella grumbled as she brushed her disheveled hair awkwardly. She wondered if spending the night with her had disrupted their schedule.

“Where is Dora?”

“She is downstairs waiting to bring your breakfast.”

“…Sir Mikel!”

Suddenly interrupting their conversation was one of Islay’s subordinates, who had also stayed behind at the inn. His face stiffened slightly as he climbed the stairs.

“What is it?”

“I just saw a unit of about twenty knights approaching from beyond the field. Given the path they’re on, it appears their destination is this inn.”

“Knights? What emblem were they carrying?”

“A lion rampant. They’re all heavily armed.”

A lion rampant. That was Pantege’s crest.

Stella’s face turned pale as she heard the unexpected news.

A cavalry unit bearing Pantege’s banner was approaching the inn. She wasn’t foolish enough not to understand what that meant.

“Sir Mikel, could it be that today is also the day for Pantege’s tribute?”

“No.”

“Then…”

Stella trailed off, biting her lip. The empire’s sudden visit might have something to do with her.

A group of twenty riders wasn’t large enough to be called an army.

But it was far too many just to escort one person, and more than enough to overturn a small village if necessary.

Moreover, these were cavalrymen, not infantry. Whoever was being escorted was either of very noble birth, or they were prepared for armed conflict. Or perhaps both.

Stella quickly imagined the face of the man likely standing at the center of the cavalry.

Hendrick Regan. The second prince of Pantege, destined to inherit its throne. He was also the scoundrel who had once tried to force himself upon her by drugging her with Lovid.

He was someone who had only ever left her with unpleasant memories, and she had pushed him out of her mind deliberately, yet now she was at risk of facing him right after coming to the southern continent.

Of all times, Islay wasn’t here. Though it didn’t seem likely that the northerners left at the inn would struggle against Hendrick and his knights, Stella wished to avoid unnecessary conflict.

“It would be best to avoid any confrontation.”

Mikel seemed to agree. However, while she was contemplating whether they should pack and flee, it appeared he had thought of another solution.

Mikel asked his subordinate, “How long until they arrive?”

“At most, half an hour. What’s the plan?”

“We’ll remain here, and the troops will stay divided. I’ll go out to face them myself. Have the innkeeper lock all the doors, and make sure no one steps outside.”

“Yes, sir!”

Stella hurriedly grabbed Mikel as he turned without hesitation.

“Sir, what do you plan to do?”

“I’ll threaten to turn his cowardly face into meat pie if he doesn’t turn around. After all, well-founded threats are an effective way to avoid pointless conflicts—just as the captain taught us…”

“……”

“I’m joking. In any case, I’ll send them back. The captain instructed us to serve you breakfast once you awoke, so please relax and eat in your room, princess.”

Mikel muttered in a light tone as he turned to leave, mentioning that it was best to deal with such trivial matters before the captain returned.

Stella watched the northerners descend the stairs with mixed emotions.

She could wait quietly until they returned after dealing with Hendrick and the Pantege knights. There was no value in hearing whatever Hendrick Regan might say with his sly tongue.

But it was hard to ignore the nagging sense that something felt off.

Intuition. A feeling close to instinct.

She always tended to cower easily, constantly plagued by worry, so she wondered if it was just paranoia, but she feared it might be a warning from her sixth sense.

***

Stella descended to the tavern on the first floor, which was devoid of customers, and paced by the window, unable to stay still.

The northerners who had gone out to meet their “guests” stood firmly in front of the inn. Watching their backs as they awaited the Pantege cavalry made the time drag on longer than half a day for her.

The breakfast that had once been steaming hot was growing cold. Dora, equally tense, couldn’t even take a bite and only blinked nervously.

“Nothing bad will happen, right?”

“Everything will be fine. I hope…,” Stella added uncertainly.

Dora, shifting her uneasy gaze, whispered softly, “Um… Your Highness.”

“What?”

“While I was waiting for your breakfast, I overheard something strange.”

“Something strange? From whom?”

“The northerners were talking among themselves, but they went silent as soon as they noticed I was there, so I’m not sure…”

Dora trailed off, fidgeting anxiously. Stella, taking her eyes off the window, looked at her maid.

“It’s okay, go ahead and tell me, Dora.”

Swallowing dryly, Dora spoke in a low voice as if she’d made a huge decision.

“Well, it sounded like they were ordered to watch over Your Highness even after returning to the castle. To keep an eye on who approaches you, where you go, and what you do.”

If it was an order, it must have come from Islay. But it was hard to tell whether it was meant as surveillance or protection, so Stella tilted her head in confusion.

Dora hurried to add, “Of course, I don’t think Sir Mikel or the northerners have bad intentions. I don’t want to worry you, but I felt I should tell you.”

“…I see. Thank you for letting me know. It’s probably nothing, so don’t worry too much…”

It was at that moment that the ground shook, followed by the sound of hooves striking the earth. They quickly turned their heads and peeked out the partially open window from behind the curtain.

The banner bearing the roaring lion against a red background fluttered in the wind. The cavalry, adorned in armor that gleamed even at their fingertips, rode their horses toward the inn.

At the center of the escort was a man clad in golden armor.

As expected, it was Hendrick Regan, the second prince of Pantege.