### Chapter 71: Scars
“Ah…”
My mouth gaped wide open.
The fruit in my hand suddenly lost all appeal as the prospect of taking another bite vanished completely.
My heart began to race like a stampede of wild horses charging through my chest, heavy iron hooves mercilessly trampling my little, helpless soul, making even the act of breathing feel like an Olympic sport. In that moment, a single thought jolted through my mind: I’ve been set up.
The beauty before me, undressing casually, had just uttered something that sent electric shocks rippling through my brain, unleashing a flood of memories from when I first met Victoria.
And I realized with a rush that I had been a complete and utter fool, walking blindly into a trap that Victoria had carefully—no, probably just casually—laid out for me.
This woman was terrifying because she had a knack for reading the hearts of others.
Maybe from the moment I was spotted loitering at the door, she had silently analyzed my psychological state, aware that I had something to discuss but lacked the courage to broach it, perhaps even guessing that my discomfort stemmed from what I learned last night—though, even if she didn’t catch on then, my behavior in the garden pagoda would have been a blatant reveal.
Then, the first trap was sprung.
Psychological warfare 101: A reasonable condition becomes more appealing when contrasted with a harsh one.
Victoria knew exactly what I was worried about. She started off by stating the condition I’d find hardest to accept: “There’s no guest room.” She knew my suspicions from the night before would send my guard through the roof. As soon as my anxiety shot up, she smoothly followed up with the “reason”: “You can sleep in the study.”
But that wasn’t enough.
This woman was playing a much higher game; she even questioned me, “What are you thinking?” After hearing that, I began to seriously doubt myself. My defenses crumbled to nothing, and mixed with my fear… I didn’t hesitate to follow her into the mansion.
Enter Shalman, the maid—my unwitting accomplice.
In hindsight, when Victoria ordered her to tidy up the study, I noticed a brief pause from the maid… She must know Victoria well enough, understanding that there wasn’t even a bed to move in, or that her queen had no real intention of doing anything proper at all… Yet she whole-heartedly accepted, offering the thoughtful reminder: “The water is ready.”
I could guess that Victoria’s second trap was already taking shape in her mind at that moment.
She lured me into her bedroom with the excuse that “the study wasn’t tidy enough”—seriously, can’t we just lounge in the huge living room instead? Why the bedroom?!
She probably realized that it would be hard to come up with a plausible lie here. To cover her bases, she had the maid deliver a bottle of red wine—clearly signaling to me, “I’m going to drink in my room now; you should stop me!” It was a back-up tactic.
Unfortunately, my simple mind and blind trust were all she needed to avoid that back-up option entirely.
And I was sure she had more tricks up her sleeve.
These strategies weren’t particularly complicated; the key was her masterful acting… or rather, I misspoke. Victoria didn’t possess any particular acting skills; she barely even needed them. With her expressionless face and calm demeanor, she left me utterly clueless about her true intentions.
I wasn’t stupid; I was just caught completely off guard.
I thought, even if she were enamored with me, what could she possibly do? Relationships are all about consent; a forcibly plucked fruit is never sweet. I didn’t want this—surely she wouldn’t force me, right? And besides, it’s not like I couldn’t put up a fight. Surely, she wouldn’t drug me?
Oh, how wrong I was.
And in that moment, I lost everything.
I lost because I was sincere while she meticulously plotted her steps. I lost due to my blind trust, while she employed that high-level ‘psychological strategy’ against me!
I lost to… a woman named Victoria. My blind trust in her stemmed from knowing she would never harm me.
But I underestimated this woman’s devious mind.
She wouldn’t hurt me.
But she was utterly shameless in her desires—she wanted me!
So, once we stepped into the bedroom, I found myself facing the second trap, her final play.
She told me to take a shower.
And showering naturally involves stripping down.
Fantastic. My skirt had been taken by the maid. I was left completely exposed.
And at that moment, Victoria finally revealed her true colors, straightforwardly stating, “There’s no bed, you’ll sleep here,” dropping all pretense because she knew I was trapped.
As long as Victoria was willing, she could easily turn my evening into a completely n*ked escapade.
I was such an idiot.
I deserved to be the lamb led to slaughter, completely at the mercy of Victoria, unless I wanted to make a dramatic leap through the window, staging a “Royal City Night Exposure for Young Girls.”
…But thinking about that was pointless.
I was completely cornered.
Time was of the essence.
Victoria must be absolutely thrilled right now.
I threw her a glare filled with embarrassment and anger.
But the golden-haired woman was completely unfazed. While I was busy spiraling into chaos, she had already unfastened the ribbon tying her waist, the scarlet gown slipping gracefully down her figure to the floor, kicked aside with a casual flick. Her shining golden hair cascaded down her back.
Amidst the soft haze, Victoria took a delicate step down the bath’s steps, then another… she began unbuttoning her bodice, one button, two buttons…I felt my cheeks heat up, acutely aware of my breathing becoming more and more erratic due to mounting anxiety.
“Vi-Victoria…”
Words failed me, my voice trembling.
“Hmm.” She replied disinterestedly.
I instinctively inched toward the corner of the bathtub, curling my body as much as I could: “Wh-what are you doing…?”
I’d long since gotten used to seeing female bodies. I’d seen my own first, then shared bath time with my mother at Shanter Castle. After that, at the Royal Academy, I lived with Sarah and the others; watching a variety of girls, some slender, others curvy, I’d seen it all—yet I’d never felt so anxious, so heart-pounding as I did now.
I was panicking, to the point that I felt utterly lost.
Such feelings were foreign to me.
Before… whether it was at Shanter Castle or the Royal Academy, whether it was facing Carlos, my mother, or anyone else, whenever I didn’t want to confront something or did something that made me unhappy, I always found a way out—be it by pouting, playing the damsel in distress, or maybe throwing in a little white lie. Most of the time, these tactics worked like a charm.
But here with Victoria, none of those little tricks applied. I was acutely aware that she could see through my flimsy ruse at a glance and might even turn the tables on me.
I had absolutely no idea what to do…
As I watched Victoria unfasten the last button, my face burned fiercely. I instinctively averted my eyes, staring blankly at the undulating water’s surface, my hands moving uncertainly beneath the water, utterly flustered.
“Shower.”
Her melodious voice was almost within reach.
She hadn’t concocted any more excuses, simply stating what she planned to do next, leaving me with no room to argue.
But I should at least put up some sort of struggle… what do I do, what do I do, what do I do…
My eyes darted around.
“Ah! Sudden thought—um, the balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows at home are still open…” I struggled to calm myself, lifting my head with a forced smile, “Victoria, you, uh, ask the maid to get my clothes—”
The words abruptly cut off, my smile froze in place.
I saw Victoria toss her bodice aside, unveiling her almost flawless, art-like body to me without reservation.
Curvaceous and ethereal, like pure jade.
A slender waist, a bewitching collarbone. Her stunning beauty and graceful form were nearly the most enviable golden ratio. Her flat abdomen gleamed like a mirror, her long legs slender and smooth as snow lotus, and the rest… submerged in water before I could even take a good look.
That body might as well have been perfect, enough to make any woman envious.
If I could ignore those scars, the word “almost” would be utterly unnecessary.
But alas, there are no “ifs.”
Multiple scars, varying in length, crisscrossed across Victoria’s pristine, jade-like skin. Abdomen, side, right shoulder, left arm… I could vaguely see two more just beneath the water.
These scars looked like they were from long ago. Faint, reddish marks marred the once immaculate surface of her skin, the most terrifying of which lay right in the center of her left chest. Though it was the smallest, it was a penetrating wound. I didn’t understand human anatomy, couldn’t even begin to guess how far that was from the heart, nor did I dare to ponder it.
All I knew was that this woman, referred to as a queen, had faced d*ath more times than I could imagine.
“Is it ugly?”
Victoria met my gaze.
She leisurely sank deeper into the water, her golden eyes indifferent and serene.
