Tamed or Captured - Chapter 37

“Well… she looks fine on the outside, but her wound seems deep……. I think she should rest doing nothing for a while…….”

“…… I see. When you prepare her food, prepare mine also in a simple way. I’m having dinner in Vanessa’s room tonight.”

Sonya’s eyes widened further at Karaf’s words.

“Yes! I will prepare it quickly!”

As Sonya hurriedly disappeared, Karaf now stood by the door and peered into the room. 

But his eyes immediately widened a bit. 

Asha was sitting on the edge of the bed, exhausted, with a sad expression on her face.

Strands of her unkempt, golden hair fell across her forehead. She had bags under her eyes and her lips were pale from bleeding.

She looked 180 degrees different from the way she danced in a fancy dress in the banquet hall. 

But even that appearance of hers was beautiful in his eyes. 

He put a hand on his chest.

     I must have fallen in love with her….

He was sure he had a good eye for women.

No matter how many beautiful ladies approached him, he didn’t like them, but he likes to decorate, so he likes gorgeous women.

     No, I thought I liked it. 

Until he met a woman he really liked, no matter how she looks…….

Then, Asha looked toward the door and her eyes widened.

She was embarrassed by his surprise visit, and Karaf walked in.

But Asha immediately turned her head the other way. 

Karaf looked at her in bewilderment.

The Emperor entered, but instead of greeting him politely, she now completely ignored him.

But instead of being annoyed by this somewhat amusing situation, he asked, slightly raising the corners of his mouth.

“How did you know I was standing by the door? I’m good at hiding my presence.”

“…… How can I not know when the whole room smells like roses.”

A light flashed in Karaf’s red eyes.

“Do I smell like roses?”

“Yes. I remember you filled the banquet hall with the smell. Weren’t you deliberately trying to show off to everyone there that you were the rose of the empire? The strong scent of roses was suffocating.”

Karaf looked dumbfounded by the outspoken words, but then he burst out laughing. 

Even though Asha insulted him, she looked at him slightly surprised by his smiling face. 

He said with a smile still on his lips.

“I see. Ordinary women don’t know what it is and come to me saying they like it. But while they can respond to pheromones, only butterflies can smell my real body odor.”

Asha was surprised again. 

That was something she didn’t know until now. 

He had always smelled like roses, so she naturally assumed everyone could smell it. 

Needless to say, Karaf’s body smelled like a really strong masculine rose scent, so she couldn’t be ignorant of it. 

But he said that no one but her could smell it……. 

His eyes sparkled with curiosity as if he had discovered something special. 

Seeing his burdensome look, Asha looked away because it seemed like she had said useless words in front of him. 

But despite her reaction, Karaf looked at her with a smile, just happy.

Some people might misunderstand him as a man who fell in love and lost his mind a bit.

Karaf suddenly remembered something. 

According to the maid who changed her clothes, she had a golden butterfly engraved near her chest. 

He smirked. 

At that moment, it occurred to him that the bandit deserved to be slapped with water. 

But on the other hand, in his heart, the desire arose to see the pattern with his own eyes. 

He wanted to touch the dazzling golden butterfly pattern. 

Karaf was startled by a sudden lust boiling within him. 

Asha was the first woman to arouse such lust in him. 

Now, he sat politely next to Asha with his hands together. 

When Asha tried to get out of bed, he stopped her.

“Just sit down. You are not feeling well.”

Asha was still averting her eyes as he approached, her gaze fixed only on the bed sheet. 

It was a stubborn gaze that would make anyone think there was something on the sheet. 

But then, Karaf took her wounded hand. 

Asha was startled, but he didn’t care and asked, gently stroking her bandaged hand.

“Are your injuries okay?”

“…… Yes, Your Majesty.”

“From now on, I will not let a drop of water fall on your hand.”

He then coughed a lot, probably because he thought he had said something embarrassing, but he couldn’t apologize after that.

Asha was astonished by his change, but she spoke coldly without realizing it.

“You don’t have to. Either way, I won’t live long and I’ll die.”

“…… die? How can you say something so horrible!”

When he suddenly shouted out loud, Asha was startled. 

His face was slightly distorted.

Asha was subconsciously thinking that being by his side would have an ending similar to her last life.

Coexisting with him in this palace was something she could never have imagined as she had already experienced it in her past life. 

But as if what she had just said sounded so shocking, Karaf’s face turned pale, and he gripped her hand tighter and wouldn’t let her go, as if he let her go now he would lose her forever. 

As Asha pondered, she concluded that it was because he had no one to break his curse when she died.

“As Your Majesty knows, I have the power of prophecy. I came here and saw myself die, and this made me convinced that it wasn’t a dream.”

At those words, Karaf’s face turned even paler.

“You saw yourself die……? Then did you see how you died?”

“Yes. I fall off a cliff and die.”

Asha replied bitterly. 

It was then that Karaf understood why she was sitting on the edge of the bed with a sad, tired expression on her face. 

And since this assassination came true as she had predicted, what she had just said must have been true. 

His hands trembled with shock.

However, unlike him, Asha remained incredibly calm next to him.

She looked like someone who was preparing in advance for her upcoming death.

“Why…… Why do you talk about your death so easily….?”

Asha paused for a moment. 

Jackal had asked a similar question before.

     …… Why do you always talk about your death so easily?

Asha responded with an awkward smile.

“I don’t know. It’s because I don’t have any regrets in life……. I have never been so happy in my life.”

Karaf now looked beyond ridiculous as if he had been struck by lightning.

     Oh, this man had a strong fear of death.

He was most afraid of not being able to bloom since he was cursed.

Karaf, who had been frozen for a while, asked again in a low voice.

“…… If you can see the future, can you see my fate?”

Asha’s expression turned cold. 

After all, this man only cared about his own fate, whether he died or not. 

Asha responded coldly without realizing it.

“I died before Your Majesty, so I don’t know what will happen next.”

“…… I won’t let you die.”

Asha’s eyes grew bigger again at his unexpected words. 

Karaf said seriously.

“I asked about my future. If I had the power to protect you, I will save you somehow.”

When Asha looked at her in disbelief, he laughed.

“Do you think it’s a lie? I brought Duran back to life, who had previously lost his life.”

He pretended to be clever, but his smile looked somewhat anxious. 

Asha didn’t know, but he was seriously considering whether he should push the entire empire down the cliff now.

And just in time, Sonya brought the food. 

The two of them sat across from each other at the table and ate in silence, putting their uncomfortable feelings behind them. 

Asha glanced at him, pretending she didn’t care. 

It was the first time he had personally come to her room to eat. 

Compared to his dining room, this place must have been very modest and simple, but she didn’t care about that and was silently moving the spoon with a serious face. 

Perhaps she had no appetite and was nervous because he was right in front of her. Asha didn’t know what the food tasted like, so she ate the soup a few times before putting down the spoon. 

Karaf said calmly without looking up.

“Eat a lot. That way your wounds can heal faster.”

Asha said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

“It’s okay. I feel like I’m going to get indigestion.”

“Why? Is it because you ate with me?”

“…….”

Asha looked at him guiltily. 

Fortunately, he said it half-jokingly and half seriously.

“You can be honest. No one had ever felt comfortable eating with me. When I ate with others, watching them shiver with forks and knives in front of me makes me want to cut off their fingers in frustration. So, I usually don’t eat with anyone.”

“…….”

Seeing Asha’s hands immediately stiffen, he said quietly.

“Don’t worry, I don’t feel that way about you”

She wondered if this was something to be relieved and happy about. 

Asha looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression, but her eyes widened even more. 

Karaf’s earlobe was slightly red.

     What on earth…

Asha was a bit confused, but right now, he was now refraining from saying that he preferred to feed her with his own hand.

To others, it might seem like more of a scary situation than a confession.