When Lara's eyes fell upon his naked body, she couldn't bear the sight and quickly turned her gaze away. Yet deep inside, she secretly admired his weapon of masculinity. She tossed a towel at him to cover himself and snapped angrily:
"Cover that hideous sight—my eyes can't handle things like that."
Her words dripped with venom as they slipped from her lips. Daniel replied with amused sarcasm:
"Don't you have eyes? How exactly am I supposed to dress while chained like this?"
She sighed foolishly, brushing a hand over him to shield his modesty. Then, she began her work, disinfecting his wounds and wrapping the bandages carefully. Daniel clicked his tongue and clenched his jaw—the pain still lingered deep in his body.
Once she finished tending to his wounds, Lara picked up a spoon, preparing to feed him. Daniel raised an eyebrow as she brought it to his mouth, prompting her to lash out:
"What? You think I'm going to feed you like last time? Keep dreaming."
A smile flickered on Daniel's lips, yet he said nothing—just stared at her silently, his mouth shut. Seeing his sealed lips, Lara's eyes turned cold and sharp. A minute passed, frozen in tension—her hand holding the spoon, and his gaze fixed on her in stubborn silence.
At last, Lara exhaled heavily, then put the spoon in her own mouth and chewed coldly. She leaned forward and fed him from her lips, bird-like, mouth to mouth. Daniel responded without resistance. Their lips met, the air in the room shifted, their faces flushed—but neither of them cared.
The feeding continued until the entire bowl was emptied. She fed him every bite from her mouth to his. But the final bite lingered—she gave, and he received, lips pressed longer, breath heavier.
The last morsel gone, yet their lips remained connected. Daniel began to suck the taste of her saliva, feeding on her lips without shame. Lara didn't even notice at first—lost in the moment, she forgot herself. Minutes passed before they both ran out of breath, gasping for air.
They pulled apart, their eyes speaking volumes. Lara resisted the temptation she saw in Daniel's gaze, her embarrassment cooling into harsh indifference.
"That's as far as you'll ever get. Don't dream of what isn't yours."
Her cruel words didn't anger Daniel. He spoke with a calm, knowing tone, like a seer awaiting fate:
"Your body is more honest than your words. But your mind resists—and one day, it will explode in your face."
Lara said nothing. She stood, glared at him with cold detachment, then walked out of the room.
In the royal hall, dozens of ministers and advisors gathered. At the center knelt a man, the envoy sent by Marcus, head bowed. King Karis sat alone on the throne—Lina was absent, still weary from the night before, which was unusual.
Karis addressed the envoy sharply:
"Speak. What's the situation at the border?"
The man lifted his head and replied:
"We suffered heavy losses. The enemy received unexpected reinforcements, forcing us to retreat—though we were close to wiping them out."
Shock rippled through the chamber. The envoy continued:
"Commander Marcus sent me to tell you that two generals are leading the enemy army. He requests your aid to ensure victory in the next battle."
The room fell into deep thought. The kingdom was unraveling, and the war had only just begun. Karis turned to the minister in charge of the army and supplies.
"How many soldiers do we have ready? And are the supplies prepared?"
The minister answered confidently:
"We have two thousand soldiers fully armed. As you ordered after Marcus departed, we prepared emergency provisions in case of unexpected events. Everything is ready."
The kingdom had always avoided war, striving for peace—but never at the cost of unpreparedness. Karis gave a firm command:
"Load the supplies onto the caravans. Inform the soldiers—we leave tonight, before enemy spies catch wind of our movements."
Everyone nodded and rushed to their tasks. The night would be long.
In the dark of night, torches lit the underground halls, but the shadows consumed their light. Daniel lay in his room, a towel draped around his waist. The same maid who once claimed to clean his chamber entered again, tools in hand.
She began scrubbing away the blood and other fluids from the bed as Daniel watched her closely. He noticed her eyes constantly drifting toward him.
He finally spoke:
"Speak. What's happening now?"
Without pausing, she replied:
"The king is heading to the border tonight, leading two thousand soldiers. He plans to launch a surprise attack under the cover of darkness."
Daniel fell into deep thought before speaking:
"There's no need to leak that information. Marcus is with them—he'll inform Ashur's kingdom of the attack. And chaos will soon erupt here in the palace. Stay alert."
She nodded silently. He ended with one final question:
"How are the preparations inside the dungeon?"
Her answer came without hesitation:
"Everything is ready, my lord."
Satisfied, Daniel closed his eyes and allowed her to finish her cleaning and leave.
In another chamber, Karis sat at a table, sipping tea. Lina sat across from him. After a quiet sip, Karis spoke with a tone heavy with regret:
"I'll be leaving once everything's ready. I only have a little time left to speak with you."
Lina sighed deeply. The day she had feared was finally here—and at such a fragile time. She asked him with worry:
"Are things really that bad on the border? When will you come back?"
Karis responded calmly, his voice steady:
"The situation is dire. If I don't act, your brother and our soldiers will die. As for my return? I don't know. But one thing is certain—I'll destroy them all. They'll serve as a lesson for every other kingdom who dares to cross us."
Lina nodded, her voice quiet but firm:
"I'll take care of things here. Just stay alive. This kingdom is nothing without you."
Her words lit a fire in Karis's heart. Determination shone in his eyes, and with it, a silent vow to return to her—no matter what it took.