Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Third Person's POV

It was something fluttering and unfamiliar in her chest which she couldn't describe or pinpoint.

"What are you looking at, young master Erydor? Haven't you ever seen a woman before? And why have you restrained me like this?"

The final question escaped her lips in a rush of fluster and it struck even her as ridiculous.

Ethan's brow arched slightly and a short laugh escaped him.

Her breath hitched and he chuckled while being utterly amazed by her outburst as he visibly enjoyed her reaction.

With a glint in his eyes and a smirk playing on his lips, he replied,

"You were secretly watching a deeply personal and intimate moment between me and my woman and perhaps with unknown intentions.

And now you are asking me why I have captured you?"

He took a step closer and tilted his head slightly.

"Come now, Miss Aurae. Surely a sharp-minded dark elf like you can piece it together yourself, no?"

Listening to his gentle voice as he spoke with a soft smile, Aurae flushed deeply and lowered her gaze.

Her face was painted with both embarrassment and shame as she noticed how her curves had been prominently outlined by the chains.

A profound sense of humiliation swelled within her and it was so intense that she couldn't even begin to articulate it.

Never in her life had her body been exposed, even indirectly in such a lewd and vulnerable manner before a man.

And yet, instead of anger toward Ethan for binding her in this compromising way, all she felt was a burning mortification and an overwhelming urge to disappear into the deepest hole.

Ethan for all his boldness wasn't entirely without decency as he had been careful not to bind her breasts directly though her waist and legs had not been spared the grip of his dark chains.

"Please… release me, Young Master Eryndor," she pleaded softly as her voice trembled with vulnerability.

"I had no evil or harmful intentions toward you or Miss Virese. I was just… curious.

I wanted to make sure you had safely retreated from that clash with that demon knight."

The sincerity in her voice was hard to ignore.

Hearing her plea and recognizing the genuine concern behind her words, Ethan finally relented.

With a thought, the dark chains loosened and dissolved into thin wisps of smoke and vanished into his palms as if they had never existed.

Aurae watched the process with silent fascination.

The chains, which had felt so solid and oppressive just moments ago disappeared as though they were mere illusions and ephemeral shadows bound by his will.

True to her word, she didn't make any sudden movements or attempts to flee.

Instead, she looked down at her toes and started to nervously twiddle her thumbs like a scolded child as all her earlier boldness faded into quiet reflection.

Ethan offered a small smile and moved to the edge of the spire as he sat down casually.

As a soft cool wind blew his hair, his eyes wandered over the glowing city below.

He patted the space beside him and gave a silent indication to her.

Aurae glanced at him and understanding his silent invitation, she walked over and settled down beside him.

She wrapped her arms around her knees as her eyes rose to the Blood Moon hanging solemnly above.

For a moment, they both sat in silence and gazed at the sky like two shadows beneath a crimson moon.

Ethan turned his head slightly and studied her side profile.

Bathed in the silver glow, her features seemed to shimmer ethereally.

She looked impossibly beautiful, like something carved from moonlight and dreams.

But more than that, his sharp eyes noticed something beneath her elegance.

It was an unmistakable trace of melancholy and quiet loneliness that was usually tucked behind the facade of maturity and strength.

Just then, as if sensing his gaze, she abruptly turned to him, her cheeks still tinged pink from earlier embarrassment.

With a soft huff and narrowed eyes, she asked,

"What are you looking at?"

Ethan couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him.

Her flustered expression was absolutely adorable and so different from the poised and composed figure they had met at the Adventurer Guild.

It made her seem younger, more real, and infinitely more endearing.

"I am merely looking at the beautiful Miss Aurae.

She is the woman who so carefully suppresses her brilliance and power beneath layers of civility in society, only to reveal herself now and so unguarded and breathtakingly elegant before me.

You are like the White Moon this continent has long been denied.

You are an ethereal beauty that is serene and distant, yet warm enough to make one forget the endless Blood Moon hanging over us.

Tonight, this poor Eryndor has been blessed to witness what few ever could, the true form of a woman whose radiance remains undimmed, even under this cursed crimson sky."

His voice remained soft, low, and almost reverent, and each of his words was laden with sincerity and quiet awe.

Every line was a thread of admiration that was woven tenderly into a tapestry of praise that Aurae could hardly comprehend.

Her eyes widened and her heart thundered as she stared at him in disbelief.

Never—not once in her lifetime of running, hiding, and surviving had anyone spoken to her like this.

She, who had lived in shadows, had been denied family, love, and safety now stood dumbfounded by the sheer intensity of his words.

She parted her lips unconsciously and was shocked beyond measure as her breath became caught somewhere between wonder and disbelief.

And when she noticed his eyes drift down softly and unashamedly to her slightly parted mouth, a bolt of awareness shot through her.

She quickly closed it while her cheeks bloomed with color like twilight on silver skin.

"W-what are you saying, Young Master Eryndor?" she blurted out though her voice was uncertain and even had a slight tremble at first.