Rain poured in violent torrents. Thunder roared like angry lions across the sky, and lightning flashed in jagged bursts, illuminating the world with veins of white-hot light.
Meanwhile, despite the raging chaos outside, candlelight danced meticulously in a room stirred by the breeze brushing through the windows.
At the center of the room lay a grand, luxurious bathtub, its edges engraved with gold.
Inside... Daniel reclined, his black hair cascading over his face like silk. His toned, muscular body glimmered in the candlelight. Steam curled from the water in soft, sultry wisps. In one hand, he held a glass of whisky, swirling it slowly before taking a languid sip.
A soft creak echoed as the door opened.
A man in a servant's uniform stepped inside. A name tag shimmered faintly in the dim light: Bailey Morales.
He approached, a scrubbing brush and towel in hand.
He sighed, watching the lone figure bask in his luxurious soak.
He didn't want to be here. But, as usual, the Heavens had seen it fit to entangle him with this... beastly, royal jerkass.
Again.
If he had the chance, he would've gladly turned around and bolted straight out of this gilded hell.
But unfortunately, he didn't have a choice.
He still needed time.
His mind drifted back to earlier—
To the moment he got caught in this predicament.
.....
He had tried to pretend he hadn't noticed that the wall behind him was made of flesh, not stone.
He'd hoped to slip away—take his chances in the hallway rather than remain trapped with the palace's dark-loving monster.
But as he reached for the door, his body froze.
He couldn't move.
His gaze dropped to his waist—
An arm had snaked around it.
His blood ran cold.
This was not what he'd expected. But, as usual, fate had other plans.
He felt the figure shift, peeling away from the wall and leaning in close. A whisper brushed against his ear.
"Ah... ah... ah... where do you think you're going?"
The voice was low, husky, and smooth—irritatingly attractive. Goosebumps prickled across his skin as the breath ghosted over his neck.
Then came the line. His usual annoying cliché line.
"You're in some serious trouble."
'Oh crap', he cursed internally.
He shook his head slightly in disbelief, then silently reached into the pocket of his uniform. His fingers closed around a small tranquilizer device. If he could just use it, he might escape. He'd deal with the consequences later. He didn't have time for this fool.
Wait—
Did he just call the world's most powerful man a fool?
'Oh, what the heck. I don't have time for this', he muttered in his thoughts.
He gently took hold of the device and began to draw it out.
But just as he was about to pull it free—
"Stop!"
RT's voice whisper-shouted in his ear.
"Whatever you're thinking right now—don't do it. Don't you dare attack him," RT whispered urgently in Bailey's ear. "I can sense another presence in the room. It must be another Dragonfly. And you can't leave yet—I still haven't hacked into the security. Try to lure him away from the Dragonfly. Somewhere the two of you can be alone. I'll handle the rest."
Bailey immediately let go of the weapon in his pocket.
He spun around and dropped to his knees.
With a flick of his fingers, he adjusted the voice modulator, shifting it from its synthetic tone to something more human.
"Your esteemed Highness!" he yelped, bowing deeply until his forehead nearly touched the floor.
His face twisted into a mask of feigned panic.
"Please... forgive this foolish servant! I didn't realize you were present in the room. Forgive my foolish intrusion!"
He kept his gaze fixed on the floor, continuing the charade.
Daniel studied him, eyes gleaming with amusement.
'Ha! Unbelievable', he scoffed in his mind. 'So you want to play pretend? Fine. I'll play along. Let's see how far you're willing to go to escape this one. But one thing's for sure—I'm not letting go. Not this time.'
He then took a step closer.
'Why the hell is he just standing there and not saying anything but just staring at me?' Bailey thought, teeth clenched behind his lips. 'Say something, damn it. I need a cue—anything—to get you alone and deal with you before I bolt out of here.'
Daniel noticed the subtle flickers in Bailey's eyes, even as he kept his head bowed. Calculating. Plotting.
Not this time.
He was going to make sure to block any chance of escape.
He exhaled slowly.
"Oh really? And what exactly are you doing in my room... this late at night?"
He leaned in, voice low and deliberate.
"Mmm... care to explain that?"
Bailey swallowed.
"I'm sorry, my Prince. I... I was checking the windows in the hallway to ensure they were properly secured. Then I heard a commotion and saw some armed men approaching. I panicked and ran into this room. Please forgive me. I've committed an unforgivable sin. I beg your leniency."
Daniel rubbed his chin, circling him like a lion toying with its prey.
"Mmm... an unforgivable sin, indeed," he mused.
"So... how do you plan to repay me?"
He stopped behind Bailey.
"Because this is the kind of sin mercy doesn't cover. So tell me—how will you make it up to me?"
'Jerkass. Bloody scumbag', Bailey cursed silently.
But he knew he had no room to argue. He'd entered the forbidden chamber. Worse—he'd touched the King Dragon's body. The most sacred thing in the empire.
And he still needed time. Time for RT to neutralize the Dragonfly. Time to escape.
He exhaled quietly.
"Anything His Highness desires. I will do my best to fulfill his wishes... if it means earning his forgiveness for this lowly servant's foolish mistake."
Daniel's smirk deepened, his crimson eyes glinting with mischief.
"Mmm... anything?"
"Yes. Anything," Bailey replied, forcing the words out.
'Anything to buy time. Anything to kick your royal ass and get out of here.'
He slowly lifted his head.
Daniel was watching him. Crimson eyes glowing. That same smirk tugging at his lips.
And suddenly, Bailey regretted his choice of words.
He'd said he would do anything to appease the beast.
Anything.
'Oh fuck', he cursed.
...
Present
And now here he was.
In this blindingly rich, luxurious bathroom. A scrubbing brush and towel in his hands.
He so regretted this.
And he had no idea how he was going to get out of it.
A long stretch of silence followed.
Suffocating.
Intense.
Then, the figure in the bath shifted slightly.
Daniel sighed.
"Wash." he commanded.
Bailey's eyes widened.
"Huh...?"
"Since you like touching my body so much..." Daniel drawled.
"Wash it."
Bailey swallowed hard, stunned. But he had no choice. Appease the beast—or risk his life.
'Let's get this over with', he thought, stepping toward the tub.
But Daniel's next word froze him in place.
"Undress."
Bailey went rigid.
Daniel sighed again.
"You have five seconds to start..."
Then he turned to face him, eyes glowing crimson, a smug smile tugging at his lips.
"Or I'll fuck you like a dog."
Bailey's jaw dropped in disbelief.
'Oh, he has got to be fucking kidding me! No way in hell am I doing that! No way! He said he wasn't a pervert—now what the hell does he think he's doing?!'
Daniel smiled, watching him struggle. Bailey was glaring at him without realizing it, clearly cursing him in his mind.
Daniel could see the fury in his eyes—and he loved it.
He didn't care. He wanted to have some fun with his mystery woman.
His gaze remained fixed, relentless. Waiting. Daring him to undress. Demanding the show.
Bailey snorted.
'Your Highness... I underestimated you. You are indeed the King of all perverts.'
Daniel scoffed at the mocking gaze his mind drifting back in memory.
...
Earlier... before she burst through his door.
Daniel had been speaking with Wisp about the figure he'd seen skipping down the forest hill beyond the palace walls.
"Did you patrol the entire area?" he asked.
"Yes, Your Highness. But unfortunately, we couldn't find the figure. It's as if they vanished into thin air. We couldn't even catch a scent," Wisp replied.
"Damn it!" Daniel growled.
"Where the hell did he go? I saw him—clear as day. How could he just disappear? That's impossible, unless..."
He paused, thoughts racing.
"Damn it! Of course—the old secret tunnels. Why didn't I think of that before? There must be a hidden entrance somewhere in the forest. I need to get the map from the royal archives. In the meantime, continue searching the forest for any signs of an entrance—or the intruder. I'll guide you once I have the map in hand."
"Yes, Your Highness," Wisp said with a nod.
Daniel turned to leave—
But just then, the door burst open.
A panting figure slipped inside.
Daniel immediately pressed himself against the wall, slinking into the shadows so the figure wouldn't see him.
The intruder stepped away from the door slightly, watching the shadows of the Dragonflies pass by outside.
"Well, hurry—before they find their subordinate on the floor. Otherwise, it'll be impossible to get out of here."
The figure whispered something else—clearly speaking to another subordinate through a hidden comm.
Daniel watched as Wisp crept forward, ready to apprehend the intruder.
But without warning, the figure stumbled—
And leaned directly against him, clearly mistaking his body for part of the wall.
'The nerve of this jerka—'
He froze.
A familiar tingling sensation surged through him the instant their bodies touched.
It was undeniable. That electric current. That dizzying rush.
The same feeling that always wrecked him in seconds.
Only one person made him feel this way.
Her.
His mystery woman.
To confirm what his body already knew, he leaned in slightly.
And there it was—
That sweet, addictive scent of wildflowers on a sunlit breeze.
It wrapped around him like a spell.
'At long last', he thought, heart pounding. 'I finally have you in my grasp again.
And this time... I'm not letting go.'