Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Next Morning

Swan slowly opened her eyes as the light from the window hit her eyelid. As she gradually gained consciousness, the first thing that she realized was the sore pain all over her body, as if she had been hammered nonstop.

Which wasn't wrong, considering that Gale was hammering her with that scary big stick from last night.

She clamped her thighs tightly as the memory of what happened last night began pouring inside her head, and her face reddened in an instant.

She expected Gale to eat her, chewing her until she was nothing but bones, but what happened was far from it.

He actually wanted her virginity instead, and even though it was normal for a couple to consummate their marriage, she didn't expect the beast to have that kind of lust.

"It's so sticky and uncomfortable," Swan murmured as her mind began to recall that sensation she had never experienced before involuntarily.

It was a mix between pain and pleasure. Still, even she—who had never been bedded by a man before—knew that feeling was definitely what made those maids in the palace give their bodies up for the knights because Swan had also lost herself in the sea of pleasure to the point she could only cling to Gale to be saved.

"But… what's next?" Swan muttered. "He had taken my virginity. I guess that means I will have to die?"

Swan did not believe that the King of the Beast would keep her around. She could see how her virginity would be the prize of victory that he wanted, but now that she had been used, then that meant she had no more use.

She was worthless, just like those maids who had to give up their lives in the palace and return to their hometown in shame after they got pregnant with no man wanting to marry them.

'But I have no place to go. I'm sure Holy Achate won't take me back,' Swan thought. Then, a flash of bad ideas entered her mind, "Should I just end myself before I get killed by him?"

She thought it would be less of a heartache to kill herself than to let the husband who took her virginity kill her.

Swan looked at the window, wondering if the height would be enough for her to die instantly.

She got up from the bed and dropped herself slowly as she tried to crawl to the window to check the height, but before she could reach the window, the door was opened from outside, and the cat maids—Myra and Maya, rushed towards her with a towel.

"Princess!" They quickly tended to her by helping her back to the bed, they covered her with the towel, but couldn't help to blush when they saw many love bites from the King of Beasts around Swan's body, proof of their king's infamous vigor.

"We told you yesterday, Princess. You can just call us if you need help. We're always outside as your attendants," Maya said. "We've been told by His Majesty that you are in deep sleep after last night's affair, so we don't dare to wake you up. But we, just like almost all beastmen, have a keen sense of hearing, and we can hear you dropping from the bed."

"Um… where is His Majesty?" Swan asked politely. She didn't dare to address him by his real name, now that she had no more worth left.

"He is busy attending to a few matters with his council. We are a newly established nation, so many kingdoms waged a war against us," Myra replied. "He told us to attend to you, and he will return in the evening."

"How about a bath, Princess? Or do you want to eat breakfast first? We have prepared everything for you."

Swan was still not used to being attended. She was used to doing everything alone, including cooking for herself in the palace kitchen. However, it would be rude to reject someone who had given her so much kindness, so she replied, "B-bath."

"Okay, then, we will carry you to the bathroom. We've prepared a hot bath for you."

"N-no. I can do it myself," Swan began to get nervous. "I just need my crutches…"

Maya and Myra looked at each other and obliged as per the Princess' request. They helped her to get up, covered her body with a towel, and propped her with a pair of crutches.

Swan felt much more comfortable now that she finally had her only way to walk, "Thank you. Uhm, I will take a bath now. Please leave."

"Yes, Princess."

Myra and Maya walked to the door very slowly to match Swan's pace, they waited until Swan entered the bathroom before whispering to each other.

"What should we do? The Princess doesn't seem to be happy with us."

"Don't be paranoid. She is just very humble. But I do find it weird that a princess from Holy Achate would act so meek and humble towards us."

"I know, right? Those humans see us as mere animals."

"Could it be that the Princess was ostracized?"

"Ostracized? Why?"

"Her leg…"

Myra and Maya looked at each other in tacit understanding. They had been wondering about Swan's legs since it was strange for a princess of a kingdom that focused so much on purity and beauty to have their first princess walking with crutches without extensively trying to heal her leg.

Unfortunately, they didn't dare to ask, and could only guess what kind of accident or illness happened to Swan, to the point that she basically lost her left leg.

"You two should prepare her breakfast instead of gossiping."

The cat maids' hairs stood up hearing the dignified voice of a mature lady who walked into the room.

"Or do you want me to tell Gale about you gossiping about his new wife?"

"P-please forgive us, Lady Jade!" Maya and Myra said in unison.

The woman named Jade chuckled and said, "Go and prepare her breakfast. Don't forget to make us tea, I want to talk with her."