Chương 49: Predator to prey

After Felipe finally arrived at the main lobby, the people in the salon room instantly looked at him. They were all there for him, trying to impress him with their best tiers. They were basically the region's lower nobility plantation owners and the "entrepreneurs" of the area.

"Morning? No, Afternoon." Felipe said as he looked at the giant clock on the wall, not knowing what to do; no one was talking to him and not stepping up to present him to everyone.

"Oh, honourable people of Charleston and everywhere else, I am pleased to present you all the next emperor of the Colombian Empire. Crown Prince, Felipe De Aragon." The Governor said with the loudest possible voice.

Everyone began clapping as Felipe had not done anything; they all looked awkward statesmen not knowing the royal protocol for an official visit.

"What a warm welcome, but can we agree that my presence does not require clapping?" Felipe asked humorously, making everyone laugh as they all realized how awkward that was.

One old-looking guy approached, "Your majesty, I am honoured you are here; I would like to thank you for writing those books. Clearly in the same level as Shakespeare's works."

Felipe smiled and shook his head, "I do take inspiration from him, but I am not compared to him. It is good to stay humble, isn't it?"

"Indeed, indeed."

Another man in the middle ages with already white hair also got closed, "Your majesty, your work of illusive butterflies is a masterpiece."

The Governor looked at how Felipe was being swarmed by the doctors and the scholars that were also part of the club. He then realized that the books from which Felipe was talking about in the carriage were not only well known but stupidly well known.

Their popularity in Europe was even larger as many countries banned them; banning them made people want to know what they were about. In a snowball effect, the books have been spread from continent to continent.

Felipe has made efforts to translate them into Chinese and Cantonese by employing many translators, those efforts were made in Austria, and they were successful and began printing. Nonetheless, Felipe knew the power of translating books and would not let such an opportunity disappear.

That is how they were able to truly start expanding as one of the biggest printing publishing companies in the world, being able to publish in Arabic and in India. Of course, those printings were according to demand, so they would stop if a translation was not working.

The Translations were not only limited to the original works of Felipe, but they would have extended to Shakespeare, Don Quixote and other famous authors that were in the public domain.

The Hindus were curious about European Books, which is how a profitable translation in the UK took off. Felipe was the representation of globalization, especially in a time when there is wealth yet to plunder.

1 Hour later.

After Felipe went through a meet and greet, they were now dining in a huge salon with turkey and other vegetables. It was quite appetizing as black servants would serve him with the utmost respect.

No one touched their plates until Felipe did, which was a sight to see as he waited for everyone to be served. In a way, he felt like Jesus in his last meal. Nonetheless, while people dined and drank, Felipe was just a bit shocked by the influence he had in the high society of South Caroline and around as there were rich people from even North Carolina and Georgia.

He realized then that if the monarchs of the UK ever tried to integrate themselves into the USA, they would have never lost their colonies. After all, the amount of people that want to feel more important than what they are is endless when there are people with new money.

He plans to colonize Africa, and if he makes the same mistakes as the British, he will repeat history. Creating dukedoms and earldoms instead of territories. Moreover, they plan to officially pull Peru and Chile into an empire; he must go down there and not let Bolivar take all the credit and limelight.

"Excuse me, I need the washroom," Felipe said as he apologetically got up and left, not waiting for anyone to show him where it would be. He felt like he has used 60% of his energy just making conversation.

He felt like he had just finished exercising for a long ass time. 'That is a confirmed diagnosis; I am an introvert.' Felipe laughed at himself while laughing at his existence. The worst part was that he didn't look like a child, and he didn't drink, not because he couldn't but because he didn't want. So he was pressured to drink some and pretended to drink the rest.

'Ironic, I will have to do these ever so often to maintain power… I prefer telling people what to do better.' Felipe ignored the servants as he went to the second floor of the club and just found a bar, empty, yet with a black bartender.

He saw another passage to go further inside the building with doors on the side; they were all rooms. He wants to get one and lie down for a bit.

"Those are rooms?" Felipe asked.

"Yes… your majesty." The Bartender knew who Felipe was, as everyone was, thanks to the extensive preparation that the club did.

"Are they clean?" Felipe asked with a laughing tone.

"They are all clean, but if your majesty wants to be secure, I will use numbers all but the first 5." He said politely. "Numbers 9 and 10 have large windows."

"Great, I want to lie down, is number 8 open? Can I go in?" Felipe asked once again. The Bartender slowly pulled out a key and came out of the stand to give it personally to Felipe.

"Thank you," Felipe said as he slowly walked to his now-required room.

"I am here to serve." He said as he went back to his station. Felipe just nodded before returning to cope with his own social exhaustion.

He could feel someone going up the ladder, and e just cursed, yet, when he looked back, he saw Nancy in her fancy dress. She has been looking at him the whole time, and he has just ignored her.

"…" Felipe said nothing as he slowly returned to his room. Nancy, seeing that, quickly finished going up the stair and followed Felipe. "Wait."

He had already opened the room door; it was all dark and gloomy. There were some oil lamps, but they were not lit. Only the light that filtered through the curtains of the window could light up the place.

"I do not like parties much; I will lie down. I trust the other guests are entertaining themselves." Felipe said as he looked at her and looked for anyone coming behind her.

"Is that so…" She said as she didn't know what to say.

"…. I will reward your boldness; I found it quite attractive… please, come inside." Felipe said as he stepped back and opened the door wider.

"… That…I can't" She understood what Felipe was implying. She looked behind her and saw the servant looking at the wall as he stood waiting for a drink.

"I will not dishonour you. You do not have to worry; trust my words." Felipe said as he chuckled at the mind of his prey.

"Okey…" She sighed and quickly entered the room as Felipe smiled and closed the door behind him.

The moment Felipe closed the door, they looked at each other directly in their eyes. The loud music of bellow filled the quiet ambiance.

"Why do you want to be my wife?" Felipe asked as he slowly took his belt.

She panicked, "You promised."

"I promised… I will keep my word, but everything else is on the table." Felipe got close to her as he pressed his body against her, putting their faces centimetres away, and even then, she could not stop looking at his eyes.

"Everything else…" She understood the matters of women and men and just nodded.

"Answer me," Felipe said once again as he used his hands to stop looking elsewhere.

"You are handsome and rich… you are a crown prince." She said honestly.

"Bold and honest." He just smiled.

"I am not a hypocrite, though… I would have said the same, as we don't know each other… everything you know about me is what you have heard about me. And even then, I bet you have not heard of me much." Felipe continued as he made his way to her neck like a vampire.

"…" She stayed silent, understanding it was the best option.

"But as I said, you ticked my desire. I now want you… but not like you are right now. I need you to change; I'm not too fond of make-up, I don't like you wearing tight dresses, and I don't like you thinking so superficially… we will meet in the future again… and I will take you regardless of your mind… you will be either my whore, or my wife." Felipe said as he felt her body tremble.

"I have other women; if you become my wife, your job will be to manage the whores, and if you end up as a whore, you will get managed by my future wives," Felipe said as he untied her Polinese dress knot and slowly untensed.

She realized she was no longer the predator but prey as her body relaxed thanks to the open dress. She did nothing, though, as she was determined, blinded by desire.

Not long before, her dress fell to the ground, and she was only in her white crinoline and her gown on the top.

"I am… yours…"