Chapter Thirteen: The Song of the Past and The King's Hidden Emotion

At that moment, Elysia was still standing inside the room where the captive women were kept. Her mind drifted back to the past. The melody and rhythm of the song her mother used to sing were still fresh in her memory. She knew every word by heart. She remembered it all. She remembered the days when her mother would sing to her—the voice that lulled her to sleep every night.

"Mama… can you sing to me again?" young Elysia asked.

"Alright, but after that, you need to sleep," her mother replied.

"Yes, Mama," the little girl answered.

Soon, the room was filled with a soft melody. Every word of the song her mother sang was deeply imprinted in her mind.

As she sang, her mother gently stroked Elysia's forehead. Her voice was as soothing as an angel's. To Elysia, it was the most beautiful music in the world. And before she would fall asleep, her mother would always whisper words that Elysia never forgot.

"My child… treasure my song," her mother would say.

That was something Elysia could never forget because it was the last memory she had of her mother before she passed away. Remembering this, Elysia couldn't stop her tears from falling. That song always took her back to her childhood.

She continued to sob inside the room, covering her face with both hands. She didn't notice that someone suddenly grabbed her wrist, making her stop crying. When she peeked through her fingers, she saw Lord Draegon looking at her with furrowed brows.

"Crying again…? Do your tears ever run out?" the young lord remarked coldly.

"It's nothing, Your Majesty," Elysia quickly responded, wiping her tears away.

Without warning, Lord Draegon pulled her out of the room and dragged her into another spacious chamber filled with scattered objects. Elysia looked around in confusion, wondering why he had brought her there. The room was full of old and unused things.

"Clean this up," he ordered in a stern voice.

"H-huh? But… it's such a mess!" Elysia exclaimed in shock.

"You're not doing anything useful, so I'm giving you something to do. You're a servant," Lord Draegon stated firmly.

"Oh… fine," Elysia muttered with a frown.

Without another word, Lord Draegon left, while Elysia glanced around the messy room. There was so much to clean—dust, scattered papers, and broken items lying everywhere. She picked up a broom and started sweeping the floor, clearing away the dust and papers. She separated the items that could still be used and took the useless ones outside. Then, she scrubbed the walls, which were stained with dirt, wiped the windows, and washed anything salvageable. It took her hours to finish, and by the time she was done, she was exhausted. The room was much cleaner than before.

Feeling drained, Elysia sat on an old, black sofa to rest. Without realizing it, she dozed off.

Later, she slowly woke up—but something felt different. She was no longer in the same room. She was lying in a white-walled chamber, staring up at a bright chandelier. She knew this place. It was the room that Tuwa (Grandma) Morwenna had mentioned before.

Then, she noticed something firm wrapped around her body.

When she looked down, her eyes widened in shock—it was a man's arm holding her tightly.

Panicked, she turned her head to the side and was completely stunned. Just inches away from her face was the king himself. Lord Draegon was staring at her intently, without even blinking. Their faces were so close that they could feel each other's breath.

Elysia's heart pounded. She couldn't understand why, but she felt incredibly nervous under his gaze. Her cheeks flushed red, and she froze like a statue.

Lord Draegon, still gazing at her, slowly reached out and gently caressed her cheek. Then, as if pulled by an unseen force, he leaned in closer.

He had lost control of himself.

He had taken her away from the captives' room earlier because he couldn't stand not being able to look at her. No matter how much he tried to deny it—to himself or to others—he couldn't fight his feelings.

Ever since Vlood confessed his feelings for Elysia, Lord Draegon hadn't understood his own emotions. When Vlood admitted that he liked her, an intense rage had surged within him—he had wanted to strangle Vlood right then and there. But at the same time, he didn't want anyone to see how he truly felt.

The truth was undeniable.

What he felt for Elysia was more than just interest.

It was something far deeper.

Their faces were slowly getting closer, with only two inches of space left until their noses touched. Draegon did not remove his hand from Elysia's face. He slowly lowered his hand and slipped it inside the young woman's bandana. He slightly unfolded Elysia's scarf until he saw her rosy lips. He could no longer control himself, he kissed the young woman with care. Elysia was surprised by the young man's actions, but what surprised her even more was her response to his kiss. Elysia closed her eyes and savored the soft lips of the young man. She couldn't express to herself why she liked that kiss. That was his first kiss on the lips. Lord Draegon could feel the warm lips of the maiden, and like Elysia, he also closed his eyes. He really wanted to do that to the young woman ever since he saw her. It is truly destined that Elysia is meant for him because he seems to go crazy when he can't see her.

Slowly, Lord Draegon moved his lips and inserted his tongue into the woman's mouth. The young man pressed his tongue against the young woman's tongue, as if asking Elysia to also stick out her tongue. The young man's desire was fulfilled. Now, the young man's mouth was filled with the young woman's tongue. The young man thrust it in and out until Elysia took over, moving her tongue in and out on the young man's tongue. Lord Draegon licked Elysia's lips, and after that, he stopped. He really wanted to fuck the young woman, but he was holding himself back. That was the first time in Lord Draegon's life that he restrained himself from a woman. He never did that to anyone except Elysia. Before he lost control, he got up from the bed and stood away from Elysia.

"Get some rest," said the young man while looking at the young woman.

Lord Draegon immediately left the young lady's room. Even though he wanted to touch Elysia, he would just wait until she turned eighteen. Elysia, on the other hand, was left speechless and touched her lips. Her cheeks flushed because of their kiss. She covered her face because she responded to the kiss.

"Oh no...what I did is so embarrassing," Elysia said to herself, her cheeks turning red.