Chapter 27: Losing Heroines Are Vulnerable

The room was uncomfortably quiet.

Adonis and Minerva sat side by side on his old, rickety bed as the dusty mattress creaked with every tiny movement. Tonight was very different, very off. This was nothing like their usual evenings in her chambers.

Normally, Minerva would already be ordering him around.

"Sleep on my thighs."

"Massage my shoulders."

"My lower back needs attention tonight."

And his personal favorite... "Share a cup of tea with me."

And when she said "share" she meant it literally.

Not two cups. One cup. She’d take a sip first and leave her lipstick mark on the rim, then hand it to him with that expectant look. And he’d drink from the same spot like some lovesick fool, tasting the faint trace of her strawberry lip gloss.

As a man who’d been a virgin in his past life, he’d enjoyed it far more than he should have.

Shameful? Maybe. But he didn’t care.

Point is, Minerva never blushed during those moments. She was always composed and in control. A cold, untouchable queen the entire kingdom knew her to be.

But was very different. Just reaching out to lift a few strands of her hair between his fingers made her blush.

’What the hell...?’

If that’s all it takes to make her blush, life is on easy mode.

’Cute...’

He couldn’t help but think it. Seeing Minerva look so soft and vulnerable. It was like watching an untouchable goddess suddenly become human.

A fishy smile appeared on his emaciated face.

He eagerly scooted his butt across the bed so he could get closer to her and make his move.

Minerva instinctively shifted away.

’Heh, she’s playing hard to get...’

He scooted closer again.

She scooted away again.

They repeated this little dance until Minerva’s back hit the edge of the bed. Her shoulders were tensed, her hands were gripping the mattress, and her ruby eyes were shaking as they stared down at her shiny lap.

Adonis tilted his head.

"Are you... shifting away from me?"

"I-, I’m not! You must be seeing things!"

She sounded so defensive.

Adonis shook his head with a gentle smile.

’It’s fine, Minerva. I get it. In my past life, I once had a chance to sleep with a cute girl. But I panicked so badly I couldn’t even get it to stand. She left and never spoke to me again. The fact you came here at all... to check on me, cheer me up... already makes you ten times the person I ever was.’

Minerva pursed her lips. She looked at him with those distant red eyes, and slowly, her dainty porcelain finger traced a circle around her rosy lips.

"I know how you feel."

Her voice was quiet.

"That’s why it’s been really difficult for me to come see you these last few days. The way Aldrius treated you... it’s the same thing I went through."

"Huh?"

"He’s a man whose promises don’t stand when it doesn’t favor him. When he bought me as a slave, he made so many promises. He made me believe I’d never feel like a slave again. That I’d never feel different from humans."

"..."

"We all know how that went. He only bought me for my looks. And well... the amazing genes he’s so obsessed with."

Adonis tilted his head.

"Well, people are naturally attracted to looks. You can’t really fault him there. With your looks, any man would want you."

Minerva rested her elbows on her thighs and placed her soft chin on both palms.

"You wouldn’t understand..."

Adonis kept his face neutral.

But inside, he understood perfectly.

More than she could ever know. But he didn’t say that.

Instead, he found himself thinking about the system info still floating in the corner of his vision.

[Queen Minerva wants to get intimate with the Host!]

He almost laughed at himself.

’Stupid. I was so focused on that stupid notification that I almost started throwing out cheap pickup lines. She’s trying to open up to me. To be close. And I’m here thinking about her body. I enjoy reading about heroines revealing their traumas in novels. But having to actually listen to them say it? It’s different.’

He shook his head inwardly.

’If I keep thinking about her body right now, I’m no better than the King. I can’t be so lustful.’

He looked at her and sighed.

Minerva noticed the sour look on his face.

She thought maybe she’d said something wrong.

"What I said was a bit shallow."

She spoke quickly.

"I just meant... I was a slave for a very long time. I got abused by humans. The ones who bought me as a sex slave... I killed them to protect my chastity. I couldn’t control my own power. It’s not like I wanted to kill them. I even killed families because they told me a few harmful words."

Her hands trembled.

"Children... children... I was a disaster to everyone who bought me. At some point, life got so bleak I didn’t care who wanted me or for what reason they wanted me. I just wanted to be out of the shackles. Free of all those whippings."

"Minerva, you don’t have to...

"I just couldn’t take it anymore. But no one wanted me. So when the King came to buy me with the promise to give me the happy life I wanted... I thought it was a close connection. Now I see how hopelessly stupid I was."

Before, Minerva’s hair had been pale.

Now it was a really white color.

Adonis reached out and held her tense hand, which pressed nervously against the bed.

"It looks like just talking about your past makes you very scared and nervous. Even if it’s been so many years ago. Is that why you never told me about it?"

"..."

Minerva didn’t answer.

The truth was, Adonis already knew her backstory. When he read it in his past life, he couldn’t eat for days. The sadness of it. The fact that she got dumped by a protagonist, lost her mind, then got beheaded for betraying the kingdom... he’d never hated an author so much.

He could still remember the author going on a forum to post about how it hurt that Minerva was dead. When he was the one who put her in that situation.

Then, it hit him and he edged closer to Minerva.

This time, she didn’t shift away.

"Did you tell me all this to cheer me up?"

Minerva could have just said yes.

But she always liked to be honest with Adonis.

She shook her head softly.

"That’s not my idea of cheering you up."

She gave him a soft, soulful look.

"I just told you so you don’t think you’re the only person going through hell. I know your conditions aren’t easy. But you have to manage like I did, okay?"

She looked away with cheeks like tomatoes but this time she didn’t scoot away. In fact, she liked Adonis holding her hand like she was some damsel in distress, and he liked how close he was even though it felt embarrassing at the moment.

"And yes... I’ve been avoiding telling you about my past. But not because I’m scared of it. I’m just scared you wouldn’t be as attracted to me if I don’t turn out to be the perfect, confident woman that’s desired by many men."

She innocently stared at the stone floor.

"I’m... I’m scared of being rejected again."

The bashful look on her face faded.

Now she’s just disappointed in herself.

"It sounds stupid, doesn’t it?"

"I don’t think so."

"Re-, Really...?"

Minerva looked at him with clear, red eyes.

She got up from the bed and knelt behind him.

He felt her heaving breasts press against his back.

Her sylph-like arms wrapped around his lean body.

Her smell instantly lifted his mood.

That lilac scent around her had an aroma of rose water that made him feel at peace. He didn’t even realize when the paleness left his lean face. Her tempting body compelled him to turn on the bed and face her bursting cleavage and pretty face.

"What’s wrong, Little Fifth?"

"I want to kiss you."

"Fufu~ you don’t need to ask for permission."

He shook his head.

"No. It’s a given."

With any other woman, maybe he’d just eagerly pin them on the bed and kiss them. But he didn’t want to do that with Minerva. To kiss her without consent, even in such a hot moment, may make her feel like her body wasn’t hers.

He thought it sounded stupid. But he promised to make losing heroines feel like the most loved women on earth.

And he’d die by that word.

As such, he never wanted Minerva to feel like she hadn’t earned her freedom.

She didn’t deserve to feel like a slave.

His thoughts stopped.

Minerva was rubbing her tender palm on his chest as she’s clearly ready to strip him to his bones.

He gently pinned her against the bed as her long white hair spread across the bed like flowing rivers. Her dress was a little scattered now, so he could see bits of her pink nipples and thighs. If he pulled her dress a little more, she’d be naked.

Their eyes met directly.

Her slightly nervous eyes were wet with tears.

Her face was bright red.

Her mouth was shut tight.

Adonis just kept staring at her beauty and wondered what good he’d done in his past life to deserve this.

Minerva remained pinned on the bed.

All she could move comfortably was her neck.

So she shyly looked to the side.

"Won’t... won’t you kiss me already?"

"Alright. I’ll start..."

He slipped his hands into her trembling inner thighs to caress her there softly. Shfff—shffff... his hands up and down, making her feel very good inside there. Then he leaned in for a kiss.

Minerva was about to moan, but it was muffled by Adonis’s lips against hers and his tongue deep in her throat. She closed her eyes and accepted it.

Adonis was a genuinely surprised. Since when was Minerva so submissive? In a way, she was acting like a good girl rather than the usual proud woman she was.

"Mmph~ mmMm~"

They continued kissing, but then came the door.

Knock-knock-knock.

They ignored it and kept on kissing.

[Notice! This may be an important part of the story!]

’Sigh~ more than this—?!’

He sighed and broke off the kiss.

"What’s wrong, dear? You’re doing good..."

"Err, someone’s at the door. I’ll go check."

But she got up quicker than him.

"Don’t stress yourself. I’ll do that."

She angrily muttered cuss words as she marched over to the door. Half a mind told her it was that jealous tan-headed barbarian noblewoman, but the thought was forgotten when she saw Mariella at the door.

The losing heroine meets the "chosen" heroine.