Chapter 159: At Least I Didn't Have To Force You*
Reene sat at the edge of the bed, her fingers clenched tightly around the fabric of her nightgown until it crumpled beneath her grip.
She didn't know how to feel. Her thoughts were a storm of conflicting emotions—torn between her sacred vows as a wife and the cruel reality of her place now… a concubine in all but name.
She was still Enzo's wife—bound to him before the Goddess and the Church. That truth had not changed.
But the palace didn't run on divine will. It thrived on power, politics, and survival. And she knew—deep down—that if she refused her role here, if she spurned Claude entirely, her privileges would be stripped, her standing reduced to dust.
And worse… her child would suffer.
Reene closed her eyes, a sharp ache blooming behind her ribcage.
Claude had treated her with respect. He had given her comfort, a sense of dignity in a place designed to take it away.
Even when he'd once made decisions that caused her and her baby unbearable pain—actions she swore she'd never forgive—he had never once broken a promise.
And that, in itself, made everything harder.
"If I don't do this… if I resist…" Her grip trembled on the fabric. "They'll use it against me. Against my child."
But then came the other voice—smaller, hoarse, but unrelenting.
"And if I go through with it… I betray Enzo."
The memory returned again, unbidden but vivid: the darkness of the cell, the echo of boots on stone, Enzo's voice—raw with betrayal and desperation—as she turned her back and walked away.
His eyes, were filled with disbelief. His voice, cracked as he called her name. The sound of chains as he tried to reach for her.
Reene's entire body began to shake, a cold sweat running down her back. Guilt clawed up her throat.
She was on the verge of tears when the silence broke as the door opened and someone entered.
Footsteps grew louder until they stopped right in front of her.
Her eyes shot open. She didn't dare look up, her gaze locked on the polished boots standing before her. She knew instantly—it was Claude.
He stood still, watching her.
"You know I can't wait forever, right?" he said, his tone calm but edged with expectation.
The words made her crumble inside. She nodded faintly. "I'm sorry… I'll try my best."
Claude sighed a trace of weariness in his voice. "I can't do this if you look that miserable, Reene. I don't care much about your status in this palace—but my advisors and the council do."
Her body stiffened at that. The implication wasn't lost on her.
"If you can't be my concubine," he continued bluntly, "you'll need to become something else. But you're not a gifted mage like Lilac. You have no courtly skill to leverage. What do you have?"
His words cut sharp, not out of cruelty, but brutal honesty.
Still, Reene reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it tightly in hers.
"Then let me try," she said, her voice trembling but steady. "Please. I'll try. I won't look miserable. I won't drag this down."
Claude paused, watching her closely. There was no fear in her eyes now—only raw, trembling resolve.
He gave a faint smirk. "Alright then. I'll give you time to prove yourself."
He turned and walked over to the table near the fireplace, where a bottle of wine waited. Sitting down, he poured himself a glass and took a slow sip.
"Excuse me?" Reene asked, confused, still frozen on the edge of the bed.
Claude raised his eyes to meet hers. "You know what I mean," he said, voice low, almost amused.
"Do it, Reene. Right here. Satisfy yourself in front of me."
He grinned slightly, lifting the wineglass. "Call my name when you come."
Her eyes widened, blood rushing to her cheeks. Embarrassment surged through her, almost overwhelming—but not enough to stop her.
She climbed slowly toward the center of the bed, moving stiffly, like a puppet made of porcelain.
She sat back on her heels, heart pounding. Her nightgown had ridden up around her thighs.
She wasn't wearing anything underneath. The cool air and his gaze on her bare skin made her shiver.
She took a shaky breath, then parted her legs.
Claude leaned back in his chair, swirling the wine in his glass. "What are you waiting for?" he said. "Do it."
Reene nodded, her fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against the entrance of her slick folds.
She slowly began circling her clit, making her body tremble.
Yet, she was still nervous—Claude's crimson eyes were fixed on her so intense, making her not know how to behave.
But she shook her head, pushing past the hesitation. Heat steadily bloomed between her thighs, her folds growing wetter with each stroke.
A soft whimper escaped her lips, her gaze turning hazy with desire.
"Moan for me, Reene. I want to hear that beautiful voice," Claude said, his tone commanding.
She nodded obediently, slipping a finger inside herself. It slid in easily, her arousal coating it as she began to thrust in and out.
Her other hand moved up to her chest, gently kneading her breast, teasing her nipple with her fingertips.
"Ngghh…" she gasped, her breath hitching.
The pleasure pulsed through her, warmth spreading through her limbs as her body began to relax under the rising heat.
She added another finger, curling it inward—and there it was. Her G-spot. Her body jolted, her back arching slightly as a moan tore from her throat.
"Ahhh…! Hahhh…!"
Her pace quickened, slick sounds filling the room as she spread her legs wider, chasing that overwhelming sensation.
She lay back, her eyes half-lidded, feeling Claude's gaze burning into her skin. The way he looked at him as if he wanted to eat her alive was terrifying but at the same time it made her even hotter.
"I… I think I'm gonna cum…! Nghhh… Aahhh…!" she cried, staring up at the ceiling as her body trembled with need, her walls clenching around her fingers.
"Damn, you're so fucking sexy, Reene. Cum for me—and say my name," Claude growled, standing up and peeling off the last of his clothes.
Reene nodded, unable to hold back any longer. The pleasure coiled tight inside her, ready to snap.
"OHHH—AAHHH—CLAUDE!! CUMMING!!!"
She screamed as her climax hit, juices gushing over her fingers. Her back arched high, toes curling, body locked in blissful tension.
It had been a long time since she came like that… and it felt so damn good.
The bed creaked beneath Claude as he shifted, sitting up—his large, proud cock standing tall between his legs. Reene's eyes widened at the sight of it; she had never seen something so big before.
"Since you've been working so hard to please me today," Claude said with a slow stroke along his shaft, "why don't you use this to pleasure yourself too, Reene?"
She gulped at his words, nodding silently. Her hand reached out, fingers curling around his thick length.
The veins throbbed under her touch, and her mind swam with thoughts—How would this even fit inside her mouth? Inside her?
Slowly, she leaned forward, her tongue flicking over the swollen head of his cock.
She licked it in slow, teasing circles, savoring the salty hint of his arousal as Claude groaned and placed a hand on the back of her head.
'So this is what he likes…' she thought and took him deeper, inch by inch.
The thick shaft filled her mouth, stretching her lips wide, nudging the back of her throat. She gagged, but fought through it, her tongue working to keep him wet and slick.
"Not bad at all," Claude praised with a low, rough voice.
Then, without warning, he pressed her head forward, making her choke slightly—but the way her throat trembled around him sent jolts of pleasure through his spine.
Taking control, Claude began thrusting into her mouth, guiding her movements with firm hands.
Her hair bobbed with every stroke as his cock plunged deeper, hitting the back of her throat with every pump.
Her eyes fluttered closed, tears pricking the corners as her breath caught—but to her shock, her body responded with heat.
Her pussy throbbed, slick dripping down her thighs. She moaned around his cock, reaching between her legs to touch herself, desperate for friction.
Claude smirked, landing a sharp slap on her ass. "I knew you'd love this. No one can resist the aphrodisiac in my precum and cum," he murmured darkly, watching her tremble in pleasure.
The idea of cumming just from giving a blowjob was absurd to her—yet here she was, her body reacting shamelessly, hips grinding into her hand as she became addicted to the taste, the feel, the power he held over her.
Claude's pace quickened, his hips thrusting with urgency as her throat clenched around him. Her eyes rolled back, mouth stretched wide, completely lost in the overwhelming pleasure.
"Ah, shit… I'm gonna cum!" he groaned, thrusting deeper as his cock twitched, thick and pulsing.
With a final push, he came hard inside her throat, hot spurts filling her mouth.
She swallowed instinctively, tears falling freely down her cheeks—but the pleasure overwhelmed her.
Her body tensed, and she came with a helpless cry, slick gushing onto her fingers.
Claude chuckled breathlessly, watching her shake.
"Well," he said with a grin, "at least I didn't have to force you."