assistirfilmes Chapter 95 What Is Love?
Chapter 95 What Is Love?
— [congratulations! you have passed the cognitive trial!]
— [you are now in stage two]
— [you have gained the following rewards!]
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[loading...]
[installed]
ding!
— [rewards #1: +1000exp magic bestowal]
— [new magic bestowal level: level ten]...
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— [reward #2: +1000exp in people's perception]
— [new people's perception level: level twelve]
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— [reward #3: +1000 exp for emperor level]
— [new emperor level: level eight]
— [reward #4: +150exp in loyalty of the people
— [new loyalty of the people level: level three]
all the trials were finally over. argider groaned, her body sinking deeper into the mattress. exhaustion clung to her like a second skin. she rubbed her temples, trying to will the throbbing headache away, but then she noticed something—or rather, someone—sitting beside her.
red hair. red eyes.
faeralys turned her face away, her hand clutching her chest. her heart was fluttering, betraying her usual stoic demeanor, and she hated it. it wasn't that she disliked argider, far from it. but she couldn't allow herself to feel this way. she couldn't afford to.
"faeralys? what's wrong?" argider asked softly, concern lacing her voice.
"look..." faeralys hesitated, her voice wavering. "i don't want to do anything... intimate with you, okay?"
argider's eyes widened in hurt. "but why?"
"everything about this, about us, makes me uncomfortable," faeralys admitted, her tone sharp but fragile. "i don't want to be just another woman in your collection, argider. i'm not some trophy."
her words hit argider like a slap. she hadn't thought about it that way. "then... do you want to leave the harem?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
did she? yes. absolutely, yes. the palace life suffocated her, drained her. she was nothing more than a tool here, a vessel for expectations she never wanted to bear. but... what would become of her family if she left?
"i... i don't know, okay?" she finally answered, her voice trembling. "i want to leave, but i'm just a girl. i can't really do much..."
argider's hand reached out, gently brushing against faeralys's arm. "then you don't have to love me. we can still do our duties as wife and wife."
faeralys let out a bitter laugh. "that's out of the question. you're a woman now..."
"but i can still try loving you," argider said earnestly, her voice breaking slightly.
faeralys's gaze softened, but her defenses remained. "do you even know what love is?"
argider opened her mouth, then closed it. she didn't know. not really. love was slow, deliberate - so people said. but her life had only been chaos, filled with fleeting connections and shallow alliances. was there even room for love in a world like hers?
"no," she admitted, her voice heavy with shame.
"that's what i thought." faeralys's tone was gentle but firm. "if you wanted to try loving me, why now?"
"because..." argider hesitated. "i don't think i would've been able to love at all before."
"i don't know, argider," she said finally, her voice cracking. "i'm scared."
before faeralys could respond, argider leaned in, their faces mere inches apart. faeralys froze, her breath caught in her throat.
argider hesitated, giving faeralys a chance to pull away.
but faeralys didn't move.
slowly, reluctantly, she closed her eyes, allowing argider to press a soft, tentative kiss to her lips. it was warm, delicate, and filled with unspoken promises.