* * *
Before he realized it, Helid’s large hand had slid down to Eren’s backside and was slowly tightening its grip.
Eren flinched and tried to shake him off, but it was no use.
“If you’re enjoying this, I won’t stop.”
“Count?”
Melody’s voice cut in sharply after Helid’s whispered taunt.
Eren jumped and turned to face her.
Only then did the reality sink in—that the princess was standing right there.
His face drained of all color.
Worse still, Helid’s hand had snuck beneath his waistband and was now touching bare skin.
“I-it’s fine, Princess. Don’t worry.”
Eren had been certain that Melody would help him in an instant.
But he couldn’t say anything.
He didn’t want to be seen like this—helpless—in front of his mentor, his savior.
And now that the main characters had crossed over into Trovien, he couldn’t rely on others forever.
‘If anything weird happens, I’ll just run.’
Eren fingered the ring Ashard had slipped onto him earlier.
If things went south, he could trigger the artifact and escape.
That should be enough.
Even though Eren kept repeating he was fine, his pale face said otherwise.
Melody didn’t press further, but she couldn’t shake off her unease.
‘I told him about the artifact, so he should be fine… right?’
Just before class ended, she’d warned Eren that Helid’s sword sheath contained a tracking artifact.
She flicked her eyes toward the sheath now.
Eren followed her gaze and gave a tiny nod.
They left the princess’s quarters and reached the Black Knights’ training grounds.
With Melody no longer in sight, Eren figured it was time to slip away—but the grip on his wrist was far too tight.
And the ring Helid was holding onto was the very one he needed to activate his escape magic.
‘Where the hell is he taking me…?!’
Like dragging a piece of luggage, Helid hauled Eren into a building and walked into a room before finally stopping.
Given the location, it was likely the Black Knights’ Commander’s office.
“…That hurts. Let go of my wrist.”
“What, so you can run?”
Pain flared through his wrist where Helid gripped it tightly.
His monstrous strength left no room to move.
The pain twisted Eren’s brow into a wince.
Helid’s expression shifted at the sight.
“Try it. If you can escape, go ahead.”
The more Eren writhed in discomfort, the more twisted delight bloomed on Helid’s face.
Helid stared for a moment at the ring on Eren’s hand—then, without warning, yanked it off.
By the time Eren gasped, the ring was already crushed in his hand.
“What are you—”
“Been feeling off ever since earlier.”
He tossed the broken ring to the floor, muttering softly.
From his tone, it didn’t seem like he’d known it was an artifact.
It was just his beastly instincts.
‘Click.’
A sharp sound rang out.
It didn’t take long to realize—it was the door locking.
“I tried being nice, but you just had to act out, huh?”
Helid’s teeth ground together in fury.
A vein pulsed visibly on his forehead.
His demeanor now was a far cry from the one he’d shown in front of Melody.
Eren’s body began to tremble involuntarily.
“When someone talks to you nicely, you should listen. But no—you go spreading your legs like some cheap thing, huh?”
He grabbed Eren’s jaw roughly with one hand, eyes burning with a murderous gleam.
Realizing he had no way to run, panic set in.
Eren glanced instinctively down to Helid’s waist.
‘…What?’
It was gone.
The sword that had been hanging there just moments ago—was missing.
His chest tightened in fear.
Helid followed his gaze, then let out a cold chuckle.
“Looking for something? The sword?”
“…….”
“Fuck, seems like that bastard Renan was right. He told me—said he’d set up a way to keep an eye on me and that I should watch myself.”
Eren struggled desperately to break free from Helid’s grip.
Since when had he noticed?
After Julius arrived at the Fridit estate, Eren hadn’t met Helid even once.
Yet if he was saying this now…
‘…He was expecting this.’
Damn it.
Of course it wouldn’t be that easy.
The thought barely had time to form before Helid shoved his face forward, as if warning him not to entertain any other ideas.
“You smell fucking obscene—like everything I want to ruin.”
He buried his face against Eren’s nape, inhaling deeply.
The hot breath against his skin sent shivers crawling down his spine.
The way Helid licked his lips while staring at him, slow and deliberate, was serpentine—enough to make Eren’s entire body tremble like his next breath might be his last.
“…This is the imperial palace. You think you can handle the consequences?”
“If the price for fucking you is worth paying, I’ll consider it an honor.”
You insane, psychopathic bastard—!
As if to crush any resistance, Helid pinned Eren’s wrists together above his head.
Eren thrashed, trying to break free, but the reality was he couldn’t even push back against a single one of Helid’s hands.
When Eren kept struggling, Helid snarled, yanking off his own necktie and roughly binding Eren’s wrists with it.
“Tch, I can’t fucking hold back.”
With a low curse, Helid forced his thumb into Eren’s mouth, prying it open.
The urge to shove something far worse down that throat burned inside him.
“Your lips are obscene too. Makes me want to wreck them even more.”
“Nngh—!”
Eren’s words dissolved into muffled sounds as Helid’s fingers violated his mouth, probing like a twisted mockery of a kiss.
Grimacing, Eren bit down hard.
“You’d better stop throwing a tantrum.”
Helid gripped Eren’s hair and yanked his head back, forcing his neck into an arch.
Without releasing his hold, he dragged Eren toward the sofa and threw him down.
Eren collapsed limply against the cushions.
“Didn’t I warn you?”
Helid strode to the desk without hesitation, pulling something from the drawer.
Thick, long, unmistakably a sex toy.
And not just one—he kept retrieving them, scattering them across the desk until the sheer variety laid bare his depraved tastes.
Eren’s eyes trembled violently.
Bound, unable to escape, the door locked—even the artifact he could’ve used to alert the princess was nowhere in sight.
In short, there was no way out.
‘Ha… hahaha.’
Eren pushed against the sofa with his feet, trying to put distance between them.
Futile, but he couldn’t just lie still.
Watching him, Helid smirked, one corner of his mouth lifting.
“That terrified look just makes me want you more.”
Armed with an assortment of toys, he climbed onto the sofa—or more accurately, onto Eren.
The light from above was completely blocked by his frame, his shadow swallowing Eren like a final warning: hope was pointless.
Helid clicked his tongue at the pristine buttons on Eren’s shirt, then grabbed both sides and ripped it open.
Buttons scattered like broken restraints.
“…Get off.”
Even if there was no escape, Eren had no intention of surrendering willingly.
His glare burned defiance, but Helid’s expression only darkened in response.
“I told you. The look I like is the one you’re giving me right now.”
With that, he sank his teeth into Eren’s exposed shoulder—white, round, unblemished.
A strangled sound nearly escaped Eren’s throat, but he clenched his jaw, refusing to give Helid the satisfaction.
What Helid wanted was fear, trembling submission.
And Eren had no intention of indulging him.
He bit his lip until it bled, choking back every sound.
Displeased by Eren’s silence, Helid scowled, then suddenly seized his ankle and—
“Haaah—!”
A sharp, blinding pain.
Eren’s eyes flew open to see his own foot twisted at a grotesque angle.
That bastard had broken it.
‘Fucking psycho… goddamn animal!’
* * *
