CH 6.1

6. Will you still do it even if you have no sex drive left? (1)

She just pretended to faint.

Why did she have to be humiliated like this in this imaginary world?

Kelly’s wide eyes–which Sohee had caught as she fell-—seemed utterly surprised as if saying, “What kind of person is that?”

Meanwhile, she heard the Queen sneer over her head.

‘Readers, I’m afraid I can’t be the heroine. Maybe, I should just give up as Ariad.’ Sohee thought.

“We’ll be on our way now. I hope you have a pleasant time.”

Upon hearing Joshua’s deep voice, Sohee just laid there on the stone-cold floor in humiliation since Joshua had never thought of grabbing her and catching her in his arms when she fainted.

Yes.

Just go.

Go!

So-hee had cooked this plot in the first place so who else should she blame?

‘Both of you, please simmer, stir-fry, and cook this story by yourselves!’

So-hee gave up and closed her eyes shut.

Something warm touched her waist, and she trembled slightly in astonishment.

Joshua had picked her up.

What?

Did he care about her?

“Joshua. Are you planning just to leave us here? Aren’t you supposed to escort Miss Kelly?”

‘There’s a person who had fainted in front of her, and that damned Empress still dared to say that?’ So-hee thought as she trembled with ire.

“You two can go to the garden. I have to take care of Ariad.” Joshua insisted.

So-hee had kept her eyes closed as she smelled the cool scent of mint tickling her nostrils.

Joshua’s long legs eased out of the garden towards the direction of the bedroom.

Then, he laid her down unto a large bed embroidered with gold patterns and carefully tucked her body underneath the silky sheets.

She didn’t expect the male lead to act so sweet.

“I know you’re awake.”

“Oh? how?”

She could feel Joshua’s frustrated gaze burning holes in her skin so she decided to open her eyes.

Unfortunately, the steak sauce that had spread on Sohee’s face during lunch had smeared his white shirt as he carried her.

Nevertheless, he still took out his handkerchief and wiped her face first.

Joshua had left So-hee speechless.

How could he treat her as delicately as a fragile vase when it didn’t even match his glowers at all?

Uncomfortable with the awkward silence, Joshua said under his breath,  “What’s wrong with you?”

“Why didn’t you just go with Kelly, then? I never told you to come with me.”

So-hee was aware that the hero and heroine were already set from the beginning so this particular situation made her curious.

Joshua didn’t even like Ariad so why was he looking at her with pity in his eyes?

Why the hell?

Joshua’s blood-red pupils trembled as if he had a lot to say to her.

However, he simply sighed and left her with just three words.

“Get some rest.”

What’s up with his strange gaze?

So-hee pondered on Joshua’s behavior for a while.

She had personally created this male lead, so why did she find it difficult to understand his actions?

‘I don’t know anymore.’ She muttered as she stretched her arms upward.

What she did was embarrassing, yes, but she was determined to risk everything to stop Joshua and Kelly from being together.

“I’ll change your bandages.”

The maid came and took off the bandages on her forehead that had been soaked in beef steak sauce.

Sohee laid still as she planned what to do next.

Oh, contraceptives.

To avoid having Deon’s children, she had to take the morning-after pill.

Yet, was there such a thing as a birth control pill in this world?

She had never written that kind of thing in her web novel, though.

As she scratched her head between the loose bandages, she glanced up at the maid in front of her.

“Is there any contraceptive pill here?”

“What pill, My Lady?”

“A morning-after pill. It’s a  contraceptive.”

“I’ll look for it.”

Oh.

Maybe, this world didn’t have it.

So-hee hummed a song as she felt more at ease.

* * *

It was a beautiful autumn day.

A ray of sunlight had penetrated through the office window and unto the papers that Joshua held.

He slowly read the documents in his hand one after the other yet for some reason, he couldn’t seem to read the letters well, so he read the sentences and did it over and over again.

When his brain accidentally conjured an image of Ariad’s face at the end, he ran his fingers through his dark hair.

“Why am I so angry and frustrated?”

On the first day of their engagement, he admitted that he couldn’t take her eyes off her unrivaled beauty.

After their arranged marriage, Ariad was a bird that could fly away at any given moment.

Even if she was right beside him, he couldn’t have her for himself.

Because of her indiscretions, Joshua’s spotless reputation in society had gone to the mud.

Rumors that nobody would have dared to speak in front of the Crown Prince had spread profusely, such as how he could take care of the state’s affairs if he couldn’t keep his wife loyal.

They also said that his wife must have slept around with many men because he couldn’t satisfy her during the night.

Of course, he was furious with her for being the only stain in his life of rules and propriety.

He tried not to show himself seething over her behavior and just treated her with nonchalance.

Joshua quickly regained his original composure after doing this.

The instant a man sees her, he suddenly becomes generous with his attention, and Ariad would immediately have sex with that particular man if she found him a little handsome.

In the meantime, he had lost his mind and all that was left was disgust.

He was just bothered how this woman could take a seat right next to him and sprinkle dirt on the honor she had worked so hard for.

Yes, he thought so.

When Joshua faced Ariad as she laid in Deon’s bed a few days ago, he felt something fiery and different bubbling from inside him for the first time, and Ariad’s succeeding strange actions added fuel to that fire.

Joshua threw away the papers and buried his face in the desk when he remembered Ariad kissing him last night.

He hated the thought of falling for that bitch’s trap and allowed her to play him like a violin.

“Damn it.”

The thick clouds from the outside made the room look dark, and then, he heard someone knock on the other side of his office door.

A maid came in and reported to Joshua. “Ariad had found a contraceptive pill, Your Highness.”

“Ha!” Joshua spat out his frustration and slammed his fist on his desk.

The maid lowered her head and trembled in fear.

It was the first time she witnessed the gentle crown prince throwing a temper tantrum.

Wanting to vent this ferocious rage somewhere, Joshua got up and left his office with a destination in mind.

* * *