Page 79 of The Princess and Her Grand King

She felt warm. Every part of her was acutely aware of him. Every sigh, every shift in his seat—Emeriel felt it all.

And you wonder why you’ve only managed to review three trade records in hours?Her inner voice tsked.Your most productive work so far has been ogling your Beloved.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she gave herself a firm mental shake.Get a grip, you gawking, horny fool.

Resolving to focus, she picked up a ledger and forced her attention on its figures.

A moment later, Emeriel frowned. "Some of these numbers don't add up."

King Daemonikai raised his head. "Let me see." He extended his hand.

Emeriel passed him the ledger, careful not to let their fingers brush.

"Ah, Lord Zaiper’s transaction records over the year.”

"Yes." Emeriel reclaimed the ledger, her brows knitting together as she reviewed the figures again. “There’s a glaring gap here. These records don’t align at all.”

“With Zaiper, they rarely do,” Daemonikai said in a wry tone. “He always has an excuse for them.”

“But isn’t this a crime?” Emeriel asked incredulously. “The people are starving, and he’s stealing from them?”

“When confronted, he insists he’s given the funds to the poor, starving villagers in the outer settlements. He even manages to find witnesses to back his story.”

“But you suspect his claims aren’t true?” Her lips thinned. “Why does he still get away with it? Lord Zaiper is neither a good ruler nor a decent male. I’m sure many would agree with me."

"Oh, everyone knows Zaiper can be a nightmare.” Daemonikai let out a chuckle. “He has ruled beside me for millennia; it's hard to miss that."

He folded the scroll he had been working on. "But in our kingdom, any accusation, especially one leveled against a ruler, is a grave matter. One must be certain, with irrefutable evidence and reliable witnesses. If not, the allegation holds no water.”

Emeriel shook her head, not hiding her displeasure.

Daemonikai shrugged. “It’s the way of the court, young one. Zaiper is a nightmare, yes, but he's a cunning one. He's careful to leave no trail, no solid evidence, no credible witnesses. Until there's proof, it remains mere speculations."

"He doesn't like you very much," Emeriel said bluntly.

“The feeling is mutual,” Daemonikai said, unbothered. “But for the most part, we keep out of each other’s way.” His eyes met hers. “Zaiper wants to be grand king.”

Emeriel reared back. “Really?”

"Mmm."

She had never considered that possibility, but now that she did… it made sense. Lord Zaiper had always come across as ambitious and scheming.

"If you knew that, why would you keep someone like him by your side?" Emeriel asked incredulously.

***

"She’s gone into heatstroke," Mistress Sinai observed coolly, watching as the young female retch on the floor. "Perhaps you should consider bringing in her male?"

"She’ll get over it," Zaiper said, indifferent. He was sprawled naked across the bed, looking irritated.

All the places where the girl had scratched herself raw from being mounted by the second ruler were red and bleeding.

Her body rejected Zaiper’s touch, which meant every moment with him was excruciating for her. Not that Zaiper cared.

The girl curled into herself, breathing heavily.

Sinai felt a slice of sympathy for her. Zaiper had been choosing nobodies—those whose absence would go unnoticed by society—in his new obsessive quest to sire an heir. Breeding them despite their lack of compatibility.

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