Free Web NovelChapter 217: Free Sample
After his brief chat with Emilia, Mark arrived at Princess Luna’s room.
And the moment he crossed the door, Mark noticed that Luna had put considerably more care into her appearance than the day before.
She was wearing a fitted black one-piece dress that showed off her figure, and on her lips she had something resembling a dark lipstick.
Her short black hair was styled more carefully, and her wolf ears moved slightly as she watched him come in.
’Quite the change...’ Mark thought, looking her over.
He also noticed that the pale white-haired woman who always accompanied Luna wasn’t there.
For the first time since he had known her, they were alone.
"Well, well, you finally show up," Luna said, pointing at the seat across from her with a lazy wave of her hand. "Sit down, I don’t bite... at least not yet."
"Sorry for the delay... I had to take care of a couple of things before coming," Mark replied as he took a seat.
"Things, right," Luna said, raising an eyebrow. "Those ’things’ wouldn’t happen to have green hair and pointy ears, would they?"
Mark stayed quiet, observing the sudden shift in the princess’s attitude and the difference in the atmosphere surrounding them.
The rigid tension from the meeting with Joseph was gone.
Now she was relaxed and casual, as if instead of a negotiation between rulers they were having a chat between old acquaintances.
But to Mark’s surprise, he ended up appreciating that change of atmosphere, especially after spending the entire morning enduring Joseph.
The conversation continued for a while longer, jumping from one trivial topic to another, until Mark decided to cut to the chase.
"So your plan is to use us as a stepping stone to take the throne from your siblings..." freeweɓnovel.cѳm
Luna, who had her bare feet propped up on the table in a completely shameless posture, finished chewing a piece of meat she was holding between her fingers and grinned from ear to ear.
"Yeah, that’s the perfect summary," she said, finishing her food. "Good plan, right?"
"It’s a decent plan," Mark conceded. "But it has a huge hole in it."
Luna took her feet off the table and sat up in her chair, sitting properly for the first time since Mark had walked in.
And while her smile didn’t disappear, her gaze sharpened slightly.
"Oh, this interests me," she said, looking at him fixedly. "Enlighten me, Emperor. What’s this hole?"
"You’re assuming I’m going to take your side," Mark replied. "But so far you haven’t explained why I should back you and not any of your siblings."
Luna looked at him for a second, then let out a short laugh.
"Pff," she scoffed, waving a hand as if Mark had just said something silly. "Please. They’re going to choose me regardless. That’s not even a question, it’s a certainty."
"That confidence of yours is admirable," Mark said without flinching. "But I’m curious... what are you basing that certainty on?"
"Alright, I’ll make it simple for you," Luna replied, turning serious. "I have three siblings competing with me for the succession, but two have already sided with the eldest. So in practical terms, I only have one real rival."
"Sounds like you’re at a disadvantage."
"That’s where you’re wrong," she said, raising a finger. "Because all three have exactly the same flaw... they hate humans and elves with every fiber of their being."
"Charming..."
"They really are, trust me," Luna said with a bitter smile. "So tell me, do you honestly think any of those three would even agree to sit at the same table as you? That they’d shake hands with a human who rules over a bunch of elves? Their pride wouldn’t even let them look you in the eye."
"And how do I know you’re not lying to me?" Mark asked, leaning slightly forward. "It’s very easy to paint your rivals as intractable fanatics when what you’re after is making sure I have no choice but to back you."
Luna didn’t take offense.
On the contrary, her smile widened, as if that response had confirmed exactly what she had expected to hear.
"You’re suspicious... and I love that," she said, licking her lips. "Go ahead, investigate all you want. All you’ll manage is to waste your time."
Mark looked at her for a few seconds.
There wasn’t a trace of doubt in her voice.
Luna spoke with the calm of someone who knew they were telling the truth and wasn’t afraid of having their words put to the test.
"Alright, let’s say I believe you," he said finally. "That your siblings would never ally with me and that you’re, for better or worse, the best option."
Mark rested an elbow on the armrest.
"That only tells me what YOU gain... not what I get out of all this."
"Now we’re talking." Luna leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "If you help me onto that throne, the first thing you get is the entire beastman kingdom normalizing relations with you overnight."
"Go on..."
"And the second thing, which is the really juicy part, is that you’d have a Grand Beast Lord willing to listen to you," she said, lowering her voice slightly. "A ruler on the throne who would never forget who put her there... That’s priceless."
"..."
"On the other hand, if any of my brothers took the throne, the best you could hope for would be an indifferent neighbor," Luna added, shrugging. "And in the worst case, you’d end up with an irreconcilable enemy."
"Hmm."
Mark closed his eyes and stayed thoughtful, his brow slightly furrowed as he turned the princess’s words over in his head.
While he reflected in silence, Luna watched him with a smile, and her tone shifted to something much lighter and more playful.
"That’s without counting the small detail that you’d be betting on someone as terribly smart, charming, cunning, and, let’s not kid ourselves, devilishly sexy as me."
Mark simply let out a short laugh at that.
"A woman like that, in your debt... just imagine all the ways she could repay the favor," the princess said provocatively.
And it was exactly then that Mark felt it.
Under the table, Luna’s bare feet had started brushing against his legs, sliding slowly up and down.
Mark opened his eyes and glanced down at the table for an instant before fixing his gaze back on her.
"...Mind telling me what you think you’re doing?"
Luna held his gaze without showing the slightest bit of shame, while her feet began massaging his cock through his pants.
"Nothing you should take too seriously just yet", she replied, licking her lips. "Consider it just a small free sample... of all the benefits that come included if you decide to choose me."
