A subtle, dark smirk played on my lips as I stood up from the soft mattress, slowly and deliberately approaching her corner.
"Why the hesitation? Just change right here. I don't mind looking at all," I murmured, leaning in slightly as I cornered her against the wall.
Her pale face instantly flushed a brilliant, burning red at my bold, teasing words.
Lilia's blue eyes widened in utter shock and deep embarrassment, her cheeks flaming.
She clutched the cheap spare clothes even tighter against her chest, using the small paper parcel as a feeble, completely useless shield against the profound discomfort washing over her body.
"P-please," she stammered desperately, her voice barely rising above a trembling, frantic whisper. "I... I can't. Not right in front of you."
Her frantic gaze darted around the tiny room, seeking any possible escape from the predatory, suffocating atmosphere.
She backed up flat against the wooden wall, her heart pounding so violently against her ribs that I could almost hear it in the quiet room.
"C-could you... at least turn around? Or... or better step out and leave the room for just a brief moment, please?" she pleaded, her voice shaking with a fragile mixture of fear and desperate, submissive modesty.
Despite her current status as a branded slave, Lilia's lifetime of sheltered upbringing as a high princess had ingrained a deep, unshakable sense of pride in her soul.
The mere idea of undressing in the presence of anyone—let alone the man she had once falsely accused—was utterly mortifying.
As I moved closer, her breath hitched. She instinctively averted her eyes toward the floor, waiting for my response with a mixture of dread and fading hope.
"Well, here's the absolute reality of the situation, milady," I said, my voice dropping into a low, commanding tone as I leaned down, effectively trapping her against the wall. "You are a slave. My slave."
I reached out, my fingers lightly brushing against the cool, heavy leather collar around her neck.
"This collar is the permanent, absolute proof of it. And if I recall correctly, you're the very one who pledged that you would do anything to survive beside me, aren't you?"
I watched her chest heave, letting the heavy weight of my words sink into her mind.
"As your legal owner, seeing your body is a perfectly normal, expected thing, isn't it?" I stated, my face positioned mere inches away from her flushed, hyperventilating face.
"Now, stop delaying and get changed. I don't want to waste any more valuable time," I ordered firmly, stepping back just a fraction to give her room.
"We are still within that damned Grand Magus's reach, which means it's highly unsafe to linger. If you want to ensure your own survival, at least you need to learn absolute fact about your conditions."
Lilia's lips parted slightly, her breath coming in shallow hitches. The brutal reality of her new life crashed down upon her, presenting a stark, painful contrast to the pampered, revered existence she had led just days ago.
She swallowed hard, her throat tight. Her striking blue eyes instantly welled up with thick, with glistening tears—not just from the intense embarrassment, but from the crushing truth of her absolute vulnerability.
"I... I understand," she managed to whisper, her voice quivering with raw emotion.
She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to steel her fragile pride against the impending humiliation.
"I will change now... Master."
'Master... She really said that, huh.'
It wasn't that I genuinely wanted to humiliate her, but it was vital for her to fully grasp her reality.
This is primarily for her own good—if she understands the current situation, she won't be so quick to act rashly in the future.
With trembling hands, Lilia slowly began to undress. Her movements were incredibly awkward and rigid under my direct, unblinking gaze.
She kept her eyes glued strictly to the wooden floorboards, completely unable to look at me as the fine, ruined silk of her palace dress slid down her shoulders and pooled at her feet.
Her mind raced with painful, distant memories of her fallen kingdom and her lost nobility, but she forced herself to focus entirely on executing my order.
As she stepped out of her undergarments and reached for the commoner clothes, a profound, terrifying sense of exposure washed over her.
She felt entirely stripped of her royal dignity under the dim silver light filtering through the windowpane.
Yet, deep down, she knew that resisting would only invite more ruin from the cruel world outside.
Watching the entire process unfold before me, I found the view to be undeniably captivating.
As Lilia was now completely naked, her flawless physique was displayed completely before my eyes.
From head to toe, every elegant curve, her porcelain skin, and her perfect proportions were on full display under the warm glow of the oil lantern.
To be honest, at that moment I really wanted to push her onto that soft mattress to fully enjoy the fruits of my ownership of her.
The power dynamic between us was intoxicating, and the sight of a former grand princess completely submitting to my will provided a thrill like no other.
"Hurry it up," I added, breaking the heavy silence as I turned away toward the window to check the darkened street below.
Lilia let out a quiet, shaky breath of relief as I finally broke my gaze.
"Yes... Master," she murmured softly, her tone carrying a newfound, quiet acceptance of the long road ahead.
Just then, someone suddenly knocked on my door.
"Excuse me! We've prepared the water you ordered for washing up!" A woman's voice came from outside the door, it sounded like the innkeeper from earlier.