Turning the Tables

Turning the Tables

Without a sound, all of Lynn's Horse Bandit underlings tactfully disappeared.

In the small plaza at the center of the Castle, only Lynn and Yagna were suddenly left.

"I'm tired. Help me to the bathroom. I want to take a bath."

Looking at Yagna, who had delivered herself to him, Lynn was in no hurry to enjoy her.

The food already on his plate wasn't going anywhere.

He was covered in blood and grime, from his chainmail to the padding beneath it, all soaked through with the filthy blood of the Demon Bear.

If he didn't wash himself clean, he truly had no mood to enjoy a midnight snack.

Besides, he was indeed a little tired.

Even with B-rank strength, after battling the Demon Bear for several hours, he had little strength left.

With that, he casually draped his left arm over Yagna's shoulder and unceremoniously pressed half his weight onto her.

The thick stench nearly made Yagna faint on the spot, and large patches of dark bloodstains spread across her precious pale blue gown.

In the past, she would hide far away whenever servants slaughtered a chicken. She couldn't stand even the slightest smell of blood.

But now, she did not retreat. Enduring the intense nausea in her stomach, she supported Lynn and struggled forward with all her strength.

Perhaps because of heredity, most noblewomen of this era possessed fairly good physical constitutions.

Yagna looked delicate and frail, yet she still managed to support the broad, heavily built Lynn in his chainmail all the way into the Castle's main hall.

By then, her breathing was ragged, fine beads of sweat covered her forehead, and her legs had begun to tremble slightly.

But the bathroom was on the second floor of the Castle.

Looking at the spiral staircase leading upstairs, a deep sense of helplessness rose within her.

Yagna looked around. The first-floor hall was completely empty, and the Castle's only two maids were probably preparing hot water for the bath.

"My lord."

She spoke softly, a trace of pleading in her voice. "Could you..."

"Keep going. Help me to the second floor." Lynn glanced down at her, an amused smile curling his lips, while his arm remained firmly pressed against the young woman's shoulder.

Yagna bit her lip in grievance. Left with no choice, she could only continue supporting Lynn toward the bathroom upstairs.

The staircase and corridor were not long, but to her, they felt like an entire century.

At last, they reached the bathroom door on the second floor.

Yagna reached out and pushed the door open. Warm steam washed over them.

The oak bathtub had already been filled with hot water.

It was large enough to hold two or three people without any trouble.

"My lord, we're here."

Yagna's voice, soft as a mosquito's buzz, sounded beside Lynn's ear. She was already utterly exhausted.

The two middle-aged maids stepped forward, preparing to remove Lynn's chainmail and padding.

Lynn released Yagna, straightened up, and ordered, "Go rest. You don't need to remain on the second floor tonight."

After the maids left, he turned to Yagna, who stood by the door, and crooked a finger at her. "You. Come serve me."

"Yes."

Yagna no longer dared defy any of Lynn's orders, and it wasn't as if she had never served anyone before.

At the Marsh Duke's court, she had served as the Duchess's Maid, responsible for the Duchess's daily needs alongside more than a dozen noble girls from various places.

But serving a man was truly her first time.

Lynn first bent down, making it easier for Yagna to remove his chainmail.

The heavy metal chainmail was quickly tossed aside. Then he turned around and had Yagna undo the knots at his back.

The padding beneath the chainmail was called an Arming Doublet. Made from more than ten layers of Linen Cloth, it was thick yet flexible, capable of effectively resisting external impacts and making up for the chainmail's shortcomings.

Although Lynn had been fully confident he could kill the Demon Bear, necessary protection was indispensable.

Yagna clumsily untied the knots one by one, finally removing the heavy, bloodstained Arming Doublet from Lynn's body.

Once the padding was removed, only a thin, translucent linen shirt remained on Lynn's upper body.

By the dim light in the bathroom

from the candles, Yagna could see his broad, powerful, marble-smooth back.

A true warrior naturally bore no scars on his back.

Yagna stared in a daze for a moment, her breathing gradually quickening.

Until Lynn impatiently interrupted, "Keep going. Move faster."

Yagna abruptly came back to her senses, her face flushing to the roots of her ears. Lowering her head, she quickly removed all of Lynn's clothes, including the armor and padding on his lower body.

Lynn stepped into the tub, and warm water instantly enveloped his body.

He narrowed his eyes and let out a long breath, feeling more than half the exhaustion in his body vanish at once.

Yet his orders were not over.

"Get in."

"Ah? My lord, I..." Yagna's fingers unconsciously tightened, her heart suddenly racing as if it would leap from her chest.

It wasn't as though she hadn't considered what might happen tonight, but now that the moment had come, she could not help feeling nervous.

Lynn opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over her like a blade. "Don't make me repeat myself. Get in."

At such a moment, offering loyalty meant complete submission, body and soul.

To Lynn, Yagna's greatest value was her claim to Shallow Beach Territory. It concerned his future plans for territorial expansion.

He would not permit Yagna to harbor even the slightest hesitation toward him.

Every order he gave had to be carried out strictly by Yagna.

Faced with the blatant scrutiny and possessiveness in his eyes, the young woman could only shed her final pretense and reveal everything she had to her Lord.

After the bath, Lynn recovered some of his strength and carried Yagna into the bedroom.

The fireplace in the bedroom burned brightly, making the room as warm as spring.

"Everything was your own choice. Remember this: from this moment onward, I will control your fate."

Lynn tossed the young woman onto the bed and stared at her.

".Yes, everything was my own choice. Whether in the past or the future, I will not regret it."

By now, Yagna had no way back. She could only meet Lynn's gaze bravely with her gray-green eyes.

When fate left her only one path to choose, when there was nowhere left to run, she was no longer restrained.

Like a spring compressed to its limit, she burst forth with enormous force.

"My lord, you have a group of men who inspire fear. Shallow Beach Territory is no match for you. I want to know when you can help me complete my revenge."

Yagna had completely accepted her fate.

As one party in the bargain, she had already offered the last of her few remaining assets and eagerly wanted to learn her partner's subsequent plans.

"Once your belly starts to swell, I need you to appear in Shallow Beach Territory as a pregnant woman. You should understand why."

Now that the two had laid themselves bare before each other, Lynn was willing to reveal a small part of his plans to Yagna.

"I understand. To shut the Duke's mouth."

With that, Yagna suddenly wrapped her slender, smooth arms around Lynn's neck, her tone full of playful charm.

"Then, my lord, for the plan to go smoothly..."

This chapter got ganked, so it's a bit fragmented. Just make do with it—

(End of Chapter)