After a few minutes, Selena’s rosy complexion started to come back.

“Uhm …,” she grunted. Upon opening her eyes, her heart skipped a bit as she saw Clavis kissing her! ‘What in the world is this man doing?! How dare he take advantage of me?!’ she thought to herself. In her anger, she bit Clavis’ lips hard – too hard that it bled and pushed him away after.

​​

Clavis sighed. “Is this how you repay someone who just saved you?”

“Save me?!” Selena couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “If I must know, you’re taking advantage of me!” Tears started to gather on the corner of her eyes. “Why do all men here try to do all sorts of nasty stuff to me? First, I was almost raped if not for Rania saving me, then grabbed by an ugly and chubby old stinking man at the banquet hall, then got kissed by – well, a handsome man, but still!” Her face pouted and cried as she reminisced all the bad things that happened to her. “Why am I so unlucky? Did I do something bad in my past life?”

Sniff … Sniff … Selena began crying.

“Ah … ,” Clavis was taken aback as soon as he saw her cried. He was never good at dealing with crying people. He rolled his eyes and sighed as he touched his forehead and shook his head. Then, he stood up while wiping his lips from the blood and healing it. He grabbed Selena by her arm and made her stand in just a slight pull.

“Hey! Don’t tell me you want more!” Selena tried to push him away. She thought he was gonna kiss her again.

“Did you hit your head?” Clavis looked disgusted towards her. But then, raising his hand, he touched her lips and healed it – Selena bit her lips too when she bit Clavis’.

Feeling his soft hands, Selena’s face flushed red. Her heart never stopped beating fast as well from the moment she woke up. Poor girl, she had zero experience with men since she grew up with her mother and studied in an all-girls school before she got caught up in all of this mess. And now, a man was just casually touching him everywhere he pleased. She didn’t know how to deal with the situation, especially the fact that she just received her first kiss! Thus, the main reason for her tears. She always dreamed it to be with someone she loved. But all that was crushed in a matter of seconds.

“Sniff … sniff … This is the worst,” were the only words she was able to utter.

“Let me know when you’re done crying. I’m not really good at cheering someone up”.

Selena glared at him. Then, she remembered what he said a moment ago. “Wait, you said … you saved me?” Pondering about it, her memory came back – she remembered the excruciating pain she felt, and the shortness of breath, and Clavis carrying her and teleporting to a different place. “Ah!” her face brightened, “Yes! You did save me, huh?” Now puzzled, “But … why?”

Clavis rolled his eyes again. “Don’t ask”.

“Tsk, stingy”.

“Anyway,” Clavis breathed heavily, “now that you’re no longer pure, you can’t serve the king’s harem anymore”.

Selena was instantly shocked from his words. “No longer pure?” She trembled as she asked him. “W-what else did you do to me?! Tell me!”

“Huh? I kissed you”.

“What else?”

Clavis thought for a moment. “I carried you”.

“What else?”

“That’s it”.

“Oh, okay. So it was just a kiss, good – wait, no! Still not good!”

“When will you stop talking to yourself? You’re like a lunatic”.

“If you don’t have anything nice to say, shut up!,” she exclaimed.

“Suit yourself”.

And with that, Clavis disappeared, leaving Selena alone in the flowerfield.

“Hey wait! How will I get back?” Before she finished her words, her body started disappearing as well and in the blink of an eye, she was at Meracus – not the Forbidden Chamber where she initially came from.

“Phew, at least he had some decency to bring me back properly. I thought he was gonna leave me there”.

As she turned her back and started walking towards her room, she suddenly remembered the most important thing she missed to discuss.

“Now that you’re no longer pure, you CAN’T serve the king’s harem anymore”

Her face grew pale upon realizing the meaning of the words. “Can’t serve the king’s harem anymore” meant that she’s already disqualified in the ‘contest’, as how she referred to it. And being disqualified meant that she would be given to those stinking nobles she hated. She began crying as she imagined the horrors that she would be facing moving forward.

“Be strong and take heart … sniff … sniff …. Be strong and take heart,” she chanted over and over trying to encourage herself.

Meanwhile, Clavis travelled back to the king’s office. The king was still brooding on his chair when he arrived. The king’s eyes rolled over to Clavis’ direction as soon as he felt his presence.

“Back so soon to taunt me?” the king greeted him.

Clavis sighed in response.

“Oh, seems like you already got what you deserve from provoking me,” the king chuckled.

“Just to clear things up, it was never my intention to taunt you. I merely reminded you of your duties”.

“Whatever. What do you want now?”

Clavis sighed again. “One of your candidates is now disqualified in entering your harem”.

“Who? And why is that? What happened?”

“It’s Selena Fidelis, formerly from the house of Pemptos, and currently residing in Meracus”.

“Selena? I don’t remember her much but she’s the girl Rania saved, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. She’s disqualified because she’s … no longer pure”.

“What?! And who dared touch one of my women?” the king was angered.

Clavis let out another sigh and shook his head. “It was me”.

Instead of being angry, the king laughed so hard after hearing his confession.

“Hahahahahahahaha!”, his laugh echoed in the whole room. “You? Defiled a woman? What madness is this?”

“Well, it’s not really much,” Clavis tried to defend himself. “I merely kissed her, not to the point that you are foolishly imagining. But if you’re fine with taking in someone I already kissed, then feel free to take her. I don’t really mind”.

“Hahahahahaha! Come on! Tell me, what happened! What came into you that you decided to kiss a woman? Curiosity? A sudden burst of emotion? Hahahahha!”

“Ugh, please, it’s not as outrageous as what you’re thinking. She accidentally teleported with me to the Grand Temple and she almost died. So I had to give her a fragment of my life energy to save her. And the method for that is via locking of the lips. I hope that clarifies your misunderstandings”.

“You gave a human a fraction of your life energy?” the king looked skeptical. The idea was too scandalous for him – and for Clavis, the Wisest Judge to do it himself? No way.

“Ugh, don’t ask.”

“Hmf. Fine. Go do whatever you want with her. I don’t want a woman who’s been touched by another already. You can give her to another judge, or a general, or whoever wants her. Feel free to decide, Wise Judge,” the king teased him.

Clavis thought for a moment.

‘Why did she ask me to save her? Is there something important about her? I must find out! In that case, I can ask a Judge to take her in and monitor her. But who would agree with such a ridiculous offer? Well, she is beautiful, I can try to make arrangements with the generals. If they don’t agree, I can always just order a noble family to take her in. Hmmm… She’s a crybaby so it should be a family composed of gentle people. That’s the best I could do for her at least. I can’t anger her now, she might be holding something important and if I do, she’ll disagree to cooperate with me. Hmmm … what to do?’

A moment of silence passed by.

“So, have you decided? You seemed lost in thought again”.

“Hmmm … ,” Clavis thought again.

And finally reaching a conclusion, Clavis nodded his head.

“Yes, I’ve decided. I’m going to take her”.