Page 219 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

I bit my lower lip, smiling softly.“For going insane and wild for me. For making me feel like I have the power to tame a beast,”

He chuckled deeply.“Aww, you do tame a beast, with that tiny body and mesmerising eyes,” I smiled wider.

“But... I also hate you for making me cry,” I pouted.

He gently caressed my head.“I'm sorry, but I can't help it,” he whispered.

I kissed his chest.“And I love that,” I admitted.

Suddenly, we heard the attendant's voice again, calling from afar,“Ranaji, massage oil,”

“Leave it on the table,” Rudra ordered.“Close the door, and don't let anyone inside without permission,”

He pressed a slow kiss to my lips as the sound of anklets faded away and the door clicked shut.

“Let's do it again,” he murmured against my lips.

I immediately pushed him away, eyes wide.“You want me dead?!”

He chuckled heartily and stood up, parting the curtains so sunlight flooded the chamber. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he picked up the bowl of massage oil from the table and returned to the bed.

He sat at the edge and pulled at the comforter.“Move it aside,” he said.

I clutched the comforter closer.“I'm naked,” I protested.

He smirked.“And I've seen it all, little wife,”

Blushing furiously, I finally let him pull the comforter aside and lie comfortably, though I still grabbed a corner of the comforter to cover my middle.

He smiled knowingly and began rubbing the oil between his palms. His hands touched my feet, moving in slow, circular motions. I already felt like I was floating in heaven.

“Where did you learn this?” I asked, curious.

He smiled mischievously, now rubbing up my legs with firmer strokes.“You don't want to know, little bird,”

I furrowed my brows.“Yes, I do,”

He shook his head.“No,”

Playfully, I kicked his chest and insisted.“Yes!”

He chuckled, his touch becoming even firmer.“No,”

His repeated denial started making something churn in my stomach. My heart raced as a sudden suspicion took hold of me.

“Wait, a moment…” I said, my voice tightening.“You had an affair before me?!”

He thinned his brows with a smile and chuckled deeply.“Are you mad?” he said, and I inhaled a breath of relief.

“Then tell me,” I insisted, watching his face shift from a playful smile to a more serious expression.

“It was Uncle,” he said quietly.“He used to teach me about massages. Apart from being a king's guard, I was also a masseur, an attendant, and a servant,”

A wave of sadness travelled down my heart.

“Then why didn't you kill him, Rudra? Why leave him rotting in the cellar? He deserves to be beheaded,” I said with pain threading my voice.

He looked at me calmly.“I wanted to kill him when I found out he had dared to lay his dirty hands on you. But he didn't actually touch you... So he isn't a criminal in that sense. Also,” he paused,“no matter how badly he treated me, we share the same blood. I couldn't kill family. But I couldn't free him either,”

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