Trampled and Broken (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 24
“Don’t sit.”
He had already turned to look at her. The moment their eyes met, she felt goosebumps rise all over her body.
“Oh, yes.”
Hestia nodded and took a step forward.
At that exact moment, she involuntarily drew in a deep breath, and warm air rushed mercilessly into her frozen nostrils.
Instantly, Hestia’s nose began to itch.
Before she could stop it, a series of tiny sneezes burst out one after another.
“Ah-choo, ah-choo, ah-choo!”
Aslan, who had fully intended to mock Hestia the moment he saw her face, was considerably flustered.
His lips parted slightly as he froze for a moment; then, seeing her sneezes show no sign of stopping, he frowned and scowled.
‘What should I do?’
He stood there as if he’d broken down.
Would patting her back help at all?
Reaching his hand toward Hestia with that thought, he abruptly hesitated.
His golden eyes looked down at his own thick, large hand.
‘If I hit her with this, she’ll die on the spot.’
Annoyed, he clicked his tongue and tightly clenched his fist.
Ultimately, he gave up on approaching her and moved toward the fireplace instead.
Aslan grabbed a dry log with an irritated motion and tossed it into the hearth.
The flames, fed by fresh fuel, grew stronger and expanded their size.
Aslan’s room became so warm so quickly that it was almost hot.
Having finally stopped coughing, Hestia couldn’t bear the heat any longer and slightly lowered the hood that had covered her head completely.
Only then did she clearly see what Aslan was wearing.
His shirt was unbuttoned down to his chest, soaked—whether with sweat or water she couldn’t tell—and clung tightly to his muscles.
Looking at those sharp contours made her mouth go inexplicably dry.
Hestia felt an intense thirst.
Her throat itched again, but for an entirely different reason than before.
The moment their eyes met, she instinctively turned her face away without realizing it.
It felt as if heat surged all the way to the tips of her hair.
“Your face is red.”
“It’s… hot.”
Hestia replied softly in a slightly hoarse voice and began fanning herself with her hand.
“Better to endure this than freeze to death.”
Gruffly muttering this, Aslan set down a cup filled with a deep brown liquid in front of Hestia.
“Drink it or don’t.”
Considering Aslan’s gesture, Hestia lifted the cup intending to politely take a small sip to moisten her throat.
But her expression quickly darkened.
“It’s… alcohol.”
Seeing Hestia merely staring down at the cup without any intention of drinking, Aslan clicked his tongue.
“I don’t have any refined tea fit for a princess.”
At Aslan’s cold remark, Hestia’s face showed clear embarrassment.
Seeing her expression, Aslan instantly regretted it—he hadn’t meant to mock her this time.
But he also thought it would be ridiculous to explain or justify every little action of his, so he snapped his lips shut again.
When no response came from him, Hestia finally spoke first.
“You must have held your meeting in quite comfortable attire.”
Unable to meet his eyes, Hestia lowered her gaze slightly and murmured quietly.
“It’s my own mansion—what’s the problem?”
“…None at all.”
Hestia replied with a somewhat flustered expression and reached out to take the cup of liquor he’d given her.
Her esophagus burned.
Unable to hold back, Hestia burst into another fit of rough coughing.
“If you’re going to drink it, at least dilute it with water—how stubborn can you be?”
“It’s fine. I can handle this much easily.”
After finishing her coughing fit, she licked her lips.
“First of all, thank you for making time for me. I mean it.”
Aslan merely answered with a light snort.
Hestia cautiously began.
“I don’t know if you remember what I said last time… but I came because I want to finish the rest of what I started to tell you.”
Aslan folded his arms and leaned back lazily against the chair.
It was a deliberate gesture meant to show he had no interest whatsoever in whatever she was about to say.
Meanwhile, Hestia leaned forward so much it seemed her upper body might topple over, gazing at him with earnest, pleading eyes.
“I want to get married.”
She saw Aslan’s face twist as it had before. Afraid he’d cut her off again without hearing her out, Hestia hurriedly spoke up.
“To you.”
She summoned great courage to utter that brief whisper.
Then she immediately fell silent. Aslan still hadn’t given any reaction.
‘Should I have brought a flower or something?’
After all, this was technically a marriage proposal.
She wondered if she’d been too thoughtless.
Hestia swallowed hard, holding her breath.
The heavy silence between them grew unbearable.
He finally responded, a beat too late.
“…What did you just say?”
Seeing Aslan’s furrowed brow, Hestia swallowed her bitterness.
She’d long known he disliked her, but seeing that expression right before her eyes stirred an odd feeling inside her.
“You want to do what with me? Get married?”
He repeated it as if it were utterly absurd. Yet, to his own surprise, Aslan wasn’t as annoyed by Hestia’s outrageous proposal as he’d expected—and that confused him.
Not wanting her to notice his conflicted feelings, he forced a hollow laugh and spoke coldly.
“Princess, have you taken some medicine?”
Hestia frowned, offended by such an impolite question.
“I haven’t taken any medicine, nor do I have a fever. I’m speaking in perfectly sound mind, so please stop checking my mental state right here.”
Even more bewildered now, Aslan roughly ran his fingers through his hair.
“You barge in out of nowhere and blurt out a marriage proposal without warning. Wouldn’t you be flustered if you were me?”
Hestia nodded sheepishly, then added apologetically.
“I suppose I was too abrupt. But… I was afraid you’d change your mind again and refuse to listen if I didn’t get straight to the point. Please understand.”
She clutched the cup tightly as if it were her lifeline, staring fixedly at its contents.
Watching her quietly, Aslan twisted his lips in disbelief.
‘Just like last time—and again today.’
He was furious that Hestia hadn’t even offered a proper greeting after so long, nor apologized for meeting him under such circumstances.
‘But I’m the one who decided to see her and hear her out, so I’ll just endure it.’
He barely held onto his composure, knowing any words from his mouth would only sound sarcastic.
Still, he couldn’t help sneaking glances at her.
‘She hasn’t changed at all.’
No—she’d grown even more beautiful.
Unconsciously, Aslan clicked his tongue.
He felt like cursing himself inwardly for wasting time on such trivial thoughts.
His gaze clung to her like melted caramel and wouldn’t let go. He clenched his jaw until it hardened.
Swallowing a sigh, Aslan mustered superhuman willpower to finally tear his eyes away from her.
Then, in a voice oddly roughened by heat, he asked,
“I truly can’t understand what’s going on inside you.”
Hestia paused briefly, choosing her words carefully.
How much could she safely reveal to Aslan?
‘I don’t need to tell him everything, but I’ll have to share enough to convince him.’
She decided it was best to disclose, though it was confidential, that she intended to leave the temple.
‘There’s no risk of it spreading immediately.’
After all, Aslan wasn’t someone involved in high society.
So even if rumors later surfaced that she’d left the temple, he could be ruled out as the source.
Having quickly calculated this, she took a small breath, held it, and spoke.
“I’ll soon be excommunicated from the temple.”
“…What are you talking about now?”
Aslan scowled.
He jerked his chin as if urging her to explain further, but Hestia’s lips remained sealed.
Aslan roughly rubbed his eyebrow.
“Princess. If you’re going to speak, finish what you started.”
His voice sounded weary.
“The only thing I can tell you is exactly that.”
Aslan glanced sideways at Hestia, his brows furrowed, his expression clearly troubled.
“Is this already settled with those temple people?”
“Not officially… but it’s as good as decided.”
As she tightened her grip, the liquor in her cup trembled slightly, rippling.
No matter what happened, the oracle would not change. It meant one couldn’t escape a destined death.
Thus, she desired only one thing:
To choose the moment of her own death—not by divine will, but by her own choice.
That alone would be her sole act of revenge against the god who had thrust her once more into this cruel fate.
‘I hope my death holds some worth, somehow. Or at least leaves behind a small comfort—or relief.’
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
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