That Prince Is A Girl: The Vicious King’s Slave Mate Novel

Chapter 209: Not his beast, Emeriel thought in terror. Not his nearly feral, unpredictable beast.

Lord Vladya's hand shot out, claws extending with a menacing hiss, poised to strike. With a whimper, Emeriel squeezed her eyes shut, awaiting the blow.

But she felt a sharp tug at her shoulder as a claw dug into her tunic, tearing through the fabric. The garment ripped open, hanging in tatters above her chest.

Lord Vladya gripped the remnants, ripping them away with a savage yank. Emeriel's chest-binds lay blatantly exposed, a secret laid bare.

"Female," Lord Vladya growled, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through Emeriel's bones.

Before Emeriel could react, the grand lord leaned in, his face inches from hers. He pressed his nose to the crook of Emeriel's neck, taking deep lungfuls of breath.

A guttural growl erupted from his chest, followed by a single word that sent a wave of terror through Emeriel's veins, surpassing the fear she already felt.

"Siren."

He knows. Grand Lord Vladya knows.

Emeriel's mind reeled, a dizzying sense of lightheadedness threatening to consume her. In that moment, she welcomed the darkness that beckoned, yearning to be anywhere but here. If fainting was the only escape from this agonizing reality, she would gladly embrace it.

"Don't you dare."

The sharp command, delivered in a low, menacing growl, shattered her fleeting hope of unconsciousness. Emeriel's throat constricted as she swallowed, her eyes locking with Lord Vladya's in a silent plea for mercy.

The grand lord took a few steps back, granting her a reprieve from his suffocating presence. As he retreated, some of the yellow in his eyes receded, replaced by a hint of his usual gray.

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"You know," he began, his voice still laced with a predatory edge, "to actually detect anything from your scent, one must allow their beast to really surface and channel its senses with a specific intent. I suppose that is how you managed to evade discovery for so long. None of us truly suspected, none of us channeled with that intention in mind."

Emeriel felt like a trapped animal, heart pounding against her ribs as she struggled to maintain her composure.

Lord Vladya pinned her with his hawk-like gaze. "So you are female, Emeriel?" he asked, his voice devoid of any warmth.

"Y-yes, Your Highness," Emeriel confessed, her voice barely a whisper.

"You have been deceiving us all this time. Making fools of us."

Emeriel's legs gave way beneath her, and she sank to the floor, covering her chest. "It was never my intention, Your Majesty, I swear it!"

"You understand the consequences for a slave harboring secrets, don't you?" Vladya asked, his voice measured. "Zaiper would have reminded you at every turn, I'm sure. Do you know the punishment for deception, Emeriel?"

A tear escaped Emeriel's eye, tracing a path down her cheek. "Yes, Your Highness."

"And yet, you did it anyway. You knew the penalty for those who lie to us, human or Urekai alike, yet you dared to deceive."

"I know, but it was not a deliberate deception." Emeriel's shoulders slumped, a defeated sigh escaping her lips. "I was raised this way. My parents hid my gender to protect me the moment I was born. I have lived this lie for so long that it feels more like a part of me than a secret."

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