Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 335: I Won’t Beg Forgiveness

Late at night when the walls were the loudest, Maria awoke to the sight of Raven sitting by her feet with his body half-shadowed under the creeping moonlight. Turning her head to the window, she could see the moon princess, as radiant as ever and shining bright on her body. She reminded her of a time when her true mother wasnʼt as addicted to the drugs running on the streets.

She told her stories about the princess shining just as brightly on the poor as she did the wealthy. Her hand reached for the princess, a smile visible to Maria on her shimmering face, but never reaching her with her hand, it wasnʼt long before it fell tired onto the bed.

The sound of her hand flopping on the bed alerted Raven. Looking over to Maria, her face half basking in the moonlight; a smile flitted over his life and he wasnʼt sure why. For a spell, their eyes met, but Maria quickly looked away to the side. She didnʼt wanna look at him or anyone for that matter as she knew what sheʼd done was beyond unforgivable.

”I wonʼt beg forgiveness, you know?” Shifting her gaze back to the princess, she pulled herself up and sat on the bed. Squeezing her legs close with her arms, Maria rested her head on her knees and kept staring out of the bright window. ”I didnʼt do anything wrong, anyone in my situation wouldʼve done the same…”

A wretched life of a harlotʼs child, then a princess whoʼd been cursed by a vampire, even married to a man with whom she never wished to bear a child, leading her to find greater men so that her children would be healthy rather than plagued and dying like she once was.

”Everyone in the castle thinks of me as an whore. A whore who sleeps with any man who can swing a sword.

If only they knew what Iʼve been through theyʼll realize why I did what I did and why I thought I might as well try to enjoy it…” There was no remorse in Mariaʼs voice, she truly believed that sheʼd done what was required of her, only the bare minimum for survival even if it meant staking the lives of thousands through the hands of a vampire.

Done saying her piece, she expected Raven to criticize her further. But instead, she felt a gentle hand wrapping around her fingers. Looking at it to the side, she noticed Raven squeezing her hand, it wasnʼt too hard so it wasnʼt a punishment, which to her was beyond surprising.

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”You keep saying that you donʼt regret it and that you wonʼt change,” looking into her eyes, Raven took a deep breath and heaved with a smile. ”Iʼve been thinking about what youʼve said so far all afternoon, and I canʼt figure out why someone who claims they donʼt regret a thing would want death as punishment.”

As Ravenʼs words lingered in the air, Mariaʼs eyes squinted sharply with a hint of annoyance behind them. She didnʼt like what she was hearing, but she didnʼt know how to respond. Feeling another hand of Ravenʼs moving on top of hers, she looked down and tried to pull back, but the mage held her firm.

Glancing back up, she stared at him, unsure of his intentions and not willing to be persuaded by his words.

”Tell me, Maria. If you donʼt regret a thing, why do you want to be punished? Why did you try to kill yourself? Why if you donʼt think youʼve done anything wrong, do you feel the need to explain yourself?”

”I Just–” Not even letting the words register in her head, Maria tried to lash out, but just couldnʼt come up with anything. Gritting her teeth shut, she continued to glare at Raven for a while before turning her head back to the window on the side. ”Whatever, who cares? Just leave me and let me die.”

Suddenly, she felt Ravenʼs thumb rest on her chin and the next thing she knew, her head was turned to face him again. Inches from her face, he had her frozen in both mind and body and the stuck state only shattered when she felt him caressing her cheek.

”Youʼre mine Maria, and you donʼt get to suddenly decide what happens to you, not if itʼs something so serious,” moving even closer, the mage slapped her face but not too hard and neither too gently. ”Repent first if youʼre so stuck on dying, I wonʼt allow it to happen until youʼve made up for all the crimes youʼve committed on Atllaris.”

Slapping his hand away, she tried to get off the bed, but grabbing her by the arm Raven pulled her back onto the bed. Maria continued to struggle and get his hands off of her, but his tight grip around her refused to loosen up even when she tried to bite his fingers.

”Youʼre a pain in the ass!” She complained, scowling.

”Well so are you, but Iʼd rather you stay than waste your life with some stupid mistake,” Raven shot back.

”You wanted me dead anyway! What the fuck changed?!” Maria continued on struggling, but Ravenʼs hand just wouldnʼt let her slip away.

”You act tough and arrogant but I think thereʼs a part of you that sees through it and wants to change.”

”You need glasses then! I said I donʼt wanna change already!”

”Who said you have to?” Hearing those words, Mariaʼs struggles abruptly halted. She didnʼt expect him to say that, especially since he was the one who brought up the talk about changing herself.

Letting her hands loose while in thought, she felt Ravenʼs grip loosen up on her hand before eventually, the back of her palm hit the bed.

”I thought you wanted me to change…” She muttered, a bit curious about where things were headed.

”No,” closing his eyes for a moment, Raven leaned away. ”I donʼt, I just want you to unleash that monster in you in other ways or at people who deserve it. Usurping their power, their influence, I want you to hone that edge in you rather than abandoning it as if itʼs a curse and not a blessing that makes you unique like every dysfunctional member of this party.”

It was time for a talk, one that Raven had had with Arche not too long ago. And just like him, the ex-queen needed to hear it.