“My fair ladies have awoken at last.”

“We are not your fair ladies,” Ms Pink snaps.

“Tsk, tsk. Temper, what a temper.” Praneso appears before my eyes, wearing a smirk, just as the contraptions come to a halt. “But I like my females to be on the fiery side. The sweet tempered sort tend to bore me with their cries after a while.” He pauses and turns to me, staring me in the eye. “Like this female over here. I sense some fight in her.” He touches my jaw but I jerk my head away from the offending finger. “Just as I thought. A fighter.” He chuckles. “I’ll enjoy training this one.”

Training? What does he mean, training?

I won’t let him. Don’t worry.

“She is my claim, Praeneso. I have claimed her. Completely.”

My heart jumps at the way Ms Pink almost growls the last word. A warm flame ignites from my loins and flares to the top when Ms Pink holds my gaze, demonstrating—without lifting as much as a finger—her total ownership of me.

“Mmm, very responsive,” Praneso smiles with an air of satisfaction, looking as though I’m a product he’s happy with, “but you haven’t trained her well. She’s better off in my hands. I’ll teach her what being a claim really means.”

“You’re going to regret doing this.”

Praneso grins. “How will I regret this? My two brothers are clueless dingbats. And I’ll just tell the Sovereign that you me so I had to kill you in self-defence.”

“They won’t believe you.”

The I-know-better look on Praneso’s face is disturbing. “Judging by the scene I set up not so long ago, I am perfectly capable of putting on a convincing act, don’t you think?”

Ms Pink rolls her eyes. “You said your brothers are clueless dingbats.”

“Ah,” Praneso’s smile is anything but warm and friendly, “but you fell for it too.”

“You conclude reality as you wish it to be,” says Ms Pink with an indulgent smile and a shake of her head. “I merely took you to be the easier way out from your brothers’ imprisonment.”

“Then you have underestimated me, my dear Princess.” Praneso puffs out his chest and stands tall. “You will learn the hard way. And so will your claim.” He grabs my jaw with one hand and yanks my head to him. “This claim will be my slave. Obedience. Subservience. She will learn from me and she will thank me for being a better master of her than you ever will be.”

Ms Pink looks like she’s about to explode but she says nothing even when Praneso sticks his tongue out and drags it up from my chin to my cheek. I, on the other hand, am expending all the strength I have to no avail. Praneso’s grip is too strong.

Stay calm, Taeyeon.

HOW CAN I STAY CALM! HIS TONGUE IS ON MY FACE!

Shush. There is little meaning to the touch of flesh if you turn your mind from it. Focus on me. You are mine. You belong to me forever.

I want to be yours forever but this tongue—urgh!

Taeyeon.

Yes, Ms Pink?

Do you remember the very first time I spanked you?

I blush a little, despite myself. Yes. I remember it clearly.

Where were we?

In my bedroom.

How many spanks did I give you?

Five.

Good girl. And what did I do after that?

I blush a deeper red and squirm as the memories rake up warm feelings from the pit of my stomach. You kissed me.

How did I kiss you?

Y-You pushed me into the wall. And—then you kissed me.

And. You said and.

And your eyes were extra pink.

I had only planned to rough you up. But you gasped. I can almost hear the rare smile in Ms Pink’s thoughts. Your gasp was such a y sound that I could not resist kissing you.

But—didn’t you say—after kissing me, you said it was the smell of my blood that made you wanna eat me.

That was part of the reason.

So you wanted to kiss me because you wanted to kiss me too?

Yes, stupid human.

I’m pretty sure I’m smiling by now, but a roar of anger rings in my ear and turns my smile into a gasp.

“You will not think of your ex-master when I kiss you,” says Praneso and his lips are back on mine again. But this time, I close my eyes and all I can see is pink. Pink shoes, pink dress, pink eyes . . . and the lecture theatre spanking was such a risk but so worth it . . .

My face is thrown to the side.

“Slave. You can forget all about your dear princess master. She will die. Soon.” Praneso walks to Ms Pink and runs his fingers through her hair, eliciting a strangled cry from me. “Yes, you will scream for her death. Then, you will scream for me and only me.”

“N-No . . .” My heart is filled with terror at the thought of Ms Pink suffering at the hands of this mad man.

Don’t say a word.

“Kim Taeyeon, your ex-master is not as strong as I am.” Praneso pulls a fist full of hair, forcing Ms Pink’s head forward. “Watch this.” A slap thunders through the room and my heart breaks in silence when Ms Pink lets slip the slightest of a wince. His hand is rubbing Ms Pink’s right cheek as he flashes a revolting I-told-you-so smile at me. “See this? This is your ex-master being punished for even thinking of defying me.”

I am angry. Angrier than I have ever been in my life. Angrier than the time a friend asked to look at my portfolio and copied my design. Angrier than the time a classmate made fun of my height for six months straight. Angrier than—

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