The Crown's Seduction-Chapter 480: Mine To Explore*

Niran felt uneasy under Raul’s intense gaze as they ate. She could hardly focus on her food and finally mumbled, "Please stop staring and let me eat in peace."

Raul burst out laughing, his voice echoing in the garden. "You’re getting bold now that I’m giving you special treatment," he said with a playful grin.

Niran’s heart raced, realizing she had spoken without thinking. She quickly lowered her head, cheeks flushing. "I apologize, Your Highness."

Still smiling, Raul leaned back, clearly amused. "No need to apologize, Niran. I like your honesty."

She glanced up, still embarrassed but relieved he wasn’t upset. Yet his gaze didn’t waver. "Go ahead and eat; we’ve got a long journey ahead," Raul commented casually. Niran nodded weakly and started eating her breakfast, doing her best to ignore the prince’s persistent gaze.

After finishing the meal, Raul instructed her to go to the carriage first. From the window, she watched him speaking with Butler Moller.

Niran gulped, her mind racing with thoughts. Was she getting closer to her goal? It seemed like Raul was genuinely interested in her, but his unpredictable nature made her wary of assuming too much.

Soon, Raul entered the carriage and took the seat opposite her. As the carriage began to move, Niran met his gaze. A smirk played on his lips, making his handsome face all the more captivating.

"You know," he began, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, "our dear king will soon leave to fetch his human soon-to-be wife. Tell me... why do you think he wants to marry that human princess from Ebodia when he could easily forge an alliance without involving marriage?"

Niran hesitated, unsure of his intentions behind the question. She could only guess, but something told her Raul was testing her. It seemed her boldness had captured Raul’s attention, so Niran decided to speak her mind. "I believe the purpose is to continue his lineage. After all, not all female vampires are blessed with the ability to conceive," she said confidently.

That was the truth they all accepted, even though they hated it. Niran especially resented the fact that Princess Mineah had to make such a great sacrifice for the sake of their kingdom. There was nothing they could do but support her as one of the princess’s shadow maidens.

The best Niran could hope for was ensuring that Princess Mineah gained enough power as the future queen of Valcrez.

She glanced at Raul, unsure of how he’d react to her answer, but there was a flicker of interest in his eyes. "So you’re saying vampires take humans as brides to make them breeders?" Raul countered, raising an eyebrow.

Niran gulped, sensing the shift in his tone, his serious gaze locked onto hers. "Isn’t that the case?" she boldly replied, refusing to back down.

Raul leaned in slightly, his expression unreadable. "Well, aren’t you misjudging all vampires? What if they simply fell for a human? Wouldn’t that count?"

Frowning, Niran replied, "Can vampires even fall in love? I thought your kind didn’t have beating hearts."

Raul didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he leaned in closer, his sudden movement catching her off guard. Grabbing her hand, he pulled it to his chest, their faces so close she could feel his warm breath.

"Can you feel it?" he murmured softly, his voice low and intense.

Niran held her breath as her palm rested against his chest, and to her surprise, she felt the steady thrum of his heartbeat. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her pulse quickening.

"The beating of our hearts is the same, isn’t it?" Raul hummed with a smirk, his eyes locked on hers.

Niran parted her lips to respond, but no words came. Her mind raced, and before she could gather her thoughts, Raul’s intense gaze dropped to her parted lips. She saw the flicker of something dark and raw in his eyes, and then, before she could react, she felt his lips against hers.

The kiss was sudden, stealing her breath and scattering her thoughts. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as she tried to make sense of what was happening. But before she knew it, she found herself on Raul’s lap, straddling him. His hands held her firmly in place, and he continued kissing her, deepening the embrace.

He alternated between gently suckling her upper and lower lips, sending a wave of sensations through her. Then, his tongue slid inside her mouth, exploring her with a hunger that made her body shiver. Niran’s hands instinctively gripped his shoulders, torn between resisting and giving in to the overwhelming intensity of the moment.

Her mind screamed at her to pull away, but her body betrayed her, responding to the heat of Raul’s touch. She was caught in a whirlwind, unsure of how she ended up in this position but feeling powerless to break free from his hold.

Raul pulled back from her lips, leaving her panting, her chest rising and falling with every breath. Before she could catch her breath, a soft moan escaped her as his lips trailed down to her neck, licking and suckling the sensitive skin.

"You’re mine, Niran," he whispered against her throat, his voice low and possessive. "I can feel every beat of your heart. I can feel how aroused you are." His words sent a shiver down her spine as his lips continued their exploration. "You’re driving me insane, making me fall deeper into you."

His hands gripped her waist, holding her closer as if he was afraid to let go. Raul’s lips trailed lower, leaving a heated path down her collarbone until they reached her chest.

Niran gasped softly, her body betraying her as Raul’s mouth hovered over her skin, teasing her with soft kisses. She didn’t know how he did it, but suddenly her upper body was topless, leaving her exposed before him. She hadn’t even realized he had undressed her in such a swift, fluid motion.

Raul’s smirk deepened as he took in the sight of her. "You’re beautiful, Niran," he breathed, his voice low and thick with desire. "Every part of you is perfect." He kissed the soft curve of her breast, sending sparks of sensation through her.

Her heart raced, a mix of embarrassment and exhilaration flooding her. "Raul, wait-" she started, but her words were lost as he leaned down, his lips closed around her nipple, his tongue flicking over the sensitive bud before he began to suckle gently.

Niran arched her back involuntarily, a moan escaping her as his other hand slid to her other breast, kneading it softly.

"Don’t fight it," he murmured against her skin, his breath sending shivers down her spine. "Just feel." He took his time, lavishing attention on her breasts, licking and suckling with a hunger that made her dizzy.

His tongue alternated between licking and gently tugging at her nipple, every movement sending waves of heat coursing through her body. Niran’s hands clenched into his shirt as her body reacted to him, caught in the intoxicating blend of his touch and the growing fire he ignited within her.

Niran bit her lip, torn between the need to protest and the intoxicating pleasure he was giving her. "You can’t just... undress me like that," she managed to say, but the words felt weak even to her own ears.

"Why not?" Raul replied, his eyes glinting with mischief. "You’re mine to explore."