The Scarred Queen's Rise (Athena) novel Chapter 714

She even picked up her glass and clinked it against his. “Come on, bottoms up!” she said.

Evander drained his cup in a show of goodwill, and Natasha gave him an embarrassed smile. “Don’t mind me. That’s just how I am,” she said. “Since you’re willing to humor me, I promise I won’t hold you back in the future. In public, we’re husband and wife, but when we’re back here, we’re just friends. Deal?”

Evander’s eyes crinkled with amusement as he nodded. “Okay.”

The two of them, for once, were getting along. Before they knew it, they’d been drinking and laughing together late into the night.

Eventually, both were utterly plastered, their eyes unfocused, and their bodies swaying unsteadily.

Natasha patted her stomach and waved her hand dismissively. “No, no more. I can’t drink another drop,” she slurred.

“Yeah, no more,” Evander slurred, reeking of alcohol as he patted Natasha on the shoulder. “Get to bed, or you’ll catch a chill.”

Even though she was drunk, Natasha remained alert. She asked, “Then where are you gonna sleep?”

“Me? I’ll sleep on the floor,” Evander slurred, grabbing a quilt and clumsily spreading it out. He flopped down and was out like a light.

Seeing him like that, Natasha couldn’t help but clap her hands and burst out laughing. “You’re such a lightweight.”

With that, she too face–planted onto the bed.

However, Natasha hadn’t slept for long before she started tugging at her collar, her face twisted in discomfort.

For some reason, the alcohol made her whole body burn with heat, like she got trapped in a steamy sauna. It was so intense that she couldn’t sleep.

In a fluster, she quickly stripped off her outer layers, leaving only thin undergarments.

But even so, that relentless heat wouldn’t subside.

What Natasha didn’t know was that the wine on their wedding night contained an aphrodisiac.

A couple of glasses wouldn’t have any effect, but she and Evander downed an entire pot.

Needless to say, it hit hard.

Natasha’s face burned crimson as she tumbled off the bed, collapsing onto the floor with her hands groping blindly.

Evander, half–conscious because of the effects of the wine, was drifting in and out of sleep when he vaguely sensed someone touching him.

He reached out and seized that person’s hand, a sharp retort already forming on his lips.

But before he could speak, a pair of warm lips suddenly sealed his mouth.

As the aphrodisiac kicked in, both of them got utterly consumed by desire.

And then, everything unfolded as it should.

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16:43 Sat 2 Aug 1

Chapter 714

Outside, the matron heard the sounds from within and chuckled, “Mission accomplished,” she murmured.

Now that Evander and Natasha had consummated their marriage, the imperial attendants could return to the palace to make their

report.

Soft dawn light filtered into the chamber, subtly revealing a pair of entwined figures on the ornately carved bed.

Natasha squinted against the glaring sunlight, grumbling sleepily, “Ugh… Someone, close the window…”

She shifted slightly in her sleep, only to feel the firm warmth of another body beside her.

‘Wait… There’s someone in my bed!‘ Natasha’s eyes flew open at the thought. When she saw who was in bed with her, her eyes

widened in shock.

Evander looked equally horrified. ‘How the hell did we end up in bed together?‘ he wondered.

Natasha had a patchwork of red and purple marks all over her body, undeniable evidence of their passionate night.

“You, you…. I–I…” Natasha stammered, torn between fury and frustration at the scene before her.

Scattered fragments of memory flashed through her mind. Then, she remembered.

Last night, in their drunken indiscretion, it was she who had climbed into Evander’s bed.

Evander wore a deeply wronged expression, like a child caught doing something wrong. “Didn last night, you-”

ay we’d just be friends? But

“Shut up,” Natasha snapped, her eyes darting nervously. “Th–that was just an accident. Let’s pretend it never happened.”

“You’re not going to take responsibility for me?” Evander gasped dramatically. “You had your way with me, and now you want to deny it? Natasha, you’re truly shameless!”

Natasha, feeling guilty but still trying to defend herself, muttered, “Hey, you could’ve pushed me away last night, you know. Besides, it’s not like you lost anything, right?”

“Natasha!” Evander exclaimed, his eyes reddening dramatically. “I gave you my first time, and this is how you treat me?”