Punish Me, Princess

"Do it! Do it now!" "Yes! Just like that! Drug him, whip him! Ravage him!" I was supposed to be the villainess. The System ordered me to spike the scholarship student's milk.

But I had no idea he could hear the System's sick demands, too. Lucky for me, I was a total coward. I carefully stirred in a single spoonful of sugar instead.

Late that night, I sat at my desk, miserable, writing reflection essays as a punishment from the System. The door burst open. Miles stumbled in and crashed straight into my arms.

His face was flushed. "Princess, what exactly did you put in my milk?" he rasped. "I'm so hot…" I stared at him in shock.

My mind spun. "It was just… sugar… right?" Chapter 1 The door slammed open. Miles leaned against the frame with one hand.

The top three buttons of his prep school uniform shirt were undone. His long neck and sharp collarbones were exposed, rising and falling with his heavy breaths.

A drop of pure white milk clung to the corner of his mouth. I dropped my pen and jumped up. "What's wrong with you?" Miles didn't answer. He stumbled forward. His knees buckled.

He fell straight toward me. I reached out. His scorching hot body crashed into my arms. He buried his face in the crook of my neck.

His ragged breath burned right through my thin loungewear, making me flinch. His knuckles turned white as his right hand slipped under his own shirt.

He dragged his nails across his stomach, leaving angry red scratches on his pale skin. His shirt rode up. A sliver of tight, corded muscle peeked out. My face burned.

I grabbed his restless hand and pinned it down. "Seriously, what's wrong with you?" Miles lifted his head. The corners of his eyes were stained red.

A hazy, wet mist clouded his dark pupils as he stared at me. His Adam's apple bobbed.

His breathing came out in harsh, shallow pants. "Princess." His voice was wrecked. "My heart is beating so fast." He grabbed my hand and slammed it against his left pec.

The firm muscle beneath the thin uniform fabric was painfully clear against my palm. "Listen," he said.

His hazy eyes locked onto mine. "Is my heart racing?" "Your heart is on the other side," I said dryly. He froze.

A second later, the dazed, foggy look washed right back over his face. "So hot…" He nuzzled deeper into my chest. He rubbed his forehead against my collarbone, back and forth.

His burning breath seared my skin as he mumbled over and over, "So hot, so hot…" "Princess, what exactly did you put in my milk?" [Host, you finally grew a spine!] The System screamed in my head, completely unhinged. [The effects are insane!

Where did you even get this stuff?] [Tsk, tsk. And you played coy. You swore you didn't drug him.] [Hurry up! Take advantage while he's out of it! Drug him! Whip him!

Ravage him!] [Do it! Do it now!] I stared down at Miles's flushed, sweating face. My fingers dug into the edge of the desk, my mind spinning.

Chapter 2 "It was just… sugar?" He froze. "Sugar?" I hesitated. "Just… one spoonful of white sugar. What else would it be?" Miles closed his eyes.

The corded muscles in his neck tightened as he swallowed hard, like he was wrestling something down.

After a long moment, he gritted his teeth. "I must have a fever." "A fever?" That explains it. My breath hitched, the blood draining from my face. "This is bad. You're delirious.

I need to get you a doctor. Right now." I scrambled to my feet and bolted downstairs. Miles was caught off guard. I shoved him away, and he crashed onto the floor.

He sat on the floor of my bedroom. He tilted his head back, staring up at the ceiling. His eyes drifted shut. A dark, dangerous shadow settled over his face.

The next day in the cafeteria. Miles walked over holding a slice of cake.

His voice was soft. "Thank you for getting the doctor yesterday, Princess." "Are you feeling better?" I looked up at him, my brows pulling together. "Much better." He kept his eyes lowered.

His tone was perfectly obedient. I nodded, letting out a breath of relief. The System started nagging in my head. [Host! You failed yesterday's mission.

That's another five thousand words for your reflection essays. You have to pull off something huge today.] My chopsticks slipped. [See that slice of cake next to his hand?

Throw it on the ground. Tell him he's filthy. Humiliate him.] [This is the only way to push the plot forward.

We need to speed up his romance with the original female lead.] I stared down, picking at the edge of my lunch tray.

A conflicted whine escaped my throat. "Wasting food is bad," I argued internally. "Plus, he refuses to spend a dime of my money. He bought this by working minimum wage shifts.

It takes him a long time to save up for a slice of cake." The System let out a massive, frustrated sigh. [You are the villainess!] [Playing the tyrant, insulting and degrading him—that is your job.] [You are not supposed to feel sorry for him.] Miles's hand froze right as he went to scoop his soup.

Something dark flickered in his eyes. I pressed my lips together and didn't move a muscle. "That's just too mean." The System kept pushing. [Throw it!

Smash it on the ground!] [If you fail again, the punishment will be way worse than writing reflection essays.] [And if you don't break him, how is the original female lead going to step in and save him?

Once they get together, he won't have to live in poverty anymore.] "Fine…" I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself. I reached out and slapped the slice of cake off the table.

It hit the floor with a wet splat. "I wouldn't be caught dead eating something so cheap. This trashy frosting got my hands all dirty. Clean it up.

Now." I rushed through the lines at lightning speed. The words blurred together, and I practically mumbled the last sentence into my chest.

Every single pair of eyes in the cafeteria snapped toward our table. Dead silence stretched for two whole seconds.

Then, the girl sitting closest to me turned to her friend with a blank look. "What the hell was she mumbling about?" "Acting so weird.

You think she's seeing ghosts?" "Isn't that Camilla, the Princess? Rich people act so weird." [Say it again!] The System was furious. [You mumbled the whole thing.

That didn't humiliate him at all.] "I spoke perfectly clearly," I argued back in my head. "They just weren't paying attention." [Stop making excuses.

Look at him, he didn't even react—] The System's voice cut off abruptly. Miles suddenly leaned across the table, towering right over me.

Chapter 3 Under the stunned gazes of everyone in the cafeteria, he lowered his head. He took my hovering index finger straight into his mouth.

His warm, wet tongue dragged slowly across my skin. He licked every last drop of the frosting clean.

Then he looked up at me through his thick, dark lashes. "My fault, Princess." I froze. The System went dead silent for five whole seconds. [Damn.

His hearing is actually insane.] My face burned hot. Are we really doing this? Was his hearing the point right now? The wet heat still lingered on my fingertip.

Suddenly, a hand shoved my shoulder hard from behind. Miles's hand shot out. He gripped my arm, steadying me before I could trip.

A girl with a high ponytail inserted herself right between us.

She planted her hands on her hips and glared at me, her chest heaving. "Camilla, you think you can just bully people because you're rich?

Miles bought that cake for you out of the kindness of his heart. How dare you throw it!" It was Hazel. The original female lead. She was a scholarship student, just like Miles.

The brave, righteous little ray of sunshine. She was supposed to step up when the villainess humiliated the male lead, forging an unbreakable bond with him.

The System instantly forgot about Miles's weird reaction. It buzzed with excitement again. [Yes! This is it! The iconic scene from the original plot! Force a kiss on him right now.

Keep humiliating him. Make Hazel feel even worse for him.

We need to push their romance forward!] Standing right behind me, Miles slowly dragged his tongue over his bottom lip. [Kiss him! Right here in public!

Tell him this sugar mommy arrangement is only for his body!] I shook my head frantically in my mind. No, no, no. That was way too far. [It is not too far!

How is that too far?] [This is your fault for slacking off on your missions! You always cut corners. Now Miles looks at Hazel like she's a total stranger.

At this rate, when will they ever get their happy ending?] The System paced around in my head, totally panicking.

I stood frozen, completely trapped. "Camilla!" Someone called out from the side. An underclassman in a tracksuit jogged over. He waved at me with a bright, clueless smile.

Pure inspiration struck. I grabbed onto him like a lifeline and spun around to greet him. "Hey! What a coincidence!

Didn't you tell me last time about your grandmother having a baby boy or girl?" "Which one is it?

You have to take me to visit right now!" The System had a total meltdown. [Are you running away again?!] [Hello?

What about the mission?!] [Why don't you just say you washed your phone and need to go hang it up to dry?!] The underclassman stared at me, totally lost. "Huh?

My grandmother?" "Let's go, let's go, right now. I'm definitely going to give a huge baby gift." I grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the exit.

We bolted out of the cafeteria without looking back. I glanced back over my shoulder as I ran. Miles stood there, watching my retreating figure.

The faint curve of his lips slowly flattened out. He lowered his eyes. His face went completely blank. Hazel stepped closer, trying to comfort him. "Don't be sad, Miles.

I'll protect you from now on. That kind of Princess is just—" "Stay away from me." Miles let out a cold scoff. He lifted his eyes, entirely out of patience.

Those eyes were usually so gentle and obedient. Right now, they held zero emotion. They were as cold as solid ice.

Hazel was pinned in place by that glare. "What did you just say?" she whispered in disbelief. Chapter 4 "I said, stay out of my business.

I don't need your help." Miles did not spare Hazel another glance. He pulled his gaze away and turned on his heel. On the walk home, he kept a slow pace.

He trailed a few steps behind me. I glanced back at him a few times. He kept his eyes lowered, his thoughts completely unreadable. The driver already had the back door open.

I turned around when I realized he had not followed me to the car. Miles stood frozen in front of a jewelry store window on the street.

The dying, amber sunlight reflected off the glass. He stared at the display with a blank face, his shadow stretching long across the pavement.

I walked back and called out to him. "Hurry up and get in. The driver is here." He blinked, snapping out of his daze.

He slipped right back into his usual, obedient persona and gave me a soft smile. "Coming, Princess." I nodded, throwing one last curious look at the display window.

In the car, the System started nagging again. [Host, you failed another mission. Add five thousand words to your reflection essays!

Do you even know how many you owe by now?] I put on my most pitiful voice. "Another five thousand? That is too much. I will never finish them." "Sys, come on, help me out.

I know you are the most amazing, kindest system in the world." [Save it.] It glared at me in my mind, letting out a frustrated huff. [Fine. I will give you one last chance.

Ravish him in his sleep tonight.] I kept up my pitiful act, staring at it with wide puppydog eyes. "Sys, you know I have been with you since I was little." [Fine, fine.] It let out a heavy sigh, finally caving. [Just get inside his room tonight.

That will count as a pass. Happy now?] My eyes lit up.

I let out a giddy laugh in my head. "I knew you were the best, Sys!" [Do not negotiate the difficulty down any further, you hear me?!] "Yeah, yeah, yeah," I promised, nodding along. "I was planning to sneak into his room tonight anyway." I drowned in the sheer joy of not having to write those reflection essays.

I was too distracted to look back, missing the way his tight jaw might have relaxed into a faint smirk. Late that night.

I crept into Miles's bedroom, keeping my footsteps completely silent. A second later, my face flushed a deep red. His blanket was pushed all the way down to his waist.

His chest and stomach were completely bare. The silver moonlight spilled across the sharp cut of his shoulders and the smooth, hard lines of his chest.

I awkwardly averted my eyes and whispered to the System. "Why does he sleep without a shirt? He didn't even pull the covers up.

No wonder he caught a fever last time." Miles suddenly shifted and rolled over. The blanket, already slipping, slid further down his hips.

I lunged forward and grabbed the edge of the blanket. I let out a massive breath of relief. "That was close.

He almost caught another cold." I leaned over and carefully pulled the thick duvet all the way up to his chin. I tucked the edges in tight, sealing him up like a burrito.

The System went completely, hopelessly silent. In the dark, a thick blue vein pulsed at Miles's temple. I crouched down by the edge of the mattress.

I dug a soft measuring tape out of my pocket. Very carefully, I picked up his left hand where it rested outside the blanket.

I started measuring the circumference of his ring finger.

The System sounded confused. [Why are you measuring how thick his fingers are?] Then, it let out a dirty, knowing laugh. [Oh. I get it now. You sure know how to play rough.

You have finally grown up.] Chapter 5 "Sys, what are you talking about?" I asked, lost. Before I could ask anything else, Miles groggily opened his eyes. Our eyes met.

I shot up from the edge of the mattress, totally humiliated. "Uh, good evening. Haha, look. Your bed really looks like… a bed." "And this blanket is nice.

Very blanketlike." I hid the measuring tape behind my back as I babbled. Miles's eyes darkened. His voice was incredibly low. "Princess, you don't have to hide.

You can do whatever you want to me. I won't fight back." His tone was almost seductive. He pushed himself up against the mattress.

The blanket slipped down his waist, exposing the hard lines of his chest. "No, I didn't want to do anything," I stammered. My face burned.

I slowly lowered my head and stared at my toes. "It was just for your health." He paused. Then he spoke, perfectly considerate. "I should wash my hands first." Wait. No.

Did he misunderstand something? My face turned bright red. I shook my head frantically. "No! I didn't mean it like that…" He clearly didn't believe me.

A dark, dangerous storm brewed in his eyes. "I'll make you feel good, Princess…" A hot flush crept all the way down my neck. "When we passed that jewelry store this afternoon, I saw you staring at that ring for a long time." I rushed to explain. "I just wanted… to give you a surprise." Miles froze.

His long eyelashes fluttered. His face went completely blank. I awkwardly turned on my heel and bolted out the door. Inside the bedroom, the door clicked shut.

Much later, he confessed what happened after I left. He had sat in dead silence for a long time. The moonlight washed over his bare shoulders.

He slowly lay back down and raised his hand, covering his eyes with the back of his wrist. His Adam's apple bobbed.

He swallowed down a violent surge of emotion. "Princess," he whispered to the empty room.

His voice was so wrecked it was barely a sound. "If you don't like me, why are you so good to me?

I really… can't hold back much longer." My passive resistance brought the plot to a crawl. Over the next few days, the System started piling on the missions.

Tear up his homework today. Pour ink in his backpack tomorrow. Slap him in public the day after. I was miserable. I didn't even dare go home just to avoid the missions.

The System cursed at me in my head. [Host, avoiding this is useless. You can run, but you can't hide. It is your destiny to push Miles and Hazel together.] I played dead.

Late at night, with nowhere else to go, I hid in the corner of a dimly lit bar. I sat there in a daze, taking slow sips of a fruity cocktail. "Hey!" It was that same underclassman.

He walked over with a glass in his hand, flashing a wide grin. "We have the best luck.

I keep running into you everywhere." I had too much on my mind, so my smile was incredibly forced. "Yeah.

What a coincidence." He leaned in a little closer. "Are you here alone?" "Yeah." "You look really down. How about I dance for you?

I guarantee it'll cheer you up." I nodded, completely out of energy. At that moment, I completely failed to realize what I just agreed to.

The underclassman jumped onto the small stage in the corner of the bar. He grabbed the metal pole and started performing a striptease. He winked at me while he danced.

My jaw dropped. Chapter 6 The System was just as stunned. [Wait, what?] [Wow. He really just went for it, huh?] The underclassman spun twice around the metal pole. He waved at me.

His movements were ridiculously provocative. "Princess! How is my dancing!" "Great. Yeah, really great.

Uh, actually." I scrambled to grab my purse. "I just remembered I have an emergency at home. I have to go." I kept my head down and bolted for the exit.

At the corner of the hallway, I crashed headfirst into a rockhard chest. "Sorry, I am so sor—" I looked up. The rest of the apology died in my throat. Miles looked down at me.

Very slowly, he took off those heavy, nerdy glasses he always wore. "Miles… What are you doing here?" For some reason, a heavy knot of guilt twisted in my stomach.

He let out a low laugh. He raised a hand and dragged his fingers through his hair, pushing it slicked back. It made him look completely unhinged. Dominant. Dangerous.

Without the thick frames and messy bangs hiding his face, the dark possessiveness in his eyes was exposed. It was thick enough to drown in.

Like a predator locking onto its prey, he stepped closer. [What is happening?!

Host, he looks like he wants to eat you alive.] [Did he just see all of that?] [Wait, wait… is he jealous?!] I instinctively backed up.

I stammered, "Why… why aren't you saying anything?" Miles snatched my wrist. He dragged me straight into an empty private booth nearby.

The door clicked shut behind us, completely cutting off the loud club music. He pinned me against the wall. His voice was a harsh, furious grit. "So this is what you like?

If I knew you liked it wild, I wouldn't have bothered playing the good student." I panicked, trying to explain. "No, I didn't—" He suddenly grabbed the back of my head.

His heavy body pressed flush against mine. His tongue forced its way past my lips. A freezing, metallic sensation hit my tongue.

My eyes flew wide open. "Mmph, whwhat is…" The cold metal shocked me. I let out a muffled whimper. Miles laughed, a dark, low sound right against my mouth. "Princess.

It's a tongue ring." He brushed his lips against mine, coaxing and dangerous. "I can be wild for you too. Even wilder. How about that?" I snapped out of it.

I shoved him away as hard as I could