When the carriage stopped, Drushia got out first and extended his hand to Ashika. Her expression became complicated as she stared at the hand offered to her.
“Don’t be stubborn over little things, will you?”
Drushia said bluntly, not withdrawing his hand. Even as Ashika’s hand hesitated, he waited persistently.
‘This is the second time already.’
That Drushia was extending his hand to her.
Could she ever have imagined a day like this? No, their relationship had already been changing.
Ashika knew she couldn’t refuse him. From the moment she had that bizarre dream in the imperial palace, Drushia had been stirring different emotions in her every moment.
Stories she wanted to ask about but couldn’t bring herself to. A powerful attraction they both silenced and avoided.
Why did you get on that carriage? Why didn’t you leave me alone when I was terrified? Why did you kiss me so tenderly and sweetly?
She found herself relieved to be close to him, even while angry about the knight’s misdeed.
A small sigh was heard, and Drushia gently pulled her suspended hand.
“Don’t pray or anything in front of the carriage door.”
She thought he would snort and ignore her, but he didn’t find it unpleasant to see her hesitating in front of him. Would she take his hand or not? That brief moment was rather anticipated.
Drushia led Ashika, carefully hiding his stirring emotions.
The building in the forest was completely immersed in darkness. It was so buried in the forest that one wouldn’t even know a building was there if not for the light leaking from the windows.
“I didn’t know there was a villa in a place like this.”
“It’s not a villa, but knights use it when they come and go, so it’s well maintained.”
“How many more places like this are there on the way to the Grand Duke’s territory?”
“Reconnaissance as soon as you get out of the carriage? Most of our information is probably already known by Igraine, isn’t it?”
“Unlike someone, I don’t scrutinize every little detail.”
“Yes. I acknowledge that Duke Igraine and Lady Igraine are different.”
Drushia readily agreed. His attitude, though alert, felt strangely non-hostile.
Before entering the front door, a chill ran down Ashika’s spine.
‘What is it?’
Turning around was an impulsive action. Behind her, Talion’s knights and Nile were following at a distance. Her gaze passed through the dark forest toward the sky emitting a faint light.
‘It’s a new moon.’
The moonlight, showing only a thin form, would naturally be dark, but this day felt particularly chilly. That light felt like someone’s gaze, making her spine tingle.
‘What am I thinking?’
Ashika shuddered and stepped through the building’s front door. Unlike how dark she thought it would be from outside, the interior lighting was intense enough to hurt her eyes.
Feeling dizzy, Ashika briefly closed and reopened her eyes.
It was a space too small to call a hall, yet quite spacious for a remote house. A woman in a simple dress greeted Ashika.
“Welcome. You must be tired. I’ll guide you to your bedroom and prepare bath water.”
“Ah, my companion….”
She belatedly worried that Talion’s knights might mistreat Nile. But Nile, who had been following just moments ago, was nowhere to be seen.
“Nile?”
Not only Nile but also Talion’s knights and Drushia were not visible. Only the woman walking ahead toward the inner part of the mansion.
Ashika blinked slowly. This strange feeling was certainly not the first time.
“Excuse me, where is Duke Talion?”
The woman walking ahead turned around. Her face, with a gentle smile, showed goodwill.
“He’s checking the luggage with the knights and will come in soon. The schedule is tight, so they’re taking time preparing thoroughly. There’s no need to worry.”
Ashika tilted her head but followed the woman’s guidance. After waiting in the bedroom for a while, she headed to the bathroom when told the bath water was ready.
Two maids waiting in the bathroom helped her undress and attended to her. Even as she yielded her body as if entranced, she couldn’t shake off the strange feeling.
When she put her foot in the bathtub, she noticed something was amiss. The warm water enveloping her skin was vibrating with a sweet floral scent.
‘Perfumed oil? A safe house has perfumed oil?’
Hadn’t he said it was a place where knights stayed briefly? It seemed strange that such a place would have perfumed oil, women’s items, and bedclothes that seemed perfectly fitted.
When she returned to the bedroom after bathing, the strange feeling intensified. On the bedroom table sat a wine bottle and two crystal glasses.
“What is that?”
“It’s wine to help you sleep. It’s prepared to suit your taste as per the Duke’s instructions. You need to rest as comfortably as possible because tomorrow’s schedule is tight.”
“Then have a good night, madam.”
The two maids finished their explanation without unnecessary words and left the room. Ashika froze, staring at the door the maids had exited through.
‘Madam? Who? Me?’
Suddenly, her head was spinning. Ashika tried her best to gather her confused thoughts.
‘Think, I need to think. Something’s wrong.’
But Ashika’s suspicion faded away with a strange memory.
A grand wedding ceremony held at the imperial palace. However, hearing that there was a problem in the Grand Duke’s territory, Drushia headed to the Grand Duke’s territory with his knights as soon as the wedding was over.
Ashika took a carriage separately to meet him. She was planning to spend the night here today and leave for Talion’s territory with Drushia tomorrow. So there was nothing wrong.
“Why am I acting like this?”
Thoughts that didn’t seem to be her own cluttered her mind.
“Why is my heart pounding so much? It just won’t calm down.”
Ashika drank one of the glasses prepared for the two of them alone. It was to calm her wildly beating heart. She emptied half the bottle alone like that.
As the intoxication began to rise, the bedroom door opened. The man who entered unhesitatingly was quite familiar to her.
“Ashika, was the journey difficult because the road was rough?”
“…Rushia.”
Drushia’s face brightened at the loving whisper-like call. The smile that spread across his face was so radiant like a flower that she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
“I missed you. So much that my insides were burning black.”
Drushia rushed over in one breath and embraced Ashika tightly. As his firm arms enclosed her, his woody, deep scent hit her. Ashika’s heart, which had barely settled down, began to pound again.
“What happened with the Grand Duke’s territory matter?”
“Ah, that’s for later. I need to pay for my sin of abandoning my bride on the first day of marriage.”
“Rushia….”
“I missed you so much. I didn’t want to be apart even for a moment.”
The mellow voice whispering in her ear revealed his passionate emotions. His deep exhalation expelled the longing he had been holding back.
His large hand stroked her spine. Even through the thin nightclothes, she could clearly feel his hot body temperature. Drushia’s hand carefully, but without hesitation, slipped into her clothes and grasped her soft bare skin.
****
His heavy body, soaked in sweat, pressed down on Ashika’s entire body. From his lips touching her forehead, rough breaths poured out.
“Ngh….”
Ashika set her nails on his back, slippery with sweat. In pain as if her body was being split, she unconsciously scratched his back with her nails.
“It hurts…Rushia.”
“Haa…, it hurts?”
Drushia stopped moving and raised his head.
“It hurts… it’s our wedding night, please be gentle….”
Drushia’s body stiffened. Ashika was too dazed from heat and pain to examine his expression. Only then did Drushia notice the faint smell of blood.
‘Damn it. I wonder….’
Despite trembling with pain, Ashika did not withdraw her gaze from him.
“…Rushia….”
A pitiful voice impossible to refuse. Drushia grabbed Ashika’s hands and pinned them firmly to the bed. First time or not, it was already too late. He couldn’t stop, nor did he want to.
Tears hung from her blurred black eyes. Drushia licked her tears with the tip of his tongue and slowly began to move again.
“Nngh… mmph.”
His hot lips swallowed the painful moans escaping from Ashika’s mouth. Between their overlapping lips, it was impossible to distinguish whether the escaping breath was his or hers.
Ashika was helplessly shaken under his stone-like body. The feeling of being under a huge pile of rocks. She didn’t know his body was this solid with muscle. The impact of the fierce collision made her feel as if her body was being thrown somewhere.
How did it come to this? Only the memory that today was their wedding night was repeated in her foggy mind.
Drushia comforting her when she was nervous as she entered the bedroom, asking her for a dance. The memory of him happily spinning her around in a thin nightgown, embarrassingly. A little wine and sweet kisses, and then… and then….
Ashika found it difficult to collect her thoughts. She wished he would stop now, and also wished she could just fall asleep holding him tight. Drushia was such a dear person to her.
“…Rushia.”
Ashika stroked his drenched back with her hand. Drushia’s shoulder stiffened as if startled by something.
“Haaa….”
Drushia slowly raised his upper body and exhaled a labored breath. Sweat dripped from his face, and his blue eyes, still excited, looked down at Ashika.
His persistent gaze seemed to examine every expression and the slightest muscle movement of hers, as if trying to confirm something. Finding his tense face somehow amusing, Ashika gently stroked his cheek. Her fingertips slid over his wet skin.
“Pfft….”
When Ashika laughed, Drushia’s face became peculiar. He seemed both surprised and as if he was frowning.
Ashika was content just looking at him. An endlessly numbing and longing feeling.
His golden hair darkened with sweat, his deep eyes looking at her, his moist, lively lips, and his distinct features with healthy complexion. She didn’t want to miss any part of the man in front of her at this moment.
After a brief silence, Drushia finally spoke.
“…Does it hurt a lot?”
Ashika chuckled at his worried voice.
“It’s okay. They say it’s always like that the first time.”
“Yes, it’s only like that the first time.”
The corners of Drushia’s mouth turned up. His mischievous, naughty smile felt unfamiliar.
“So now it’s your turn.”
“Huh?”
Before she could understand what that smile meant, Drushia’s upper body slowly tilted downward.
Feeling the sensation penetrating deeply once again, the smile disappeared from Ashika’s face. Instead, hot heat and excited breath took over her entire body. Between gasping breaths, she heard her name.
The desperately yearning voice continued endlessly until her vision became distant with the dizzying sensation.
