Chapter warning: this chapter contains scenes of sexual content. Please be warned before proceeding.
“You don’t need to tremble like that. I don’t have a hobby of devouring terrified women.”
Even in the darkness, his features were clear. His lips, twisted in a mocking curve, delivered a chilling voice that weighed down on her.
“So… you knew everything?”
She had thought he was too tired from work to pay attention. But contrary to her assumption, he showed no signs of fatigue.
“Your restless nights were quite a sight. Like a convict awaiting execution.”
“…”
“The image I remember is very different from this.”
Two years ago, any semblance of politeness had long been discarded. When no one was around, he revealed the true face hidden beneath his mask.
As his face drew close enough for their lips to touch, Charlotte turned her head away. She recalled that night, seeing him with blood dripping from his mouth. Clicking his tongue, Richard grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him again.
“Don’t turn away or show me your back without my permission.”
At the same time, his hand slipped under her chemise, caressing her soft thigh.
“Stop! You said you wouldn’t…!”
“I said I wouldn’t devour you, not that I wouldn’t touch you. And…”
His hand, having removed the last piece of cloth, moved unhesitatingly to her most private place.
“Ah…!”
“If you don’t like it, I’ll stop right now.”
Richard smirked arrogantly, sliding his long finger inside her. The sudden stimulation made Charlotte’s body arch like a fish on a hook. Grasping her trembling waist, he pushed his fingers deeper.
“You’re tight. Is it because it’s been a while?”
“How… how do you know that? Ah…!”
“Do I look like an idiot?”
The warm, wet interior was just as he remembered. Pressing the familiar spots without hesitation, Charlotte let out a moan like a pressed instrument.
“Ah…!”
“If there had been another man in your life, do you think I’d let you off so easily?”
If she had been involved with someone like Derek, he would have beaten him to the brink of death, left him barely alive, and taken her right in front of his eyes. He wanted to see her despairing expression as she looked at him.
After that, he would have chained her and kept her in a place devoid of sunlight, using her until he was tired of her.
“Ah… uh… ah!”
As his movements became more intense, Charlotte unconsciously clung to his broad shoulders. Feeling the hard muscles under her palms, she raised her knees, clutching the bed sheets with her toes curled.
“Ah… uh…!”
Only when her vision went white did the torturous pleasure end. Pulling out his soaked fingers, Richard pried open her lips, making her lick them clean.
“Suck. How lewd.”
A cold command that brooked no refusal. Before Charlotte could regain her senses, the mattress shifted and then steadied again.
“Pack your things from today.”
Richard, now dressed in a robe, informed her.
“What…?”
“We’re going to Cardel Island the day after tomorrow.”
It was an unfamiliar name.
***
Richard’s assignment was to a tropical island that was just beginning to undergo rapid development.
As soon as Charlotte stepped off the boat and onto the bustling island, she noticed the native men and women with their bronze skin and dark eyes, standing out from the locals.
Most of the people carrying the luggage were natives. It was a strange imbalance. Moreover, their eyes seemed dull and lifeless, as if they had lost their spirit. Charlotte concluded it was likely because it had been less than ten years since they were subjugated after a conquest.
“This place is…”
“Shh.”
Just as she opened her mouth in curiosity, someone approached. An elderly gentleman, hat in hand, greeted them with a broad smile.
“Well, well, look who it is. I heard you were coming, but it’s good to see you again.”
“It’s been a while, Captain.”
“I’ve long since retired, but hearing that title always warms my heart.”
With a hearty laugh, the man’s gaze naturally shifted to Charlotte standing beside Richard.
“And who might this lovely lady be?”
Charlotte lowered her eyes in embarrassment as a brief introduction followed.
“Charlotte, this is Brad Zern, my superior officer during my military days.”
“Oh.”
Military days. Charlotte’s brief exclamation was met with a sharp glance.
“This is Miss Charlotte Hegel, my fiancée.”
Fiancée. Before she could even process the word, Brad respectfully extended his hand. Caught off guard, she placed her hand on his, and he briefly kissed the back of it.
“Of course. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hegel.”
“Oh… it’s nice to meet you, Captain.”
“Please, just call me Brad. You too, Richard.”
“Sure.”
Richard replied smoothly, gently withdrawing Charlotte’s hand. Brad, smiling silently at the gesture, turned his head slightly.
“It looks like the porters have loaded all the luggage onto the carriage. Let’s continue our conversation there.”
Quiet eyes followed them as they headed towards the carriage.
Inside the carriage, many stories were exchanged. Brad, who had just turned sixty, was a noble and gentlemanly figure. He had spent his life as a soldier, was dispatched here five years ago to suppress the rebels, and after losing his wife a year ago, he retired and now lived in a large house with his daughter.
“If you hadn’t helped me invest my pension, I would have been in a tough spot.”
“It was only a temporary difficulty. Besides, with your help on this project, my investment has paid off.”
“Introducing you to the island’s governor was no big deal. By the way, Olivia will be thrilled to see you. When she finds out you’re here…”
The conversation, which had been flowing smoothly, suddenly halted. Meeting Charlotte’s eyes, Brad smiled awkwardly.
“I was being rude. Please forgive me, Miss Hegel. It was just a joke.”
“It’s fine, Captain.”
Though he had asked her to call him Brad, the formality felt more comfortable for Charlotte at this stage. Brad’s smile softened at her polite response, and he turned to look at Richard, who was gazing out the window.
“You are indeed fortunate to have such beauty by your side.”
“Am I?”
Richard, leaning his elbow on the window frame, responded indifferently. It was a stark contrast to the cold manner in which he had brushed off Brad’s earlier gesture of kissing Charlotte’s hand. Brad continued to force conversation, sensing the tension.
It didn’t seem like a marriage of convenience given Richard’s personality, yet there was a clear chill between them. Bringing her here didn’t seem like an act of affection, but rather an unwillingness to be apart, even for a moment. Despite the apparent heat, there was a notable distance between them.
“Just when I thought he had softened up a bit, he’s still the same.”
Brad clicked his tongue softly and shifted his gaze back to Charlotte, who was seated next to Richard.
“Did you know, Miss Hegel, that this guy used to look like a drenched puppy when he first arrived?”
“…A puppy?”
A word that didn’t suit him at all and one she couldn’t possibly associate with him. If she had been drinking water, she might have spat it out. Brad continued, smiling at Charlotte’s startled reaction.
“With that face of his, he’d look so pitiful, even if you just talked to him. ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘No, sir.’ Only two words, and he wouldn’t mingle with his comrades. He was like a hedgehog, locking himself in his own fortress and pushing everyone away.”
“Brad.”
Richard quietly interrupted, seemingly irritated by the conversation.
“Miss Hegel must be tired from the journey and would probably like to rest.”
“Oh. Is that so?”
Brad looked apologetically at Charlotte, who shook her head emphatically.
“No, please continue.”
Ignoring the sharp look Richard gave her, Charlotte urged Brad to go on. She was curious, but it was also partly out of defiance.
Days had gone by with her being kept close yet treated like she was invisible. He barely spoke to her unless it was absolutely necessary. Neither of them had brought up ‘that day,’ as if they were engaged in a dangerous tug-of-war, neither willing to make the first move. Outwardly, it seemed peaceful, but it was a precarious peace.
Brad glanced between the two of them before continuing.
“One day, a kitten wandered into the barracks. It was just a tiny thing, barely able to walk, probably because its mother had died. The men didn’t know what to do and were all flustered. And then, surprisingly, this guy stepped up.”
“Really?”
It was an unbelievable story. Charlotte’s eyes widened, and Brad nodded.
“He picked up the kitten, and it suited him so well. He said it looked hungry and quickly went to a nearby village to get some food for it. Thanks to him, the kitten survived.”
“That’s a relief.”
“It sure is. It grew up healthy and now lives at my house.”
As the conversation continued, the carriage gradually slowed down. There was the sound of heavy iron gates opening, and the carriage moved from a dirt road to a gravel path before coming to a stop.
Richard was the first to stand, as if he had been waiting. He got off the carriage with a natural grace that seemed almost more fitting than the owner himself, and extended his hand to Charlotte. She took his hand and stepped down, followed by Brad. A man who appeared to be the butler approached them.
“Welcome back, sir.”
“Is the guest room ready?”
“As per your instructions, sir.”
“We’ll need a larger room. There are two guests.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s go inside.”
After finishing his conversation with the butler, Brad led his two guests towards the entrance of the large mansion. As the door opened, a clear, high-pitched female voice could be heard from inside.
It was a young woman with a bright demeanor.
“Father, where have you been…?”
“Ah, Olivia. This is…”
Before Brad could introduce them, the woman named Olivia’s face lit up as she focused on one person.
“…Richard?”
“It’s been a while, Miss Olivia.”
Richard called her by name without hesitation and smiled lightly.
“It has been a while…”
Olivia blushed, clearly flustered. Unconsciously, Charlotte placed a hand over her left chest. She felt a heavy pain there. As she struggled to maintain her composure, Brad interjected.
“I forgot to introduce you. This is my daughter, Olivia, Miss Hegel.”
“Oh…”
The introduction continued seamlessly.
“Olivia, this is Miss Charlotte Hegel, Richard’s fiancée.”
Olivia’s face, which had been flushed, turned pale in an instant.
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