Decided To Become A Bad Wife

Chapter 24

The voice coming from Stefan, still with his back turned, was unnervingly calm.

“Did you forget to call a maid to assist with the bath?”

“No, I thought I would first create an opportunity to build rapport since it’s our wedding night and might be awkward.”

Only then did Stefan turn to face Rachel. His unshaken expression, despite her absurd remarks, was as cold as an ice sculpture.

“I don’t want to waste energy on unnecessary matters. Will it be acceptable if you’re unable to focus on the wedding night?”

“Then I suppose I’ll have to plan for another time. I’ll get ready and join you shortly.”

Rachel responded confidently and entered the bathroom.

Only then did Stefan’s face contort with frustration. The bride’s apparent lack of modesty was irritating him.

‘What on earth is she thinking…’

Was she trying to provoke him because the message relayed through Susan didn’t meet her expectations? Or did she genuinely not understand what the wedding night entailed, speaking so casually?

No matter how he considered the possibilities, none of them made sense. These were words no maiden would ever imagine saying.

And not only Rachel but also Susan had spoken to him without any sense of embarrassment.

‘Have the young women of the Merwin Empire become so bold? What could have happened in just one year away from the homeland?’

With his mind in turmoil, Stefan raked his long fingers through his hair. The silver strands, reflecting the moonlight, scattered wildly.

The wedding night was not special only for women. It was also a daunting and nerve-wracking night for men.

Even if the wedding night was carried-out out of obligation, no man would want to instill fear or disappointment in his wife. He was no exception.

Although he had avoided it last night due to certain reasons, tonight Stefan had the duty to fulfill the wedding night.

‘I can’t let the Duchess of Edmonds remain a maiden.’

However, he had no intention of progressing beyond that. Stefan was confident that, no matter what Rachel said to her sisters-in-law, he wouldn’t be provoked by her taunts.

‘If I were swayed by such words, I wouldn’t have prepared myself like this.’

While Stefan stood by the window, controlling his emotions, Rachel emerged from the bathroom after her bath.

She looked even more beautiful and alluring than the previous night, with her pink hair and flushed face making her resemble a blooming rose. Her pearly, translucent skin glistened like a jewel, inviting a man’s touch. Her damp lips seemed to beckon for a kiss.

Her slip, which seemed even tighter today or perhaps clung more due to the moisture, accentuated her form more provocatively than her bare skin would have.

Rachel, oblivious to Stefan’s involuntary swallow, fluttered her lips at him.

“Sir, could you help me dry my hair?”

“…Very well.”

Rachel’s attempt to modestly cover herself with a towel seemed precarious. Stefan, trying not to be distracted by the sight of Rachel’s body revealed through her slip, took the towel from her with a detached demeanor.

Rachel guided Stefan to the console in front of her.

“Would it be more comfortable if I sit in the chair?”

“…Perhaps.”

As Rachel sat upright in the chair, the soft silhouette of her body under the slip became more pronounced. Ignoring this, Rachel closed her eyes, and Stefan awkwardly began to pat her hair dry.

Water droplets splashed loudly onto Rachel’s slip, making her alluring figure even more distinct through the mirror.

Stefan, startled, fixed his gaze on the top of Rachel’s head and began to move his hands more gently. Though he intended not to let more droplets fall on her slip, the overly soft touch of his hands made it difficult.

Unintentionally, Rachel’s body responded to the increasing contact, causing goosebumps to spread across her skin. The reaction was clearly visible to Stefan through the mirror.

“…Let’s move to the bed now.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Stefan placed the towel on the console and, like the previous night, lifted Rachel into his arms. Rachel, seemingly determined, buried her face deeply into Stefan’s chest.

Through the gap in his nightgown, Stefan’s firm chest was visible. Rachel deliberately blew warm breaths into it, feeling his heartbeat quicken.

Rachel gently placed her lips near Stefan’s chest. The soft, tingling sensation caused Stefan to feel blood rushing downward. He tightened his grip on Rachel and his arms as he carefully placed her on the bed, determined not to repeat the previous night’s mistakes.

However, Rachel was quicker this time. As soon as her body touched the bed, she pulled Stefan’s arms with all her strength, causing his lips to meet hers.

‘I must make up for last night’s mistake.’

With his eyes closed, Stefan moved his hands boldly, his movements smooth and confident, unlike the previous night.

***

*Hmm…, where am I?*

I must have fallen asleep unknowingly after a long, exhausting night. Seeing the empty spot beside the bed, I realized Stefan must have left the bedroom a while ago.

The curtains were fully open, letting in blinding sunlight as if it was deliberately meant to wake me.

I then heard the clinking of dishes.

‘Did they bring breakfast already?’

With my body feeling as heavy as a sponge soaked with water, I managed to sit up. As I slowly scanned the room, I saw Stefan, more dazzling than the sunlight, sitting at the tea table. He was wearing a neat white suit with a striped shirt, drinking orange juice while reading the newspaper, just like the previous morning.

“…Sir?”

It dawned on me that Stefan and I were still in the same space and that I had overslept.

I hurriedly lifted my upper body from the bed, and the blanket slid off, revealing my bare skin. Noticing my surprise and the blanket being pulled up over my chest, Stefan continued to read the newspaper, greeting me without looking up.

“You must have been very tired, Madam.”

“…I apologize, Sir.”

“I thought it would be better for you to rest and not wake you up for breakfast. I hope you’re not upset.”

“Upset? I should be the one apologizing.”

The exchange was warm, suggesting that the night’s events had been quite satisfying.

‘What a shameless fraud…’

I had been foolish to believe that the mandatory intimacy every month in my past life was real. I was deceived by his false actions and thought he had fulfilled his duties, which was pitiful.

In my previous life, he had thoroughly deceived me. Not understanding the true meaning of intimacy, I had been toyed with by a shameless fraud.

‘Believing that it was true intimacy… I thought it was solely my fault that we didn’t have a child. How pathetic.’

The innocent Rachel of my past life had known nothing about the final stages of intimacy. Having learned that a wife’s virtue was obedience, she simply followed her husband’s lead in bed.

So, she couldn’t recognize that Stefan hadn’t done what he was supposed to do.

There was no need to blame his seed for being insufficient. It hadn’t even been sown in the first place.

If the Rachel of my past life had had anyone to confide in, she wouldn’t have endured such foolishness for four years.

Being thoroughly isolated in the Duke’s residence, she couldn’t ask anyone.

In fact, she couldn’t even ask. She didn’t know what was happening to her.

Yet, that man was appearing again. They say that a man is at his weakest when he reaches his peak, but it seems Stefan had thoroughly controlled even that.

‘How does he endure such things…’

Stefan, seeming to think he had completely deceived me once again, spoke with the tenderness of a caring husband.

“I have an appointment, so I must go out now.”

“…Will you be coming back late?”

“Since I have an appointment with you tonight, I will return promptly.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Rest a bit more before you get up. I’ve already informed my mother, so you should be able to rest comfortably in the morning.”

“Travel safely, Sir.”

After confirming Stefan had left the bedroom, I rolled up the blanket and walked to the tea table where he had been sitting.

Breakfast had been prepared just as I had instructed the cook. However, the faint smell of coffee lingering near the tea table was somewhat suspicious.