Edith could tell just by the heavy knocking sound that the person at the door was her husband.
“Walter?”
“I think you need a change of mood.”
Walter entered the room with a tray in his hand as if he were a faithful servant looking out for his master’s comfort.
However, Edith’s gaze lingered longer on his thick forearms than on the steaming black tea and sweet cookies.
『 …What should I do?』
Edith felt like an animal in heat. It wasn’t just because Adrian mentioned wanting a sibling.
For some reason, whenever Walter came into view, her body reacted first: it heated up, and her senses heightened in preparation for what was about to hit her like a ton of bricks.
Normally, there was no reason to reject Walter, who would close the distance the moment their eyes met.
The problem was that she was very busy with official duties and her exam preparation.
『 I thought I could endure until the exam was over.』
Edith showed great self-control and passed the entrance exam without relying on a competent private tutor, but she could not refuse his presence.
Even a few days ago, she hadn’t been able to resist the urge and embrace Walter’s shoulder.
“…”
That night was so fantastic that it left her dizzy, and she couldn’t study for two days.
It was Walter’s habit of leaving deep traces wherever he touched her and showing his desire to possess her, which made the lingering effects even worse.
Now, with only a few days left until the exam, if such a situation happened again, future generations would remember her as the Crown Princess who scored the lowest ever.
『 That absolutely cannot happen.』
At first, she considered explaining the situation to Walter and suggesting spending some time abstaining, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Edith could clearly see how Walter would react if he heard that the passionate warmth he gave her wouldn’t allow her to focus for a few days.
“Then there’s nothing I can do about it. Since M’lady likes spending nights with me so much, it could potentially ruin your exam.”
It was obvious that he would press his firm body against her while pretending to understand with words. Then, he would casually ask with a sneer which part she enjoyed the most.
Edith’s eyes were fading away as she thought of his relentless thrusts until her body burned with mild shame.
He knew very well how attractive his face was as he gently teased and stimulated her.
When Walter made such an expression and purposefully approached her, there was no way to refuse. Any woman in the world would react the same way.
『 Let’s not give him any leeway until the exam.』
Edith decided to stay busy every day until she passed the exam successfully.
Then, after the exam, she would take things one day at a time: the passion that had built up from studying and working hard, and Adrian’s desire to have a sibling.
“Thank you, Walter. I was so busy studying that I didn’t even think about drinking tea.”
Edith accepted the teacup offered by Walter, implying that she was focused only on her studies and not thinking about anything else.
Her mouth went dry, knowing full well how lustful his face was whenever he looked down at her with his large hands gripping the head of the bed.
To avoid being caught gulping down the saliva pooling in her mouth, she sipped the still-hot tea.
“Ah, hot…”
Only the tip of her tongue tingled at her meaningless action to hide her desire.
Edith stuck out her tongue slightly to cool it down. It didn’t seem to be the extent of a burn, so she was about to close her mouth, but a more subdued voice followed.
“Did you get burned?”
Walter asked, his voice as sweet as ever.
However, unlike what was reasonable, his green eyes gazed at the reddened tongue more intensely.
Soon, his hand cupped Edith’s cheek. When he lowered his head and came closer and licked the exposed tip of her tongue, her body flinched.
Edith was just a little surprised because the tea was hot, but it didn’t seem like she was burned.
Even though Walter realized this fact, he didn’t let go.
His wet flesh tangled with the tip of her tongue, rubbing it thoughtfully. He swallowed and savored her tongue thoroughly as if he were melting candy.
The unique scent and warmth that Edith exuded, combined with the humid atmosphere, stirred up Walter’s unsatisfied and frustrated needs. His back suddenly became stiff.
“Walter, uhm…”
The intense contact made her head go blank in an instant, and Edith tried to pull her chair back to escape.
But Walter’s thigh was faster, sliding in between her spread legs.
When he put his weight on it, the chair didn’t move, as if it were stuck on the floor.
“Ah…”
Her hesitant hand eventually went to his chest. Edith could feel his solid and wide body under the thin shirt.
She couldn’t tell if the rapid heartbeat was hers or his. Acknowledging that she had become a blind creature to desire, Edith closed her eyes tightly.
Edith’s hand, tightly gripping the shirt collar, slowly swept down his chest. The corner of Walter’s mouth curled up at her provocative touch.
Although he didn’t necessarily inform Adrian, Walter subconsciously felt that Edith was secretly avoiding him.
Or, more precisely, she was pushing him away with her words and actions, while her eyes taunted him, as if she wanted him to provoke her.
Although Walter found it oddly satisfying that her mind and body seemed to act independently, he couldn’t help but wonder why Edith was being passive.
Was it simply because she was busy?
During their intimate moment, Adrian’s chattering seemed to bother him considerably.
⋙“Then I guess she forgot because it was so boring. Mother is very smart, right? If it was fun and important, she would definitely remember it.”⋘
Surely not. It couldn’t be that the excitement had faded just as their Little One said.
Edith wants me too. Walter wanted to confirm that fact right now. Just looking at those hazy, open eyes wasn’t enough.
“I sent the manager away, Edith.”
Edith nodded slightly, her face turning red.
As soon as Walter confirmed that small movement, he stretched out his arm and yanked violently at the ribbon-tied curtains.
Soon, the sound of heavy breathing and erotic noises filled the darkened room.
──────────✿◦•
A few hours later.
After straightening his clothes, Walter picked up a book with a satisfied expression on his face. Leaning against the sofa in the corner of the conference room, he looked like a painting as he sat and read.
Even without the exhausted Edith lying on his leg with a torn curtain wrapped around her, painters would have loved to paint him as he was now.
Walter stroked Edith’s blonde hair with his free hand while reading a book that was boring enough to bury his unsatisfied desires.
Contrary to his Little One’s cute delusion, Edith still desired him, and she didn’t seem to be bored by the way she responded to every stimulus.
So he wondered how she could say something like that to their son.
『 Adrian wouldn’t have made up something that didn’t happen.』
While Edith had nightmares of humiliating herself with a zero score on her graduation exam as punishment for giving in to her husband’s actions, Walter continued to ponder seriously.
As a result, he could reach one conclusion.
『 Has our relationship been too meek lately?』
If Edith heard this, Walter thought her eyes would widen.
Perhaps living in the stability of the Imperial Palace made their secret rendezvous less thrilling than it was in Fortrion Manor.
What should I do to spend some time that isn’t meek in this safe place?
Surprisingly, the clue to solving the dilemma was found in a report received from Cassius a few days later.
The Emperor mentioned the bad traditions of the nobles and asked Cassius to investigate what they were, and the content was quite interesting.
[At the academy graduation party, there is a culture of confessing your true feelings to the person you are interested in, regardless of social status.
In the beginning, it was about showing respect and affection to the person you were interested in, but now it has degenerated into seducing the other person to win their body and mind.]
Below that, it was said that social gossip fills the newspapers for a week after the party.
It seemed quite common for the children of noble families in hostile relationships to see eye to eye which escalates into family disputes.
Elderly figures, including the Emperor, were concerned that those who should maintain dignity would spend the night indulging in pleasure and temptation.
『 Well, what can I expect? It’s not like the Capital Academy is an ethical-free society of countryside nobles.』
It all seemed like child’s play to Walter, who had seen enough vulgar scandals and high-handed affairs during his time as a stableman at Fortrion Manor.
It’s only when the lady of the manor and the butler agree and plot to steal the family inheritance that it becomes a little irritating to him.
『 Only in a rigid noble society would such misconduct be considered a tradition… What is this?』
Walter, who had been reading the report as if it were ridiculous, froze for a moment when he saw the sketch attached to the next page.
There, a drawing depicted sensual undergarments worn by women at the party in question to seduce the men they were interested in.
The main materials used were belts made of leather, translucent silk, and lace so loosely woven that one could see inside.
“…”
Walter suddenly found interest in the amusements of the capital people that he had been looking down on.
It seems that acting dignified was only for show.
There were quite a few types of clothes and accessories to add thrill for the lovers.
In his mind, he pictured Edith being embarrassed when she saw the strange-looking clothing. On the outside, she would be wearing a modest dress appropriate for the position of the Crown Princess, but on the inside, she is not.
As he imagined his wife, unfamiliar with the sensation and unable to control herself, his already boiling body became even hotter. Then a heavy force entered his lower abdomen.
〘“Walter… It’s uncomfortable, can you help me undo this buckle?”〙
As his thoughts reached that point, Walter stood up from his seat.
『 As the Crown Prince who has a duty to respect history and customs, even bad traditions are traditions, so I must follow them.』
What he had previously thought about improving the Academy’s bad traditions now felt like someone else’s opinion.
