Her green eyes, as pure as a leaf in midsummer, were hazy. She sobbed as she surrendered herself to the pleasure he had given her, cheeks flushing.
Even her bright red lips were soaked in saliva.
Everything felt overly vivid.
He felt like he had lost his sense of direction. Time seemed to have stopped.
Intuitively, he realized he had crossed an invisible line in their relationship.
Those eyes. I should have kept them covered. I canât go back now.
Sometimes itâs better not to know just how beautiful something can be.
A breathy voice jolted him out of his post-climax daze. Combined with the heat that still surrounded his shaft, he felt his core heat again
Vlad stiffened.
Lily let out another soft moan.
âUghâŚâ
He groaned and trembled like a beast, buried in her as deeply as possible.
It was so wet and warm, the intermingling scents obscene.
Their mixed essences dripped from her bottom to his hand.
As Vladâs shoulder slowly relaxed, Lilyâs body also lost strength.
The arm that was hanging from his shoulder slid.
Lily raised her hands, trembling like a leaf in the wind, and grabbed his cheeks to meet his red eyes.
His facial expression⌠Thatâs weirdâŚ
It was like he was possessed by something. Even his bright red eyes, which made her afraid, seemed to look a bit odd.
Was my body that pleasurable to him? If so, Iâm really glad⌠I thought maybe my husband didnât want my body.
Comparing it to the days when she was anxious with such thoughts, she felt really relieved.
Lily caressed his face with her slender hands. âSatisfied⌠Done?â
Vladâs eyes, which had been mesmerized, returned to their original form. His handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly. ââŚSatisfied. What does it mean?â
Lily took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She felt heavy and sleepy. âYou wanted me. Was it enoughâŚ?  Or, do you still need to do more? I donât knowâŚâ
Vlad looked like he had been hit by a hammer on the back of his head. âThatâs why⌠You told me to do it to the end?  Because I wanted your bodyâŚ?â
This was all too foreign.
She opened her eyes with difficulty, managing to get them halfway. âI was taught that to make you happyâŚâ
For a moment, Vlad thought that Lily had slashed him with a knife.
He didnât even know how to begin correcting her misunderstanding.
ââŚDid you not like it?â
Lily shook her head helplessly. âItâs the wifeâs role. So this isnâtâŚâ
His eyes wandered.
She closed her eyes, murmuring, âBut today, I canât⌠ I think itâs too hardâŚâ
Vlad suddenly realized that he was still lodged inside her.
It was big enough to make her feel tired even though he wasnât moving.
A dark look settles across his face.
She moaned as he slowly bent his back and pulled out. A rush of wetness gushed out of her.
He put Lily down very carefully. Lily, who had become nothing more than a ragdoll, almost fell to the floor. Vlad supported her back and legs again and hugged her.
Lily tilted her head and rested helplessly on his chest. âWe made it to the end. A child⌠Will we have one?â
Vladâs shoulders stiffened.
He didnât notice at all that Lily was sleeping in his arms.
There was nothing to add to this situation.
It was a complete disaster.
* * *
The air in the castleâs conference room was as heavy as the bottom of a swamp.
Dozens of vassals, seated along a long rectangular wooden table, felt as if their noses were sticking out of a pile of dirt.
The culprit of the atmosphere was, of course, their lord who sat languidly at the head.
Legs crossed and arms folded, the dark aura coming from him was practically visible.
His facial features, as sharp as his neat clothes, were gloomy. Despite his god-like appearance, one of the vassals could easily call him handsome. It was because the discomfort and fear overwhelmed the admiration.
Especially today. It felt like a dagger would slice their throat if they spoke the wrong word.
Vlad took a deep breath.
It was very subtle, but there was a change.
The misconception that he treated her as a mere tool for dealing with sexual desire seemed to have been cleared.
ââŚI made a mistake.â
His thoughts were turning in the wrong direction.
Lily did not assume favor, let alone affection for her.
Showing his face and comforting her. It was evident that she regarded it as the minimum courtesy her husband did.
She intended to faithfully carry out her duties as a wife like what she did with her ex-husbands.
Lily would remain Lady de Winter unless some misfortune fell upon him.