Chapter 39

Chapter 34: Was It Jealousy? (1)

Leaving the garden, the empress’ chief of staff and the guards looked at the empress in a frenzy. When they saw the empress in the arms of the Grand Duke, they looked like they’d faint on the spot.

“Where have you been, Your Majesty? I was so surprised to see you disappear so suddenly…”

Aran blinked her eyes to express her regret. Of course, the main culprit of everything was Enoch. She knew he’d not come clean.

“Are you feeling unwell, Your Majesty?” seeing Aran’s pale face, the poet inquired anxiously.

“She seems to have lost herself in the garden,” Enoch said.

“It’s… it’s my fault. I didn’t look properly. You better take her to her quarters to rest right away, Grand Duke.”

The Grand Duke, who had the audacity to nod his head innocently, held her tight and headed towards her room.

Aran looked at his face stupefied.

His gentle face was the same as usual, but she saw anger in his cold eyes. The fingernail marks on her cheeks had faded and weren’t particularly noticeable.

He didn’t talk to Aran nor set his gaze on her ‘till he arrived at the bedroom.

The maidservants opened the door. No one questioned why the Grand Duke was with the empress.

Aran flinched—a habit— when she heard the heavy door closing. After that, Enoch looked down at her. The courteous mask he wore in front of others was no longer.

Aran looked away, unable to make eye contact. Enoch tried to keep her in bed, but Aran shook her head.

“I have to change my clothes,” she said.

It was dark. It wasn’t obvious at first, but it was clear that her dress was full of grass and soils staining it. She didn’t want to lie in bed with her dirty dress.

“You can change the sheets in the morning,” said Enoch, calmly.

“It won’t feel right. It’s uncomfortable,” Aran protested weakly.

Enoch sighed, tired.

“Thank you for bringing me here safely… I’ll call my lady-in-waiting. Now please… ah…!”

Carefully trying to get away from him, Enoch suddenly pulled her roughly towards him and began taking off her dress. The thin dress had almost been torn at his hasty touch.

“You don’t need to call anyone. I’ll take care of you whenever you want.”

“Wait… stop…”

“Just bear with it a little bit, even if it’s disgusting.”

He crept close to her and brought her to the bathroom to wash her dirty hands, feet, face.

Fearing his manner which was more violence than usual, Aran had no choice but to follow his will. A day or two had passed since they last did it. He would seek her presence again, but this time, he seemed genuinely angry.

Bringing her back to her bed, Enoch stopped off her wet panties, laughing ferociously as she trembled. His eyes glistened with unrelenting desire looking down at her fullness.

“You can stop shaking the bed,” he whispered, stroking her white-skinned chest. He looked like he was asking for permission, but Aran knew otherwise. “I thought all you knew was being fearful of me or shaking, but who knew that you were good at being nice to a man.”

“When did I… when…”

Aran clenched her fist. She tried to remember why he was angry, but nothing came to mind.

Seeing him continue to bring up Duke Silas’ name, Enoch might have been unhappy that she was dancing with him, but this was normal. It often occurred at a regular banquet. Also, the conversation she had with him wasn’t much.

Enoch punched her n*pple as if reprimanding her for not being able to concentrate.

“Nnghh!”

In an instant, Aran flinched. A large hand grasped her mounds firmly like soft marshmallows ready to melt.

“It hurts…” Aran, terrified that she’d melt, begged.

Enoch pretended indifference and looked at her, but in truth, he was blinded with anger. He knew Aran was unwell, but he ignored her current state. What he wanted was to dig inside her body and former her with pain and without preparation. She wanted to let her know that he could do all he desired and pleased.

Aran kept trembling for a while. She She couldn’t read his mind, she couldn’t, but she did react sensitively to his feelings. After all, she had a habit of looking at his face and current mood when they were young.

She was somewhat proud at this thought.

Enoch relaxed his grip on her mound and bit on her n*pole through the crack of his fingers. This pink nipple so sensitive to the slightest touch was one of his favorite parts about her. It stood firmly.

“Ah…”

Aran let out a nasal sound when he ducked her proper. She blushed with shame when their eyes met.

Shyly lowering her eyelids and trembling, she looked like an innocent lover who accepted the man she loved for the first time.