Chapter 12.6

“Don’t look, you idiot…”

“I need to see it to know. Ah… it’s a bit swollen.”

His worried tone echoed in her ears, and she felt like crying.

“Stop looking.”

“Here too, here too…”

Every cautious touch that passed over her lower body made her squirm. Yet he held her twisting waist firmly as he continued his careful examination.

“Boris, please.”

Even as she cried and pleaded, he showed no sign of listening.

“I’m sorry, I was too rough yesterday…”

“Don’t say it, don’t say anything!”

Livie screamed, covering her face.

“Stop looking!”

She reached out, grabbed a cushion, and threw it at Boris’s face.

Thud.

The cushion hit him squarely, falling to the floor with a louder sound than expected. Startled, Livie quickly looked at his face.

“Are you finally looking at me?”

“You, you… this…”

He could have dodged it, but he took the hit for a reason.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Livie. We’re married now.”

“But! Even between a couple, there are things you don’t want to show!”

“And Livie, I’ve already seen a lot. Yesterday too.”

His calm words left Livie frozen.

Yesterday, the yesterday he spoke of. Their yesterday. The flesh-colored memories suddenly flooded her mind.

“So it’s okay.”

“I’m not okay!”

She still couldn’t get through to him. Looking up at Boris’s puzzled gaze, Livie covered her face again.

“I’m embarrassed.”

Boris gently removed her hands from her face.

“Look at me.”

“No.”

“Don’t you remember, Livie?”

“What?”

“You devoured me yesterday.”

“…”

As Boris casually recounted last night’s events, Livie’s body jolted as if struck by lightning. But she felt wronged.

“Devoured…?”

His words seemed off. There was a significant error. Realizing this, Livie shouted.

“Who, me? Devoured you?”

“Yes.”

He nodded firmly.

“No way, I would never… I don’t know about that.”

“…Really, you don’t remember?”

Despite his unsettling tone, Livie desperately tried to deny reality. Discussing such matters with a clear mind was entirely different from sharing them physically.

Yet why did Boris insist on confirming it? Livie wished he would just shut up.

“I said we shouldn’t, but you wrapped your legs around my waist…”

He kindly unwound her legs from his shoulders and wrapped them around his waist, pressing closely as if to repeat last night’s events.

“No!”

“You did, definitely.”

He spoke as if he knew everything, showing no sign of backing down despite her denial.

Livie remembered how he persistently clung to her every time she tried to deny something important. This time, he showed no sign of retreat.

In the end, Livie conceded.

“Fine.”

“…”

“I did… I did.”

The King had prepared a bridal chamber, but she was annoyed by his evasiveness and driven by an unknown heat, she eagerly devoured him.

“More, a little more… Boris.”

“If we go further, you might get hurt, Livie.”

“No, I don’t care. Do it more.”

“Livie…”

With each returning memory, she truly wanted to die. Boris, even as he lost his mind and went wild, checked her condition moment by moment.

It was Livie who disrupted his attempts at restraint. She begged, pleaded, and even used cute threats without hesitation.

So once, twice, three times… she stopped counting how many times.

“Do you know how beautiful you were? Your pleading, your voice… I thought I was going crazy.”

“…”

Livie listened quietly to his words. His languid, deep voice was incredibly sensual. The memories he stirred weren’t just fragments floating in her mind.

It felt as if the marks he left on her body were igniting, consuming her. She now vaguely understood what those feelings were.

She wanted to be held by him again.

Though her entire body screamed against it. She wanted to experience that sweet pain and pleasure once more.

She was confident that thought wasn’t hers alone. Boris, too, was hardening in the places where he touched her.

“…Boris.”

“Hmm?”

“Hold me.”

“Uh… what?”

He answered with a dazed look, then stared at her with surprised eyes.

“Like last night, okay?”

“That’s not possible.”

His unexpectedly strong refusal left Livie staring at him in shock. Meeting her gaze, Boris’s expression softened.

“You haven’t recovered yet. If we do, you might hurt yourself more…”

“I’m already hurting.”

Livie quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

“It hurts, so make it not hurt, Boris.”

A big wave hit his face. With their bodies pressed closely together, he frowned, struggling to hold back. Livie seized the chance and leaned her weight against him.

Momentarily losing his balance, Boris collapsed onto the bed, worried she might hurt herself, he didn’t move.

Livie took advantage of the moment to climb onto him. She felt strangely energized today. Was it the strength from the alcohol she drank last night? Whatever it was, she liked it.

Boris, looking at Livie sitting on top of him with a resigned gaze, slowly stroked her waist. The sensual touch made her body tremble.

“Mm…”

Her small moan made his eyes narrow.

“Aren’t you tired?”

“Not at all.”

Livie answered defiantly. Her body seemed to have reached its limit, but her mind was exceptionally clear. More, a bit more, once more, no, many times…

She wanted him.

As if saying do as you please, he dropped his hands onto the bed.

“You’re mine, Boris.”

This wasn’t bad either. He had tasted enough of her, now it was time for the plump, muscular crow to be served on the table.

“Mm…”

Livie leaned over the firm body she was sitting on. Seeing Boris with both hands raised, lips tightly shut as if doing nothing, made her heart swell uncontrollably.

Such a strong man flinching at her touch, reacting. Lying there obediently, as if he wouldn’t move a finger unless she wanted him to.

Inside Livie, a twisted desire for conquest surged. She wanted to own him completely. She didn’t know why.

“Livie.”

“Hmm?”

As she was eagerly exploring his body, the voice from above made her look up. In his violet eyes gazing down at her, there was a hint of amusement.

“Do you like it?”

“What?”

When she asked back, Boris smiled shyly and said,

“My body.”

“…”

Livie momentarily struggled to find words. Why did he suddenly ask that? It was embarrassing.

“I don’t… dislike it.”

Livie cleared her throat a few times before speaking.

“Have you ever seen another man’s body?”

Boris persistently pressed the matter. Livie felt like she understood what he wanted to confirm, and she no longer wanted to tease him.

“I have.”

As Livie answered with a sly smile, Boris’s face instantly turned pale.

“A lot.”

“A… lot?”

Watching his beautiful eyes tremble was quite an enjoyable sight. So, Livie decided to savor the moment a little longer.

“Of course. More than just once or twice.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie. It was true that she had seen men undressing.

In the village, there were often opportunities to see men’s n*ked bodies. In the summer, the men would unabashedly strip and jump into the river. 

They didn’t care about the stares of others and would bathe freely in the n*de. Women who came to do laundry or draw water would hurriedly cover their eyes and run away. Livie had been one of them.

So, she had unintentionally witnessed such scenes often. And each time…

“My eyes almost rotted.”

“Your eyes?”

Boris tilted his head at the strange expression.

Among the village men, there were all sorts—from old men to married middle-aged men and even children. Witnessing their nakedness was an unpleasant experience she would rather avoid.

But…

“This is beautiful.”

Livie gazed at the body she was stroking with her hands, her eyes filled with admiration. Then, cautiously, she began leaving traces of herself with her lips.

“Mm…”

As she moved downward, Boris’s groans grew deeper.

“Stay still.”

Livie slapped away the hands creeping up her waist. Boris, looking like a scolded puppy, stared at her with a pained expression. Then…

Swoosh.

She found herself flipped over.

“Sorry.”

“…”

Blinking, Livie stared up at the large shadow cast over her. His imposing figure left her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth.

“I’ll take my punishment later.”

His urgent whisper echoed in her ears.

Livie had made a grave miscalculation. The crow she intended to devour wasn’t just any crow. It was a monstrous crow. And she would pay dearly for provoking him.

Before she knew it, large wings sprouted from his back once again.

Within the cozy space created by his wings, the two of them spent a long time entangled with each other. Skin against skin, exchanging kisses and caresses, they lost track of time. 

By now, the black wings on his back didn’t seem to matter. In fact, they felt warm and comforting.