Chapter 6.3

Heizen, who had been about to kiss her sensitive area, paused. He raised his head and looked at her expression. Her eyebrows angled sharply inward, making it clear she was genuinely upset.  

“Just hold me and rub my back.”  

Following her demand, Heizen wrapped one arm around her and gently stroked her back. He could feel her heartbeat through their contact. Despite her slender frame, her heartbeat was strong.  

As his large, warm hand soothed her back, Rizle’s expression gradually softened. The tension in her body slowly melted away.  

Thinking she had relaxed, Heizen moved in to kiss her. But Rizle, who had been half-closing her eyes, blocked his lips with her hand.  

“I never said you could kiss me.”  

Rejected, Heizen looked at her with a sorrowful expression. Without forcing himself on her, he pleaded with his face, which made Rizle’s resolve waver slightly.  

‘No, if I let this go, he’ll think I’m easy.’  

Rizle tried to steel herself. But the man’s clear, softened gaze eventually made her give in.  

“Fine.”  

Smiling, Heizen gently pressed his lips to hers. He lightly nibbled on her lips, positioning his leg between hers. He settled between her thighs, where the two of them were still wet.  

Rizle realized that he was already hard and swollen again. She looked at him in disbelief, but Heizen took the opportunity to part her lips with his tongue. Before she could tell him to stop, she realized he was trying to silence her.  

She had planned to slap him if he got rough again, but Heizen’s kiss, though eager, remained gentle. Deciding to let it slide, Rizle pretended not to notice when his hand lightly gripped her hip.  

Heizen lifted her leg and slowly pushed himself inside. Although he didn’t apply much force, the opening, which had already been used once, easily accepted him.  

“Mm…”  

Rizle let out a moan, placing her hands on his chest. Heizen, without moving immediately, held her close. Instead, he stroked her back and kissed the top of her head.  

“If I could, I’d want to die like this.”  

Heizen whispered his confession into her ear. Rizle thought it was a foolish sentiment, but she understood what he meant. She also felt that she could stay like this forever.  

“Am I the only one for you, Heizen?”  

“Yes.”  

His firm ‘yes’ was the most satisfying answer she had ever heard from him.  

“But I’m sure you’d be fine without me…”  

That part, however, she didn’t like. Rizle raised her hand and pinched his nose.  

“How many times do I have to tell you I love you before you believe me? Do you know how disgraceful it is for a noblewoman to be labeled as someone who was abandoned after a broken engagement? Don’t belittle my love, which endured that disgrace for you.”

“I didn’t want this either. I made it clear in no uncertain terms that I wouldn’t break off our engagement.”

Heizen pressed her beneath him, looking down at her.  

“But you’re the one who tried to leave me without a word.”  

Recalling the moment he realized she was planning to leave, Heizen clenched his teeth.  

Rizle, who had been pouting, fell silent. She had nothing to say in response. She had been pointing out his flaws, but somehow, the conversation had turned into her being scolded.  

“Whether the Emperor truly plans to start another war or not, it’s uncertain.”  

“Well, regardless, no one can deny that I love you—not even you.”  

Rizle quickly changed the subject before he could press her further.  

“I love you, Heizen Warkliber.”  

Her words seemed to work, as the sharp look in Heizen’s eyes softened. However, his gaze soon burned with a different intensity.  

“But loving you and being able to marry you are two separate things. Ugh!”  

Before Rizle could finish her sentence, Heizen pulled out completely and thrust back in deeply. Whenever she tried to speak again, he either thrust hard enough to make her back arch or silenced her with a kiss.  

Despite the overwhelming pleasure, Rizle tried to hold onto her thoughts.  

“Listen, Heizen. You say there’s no path for us other than being together, but we have two options.”  

Rizle grabbed his face as he attempted to kiss her again and spoke firmly. Heizen stared at her quietly before opening his mouth.

“You’re right. We have two futures. One is you becoming my wife, and the other is us dying at the hands of the Western Empire’s Emperor, who already planned to invade us anyway.”

The Emperor only needed an excuse. Even if Heizen obeyed the royal command to annul his engagement with Rizle and became the Emperor’s nephew-in-law, the Emperor would simply find another pretext to invade. It was an obvious outcome.

If they had to fight anyway, Heizen resolved to make Rizle his wife and continue this cycle endlessly. He would endure until the very end, helping her escape before heading to the battlefield himself… leaving her side while praying for her safety. Suddenly, Heizen realized that the ending he had envisioned was strikingly similar to the actions Rizle had taken.

“Rizle, you love me, don’t you?”

Although he had already heard it from her many times, Heizen acted as if he had just realized it, his face lighting up in surprise. His cheeks turned red as he grew excited, pulling Rizle onto his lap and holding her close.

“You love me!”

Rizle tilted her head in confusion at his sudden outburst. Heizen couldn’t contain his emotions. With a face full of joy, he buried his face in her chest and took a deep breath.

No matter what obstacles arose, the two of them would marry. The man, who had been anxious and restless even as the wedding approached, felt true peace of mind for the first time. It was as if he had submerged himself in warm water—utterly comfortable. He felt that everything would work out.

* * *

“I’ll make the Princess utterly disgusted with me, so much so that she’ll think, ‘I can’t possibly marry a man like this.’”

Heizen spoke while lying next to Rizle. His face, gazing at the ceiling, radiated firm determination. Meanwhile, Rizle, exhausted from their prolonged intimacy until dawn, could barely keep her eyes half-open.

“How will you do that?”

Her voice was drowsy, reflecting her fatigue.

Heizen turned to his side and embraced her limp body, slipping one of his legs between hers.

“I’ll show her this. The lewd sight of my seed dripping from you.”

Heizen whispered into Rizle’s ear, feeling the dampness on his thigh.

“She’ll realize there’s no choice but for Rizle Thruella to become Rizle Warkliber since your body has already become mine.”

Rizle felt as though she had just heard something both deeply embarrassing and utterly insane, but she was too tired to process it properly. Murmuring a faint “I see,” she leaned into his arms and dozed off.

Heizen noticed that she wasn’t fully listening. As she gradually fell asleep, he pressed soft kisses onto her cheek.

“Now that I think about it, that won’t work. Even if she’s a Princess, seeing you in such an arousing state might awaken her interest in women.”

Since Rizle didn’t respond, Heizen began spouting even more nonsense.

In his imagination, if he were the Princess, he would undoubtedly be captivated by Rizle’s beauty at first glance. And if he saw her moving her hips in such a sensual manner while receiving a man, he would surely discover an entirely new world.

Anyway, once the Princess met him and spoke with him, she would quickly realize what a dull man he was and express her disdain. She would have no regrets about rejecting him.

But what if, by some chance, the Princess became infatuated with Rizle? Then it would be a disaster. He might have to leave the Western Continent entirely to ensure Rizle wasn’t taken from him. Even if they fled to the Central or Southern Continent, the Princess might still pursue them.

Why? Because if it were him, he would do the same.

“I’ll just have to show her my body—my back, my chest. I’ll tell her that someone loves me this much, so I can’t marry the Princess.”

Heizen muttered while looking at the nail marks and red spots on his body. He didn’t even want to reveal Rizle’s name to the Princess, fearing she might develop feelings for her. Instead, he would vaguely refer to her as “the person I love.”

Of course, the likelihood of the Princess falling for Rizle was slim. But in Heizen’s anxious mind, it felt as probable as flipping a coin and getting heads.

“You’re planning to show your body to another woman?”

Rizle, who had been on the verge of sleep, furrowed her brows without opening her eyes. Then, as if annoyed, she bit Heizen’s nose. Heizen, who had been rubbing his lips against her face, yelped in surprise.

“Flirt.”

It was the first time Heizen had ever been called such a thing in his life. He thought it was a completely unfitting label, but Rizle seemed to think otherwise.

“Fine, then. I’ll show my body to another man.”

Rizle turned her back to him, sulking. Only then did Heizen realize how foolish his words had been. The thought of another man seeing Rizle’s body was horrifying. It was as terrifying as encountering a hungry monster while patrolling alone.

“I’ll even show him my chest.”

“Rizle.”

“And my stomach, too.”

Of course, Rizle wasn’t serious. She had only said it out of spite after hearing his shocking words. But her words had their intended effect. Heizen clung to her back, pressing his chest against hers, and begged her not to do such a thing.

Rizle snorted and fell asleep. By the time she woke up, she had completely forgotten what she had said. That was why she found it strange when Heizen kept insisting she wear more layers of clothing.