Chapter 133. Wishing for Spring in a Moment

“Are you really doing this?”

“What am I doing?”

“It’s broad daylight! And I won the snowball fight, didn’t I! Ah—”

Enoch lifted Ellen out of the bathtub and sat her on his thighs. As her soft, moist skin pressed tightly against his body, it became increasingly difficult to hold back.

He desperately suppressed the urge to thrust into this woman and move fiercely right away. Instead, he tried to gently caress her body, stiff with tension, to help her relax.

“Ah, hnngh, Enoch……”

“Mm. I’m listening.”

“You… selfish… bad… Not keeping promises……”

He thought she was going to say something, but she was just berating him again. Enoch easily ignored it and spread her folds with his index finger. After staring intently at the pink, pulsating hole, he inserted one finger inside.

“Ahk!”

Her body, now more sensitive, reacted strongly even to just one finger. He held down her squirming hips and stirred her inner walls in circles with his middle finger. Although he had trained her well by now, it was still a tight fit inside.

“Haa, makes me want to devour you……”

After staring intently at the sticky flesh tightly gripping his finger, he inserted his ring finger along with his index finger. As he vigorously stirred her insides, which readily accepted three fingers, Ellen sobbed in a thin voice.

“Huuh, uuh, hnng……”

“Mm, does it feel good?”

“Ah, n-no, stop……”

“Ha….. You’re all wet again already.”

Lewd, sloshing sounds came from below where her juices were flowing. He held her tightly from behind and skillfully moved his hand. As he picked up speed, Ellen’s moans grew higher like screams. He knew her body too well now and could easily give her pleasure.

“Ah……!”

“You don’t know how cute your face looks when you’re feeling it.”

“Hic, d-don’t, I don’t want to know.”

“There’s a mirror over there. Take a look.”

“No, you pervert……”

He kissed her cheek with a smack as she shook her head, sniffling, then lowered his lips to her nape. Her unique fragrant scent stimulated his nose, making him feel like he was losing his mind. He wanted to devour her entirely. From head to toe. Everything, without leaving anything behind.

“Ack!”

When he suddenly bit down hard on her nape that he had been leisurely licking, Ellen jerked violently and screamed. Enoch continued to thrust his fingers while keeping his teeth sunk into her white, delicate skin.

“Ah, it hurts, ah, hnng, hnng, ng.”

She reached her climax with her neck still being bitten. When Enoch pulled his fingers out of her entrance and stimulated her cl*toris as if finishing up, Ellen’s body jumped as if electrocuted.

An overwhelming pleasure swept through her entire body, taking her breath away. Forgetting even the pain in her neck, Ellen gasped for air with her mouth wide open.

Enoch withdrew his teeth and licked the reddened bite mark on her nape with his tongue. Giving the illness and the cure. While feeling sorry for going too far, he also felt a beastly satisfaction seeing his mark clearly imprinted on her.

“Do you want to bite me too?”

“……”

Ellen weakly shook her head at his subtle invitation. Enoch, who had secretly wanted to be bitten, was a little disappointed and let her lean comfortably on his upper body.

In that position, he placed each of her legs on either side of his thighs, and plunged his c*ck deep into her wide-open hole.

“Hnngh……!”

“Khk……”

Even after working so hard to loosen her up just now, her insides were still tight. The sensation of being squeezed so tightly made his c*ck feel like it was about to break. But at the same time, he felt a strange sense of comfort. The sensation of finally being inside this woman, of being intimately connected. Enoch whispered as he slowly thrust his hips upward.

“Ellen.”

“Unng, hng.”

“I want to live doing just this with you forever.”

Ellen glared at him with sharp eyes. Her eyes, moist with tears, were even filled with resentment. As if reproaching him for daring to speak of ‘forever’.

“Don’t say such things… so carelessly.”

“Are you still afraid? Of that backlash you mentioned?”

“……”

Ellen closed her eyes tightly, remaining silent.

Enoch pressed his lips to her eyelids.

He knew too. That she was trying to keep an emotional distance from him. That it was because she feared the backlash after the magic wore off.

But, we don’t really know what will actually happen, do we?

And I don’t think I’ll ever come to hate you.

Enoch had been saying this all along, but it seemed hopeless to make her agree. Even though they were this close, mixing their bodies together, her heart was far away from him.

Enoch didn’t like that. It made him angry and frustrated. Maybe that’s why. Why he tried to devour her like a beast at every opportunity.

“……I want to lock you up.”

“Ah……! Hic, nng.”

“Then I might be able to feel a little at ease.”

“Enoch, stop……”

“What do you think, Ellen? Hm? Should I lock you up?”

He couldn’t tell if his reason was gradually flying away because of instinctive desire, or because of his intense obsession with this woman.

One thing was certain: he felt like he was going crazy with the desire to completely attach her to his body.

When he thrust his c*ck in to the hilt, Ellen gasped and trembled violently. As he slowly rotated his hips in that position, a pained moan flowed from her lips.

“Haa……”

Enoch grabbed her chin and turned it, immediately engulfing her pink lips. He sucked on them, then licked them with his tongue, and breathed in the warm, sweet breath escaping through the gap to his heart’s content.

When he tapped the moist tongue inside, it retreated with a start. He persistently chased after it, intertwining and rubbing forcefully. Ellen’s throat rumbled as she groaned involuntarily.

Chok, as he detached his lips, he playfully bit once, then brushed back his wet black hair.

“Huuh……”

As he pounded so hard that squelching sounds came from their wet connection, Ellen shook violently up and down and screamed. A heat that felt like it would melt her insides boiled fiercely. What if we melted and became one like this? He thought irrationally. He wanted to devour the white body trembling before his eyes entirely.

“Ah, it hurts……!”

He bit down hard on her nape and gnawed on it. It was soft like cream, making him wonder why he couldn’t swallow it whole without chewing. Instead, he stuck out his tongue to lick and suck persistently, strongly binding her with both arms.

“Hnng……!”

In that state, when he slammed his c*ck deep inside, her inner walls convulsed madly and contracted tightly. The feeling of being squeezed so tightly it almost hurt made him feel like he was about to climax, and warm s*men gushed out from the tip of his gl*ns.

“Haah, huuh, hu……”

Ellen breathed heavily and leaned limply against his upper body. Her body was still trembling intermittently. Enoch released his arms that were embracing her and gently caressed her soft, moist body.

His large hand suddenly touched her lower abdomen. He could still feel his member twitching inside her. An indescribable sense of elation and satisfaction. His mood soared endlessly. Only he could enter here.

“Ha, it feels good……”

“……”

“I wish we could just stay stuck together like this.”

Even after ej*culating once, he didn’t pull out of her. As if savoring this moment, he moved his hips slowly, then gradually thrust more vigorously.

His p*nis, standing er*ect to a frightening degree, had a terrifying volume as if it had never lost its strength even once. The thick shaft with protruding veins kept scraping against the sensitive spots of her inner walls. Ellen couldn’t regain her senses amidst the endless waves of pleasure.

After ej*culating for the second time, Enoch carried her out of the bathroom just as she was. He lay down on the bed with her still on top of him, panting heavily.

He gently stroked her lower back and whispered in her ear.

“You keep running away from me.”

“……”

“While pretending not to. With your heart, I mean.”

“That’s……”

That’s unavoidable, isn’t it? Ellen glared at him with resentful eyes and whimpered. This man clearly didn’t understand her fear. She hadn’t expected him to understand from the beginning, but……

“Whatever you’re planning, you can’t escape from me anyway.”

“……”

“So just give up.”

“……I’ve already given up.”

You can’t know what kind of resignation that is……

Ellen suddenly looked up and gazed out the window. It was still snowing. A world all in white. It felt like being trapped inside a snow globe.

“You can’t deceive your heart, Ellen.”

“……”

“You like me. You’re attracted to me. Aren’t you?”

He had already noticed it as well.

It was a fact that couldn’t be ignored even if he tried.

It shows in the way you look at me, your gestures, the voice you use to call me. I’d be a fool not to notice. Enoch smiled lightly and kissed her lips as if pecking them.

He was the master of this game, the victor of love. That’s why he could defeat her so easily, no matter how indifferent and ruthless he was.

It made her feel such desperate emotions.

At some point, Ellen found herself shedding tears without even realizing it.

“Why are you crying again.”

“……”

“Did I make you cry?”

“……”

Yes. It’s because of you.

She held back her tears, answering only with her eyes. How can this man be so cruel? Such a selfish, wicked person. Even knowing that this fairy tale woven with fake love will end someday.

Even knowing that his own feelings will disappear… To tell me, only me, to love him…

Does that even make sense? It was truly awful. Ellen bit her lip hard, and finally broke down sobbing loudly.

While crying like that, she blurted out whatever came to mind.

“I’m going to hate you.”

“Well, that might be difficult. You’ve fallen for me, after all.”

“No, from now on I’m going to hate you.”

“Words you don’t mean.”

“I wish……”

I wish you would cry because of me.

I want to see you, the proud you, crying in a complete mess, even if just once.

It’s a useless fantasy that will never come true, but still.

“Stop crying now. Your pretty face will get all swollen.”

“It’s because of you……”

“Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Be good, don’t cry.”

His soothing words only made her cry more.

This wretched kindness, like tossing a few coins from a wallet as if giving alms.

It made her feel so miserable.

You’ll never understand this feeling.

Once again, she felt a deep wound forming in her heart. The more time she spent by his side, the longer she loved him, the more scarred she became.

It was something she had prepared for.

She was willing to endure the pain.

But still.

Sometimes, unbearably difficult… moments came that she couldn’t endure.

She even thought that maybe she would feel at peace when the day came to leave this man’s side.

“……Even without the magic……”

Ellen asked, harboring a faint hope.

“……Do you think you could love me? Truly… genuinely……”

But as always, his answer was insensitive.

“How would I know? The magic hasn’t even worn off yet. I know too. That my feelings are fake.”

“……”

“But that doesn’t matter, right? After all, even ‘real’ love fades eventually.”

No emotion lasts forever. Especially things like passion or affection between men and women can change overnight.

Love has an expiration date.

If there were such a thing as unchanging love in this world… it would really be no different from religion.

Ellen recalled the conversation she once had with Morpheus Besnard.

‘If love is a temporary emotion, then deciding to love someone unchangingly for a very long time… or such a state, isn’t it the same as religious faith……’

……Yes, so that means……

True, unchanging, eternal love with such modifiers is nearly impossible.

……It’s really strange.

It seems I never wanted a romance like that in the first place……

Why does my heart feel so heavy?

Ellen closed her eyes, letting her body go limp.

She wanted to stop unknowingly harboring hope, only to get hurt again… She really wanted to quit now.

That’s why she wished.

Just as autumn passed by fleetingly and winter came in an instant, for spring to come in a moment.

In that spring at last… before the sweltering summer,

To completely sort out these feelings, leave your side, and fall into a peaceful sleep.

For that end to be nothing but calm and tranquil.

That was all she wished for.

* * *

Time did not betray expectations.

It sailed swiftly like a sailboat catching a fair wind, bringing spring in the blink of an eye.

Just as the snow that had fallen all winter melted and new buds sprouted, suddenly blooming spring flowers dominated the entire world.

It was late April. The world was full of spring’s vitality, and trees preparing for summer adorned themselves with green leaves.

So if it was misfortune, it was misfortune.

“……”

Ellen stared blankly at the blood on her handkerchief. It had been a week since the coughing accompanied by blood began. Fortunately, only Laila had noticed this symptom.

“Y-Your Hi-Highness……”

“……It’s alright, Laila. Could you bring me some warm water?”

“Yes, yes……! Please wait a moment!”

Watching Laila’s retreating back as she hurried, Ellen sighed softly.

Laila had kept her word to keep it a secret. But she couldn’t keep deceiving Laila…… She had to tell her, and only her, about her lifespan.

‘Soon…… I’ll have to prepare.’

Prepare to leave this castle, to leave Enoch’s side.

Ellen, who had been staring blankly at the western sky dyed red by the setting sun, lowered her gaze.

Now that she had finished decoding her mother’s diary as well……

Ellen picked up the notebook and started reading from the first page again. The contents of the diary she had decoded.

[If you peek at a witch’s diary, you’ll be cursed.]

That’s right. I really must have been cursed. Who would have thought she’d curse even her own daughter.

[January 1, 1841……]
[1841……]
[1842……]
[……]

[May 14, 1842.
I couldn’t stand it anymore and went to see Karthus.
I wanted to talk to him about anything. I really didn’t mean to suddenly cast a love spell on him.
Just as I unknowingly used magic, Nov suddenly appeared and stopped me. Saying I shouldn’t do that….. Karthus was confused, not knowing what was going on.
I barely greeted him and left the Berner mansion with Nov. And Nov told me. That love magic has a backlash……]

[Karthus, oh, Karthus.
Love magic was something that caused a backlash.
If Nov hadn’t told me, I really would have used this magic in a fit of anger.
I can’t do it after all. I can’t. But…… if not this magic…… No, I can’t. This magic only lasts for a year!
I resent you.
Why isn’t it me?
I’m in despair……
I want to kill that woman.
Should I make you love me even if it’s just for a year?
Even if as a result, you’ll hate me after the magic wears off?]

From that point on, the diary was filled with increasingly incoherent and difficult-to-read sentences.

It was written that her mother hadn’t been able to meet Karthus Berner for a long time after May 1842, and on January 30, 1843, she heard the sudden news of his death.

[January 30, 1843.
I can’t believe it.
Karthus…… How could he suddenly pass away like this.]

And she married Victor Lopez in 1845. When she was 20 years old.

[April 27, 1845.
I’m going to marry the man my father chose.
I hate it. I want to die.
I hate that man so much, and I resent my family. Why are they telling me to sacrifice myself? I just hate this whole world. I wish this kind of world would just perish.]

‘And I was born in 1856.’

What she didn’t know was that her mother had suffered two miscarriages before she was born……

However, there wasn’t a single word in the diary expressing sadness about the miscarriages. Rather……

[I don’t have to give birth to that man’s child. It’s better this way.]

And when she was born.

[A child I can’t possibly think of as my daughter. She doesn’t look like me at all. Even though I gave birth to her.]

[Light brown hair and blue eyes…… It reminds me of someone.]

[I’ve decided on the child’s name. Ellenore. It’s the name of the woman Karthus loved. There’s no special reason… Or is there? Well, I don’t know. What’s certain is that I will never, ever love this child.]

It was a confirmation shot.

But the sinking feeling in her heart lasted only for a moment.

She knew it anyway. That her mother didn’t love her.

There’s no need to shed tears over that fact now.

Ellen slowly closed her eyes and then opened them, closing the notebook.

It was time to stop decoding the diary haunted by the ghost of a dead woman.