His wife who discovered him raised her gaze. His wife in a comfortable attire that could be considered somewhat defenseless walked out beyond the entrance while wiping her hands on her apron. He smiled playfully and asked her.

“Want to go horseback riding?”

“What?”

“The sun is nice.”

“But it’s time for lunch. I heard from Sir Wolfe that Your Majesty didn’t have breakfast properly this morning either. The meal……”

“Well. What I’m hungry for is something else……”

He smiled softly. The woman who read the lust in his evenly spread smile hardened her expression. He grabbed the white wrist of his wife who was trying to retreat hesitantly.

“Your Majesty!”

A sharp cry rang through the villa’s front yard. The children who had been playing mischievously until their mother’s return gathered at the round glass windows and blinked their large eyes.

“Where, where are you going!”

Jeanne shouted. She was angry rather than flustered. Cesare lifted her onto the saddle regardless of her will and left the villa. She looked back at her husband at the sudden event. The man who pretended not to hear gripped the reins and began galloping recklessly.

Where he rode to, leaving behind their small children, was the hunting forest located in the eastern part of the imperial palace. Jeanne looked around the dense forest while catching her breath. Between the lush green leaves, fragmented sunlight scattered on the rich dirt path.

The Emperor who had been galloping relentlessly for a while lightly pulled her waist and embraced her from the forest entrance. Jeanne traced the back of his hand holding the reins at the unfamiliar scenery.

The dense trees blocking the sky and the fine rays of sunlight scattered between the tangled green leaves were mysterious and beautiful, but the sparsely populated forest evoked a strange tension. At her words that she was afraid gunfire might ring out somewhere, the Emperor let out a small laugh.

“If there is someone who hunts in the forest without the Emperor’s permission, that person would be more daring than Baron Boscogne who captured Ombras’ privateer.”

But could there be someone with such ridiculous audacity in the palace? He slid his lips and kissed his wife’s cheek which had turned apple-red.

Along paths curved like meandering streams grew willows and beeches, poplars and spruces harmoniously with unnamed vegetation. Jeanne was looking at wildflowers that had burst into white buds when she glanced down at the hand slowly moving toward her lower abdomen.

“Your Majesty, how did your hand end up there?”

She narrowed her brows while barely moving her lips. After hesitating, she grabbed his hand heading between her thighs and desperately murmured.

“I don’t want to do it on horseback.”

“Making that face while refusing…… How can I believe those words?”

His sunken voice was rough like the surface of rusted iron. His elegant and smooth hand lifted the cotton fabric flowing along her slim waistline. As her snow-white calves were revealed, his large hand rested on her smooth thighs. He bit her round earlobe.

“Don’t you remember the old days? You used to enjoy it quite often.”

He whispered mischievously. Nine-year-old Jeanne was afraid of horses, and Jeanne, who had become a maiden, feared making love on horseback. Her expression hardened when the Emperor dredged up memories of the past. She resented her body that was beginning to warm with lust regardless of her will, as if slowly being heated. The Emperor let out a small laugh and stopped the horse.

“Alright. Alright. I won’t do it. Though I don’t understand why you hate doing it on horseback so much.”

He murmured while pulling the reins. Jeanne swallowed dryly and looked back at the man. The Emperor who dismounted gently helped Jeanne down using his ability.

She floated in the air briefly but safely landed in his arms. Jeanne looked up at her husband with reddened cheeks. When their gazes entangled, her husband kissed her softly.

“You often indulged me when you were a maiden, why did you change? Was bearing children such a significant thing for you?”

He asked. A startled Jeanne looked up at him as if glaring. He made a dejected expression as if he hadn’t expected such a look from his wife when he had asked out of genuine curiosity. She moved her lips then turned her gaze away.

The wind dug into her nape. The heat that had lingered on her nape dissipated in the wind mixed with fresh scents. Though it got slightly chilly, it felt rather refreshing.

As she was looking at the grass like that for a while, a large hand caressed her lower abdomen again. There was no need to be startled by the familiar touch. Jeanne stared at the tree leaves that had ripened blue in the yellow sunlight, pretending not to notice his touch.

“Jeanne.”

His hand filled with s*xual desire was cool and sensual like a snake. His low voice heated her earlobe.

She lowered her gaze and thought about what happened in the morning. What she had heard. When she mulled over that, she couldn’t simply get heated by his touch. At least if she was a woman with any pride.

However…..

Her lips were devoured. Though it was without warning, even if he had given a sign that he would cover her lips, there was no way to stop it. He roughly embraced his slender wife and roughly grabbed the back of her head. Then he applied force to the hand gripping her hair so she couldn’t lower her head.

“Mmm……”

Unable to handle his tongue pushed into her mouth, Jeanne let out a nasal sound while pushing his chest. He who had been holding her hair grabbed her resisting hand and pulled it to himself.

“Hnngh……”

The tongue that had been probing inside her mouth disappeared. Amidst only the stinging pain remaining, a low voice was heard.

“…… Lean against the tree and bend over.”

Her eyelashes trembled at his monotone command. She also knew there was no way to defy once he demanded it. Before being his wife, she was his subject and slave….. Even as his primary wife, wasn’t her status no different from a concubine? She mulled over the chilling words the Empress Dowager had once uttered.

‘Surrogate. Child, you are my son’s surrogate. Just as your mother was to your father. It’s a position that can’t even be compared to a wife.’

So don’t act arrogant. That emotionless face reciting those words was proper and calm. She lifted the fluttering hem of her dress while chewing on that moment when she hadn’t even felt humiliation.

She bit her lip at the blurry moisture blurring her vision as she grabbed the tree and bent over. His hand touched her white, clean back. The fingers that had held the reins were long and cold. He who let out a low breath kissed her protruding shoulder blade.

“Beautiful.”

A weak murmur rang in her ear. Suddenly her lower region felt cool. Jeanne stayed still without thinking to resist further. After lifting her skirt and pulling down her underwear, he probed her closed p*ssy before pushing in his c*ck. Jeanne swallowed dryly while feeling his touch. Suddenly he lowered his body. Jeanne felt the man kneel on one knee and grab her b*ttocks. She grimaced while gripping the tree she was holding. She could guess what he was going to do.

“Your Majesty!”

She opened her lips to stop him but he was faster. Cesare began to poke her closed l*bia with the tip of his tongue.

“Hng, ahh……”

A nasal moan escaped between her lips. Jeanne hung her head and her face turned bright red. His tongue licked her l*bia in long strokes before starting to lick every corner of the flesh inside. Jeanne trembled and panted at the unavoidable pleasure. The man who was lapping up the wetness seeping between her inner l*bia suddenly sucked hard on her cl*t.

“Ahhh!”

Jeanne let out a cat-like cry and shook her hips. He firmly gripped her two b*ttocks then slowly massaged them while circling her swollen cl*t like a n*pple with his tongue tip. Jeanne whimpered for him to stop but he paid no attention. He alternated between scraping her inner l*bia with his teeth and licking them before pushing his tongue into her hole that kept leaking lubricant. Then he began to stimulate it slowly.

“Ahh, haah! Nng, hngg! Stop, stop……”

Jeanne’s waist trembled finely at the stimulation that made her unable to maintain composure. Finally the man teasing her hole removed his lips from her b*ttocks. Jeanne couldn’t help her shaking legs and sank down. He took off his outer garment and laid her down. Jeanne bit her lips at the lovemaking that seemed endless.

“Your Majesty. The rest……”

“Just a little more.”

“But—”

“I’ll keep it short.”

He smiled and requested. Thinking it was an order not a request, Jeanne turned her head to the right. He chuckled lowly and positioned himself between her thighs. The man who had her white slender legs around his waist took out his c*ck. The familiar shaft dug between her hole. Jeanne threw her head back and closed her eyes at that familiar pressure. She thought of the concubines.

Like moths that dance around flames not knowing they’ll burn to death. Those beautiful women who endlessly hover around the Emperor.

What was different between herself and those women who were ready to lift their dress hems at his slightest gesture? No. There would be no difference at all. At least in terms of being the Emperor’s surrogate….. She would be in an even worse position than them.