His tongue slid along her lips, parting them slightly and she felt it explore her teeth, daring and invasive.

She had never experienced a kiss like this, not even with her husband.

The predatory nature of it was such that she felt like she was being swallowed whole.

As the shock wore off and panic set in, Grace’s hands trembled, clutching Cajetan’s clothes tightly.

“Mm-hah! Stop, mmph-let me go, mmph-ugh!”

She finally managed to gasp, her voice muffled and desperate as she struggled against him.

As she tilted her head back, struggling to get words out, his big hand grabbed the back of her head and held her there. There was no escape. No matter how much she struggled, no matter how hard she pushed against Cajetan’s chest, it was useless. He continued to play with her, effortlessly.

His thick tongue entered her mouth, exploring past her teeth. When she tried desperately to pull her tongue away, he entwined it with his own and pulled it back, a faint, mocking laugh escaping him.

“Ugh…”

Even with another man, it would have felt like an unforgivable betrayal – but with her husband’s brother? Grace felt herself consumed by shame.

The harder she gasped and struggled, the tighter his grip became, pinning her to his solid chest with an almost suffocating force. 

“Mmph… ugh…” 

His tongue brushed lightly across the roof of her mouth, sending an involuntary shiver through her body. 

“Ah…!” 

His tongue explored the soft interior of her mouth, as if searching for the most sensitive spots, before grazing her supple tongue with a teasing nip of his teeth. She writhed against his hold, her body shaking with the effort.

“Ngh…”

A devastating realisation hit her – there was no escape. His arms wrapped around her like unyielding ropes, tightening with each desperate attempt to break free, rendering her utterly powerless.

Her breaths came in short, ragged gasps, her chest rising and falling in a frantic rhythm. She couldn’t tell if her heart was pounding from the intensity of the kiss or the sheer exhaustion of the struggle.

When even stomping on his foot had no effect, Grace resorted to her last option.

“Ah.”

With all her strength, Grace bit down hard on his tongue. Cajetan let out a short groan and pulled back slightly. A trail of saliva stretched between them and snapped.

Grace looked at him, panting heavily. She noticed the faint bead of blood forming on the tip of his tongue.

“That hurts, sister-in-law.”

Grace expected him to be angry, but instead Cajetan smiled and dabbed at his lips where the blood had smeared.

The sight of his now reddened lips only made him look more striking – and more dangerous.

“Let me go!”

“The more you stare at me, the more aroused I get.”

“Ah! Mmph!”

Before she could react, his long, firm fingers were between her teeth. Grace bit down instinctively, her jaw clenching as hard as it could. But Cajetan didn’t flinch.

Undeterred by her resistance, he leaned closer, his tongue again penetrating the space between her partially opened lips.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Her head reeled, the overwhelming sensations leaving her disoriented. No matter how hard she bit down, he didn’t flinch or make a sound of pain. Instead, the metallic taste of blood mingled with the kiss, its sharp, sticky tang startling her even more than his unyielding persistence. 

“Ugh… ah…”

Grace gasped, her struggle intensifying as the oppressive combination of taste and sensation overwhelmed her. 

Desperation washed over her – she wanted to cry, to beg, to plead with him to stop, to end this cruel torment if it was some twisted game. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to overflow. Finally, Cajetan loosened the suffocating grip on her waist, his hand moving to gently wipe away the tears streaming down her face. 

Grace instinctively tried to pull away, but his hands, gripping her cheeks tightly, held her in place, relentless. 

“Ha…”

How long had this agony lasted? Her mind was in a haze, her body drained of strength. The delicate inside of her mouth felt raw and tender, her lips burning from the relentless pressure, the metallic taste of blood lingering like a cruel reminder. Red stained her lips from the blood on Cajetan’s tongue and fingers, painting them an unnerving shade of red. 

As her legs faltered, her hands instinctively grasped his clothing for support. Cajetan finally pulled away, ending the suffocating contact. 

“…Ah.”

She gasped softly, too disoriented to even muster a scream. Her breaths came in uneven, ragged gasps as he leaned in again, planting a brief but exaggeratedly loud kiss on her lips – a mocking, daring gesture punctuated by the sound of a smooch. 

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself, sister-in-law.”

The taunting words snapped Grace out of her daze. She stumbled backwards, her legs unsteady as her trembling hand instinctively moved to her lips.

She rubbed at them in a desperate attempt to erase the sensation, but only managed to smear a mixture of blood and saliva across her skin.

The metallic taste lingered, sharp and sickening, threatening to turn her stomach.

Cajetan lifted his bitten finger and lazily ran his tongue over it, a simple act that somehow dripped with disturbing sensuality. 

Grace’s breath hitched, her chest rising and falling in shallow, desperate gasps. Her knees buckled and she stumbled backwards, collapsing to the floor in a desperate attempt to get some space between them. 

“Shall I continue, sister-in-law?” 

He stepped closer, the sly curve of his lips sending a cold shiver down her spine. Grace felt like a trapped animal, cornered with no chance of escape. Her entire body shook uncontrollably, every nerve on edge. 

As her breathing became more erratic, Cajetan leaned towards her, his every move exuding a deliberate, calculated menace that made her heart pound wildly.

“No… no, I don’t want this!”

Grace’s trembling voice broke through the heavy air, weak but desperate. Even the thought of standing, let alone reaching the door, seemed impossible.

Her legs felt as if they might collapse beneath her at any moment, while the lingering taste of Cajetan overwhelmed her senses.

Despite the weakness coursing through her body, she managed to run towards the door and close it behind her with a resounding bang. 

“Ha… ha…” 

Her chest rose and fell in frantic, uneven breaths as she leaned heavily against the wall. She took a few shaky steps forward, then stopped, pausing to regain her composure. Her entire body shook with the weight of what had just happened. 

‘I had crossed a line I should never have crossed’ – with her husband’s brother no less. 

The thought made her stomach churn. Never before had she shared such a wild, chaotic kiss with Velenus – one so intense, with intertwining tongues and rough stimulation that left the tender inside of her mouth sore. 

She buried her face in her hands, her thoughts swirling. 

“Your Highness, are you all right?” 

A passing maid stopped, her voice filled with concern. 

“I… I’m fine.”

Grace replied shakily, her tone faltering. 

“You look rather pale.”

“I said I’m fine!”

Grace snapped, her voice sharper than she intended. 

The maid quickly bowed her head and retreated, clearly unwilling to press the matter further. 

As soon as the maid was out of sight, Grace let out a low, tired groan. Her hands remained pressed to her face as she struggled to control her ragged breathing. 

‘No, this isn’t right… this can’t be right.’

For the first time, Grace understood the true meaning behind the relentless gaze that had followed her. Cajetan didn’t despise her – that was far worse. He had a dark, overwhelming desire for her, twisted and consuming. 

A wave of nausea washed over her. He was her husband’s brother. Why her? Why this? 

The thought of facing him again was unthinkable. After what had just happened, she knew it would only lead to something worse.

Her complexion went from pale to flushed as the full weight of the realisation crashed down upon her. 

The conclusion was clear: there was no way that she and Cajetan could ever live together in peace.

‘It would have been better if he had hated me.’

Without looking back, Grace made her way back to her room, shaken to the core. It was the day she had learned a terrible truth.