Chapter 3

Catherine had never imagined in her life that she would one day undress and spread her legs before a man. After all, due to the Duke of Orleans’ overprotectiveness—born out of fear that his granddaughter might fall for someone from an unworthy family—she hadn’t even been allowed to make friends before her coming-of-age ceremony. Leaving the mansion was strictly forbidden, so who could have imagined that she would meet a man, whisper words of love, and share her body with him?

It felt as though the noose she had painstakingly cast off was tightening around her neck once more. Catherine turned her head to the side and closed her eyes. There was a time when she thought that living under her grandfather’s watchful eye was all there was to life. The idea of leaving him and moving freely was something she had never dared to imagine.

For a fleeting moment, she had felt exhilaration upon escaping her grandfather’s control, but it didn’t take long for her to realize the truth—that what she had gained was not freedom, but a new kind of captivity. In this kingdom, where women were treated as tools for continuing the family line, there was nothing she could accomplish without a man’s permission. Her situation made it clear: even though she had escaped the Duke of Orleans, she had merely traded one cage for another, now confined within her husband’s estate.

“Haah, haang, hngh…”

Henry’s slow movements gradually gained speed. Catherine, who had been letting out short, shallow breaths each time he withdrew, found herself biting her lip as his pace quickened to a level she could barely handle.

The sound of their flesh meeting reverberated in place of her voice. The lewd noises were so overwhelming that her face burned with embarrassment. She was grateful that only she and Henry occupied the bedroom. She couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else hearing such shameful sounds. If that were to happen, Catherine felt she might turn as red as a ripe fruit and explode. Holding her breath to stifle her moans, she heaved her chest silently.

With each thrust that pierced her, the muscles in Henry’s abdomen, chest, and arms became more pronounced. His body, hardened by a life spent fighting for the kingdom, bore countless scars and wounds. Perhaps because of this, Henry seemed reluctant to expose his bare body under bright light. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his appearance; it seemed more like he was being considerate, not wanting to frighten Catherine with the sight of his scars.

Even under the soft glow of moonlight, it was clear just how many marks adorned his body. In truth, Catherine had learned about them more through touch than sight. As her fingers traced his smooth yet firm skin, they would often encounter the uneven ridges of his scars. Each time her fingertips brushed against them, she felt not fear, but curiosity.

I want to see it properly, in brighter light.

Still lying down, Catherine reached out and grabbed the curtain by the window. Pulling aside the thick fabric that covered the glass, she allowed the moonlight to spill directly onto Henry.

He was dazzling.

Not the moonlight—Henry’s n*ked body.

His firmly set lips and sharply angled jawline were strikingly defined. As Catherine admired Henry’s chiseled features, her gaze drifted down to his sweat-slicked neck. She loved seeing him like this. The man who always maintained a composed expression and an air of nonchalance seemed, for once, to be in a hurry, his usual ease stripped away by the sheen of sweat.

While Catherine observed Henry, he too was watching her. Her ash-gray eyes, fixed on him as she lay on the white bed, captivated him and refused to let go.

Entranced by the unfathomable depths of her gaze, Henry continued his movements with diligence. These days, admiring Catherine had become one of his favorite activities. It was as though an unquenchable thirst consumed him, and holding her only made the fire within him burn hotter.

Henry gripped Catherine’s thighs with both hands, pushing them apart. The pressure of his firm hands caused her legs to spread wider, and Catherine, startled, tried to push his wrists away with the hand that had been holding the curtain. But her strength was no match for his. She couldn’t close her legs, nor could she push his hands away.

With no other choice, Catherine had to accept him, her most private area fully exposed under the bright moonlight. Embarrassed beyond measure, she hastily raised her hands to cover her face. She didn’t know how to compose herself in such a mortifying situation.

“…Seeing it like this, I can clearly watch myself entering you.”

Henry’s gaze lingered on the intimate area revealed by her spread legs. Even without looking, Catherine could feel his eyes fixed on her groin. Her fingers, which were covering her face, trembled with embarrassment.

“It’s like I’m being drawn in.” 

He murmured.

The space that had once been too tight to even accommodate a single finger was now stretched wide to take in his large member. Swollen from friction, her intimate area looked enticingly plump.

He wanted to bury his face between her thighs right then and there. To lick and nibble on the reddened nub that stood out, and then suck on it until its sweetness filled his senses. But separating their joined lower bodies seemed impossible. Frustrated, Henry brought his fingers to her slit instead of his lips.

“D-don’t say things like that… Haah!”

Catherine thought it astounding how easily he could utter such shameless words with a straight face. Talking about her intimate area and how it felt was unbearably mortifying for someone like her, who had grown up sheltered like a flower in a greenhouse. But as she tried to stop him, telling him not to say such things, Henry’s touch rendered her speechless.

His hands, which had released her thighs, slid inward and unabashedly stroked her most sensitive and private spot. When his fingers pressed down on the small nub just above her entrance, a sharp, tingling sensation shot from her lower back to her toes.

Watching Catherine’s back arch dramatically, Henry smiled in satisfaction. He didn’t want to reach his climax alone, disregarding her feelings. Instead, he wanted to share the peak of pleasure with her. Increasing the speed of his fingers, he pushed her closer to her limit.

“Ah, ahh, stop…!”

The faster his fingers moved, the more Catherine’s back arched. Seeing her react so sensitively to even the slightest touch, Henry removed his hand from beneath her and grabbed her hips.

He positioned her hips to align perfectly with his and began moving faster and harder than before. Each thrust, withdrawing and plunging back to her deepest point, was so forceful that Catherine felt her breath being stolen.

Her chest heaved, her back bent, and her trembling arms reached out to push against Henry’s firm abdomen. It was an instinctive defensive reaction to protect herself from his relentless intrusion. But pressing her palms against his abdomen did nothing to slow his rapid movements. Instead, as her arms extended downward, her ample br*asts were pressed together in an even more provocative display. This sight only served to inflame Henry further, and he lifted her lower body entirely onto his thighs.

Practically straddling his lap, Catherine was rocked back and forth. Her chest bounced dramatically with each motion. Her already full br*asts swayed so violently that they began to ache.

“Ugh…!”

Just as she thought something catastrophic might happen if this continued any longer, Henry stiffened his entire body. With a low growl, he gripped her hips tightly. Catherine’s slender waist, seemingly fragile enough to fit within his large hands, trembled under the pressure he exerted.

Realizing belatedly that her trembling was different from the pleasure she had felt moments ago, Henry loosened his grip. Though he remained inside her, the release of his hands brought Catherine a sense of relief.

His strength was overwhelming, far beyond what an ordinary person could endure. If Henry were to unleash his full power, he could probably shatter a wooden table effortlessly. The stark difference between their physical capabilities, and the sheer magnitude of his strength, suddenly made Catherine feel a pang of fear.

Henry leaned his head back, remaining inside her for some time. Watching his twitching abs and thighs, Catherine realized he was releasing his seed deep within her. Perhaps worried it might spill out, Henry continued pressing his hips into hers even as he cl*maxed.

He must be desperate for an heir.

The act of thrusting deep while ej*culating struck Catherine as almost laughable, yet it served as a bitter reminder of her situation.

She was here solely to bear an heir for the Leonard family. That was her somber reality.

After trembling for a long while, Henry seemed ready to collapse onto her but instead rolled to her side. Likely mindful of his weight, which was easily twice hers, he chose not to crush her. But Catherine had no time to consider his thoughtfulness. There was something she needed to do after every encounter.

Slowly bending her knees, Catherine raised her legs.

After receiving his seed, she would lie like this for a while.

It was something her nursemaid had taught her—raising her legs would help the seed travel deeper into her womb.