Deep Boredom - Part 3

She had clearly entered the carriage, but when she closed her eyes and opened them again, the interior of the carriage had transformed into a bedroom she was all too familiar with. With just one step he had taken, Rasha found herself already trapped in this space she didn’t want to return to.

Beyond the open door, the scenery of the Count’s mansion was still visible. The carriage door had become the boundary that separated the interior of the carriage from the outside space. While Kaim, who had been chasing them, shouted something from outside, the door slammed shut before his words could be properly heard. And just like that, the traces of the carriage door had also transformed into the bedroom door of the Duke’s mansion.

Chedev carefully laid Rasha, who was dazed and confused, on the bed. Startled by the soft yet cold sensation of the sheets, Rasha flinched involuntarily.

“W-What is this…”

As she muttered in a daze, the realization dawned on her. It seemed like Chedev had placed some kind of magic on the carriage. Opening the door of the carriage directly led to this bedroom. While Rasha was searching for the answer herself, Chedev, who had climbed onto the bed, gently placed his lips on her cheek.

“Rasha.”

The voice that held her name carried a clear mix of regret and relief from the past. It felt like a dream that she had returned to this bedroom once again. He was afraid that if he woke up, it would shatter into pieces, and he wanted to stay locked in this dream for the rest of his life, even if there was hell at the end.

Rasha pushed him away, sprinkling small kisses on her cheeks.

“Stop, Chedev…!”

He continued to press himself against her, not believing that Rasha, who had returned to his embrace, was real. He was not satisfied with just sensing her with his senses. He couldn’t control the overflowing anxiety, as if suspecting that she might disappear in the blink of an eye, becoming a distant illusion.

He chased Rasha’s face, pressing his lips against her as she struggled and resisted. The battle between the one who tried to continue and the one who wanted to stop was quite intense. Their breaths became entangled. Rasha furrowed her brows at his hasty and forceful actions with his tongue.

“Ugh, stop, Chedev…!”

He chased Rasha’s face that turned away and sealed his lips. The struggle between the one resisting and the one trying to continue was quite intense. Their breaths became somewhat tangled. Rasha frowned at his impatient sucking of her tongue.

“Ugh, stop, haah… Wai, Chedev…!”

The kiss never stopped. He continued to ravish her lips, stealing saliva and breath, as if he had found an oasis in the scorching desert. Yet, he didn’t forget to replenish her breath, fearing that she might suffocate.

In the end, Rasha gave in to the kiss that seemed to drain her soul, grasping his shoulders. The more she tried to escape, the tighter he held onto her.

Their tongues intertwined for a while, like two intertwining serpents. The two fleshy bodies entangled and melded together. In truth, he alone reveled in ecstasy, dominating Rasha’s mouth, teasing and tickling. Rasha desperately held onto his shoulders, hoping he would calm down.

Finally, with a friction sound, their lips parted. Rasha immediately tilted her head and wiped her saliva-drenched lips. Chedev, panting like a wild beast, placed his lips on Rasha’s ear.

“I’m glad you’re safe… As long as you’re not hurt, it’s fine.”

His warm and fervent voice poured into her ears. Rasha sealed her lips as if in protest, refusing to utter a word.

Chedev grazed his nose against her neck, finally taking in the scent that now had a sense of reality. No matter how many times he inhaled deeply, the scent didn’t disappear. Still, the anxiety didn’t subside. Like a jackal, he repeatedly buried his nose into her flesh, sniffing and nuzzling. The heart that had been motionless for months suddenly throbbed and beat vigorously, as if it had regained its function.

“Let me go. I….. will go back.”

As Rasha stammered out her words, relief vanished from Chedev’s face, instantly revealing his possessiveness and obsession.

“Go back? Where?”

“To Count Lippe….. “

“The only place you’ll go back to is here.”

His gruff voice was filled with insatiable possessiveness and attachment. Like someone addicted to drugs, he obsessively inhaled her scent, then slowly extended his tongue, lightly grazing her smooth skin. Rasha’s body shivered at the moist sensation she hadn’t felt in a long time. His graceful nose traced her collarbone, gradually descending toward her cleavage.

He pressed his head against that spot, repeatedly inhaling deeply. Between his rough lips, it seemed like his red tongue could slip out at any moment, caressing her delicate skin.

Back in this bed, with him.

Rasha shook her head in instinctive revulsion.

“No, stop. Chedev! Don’t…..!”

She was about to shout.

Even with him wrapped around her like a rope, Chedev, who had been trying not to put any pressure on her subconsciously swollen belly, suddenly put his weight on her. His weight crushed her stomach, and Rasha, startled and angry, pushed him away with a force she had never felt before.

For some reason, Chedev was easily moved in the direction she pushed him.

“…..”

Rasha examined him with wide, startled eyes, holding her breath. He lay motionless on the sheet. Soon, the sound of steady inhales and exhales reached her ears. It was a stable breath.

“Sleep…”

I heard….?

This time, her mind went blank as she stared at him for a long while. The only thing that burst out after a moment was a disappointed chuckle.

* * *

It was safe to say that he had slept properly only once in the past few months. It was the day he had stabbed his wrist with a broken teapot fragment. However, it was difficult to attribute his sleep to his own will, as it seemed to be the lingering effect of the painkiller used during the treatment.

Even after that, Chedev’s insomnia persisted. He still found it difficult to endure the empty bedroom, the cold bed with only his presence. From that arose various unpleasant emotions such as anxiety, worry, and fear that enveloped his heart like a fog.

Amidst that, he finally found Rasha, and the fact that she was inside his embrace dissipated all his worries. In the place where anxiety had vanished, warm relief naturally surged, and he quickly regained his stability. As a result, the first thing that arose was the desire for sleep. He hadn’t properly closed his eyes for more than three hours a day for nearly a few months, so perhaps that’s why he easily succumbed to sleep.

He was truly intoxicated by the tranquility Rasha provided.

“…..”

When Chedev opened his eyes, he realized that his head was quite clear after a long time.

It was a rare occasion when the essential human need, sleep, had been disturbed, and his headache had persisted all along. The deep sleep that had been so distant that he couldn’t remember the last time was gently soothing the sensitive nerves that had become agitated with just one touch.

With a blurry vision, he reached out his hand again, as if it were a habit. Yet, nothing could be touched on the adjacent spot. He was alone on the bed.

In that moment, he had the illusion that he had a very sweet and distant dream. By chance, he obtained information from Izana and finally dreamt of meeting Rasha… Moreover, in the dream, she was carrying their child.

‘…..A dream?’

It was strange to call it a dream.

Each scene that appeared and disappeared on the retina was excessively vivid and tangible. It wasn’t a dream; it was definitely something I had seen… or so it seemed…

When that thought reached its peak, Chedev suddenly sat up. His gaze quickly shifted. The bed, the furniture, the belongings—everything was a familiar scenery. This was his bedroom. However, what he had brought here before falling asleep was nowhere to be seen.

Uttering curses under his breath, Chedev hastily got up.

How long did I sleep? No, more importantly, where is Rasha? Did she slip away in the moment I lost consciousness while being intoxicated by relief? Has she vanished? Has she moved away from my side once again?

His anxiety reached a point where he was on the verge of losing his sanity. He blamed himself for not enduring that moment and collapsing. Chedev gnawed at the flesh inside his mouth until blood seeped out, while searching the bedroom in a frenzy. It was a completely different demeanor from the night when she disappeared. Back then, he had been calm, but now he wandered through the bedroom frantically, shooting glances everywhere. It resembled an inexperienced madness that had no intention of repeating foolish actions.

‘As expected…..’

I should have put on the shackles. Precautions I had prepared, just in case, were scattered under the bed.

He had no intention of letting Rasha move away from him again. However, he didn’t want to resort to such coercive methods. So, those precautions were merely a last resort.

As he opened one eye, she vanished once again, like before, like a dream, like a nightmare. To consider it a fabrication he had gone mad and created, it contradicted the sensations he had experienced through his sense of smell, touch, and his entire body. She had undoubtedly existed by his side.

Where did she go? Is she really heading to Count Lippe? Why does she keep returning there?