Chapter 16

“What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is there something behind me? Why are you blocking my view like that?”

“No, it’s nothing…!”

Lilia didn’t have time to stop him. Damon turned his head toward Cynthiarel, who was behind her, and just as Cynthiarel was talking with other noblewomen, she looked up. There was no time to do anything; their eyes met. Lilia squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to see a face in love. But then, Damon’s worried voice reached her.

“Lilia, are you alright? You look pale.”

“…What?”

Lilia’s eyes snapped open. He was frowning slightly as he looked at her, and his gaze was filled with concern. She was flustered by the unexpected situation. She had expected him to have a face full of love, but it wasn’t like that at all. Lilia stammered as she spoke.

“Uh, why, why…?”

“What?”

“Why… isn’t it?”

“What isn’t?”

“Well…”

Damon’s eyebrows twitched. Her behavior was strange. He didn’t know why, but she seemed confused. He was about to push her to speak clearly, but suddenly Lilia beamed and said,

“It’s nothing! I must have been mistaken.”

Lilia turned around and greeted Cynthiarel, who was still standing.

“Lady Delphinne, I had a wonderful time today. I hope we can meet again.”

“Ah, yes… Safe travels, Duchess Fortein.”

She spoke softly, her smile gentle. Lilia secretly glanced at Damon. Their eyes met once more, but they quickly turned away. There wasn’t even a hint of love at first sight, nor did they seem interested in each other at all.

She took his hand and boarded the carriage, and Damon followed her in. The carriage door closed, and soon it rattled as it started moving. Fidgeting with her fingers, Lilia murmured,

“Damon.”

“What is it?”

“The person Countess Lotein introduced earlier was the Lady Delphinne I greeted.”

“I see.”

Damon’s response was indifferent. He didn’t seem to think much of it. Lilia sighed in relief. Since they hadn’t divorced, it seemed he was excluded from being the male lead. Then suddenly, she grinned mischievously and moved to sit closer to Damon.

“Darling, did you miss me that much?”

“……”

“You missed me so much you couldn’t stand a few hours and came to pick me up?”

“…Yes.”

At his answer, Lilia’s eyes widened. Damon replied with a serious expression.

“I felt so empty without you that I couldn’t bear it. Honestly, I wish you’d never go anywhere and just stay by my side.”

“Uh… Well… That’s…”

He spoke without a hint of embarrassment, so she was the one who felt shy. She wasn’t used to such honest and sweet confessions, and her face turned bright red.

“You don’t have to participate in social activities. Even if you don’t, no one will dare slander the Fortein Duchy.”

Among all the existing noble families in the Empire, the Fortein Duchy was the most powerful. Unless someone wanted their family destroyed overnight, no one would dare speak ill of the Fortein Duchy.

“Just look at Marquis Levelox. I remember he tried to approach you even knowing you were married. How do we know that won’t happen again? Even if you don’t give them a chance, those wolves interpret things as they please.”

“……”

“If you want to go out, go with me. If there’s somewhere you want to go, I’ll do whatever it takes to take you there.”

Lilia’s mouth fell open. The way he looked at her was overflowing with possessiveness. Seeing her dazed expression, Damon realized he’d gone too far and stepped back. He was too hasty. He thought she’d make a face of dislike, but she was actually smiling brightly, her eyes sparkling.

“Really, I don’t have to do any social activities? Can I just stay at the mansion?”

“Yes. Really.”

“That’s perfect for me!”

“…What? You like that?”

“Yes! I’ve never really liked going out anyway. No changing your mind later, okay?”

He was dumbfounded. Most people would hate having their daily life restricted, but Lilia was the opposite. He was surprised—she had always seemed to avoid staying at the mansion for even a moment, always running around outside, but apparently that wasn’t true. So, she must have avoided being in the same space as him before, and knowing that made him feel a bit bitter, but now it didn’t matter.

The moment Lilia heard that, she was so happy she almost screamed. Even in Korea, she’d always stayed home except for the bare minimum of outings, so she thought this was perfect. Not having to do these annoying things was a wonderful kind of possessiveness for Lilia.

“Still, I only have you, so don’t be too anxious.”

“……”

“Ah, this is bad.”

“…?”

“I… want to have s*x.”

Lilia flashed a dangerous smile.

* * *

“Haa…….”

“Ugh…….”

Lilia let out a deep sigh and moved her hips. The carriage was currently traveling along the outskirts. She had asked the coachman to take a long way around to the mansion on purpose, so there was still plenty of time before they arrived. If the coachman was smart, he’d ignore any sounds coming from inside and pretend not to notice.

Lilia was sitting on top of Damon, her knees touching the seat, making her dress ride up and reveal her white thighs. She wore a garter belt to hold up her stockings, which made her look even more provocative. The black garter belt fastened around her white thighs was alluring.

Damon kissed her, running his hands along her thighs. From their joined bodies came a faint, sticky sound.

“Ah, ah, hnnn…….”

She moved her hips slowly, letting out soft moans. Since they couldn’t move wildly in the carriage, the teasing pace was almost unbearable for Damon. He wanted to lay her down and thrust hard, but if he did, Lilia’s back wouldn’t survive.

Damon exercised as much patience as he could, pressing his lips to her half-exposed br*asts. He nibbled and licked, quickly leaving marks. Proud of the traces he’d left here and there, Damon pulled back with satisfaction.

“Did you make another one?”

“Because I like it.”

Damon grinned and gave a slight thrust. As he suddenly pushed in, Lilia straightened her back. She was so startled she almost fell forward. When she glanced at him, Damon gave her a lazy smile. That smile made her lower belly tingle.

“I’m a little… impatient.”

“Really? Ah, mm, haa, hng!”

Finally, unable to hold back, Damon gripped her waist and thrust hard. The intense sensation shot through Lilia, making her vision blur. He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her deeply, swallowing her lips. The moans that had been escaping disappeared between their joined lips.

“Mm, mm, mph, hnnn……!”

Damon shuddered as he buried himself deep inside her. Her body trembled as well. His member pulsed inside Lilia, releasing thick s*men. Feeling something fill her belly, she let out a soft whimper.

“Did you… come too much? My stomach feels swollen.”

“It’s not that much.”

Damon cleared his throat in embarrassment and muttered,

“It’s a shame there’s nothing to plug it with… It’s too bad there’s nothing to block the entrance.”

Lilia licked her lips and murmured. Her face was flushed, making her look even more suggestive. She touched his red ears and gave him a quick kiss. She grinned playfully, wrapping her arms around Damon’s neck.

“Damon, what if I get pregnant like this?”

“Don’t worry. I’m still taking the contraceptives.”

“You never know. Maybe your sperm will overpower the contraceptives.”

Lilia giggled and sat up. The heavy feeling inside slipped out, and white s*men dripped between her legs. Damon took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her clean, then straightened her rumpled dress. She sat beside him, linking her arm with his.

“By the way, is my birthday present coming along well?”

“…Yes.”

“Only a few days left. I’m so excited!”

With Lilia’s bright voice, Damon turned his gaze to the window. There was one week left until her birthday.

The next day, Damon headed to Night Rodea. It was a famous night district in the Empire. Night Rodea was full of shops selling things you couldn’t find on the regular market. In other words, it was a place lined with adult stores.

It wasn’t illegal, but it was still embarrassing to show your face there openly. And for the first time ever, Damon set foot in Night Rodea.

“Haa… How did I end up here…”

He’d lied to Lilia, saying he had urgent business at the Imperial Palace. Worried someone might recognize him, he pulled his hood down as far as possible to hide his face. Embarrassing items he couldn’t even say out loud were displayed everywhere. Damon walked along the street, glancing at the stores. Not knowing which was best, he went into the biggest, most glamorous one, where a woman with half her face covered by a thin cloth approached.

“Welcome! Is there something you’re looking for?”

“Ah, um…”

Flustered by her friendly attitude, Damon panicked. He knew it was better to ask for help than to search alone, but he just couldn’t bring himself to say what he wanted. But the woman, instead of looking annoyed, just smiled and spoke—

“If you’re embarrassed to say it, you can whisper it in my ear.”

Damon, hesitating, carefully leaned in and whispered in her ear. The woman listened with a calm expression, then broke into a bright smile.

“Fortunately, we have all of those items here! If you come this way, there are various types—would you like to take a look?”

“Just… give me the most popular one.”

“Yes, understood.”

His face, buried deep in the hood, was already so red it looked like steam might rise from it. He couldn’t lift his head straight at all. Even just glancing around, he saw shelves packed with items too embarrassing to say aloud. The woman packaged the item in a paper bag and handed it to Damon.

“This is our shop’s most popular product. I’m sure you won’t regret it.”

“Alright.”

“It seems like it’s your first visit, so I’ll give you this oil as a service.”

“Oil?”

“Yes. Beginners use it a lot—it heats up the body when applied. Usually, it’s used on a woman’s private area. It has a sweet scent, so it doesn’t feel unpleasant.”

It was a transparent liquid in a small heart-shaped bottle. Smiling, saying it was a best-seller, the woman then picked up something like perfume.

“This one delays ej*culation…”

“I’ll be going now.”

Before the woman could say more, Damon cut her off, hurriedly paid, and rushed out of the store as if escaping. He knew he couldn’t just listen to such things casually. If Lilia had been there, she would surely have bought all sorts of things out of curiosity. Damon sighed in relief, glad nobody had recognized him, and quickly left Night Rodea.