“Shh, Catherine.”

“Don’t move. Don’t, hng, ugh, aah… don’t move.”

“It’s okay. It’s okay, Catherine.”

“Dir-ugh, dirty.”

“It’s not dirty at all.”

Michael embraced her and thrust back into Catherine’s p*ssy, which was still trembling from the lingering sensations.

She wanted to tell him it was dirty and to stop stimulating her, but Catherine couldn’t continue speaking due to the intense pleasure that was incomparable to what she had felt before.

Even though she had released something during s*x, Michael kept kissing her cheeks, forehead, and hair incessantly while moving his hips, as if finding her beautiful.

Thump thump, Michael’s c*ck once again forced its way into her flesh.

His c*ck, seemingly harder than before, pounded her insides several times before finally exploding his s*men inside Catherine like an eruption.

“Ha, ugh. Nngh!”

“Catherine, Catherine.”

Just as Catherine tightly gripped his c*ck, Michael embraced her firmly. Catherine, who had been sobbing, felt Michael filling her completely and fell asleep as if fainting.

⁕⁕⁕

It was the dark of night when she fell asleep and woke up.

Catherine, completely limp and drained of energy, stared blankly at the white moon visible through her hazy vision. After blinking a couple of times, she felt two firm arms holding her, almost like a cage.

A hot, large embrace completely enveloped her from behind.

‘Michael.’

She engraved his name in her mind. The situation before falling asleep vaguely came back to her. Catherine, driven to climax almost to the point of torment, had released something.

Yes, it was closer to bursting.

Like a spring that had been trickling before breaking its dam and bursting forth, the climax that broke through Catherine’s vaginal walls had released clear love juices.

It was her first time experiencing such a sensation. That violent climax was almost painful.

Her whole body trembled like someone having a seizure, and even the slightest touch on her skin brought her to the peak of pleasure, causing her to faint from the unbearable sensation.

It was such an intense stimulation that she didn’t even have time to feel embarrassed. Just recalling that moment made her skin break out in goosebumps.

‘…Come to think of it, I fell asleep without washing.’

Yet there was no lingering discomfort on her body. Catherine tried moving slightly. There was no sticky feeling between her legs either. Even the smell of sweat that should have remained was gone.

Suspicious, she tried to turn and get up, but a firm arm grabbed her waist.

“Where are you going?”

Michael asked in a deep voice, hoarse from sleep. His half-open eyes, squinting as if frowning, were a deep blue like the winter sea. Catherine averted her gaze slightly and mumbled.

“Going to wash up.”

She didn’t want to be conscious of it, but heat kept rising to her face. Michael tightened his grip on Catherine and pulled her closer, saying:

“Just sleep. I already cleaned you up.”

“What…?”

“Let’s sleep more.”

Michael’s nose nuzzled near Catherine’s waist. His moist lips kissed her waist messily.

While Catherine remained still, surprised by his words that he had cleaned her, Michael bit her side and said:

“If you don’t lie down quickly, I’ll take it as you wanting another round.”

Startled, Catherine hurriedly lay down. Her  small body was completely nestled in his tight embrace.

Michael sighed languidly, as if satisfied. His hot breath brushed against Catherine’s earlobe and chin.

“Sleep well, Catherine.”

His softly whispered voice settled quietly in the darkness. His touch, stroking her straight back as if lulling a child to sleep, was also tender.

Catherine fidgeted for a while in Michael’s arms, feeling a greater flutter than when they had joined bodies.

The sheets touching her body smelled like they had been dried in the sun. The scent of sunshine, not sweat or lovemaking.

Had Michael changed these as well? Thinking of him carefully changing the sheets so as not to wake her as she dozed off made a corner of her heart tingle.

Come to think of it, he had always been such a gentle man. A dear, loving, trusted friend.

It was because Michael was like this that Catherine could make such a mischievous proposal to him. Yet, despite that, she could hardly believe they had actually joined bodies.

The image of Michael thrusting inside her, almost roughly, seemed like a dream.

Feeling Michael’s gentle hand stroking her back, Catherine opened her eyes and looked up at him. His delicate eyelashes, like gold thread, cast shadows as they rested downward. His beautiful face perfectly reflected his upright character.

As she stared at him blankly, the thought suddenly struck her that their relationship would never be the same again.

‘Can we still… be friends, Michael?’

Catherine’s expression changed abruptly. Her heart fluttered belatedly, sensing that something would change. But not knowing what form that change would take, her heart merely pounded and then quieted.

Catherine remained dazed for a moment before shaking her head.

What’s done cannot be undone. So let’s wait and see. Michael’s warmth, bordering on heat, was too comfortable to regret.

Catherine sighed softly and burrowed into his embrace. That’s how their first night passed.

⁕⁕⁕

‘And then how did the morning pass.’

Catherine thought blankly as she lay down.

She had awakened slightly to the touch of hands caressing near her navel, and kisses showered on her shoulder moved up her nape before devouring the lips of the giggling Catherine.

The caresses intensified before she was fully awake, and she was moaning before she could even yawn.

Catherine tried to stop him by calling his name in a husky voice, but it was useless. As if desperate from not being able to lick her all night, he licked and sucked her nape and chest countless times.

Perhaps due to the lingering sensations from the night before, the area between her legs quickly became wet.

Fingers caressing that moist place slipped in, and Michael’s fingers moved back and forth, stimulating the area that had been swollen all night.

What followed was a repeat of the previous night. Michael bit Catherine’s earlobe and said in a somewhat mischievous voice that he hadn’t been fully satisfied the night before.

“You came so much by yourself. Selfish Catherine.”

Whispering as if upset, Michael flipped Catherine over while she was startled.

Michael positioned Catherine with just her b*ttocks raised and thrust so roughly that she eventually cried and apologized, saying to stop and that she was sorry for coming alone.

How many times did they do it like that?

‘Maybe three times? No, it was more than four.’

When Catherine whined that it was too much and tried to run away saying she wouldn’t do it anymore, Michael would grab her ankle and coax her into doing it just one more time.

His touch was so gentle as he stroked her hair and kissed her that she unknowingly gave in and ended up doing it again.

The man who mumbled ‘Sorry, I’m sorry’ while soothing and embracing her showed no mercy once he was inside.

And after all the lovemaking was over, he carried the exhausted Catherine, washed her clean with warm water, and even combed her hair.

When she collapsed from extreme fatigue and exhaustion, he insisted she needed to eat something and warmed buttery bread, personally spreading jam on it and feeding it to her.

All Catherine had done was open her mouth like a baby bird and chew the bread he fed her.

“Is it good?”

“Yes. More.”

“You’re eating well. Wait, I’ll bring you yogurt with honey.”

There were no servants to attend to them in the small Sunset House.

However, there was plenty of food, as if someone left warm bread and fresh milk at dawn. Despite being born a nobleman himself, Michael served Catherine well. Though a bit slow, he was quite skillful without any awkwardness.

By the time Michael brought the second piece of bread, Catherine was nodding off. Michael put down the bread, handed Catherine the warm cocoa he had brought, lifted her up, and quietly began reading a book while keeping her confined in his embrace.

That’s how they spent the warm afternoon.

Sunlight streamed in through the wide-open window, and a gentle breeze blew in. Beyond the large window, the green forest was so bright it dazzled the eyes.

Nestled in Michael’s arms, Catherine looked out the window with drowsy eyes and suddenly felt that everything was complete.

It wasn’t the first time she had spent a quiet afternoon with him, but it was the first time it felt this perfect.

The only difference from other days was that she had spent the night with him, yet how could the feeling be so different?

There was no grand castle, no lavish feast, no hundred servants, but everything was wonderful.

At some point, when she felt Michael gently kissing the top of her head, she unknowingly smiled quietly.

Catherine realized, very naturally, that all this happiness came from Michael, who was now embracing her.

It was an overwhelming and frightening realization, and at the same time, it raised another question.

Could it be… have I started to like Michael?