3.5 

“Open the door! Open it!”

Clara’s door shook violently. It rattled as if it might burst open at any moment, but Lucius had blocked it with furniture, making it nearly impossible for the Earl to get in.

“Baron! Do you think you’ll get away with this?!”

“Yes, I think I’ll be fine.”

Lucius replied lazily, glancing around Clara’s room. He seemed to recall visiting once as a child, but it looked very different from his memory.

“It feels unfamiliar.”

Hearing his comment, Clara, who had been staring at the floor, lifted her head. She was still holding the bouquet of white lilies. Overwhelmed by the rapid turn of events, she struggled to make sense of the situation.

“What are you trying to do?”

She couldn’t understand why he was going this far. She appreciated him ruining the proposal, but she hadn’t wanted things to escalate to this point.

This time, even Lucius wouldn’t be able to escape unscathed.

The two Earldoms would undoubtedly demand compensation, and Lucius would have no choice but to comply.

It seemed too costly for him to have done all this just for her.

“You’re the one who stands to lose more than me.”

Lucius chuckled bitterly, patting her head. Then he turned to the door, where the Earl continued to cause a commotion.

“And even now.”

His hand, which had been on her hair, slowly moved down. It brushed against her cheek, her neck, and finally her collarbone.

“You might lose even more.”

Clara’s ribbon came undone. The fabric slid down her shoulders. Startled, Clara grabbed his hand, but Lucius showed no intention of stopping.

If he had planned to stop, he wouldn’t have come this far.

“How about we call it even for what you did to me?”

“How long are you going to hold that over me? At this rate, it’ll last a lifetime.”

“Well, that’s fine too. But first, I should deal with my future father-in-law.”

Wait, what?

Before Clara could question him, Lucius tore off her corset. No, “tore” wasn’t the right word—he shredded it.

As the corset fell apart, her ample chest was revealed. Lucius swallowed hard at the sight.

“How do you even hide this?”

“If you tie it tightly, it stays hidden.”

“No wonder you’re so thin—you’ve been starving yourself.” 

Except for here.  

Lucius poked Clara’s chest with his finger. Her soft yet firm body was felt at his fingertips.  

“My father is right outside.”

“I know. That’s why I’m doing this even more.”  

He grinned mischievously and kneaded Clara’s chest more firmly than before.  

What a scoundrel.  

Did he only know how to act this way? Always so rough.

Yet, Clara couldn’t help but love this side of Lucius too.  

“Clara! Open the door immediately!”  

The Earl’s voice echoed in Clara’s ears. Doing such things with the Baron inside while her father was outside—it was impossible to focus.  

“J-Just a moment.”  

At Clara’s rejection, Lucius clicked his tongue low in irritation. He had just wanted to share some affection after a long time, but the old man outside kept ruining everything.  

Still holding Clara’s waist, Lucius shouted toward the Earl outside.  

“Earl, please stay there. I need some time with Clara.”  

“You, you! Have you completely lost your mind?”  

Even as the Earl continued to yell furiously, Lucius pressed his lips against Clara’s nape.  

He left red marks on her pale skin, biting as he went. Despite the sound of the door shaking as if it might break, Lucius ignored it.  

“Lucius, this is… too much.”  

Though he ignored it, Clara couldn’t. She pushed at Lucius’s shoulder with her lips quivering, her gaze constantly darting toward the door.  

“Haah. You’re really testing my patience.”  

Lucius pulled back slightly and turned his head, clearly irritated.  

“Are you going to keep listening from there? Even so, how could you bear to listen to the process of making your grandchildren?”  

“You… you insane bastard!”  

Understanding Lucius’s words immediately, the Earl grew even more enraged. He foamed at the mouth, shouting as if he would kill him on the spot, but Lucius didn’t even flinch.  

“Clara! My daughter! Come to your senses! Don’t be fooled by that rascal’s tongue!”  

The Earl, realizing he was getting nowhere, began targeting Clara instead.  

“Fine. You don’t have to marry into the Sky Earldom now that it’s over. But that man is not an option!”  

His voice even sounded desperate. But both Clara and Lucius knew that wasn’t his true intention.  

Clara, however, was at a loss because he was still her father.  

Yes, the bond between parent and child couldn’t be severed. It wasn’t something she could do anything about. She would have to carry this burden herself.  

Lucius thought this as he opened his mouth again, intending to send the Earl away somehow.  

“Earl?”  

“What? What now?”  

“You feel guilty about my parents’ deaths, don’t you?”  

“W-What are you talking about?”  

The Earl, who had been stomping and shouting, froze at the unexpected remark. 

What did he mean by guilt? About the death of the Baron and Baroness…?  

“I know everything. I know you’re not truly a bad person.”  

What nonsense was this?  

Lucius’s attempt to wrap things up in a seemingly reasonable yet nonsensical way made the Earl think he’d gone mad. He was so taken aback that he stopped shaking the door and listened to him.  

“If you were truly evil, you would have crushed me before I had the chance to gain strength. But you didn’t. You even turned a blind eye to Clara visiting my home.”  

“That’s because—”  

He had no choice but to let her go.  

If he didn’t, Clara would cry and throw a fit, and his wife would wander the house with a gloomy expression all day.  

But there was no need to say such things. The Earl just needed to break down the door and drag his daughter out. However, just as he was about to make a move, someone restrained him, covering his mouth and pulling him away.  

Meanwhile, Lucius continued his persistent fondling of Clara’s chest.  

“L-Lucius.”  

Clara weakly tried to stop him, but Lucius simply whispered, “Shh,” and continued speaking.  

“Earl?”  

There was no sound from behind the door. The world had gone silent, as if the earlier noise had never existed. Only then did Lucius pull Clara into his arms and head toward the bed.  

“There’s no sound from outside… Ah!”  

Clara, puzzled by the sudden silence, tilted her head in confusion. But when her body was thrown onto the bed, she let out a startled cry.  

“It seems the Earl has received my gift well.”  

“A… gift? Wait, why are you throwing me onto the bed!”  

“Because I’m eager to quench my longing.”  

Lucius truly seemed in a hurry.  

He quickly removed his top and bottom garments, climbing on top of Clara, who lay awkwardly on the bed.  

“Wait a moment. I mean—”  

“There’s no one left to listen now, so what’s the problem?”  

Lucius looked displeased at Clara’s continued resistance. He couldn’t understand why she was still so hesitant, even though no one could see them and only sounds might be heard.  

The previous Baron and Baroness had such a harmonious relationship that they often stayed in their room for long periods. Even when strange noises came from their room, Lucius had simply dismissed it as their private affection.  

“Well… If we don’t come out of the room, everyone will know what we’ve been doing.”  

“Everyone in the capital already knows what kind of relationship we have.”  

“This is just confirming it for them!”  

Why was everything so complicated and difficult?  

Lucius suppressed his irritation and pressed his lips against Clara’s forehead. In the end, the one in a hurry had to endure.  

He gently stroked Clara’s cheek, then kissed her face and shoulders.  

His tender gestures seemed to soothe Clara, who began to move slightly in his arms.  

“Clara…”  

Lucius called her name as he grabbed her full, round br*asts.  

“Ah… ugh.”  

He had been dying to touch them. Lucius kneaded the soft flesh to his heart’s content, the fragrant scent of her skin and the supple texture making him harden instantly.  

“Ah…”  

“Are you really going to do it?”

Clara nervously bit her lips as she stared at the throbbing member in front of her. It was an instinctive action, but watching those pink lips move made Lucius feel an overwhelming desire to thrust himself into her mouth.

“Belle, why don’t you try sucking this?”

He brought his member closer to Clara’s face. Its imposing presence, already massive from afar, didn’t change when viewed up close.

Clara swallowed hard as she observed the sticky liquid dripping from the tip and the sheer size of it.

Did he just ask me to suck this? With my mouth?

“If you do it well, I’ll consider not moving forward afterward.”

His seductive whisper made Clara nod unconsciously. There was no reason not to try. Besides, if she did well, she might avoid going further altogether.