I Thought It Was An Arranged Marriage - Chapter 9

Rosaline wiped her face with both hands. Kallen had been the same. He was infinitely kind and gentle. He acted like sparks flew whenever he saw her. But did he love her? No. He was just a sex-crazed maniac.

But maybe Lucas is different from Kallen.

No, don’t expect anything, Rosaline. Don’t be mistaken this time. One delusion is enough. If you’re betrayed twice… you won’t recover this time.

Rosaline poured water over her head from a wooden bucket. She lightly ignored the maids fussing over her sudden action. She had no intention of being merely a gracious hostess.

She remembered clearly. The close maid and personal maid who hid the existence of her husband’s mistress until the very end. They might have done it for her sake, fearing she’d be shocked and hurt. But the result was an even greater wound and shock.

Rosaline’s face was resolute as she made her decision. She decided to withhold all judgment. She didn’t know yet.

Rosaline didn’t know Lucas Bryant. She met him for the first time at his victory ball and greeted him at Kallen’s wedding. Even while preparing for the wedding, they had only met a few times.

In her previous life, Rosaline had trusted Kallen too easily because she didn’t know him. Despite a two-year engagement, it was a political engagement with no private meetings. Since she didn’t know what kind of man he was, she easily misunderstood, Rosaline thought.

The fact that she didn’t know what kind of person her husband was remained the same this time. Rosaline decided. No matter how her husband treated her, she would accept his goodwill but not get ahead of herself. She would observe objectively. That would be enough.

“This is the couple’s bedroom, Your Highness.”

Standing before the large door, Rosaline took a moment to compose herself. Who thought that the second time would make her less nervous than the first? Unable to calm her pounding heart, she pressed it down and entered. Since it was his home, he would be seeing off the guests until the end. So he wouldn’t be here yet.

“You’re here.”

Startled by the low voice from the room she thought was empty, Rosaline flinched. The voice belonged to Lucas, who was already sitting on the bed, wearing the same robe as hers.

Facing an unexpected situation without being mentally prepared, Rosaline froze in place. Lucas approached her and extended his hand.

“Please come this way.”

Rosaline cautiously placed her hand on his arm. Feeling the same firmness she had sensed earlier under her palm, she felt slightly reassured. But she still couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Before she knew it, she was sitting beside him on the bed. Her face turned red.

“Don’t be so nervous.”

Why is it that being told not to be nervous only makes one more so? Rosaline wondered if the sound of her swallowing was too loud, or if she was even breathing properly at the moment. Her head felt dizzy. Noticing that her eyes were darting around, Lucas chuckled softly.

“If you don’t want to, I won’t do anything.”

“What?”

“It’s fine if we just hold hands and sleep.”

At Lucas’s words, Rosaline’s head snapped around. What on earth was this man talking about? The first night, meaning if a married couple did not consummate their marriage, and if one of them provided evidence of this, the marriage could be annulled.

Could it be that this man wanted to annul their marriage? Rosaline, feeling hurt by the man’s serious face devoid of any jest, retorted sharply without realizing it.

“Do I not please you, Grand Duke?”

“What? No, that’s not—”

“Not consummating the marriage means you want to annul it, doesn’t it?”

“No, absolutely not. There’s no way. I was just worried that you might be very nervous and scared, so I thought I’d wait if that was the case.”

“Of course, I’m nervous and scared. But it’s our duty to spend the first night together after getting married. Did you see me as someone shameless who doesn’t even know her duty?”

“No, no, absolutely not. Rosaline, I never meant it that way.”

Seeing the man, who had sprung up to kneel before her and was now flustered and on the verge of tears, Rosaline’s hardened heart softened quickly. But she still maintained a stern expression and lowered her voice.

It was both fascinating and thrilling to see the man, known as the merciless reaper of the battlefield, on the verge of tears because of a single word from her. Perhaps that was why she felt a surge of unnecessary courage.

“Well then, let’s start right away.”

“Rosaline!”

Rosaline, who had been sitting against the headboard, pushed Lucas, who was kneeling before her, down and boldly climbed on top of him. An act like that would be unimaginable for a modest woman, but they were a married couple, and she already had plenty of experience.

Even though her current body was pure, she had carried a child half a year ago. Looking into Lucas’s eyes, which trembled as if an earthquake had struck, Rosaline decided to be even bolder.

“Rosaline…”

“We have to undress anyway.”

She removed her robe and then Lucas’s as well. She then lay on top of him, who was now stiff as if he was broken, like a malfunctioning recording magic tool, calling her name repeatedly. She pressed her soft chest against his firm one and groped for his lips with hers. At that moment, the man transformed, pushing his hot tongue through the gap between her lips.

“Ugh…!”

Rosaline clutched his arm desperately, but her words were swallowed by him. His hot tongue moved as if it were alive, exploring her teeth and scraping her palate.

Unlike the simple contact during the wedding, this was a sticky, lingering touch. Rosaline felt like she was suffocating. It wasn’t that she was really out of breath. The man occasionally lifted his lips to let her breathe.

“You taste sweet.”

Rosaline looked up at him with dazed eyes. Come to think of it, she had eaten something while being bathed earlier. She hadn’t eaten much today due to the wedding preparations. Was there something sweet among what she ate?

While she was absentmindedly trying to remember, the man lovingly kissed various parts of her face. Her soft cheeks, her high forehead, her pointed nose—there wasn’t a single unattractive spot on her face, his bride’s.

Lucas held the woman in his arms tightly. It seemed she finally noticed that she was now lying on the bed with her back against it.

“When did…”

“I would be honored if you came on top of me, but since it’s our first night, please allow me to serve you.”

Serve. It was a word that did not suit him at all. But she soon realized there was no better word for it. The man, who had been kissing her face to the point of tickling, moved his lips down to her neck.

He licked the hollow under her ear several times and then gently bit her shoulder just enough not to hurt. He kissed her protruding collarbone before finally reaching her full chest.

Lucas cupped Rosaline’s breasts and rubbed his lips against the flesh spilling out between his fingers. Her breasts weren’t large, but combined with her slender waist, they formed a dizzyingly graceful curve. The man sucked and bit her breasts in ecstasy.

Before long, her breasts were covered with red marks like petals. When his lips finally caught her erect nipple in his mouth, Rosaline let out a moan.

“Oh, ah. Your Highness.”