Chapter 22

‘Could it be that he was holding back, pleasuring me all this time?’

Was Ash already at the brink of cl*max?

Erin’s eyes widened in surprise.

“…W-wait, Ash, I-I’m coming…!”

Even as Ash was already releasing inside her, he didn’t stop moving his hips.

Squelch, squish. She could feel thick white liquid falling from where they were joined. As if it had just begun, his rough grip on her waist sent a tingling ache through her. Erin’s mind went blank, standing right at the edge of cl*max.

“This won’t do. You begged me to squeeze it out, and now you’re letting it leak again.”

“Ah, uhh!”

Her attempt to reply was swallowed by broken sounds. Contrary to her thoughts, Erin’s inner walls kept stretching and contracting, happily milking Ash’s seed.

Ash drooped his eyebrows and shook his head as if he couldn’t help it.

“This is what you wanted, Doctor. You shouldn’t waste it.”

“A-Ash. Hhh…!”

“There’s no helping it. I’ll give you more.”

Even though her body was already coming, the sensations pouring in felt almost violent. Her sensitized skin burned with heat.

“Ah, hngh…”

As Erin flailed and reached out, Ash caught her hand. Then, kissing her fingertips as if stamping them,

“It’s not over yet, Doctor.”

“W-wait….”

“You said you have to show the results of the experiment.”

As if the thick, milky fl*id already filling her wasn’t enough, Ash moved his hips, smiling a smile that made Erin’s mind go blank.

“No matter how many dozens, hundreds of times I *jaculate… If you take your medicine, pregnancy is impossible.”

“Hhh!”

“You have to prove it, don’t you?”

Thud!

“I told you. I’ll show you with an absolute amount.”

Even such intimidating words whispered as he thr*st into her… 

To Erin, they sounded only like words that he wanted to impregnate her.

As if he wanted to be connected to her in any way…

Her heart trembled as, inside her, Ash’s member grew hard again, swelling in size. Erin gasped unconsciously.

That’s right. That was their contract.

‘No matter how many times, I can’t get pregnant. That’s what we’re proving…’

But how did she end up feeling this way?

Even as she thought about it, Ash gripped and caressed her body as if he might break her apart. Her senses screamed at every touch.

“Hngh, unh!”

Feeling her reason slipping away with excitement, Erin blinked her hazy eyes.

Yes, so—

‘Just for now…’

Just for now, she would surrender everything.

Pretend she knew nothing about anything complicated.

Her last bit of reason snapped.

* * *

“Whoa, whoa.”

Clop, clop.

The sound of the coachman soothing the horses. At the same time, the carriage’s speed slowed. They were almost at their destination.

Erin, who had been looking out the window the whole time, felt sweat gathering inside her gloves and wriggled her fingers.

Rustle.

Someone beside her naturally took her hand and kneaded it.

“Ash.”

Ash, sitting across from her, pretended not to hear her call and kept massaging her hand, then picked up Erin’s briefcase from beside him.

“We’re almost there.”

“…Right. Did I forget anything…?”

“You didn’t.”

“But…”

“The report, packed. The new medicine, packed. The presentation materials, packed.”

“You packed all of it, not me.”

Ash brushed off her grumbling voice and finally reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear.

“Most importantly, the proper attire.”

“……”

“You’ve got everything.”

“How is this proper attire…”

Muttering, Erin glanced down at herself.

Today, she looked less like a researcher attending an academic presentation and more like a noble lady going to a banquet.

‘If you go by appearances, I am a noble lady…’

Even looking again, it felt a bit awkward.

Her softly waved pink hair was neatly pulled back with a jeweled headband.

On her ears hung small pink sapphire earrings—not too flashy, not too plain. They matched the necklace around her neck.

Her white dress, which exposed a bit of collarbone, was a modest design but hugged her figure, accentuating her shape.

‘Maybe this is the first time I’ve dressed like this?’

Even for the academy’s graduation ball, she’d worn her academy uniform. There was no way a debt-ridden family could afford clothes or jewelry like this. She’d sold everything she once had to pay off debts.

Maybe that’s why she felt so uncomfortable, as if she wasn’t wearing her own things.

But even that uneasy feeling melted away with Ash’s gentle words.

“You’re beautiful.”

“…Don’t flatter me.”

“No, truly, you’re beautiful.”

Ash’s eyes were sincere. His red eyes were filled with her.

Erin, blushing, pressed her cheek and replied,

“Still, this is a presentation, not a social event.”

“This event is a social event.”

“…And these jewels and clothes are too much.”

“You’re not the only one who received them.”

“I really don’t understand Duke Aston’s intentions.”

There was a reason Erin could wear such clothes and jewels, even with her dire circumstances.

A few days before the presentation,

Ash had come into the lab carrying a large box. The sender was Duke Aston.

Beside him was Duke Aston’s attendant, whom Erin hadn’t seen in a while.

She instinctively stood up straight, and the attendant looked at her with a slightly sour face and spoke.

‘Greetings, Lady Leshamur.’

‘Hello. What brings you here…? I can meet the experiment deadline. I’ll have the report soon…’

‘That’s not it. I’m just here to deliver something today.’

‘Something?’

Only after Ash shook the box did she notice it.

The attendant, now with a professional servant’s face, spoke,

‘It’s from Duke Aston.’

‘…From Duke Aston? Why?’

‘He said he wanted you to match the dress code for the presentation. He’d like you to wear the chosen outfit and jewelry.’

‘Is it a rental?’

‘He said you could keep it.’

Until then, Erin thought it was just a standard ready-made dress.

‘And the jewelry, I thought it’d just be a brooch symbolizing the Dukedom’s academic society.’

But when she opened the box, it was this dress and the pink sapphire jewelry set.

Erin was shocked and said she couldn’t accept it, but the attendant argued that it was already opened and couldn’t be returned.

Ash also gently persuaded her to wear it since she’d already received it.

‘You can always sell it later. Though I’d prefer if you didn’t…’

‘Still, this is a bit much…’

‘I’m sure it’ll look pretty.’

‘…….’

‘It’ll suit you.’

That was what finally moved Erin’s heart.

She wanted Ash to see her looking pretty.

She wanted to show him this side of herself.

So Erin dressed up and came all the way here instead of returning or selling the outfit and jewelry. Of course, Ash helped her put it on.

Thinking of Ash zipping up her dress, her cheeks flushed again.

‘I do feel a bit guilty.’

She’d doubted Ash for a moment. Even as she pretended not to notice her shaken heart, she was still a boss who wanted to flirt with her assistant.

It felt a little pathetic.

“You really are beautiful.”

Ash cut off Erin’s thoughts with another firm whisper.

“…Thank you.”

Still, it made Erin happy when Ash said things like that. She nervously touched the pink sapphire necklace that matched her earrings.

‘But… does Duke Aston really have that much money?’

Well. If he could afford to give such precious things even to her, whom he’d only ever pushed and tormented.

There must be plenty of people coming to the presentation, and if he gave everyone clothes and jewelry like this, Duke Aston’s wealth must be truly enormous. People said he held half the wealth of the entire empire.

‘So if this presentation goes well…’

Maybe she’d get a decent reward.

‘Honestly, just getting help to commercialize the medicine would be enough.’

If she could just do that, she’d be rich. The first batch would be sent to the heroine.

Then she could seriously ask Ash—after this trial, and for the next one, and the one after that—if he’d stay with her, and she’d pay him well.

Of course, not everything felt perfect.

Erin glanced at Ash’s hands, now hidden by gloves.

The memory of the ruby ring was still stuck in her mind.

‘No. I can always ask him later.’

At least, if Ash really were an industrial spy, something would have happened before today’s presentation to the Duke.