Chapter 2.1

“Ugh…”  

As she tried to shift her body in her sleep, something felt strange—different from usual. There was an unfamiliar discomfort in her body.  

‘What is this…?’  

Erta fought against the drowsiness that clouded her mind and forced her heavy eyelids open.  

‘Huh?’  

Naturally, her bedroom ceiling should have come into view.  

She should have been looking at the ceiling mural she had commissioned from a famous artist. But oddly enough, her vision remained dark.  

She thought her eyes were open, but perhaps it was an illusion. Or was she still dreaming?  

Erta squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again.  

Blink. Blink.  

‘Why is it still dark?’  

Only after blinking several times did Erta realize it wasn’t her imagination. She truly couldn’t see anything.  

“What?”  

A puzzled sound escaped her lips. The remnants of sleep vanished in an instant.  

It was then that she felt the fabric pressing against her eyes. Her eyes were covered.  

Had my blanket somehow ended up over my face in my sleep? Come to think of it, my body felt oddly exposed, as if the blanket wasn’t covering me at all.  

Perhaps her restless sleeping habits had caused the blanket to end up over her eyes.  

Instinctively, Erta moved her hand toward her face.  

But.  

‘Huh?’  

Erta’s face filled with confusion. Her arms wouldn’t move.  

“What, what is this—!”  

It took her a moment to grasp the situation, as her sight was obstructed, but soon she realized.  

‘Rope?’  

Her arms were raised above her head, and her wrists were bound together.  

No matter how much strength she exerted to bring them down, they wouldn’t budge. It felt as though they were secured to something.  

She was tied up.  

Erta instinctively struggled to free herself from the ropes binding her.  

The more she tried, the more her wrists ached from the friction of the ropes. The pain was sharp enough to leave red marks.  

But no matter how hard she shook her arms, the tightly secured ropes showed no sign of loosening. It was nearly impossible for her to free herself.  

‘Could this be… a kidnapping?’  

The thought crossed her mind that, if this truly were the work of a kidnapper, she might not even be in her bedroom.  

The uncertainty, coupled with her inability to see, made her feel even more terrified. The fear caused her to shrink back.  

“You’re awake.”  

At that moment, a low voice echoed near her ear.  

Erta’s body froze in shock at the unfamiliar male voice.  

Realizing that someone else was in the same space as her sent chills coursing through her entire body.  

“W-who are you?”  

Erta stammered, her voice trembling as she questioned the man. She had heard stories of noblewomen being kidnapped on occasion.  

She needed to remain calm.  

But the man didn’t answer her question. Instead of responding, the only thing she heard was:  

Rip—  

The sound of fabric tearing.  

Rip—  

The same sound assaulted her ears once more.  

The man in front of her was tearing fabric.  

“W-what are you…?”  

What exactly was he doing? And why?  

Unable to see, Erta’s fear and frustration grew. Her mind raced with questions about the man’s intentions.  

And then.  

“Ah!”  

The nightgown that had been covering her skin was ripped. With her vision blocked, her other senses became sharper, and there was no mistaking it.  

The cool air brushing against her bare skin sent a shiver up her spine.  

Rip—  

The fabric the man was tearing was none other than Erta’s nightgown.  

The sound repeated several more times until Erta was left nearly unclothed.  

Her habit of not wearing undergarments to bed meant that, in essence, her body was now fully exposed. 

Erta’s fear only intensified.  

If this truly was a kidnapping, and if this man had broken into her bedroom only to tear her clothes apart…  

The man’s intent was obvious.  

“W-wait.”  

Who could it be? And why?  

Erta’s mind raced, but she couldn’t think of anyone who would do such a thing to her.  

Was this simply a random assailant?  

With the torn fabric barely covering her, Erta trembled uncontrollably. Tears welled up in her eyes.  

It was then.  

Slap—  

A sharp sound accompanied by a stinging sensation on her thigh broke through her thoughts.  

“Ah!”  

An involuntary sound escaped Erta’s throat. At the same time, the tears that had been on the verge of falling stopped.  

Beneath the fabric covering her eyes, her pupils trembled.  

‘Wait. What is this?’  

Erta instinctively realized.  

The ropes binding her wrists.  

The fabric blocking her vision.  

The torn and tattered clothes.  

And lastly, the hand striking her bare skin.  

This moment was exactly the fantasy Erta had dreamed of.  

Thump, thump.  

Her heart raced.  

Even though an unknown man might assault her, strangely enough, her fear had disappeared.  

She should have screamed and resisted—it would have been the normal reaction. Yet, ever since the moment her thigh was struck, Erta no longer thought her safety was in danger.  

Instead, she began to feel excited.  

‘J-just one more time…’  

She even found herself wishing he would strike her other thigh or perhaps her backside.  

‘Please…!’  

Her desire grew stronger, but she still clung to the possibility of doubt.  

If this wasn’t the Geranion’s estate, she couldn’t let her guard down.  

To feel more at ease and fully enjoy the situation, she needed certainty. So Erta pretended to be frightened and shouted at the man.  

“I-I’ll call the knights if you keep this up!”  

Of course, she made sure not to yell too loudly, lest the knights actually come running.  

“Everyone in the mansion will—mmph!”  

Before she could finish her sentence, something soft and warm invaded her mouth without warning.  

The man’s lips silenced her.  

“Mmph, mmm.”  

The wet sound of flesh being sucked echoed vividly.  

With his hand pressing down on Erta’s chin, she couldn’t close her mouth and had no choice but to accept the invading tongue.  

His tongue roamed freely inside her mouth, pressing against the base of her tongue and quickly grazing her palate.  

Erta realized for the first time today that a soft tongue could move so roughly.  

‘This… feels….’  

It didn’t feel bad. The firm grip of his hand on her skin, holding her down, felt oddly satisfying.  

She found herself wishing his lips wouldn’t stop ravaging hers.  

This was Erta’s first kiss. The fact that she didn’t know her partner’s identity only heightened her excitement.  

Even though all that had happened was her being kissed while bound, Erta felt a dampness spreading below.  

The man continued to kiss her as he pleased, wrapping her tongue with his, pushing it away, and sucking on her lips.  

Despite the fact that they were both just flesh and blood, the force with which he sucked on her tongue was overwhelming.  

“Mmph, hmph.”  

A strange sensation began to stir between her legs. As Erta twisted her legs together, struggling to swallow the overflowing saliva, a loud slurping sound signaled the man pulling his lips away.  

“I wasn’t planning to silence your mouth, but…”  

Bringing his lips close to her ear, he whispered in a low voice.  

“If you don’t want the servants to see you n*ked and aroused, you’d better stay quiet.”  

Before she could respond, something hard was suddenly pushed into her mouth. Of course, this time it wasn’t the man’s tongue.  

“Mmph, mmph—”  

Erta frowned and shook her head. But despite her resistance, the man forced her head still and secured the gag in place.  

Now both her eyes and mouth were covered. This was truly a predicament.  

‘He’s insane.’  

Feeling a spark of pleasure igniting deep within her abdomen, Erta pressed her thighs together once more. A peculiar sensation coursed beneath her skin.  

‘I’m so glad I screamed!’  

She was thrilled. If she hadn’t caused a fuss about calling the knights, she wouldn’t have ended up with her mouth gagged. Erta silently praised her own actions.  

At any rate, judging by the man’s reaction, this seemed to be her bedroom.  

This was exactly what she had experienced in her dreams. Now that her fantasy had become reality, Erta couldn’t have been happier.  

In her dreams, the man had always been a figment of her imagination, so she had never seen his face.  

Now, in reality, she still couldn’t see his face, but the sensations were far more vivid. Erta barely managed to suppress the smile threatening to break across her face.  

‘I have to reject him. I need to act like I hate this.’  

Erta understood the psychology of her partner well. After all, she shared the opposite inclination.  

If she appeared to enjoy what was happening, the man’s enthusiasm might wane, and he could stop altogether.  

Conversely, the more she resisted and struggled, the more intense his actions would likely become.  

‘This is such a rare opportunity.’  

Tonight, Erta resolved to put on her most convincing act of distress.  

“S-sir…”  

Even her attempt to say “no” was muffled by the gag in her mouth.  

She shook her head vehemently, expressing her refusal more strongly. As expected, the man responded by attempting to subdue her.  

Slap! 

“Don’t move as you please.”  

He struck the flesh of her thigh. Her wriggling body froze momentarily. Then, as if frightened, Erta’s legs began trembling.  

“That’s right. It’s better if you stay still.”  

Once she quieted down, the man climbed on top of her and grabbed her ample chest.  

At first, he kneaded it a few times, but soon his touch became anything but gentle. Her br*asts, squeezed so tightly they seemed on the verge of bursting, spilled out between his fingers.  

“Hng, ugh!”  

Each time he applied strong pressure to her skin, a moan escaped her lips. A strange sensation enveloped her body.  

Yet, amidst the dull pain, a tingling pleasure began to rise.