Chapter 49. Meeting Square

“Why? Were you worried Alyssa might betray us?”

“I was hesitant about involving her family.”

Aster seemed to have something on his mind. But since he wasn’t telling me, it seemed he hadn’t sorted out his thoughts yet.

As I had felt before, he rarely showed his true feelings easily. He probably didn’t speak until he had organized his thoughts.

I didn’t intend to push him to reveal his inner thoughts. After all, what I proposed was a contract marriage, and I had no right to demand more from him.

“Do you think Alyssa Brilly is trustworthy?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll trust her too. If you trust her, so do I.”

When I indicated that I wouldn’t ask further, Aster rubbed his lips with his hand.

“You really are…”

“I know. I’m awesome.”

As I confidently lifted my chin, Aster burst into laughter. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close.

“Thank you for trusting me.”

“You don’t have to be too moved. It doesn’t mean you can keep it a secret forever.”

Feeling embarrassed, I responded coyly, and Aster bit my lips deeply. The warmth spread where his soft lips touched.

The swift change in atmosphere was unbelievable, considering we had been discussing revenge just moments ago. I lightly stroked Aster’s silver hair and shared a deep breath with him.

The more warmth we shared, the more I felt different emotions for him growing inside me.

It was selfish to wonder about his feelings now after proposing a loveless marriage.

I suppressed my emotions and bit his neck.

“Aster, let’s go to bed.”

Before I even finished my command, he lifted me and moved to the bed. Soon, his warm body pressed down heavily on mine.

“You seem to prefer doing it in bed.”

“……”

“You always look for the bed.”

Aster’s blatant gaze left me breathless. He smiled sensually as he glanced around the bedroom. Every place his eyes touched reminded me of our intimacy.

Recalling the first night when the neatly arranged bedroom turned into a mess made my face flush.

“You once said you didn’t want to handle me roughly.”

“The bedroom isn’t rough; it’s the coziest and most private space.”

When Aster moved his hips slowly, my lower abdomen naturally ached.

“This is a space for just the two of us. Is there anything rough about it?”

His question, as if he wouldn’t accept any rebuttal, made me laugh. As he said, this place was a space just for the two of us.

The marital bedroom was a place no one could invade. That’s why it was a place where more primal and sensual acts could easily occur.

“I don’t mind rough.”

“That’s a dangerous statement.”

“Given that my husband is a gentleman in strange ways, I don’t find it that dangerous.”

Aster grinned at my provocation. He gently untied the ribbon of my dress and said.

“You misunderstand me.”

“Misunderstand?”

“I’m far from a gentleman. Honestly, it’s more accurate to say I’m pretending to be one and holding back.”

“……”

“You have no idea how much I desire you, Camilla.”

With that, Aster undid my clothes and grabbed my chest. As he gently twisted the pink buds, a tingling sensation spread through my lower abdomen.

His hands quickly began to undress me. Every spot his fingers touched felt tingly as the buttons came undone.

Soon, I was left in my undergarments, looking at him with a dazed expression. His once neat shirt was now disheveled. Annoyed, he ripped it off, revealing his toned muscles.

“You look like you really want to eat me up.”

“Ah.”

“I’m yours, after all.”

With those words, Aster unbuckled his pants. The er*ect pillar sprang up, and he brought it to my lips with a sensual smile.

“Want to taste?”

“There’s no reason to refuse.”

I slowly opened my mouth and took his c*ck in. As I licked from the base to the tip, I felt him tense up.

I used my tongue and lips to lick and suck the shaft. When I sucked up the prec*m gathered at the tip, it grew even larger.

Using my hands, I gripped and shook it for a while until he suddenly pulled back and said.

“That’s enough.”

“Huh?”

“It’s my turn now.”

Aster smiled seductively with lust-filled eyes and lifted my legs high. The pillar nestled between my thighs glistened.

“We’re both eager for this.”

It was hard to tell if he was talking about me or himself, but we both desired each other. My cheeks flushed in anticipation of the pleasure to come.

He moved his hips a few times between my thighs before suddenly entering my vaginal canal without warning.

“Ah…!”

I clung to him tightly like I was hanging on for dear life. The strong hands twisting and kneading me like clay made my head feel hazy.

At the same time, the fierce thrusts made my body tremble. When he penetrated deeply into the most intimate part of my v*gina, I could do nothing but entrust my entire body to Aster.

A few days later, I initiated the plan to strangle Isabelle’s lifeline.

* * *

Since meeting Joseph, Isabelle had been extremely on edge. She needed to find those two bastards as soon as possible, but not a single hair of theirs could be found.

No one had seen them either, making the situation even more perplexing. Isabelle muttered as she bit her nails.

“They couldn’t possibly have just left.”

She was afraid they might secretly approach the Duke and reveal her secrets.

But she couldn’t recklessly search for them any further. Doing so might give her enemies an opportunity.

So, she couldn’t actively search for them, nor could she rest easy, making her life miserable.

“Normally, they should have been caught by now.”

It would be impossible unless someone was hiding them. But she couldn’t think of anyone who would help them.

Who would go to such trouble for some countryside folks from Kamatie? If there was someone, that would indeed be a threat to Isabelle.

Another day passed with no progress. Suddenly, Camilla came to see her.

“Mother.”

“What is it?”

“I thought it might be nice to have a tea party and take a walk outside since the weather is so lovely.”

“Well, I don’t really feel like it.”

Isabelle was already preoccupied with Joseph and Alyssa, so she had no energy to deal with Camilla.

Normally, she would have pressured Camilla to leave Blanche on her own, but she didn’t even have the energy for that.

At that moment, Camilla persisted.

“Come on, let’s go together. You must be tired from the charity event. You need a change of pace.”

“Camilla.”

“You never know. You might meet someone unexpectedly.”

“You speak so romantically. And you’re a married woman.”

“Well, not all encounters are romantic. You could reunite with a long-lost family member or an old friend.”

Isabelle frowned when she mentioned a long-lost family member. That would be the worst kind of encounter.

Of course, she couldn’t reveal her true feelings to Camilla, so she forced a smile.

“Alright. Since you insist, I suppose I have no choice.”

“I’ll prepare the carriage then.”

Camilla achieved what she wanted and left. Though it was a bit annoying, Camilla was right that she needed a change of pace.

‘I haven’t been able to rest properly because of those people.’

Perhaps if she rested under the warm sunlight, she might feel a bit better.

So, she went on an unplanned outing. As expected, there were many people walking near the lakeside. After the debutante, summer had officially begun, and the rain from the previous night had cooled things down.

The attendants were searching for a good spot to have tea. At that moment, Camilla spoke.

“It seems someone is playing music over there. I hear a harp.”

Just as she said, the sound of a harp playing softly reached them. The delicate strings seemed to touch the heart as if infused with emotion.

Isabelle wanted to hear the music more closely. The rare melody reminded her of Kamatie.

The melody seemed to bring her emotional stability, especially when she was already feeling overwhelmed.

“Let’s go over there.”

“Alright.”

Camilla smiled and instructed the attendants to prepare a spot where the sound was coming from. People were already gathered around the bard, enjoying the performance.

The bard played with a wide-brimmed hat and a shawl adorned with intricate lace, completely covering their face. Given that they could play without looking, they seemed quite skilled.

It wasn’t uncommon for skilled performers to play with their eyes covered, so it wasn’t surprising.

As Isabelle settled in and became absorbed in the harp music, Camilla spoke.

“Come to think of it, this is a traditional Kamatie melody. Mother, you must be familiar with it since you’re from Kamatie.”

“Yes, this is a song of lament sung after the Kamatie dynasty lost a war.”

Isabelle explained with a noticeably brighter face. The harp music seemed to have relaxed her.

Camilla probed her intentions.

“Don’t you miss your family? I heard you haven’t had any contact with them since you got married.”

“How could I leave Ahivith and travel all the way to Kamatie?”

“If it’s difficult to go, you could invite your family here.”

“They have their own lives to live. It’s not something that can be decided so easily.”

Isabelle dismissed the idea quickly and looked at Camilla warily. Her reaction was even sharper because Alyssa, that detestable family member, had shown up.

Camilla blinked and spoke.

“That’s true. But why do you react so sensitively?”

“Isn’t it because you touched a sore spot? I miss my family more than anyone.”

“I see.”

Camilla smiled meaningfully. Then she spoke.

“That’s a relief.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was worried that maybe you didn’t want to see your family.”

“Of course not. You might think I’m a cold-blooded person without feelings, but remember that I have red blood flowing through my veins too.”

Isabelle snorted as if she had heard something ridiculous. She even pretended to wipe her eyes with a handkerchief.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

Her reaction was seasoned, like someone who had experienced a painful event. It was a skillful way to prevent further probing.

She must have met many people in high society who tried to dig into her background.

But there was no one like this. Camilla smiled and spoke.

“If you miss them so much, shall I arrange a meeting?”

“What?”

Isabelle frowned, wondering if she had heard correctly. But she couldn’t help but be surprised by Camilla’s next words.

“Actually, Lady Brilly came to see me.”

“…!”

Lady Brilly was the title referring to Alyssa. Since she had abandoned her family and fled, Alyssa was the one inheriting the family name.

As Isabelle remained speechless, Camilla smiled sweetly and dropped a bombshell.

“She says she misses her sister very much. So, shall I arrange a meeting?”