Only a light herbal pouch was added to the bath water, making everything in the tub visible.

Even though we were husband and wife and had done many things together, I felt embarrassed.

I covered my body by wrapping my arms around my shoulders and raising my knees. As Kaien approached the bathtub, he removed his shirt.

“Ka, Kaien?”

“Let’s do it together.”

“It’s, it’s too narrow.”

While I was entranced by his face with its gentle smile, Kaien removed his pants and entered the bathtub.

Water overflowed, thoroughly soaking the rug on the floor.

Kaien leaned his back against the opposite side facing me and took my feet, which were tightly curled up.

My foot fit perfectly in his hand. He pressed the sole of my foot and then touched each toe one by one, moving up to my calf.

“Wh-when are we going down to the grand duchy?”

I almost let out a m*an and covered my mouth.

As his hand swept from the lower part of my calf to just below my knee, my entire body tingled. I grabbed the bathtub and exhaled a shallow breath.

He smiled with his eyes, deliberately trying to seduce me.

His thick fingers slowly rubbed between my toes, stimulating me.

“Gohalm is preparing, so unless something else happens, we’ll depart within a month. We need to go before the ground freezes.”

“Th-then will we travel back and forth to Lindal from the grand duchy?”

Between Lindal and the grand duchy lay the vast Forest of Demonic Beasts.

A mountain range stretched across the middle, and part of the Rogna Forest that the Emperor had given us this time was there.

If we could cross directly, it would be a three-day journey, but we had to go around, taking three times as long.

“It will snow a lot in winter. Ka, Kaien!”

He bit the tip of my wet big toe. His moist lips brushed up along the top of my foot.

I tried to pull my foot away from the soft feeling, like tasting rich milk cream, but he wouldn’t let go.

“When we go down to the grand duchy, let’s have a child.”

“I-Is that under our control?”

“We can make it happen.”

His hands moved ceaselessly, leaving me barely able to take shallow breaths. Heat rose wherever his hands passed.

“If you conceive now, it will be difficult when we go down to the territory.”

“Th-then you shouldn’t be doing this.”

“When we arrive at the grand duchy, you’ll be very busy, so we should enjoy our time alone together.”

He had somehow climbed on top of me. His canine teeth grazed my nape.

“Mmh, you said you have to handle territory affairs. If you spend time with me like this……”

“What are you thinking that makes you believe I can’t make even that much time?”

“Eek!”

Annoyed, I gently bit his lips right in front of me.

Kaien’s body shuddered, and he embraced me as if pushing me into the corner of the bathtub. The water in the tub splashed greatly, with almost half of it overflowing.

Unlike his urgent actions, his eyes narrowed as he looked at me like someone facing brilliant sunlight. His overlapping lips were as careful as if savoring pudding.

He was relaxed yet powerful, a skilled hunter who drove away all other thoughts.

“Kaien!”

Didn’t he say we would make a child when we got to the grand duchy!

Something hotter than the hot water entered me. I spontaneously cried out at the sensation that warmed me to my core.

“Hold me.”

When I wrapped my arms around his neck, Kaien moved his hips enough to make the water splash.

“Y-you already did it in the carriage……”

“You think I’d be satisfied with just that?”

“Hah, haah……”

My toes curled at the sensation of him gently scraping inside me. My body had relaxed from the warm bath but became sensitive again.

At that moment, Kaien’s member, which had partially withdrawn while scratching inside, thr*st deeply back in with a splash of water.

“Hiiik! Kaieen……”

Strength entered my arms as I held him, and I unconsciously raised my nails.

He winced as if it hurt quite a bit.

“Stop…… it’s too much……”

“Oh dear.”

He clicked his tongue and looked regretful.

I was truly sorry to him, but I really wanted to rest. Since getting married, I had realized just how good Kaien’s stamina was.

“Alright, I’ll stop.”

My expression must have changed at these welcome words, as the end of one of Kaien’s eyebrows rose sharply as he watched me.

Pretending not to notice, I relaxed my body to allow his c*ck to withdraw. But Kaien put his hands under my armpits, lifted me slightly, and then sat back.

Splash! The bathwater overflowed again.

My entire body trembled as his c*ck, which had partially withdrawn, entered deeply inside me again.

“Haah……”

“Let’s stay like this.”

“Kaieen……”

I ended up sitting on top of Kaien with his member inside me. He raised his knees so I could lean back, but they were walls preventing me from escaping.

His rough pubic hair touched my sensitive area. With my weight added, we fit together without any gaps.

I exhaled a shallow breath at the distant feeling of being pierced deep inside.

“We’re husband and wife now.”

“Kaien……”

“As a husband, I must be diligent so my wife doesn’t stray.”

“Hah!”

He bent down and kissed my br*asts. He extended his tongue, licked my wet br*asts, and then took them in his mouth.

“Ah!”

My waist arched at that electrifying sensation. I found myself rotating my hips, causing his c*ck to press against somewhere inside me.

“Haah……”

The distant sensation climbed up my spine and filled my head.

Unlike the intensity of strongly thrusting and pounding inside me, pleasure gradually rose, simmering and bubbling up.

“You can move however you want.”

He whispered, disguising it as kindness.

He sucked on my n*pple, holding it in his lips, and pressed my cl*toris. He spread the outer shell and rubbed the inner flesh.

“Hiik! Huaang!”

Twitch, strength entered my lower abdomen, squeezing his member. Kaien also groaned, his throat vibrating, but I had no room to care.

I couldn’t stop my hips.

My hips moved involuntarily on top of him with the pleasure that burst in small sparkles. I couldn’t bear it.

I should stop, but with Kaien watching, even the water droplets flowing across my skin became stimulating, tickling my mind as if my entire body was itchy.

“Haah……”

Saliva dripped from my open mouth, but I couldn’t close it.

Like a fool, I couldn’t control myself.

“Ivy.”

Whoo, Kaien exhaled a deep m*an filled with desire.

He licked the corner of my mouth and kissed me.

Kaien stood up while embracing me.

“I can’t hold back.”

“Haah?”

Kaien stepped out of the bathtub. My back touched the wall, and Kaien’s hands came between to hold me.

“Just a little more, Ivy.”

“Ah!”

Thud, thud!

Kaien moved his hips, thrusting deep inside me.

“Aah! You beast!”

I heard his laughter near my ear, but the wet slapping sounds erased that laughter.

***

The next day, after finishing a hectic day, special news spread throughout the capital.

[SPECIAL REPORT]

Count Barcha, the Emperor’s direct aide, has accused Priest Homer, who was in charge of the curse identification method, of attempting to assassinate the Princess.

Priest Homer falsely accused the Princess of being cursed, fabricated symptoms, and threatened the imperial family.

Reports have also come in that he extorted money by threatening to declare some family members cursed during curse identification at the Blemer family, and used that money for luxurious travels.

There are also testimonies that the priest sexually assaulted women in families under the pretext of purification rituals.

In response, the Judicial Department has declared that they will dispatch investigators to all temples where Priest Homer has been to determine if the temple is involved.

People were shocked by the sudden news.

The temple’s reputation plummeted, and people even threw stones when priests passed by.

But on the fourth day, another urgent report reached the capital.

“Extra! A whole village in Lindal has been annihilated by demonic beasts!”

***

Despite nobles gathering in the conference hall, the Emperor did not start the meeting and sat silently.

As the nobles held their breath, watching the displeased Emperor, Kaien entered the conference hall.

Though he was late, he showed no remorse as he entered leisurely, merely giving a light greeting to the Emperor before sitting beside him.

Finally, the Emperor spoke.

“You’ve seen the newspapers, so you know the situation. Roksia village has been annihilated.”

Many of the nobles gathered in the conference hall looked at Grand Duke Kaien Blemer sitting next to the Emperor at his heavy voice.

“Your Majesty, for an entire village to be annihilated—this didn’t happen even during the demonic beast outbreak in Lindal three years ago.”

“How large is the scale of the demonic beasts?”

“Are there any damages to nearby villages?”

The nobles who started speaking one by one began to place the responsibility for this incident on one person.

“If Your Grace the Grand Duke had gone down properly to handle it earlier, this wouldn’t have happened!”

“If the Grand Duke had gone from the beginning, this wouldn’t have happened!”

“Your Majesty, isn’t there no one who knows more about demonic beasts or Lindal than His Grace?”

Kaien, who was leaning back languidly, observed the nobles’ attitude, which was no different from before, and threw out a single comment.

“Even fish would have better memory than this.”

Despite his voice not being loud, the nobles fell silent.

“Count Wonsteir didn’t bring his grandson’s neck, yet I went to Lindal with the Prince, and far from being grateful, you blame me again? Have you forgotten what happened then? Is the position of Grand Duke so easy to you?”

His sharp eyes swept over the nobles.

“You people haven’t done anything.”

This time, the nobles who had criticized him then opened their mouths, saying they had something to say.

“I, I contributed funds at that time!”

“Knights from our family are in Lindal!”

“I donated a thousand gold!”

“Didn’t you just stay in Lindal briefly and then return! If you had stayed continuously, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Are you more impressive than me who risked my life to go?”

At that one remark from Kaien, their proud expressions crumbled.

“Y-you’re safe, aren’t you?”

“You returned during the fire at the clock tower……”

As Kaien was beating the nobles with his gaze, the Emperor interrupted.

With a heavy thump of his fist on the table, the Emperor looked at Kaien.

“Grand Duke, what’s your plan?”

“None is needed.”

“What do you mean none is needed! This is no time to tease them. If a village has been annihilated, it means the beasts are ferocious and their numbers are alarming! Time is of the essence!”

“Hmm.”

Kaien’s body tilted diagonally. Despite the urgent situation, a sneer hung on Kaien’s face as he rested his chin on his hand.

The Emperor and nobles watching him were burning with impatience.

“Apart from the newspaper article, has any news arrived from Lindal?”

“Not yet.”

Someone answered.

“Then let’s wait and see.”

“If we just waste time like this, we might miss the last chance to stop the demonic beasts!”

“That’s exactly my point. An annihilation is a major incident, yet only a newspaper article has appeared with no messenger arriving. Isn’t that strange?”

The nobles looked at each other’s faces to check if any other news had arrived.

Since similar incidents had happened before, when the urgent news broke in the newspapers, the nobles became anxious and hurriedly rushed to the Imperial City.

As Kaien said, no messenger had yet arrived from Lindal.

Since no one had heard anything, no noble stepped forward to speak.

“We must prepare. If we delay, the damage will be severe.”

“Your Majesty, please wait. Contact will come soon.”

Knowing that Kaien would only rebel more if he got angry when pressed further, the Emperor endured even though he was boiling with impatience.

One noble scratched at the Emperor’s patience.

“Your Majesty, we must request help from the temple.”

“Are you in your right mind? I ordered an investigation of the temple, and you want to ask for their help?”

“Demonic beasts fear holy power. It will stabilize the people’s minds and be of great help to Lindal.”

When someone stepped forward, the nobles raised their voices as if they had been waiting.

“Your Majesty, the temple has provided both material and spiritual help whenever demonic beasts appeared, but since you ordered the investigation, the temple has locked its doors and even priests are not coming out. Please stop the investigation.”

“A priest tried to assassinate the Princess! The temple might be involved, and you want to stop the investigation? Would you say the same if your daughter was attacked?”

“Your Majesty, before being the Princess’s father, you are the father of all the people of Ingmier.”

“Do you intend to oppose the temple, which can help many people and save lives, because of one priest who harmed the Princess?”

“By now, the temple must have understood Your Majesty’s intentions well, so please stop the investigation and let the temple open its doors!”

“Let the temple open its doors!”

The nobles shouted in unison, pressuring the Emperor.

The temple had forbidden priests from going out and closed its doors, claiming that people were throwing stones and threatening priests, but it was ultimately retaliation for the investigation.

Sick people usually sought apothecaries, healers, or priests, but with the temple closed and not accepting them, voices blaming the Emperor had emerged.

The Emperor was well aware of this.

If he withdrew the investigation now, he would lose the opportunity to suppress the temple’s power.

If he couldn’t keep the temple’s power in check, which had extended to the gates of the Imperial City, he could be devoured.

“As I understand it, those temple doors open well even now if you have money.”

Kaien nodded his chin, looking at several nobles.

“Haven’t some of you here received treatment after paying donations even after the temple closed its doors?”

“Duke Millers Teian!”

Suddenly, the Emperor called for Duke Teian, who was responsible for investigating the temple.