“Ah!” 

In a single motion, her dress, along with the chemise and undergarments beneath it, were pulled down. Her pale br*asts, previously trapped beneath the layers of fabric and his hand, spilled out as if bursting free. 

Compared to her slender, lithe figure, her round, full br*asts had always been a feature she had given little thought to, apart from the occasional discomfort they caused. 

But now… 

“Mm… ah.” 

Her pale br*ast flushed a faint pink. What was normally a soft, light shade at the tips of her br*asts had deepened to a richer hue from the rushing blood, staining them a darker pink. 

The dress, caught on her now protruding n*pples, didn’t fall back into place, instead bunching up under her chest. Sweat and saliva glistened in the valley of her br*asts, reflecting the dim light. 

Kallian, staring intently at the sight before him, let out a long, steady breath. 

‘…Strange.’ 

To Elliope, her current state felt unbearably indecent. 

The image of herself – an unmarried woman seducing her would-be husband’s knight, her clothes in disarray – was anything but virtuous. 

It was a sight so inappropriate that anyone who saw her now would be justified in pointing a finger and branding her a pr*stitute. 

But there was something almost reverent in Kallian’s gaze, as if he were contemplating a masterpiece of art. 

The thought startled Elliope. 

‘Reverent? That can’t be.’ 

There was no way he would look at her with such eyes. 

And yet the feeling persisted, nagging at her mind. 

Kallian didn’t take his eyes off her for a moment. His gaze seemed heated, but Elliope couldn’t tell if it was real or just a trick of her own blurred, dazed vision – or perhaps the feverish warmth that had clouded her mind since earlier. 

“……” 

The weight of his gaze unsettled her, burning her cheeks and warming her eyes. Slowly, Elliope lowered the hands that had covered her mouth and moved to shield her exposed chest. 

As she crossed her arms and brought them up to her burning shoulders, her soft br*asts were pressed lightly under the weight of her elbows. 

“……” 

Her breath caught as the movement made her aware of her body, her gaze flickering nervously towards Kallian, who remained silent but unwavering in his attention. 

Kallian did not prevent her from covering herself. 

But the hand that had been under her br*ast, now pressed lightly by the weight of her arms, trembled for a moment. It seemed as if he was trying to control his strength, perhaps to avoid pressing too hard. At the same time, it gave the impression that he was trying not to tear her dress any further. 

Although by this time the hem was already torn into a long slit… 

“Ah!” 

Perhaps remembering the already torn hem, Kallian’s hand slipped quietly down to explore beneath her. 

“Ah… hah… ah!” 

His large fingers brushed over the mound of her p*ssy, tracing it quickly before pressing firmly on the sensitive nub at the top. 

The sudden spark of sensation shot through Elliope like lightning, causing her to gasp and cry out in spite of herself. 

“Hah… ahh! Ahh! Ahh!” 

Rip. 

As she unconsciously parted her legs, the dress tore further, the slit widening even more. 

“Hah.” 

For the first time, a crease formed between Kallian’s eyebrows, his usual calm and stoic demeanour faltering slightly. With a deliberate movement, he raised his hands, tossing aside the gloves that had encumbered him. 

“…!” 

His large, hot, bare hand immediately ventured to the spot beneath. 

“Ah… ahh!” 

Elliope’s hips involuntarily arched and her teeth clenched in response to the intense sensation. 

Then Kallian pressed his middle and ring fingers into the most sensitive and vulnerable part of her body, moving his wrist with deliberate precision. 

The touch was far more explicit, far more vivid than anything she had experienced before – even more so than the hazy sensations she had felt under the influence of the *phrodisiac in her previous life. 

“Ah… ahh… ah…” 

Her breathy cries spilled out uncontrollably, her body trembling under the intensity of his touch. 

The raw sensations overwhelmed Elliope and she let out a sobbing moan. Instead of stopping, Kallian pushed his fingers deeper and leaned closer to her. Her body arched with the increased heat, causing her arms, which had been shielding her br*asts, to instinctively lift away. 

“Ahh!” 

Kallian didn’t miss the opportunity and slid his head between her arms and chest. The lips that had been biting and kissing her neck and upper chest now latched onto the most sensitive part of her br*ast, his tongue flicking over it. 

Slurp. 

Wet sounds began to echo faintly from below. 

‘That… that feels strange…’

The act the maids had told her so matter-of-factly before her marriage to Ilmos was very different from what was happening now. The same was true of that day in the funeral hall, but now… 

“Hah… ahh…” 

“Mm… ngh…” 

Unable to hold out any longer, Kallian began to loosen the waistband of his trousers. 

As her gaze fell on the prominent bulge, a fresh wave of embarrassment washed over Elliope like a tide. Despite the overwhelming shame, she knew this was something that had to be done. She bit her lower lip, forcing herself not to look away. 

But when he finally revealed it, she was struck speechless. 

“……” 

Her eyes darted away in shock. If what she had just seen was real… 

‘I had my suspicions when I felt it through his clothes, but…’ 

It seemed far too much to fit inside her body. 

‘How… how could this have happened in the funeral hall at all?’ 

As she lost herself in these dazed thoughts, the thick tip of his p*nis brushed against her damp, sensitive skin, sliding along it as if testing her. 

Her breath caught, her body stiffened as the contact sent sharp jolts through her already heightened senses. 

“Ahh!” 

The sliding p*nis brushed firmly against her sensitive nub, eliciting another screaming moan from Elliope. The unfamiliar sensation sent waves of excitement and fear crashing over her. 

‘This is strange. How… how could something like that fit inside me?’ 

Then a whispering voice echoed in her mind. 

‘… but I have to do this now.’

As fear began to overwhelm her reason, her inner voice returned, sharp and insistent, like a warning. 

She had to let this man into her now. She had to cement their relationship – make it irreversible. 

If not now, the chance might slip away forever. 

‘While his mind is clouded…’ 

While he hadn’t thought of rejecting her. 

While his mind was still clouded, caught between the temptation she had whispered and the lingering echoes of battle – this was the moment. If she didn’t take this chance, there might not be another. 

The thought brought a sharp pain to her chest and the urgency within her grew. Without realising it, Elliope hastily moved her hips to align herself with Kallian’s p*nis. 

“…Wait, Princess…….”

Unlike before, Elliophe’s sudden movement made Kallian jump.

‘Hurry up and put it in… …’

Elliope tried to act, her body moving with determination. Her mind swirled with fragments of the instructions the palace maids had recited to her countless times. Do it this way, do it that way… 

In the end, they hadn’t stressed how she should feel or what she might experience, but rather the importance of a man inserting his p*nis into her and drawing blood. 

They had told her that it might hurt, that it might be difficult, but that it was natural. The blood she would shed in pain would serve as proof of the marriage. 

Once consummated, the marriage could not be annulled. If she became pregnant from this single encounter, it would be ideal. 

The knowledge imparted by the royal ladies’ maids framed intimacy not as a source of mutual pleasure or connection, but as a means of bearing the grand duke’s child and cementing the marriage contract. It was a duty, not a desire, and one that now weighed heavily on Elliope’s mind. 

‘So, right now…’ 

Despite her urgency, his p*nis continued to slide against her entrance, unable to find its mark. She couldn’t summon the courage to reach down, grab it and guide it into place. 

Even as the sensitive friction of his p*nis against hers sent waves of heat and excitement through her trembling body, Elliope continued to move her hips, determined to make it happen. 

“This is driving me crazy.” 

His voice reached her ears, faintly exasperated but tinged with raw desire and an undercurrent of emotion bubbling beneath the surface. 

Elliope closed her eyes tightly and moved her hips once more. 

“…!” 

Finally, the head of his p*nis caught her unprepared entrance. Unlike his fingers, the pressure was overwhelming – heavier, firmer, more insistent. It pressed against her, making it difficult for her to breathe. 

“… Princess, wait…….”

Despite Kallian’s call, Elliope continued to try to lower herself onto him, determined to complete the act no matter what. 

Her face had turned pale, and her tightly bitten lower lip looked as if it might bleed at any moment. Even when Kallian tilted her head back slightly and gently urged her to breathe, it was no use. 

‘It hurts.’ 

The overwhelming pressure brought more pain than excitement, a searing ache that consumed her. 

‘It wasn’t like this before…’ 

In the funeral hall, when her body had eagerly accepted him, the sensations had been very different. Now the only thing radiating from her trembling entrance was sharp, unrelenting pain. 

The pressure and size that forced its way into her still unready body made her stomach churn, a wave of nausea rising unbidden. 

Still, the pain that came with this act seemed preferable to the agony that might come if she didn’t go through with it. 

‘Even if it hurts, I have to do this.’ 

Cold sweat began to trickle down her ashen face, her earlier heat all but forgotten. Finally, the taste of iron blossomed in her mouth as the lip she’d been biting so hard gave way, her blood mixing with the lingering tension and pain she couldn’t escape. 

The air, once thick with heat, began to cool. Elliope hadn’t even noticed that Kallian’s movements had stopped. 

“Ah… hic…” 

She let out a choked sob, unable to bear the pain any longer. 

“…Ha.” 

A short sigh escaped Kallian. 

In the blink of an eye, he pulled away from her. 

Though his *rousal was still evident, rigid and glistening, his face was now remarkably calm, as if he had been doused with cold water. The veins along his neck were visibly bulging, betraying the tension he was struggling to suppress. 

“My… my lord…” 

Elliope, still unable to close her trembling legs from the lingering pain, looked up at Kallian. Her tearful eyes met his, her expression filled with confusion and vulnerability. 

He fastened his trousers again. Then Kalilan took a damp cloth from the corner of the room and began to gently wipe Elliope’s body. 

“…My Lord?” 

Even at her hesitant question, Kallian continued his task without a word. His movements were firm but careful, as if focused solely on ensuring her comfort. It wasn’t until she reached for him with trembling hands that he finally spoke. 

“Are you trying to turn me into a r*pist?” 

Elliope froze in shock, her hands immediately withdrawn. 

Kallian watched her for a moment before taking the nearby fur blanket and draping it over her body to make sure she didn’t get cold. 

“Get some rest.” 

“……” 

“But, my lord…” 

“We must rise at dawn.” 

Fear gripped her heart. Kallian’s eyes, once burning with passion, were now cold and distant, drained of all warmth. 

As she met his cold gaze, tears welled in Elliope’s eyes, her former resolve crumbling in the face of his unreadable expression. 

“……” 

A large, warm hand reached out to wipe away Elliope’s tears. His gaze remained cold, but the touch of his hand was achingly gentle. A flicker of confusion stirred in Elliope’s chest. 

Kallian’s deep voice echoed through the silent room. 

“You…” 

“……” 

Without warning, he placed his hand over her eyes, shielding them. Her trembling lashes brushed against his palm, tickling him slightly. A few more tears slipped out, soaking his hand. 

“You… why?” 

Elliope froze, unable to think of an answer. 

Why?

What could he mean by that? 

Did he regret it now? 

Had everything unravelled beyond repair? 

Had everything fallen apart like this? 

Had she ruined everything? 

Her eyes grew wetter with each passing moment. Even when his fingers brushed gently over her skin, as if to tell her not to cry, the tears wouldn’t stop.