This was not Elliope’s first kiss with Kallian.

Yet she clung to him awkwardly, as if it were her first experience of kissing. Her heart was beating wildly. Kallian’s tongue, which parted her lips and entered her mouth, alternated between rough and gentle movements.

“Wait…”

He kissed her with such intensity, as if completely unaware that they were being watched. It was something she hadn’t expected.

“Mm.”

Kallian’s tongue blatantly explored beneath hers before audibly sucking her into his mouth.

The sensation sent shivers down her spine, but at the same time she was aware of the knights and priest, their faces flushed, staring at her. Embarrassed, Elliope instinctively clenched her hand into a fist and lightly slapped Kallian’s forearm.

Of course, any pretence of modesty had gone out the window the moment she had openly declared her loss of purity at the wedding.

Still, she had no intention of doing something so intimate with him in front of everyone.

‘Doing something so intimate.’

Even though what had happened was nothing more than a kiss, it felt far too overwhelming, as if it were something much more. The intensity of it made her feel as if he wanted to embrace her right here, in front of everyone.

It was as if he wanted to claim her right there, in front of everyone. As if he was driven by an irrepressible desire to possess her completely.

It was an inexplicably strange and overwhelming feeling.

Even as she struggled with these feelings, Kallian continued, his tongue tracing the edges of her teeth and plunging deep into the recesses of her throat.

“Mm, ah…”

Elliope scratched his forearm again with her nails, this time with a little more force.

Finally, Kallian opened his eyes and looked at her. There was an unfamiliar intensity in his face, his blue eyes darkening to an almost navy blue. The sight startled Elliope, her own eyes widening in response.

“And with this.”

The priest hesitated, glancing nervously between them, clearly unsure how to proceed. It was as if he had been searching for the right moment to speak, but had not found it in the intensity of the scene.

At the sound of his voice, Kallian, who had been relentlessly ravaging her mouth with his, finally stopped. His large hands still cradled her flushed cheeks as he slowly stepped back, as if signalling the priest to continue.

Her lips parted with deliberate slowness, leaving a charged silence that weighed heavily on all present.

“…Hah.”

Elliope instinctively grabbed the sleeve of Kallian’s arm that still cupped her cheek. She gulped desperately for air, her breath mingling with his as their faces remained close, their lips only just parted.

The moment their kiss ended, the priest – his face flushed to the tips of his ears – hurriedly continued the words he had been too embarrassed to finish.

“…I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Something inside Elliope thumped heavily, like a weight settling in her chest.

As the priest gave them a subtle sign, the nervous knights standing nearby hastily followed suit.

“As witnesses to this union, we now pronounce you husband and wife.”

“We affirm.”

“I-I affirm.”

Another stammered, still visibly shaken.

Kallian never took his eyes off her as the declaration was made. And when the last knight gave his affirmation…

“Very well then.”

He murmured softly, his voice so low that only she could hear it.

“You are now my wife, Elliope Kartan.”

‘…Why.’

The heat in his words startled Elliope and made her heart leap.

Whether it was because he hated Theodor or, conversely, because he pretended to hate him and was marrying her for his own sake, there must have been some ulterior motive behind Kallian’s decision to marry her.

Yet his eyes shone with an inexplicable intensity. It was a gaze so piercing, so consuming, it was as if he could see right through her and devour her whole.

Anyone who saw the look in his eyes would dismiss the idea that he disliked women as a blatant lie.

The temple was still in disarray, filled with the noise of murmurs and confusion. Using the chaos to his advantage, Kallian took Elliope’s hand again and began to lead her somewhere.

“Sir Kallian!”
“Sir!”

The knights who had acted as witnesses called out in confusion and hurriedly followed, but they hesitated and stopped at a single wave of Kallian’s hand.

Kallian walked on, opening a door at the back that appeared to be a back entrance. Judging by its location and design, it seemed to be a passageway used exclusively by priests, as there were hardly any humans around.

Even as she was led away, Elliope’s heart pounded incessantly, sending blood rushing through her entire body. The series of events that had just unfolded began to ripple through her chest like an unstoppable wave.

‘We really…’

They had really done it. A mixture of exhilaration and tension coursed through her body, electrifying her senses.

“This way.”

Kallian said, leading the way.

Following Kallian’s lead, they left the temple and found some hired carriages waiting in a corner. These carriages had been hired by vassals who, for some reason, had decided not to use the family’s official vehicles.

When the coachman saw Kallian approaching, he made a startled noise, clearly recognising who he was.

“…Sir Kallian?”

“Yes.”

“And the lady with you…?”

“She’s my wife.”

The coachman’s eyes darted to Elliope, who was unmistakably dressed in what appeared to be a wedding gown. His expression betrayed utter confusion, as if he couldn’t understand what was happening.

“Uh, I…'”

Before the coachman could finish his sentence, Kallian pulled a bag from his pocket. The weighty sound it made as he held it was enough to hint at its contents.

Clink!

The bag landed in the coachman’s hand with a metallic clink, silencing any further questions.

The moment the bag landed in his hand, the coachman quickly closed his mouth and opened the carriage door. Obviously his keen curiosity was no match for the commanding aura Kallian exuded and the weighty pouch now in his hand. He was a perceptive man who knew when to lower his gaze.

“Where shall I take you?”

“To my knights’ quarters. As soon as possible.”

The emphasis on quickly wasn’t lost on the coachman, who nodded resolutely, his expression determined.

After the brief exchange, Elliope stepped into the carriage. The interior was more spacious than she had expected, though still narrower than the carriages she was used to.

The lack of space was made all the more apparent by Kallian’s broad frame. He sat across from her, his knees brushing against hers with every slight movement.

“…”

As the carriage began to move in earnest, the light, casual touches became more frequent and persistent. Elliope could feel her heart pounding in her temples again, her pulse racing uncontrollably.

As the carriage carried them towards Kallian’s residence, a strange sense of detachment washed over Elliope.

‘I’m really going to this man’s home.’

As his wife.

The realisation sent a wave of unease coursing through her veins, mingling with the blood pounding in her body.

‘It’s too late now.’

Having come this far, there was no turning back.

Yet an inexplicable fear tugged at her chest. She couldn’t shake the vivid, irrational fear that Theodor would suddenly appear, drag her from the carriage and explain that he had changed his mind. The image of him grabbing her hair and dragging her back to the bridal chamber in the annex was all too real.

For three years in her past life, Theodor had never once desired her or tried to hold her.

But now she couldn’t shake the fear that someone from the Imperial Court – a steward or a maid – would burst in, condemn her for what had happened and throw her back to Theodor’s side.

Or worse, Kallian himself might change his mind. If he had married her solely for Theodor’s sake, it was quite possible that he could offer her to his Lord for his amusement.

Even though she had just witnessed the wedding, her mouth went dry again. Images of a bridal chamber she had never seen before kept pounding in her mind.

Lost in her swirling thoughts, she bit her lower lip hard, unconsciously giving in to her tension.

Then Kallian’s voice broke through.

“Regret won’t change anything now.”

Hearing the firm tone of his words, Elliope looked up cautiously, only to find Kallian still staring at her with those deep, navy-blue eyes.

For a moment, she wondered if he, too, was succumbing to a delayed wave of unease. His expression seemed slightly different – there was a faint hint of fear in his gaze.

That subtle nervousness seemed to seep into her as well, spreading like an unshakable echo. Feeling the weight of it, Elliope instinctively clenched her fingers together, trying to steady herself.

Kallian watched her intently, then spoke in a low, almost whispering tone.

“The priest’s declaration and the witnesses’ oaths have all been taken.”

“…”

“Even if you regret it now, it’s too late.”

As the words left his lips, the carriage shook violently.

At that moment, Kallian’s knee, which had been hovering precariously close to hers, slipped between her legs.

“…!”

Startled, Elliope instinctively pulled her legs together, but Kallian made no move to retreat.

Instead, the movement of the carriage pushed his knee further between her thighs, pressing firmly against her.

“Sir?”

The words Elliope was about to say – that she didn’t regret it – fell from her lips at the unexpected sensation. Her cheeks flushed and she turned to Kallian in startled confusion.

Jolt!

The carriage bounced again, rattling violently as it sped forward at full speed. The hired carriage swayed and bounced unpredictably, adding to the chaotic atmosphere.

In that moment of jarring motion, Elliope’s knee brushed against Kallian’s thigh.

“Ah!”

She froze as she felt a firm and unmistakable sensation. Her knee had definitely touched his thigh, and yet… why was that there?

And how could it feel so…

Elliope swallowed hard and tried to pull her leg back, her movements hurried and awkward. But before she could, Kallian pressed his knee firmly against her most sensitive spot, rubbing deliberately against her.

“Sir!”

Elliope’s voice carried an unintentional heat, and with each jolt of the carriage, her mind went completely blank. All other thoughts became impossible.

“…Ha.”

Kallian, watching her from across the narrow space, frowned slightly. His hand twitched repeatedly, as if resisting some impulse.

At that moment, a warning bell seemed to ring in Elliope’s head, a sharp alarm that her confused mind couldn’t ignore.

“We’ve arrived!”

The coachman’s abrupt shout startled her, and the carriage door swung open without warning.

The coachman’s eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight of the two of them, sitting impossibly close together, an unmistakable tension in the air.

“…”

Meeting the coachman’s gaze, Kallian calmly reached into his cloak and pulled out another bag – this one even heavier than the first. Without a word, he threw it at the stunned man.

“Wow!”

The coachman exclaimed, fumbling to catch the bag as the coins inside rattled loudly.

The coachman, caught off guard as he grabbed the bag, felt a jolt so strong it almost seemed to break his wrist. His eyes widened in shock as he realised the amount inside was beyond anything he had ever dreamed of.

“Sell it.”

Before Elliope could process what was happening, the coachman nodded quickly in understanding and hastily closed the carriage door with a loud bang. It sounded almost as if it had been locked from the outside.

It was only after the door slammed shut that Elliope realised what Kallian’s words meant – he was instructing the coachman to sell the carriage.

‘Sell the carriage? Why?’

“Sir…”

Before she could say anything more, her body was suddenly lifted. A low groan escaped from Kallian’s tightly clenched jaw, mixed with words muttered as though speaking to himself: “I didn’t want to do this…”

‘Do what?’

Elliope barely had time to process his words before her back hit the floor of the old, creaking carriage. Beneath her was Kallian’s thick fur cloak, which he seemed to have prepared in advance, though she had no idea when he had laid it out.

Her breath caught as she stared up at him, the space between them charged with tension.

“The regret you feel.”

“…”

“I will see to it that they never cross your mind again.”

Kallian murmured, his voice deep and determined, as if sealing an unbreakable vow.