Chapter 5 – The King’s Scheme (Part 3)

His voice was still cold, yet oddly filled with warmth. Every time she heard his shallow moans, it felt like her body was melting.

Because of that, the eyes that had seemed ready to devour her moments ago now felt somewhat different. She felt as if she could get lost in his inscrutable red eyes, though their depth was unknowable and frightening.

Sweat droplets formed on his sweat-drenched hair, trickling down his forehead. His appearance was so sensual that she couldn’t look at him directly.

Dangerous.

Sophia instinctively felt it was dangerous to keep looking at Killian. She turned her head to the side. But his hand caught her chin, turning her face back toward him.

“Look at me, Sophie.”

The moment he called her by the nickname, Sophia’s eyes widened. Her hazy mind suddenly snapped back to clarity.

He suddenly called me by a nickname without permission… Isn’t that too presumptuous?

The moment she felt it was dangerous, the man’s sudden attempt to close the distance felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Like a predator seizing an opportunity.

“I-I never gave you permission to call me by a nickname…”

Flustered, Sophia stammered, trying to push Killian away. He chuckled.

“May I call you Sophie? Liam calls you Sophie.”

They weren’t close enough to call each other by nicknames, yet Killian asked for permission to skip everything and go straight to using a nickname. It was confusing whether his behavior was polite or presumptuous.

“Why suddenly…? We’re not close enough to use nicknames, are we? Surely you don’t think we’re closer just because we’ve been intimate… do you?”

Sophia answered cautiously, watching Killian’s reaction.

“I thought so, but was it just my thinking? If not, it would be nice if you called me Killian too.”

“I-I’m still uncomfortable.”

“Then call me whatever you’re comfortable with. I’ll also call you by a name I’m comfortable with.”

“O-okay.”

He asked with a smile, but Killian’s smile was so chilling that Sophia nodded reluctantly with a tearful expression.

“Sophie.”

Killian called her nickname with a grim face, but his voice was sweet. It felt as if even the air had softened, making his tone feel even more dangerous.

“L-let’s stop the unnecessary conversation and finish what we were doing.”

“If you provoke me like that, it could be dangerous.”

“What?”

When she looked at Killian, his eyes had turned cold again. She felt relieved compared to the earlier atmosphere, but it was still a bit unsettling.

And as if her ominous premonition was correct, Killian’s thrusts began to intensify.

As a result, trapped within the rock-hard man’s body, Sophia had to let out ceaseless cries, tears brimming in her eyes. Each time Killian thrust deeply with a resounding thud, the overwhelming pleasure made her feel like her whole body was melting.

“Ah. Hng.”

The wet squelching sounds and the thudding of bodies colliding echoed through the room. Sophia’s mind was so consumed by pleasure that she couldn’t think of anything else.

* * *

Killian looked at the woman beneath him, moaning and sobbing. Her insides were more enchanting than he had imagined. It felt as if he might be sucked into it.

This is a bit dangerous.

He wanted to dive deeper inside with more force, but Sophia was too fragile for that. She was like a beautifully crafted glass sculpture that seemed like it would shatter with just a little force.

So he had to be as gentle as possible, carefully controlling his movements.

However, the maddening pleasure he felt each time he thrust deeply made him unsure of how long his patience would last.

He never thought he would be so compatible with Sophia in bed. He hadn’t expected to find a woman with a body he liked so much, so Killian was a bit taken aback, though not displeased.

It was just a bit troublesome since it deviated from his original plan. He hadn’t intended to be intimate with Sophia in this way. He had no desire to embrace a woman who disliked him.

So whenever he heard the King’s unspoken pressure about when they would have a child, he would divert the conversation without breaching etiquette.

Each time, he would laugh it off, never thinking the King’s words about children were serious. And to think he would use an *phrodisiac secretly…

A slow smile spread across Killian’s face. His gaze on Sophia grew increasingly deep and intense. His movements began to gain speed. There was no longer any room for leisure.

Only after releasing all his desires inside her did Killian withdraw. Sophia’s eyes, having reached the climax, were languidly unfocused.

Killian carefully observed her nestled in his arms. Her expression seemed much more relaxed, perhaps because the effects of the *phrodisiac had somewhat worn off.

He felt relieved yet also apologetic. He hadn’t declared he would marry Sophia at the wedding just to see her like this.

He had merely thought that marrying himself was better than marrying the runaway rogue. However, she did not see it that way.

She valued Clive more than him, despite him having a better reputation, ability, and status. She still preferred marrying Clive.

Would she have insisted on marrying me if my brother hadn’t run away?

Killian wore a bitter expression as he recalled the events of the day before the wedding.

* * *

“I must meet Sir Clive Loden!”

The day before the wedding, a woman caught stealing from a shop had mentioned Clive’s name by chance.

The woman, who had committed a wrongdoing, should have been taken away by the guards, but they didn’t. Upon hearing Clive’s name, they informed Killian first, just in case.

Upon receiving the message, Killian went to meet the woman immediately.

“What is your relationship with my brother?”

“Sir Clive is the father of my child.”

The words that came from her mouth were shocking.

Despite Clive having relations with many women, he had no children, leading Duke Loden to consider him impotent and treat him as a discarded child.

So when the King pushed for a marriage with the Dveshi family, Clive was put forward without hesitation. Of course, they hadn’t expected the King to demand a child, but either way, he was a card to be discarded.

However, if Clive had a child, the situation changed completely. It would not only be disadvantageous in the marriage issue with the Dveshi family but also potentially lead to future property disputes.

“Where have you been staying all this time?”

The curious point was how she had managed to completely deceive Duke Loden. He had been trying to find out if Clive had any illegitimate children.

“I was staying in the Kingdom of Padel, but I came here because I ran out of money.”

“Did you receive money from my brother?”

“Yes.”

Through the woman, Killian learned that Clive had secretly sent the child to a foreign country. That explained why Duke Loden couldn’t find them despite his search.

Clive had always complained about being short on money, even though he had received wealth from Duke Loden. Killian had suspected there might be a hidden child, and his suspicion turned out to be correct.

“Where is the child?”

“At the inn.”

Regardless of what happened, since the child had been found, it was necessary to confirm if the child was indeed Clive’s. If the child was legitimate, Clive’s matter had to be resolved before the wedding.

“Please lead the way.”

Nodding, the woman led him to the inn where she was staying, and there they found a boy who appeared to be about three years old.

“Is this really my brother’s child?”

The boy resembled the woman a lot, so at first glance, he didn’t seem to be Clive’s son.

“Yes. The only man I’ve been with is Sir Clive, so I’m sure. If you’re doubtful, you can verify it.”

“Then, if you don’t mind, may I take a blood sample from the child? It will be just a prick on the finger, but it might sting.”

The researchers could compare their blood to determine if they were related, so the child’s blood was needed.

“Go ahead.”

With the woman’s consent, Killian took a small blood sample from the child.

“Please come with me to the Loden estate with the child.”

Having secured what he needed, Killian suggested the woman accompany him to the Loden estate. Clive would surely deny the child’s existence, so it was necessary to bring her and the child as witnesses.

After getting into the carriage together, Killian finally asked about the woman’s background, and she answered honestly.

“My name is Julia. I was a commoner born into a poor family, and I spent a night with Sir Clive after falling for his charm at a village festival.”

“You only spent one night, and a child was conceived immediately?”

“Actually….”

“Please speak honestly.”

When the woman hesitated, watching Killian’s reaction, he nodded reassuringly.

“I sold the contraceptives Sir Clive gave me instead of taking them. I never thought a child would result from just one night.”

The woman sighed deeply.

“After a long time passed and I found out I was pregnant, I went to find Sir Clive. He told me he would give me money to stay in the Kingdom of Padel for a while, so I’ve been living there ever since. But when the money ran out, I came back.”

“Since you said you’re short on money, please use this for the time being.”

Killian handed the woman the purse he was carrying. It contained enough money to live on for about a month.

“Thank you.”

Julia seemed to be in desperate need of money, as she hugged the purse tightly as if it were precious the moment she received it.