After their hasty lovemaking in the study, the two hastily adjusted their clothes.

Yet their desire had not subsided, so he lifted Lucilia into his arms.

“Let’s go upstairs.”

“Now?”

Her swollen lips had not yet recovered, and reddish marks were still visible near her collarbone.

Her dreamy gaze and the lingering scent of intimacy on her body remained.

Lucilia twisted her body slightly.

“Put me down.”

“No.”

Aaron simply refused, bent his knees to lower himself, and turned the doorknob.

When the lord and lady suddenly appeared, the servants flinched before hurriedly bowing.

‘Ah, this is so embarrassing.’

Though no one dared to look directly at them, her face burned so much that she couldn’t raise her head.

Lucilia buried her face in Aaron’s shoulder as if it might melt away at any moment.

Finding her utterly adorable, he kissed the top of her round head. Then, barely acknowledging the servants, he quickly ascended the stairs.

The master, who had sought out his wife immediately upon arriving at the estate, had shut himself in the bedroom before sunset and showed no signs of emerging.

Forgetting even to eat, they shared their marital affection until dusk fell and darkness completely enveloped them.

“Ahh… mmm…”

Lucilia, practically straddling him, surrendered herself to the piercing pleasure and let out cries of ecstasy.

As she moved her hips and rubbed against him, Aaron’s lips parted helplessly.

His hot breath passing through those sensual lips made even Lucilia’s earlobes flush as she looked down at him.

“You seem to have eaten and slept well even without me.”

“Haa, of course not. Ah!”

His hands, which had been gripping her slender waist, moved upward to cover her full br*asts.

Excitement pooled in his ash-gray eyes.

His suppressed l*st was so intense it was almost intimidating, making her wonder how it would be unleashed.

His low, husky voice seemed to lick the shell of her ear.

“You’ve become even more voluptuous while I was away.”

After languidly tracing her ribs and collarbone as if measuring her frame, he returned to kneading the fleshy mounds.

“You seem to have gained some weight.”

“Are you saying… I’m fat?”

“How did you interpret it that way?”

Aaron burst into laughter and licked his parched lips.

As she stared at his almost decadent appearance in a trance, her body was suddenly flipped over.

“Eek!”

In an instant, the back of her head was buried in the pillow.

Aaron, now above her, wore the smile of a victor.

“Since I felt no pain on the battlefield, naturally you must not have been hurt either. I meant I’m relieved that you seem to have fared well in my absence. Of course, I wouldn’t mind if you had gained weight.”

“I wasn’t exactly carefree the whole time. I worried about you so much, my lord.”

It would be truly unfair if he thought she had been living in luxury while her husband was at war.

As she was calmly defending herself, she felt a stimulation far more intense than when she had been moving above him.

“Ahh! Ah!”

“Really?”

She floundered like a fish on a skewer, but rather than releasing her, he only drove deeper.

Aaron’s expression gradually changed as he hooked her ankles over his shoulders.

While he had seemed satisfied during their conversation, as their flesh joined more deeply, his expression revealed a patience on the verge of losing control.

The sudden eruption happened in an instant.

He ruthlessly plundered her, expressing his raw instinct to a degree that seemed dangerous.

After being intoxicated by the precarious ecstasy for some time, a feeling of ultimate liberation enveloped her entire body.

Her body was a mess from the marks he had left.

Her white skin, which he had been biting and sucking all day, was embarrassingly flushed red.

Not to mention the stained bedding.

Even the bed post seemed to be shaking a bit.

Lucilia covered her eyes with her forearm as she surveyed their surroundings.

She surrendered herself to his touch as he cleaned every corner of her body with a wet towel.

“There will be rumors again.”

“That the master devoured his wife from day to night as soon as he returned?”

“M-my lord.”

“It’s not untrue. But why do you keep calling me that? Do you want to be punished?”

Knowing all too well what kind of punishment he meant, Lucilia shook her hands vigorously.

“Aaron! I’ll call you Aaron!”

He gently pinched her flushed cheek, then tossed the towel onto the nightstand and lay down beside her.

Pulling her waist into his embrace, he stroked her moonlight-colored hair.

“I think I was a bit too rough with you. You must be tired, so get some sleep first.”

“You must be more tired. Coming all the way from Echorn without rest…”

She actually had many questions.

But since Aaron was the one who truly needed rest, she quietly rested her forehead against his chest.

“Good night.”

As she closed her eyes without continuing the conversation, his gentle breath fell upon the crown of her head.

* * *

The two woke up simultaneously as sunlight streamed through the curtains they had failed to close completely.

Aaron pressed his lips gently against Lucilia’s smooth forehead.

At the soft touch, Lucilia hunched her neck, and he looked down at her lovingly as he spoke.

“Come to think of it, you no longer have nightmares.”

“Oh? You’re right.”

She hadn’t had nightmares even after nearly dying when kidnapped by Mannea.

She couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it had started, but it seemed that her old wounds had naturally begun to heal since she had shared her heart with Aaron.

Lucilia raised her head and planted a loud kiss on the tip of Aaron’s chin.

“Aaron.”

“Yes?”

“It’s all thanks to you.”

“I couldn’t possibly have such ability.”

“But it’s true… You’re the only person in this world I can lean on. You’ve been genuinely good to me all this time. You don’t know how reassuring and grateful that is.”

“From the moment we married, I had a duty to protect you.”

“I don’t mean that kind of duty.”

Lucilia laughed softly and pressed her lips to his.

“Thank you for giving me a place in your heart.”

At her kiss full of love, Aaron embraced her even tighter.

Lucilia also wrapped her arms around Aaron’s waist.

“Doesn’t my holy power make you uncomfortable?”

“To be honest, it does. I find it a bit burdensome to look into your eyes. But I didn’t want to avoid it and risk hurting you.”

“You can look at me comfortably. I’ll direct my gaze elsewhere, like this.”

Lucilia lifted her head and stared at the corner of Aaron’s eye.

She smiled along with him as she watched his eyes gradually curve.

“I have a question. May I ask?”

“What is it?”

“Why did you suddenly return?”

“An epidemic is spreading in the garrison.”

“What? What did you say?”

Despite his tight embrace that left no room for air, she slipped out.

Lucilia sat up abruptly with a frown.

“If there’s an epidemic… What about the battle? Is it alright to leave the battlefield in such an urgent situation?”

“It is.”

Aaron pulled Lucilia’s arm to make her lie down again.

Then, resting his chin on the top of her head, he continued his explanation carefully.

“We decided to establish a ceasefire agreement before Mrangel found out, and secretly sent a messenger to His Majesty. As soon as I confirmed the royal decree, I returned first.”

“I couldn’t live without seeing you.”

He added softly, then tilted his face at an angle and entwined his tongue with hers passionately.

As if unable to bear it without constantly sharing body heat, he thoroughly explored her mouth before pulling away.

“General Nil will finalize the ceasefire agreement. With His Majesty’s deep trust, he will surely deliver results.”

Gorenzo was not only the leader of the allied forces but also a key figure in the new religious faction.

He was from the royal family of a neighboring country, and when a civil war broke out five years ago causing the royal family to collapse, he sought asylum in Caldman.

Not only was his asylum gladly accepted, but he was also granted the title of Count to help him settle, making him thoroughly loyal to the royal family.

Another might have earned the king’s trust and reveled in his power, but Gorenzo did not.

He was a considerate and humble person.

Out of consideration for the existing powerful nobles, he had focused solely on defending the borders, but recently began traveling frequently to the capital by royal command.

Even his growing influence was solely due to the king’s orders.

After hearing Aaron’s explanation, Lucilia asked with a worried expression.

“Will Mrangel agree to a ceasefire?”

“They certainly will if we give them a piece of our flesh.”

“You mean Echorn?”