“Did you go out looking like this?”

She heard the sound of him gritting his teeth, and his face twisted fiercely. She was wearing only her nightgown under the robe. She hadn’t had time to change, so she left wearing her nightgown. Fortunately, her nightgown wasn’t particularly revealing, so she just went in it, but it didn’t seem that way to Raphael.

It seemed to have fueled his anger.

“There wasn’t enough time…”

“So you went out dressed like this?”

It seemed her answer was wrong. It only made Raphael angrier. Amelia trembled as his eyebrows furrowed deeply.

“Who were you trying to seduce by wearing just this scrap of cloth?”

It was true that her nightgown was thin, but it wasn’t as skimpy as Raphael made it out to be. Just as she was about to explain the misunderstanding, her slip was torn into shreds with a single move from him. She couldn’t believe the sight of the fabric fluttering down before her eyes.

“You might have hoped someone else would undress you, but too bad.”

“Ah…!”

She wanted to shake her head and deny it, but she couldn’t because of the firm grip on her chin. His kiss, much rougher than before, bit at her tongue and lips. His eyes, already lost to desire, were clouded. The stage where he could stop had already passed.

“I’m not a well-behaved dog like someone else.”

Someone? She barely had time to be startled by the hot breath on her neck before a strange sensation made her body shudder. After his tongue left her mouth, his fingers took its place. They scraped her palate and rubbed against her mucous membranes, making it hard to breathe.

“Mmph…”

It seemed his sole purpose was to torment her. As he bit her earlobe, she involuntarily bit down on Raphael’s fingers in her mouth.

“Just imagining someone else touching what’s mine makes me lose my mind.”

“Huh…”

Amelia tried to stifle her moans as he bit and sucked at her neck and earlobe. But the more she tried, the more she bit down on the fingers in her mouth. Tears welled up from the stinging sensations. Her waist trembled as he bit her neck like a beast.

Every time his ragged breath touched her, a chilling sensation ran down her spine. Raphael bit and sucked at her neck like a hunting predator. Without looking, she knew her skin was red and ragged from his bites.

“Who would I give you to?”

Amelia couldn’t understand what he was talking about. It was as if he thought she had another man. His growling voice and the veins bulging on his forearms showed how angry he was.

“Plea…se…”

She wanted to beg him to stop, but she couldn’t. Instead, his fingers in her mouth became rougher, as if her struggle annoyed him. Saliva she couldn’t swallow dribbled down her mouth.

She didn’t know how things had come to this. In front of her was an enraged Raphael, and she was a mess underneath him.

“Ah…! Hmph!”

She worried he might draw blood from her neck with the pain he was causing. He sunk his teeth into the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

“Ra…”

“Do you like men that much?”

Even though she wanted to say no, all that came out were heated moans. Raphael’s eyes, filled with excitement and lust, had already lost their sanity. She tried to resist by biting his fingers, but it only seemed to spur him on.

“You must like it, given how wild you are.”

As his fingers dug into her mouth, her head spun and she felt dizzy. Taking advantage of the moment, his hand moved downwards. His hand squeezed her br*ast roughly, making her body jolt. She didn’t know what to do as he kneaded her br*ast with his hand.

“Hmph…”

“I’m the only one who can touch you.”

This was the first time she had seen Raphael so angry. His tone was mocking as he toyed with her, making her chest ache.

“So give up.”

His fingers withdrew, and his thick tongue invaded her mouth. It wrapped around her small tongue, as if to take her last breath away. His persistent touch and intense gaze made her realize he wouldn’t let her go.

Amelia had no choice but to give up resisting Raphael’s declaration.

***

Unlike the rough night before, the bedroom the next day was cold and empty. Raphael was nowhere to be seen. It was hard to believe what had happened in just one night. Last night felt like a lie.

A lie that would disappear if she closed her eyes and opened them again.

“……”

But the red bruises that covered her body mocked her wish. From her visible wrists to the places she needed a mirror to see, she was covered in his marks. Her muscles screamed in pain from the abuse they had suffered.

She knew it wasn’t a dream as soon as she woke up. She just didn’t want to admit it.

“Ugh…”

Her waist trembled as she tried to get up, making it impossible to move. The vivid sensations made her thighs weak. The object that had felt so menacing against her stomach, the solid and thick thighs that had prevented her from closing her legs, and the strange sensations whenever his muscles twitched…

“This is crazy.”

Even speaking hurt her throat, which had been overworked the night before. Raphael Lloyd Siegfried was indeed a beast. She now understood why he had been so gentle with her every night. Once Raphael’s reins were off, he was terrifying.

“Ah…!”

As she tried to get out of bed, her legs gave out and she fell. She couldn’t muster the strength to stand. But what was surprising was that all this was just the prelude.

She hadn’t spent the night with Raphael. They hadn’t consummated their marriage. He had only tormented her until dawn without going any further.

“Your Highness? Are you awake?”

“Oh… I’m okay. Don’t come in!”

Amelia hurriedly tried to cover herself with the blanket, but her hands were too weak, and she fumbled. Her clothes had been torn to shreds.

“It’s alright. The Grand Duke informed us.”

Ann and Jane’s cautious tones suggested they knew what had happened last night. She didn’t want to show them this, but she couldn’t move a finger without their help.

“I’ll help you wash.”

“Please…”

Ann and Jane didn’t show any surprise at her condition and quietly did their work. The messy room was restored to its original state, and they dressed her neatly. However, the marks that couldn’t be covered by clothes were the problem. Even with the most concealing design, they were still visible.

It was because he had branded all sorts of places.

“I’ve prepared a simple salad and soup for your meal.”

“Ah….”

“I’ll bring it to your room so you can eat there.”

Had Raphael ordered all of this too? The maids moved without hesitation, which felt strange.

“Please let me know when you’re finished.”

Normally, they would have tried to talk to her, but today they didn’t. They were being more cautious overall. Preparing warm soup was an excellent choice; her throat was so scratchy that it was hard to swallow food.

“Why does this feel so familiar?”

She thought she finally understood how Amelia ended up with Leonel. She must have aimed at Raphael when he lost his reason. She felt somewhat relieved that it hadn’t gone all the way this time.

She couldn’t even properly get out of bed, and Raphael had left abruptly, which annoyed her. Not that she expected him to stay until morning.

“Wh-where are you going?”

Amelia sensed something strange in the maids’ behavior towards her, this odd sense of déjà vu.

“You’re not feeling well, so please rest.”

“No, I’m fine….”

They didn’t listen to her saying she was fine. She was startled by the door closing again. It wasn’t that they brought her meal to the room because of her condition; it was because she wasn’t supposed to leave the room.

Now she understood why Raphael hadn’t held her until the end last night.

It was simply a punishment for daring to try to leave him without permission.