Chapter 2

Phil’s tongue explored every corner of her mouth—her palate, cheeks, and even her throat. She hadn’t known that even a kiss could make her stomach burn with heat.

Lyzbel unknowingly reached her climax, her inner walls clenching tightly around him. This only intensified the sensation of their lips pressed together. Saliva dripped from their chins, but neither of them cared. After all, the room was already filled with the lewd scent of their shared passion. Whenever Lyzbel’s tongue tried to escape, Phil’s tongue would swiftly chase after and capture it.

“Hah, mmph, hngh!”

Her body shivered as his tongue rubbed against her palate. When his tongue invaded deep enough to touch her throat, she gagged slightly. Only then did Phil pull back, licking her chin and neck. Lyzbel had already lost count of how many times she had cl*maxed.

Unlike her, Phil’s manhood remained relentlessly hard inside her. If not for the contraception device, she might have ended up pregnant from how deeply he thrust into her. But this was what she had wanted, so she had no regrets. Perhaps the repeated, unresolved pleasure had turned her brain into mush.

“…Hngh.”

As they continued to lose themselves in each other’s bodies, Lyzbel noticed the sun beginning to rise. The once-dark room brightened as light streamed in through the window. Through the window, the vast blue sea came into view, reminding her of Phil’s eyes. This was her first time seeing the sea, and she knew she would forever associate it with him. A fleeting thought crossed her mind: just days ago, she couldn’t have imagined herself entwined with a man like this.

***

Lyzbel Ivelia, the Baron’s daughter, was known in high society as a lady who built unbreakable walls around herself.

However, this “wall” wasn’t intentional. In truth, her reserved nature made it difficult for her to hold conversations with anyone other than her close friends. Very few people knew this truth about her.

In the early days of her debut into society, many men had approached her. To put it bluntly, they were drawn to her beauty and approached her with ulterior motives. However, her defensive demeanor, akin to a wall, drove them all away.

Thus, Lyzbel became known as the flower no one could pluck.

Her parents, the Baron and Baroness Ivelia, were furious about this. They had hoped she would attract a suitable man, but she showed no signs of doing so. For parents who saw their daughter as a tool to be sold off, this was infuriating. They were tirelessly sending out marriage proposals in hopes of marrying her into a wealthy family.

To Lyzbel, all of this effort seemed utterly pointless. The infamous story of how her elder sister and brother severed ties with their family after marriage was well-known throughout the Empire. The family feud had been so intense that it even made it into the newspapers. There wasn’t a single person in the country who didn’t know about it.

Not only in high society but even among commoners, the story of the Ivelia family’s madness was a frequent topic of gossip.

Despite the Baron and Baroness having enough inherited wealth to live comfortably, they were notorious misers who constantly hoarded money. They had never shown generosity to others and were always scheming ways to increase their fortune. Even though they already had enough to live on, they were never satisfied.

The Baron and Baroness were always plotting ways to grow their wealth. However, lacking any talent for business or investment, they resorted to marriage deals. The couple had three children, all of whom were blessed with striking looks, unlike their parents.

First, Lyzbel’s elder sister Charlotte and elder brother Luke entered the marriage market. Fortunately, both of them were lucky enough to find good matches. If things had ended there, it might have been fine. But the Baron and Baroness’s insatiable greed led them to exploit their wealthy in-laws for money, using every excuse imaginable. They even resorted to exaggerations and outright lies.

While they hoarded their own wealth, they squandered the money they had extorted from their in-laws on gambling. Eventually, her sister and brother, fed up, chose to sever ties with their parents.

Lyzbel, too, had long been disillusioned with her parents, who valued money more than their own children.

According to Imperial law, unmarried individuals were not allowed to live alone. However, once married and divorced, one could live independently. Many people exploited this loophole to gain their freedom.

Fortunately, Lyzbel’s sister and brother found true love. This allowed them to escape their eccentric, money-obsessed parents.

Knowing how hysterical their parents could be, her siblings constantly worried about Lyzbel. They even invited her to live with them, offering her an escape from their parents’ madness.

The three siblings shared a bond forged from enduring their parents’ insanity.

However, Lyzbel didn’t want to burden her sister and brother, who were finally living peaceful lives. She also knew that if she moved in with them, her parents would undoubtedly come looking for her. They would never let go of their last tool for marriage deals.

So, Lyzbel declined her siblings’ offers, assuring them she was fine. Still, their words of support—promising to help whenever she needed it—were a great comfort to her. Did they know how much their support meant to her?

Thankfully, Lyzbel had a calm and resilient personality, which helped her endure her parents’ madness. Otherwise, she might have succumbed to a nervous breakdown.

Her friends, who were aware of the Ivelia family’s insanity, were always worried about her. Some even suggested she consider a contract marriage as a way to escape her parents.

However, contract marriages came with their own risks. There were countless stories and articles about people who entered contract marriages to gain independence, only to end up with abusive partners. Lyzbel didn’t want to take that risk.

To be precise, dealing with her insane parents was already overwhelming. Adding an unhinged spouse to the mix was unthinkable.

For this reason, she avoided relationships with men. But in truth, there was an even bigger reason.

“I hate talking to unattractive, inconsiderate men.”

“Ah, I can relate to that.”

“Why are the men in high society such insufferable fools?”

“…Wouldn’t it be nice to just skip marriage and live off novels instead?”

Fictional men didn’t bother her. They didn’t yell at her or treat her poorly.

Hearing her words, her friends nodded in agreement.

Most men their age lacked manners. It was hard to count how many times a man had rudely grabbed her hand while she was mid-conversation, asking her to dance. She was thoroughly fed up with the men in her reality.

In her otherwise dreary and frustrating life, the tea parties hosted by her childhood friends were her only solace. These gatherings helped her endure life in the chaotic Ivelia household.

The Baron and Baroness disapproved of Lyzbel meeting her friends. Their control over her became even stricter after her siblings cut ties with them. Lyzbel had to convince her parents that her friends’ families were well-connected and could help her form advantageous relationships. Only then did they reluctantly allow her to attend these gatherings.

Thankfully, her friends’ families were indeed prestigious, so her claim wasn’t entirely false.

Even so, her parents insisted on assigning a knight to monitor her whenever she left the house. At least the knight wasn’t allowed to listen in on her conversations with her friends, which was a small relief.

“I’m so sick of being monitored. I just want to get married, get divorced, and live alone.”

“Why don’t you use my brother to your advantage?”

“…I appreciate the offer, but my goal is to cut ties before marriage, so I don’t want to trouble your family.”

“Ah, right. The Baron and Baroness would throw a massive fit.”