4. The Wedding Night (1)

While the wedding ceremony was held almost privately, the reception was grand. The much-coveted Kramer family town house was opened.

As soon as the marriage announcement was made, people went to great lengths to obtain invitations to this reception, but since invitations were issued by name only, it wasn’t easy.

However, since entry wasn’t impossible if coming as part of a party, people used every connection they had to try to attend the reception. It was a good opportunity to make acquaintances at a gathering of high nobility.

Apart from the bustling and splendid reception hall, silence filled the space where Saena stayed. Tension flowed with it.

Saena had already made a round of the reception hall greeting guests before coming up early. Constantine, noticing her tired appearance, had offered to finish the hosting duties himself.

‘…What else do I need?’

Saena stood in the Duchess’s room, which was now hers, looking around.

Following Madam Willef’s advice, the interior was lit only by sparsely placed auxiliary lights, creating a cozy and warm atmosphere.

However, she couldn’t bring herself to wear the l*ngerie the madam had recommended. That was too advanced a step for Saena to attempt. Still, she wore a thin silk slip nightgown and robe that she wouldn’t normally wear.

She followed the advice about bedroom makeup and hair styling that looked natural yet done, and she made sure to keep the syrup that the madam had given as a gift.

“Hah…”

Saena let out a deep breath due to nervousness and walked towards the sofa where wine and small finger foods were set up in one corner of the bedroom.

After pouring wine into two glasses, she divided the syrup equally between them. If nothing else, since it was said to reduce the pain of the first night, there was no reason not to take it.

‘It’s also this body’s first time…’

In fact, in her past life, Saena had experienced terrible pain during every intimate encounter, so she was extremely grateful to Madam Willef for telling her about this.

‘If I had known about such syrup back then, I would have made sure to take it every time.’

Though ideally, not doing it at all would be best…

To be honest, Saena wished she could live with Constantine without having marital relations.

‘Kissing is fine but…’

Everything after that was actually quite frightening.

In truth, she couldn’t understand why men were so obsessed with that act.

While someone like George Hollander was a pervert who got thrills from seeing women crying and begging beneath him, Constantine surely wouldn’t be like that.

But she couldn’t bring herself to tell him she didn’t want to on their first night.

She thought she would endure this night somehow and then try to convince him to reduce the frequency using the excuse of pain, or suggest they only do it when an heir was needed. He didn’t seem like the type of man who would only think of his own desires when she was in pain.

Knock knock.

While she was lost in such thoughts, there was a knock at the connecting door. That connecting door between the Duke’s room and the Duchess’s room.

When she had stayed here because of the heavy snow, she never thought she would become the owner of this room… It gave her a strange feeling.

Saena moved to press the unlock button on the connecting door.

“Saya.”

His sturdy figure filled the opened doorway. At the same time, a humid warmth mixed with soap scent wafted in. The fragrance told her he had come straight here after bathing. A pleasant scent also emanated from his still-wet hair.

“I thought the door would be unlocked… I was momentarily surprised.”

“Ah, that… I didn’t think of it.”

“You’re not unhappy that I came?”

“What? Well, we’re married now…”

He suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist and lowered his head. At the closer distance, she could see satisfaction in his eyes.

“…Married. Yes.”

The thick white eyelashes framing his eyes were somehow very much like him.

While looking at those eyes, Saena lightly touched his eyelashes with her fingertip. The eyes fluttered closed then opened again. The blue pupils beneath the shadowed lids sparkled then darkened.

“Uh, mm!”

Suddenly he captured her lips.

Having apparently spent quite some time in the bathroom, the temperature of his skin and mouth was strangely humid where they touched.

When she stumbled slightly as her head tilted back from their height difference, Constantine effortlessly wrapped her up and pressed her against the wall next to the door.

Her feet lifted slightly but he didn’t seem to find her heavy at all. He kept her pressed against the wall as he focused on kissing her. He sucked on her small lips then licked them, exploring the soft insides with the tip of his tongue. Each time his rough taste buds scraped against the smooth inside of her mouth, Saena flinched and clung more to his neck.

“Hah.”

Without time to think about how the atmosphere had changed so suddenly, Saena gasped between him and the wall. When saliva that she couldn’t swallow in time trickled down because he wouldn’t let her close her mouth, Constantine followed the trail with his lips.

His lips traced down her right cheek to her neck, licking. As he nibbled on the sensitive area while moving down, finding the position awkward, he lifted her up by sliding his thigh between her legs.

The embarrassing position of sitting on his thigh brought Saena somewhat back to her senses.

“Nngh, w-wait.”

But he remained absorbed in what he was doing as if he couldn’t hear.

At this rate, they would end up having their first night against the wall.

“Co-Constantine!”

Saena called out loudly in surprise when he grabbed her buttocks and pressed their lower bodies together. Only then did he seem to hear her voice, removing his lips and meeting her eyes.

“Th-this is the wall.”

“…Shall we go to the bed?”

He asked in a somewhat deeper voice.

“That… let’s sit over there for a moment. Please?”

She hadn’t expected to enter this kind of atmosphere immediately upon seeing him, without even drinking the prepared wine.

Though kisses with Constantine were always good, anything beyond that still caused fear in Saena.

She needed mental preparation.

“Wine, let’s have a glass of wine first…”

“I don’t need to drink…”

“I… need it!”

Looking into Saena’s tension-filled eyes, Constantine gave a short laugh and agreed.

“Are you nervous?”

As they sat side by side on the sofa, Saena handed him a glass and took her own portion.

“…To be honest, yes.”

“So am I.”

Saena looked at Constantine in disbelief at his words.

Outwardly, he didn’t seem that way at all. He kissed well enough to take her breath away and appeared composed.

She might have thought differently if she had seen the prominent veins on the back of his hand holding the wine glass, but to Saena, he seemed steady while she alone was restless.

But she couldn’t deny it when he said so himself.

Saena just tilted her wine glass, hoping her taut nerves would relax.

With the syrup too, she could count on its effects, couldn’t she?

‘Side effects.’

Though she wasn’t exactly sure, she guessed it might be meant to relax the nerves of tense people like herself.

That’s what Saena assumed.

Of course, she would soon learn that wasn’t the case at all.

Watching her drink the wine, he drank his portion and set down the empty glass.

Wanting to somehow delay the start of the actual wedding night, she slowly sipped her wine and picked at the finger foods on the table while staying firmly seated.

Whether he knew or not, Constantine didn’t particularly rush her and just kept watching her.

“…Hah.”

But not long after, his condition became somewhat strange. He gripped the sofa armrest tightly while breathing heavily. He gripped it so hard that the bones in his hand stood out white.

“Saya.”

“Your Grace? What, what’s wrong?”

He took several short breaths in and out before asking quietly.

“…Did you perhaps put something in this?”

“Ah, yes. Can you feel something?”

Constantine’s expression wasn’t good. Was it something strange?

Saena suddenly became worried that she might have done something unnecessary.

“They said it was a syrup that couples share on their wedding night…”

“Syrup? Where did you get it?”

“Madam Willef… Do you know about it?”

“I think I know what it is.”

“Is it something strange or bad?”

“…Hah.”

“Is it really bad? Oh no… Should I call a, a doctor…!”

As she jumped up to call for a doctor, Constantine caught her.

“A doctor… won’t be necessary. Even if one comes, they can’t help.”

“Then… what should we do?”

“Come here.”

He pulled the restless Saena into his arms and laughed with a sigh.