Chapter 15

As her lips trembled, he kissed the tip of her nose, his breath hitching, before pressing his lips against hers. A warm breath flowed into her.  

“Haa, ah, ah…”  

Yulia let out a sobbing moan as she clung tightly to Resti’s back. Each time her inner walls twitched and tightened, waves of pleasure surged through her again. Her vision spun. Feeling as if she might be swept away entirely, she desperately gripped his firm back.  

“Does it feel good?”  

The man asked in a voice laced with a groan. She nodded her head repeatedly. It wasn’t just good—it was overwhelming, almost frightening. As her inner walls clenched and pulled tightly, the sensation of him sliding out made soft sobs escape her lips.  

“Hngh, haa, ah… ah…”  

“Yeah. It feels good for me too. Your insides are so amazing. So hot. So wet. So tight…”  

His husky voice, dripping with desire, sent shivers through her body as if a feather brushed against her insides.  

“I like you, Yulia.”  

“I… ah, ah! I like you. I like you, Resti. Ah, mm…”  

She whispered that she liked him countless times. Resti, who kissed her parted lips, devoured everything—the word that she liked him, her breaths, and all of her.  

“Haa, ah…”  

Yulia surrendered herself to the unrelenting waves of climax, letting herself drift away completely.  

***

There wasn’t a single part of her body that wasn’t sore. Yulia lay on the bed, utterly exhausted, unable to move. She finally understood what it truly meant to lack the strength to lift even a single finger.  

‘This is insane. I’ve really lost my mind.’  

Last night could only be described as madness. She was now certain that Resti had been restraining himself all this time, judging by what had happened last night.  

Or rather, it would be more accurate to call it this morning’s events. Yulia blinked, her thoughts wandering aimlessly.  

“Ah.”  

Her throat felt scratchy, and she flinched at the sound of her own voice. Her voice was completely hoarse. On top of that, her legs ached, and her waist throbbed. Lying blankly on the soft bed, Yulia slowly crawled to the edge, letting her legs dangle over the side.  

‘Can I even stand?’  

She wasn’t confident. Even sitting still, her knees trembled uncontrollably. Just as she braced herself against the bedside table to try standing, someone knocked on the door.  

“Are you awake?”  

The voice was somewhat familiar. After shifting her eyes around for a moment, Yulia remembered—it was the maid who had assisted her during her bath.  

She wanted to run away. That maid would surely lecture her again about the “truth.”  

As Yulia pressed her lips tightly together, the door clicked open.  

“You need to get up.”  

Their eyes met for a moment. Yulia clenched her teeth at the maid’s cold expression. It was still the same look—the gaze of someone staring at a woman destined to become a mistress.  

“You need to wash up and have your measurements taken.”  

The moment Yulia pulled the sheet up to cover herself, maids carrying bathwater began filing into the room one by one.  

“Measurements? What measurements?”  

“Lord Leonhardt will at least provide you with a dress.”  

The phrase “at least a dress” struck her deeply. It wasn’t a wedding dress—just a dress. 

Was he expecting me to wear it and attend the wedding as a guest? 

Yulia bit her lip hard.  

‘I hate this.’  

But no matter what she thought, the maids simply went about their work, helping her bathe without any expression.  

“There’s not much time left until the wedding.”  

The maid who had first mentioned her becoming a mistress spoke casually as she worked.  

“Lord Leonhardt will come to his senses soon enough.”  

What did she mean by “come to his senses”? Did she mean he would realize he needed to be loyal to his wife? Or was she implying he would soon acknowledge that a romance with a commoner like me was nothing more than a fleeting game? 

Yulia lowered her head deeply, hiding her devastated expression.  

Once the heavy silence passed, the bath ended, and the maids finished cleaning up one by one, leaving the room. Only the head maid remained behind.  

After everyone else had left, the head maid finally spoke.  

“You tried to run away before, didn’t you?”  

“…What are you trying to say?”  

Yulia asked cautiously, her tone wary. The maid approached her, smiling faintly.  

“You’re not planning to just stay put like this, are you?”  

What was she trying to say? 

Yulia frowned slightly, unable to understand her intentions.  

“I heard you have someone you love. And that you’re carrying his child.”  

Yulia didn’t bother denying it. There was no reason to tell the maid the truth she hadn’t even shared with Resti. If she was going to leave anyway, it would be better for Resti to believe that as the truth and forget about her.  

Even if he cursed her for being a woman who left because she loved another man.  

The maid leaned in close, whispering in her ear.  

“I’ll help you leave. So go far away.”  

“…What did you say?”  

The maid didn’t repeat herself. She simply stepped back, her expression unchanging.  

“Be ready in twenty minutes.”  

Yulia stared blankly at the retreating figure of the maid as she left the room and closed the door.  

She was confused, but this was her last chance.  

Twenty minutes.  

It was an incredibly short amount of time. Yulia hurriedly scrambled to find her clothes.  

‘I can’t say goodbye to Resti, can I?’  

She knew exactly how he would react if she told him to take care of himself—he would insist she couldn’t leave. He would never let her go.  

Tying her long hair into a quick knot, she tightened the laces of her shoes. She didn’t know how the maid planned to help her escape, but it didn’t seem like a lie.  

‘Does she hate me? Or does she pity me?’  

Maybe it was both. Yulia let out a bitter smile. Either way, the maid clearly wasn’t friendly toward the commoner woman standing beside “Lord Leonhardt.” Her intentions were clear—she genuinely wanted Yulia gone.  

Whatever her reasons, it didn’t matter. Yulia was leaving, and the maid would continue believing that “Lord Leonhardt” would come to his senses.  

Should I leave a letter? 

Yulia hesitated before pulling out a piece of paper.  

If she managed to escape safely with the maid’s help, she wouldn’t be caught as easily as last time. She would never see him again, so she wanted to leave at least a single farewell.  

After much deliberation, she realized there wasn’t much to write. She couldn’t exactly leave a note saying, “By the way, the child in my womb is actually yours.” Nor could she express lingering feelings of love.  

As she continued to hesitate, there was a knock at the door.  

“Yes!”  

She quickly wrote a single sentence. It was all she could say.  

‘This will do.’  

She had no intention or strength to explain her feelings any further.  

“Are you ready?”  

“Yes, I’m ready.”  

Yulia nodded firmly, her face set. The maid peeked down the hallway before motioning for her to follow.  

“They’ll notice soon, so move quickly.”  

The mansion was slightly chaotic. Yulia followed the maid closely, not daring to look back. The maid led her to the back of the mansion with practiced ease, opening a small door hidden behind vines.  

“Go.”  

“W-where should I go?”  

“Just walk straight ahead.”  

“But the path…”  

“If you follow the path, you’ll get caught immediately.”  

The head maid handed her a heavy pouch. The clinking sound of coins could be heard from inside.  

“This should be enough to get you far away.”  

“…”  

“No one will expect you to go through an unmarked forest, especially since you’re carrying a child.”  

That was true. Yulia stared at the untrodden wilderness beyond the door.  

“Hurry. They’ll notice soon.”  

The maid’s hands pushed her forward, a little rougher this time. Stumbling through the door, Yulia turned back, but the door had already shut behind her.  

“…”  

She glanced once at the towering mansion behind her before turning toward the forest and walking forward.  

***

Walking through an unmarked path was harder than she imagined. On top of that, her legs trembled from the aftermath of the morning’s events, and she was hungry.  

‘I should’ve eaten something before leaving.’  

But it was far too late for regrets. Spotting a tree with small berries, she eagerly picked and ate them.  

“Haa…”  

It wasn’t enough to fill her belly, but it was enough to stave off her hunger for now.