Lian enjoyed seeing himself reflected in those sky-blue eyes just awakened from sleep. He also liked how she greeted him comfortably with that drowsy expression. 

What would those small lips taste like when they moved to speak? 

Lian tucked Lyrica’s pink hair behind her ear and gestured for her to come sit on his lap. Lyrica climbed onto his lap with practiced ease. Lian tapped his lips and said to her:

“Give me a kiss here.”

…What did he just say? To kiss him? 

Lyrica was generally ignorant about s*x, but she knew about kissing. Mrs. Rebecca from the village would kiss her husband every morning before he left for work. 

But isn’t that something people who like each other do? 

She actually quite liked the Duke, who, despite being aloof, was considerate of her in his own way. But does the Duke like her too? Is he asking for a kiss because he feels the same way? 

After pondering briefly, Lyrica gave Lian a quick peck.

“…Sweet.”

Lyrica’s soft lips felt honey-sweet. Thirsting for more after that brief kiss, Lian pulled the back of her neck and deeply captured her lips. When he bit her lips, Lyrica opened her eyes wide and parted her lips slightly. 

Lian didn’t miss the opportunity and pushed his tongue into her mouth while caressing her back. He explored the soft flesh inside her mouth, savored her cherry-like lips, and sucked with his tongue. 

Initially bewildered, Lyrica soon wrapped her arms around his neck and awkwardly responded. Their saliva intertwined, stretching like threads whenever their lips briefly parted. Wet sounds filled the bedroom.

“Mmm….”

When the Duke’s tongue first entered her mouth, Lyrica was so startled she almost bit it.

But when he gently stroked her back while softly exploring her mouth, sucking on her tongue, and savoring her lips along with their saliva, pleasure rose like a heat haze. 

She wanted to keep intertwining their tongues. The Duke’s lips seemed firm, yet they were soft and warm. 

‘Mmm, this feels good…. Why do I feel good even though he’s not feeding me his c*ck?’

“…This is how you kiss, Lyrica.”

Not just ending with a peck. Lian spoke while playing with Lyrica’s dazed eyes. Her summer lake-like eyes resembled a winter pond when clouded with pleasure like now. Lian liked that contrast.

“Haa, haa… it feels good, Your Grace….”

“You should call me master, Lyrica.”

Lian moved his hand from her waist down to knead her b*ttocks, then stroked her private parts over her underwear.

“Mmm….”

‘Will he give me cum today too? Then I’ll be thoroughly f*cked again until I fall asleep…. I was thinking I should definitely ask him today….’

Lyrica, becoming dazed from Lian’s touch, suddenly came to her senses.

“Your Grace. No, master!”

“What is it?”

“Just a moment, I… have a favor to ask.”

Lian withdrew his hand from Lyrica upon hearing that she, who had never asked anything of him, had a favor to request. 

What favor could it be suddenly? Has she found something she wants? Jewels? Dresses? Toys? He could give her anything she wanted, as long as it wasn’t another man.

“Well, I’d like to have something to do. Being in the room all the time makes me feel confined and bored… and I feel bad for just living here without doing anything. Even menial tasks would be fine! I know how to clean and do laundry, and also….”

“You want to do menial tasks?”

How well could she clean with those small hands? Imagining those smooth hands becoming calloused from rough work, Lian’s brow furrowed.

“I’ll allow you to walk around inside the ducal residence, so you can take strolls. If you’re bored, learn something. I’ll provide you with a teacher.”

“What? But I don’t have any proper duties here, so having a teacher is….”

“A slave’s duty is to receive the master’s cum. Since I’m feeding you c*ck almost every day anyway, taking walks during the day for exercise should be fine.”

Lyrica was dumbfounded. She had thought they gave her cum daily out of consideration, to prevent her from going into heat anywhere due to the aphrodisiac’s effects. 

In a way, they were her benefactors, and she herself didn’t want to receive anyone else’s c*ck besides Noel’s or the Duke’s, being consumed by s*xual desire. But to say that receiving cum was her duty as a slave?

She was being treated like a pr*stitute. A pr*stitute who received Lian and Noel’s c*cks and stayed here as payment.

Lyrica shuddered with an inexplicable sense of betrayal. Lian’s words felt like daggers repeatedly stabbing her heart. Tears welled up as she couldn’t control the anger rising within her.

Looking at it objectively, the Duke was right. What had she done since coming here? She just felt pleasure whenever they thrust into her, whimpering and crying while receiving their cum.

Lyrica felt miserable about her situation. This wasn’t how she had boldly set out to become a healing priestess.

“Receiving cum, sniff, is my duty… Do you, do you really think of me as a s*x slave…? Hic… you’ve been, just… treating me, hic, like a pr*stitute?”

“…That’s not what I meant.”

Lian hesitated, taken aback. His cold red eyes wavered aimlessly. 

He had said those words to make her feel more comfortable about staying at the ducal residence, but seeing Lyrica’s reaction, crying with a cold expression, he realized he had made a terrible mistake. 

He hadn’t expected her to take it that way. No, he had spoken wrongly. He should have thought more before speaking. He truly was garbage, just as Noel had said. 

He hadn’t known that asking her to call him master to satisfy his twisted possessiveness would hurt her so deeply. Lian deeply regretted his words and actions. If he could turn back time, he would take back everything he had said.

He hurriedly embraced Lyrica, patting her back and beginning to apologize. When Lyrica, who always used to snuggle up to him cheerfully, now rejected him and struggled, he felt his heart sink to the floor.

“I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I was wrong, okay?”

“Hic…. If that’s not what you meant, hic, then what did you mean!”

“I’ve never thought of you as a real slave. I just said that so you wouldn’t feel burdened. You can continue living here without feeling you need to do anything.”

“I don’t, sniff, want to be a freeloader!”

“Then I’ll provide you with a teacher. If you’re busy learning and practicing what you want to learn, you won’t have such thoughts. You can freely take walks, draw pictures, or how about learning horseback riding? Is there anything you’ve wanted to study? I’ve never once thought of you as a pr*stitute. I was wrong, so please don’t cry. I won’t ask you to call me master anymore either, okay?”

Lian continued apologizing and comforting Lyrica until her tears subsided. Lyrica gradually calmed down with his continued apologies. 

Only after receiving confirmation that Lian had never thought of her as a slave and permission to freely roam the ducal residence as a guest did she stop crying and accept his apology.

Lian breathed a sigh of relief as he held Lyrica, who mumbled that she had always wanted to learn how to draw while nestling obediently in his arms. 

As soon as he left the room, he called his aide and instructed him to find a discreet teacher.