Chapter 5

Throughout it all, Karel maintained a cold expression, his gaze lowered to her without a word. 

It was only when her emboldened fingertips lightly rested on his thigh that his lips finally parted.

“You said you’d clean it. Was that not it?”

“Ah, um, that is…”

Her face flushed bright red. His piercing blue eyes, like the deep lakes of the Northern Gray Mountain Range, remained fixed on her. 

Was that contempt I saw…? 

Just as her violet eyes began to distort with shame, his firm hand suddenly gripped her chin. That beautiful face leaned closer, and then… his previously motionless lips enveloped her lower jaw.

It all happened in an instant. He sucked at her lower lip as though he would bite it off, then pressed her cheeks with his hands to force her mouth open and thrust his tongue inside.

She didn’t even blink, unable to comprehend what was happening to her.

‘A… kiss?’

The man, who she never imagined could be so silent and stoic, kissed her with a fervor that was almost rough. His thick tongue filled her mouth completely, swirling around inside. She felt as though she couldn’t breathe, her throat tightening as tears spilled from the corners of her eyes.

How long did it last?

By the time she was gasping desperately for air, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sensations, the man slowly lifted his upper body. Saliva pooled where their lips had met, dripping down her chin. He wiped the moisture that had settled on his fingertips from gripping her chin, as if pushing her away.

“You were the one who asked for this.”

“Ah, I…”

“You were the one who seduced me.”

His voice, as though he was making a definitive statement, carried a faint tone of justification.

Faced with his overbearing gaze, she barely managed to lower her head, her cheeks still held tightly in his grasp. 

Was that a signal? 

The man abruptly stood up, dragging her along with him as he gripped her chin.

Another rough kiss followed, as though he would devour her lower jaw. Since his head was positioned far above hers, she had to crane her neck back so far that her jaw ached just to meet him.

In truth, Karel’s trousers had been tightly strained ever since he had first confirmed the violet hue of her eyes. Not for a single moment had that tension eased.

His aggressive kisses stemmed from his inexperience in dealing with women. But she lacked the experience to distinguish such things. All she could do was struggle to endure the suffocating pressure of his lips devouring hers, his tongue invading her mouth as though to fill it completely. In the midst of it all, she clumsily tried to intertwine her tongue with his, mimicking his actions.

Her tongue tingled, her eyes welled with tears, and her back bent under the weight of his intensity. Yet she dared not place her hands anywhere on him. Her legs trembled from lack of air. The room was filled with the wet, sticky sounds of their kiss.

Finally, when Karel slowly pulled away, her violet eyes, half-dazed and unfocused, gazed at him blankly through her messy bangs. Tears clung to the corners of her eyes, her cheeks flushed bright red, and her lips and chin were soaked with the saliva that had flowed from where their mouths had met.

Her disheveled violet eyes.

Freed from the shadow of his towering figure, her face glimmered under the moonlight, almost otherworldly in its beauty. Her violet eyes, shining like jewels under the pale moonlight, were now glistening with tears, distorted by what he had just done to her.

‘…Damn it.’

He had never experienced such unbearable tightness below before. The stiffness he faced every morning was nothing compared to this.

Why was I reacting this way to a mere inn maid? Someone I would never see again after a few days.

Simply because she had golden hair and violet eyes? Because she had such a face hidden beneath her messy bangs? Why had I been so captivated by her? Even after confirming the face of the arrogant master who had driven me into this predicament, why had I found himself aroused?

Though Karel couldn’t fully grasp the extent of his confusion, the heat in his loins only grew more intense.

A deep crease formed between his brows.

“S-Sir Knight…”

She was utterly flustered.

Perhaps her inexperience had made her clumsy at kissing. So she had obediently followed his lead. When he sucked at her tongue, she had tried to intertwine her own with his. When he desperately bit and sucked at her lips, she had timidly tried to do the same.

Had I been clumsy? Was it improper of me?

Would he cast me out for it?

‘I might never get another chance like this…!’

Just as her tear-filled eyes brimmed with despair and confusion, Karel’s stern brow furrowed once more. In an instant, she found herself lifted into the air.

What? What?

With one arm wrapped around her back, Karel took a few steps forward and stopped at the edge of the bed.

…Eek! 

She let out a half-formed scream as her body was swiftly tossed onto the bed. She landed half-reclined on the pristine, perfectly made sheets. Dazed by the sudden change in perspective, she quickly realized her situation and stammered something incoherent.

“Ah, um, they’re dirty…”

The last word, soaked in embarrassment, never made it out of her mouth.

The enormous, half-n*ked figure loomed over her, casting a dark shadow across her vision. Blocking any chance of escape, his hands planted firmly on either side of her face, and one knee pressed between her legs. Karel bent his broad, muscular back to meet her gaze at eye level. As his well-shaped lips parted slightly, the tip of his tongue flicked out, licking at her lips as though reclaiming what he had left behind. Her small, plump lips tasted sweet.

But…

“Open up.”

“Pardon?”

The tension in her tightly sealed lips gave way for a moment of shock. Taking advantage of that brief opening, his tongue slid in again. His firm jaw moved aggressively, dominating her mouth. He leisurely explored her mouth before suddenly sucking at her tongue with an almost predatory intensity.

Though it was her first time experiencing everything, she clumsily tried to match his movements, gasping for breath. Her chest, barely covered by her shift, heaved precariously.

The kiss continued for a long time.

“Mm…!”

His thick hand suddenly grasped one of her br*asts.

The initial touch was tentative, as though searching for its way in the dark, but once he found his target, his movements became more assertive. He cupped her br*ast fully in his hand, gauging its shape and size, then began rubbing his thumb over the peak through the fabric, as though seeking the stiff center beneath. His grip alternated between squeezing and pressing, almost as though he were trying to crush her ribcage.

“Ah, ah…”

Though the sensation bordered on pain, there was nothing she could do but cling to Karel’s lips.

Her trembling hands, denied any other outlet, gripped the finest sheets in Oedel.

Soon, his hand slipped beneath the neckline of her shift. Yet the narrow neck of the shift and the sleeveless work dress she wore over it made it difficult for his large hand to fully grasp her br*ast. Frustrated, he fumbled with the lace ties at the front of her dress while keeping his chin pressed against hers. After several failed attempts…

“Hah.” 

A dry chuckle escaped his throat.

She had been the one to approach him, yet here he was fumbling like this.

Pausing briefly, Karel sighed and spoke.

“Take it off.”

“Pardon?”

“…You always make me repeat myself.”

Her eyes, visible through her messy bangs, widened like saucers. Tears clung to the corners of her violet eyes, and her trembling gaze seemed almost… pleasing to him.

‘Why do I find this so satisfying?’

Acknowledging his own twisted taste, Karel merely looked down at her with a hardened expression.

Though she understood his words, the thought of undressing herself filled her with unbearable embarrassment. She looked up at him as though to confirm whether he truly meant it… but his stern face showed no sign of retracting his command.

You were the one who volunteered to warm my bed.

His cold gaze seemed to scold her, prompting her to sit up abruptly. Her trembling hands hesitated before finally moving to the front of her dress.

“Y-Yes…”

She untied the lace, loosened the neckline, slipped down the shoulder straps, and unfastened the side buttons, pulling the hem of her dress down toward her feet. Her body wriggled and shifted until the leather dress finally slid to the floor.

In the process, her small leather shoes fell off her feet as well.

“D-Do I… take this off too?”

The thin, short-sleeved chemise she wore beneath her dress clung to her silhouette, illuminated by the moonlight. Karel, kneeling before her, couldn’t tear his gaze away from the sight.