Chapter 9

She licked the fl*id from her lips. Even though he’d just cl*maxed, Adrian’s *rection quickly rose again.

“Tasting me wasn’t enough? How was it?”

“…Not bad.”

At her reply to his teasing, Adrian burst out laughing. He pulled a handkerchief from his jacket on the floor and wiped away his traces, then asked again. He was curious just how far this sly young lady would drive him mad.

“If you liked it, should I finish in your mouth next time?”

“Hmm… alright. But it’s up again. Should I s*ck you again?”

Saying, “This time, you can finish in my mouth,” with an innocent face and a lewd whisper, Selena made Adrian feel he might cl*max before she even started.

He realized he had underestimated his fiancée.

* * *

After the trip to the lake, Selena found it hard to meet Adrian.

“Maybe… I went too far?”

Selena swallowed her regret as she reflected on her actions that day. They were engaged, and Adrian knew she read *rotic books, so she hadn’t worried about the consequences of anything they did.

It was Adrian who had tempted her into all sorts of lewd things, except actual *ntercourse.

So she had simply tried what she’d been curious about.

If his s*men had tasted bad, she wouldn’t have tried it at all, but since it wasn’t, she didn’t mind.

But since that day, all she did was exchange letters with Adrian. She knew he was genuinely busy, but the fact that she hadn’t seen him since the lake made her anxious.

Now she wondered if maybe he thought his fiancée was too lewd.

Selena’s worries grew day by day. She lost even more weight from her already slender frame and had to alter her fitted dress.

Tomorrow was the debutante.

The only relief was that Adrian would attend as her partner.

“What if he suddenly calls off the engagement?”

The thought darkened Selena’s expression.

She even dreamed that Adrian would show up with another woman on his arm, saying, “Lady, you’re too lewd. I’m sorry, but you’re not fit to be Duchess.”

The day of the debutante dawned with her in a restless mood.

“The Duke said he’d come straight to the ballroom, right?”

“Yes. We’re meeting at the entrance.”

Selena smiled reassuringly at Mary, who watched her board the carriage with worried eyes.

“Honestly, he should have come to pick me up today. I didn’t expect this from the Duke. I’m disappointed.”

“What can you do? The southern barbarian delegation arrived earlier than planned.”

Adrian was the war’s main hero and the person in charge. Selena understood he couldn’t skip anything related to the barbarians, but she still felt a bit let down.

Her mind was full of negative thoughts, but she didn’t want to worry Mary, so Selena acted composed.

“I’ll be back.”

The carriage door closed, and once she was finally alone, Selena let out a long sigh. Her dream from last night kept replaying in her mind.

* * *

“Selena, are you alright?”

“Of course, I’m fine. I’m glad to enter with you, Father.”

Selena managed a smile for her father, who looked worried. The dream she’d had seemed to be a sign that the debutante wouldn’t go smoothly.

Unlike the dream, Adrian hadn’t shown up with another woman, but something had happened at the debutante.

Apparently, the barbarian delegation’s meeting hadn’t finished as quickly as expected. Worried Selena might not be able to enter and would keep waiting, Adrian sent Earl Elisia to her.

The Earl had also been tied up in meetings with the delegation, but unlike Adrian, he could step out briefly.

“But… what’s the problem with the barbarians that the Duke can’t leave?”

“Well… you see…”

At Selena’s question, the Earl looked troubled, maybe even a bit annoyed. Selena was puzzled by this.

The southern barbarians had lost the war and brought reparations; as far as she knew, there shouldn’t be a problem unless they were here to start another war.

They had entered the Empire peacefully.

What could be the issue? While she pondered, the Earl urged her.

“Selena, let’s not linger here—let’s go in.”

“Oh, right.”

At the Earl’s signal, the doorman announced the arrival of Earl Elisia and Selena.

Selena, whom the Earl had kept hidden away, drew attention as she entered. With all eyes on her, Selena couldn’t think about the barbarians or Adrian anymore.

She was so nervous about making a mistake.

Because she’d waited for Adrian, she entered late, and soon after, the Emperor arrived to congratulate the debutantes.

Thankfully, the crowd’s attention shifted to the Emperor, and Selena breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps there really was a problem, as the Emperor gave only a short speech before leaving as soon as the first dance began.

“Lady, if you’re alright, may I have the next dance…?”

“I’m sorry, I was just about to rest.”

Even though Selena had taken a seat in a secluded corner after dancing the first dance with her father, unfamiliar young men kept approaching her. When her father was with her, his stern gaze kept them away, but when he stepped out, they began to request dances.

One brother was on duty and couldn’t attend, and the other had to accompany the Crown Prince, so neither could stay with her.

She’d danced the first dance with her father, but wanted the second with Adrian.

But he didn’t come, and instead, random young men kept asking her to dance, which was very troublesome.

Eventually, Selena headed for an empty lounge, but even on the way, suitors kept following her.

Just as she was about to cross the hallway to the lounge, she turned at the sound of a commotion.

She saw a man entering at the far end—his blond hair was familiar even from a distance.

There were many blonds in the ballroom, but Selena recognized Adrian’s sun-bright hair at once.

Beside him was a woman with fiery red hair, holding his arm affectionately.

Just as Selena recognized Adrian, he seemed to recognize her, even from afar.

Selena saw Adrian say something to the woman beside him, and her dream from the previous night flashed through her mind.

Maybe her dream wasn’t a warning, but a true premonition. Selena saw Adrian walking toward her, but turned and fled down the hallway toward the lounge.

Her high heels slowed her, but she ran as fast as she could. Tears blurred her vision.

Still, Selena didn’t stop running.

In her dream, it had felt like the ground was collapsing beneath her. But if she heard Adrian say he was marrying another woman, breaking off their engagement—Selena ran desperately to escape him.

“Selena.”

But escaping Adrian, a knight, was impossible from the start.

“Let go! Let me go, Duke.”

“Selena, why are you running from me?”

His voice was low and angry as he gripped her waist, but Selena didn’t notice and struggled to break free, not realizing she was only making him angrier.

“We’d better go inside somewhere.”

Noticing someone approaching down the hall, Adrian picked Selena up.

“No, put me down.”

“If you don’t quiet down, I’ll strip you here and s*ck your n*pples and p*ssy as much as I want.”

“How could you… do such a thing…”

“If I wanted to, you know I could, right? So behave.”

Selena shut her mouth, pale-faced. She knew Adrian wasn’t joking.

With Selena now quiet, Adrian strode purposefully somewhere. He was heading far from the lounge for debutante guests, but Selena didn’t realize.

It was her first time at the palace, after all.