Chapter 4 – Part 5

“I’m not a child, Evan.”

Winter is coming soon. The cold breeze coming in through the window nipped at their hair.

For this moment, as if they were the only two people in the world, Anne called Duke Evan Davis by his first name.

Apparently not displeased by this, he embraced her and slowly climbed the stairs.

As they ascended, Anne kissed his face, deepening the dimple on his cheek.

“What’s with the sudden wind?”

Anne replied with a slightly bitter laugh.

“Just, I wanted to do this, but now let me off. Your legs must be tired. You must have waited a long time for me after your work….”

“I was going to scold you.”

“You wouldn’t be able to, anyway.”

“Who is this person who was suddenly seducing me?”

Evan recalled Anne’s earlier boldness and smiled faintly.

Whenever things got tough, she always found a cute way to escape the situation.

He frowned, then stalked off to their room.

“Oh, really.”

“What? Are you upset because I treated you like a child?”

“Yes, I am.”

Evan chuckled.

“I’m going to treat you like an adult from now on, you better get used to it.”

At his sneer, Anne buried her head in his arms.

When she mumbled something no one else could understand, Evan pointed to his cheek.

“Here. Give me a kiss.”

Anne lifted her head slightly and looked up at him. When Evan smiled inwardly in anticipation, she blew on his cheek and then kissed him on the cheek.

Smooch.

“There, happy?”

Feeling her soft lips on his cheek, Evan’s excitement flared up as he faced her.

“You should have done this a long time ago.”

“…You’re so shameless. You know that?”

“Yeah. Do you get it now?”

Smiling, Evan laid her down on the bed.

Anne’s cheeks quickly flushed as her back hit the bed. Seeing this, Evan pressed his lips firmly against hers.

“Stop teasing and get on with it.”

When Anne dared to urge him, Evan chuckled softly and moved from her lips to her ear, gently teasing her.

Then he just stared at her face.

Embarrassed by his gaze, Anne covered her face with her hands and shouted.

“Really!”

“Shall I hold you?”

When she nodded, he grinned crookedly and whispered,

“Tell me you like it.”

“I like it.”

Smiling with satisfaction at her answer, Evan took her hand and slipped the emerald-studded ring onto her finger.

“Evan?”

“My gift.”

“I can’t accept something like this.”

“It’s good to have such valuables on you. You can sell it and get money in an emergency.”

Sell it in an emergency!

Anne glanced at Evan, then back at the ring.

There was no way she could sell this ring. It was a gift from him that she was sure she would keep until the day she died.

Evan laughed quietly at the sight of Anne looking at the ring with such care.

It was refreshing to see Anne’s reaction, since he’d been sure she’d look at it as if she’d been given a worthless piece of rock.

She seemed pleased, smiling beautifully as she looked at the ring, spreading her fingers in the air.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Of course.”

Anne slipped her hand under his shirt. He let out a deep moan as she traced the line of his hollow spine, nudging his muscles.

“I won’t go easy on you tonight.”

What had once terrified her, she now eagerly anticipated.

She wanted to possess him.

Forgetting that she should not harbor such possessiveness over Evan, she only wanted his love, even if it was just physical. Now, as he said, she could really focus on this moment.

Anne replied, smiling brighter than ever.

“Love me. Make me lose my mind.”

“Don’t regret it.”

Anne giggled at the sweetness in Evan’s eyes.

But the smile was short-lived.

Evan hastily fumbled with her dress. It was a simple evening gown with plain decorative knots, but his hands kept getting tangled. Finally, out of patience, he tore the dress apart, and the fabric fell to the floor in an instant.

His teeth grazed the nape of her neck, making a kiss mark.

“Ah.”

Evan kissed her all over, one at a time, as if they were making out for the first time today. Anne was overcome with embarrassment.

When he reached her stomach, he lifted his head and looked at her, and for a moment she couldn’t think of anything else as their eyes locked in the darkness.

The sight of the most handsome man in the empire wanting her with his animalistic gaze was deadly.

She stared at Evan for a moment, mesmerized, and before she knew it, she was clinging to him, begging.

“Evan, please….”

Evan sighed at the sight of her disheveled, pleading face. He couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Anne, if you keep urging me like this, I…”

Evan squeezed his eyes shut as he heard Anne’s trembling voice from below.

The plan to take his time and be gentle had already flown out the window.

“Tell me if it hurts.”

At his warning-like advice, Anne nodded.

As the solid pressure pierced through her, Anne couldn’t even cry out and clutched the sheets tightly.

Her slightly swollen lips, reddened from numerous deep kisses, were bitten down hard. Evan caressed her face and whispered.

“Don’t bite. You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Ugh.”

Evan shifted in her grip.

“That’s why I told you not to rush me, didn’t I?”

By now, tears had streamed down her face, but Evan didn’t relent. He continued to caress and whisper to her in a voice mixed with heat.

“Remember, I’m the one who can end this relationship. Don’t think otherwise, and there won’t be any problems between us.”

Until he had completely satisfied his desire.

Until dawn turned to morning.

Relentlessly tormenting her over and over again.

Evan ingrained into her mind that there was no other choice.