Chapter 5. The Monster Duke
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As the evening sun set, darkness gradually fell over the gallery.

Marienne, who had been consoling her melancholy by looking at the hat painting, held out until it became pitch dark before returning to her room.

Rahta hadn’t returned, and Luna, whom she had hoped to see, was nowhere to be found.

It was a lonely night in an empty room, with only her own breath for comfort.

She was about to pull the bell rope to request dinner but decided against it, knowing she wouldn’t be able to eat more than a few bites.

Marienne listlessly removed her clothes, placing them on the screen, and changed into her nightgown.

It seemed like it might rain; the night breeze carried the scent of earth.

She approached the window and stretched out her hand. Falling raindrops pecked at her palm like birds.

She stared blankly at her increasingly wet hand, soothing herself after a tiring day.

“Marienne Rose.”

Startled by the voice that seemed like a dream, Marienne turned around.

“Your Grace?”

The figure standing behind her looked different from usual.

Seeing his precarious expression shadowed by candlelight, Marienne instinctively took a step back.

“What brings you to my room at this late hour?”

Instead of answering, he reached out a hand to cradle the back of her head, then buried his face in her lush hair.

Desperate breaths poured onto her nape.

Marienne pushed against his shoulders and turned away. But soon her waist was caught as well.

“What’s wrong? Are you having a seizure?”

His lips touched behind her ear.

“Marienne Rose.”

At his cracking low voice, Marienne clutched the hem of her nightgown. His palm on her waist was scorching hot.

Amidst fear and bewilderment, an unwelcome strange excitement bloomed.

Nigel raised his head. Marienne swallowed hard at his reddened eyes.

As the loose neckline of her nightgown tilted, his red gaze followed intently.

“…Heal me.”

Nigel commanded, seemingly struggling to hold something back as he steadied his breath.

Suddenly, the memory of that night from long ago came flooding back.

The first encounter that had once felt like destiny, though it had turned into a 300 deniso job.

“First, sit on the bed. Hold onto me if you feel dizzy.”

Nigel obediently took her outstretched hand and followed.

Marienne sat Nigel on the bed and stood between his legs.

With his eyes closed as if enduring severe pain, he was drenched in cold sweat.

Marienne cupped Nigel’s face and tilted it slightly back to make it easier to breathe into him.

The candle on the bedside table cast shadows on his face.

Though an absurd thought, his defenseless appearance seemed fragile enough to shatter.

Unconsciously, Marienne stroked his cheek with her thumb.

He slowly lifted his eyelids.

“I’m sorry.”

As Marienne hurriedly tried to remove her hand, Nigel caught it and leaned his cheek into it.

The heat from his forehead, cheeks, and bridge of his nose rubbed against her palm.

She could clearly feel the deep contours of his face and his moist breath.

Gazing at her with red eyes, he buried his lips in her palm.

A wet, firm tongue scraped against her skin.

“…Ah!”

When Marienne pulled her hand away in surprise, his eyes darkened.

Nigel looked up at Marienne, parting his lips to receive healing. Then, as if to show off, he rubbed his sharpened monster fangs with his tongue and moistened his upper lip.

Marienne’s chest heaved greatly.

It was just part of the healing process.

It was an act she had performed for adults, children, and even many men.

So the excessively loud heartbeat, the saliva that kept pooling, the tingling in her lower abdomen had nothing to do with the Duke. They shouldn’t have.

Marienne lowered her head while steadying herself on his broad shoulders.

Her glossy curls fell over Nigel’s ears.

At a distance where their lips almost touched, she closed her eyes and breathed in the healing breath.

A warm energy flowed into him.

Just as the fragrance enveloped them both, their lips met.

When Marienne opened her eyes, her lower lip was immediately bitten.

Through the gap, a slippery tongue entered and violently stirred inside her mouth.

“Mmph…”

When she tried to pull away, he pulled her closer.

He entwined her retreating tongue, then thrust deep into her throat, and when Marienne tried to exhale a ragged breath, he scraped the roof of her mouth.

Their heated breaths mingled dizzily rough.

Marienne pushed him away and raised her head.

Though the brief healing might have eased the pain, the seizure was bound to start again.

“The healing isn’t finished. This is troublesome.”

Nigel grimaced and grabbed Marienne’s arm.

His grown nails dug into her tender flesh. Soon, blood seeped out.

“You… what have you done?”

“I’m healing you, aren’t I?”

Nigel, cursing under his breath, rested his forehead on Marienne’s cleavage. Then, as if barely holding something back, he took a deep breath.

His grip on her arms tightened with brute force.

“Your Grace, it hurts.”

At her delicate plea, the Duke gritted his molars and looked up.

He pulled down the loose nightgown that had been bothering him for a while. One plump br*east was enticingly exposed before his eyes.

“Damn it.”

His red eyes were fixed as if nailed in place.

Marienne covered her chest with her free hand in alarm.

“What are you looking at!”

He chuckled and looked up at Marienne.

“Your nipple.”

Marienne slapped Nigel’s cheek.

It was an accident that occurred before she even realized what she was doing.

Pale-faced, she shook him off and tried to escape, but was caught before she could even grab the doorknob.

Her feet barely left the ground before she was thrown onto the bed in an instant.

Watching Marienne sprawled out, he reached behind his back and removed his tunic.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. My hand just… just moved on its own.”

Marienne pushed back against the sheets with her heels, retreating.

Her nightgown-style dress rode up to her thighs, but she didn’t even notice.

As her back touched the cold wall, the bitter taste of that 300 deniso deal finally sank in.

“I understand. I’ve just lost all thought too.”

Marienne’s gaze trembled anxiously.

So when he grabbed her ankle, she screamed and swung her other foot wide.

But he caught the flying foot without even looking.

“How cute. Everything you do just drives me crazy.”

Nigel painfully bit Marienne’s soft heel, then covered her ankle bone with his lips and sucked. Then, as if to show off, he stuck out his tongue and licked down her calf, rubbing his nose and lips behind her knee.

As one leg was lifted, Marienne was inevitably laid down. Her nightgown rode up to her lower abdomen, revealing her white thighs. Nigel’s breath grew rough as he narrowed his eyes. The outline of his thick, long manhood protruded through his pants.

“…Your Grace. P-please calm down.”

Ignoring her plea, Nigel roughly spread her legs and positioned himself. He lowered his bare upper body, bringing his face close to hers.

“Are you scared?”

Marienne shook her head bravely, despite her completely stiffened face.

“That’s good.”

Snorting, he stared at Marienne and brought her wrist to his own nipple. The protruding nub brushed against her curling fingertips.

Watching Marienne’s face turn bright red, Nigel raised the corner of his mouth seductively.

“Weren’t you curious about it?”

“No! Not that kind of thing!”

“That kind of thing?”

Frowning, Marienne twisted her wrist in his grip. Nigel chuckled and lowered her captured wrist to his hardened manhood.

“Your Grace!”

Marienne’s voice shot up at the feeling of a man’s lust for the first time in her life. But her following words of protest were immediately sealed by his lips.

As soon as her forcefully pressed lips parted, they were thoroughly rubbed by his thick tongue.

“Mmph…”

Every time she moaned, Nigel’s mockery spread in their joined mouths. Their lips, glistening with indistinguishable saliva, parted after a long while.

Nigel grabbed both of her slender wrists with one hand and pinned them above her head.

“Keep struggling.”

Nigel snorted as he watched Marienne cease her resistance. In contrast to his cold derision, his red eyes were boiling.

He slid his fingers along Marienne’s chin and neck, then pulled down the loose neckline of her nightgown. His eyes twitched at the pale br*easts revealed.