Had he dozed off while walking through the corridor?

Or was this the price he paid for staying up all night, unable to resist his l＊st after keeping ‘her’ at a distance for so long?

Either way, neither path brought him satisfaction. Even with magic, he’d never heard of any spell that could trap someone in black darkness without a known cause.

“…….”

When he sheathed his sword, the black darkness shattered and someone appeared bathed in light.

The silver-haired young man doubted his own eyes.

What emerged from the light was…….

A beauty with jet-black hair wearing a joyful expression—someone who would normally be completely beyond his reach.

“Ibris. Ibris.”

The call seemed to come from far away, but with just that single utterance, the darkness vanished instantly.

He had definitely been walking through the knights’ corridor after receiving a summons from Duke Shaunt…….

Ibris slowly blinked and took another look at the person before him.

The owner of that innocent voice calling his name smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around his neck.

This must be a dream. The woman he desired would never approach him so casually.

Moreover, she nestled into his embrace with such a pure expression, completely unaware that Ibris felt the urge to thrust himself inside her.

Yes, this was definitely a dream.

He’d been tormented by dreams of her for days, and the aftermath of staying up consecutive nights trying not to succumb to those desires was now manifesting.

“Ha…….”

So Ibris let out a self-deprecating laugh and twisted up one corner of his mouth.

“Princess Emmerin Shaunt.”

At his dry tone, she smiled even more brilliantly, like a dream should. Her disheveled black hair and face beaming like a sunflower under the sun only fanned his desires further.

But Ibris simply frowned and wrapped his arms around her waist where she nestled against his chest.

It felt too real.

But this was a dream.

A lucid dream, because he knew Emmerin would never smile at him like this.

“Ha…….”

If only he could suppress these feelings of attraction to Emmerin.

Ibris gazed at Emmerin with cold eyes, then closed them when she leaned down toward him. He felt a soft sensation on his lips.

Stupid b＊stard. What an idiot.

In reality, Emmerin was Princess of House Shaunt, holding a position far higher than his own as a mere Imperial guard knight. So her acting this way toward him could only happen in a dream.

“Mmm…….”

“Haa…… Princess Shaunt.”

But the dream was vivid and cruel. The soft sensation of Emmerin’s lips remained vividly in his dream.

So Ibris focused on the kiss.

He licked her lips with his tongue and parted her lower and upper lips, suddenly thrusting his flesh inside.

Even with his unpermitted thick tongue rolling around in her mouth, she showed no resistance…….

“Mmm. It feels good, Ibris.”

Rather.

“……Princess.”

Right……, and simultaneously Ibris raised his hand to Emmerin’s upper body and grasped her alluring, perky br*asts.

Because it was a dream.

“Haah!”

But when Emmerin let out such vivid sweet moans at his touch, Ibris’s lips slowly twisted.

Even setting aside his disgust at himself for being so eager to satisfy his desires by taking advantage of this dream, he didn’t want to wake up from the dream having only kissed Emmerin.

He pushed her against the wall.

With her trapped in his arms, Ibris smiled coldly.

“What an interesting dream indeed, Princess.”

So he decided to respond properly.

“I wonder if you realize how foolishly infatuated I am with you, that you even appear in such vulgar dreams of mine.”

He deliberately reached out to her, cruelly grasping and pulling at her br*ast, then caught her n*pple between his fingers beneath the front of her dress.

True to the dream, Emmerin wore nothing underneath her dress, and her lewd appearance sent excitement surging through his lower body, making him bite his lips.

He could make her get on all fours right here in the corridor and mount her like a beast, spreading her legs wide and thrusting into her…….

“Hng, Ibris.”

“Yes, Princess Shaunt.”

He was disgusted with himself for being unable to call her by name casually even in this moment.

But Ibris maintained his lustful yet outwardly dry gaze and slipped one arm behind Emmerin’s knee, lifting her up.

Perhaps due to the limits of his meager imagination, the setting was the usual corridor leading to the knights’ training ground, but even in a dream, he didn’t want to take Emmerin carelessly in a place where people came and went.

He wanted to be intimate with her only in a place where they were completely alone, drowning in her scent. He didn’t want other men to see Emmerin’s white skin.

“Let’s go to my room. This place is too exposed for us to spend time together as we should.”

But somehow interpreting his possessiveness, she smiled brightly.

“Haha, Ib. You’re so like yourself, Ib. Even at a time like this, you’re considerate of me.”

That was a realistic line, unlike a dream.

Feeling a sharp pain in his chest, Ibris slightly furrowed his brow and looked up at the lovely Emmerin. She still maintained her sweet smile without any sign of rejection, even while he held her br*ast.

She was like a sacred goddess.

And to think she would call him by his nickname so easily.

Feeling his chest grow heavy, Ibris began walking. Whether this was a dream or reality, he couldn’t tolerate being rough with Emmerin from their first time together.

No matter how much he had longed for Emmerin.

No matter how roughly he had imagined their relationship.

Roughly violating and defiling the woman before his eyes didn’t suit his temperament.

Even if this was a dream relationship, he would be taking Emmerin’s precious purity.

Though it was a dream, he wanted to cherish her.

So Ibris frowned and headed to his room.

The single room given only to tournament winners in the knights’ order. It was proof of his undeniable skill. The room, usually so soundproof he found it eerily quiet, was extremely welcome right now.

And throughout the walk, he steeled his resolve with patience to properly embrace her.

“Princess. I’m going to hold you now.”

Making what could be seen as a frightening declaration, Ibris placed Emmerin on the bed. Even so, Emmerin showed not a hint of rejection and smiled radiantly.

Like she too had desired this dream, this moment when she was more seductive than anyone else.

“That’s what I want, Ibris.”

He couldn’t bear it.

Ibris looked at her with outwardly dry eyes, then sat beside her and quietly stroked her pale white cheek with the back of his hand.

Then he spoke in a foolishly quiet, subdued voice.

“Though this is a dream, it seems far too favorable to me, Emmerin. In reality, you must never approach me like this. You and I…….”

Don’t match.

Unable to voice those words, Ibris moistened his parched lips.

But Emmerin seemed to guess Ibris’s feelings and reached out to nestle fully into his embrace.

She placed her hand gently against his firm chest muscles, seemingly to savor their texture, then slowly raised her translucent pink eyes to look up at him vividly.

The sight was incredibly beautiful.

“But it’s okay. This is all a dream anyway.”

At her words suggesting she would forgive him no matter what he did to her, Ibris’s eyes widened slightly.

Those eyes flickered recklessly like flames in the wind, then finally shadows fell beneath his half-lowered eyelids.

Ibris muttered gloomily.

“That’s right. All of this is a dream.”

But contrary to his dark mood, his hand crept up and grasped Emmerin’s perky br*ast again.

Then, like a hunter who had chosen his target, he gripped Emmerin’s shoulders and laid her completely down on the bed.

Heat now blazed fully in his gaze. His sapphire eyes rippled like blue lava.

Even in that moment, Emmerin wore a lewd smile and looked up at him.

“Emmerin…….”

“Ib.”

He found it pleasant when Emmerin called him by his nickname. So Ibris unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth and called Emmerin’s name. Though it would be unforgivably rude in reality, the woman in his dream seemed to want exactly that.

But he was also genuinely afraid.

A single word of rejection would pierce him like a dagger.

So he kissed her pink lips to prevent her from speaking, wanting to hear nothing but his sweet nickname.