It was strange.

Whenever his wife was meek, his mood plummeted. He hated both her defiance and her obedience. Confused by his own emotions, Cedric bit down hard on his lip.

Rather than examining his feelings or seeking an answer, however, he pursued the pleasure right before him. Rather than looking at his wife’s reflection in the window, he bent down and sank his teeth into the nape of her neck.

Perhaps expecting the pain, Anita only flinched once when he got close. It was pathetic to know exactly what a man was about to do. Yet even that stirred Cedric’s irritation. Why won’t you react to me?

He bit her harder on purpose.

“Ah—it hurts… ugh…”

Only after Anita let out a sound she could no longer suppress did Cedric lift his face. Seeing her grimace in pain, he grabbed her and dragged her backwards.

Before she could react, Anita found herself seized and straddling Cedric’s lap sideways on the couch in an instant.

The proximity of their faces made her uneasy. With her head lowered and her waist firmly restrained, she shifted awkwardly, unable to move freely. Leaning back against the sofa, Cedric gave a sharp tilt of his chin.

“Are you just going to sit there? Use your hands.”

What did he mean by that?

When Anita hesitated, not understanding, Cedric sighed. He grabbed her right arm, straightened it and guided it around his neck. The sudden closeness made Anita avert her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

“Do you know what’s been on my mind lately?”

Cedric frowned at the sight of her bowed head. Then he hooked his right hand under the fabric over her chest. In one swift motion, he tore through the sturdy cloth with startling ease.

Rip!

Had it not been for the hand gripping her waist, she might have collapsed from the shock. A sharp cry escaped her lips as she stared in horror at her torn dress and the slip beneath it.

Cedric’s eyes were devoid of remorse as he reached for the ruined fabric and pulled down the shoulder strap of her chemise. Then, with hurried hands, he untied the sash around her waist and pulled away the thick cloth she had placed there to absorb the milk seeping through. He thought absently that it was fortunate his wife didn’t favor corsets to shape her figure. Otherwise, the impatience clawing at him would have been unbearable.

The bare br*asts that he had only ever touched before were now filling his vision. The soft-looking mounds were the perfect match for his fastidious tastes. Without any sense of shame, Cedric buried his face in his wife’s br*ast and continued what he had been saying.

“Especially when I’m this close to you, I think, I shouldn’t have given you the Empress seat. I regret it belatedly.”

“……”

“I often think I should have just let you be the last of the Hèrditèw at the right time.”

Anita’s heart, chilled by shame, raced at Cedric’s words. Her stopped breath and pounding heartbeat were perceptible even to him. He let out a low chuckle and traced his wife’s bare skin with his lips. Still with his face against her chest, he raised his eyes to meet hers from below.

“It would be troublesome if you misunderstood. It’s not that I actually intended to kill you.”

“Ah…”

“If you, Anita, were to die, where would I find this kind of fun?”

Following his hot breath, his red tongue licked her n*pple. The milk that had gathered there dampened his tongue, and the familiar scent of br*ast milk overwhelmed Cedric’s sense of smell instantly. Could the drinks that the ancient gods consumed be this sweet? In the eyes of the father who had claimed his child’s entire share, a fierce sense of possessiveness overflowed.

“I should have announced your death in childbirth and locked you away as a nameless woman somewhere.”

“..…”

“Then I could have fully indulged in this whenever I pleased. If I erase your name, what I do to you won’t be anyone else’s business, will it?”

“..…”

“What would anyone say if I did worse things than this? You’d cease to exist.”

“..…”

“But I gave you the title of empress, even if it’s just a façade, and now I have to pay so much attention to you. I’m angry because I can’t act as I please.”

His languid voice, intoxicated by the scent of milk, spat out a chilling sincerity that contradicted the atmosphere. Cedric truly regretted not doing so. He wished he had made her his slave instead of giving her the title of empress. He wanted to hide her away somewhere only he knew about, a place where he could indulge in all the things he wished to do with her.

Anita had long since given up trying to understand Cedric. However, even hearing these words made her teeth chatter. No matter how much he hated her, how could he say such things?

“Are you afraid of what I might do to you?”

It was true that she was suddenly terrified that he might actually do it. Anita simply held her breath, offering no reply to Cedric’s question.

“You should be.”

Though he received no answer, it was as good as having heard one. Looking at his wife’s pale face, Cedric muttered something under his breath and then snickered wretchedly.

He took Anita’s left br*ast greedily into his mouth. Moistening the bright red ar*ola and cherry-like n*pple with his saliva, he sucked loudly, making a long, drawn-out sound.

This was not the first time Cedric had done such a thing. The fact that Anita’s milk had not stopped was largely down to him. Having her br*ast sucked by a much larger man was always an extremely shameful experience for Anita.

“Stop it! This isn’t right.”

“What isn’t?”

At his wife’s sniffle, Cedric lifted his face. His lips, coated with saliva and white liquid, glistened more than ever.

“It can’t fulfil its original purpose anyway, can it? You should be grateful that it’s being used so usefully for your husband’s pleasure. Because it’s not being wasted. Moreover, this significantly raises your value.”

“Please don’t say such things…”

“It’s not untrue, is it? After all, the only thing you can immediately offer me is pleasure from your body. Since that’s a considerable part of what I’m looking for, don’t feel ashamed.”

They were shameless words that knew no bounds. Anita collapsed in utter devastation.

Ignoring this, Cedric poked Anita’s right n*pple with his pointed tongue. A considerable amount of milk leaked out and a distinctly sweet taste coated his tongue immediately.

However, he quickly noticed that his wife’s milk supply was diminishing. If things continued like this, he wouldn’t know how much longer he would be able to enjoy it. Feeling a pang of regret, he took his wife’s br*ast into his mouth once again. With his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, he sucked the milk out audibly.

How much time had passed like that? Cedric did not stop, even after he had completely exhausted his wife’s milk supply. He only stopped after Anita had pleaded with him repeatedly and eventually ceased to make any sound, having grown exhausted. Even then, he clung to her empty br*ast for a long time, as if reluctant to let go, before finally pulling away.

One might have expected him to show mercy at that point, like a satiated beast. Yet despite his thoroughly satisfied appearance, Cedric only contemplated manipulating his wife further.

“Anita. My wife. The Empress of Laxion. The mother of my daughter.”

He raised his head and addressed her with her grand titles before placing a light kiss on her forehead. Then he put a hand on the back of her head and forced their foreheads to meet.

“Don’t forget. Those titles that allow you to save face. Clearly engrave the fact that you possess none of those glorious things without my mercy.”

His silver eyes shone with an intensely cruel light as he tried to read her every emotion. At the same time, an overwhelming obsession threatened to consume Anita.

“Therefore, don’t show me even the slightest bit of resistance. Know your place, and think carefully about how you ought to behave.”

Anita was disgusted and afraid of him. She could only listen to Cedric’s words. Cedric couldn’t hide his smile when he saw his wife. He could feel with his whole body that he had her completely under his control.

However, he was mistaken. He did not know that Anita did not see him as her husband. Ignorant of this, he threatened her arrogantly until the very end.

“That way, I’ll regret the things I’ve given you a little less.”

··· ✦ ···

The traces left by the Emperor’s visit were beyond embarrassing, they were horrific. The Marchioness Kalente briefly looked at the ruined dress being carried out by a maid, then averted her gaze.

Anita sat alone in the dark bedroom, dressed only in a light nightdress. Perhaps it was because she was wearing comfortable attire with her hair down after washing it. With her unadorned, pale face, her mistress looked excessively youthful and barely like a woman who had given birth.

Yet while the Empress resembled her niece, who had recently made her debut in society, she also looked different. Her silent expression and exhausted eyes were qualities that could never be found in her lively niece. In fact, she resembled her younger sister, who had suffered from illness all her life and been buried in the cold earth long ago.

“Your Majesty, the Empress.”

The Marchioness pushed aside the unnecessary thoughts crowding her mind.

She bowed politely to Anita before approaching her mistress at a measured pace. Gently, she lifted a soft cloth and brushed Anita’s damp hair ends, just as she once did for her younger sister.

The Empress’s hair, gleaming like spun platinum, was as dazzling as ever. But it wasn’t just her hair. Her mistress was the very embodiment of beauty. Even those who resented the Empress could not deny it; they all said the same thing: that she seemed touched by divine grace.

And yet, they also carelessly whispered: that the Emperor kept her only for her looks.

Recalling such vulgar talk, Marchioness Kalente frowned until her gaze fell upon the distinct mark on the nape of the Empress’s neck. The deep tooth mark, surrounded by dark, mottled bruises, left her momentarily speechless.

“It would be best not to keep that child near you for a while.”