“……What?”

Ines asked, a beat behind.

“Do you really wish for me not to leave?”

“Well…….”

Carlos looked at Ines with a gaze that seemed to seek something.

His unexpected response caused Ines’s eyes to waver. She hadn’t anticipated anything beyond sharing a room with Carlos. Besides, weren’t they in mourning right now?

Unsure of how to respond, she avoided his gaze. He likely wouldn’t have spoken that way if he were sober. Perhaps he was just drunk and seeking comfort from someone due to his overwhelming fatigue.

This suggested that if she rejected him now, he might seek out another woman. For instance……

Ines bit her lip at the sudden thought of Raella.

Although Uriel had left the palace, Raella was still there. She had never concealed her intentions, so if Carlos called for her, she would readily warm his side.

Ines clenched her fist tightly. Even though she had no right to be jealous, the thought of her husband holding another woman made her furious. Moreover,

‘You must have a son and make him the heir to secure your position as Queen.’

Margaret’s advice echoed in her mind.

‘Yes, a child…… If only I had a child.’

Like those noblewomen whose husbands’ attitudes changed after they became pregnant, her relationship with Carlos might soften compared to now. She had already decided to stay by Carlos’s side. She had promised her mother she would remain his wife and find happiness.

Since it wouldn’t be the first time she had been with Carlos, there was no reason to back down. This was a rare opportunity for Ines. But perhaps she hesitated too long. Watching her silence, Carlos let out a low chuckle, as if he had already anticipated her reaction.

“I must have said something unnecessary.”

As if he had wasted enough time, he turned away without hesitation. However, before he crossed the threshold, Ines grabbed his coat. Carlos stopped and met her gaze.

In his lake-like clear eyes, a small ripple appeared.

“Here……”

Ines stammered as she spoke.

“Please stay here tonight.”

Perhaps it was the candlelight casting a glow on her skin, but Ines’s ears turned red. As soon as she finished speaking, a quiet stillness enveloped the room. The only light came from a few lit candles and the moonlight filtering through the window.

As Carlos’s gaze shifted to Ines’s lips, the door quietly closed in the tranquil atmosphere.

At that moment, Carlos pulled Ines’s wrist and cupped her face. Then, he captured her lips with his own.

“Mm!”

Startled by his sudden kiss, Ines’s eyes widened briefly. In response, she grabbed his forearm, her small hand crumpling his white shirt.

Even though they had kissed before, her reaction remained inexperienced. As Ines squeezed her eyes shut without opening her mouth, Carlos whispered a command.

“Open.”

His hot breath tickled her face.

“Ha, mm.”

Responding instinctively to his command, Ines parted her lips, and his soft tongue immediately invaded her mouth. His hot, moist tongue swept through her mouth like a conqueror.

The sharp scent of alcohol and the bitter aroma of wine filled her senses. His tongue roamed over her teeth, teasing her tongue mercilessly. Carlos sucked on her mouth with such intensity that it felt as if he would pull her tongue out.

The force of Carlos’s advance bent Ines’s back. She clung to him to keep herself from falling. Yet, it was difficult to manage the man who pressed so fiercely against her.

The wet sounds echoed in the room for what felt like an eternity. Carlos’s lips moved to nuzzle her neck. The large hand that had been wrapped around her waist slowly moved upward. His fingers, reaching her chest, traced a slow line between her br*asts.

“Ha, ah…….”

Was it because of the wine? Or perhaps due to the thin chemise she wore? Ines couldn’t suppress a moan as his hand teased her chest. Responding to her sensitive reaction, his touch grew more intense, revealing his unfiltered desire for possession.

Ines quietly gasped and ruffled Carlos’s hair. As his cool scent tickled her nose, Carlos lifted Ines into his arms, unable to hold back any longer. Though his movement was light, as if lifting a feather, there was an urgency to it.

He gently laid Ines down on the bed and removed his shirt, tossing it aside. The shirt, pulled off as if it might tear, landed on the carpet.

Soon, his muscular body was covering Ines.

As if to continue where they had paused, he tugged at her chemise.

The white chemise, now half-removed, exposed one side of her chest. His lips, which had been sucking on her neck like a vampire, found their place on Ines’s right br*ast.

Carlos devoured her br*ast as if he were biting into sweet fruit.

“Ah…”

Worried that someone still awake might hear her moan, Ines quickly covered her mouth with both hands. However, it was impossible to completely stifle the sounds escaping through her fingers.

As he persistently teased her n*pple with his teeth, Carlos’s hand slid up her thigh.

His hand moved naturally to remove her underwear, which was already damp between her thighs.

By the time her underwear, caught around her ankles, tumbled onto the bed, Carlos had smoothly inserted a long finger inside her twitching core. The unexpected intrusion made Ines’s body jolt.

“Ah…”

Carlos gently swirled his finger inside her, gradually adding more. What had been tight with just one finger now accommodated three.

“No more…”

Ines grasped Carlos’s wrist, signaling that she couldn’t take any more. But Carlos didn’t stop his probing.

His lips, which had been on her chest, slowly traveled downward. Passing her stomach, his lips settled between her thighs. His blunt tongue touched the tightly closed entrance. At that moment, Ines pulled back.

“Wait, Carlos. Not there…!”

Despite her urgent plea, his blunt tongue flicked her cl*toris and began to suck deeply. Instantly, Ines’s body arched like a fish out of water.

“Ah!”

Carlos quenched his thirst with the copious fluids flowing from her like a broken faucet. He was as parched as someone who hadn’t had a drop of water in days.

“That’s dirty…ugh!”

The fact that Carlos was feasting on her below made her feel embarrassed and ashamed. Instinctively, Ines grabbed his hair and wrapped her legs around his torso. The deeper his tongue delved, the tighter her legs clenched.

It was on a different level from when he used his fingers. Carlos continued to thrust his fingers between her folds while his tongue toyed with her.

Soon, her whole body trembled, and her hands and feet curled. As something stirred in her lower abdomen, Ines’s head tilted back.

“Ahhh!”

Without time to worry if anyone heard, the climax crashed over her like a wave. She struggled to escape the overwhelming sensation, but his firm grip on her thighs held her in place.

The sound of sucking echoed in the room like someone savoring candy. It was hard to believe the noise was coming from below her.

Exhausted from the climax, Ines’s body went limp. Only then did Carlos rise and wipe his lips with the back of his hand.

“Ha.”

Carlos exhaled a short breath as he undid his trousers. His member, released from its confines, sprang up, asserting its presence. Ines inhaled sharply at the sight.

It seemed even larger than before. The thought that such a thing had entered her body made her swallow involuntarily.

Carlos leaned over Ines, pulling at the garment draped over one shoulder as if it were a nuisance. Her white shoulder was completely exposed.

As if that wasn’t enough, Carlos was about to completely remove her chemise when,

Ines’s eyes suddenly flashed.

She remembered the scar on her back, forgotten in the heat of the moment. Instinctively, she clutched her clothes and retreated as if fleeing from him. Standing a distance from the bed, Ines panted as she looked at Carlos.

The atmosphere, which had been heating up, cooled instantly as if doused with cold water. Carlos turned to look at the now distant Ines, frozen in place.

After assessing the situation, he exhaled a low breath.

“Ha.”

His lips seemed to tremble slightly, as if with a spasm.

“Of course.”

He let out a bitter laugh, raking a hand through his hair as if realizing his mistake. He looked like someone forcibly awakened from a sweet dream.

Left alone on the bed, Carlos murmured softly.

“I momentarily forgot that you treat me like a breeding stallion.”