Chapter 3.4

“You were standing at the harbor, looking at the ship with such wonder. It was so beautiful.”

“Ah, wait, ah! Ah, ah…!”

“I still think boarding that ship was the best decision of my life.”

Their lower bodies collided fiercely. Her dangling leg and grasped body swayed helplessly.

Callisto growled and thrust deeply, his muscular lower abdomen twitching as he released inside her. At the same time, Richel’s hips clenched tightly around him, gripping him deep inside. He rotated his hips slowly, savoring the afterglow.

“I never expected you to recognize me. Even if that moment was unforgettable for me, it wouldn’t be for you.”

Holding Richel’s body, Callisto walked to the bed.

“But I’m sure it would have been a happy memory if you had known me.”

Ha, a self-deprecating laugh escaped him.

“No, on second thought, that would be troublesome. If you remembered every person you briefly encountered, I’d be angry for sure. Just like now.”

He flipped Richel’s body over and placed her on the bed. Richel lay there, panting.

“Did you remember another man’s voice?”

He pressed against her back.

“No matter how much he hosted, how could you? In that state, at that moment, you remembered my subordinate’s voice?”

“Hah…!”

He pushed into her entrance. The pressure as he dug deep inside made Richel’s body contract.

“Yet you didn’t recognize my touch.”

“Ah, ah, ah…!”

“I changed my voice, called your name, even filled you, but you didn’t care about me.”

“Ah, stop, just for a moment, ah! Ah, ah…!”

Callisto moved his hips heavily. Her legs, half-hanging off the bed, swung limply.

“I can’t watch that. I can’t stand by and watch you seek another man, I can’t…!”

Thud! He thrust into her forcefully. Gritting his teeth, Callisto ravaged her entrance. Richel screamed, clutching the bed. Saliva dripped from her parted lips.

“If there’s a god, if there’s a heaven, I begged them to give me only you, Richel. I told them if I had you, I could do anything. Whether I lived as the Emperor’s dog or whatever, I’d gladly do it…!”

“Ah, ah, ah! Ah, ah…!”

“Do you think I’d give you to another man?”

A sizzling voice spilled from behind Richel’s neck. Callisto held her upper body tightly and thrust himself inside her.

“You won’t go anywhere. Even if you resent me, even if you hate me to the point of trembling, you’ll stay by my side, like this, for the rest of your life….”

Squelch, squelch. The movements of his lower body caused his release to spill out, thick and sticky, trailing down her thighs.

“If you want someone else, tell me. I’ll change.”

“Ah, ahh, hic, hng, haah, hng…!”

“I can’t change my face, damn it, but my voice, my tone, my behavior—whatever you want, I’ll do it.”

He pulled out deeply, then thrust back in. Thud, thud, his heavy movements caused Richel’s body to bounce uncontrollably.

“So don’t leave.”

“Hng, ahh! Ah, haah! Ah, ah…!”

“Don’t look for another man, don’t leave me. Just live while taking only me, please.”

His thrusts grew faster. A low groan rumbled from his throat as his body stiffened.

Thud! He slammed into her harder than ever before. Richel trembled as she felt the warmth spreading inside her.

“I love you. I do. I love you.”

He gripped her chest tightly as he moved his hips a few more times. Squelch, squelch. Each slap of their bodies caused fluid to gush from her entrance.

“Richel.”

His voice calling her name was soaked with emotion. Richel blinked blankly. Cold tears slid down her cheeks.

“Richel, Richel….”

The desperate tone in his voice blurred Richel’s vision. Her trembling hands gripped the sheets. Finally, Richel buried her face into the bed, her expression crumpling.

Shlurp. A sticky sound accompanied him pulling out. Callisto straightened up and gazed down at Richel. She lay trembling on the bed, her delicate shoulders quivering. He reached out and touched her.

“Richel.”

Richel didn’t respond. Callisto opened his throat, as if swallowing a stone.

“Do you hate even looking at my face now?”

“……”

“I can’t help it. Without you, I…”

His tone reverted to its usual polite form. The rough language mercenaries often used disappeared, replaced by a respectful manner that couldn’t hide his desperation.

Callisto carefully grasped Richel’s trembling hand. Expecting her to push him away, he froze when Richel didn’t react. His anxiety grew, and he called her again.

“Hate me if you want. Hit me, curse me—just please, look at me.”

Callisto leaned his head against Richel’s as he begged. Her frail shoulders shook as small sobs escaped her. His face twisted in anguish. His thick arms wrapped around her body, cradling her gently as he kissed her here and there.

Thud. Richel slapped Callisto’s hand away. His face contorted as though his throat were being squeezed. His Adam’s apple bobbed roughly.

Callisto reached out again, but Richel pushed his shoulder away.

“Don’t touch me.”

Richel, still burying her face in the bed, pushed his large frame away. Her anger at him was so intense that she dropped formal speech. Though the situation was one that could be misunderstood, his behavior had been far too reckless.

Her cold voice caused Callisto’s body to tremble. Even her weak, insignificant strength pushed him far away. Yet, he reached out to her again.

When his touch landed on her, Richel raised her head. Her face, drenched in tears, twisted with anger as she struck his broad chest with her fists.

“…Richel.”

“Don’t call me! I don’t want to hear it!”

Richel sobbed as she hit his shoulders. She struck him repeatedly, as if she couldn’t stand the sight of him. Her wrist trembled as it collided with his firm chest.

“Stop. You’ll hurt yourself.”

Callisto, who had been quietly enduring her blows, grabbed her wrist.

“Let go!”

Richel shook her head and struggled. Callisto rose from his seat, sat on the bed, and pulled her onto his lap. Then, he grabbed the sword that had fallen to the floor and placed it in Richel’s hand.

Callisto held her hand and pointed the tip of the sword at his heart. Richel froze, staring at her husband’s expressionless face.

“What, what are you…?”

“Even if you hit me, your hand will only hurt.”

Callisto tightened his grip. As the blade approached his heart, Richel’s body trembled.

“There’s no other way to escape me. As long as I’m alive, you’ll never go anywhere.”

“……”

“If you want peace, stab me, Richel. It won’t harm you.”

Callisto closed his eyes. A faint smile appeared on his face, which was always rigid.

Her husband was pressing the blade against his heart, worried that her hand might hurt. He was even telling her to stab him, smiling as he did so. Seeing his smile for the first time, Richel’s face crumpled.

“I hate you, really…”

“……”

“But I like you…”

Richel leaned her face against Callisto’s chest. His firm chest became soaked with her tears.

“What did you just say…?”

His low voice trembled.

“What did you say? Say it again.”

Richel sobbed as she clung to his broad chest.

“I… I thought of you too.”

“……”

“On stage, when I was sold to a stranger for 10 billion gold, I heard your voice… I thought you were calling my name…”

Callisto’s eyes widened.

“Was I the only one who didn’t say anything? Hic, you didn’t say anything either. You didn’t tell me anything—not your job, not even your full name, not why we got married…”

Thud. Her small fist pushed against his solid chest.

“I kept telling you. I told you to listen to me. I followed you because you said we were going out for some fresh air. I tried to tell you so many times, but you wouldn’t listen! You just hugged me like this every day…”

“……”

“You should have told me from the start… What does being a mercenary matter? You’re my husband anyway…”

Richel’s face crumpled.

“I never dreamed of looking for a lover…”

Clang. The sword dropped to the floor, and their bodies collided tightly.

“This doesn’t make sense. There’s no way… Damn it, what is this…”

Disbelieving words spilled from his lips as he kissed her. He growled and kissed Richel’s tear-streaked face.

“What did I do? How could you… How could someone like you…”

Damn it. 

Callisto whispered with a trembling voice.

“I’m sorry, Richel. I’m sorry. I… I’m really…”

He stroked her back and whispered apologies. He kissed her tear-stained eyelids and feverish forehead repeatedly.

His tender touch calmed Richel’s sobs. As she sniffled and occasionally shook her shoulders, Callisto opened his mouth.

“I don’t know how to explain this. I don’t know where to start…”

“…From the beginning.”

The beginning. Callisto muttered and nodded.

“I suppose I should start with why we got married.”

Richel listened intently to the answer she had been curious about for so long.

“It was because of me.”

“What?”

“I asked the Emperor. I told him I’d bring victory in any war if he let me meet you.”

He gently stroked Richel’s back. His icy blue eyes softened.

“I wanted confirmation. I wanted to know if the person who stole my heart with a single glance truly existed, if it was really you. I wondered if I had hallucinated during a difficult time.”

“……”

“But I didn’t demand marriage outright. I just wanted to meet you, but the Emperor arranged it himself. That greedy old man wanted to curry favor with me.”

Callisto chuckled coldly and lowered his gaze.

“I worried constantly. What if you thought I was strange? What if you were scared of the Emperor and forced into marriage?”

“……”

“And yet…”

His dark head dropped.

“I’m sorry. For putting a price on you. For bargaining for you with jewels. For being such an uneducated, lowly man… For being your husband.”

“……”

“I know you’re afraid of me. Although you’re kind enough to approach me and talk to me first, I’ve always known. You’ve always been wary of me.”

Richel’s lips quivered. That was…

“I wanted to get closer to you…”

“What?”

“I just wanted to get closer to you. But you didn’t seem to like talking much….”

“What do you mean I didn’t like it? That’s not true!”  

Callisto vehemently denied it.