Chapter 3 (Part 1)

Who could have predicted that bringing Celestia to the Ruden estate would escalate into the current situation? Kayev, for the first time since that day, regretted his decision to bring her into his mansion.

“H-Hngh, Kayev… Hngh… It’s so strange… Hnngh!”

Even as he roughly kneaded Celestia’s pale, ample chest and greedily licked her flushed, heated core, Kayev couldn’t erase the guilt lingering in a corner of his heart. Yet, he couldn’t stop himself either. He was unable to lift his mouth from Celestia’s lower body, which had turned a deep pink under his relentless tongue.

It was obvious at a glance that she had never experienced such things before. Her innocent reactions—her flushed red face and tear-filled eyes—excited him so much that he ached below. Her startled movements, twisting her hips at the unfamiliar sensations, only spurred him on further.

Of course, Kayev himself was no different in terms of inexperience. His family had been destroyed when he was just reaching adulthood, and since then, he had been consumed by revenge and the restoration of his house, leaving no room for anything else.

But inexperience didn’t mean ignorance. Especially now, with Celestia before him, Kayev instinctively knew what he needed to do.

He savored her thoroughly. He swept his tongue across the layers of petals, teasing and heightening her sensitivity. The scent and taste of Celestia filled his mouth, and his already clouded mind seemed to come to a complete halt.

“Hngh, ah…! Ah…! Ah, Kayev…!”

Amid the merciless licking and sucking of his lips, the obscene sound of wetness echoed loudly. The deeper he buried his head, the louder Celestia’s cries became.

After a while, Kayev finally lifted his head, licking his lips, which were now a mess of his saliva and her fluids. He wanted to see her reaction.

Her body responded faithfully to the pleasure given to her. Her thighs trembled slightly, her hips twitched as if in convulsions, and her core continued to leak endlessly. However, her expression, as she covered her mouth with her hand, was not one of pure joy. Kayev’s eyes darkened. Seeing her tightly shut eyes beneath him only deepened his guilt.

“I told you to open your eyes and look at me.”

Her trembling blue eyes finally opened, revealing their clear hue.

Yes, he would rather she look straight at him. Whether it was hatred or resentment, as long as her blue eyes were filled with him, he could bear whatever emotion they held.

As long as she didn’t turn away, there was still a chance.

Now fully rising from between her legs, Kayev cast a dark shadow over her pale, delicate body once more.

* * *

The events of today had unfolded for the most absurd of reasons.

Since Jacob had become Crown Prince, Kayev, as his right-hand man, had unintentionally gained even more prominence in society.

Naturally, the greedy nobles had no intention of leaving the Crown Prince’s closest confidant alone. Nobles with any degree of recognition in the capital were desperate to invite him to their leisurely social gatherings, whether they were hunts or parties.

Tonight’s event was one such occasion.

Perhaps the trouble began when Kayev couldn’t refuse the invitation, as Crown Prince Jacob was also attending.

The reason nobles persistently invited Kayev to parties was not to admire his impressive figure. They always sought to form deeper connections with him. Ideally, connections strong enough to benefit from once Jacob ascended the throne.

For an unmarried man like Kayev, such connections typically meant marriage. However, after rejecting numerous proposals, the nobles seemed to interpret his actions differently.

‘The Duke is still young, so he must prefer to enjoy his freedom rather than settle down.’

Wherever the rumor had originated, it had led to even bolder advances toward Kayev. Those who wanted to get close to him—or even exploit his weaknesses—all seemed to have agreed to push women onto him.

Tonight was no exception. Not long after the banquet began, a voluptuous woman with half her chest exposed approached Kayev. He coldly rejected the familiar, tiresome advances of the high-class courtesan.

However, tonight’s opponent was no ordinary one. Backed by a renowned Marquis, the woman succeeded in catching him off guard with an unexpected tactic.

Kayev made the mistake of carelessly drinking the wine she offered. Yes, it was a mistake. Although he was well aware of the lengths to which the noble society would go to achieve their goals, he hadn’t expected them to stoop so low.

Predictably, the wine had been laced with a potent aphrodisiac. Realizing he had been drugged, Kayev managed to fend off the woman trying to drag him to bed and barely made it back to his mansion.

Though he had avoided falling for her scheme, he had no idea how to counteract the effects of the drug that had already taken hold of his body.

As he neared the mansion, his condition worsened. His breathing grew ragged, and his entire body burned with heat. Even in such a state, Kayev stubbornly refused to give in to the desire to touch a woman.

Having spent years focused solely on revenge, ignoring all pleasures like women, alcohol, and gambling, he couldn’t now lower himself to seek out a woman simply to satisfy his urges. His pride wouldn’t allow it.

Yet his plan to deal with the situation alone was unexpectedly thwarted—by none other than the butler of the Ruden estate.

The butler, whom Kayev had summoned upon inheriting his title, was a descendant of a family that had loyally served the Ruden household for generations. Bowen Dyke, the son of the previous butler devoted to the Ruden family, was young but sharp and quick-witted.

The moment he saw Kayev in his disheveled state, Bowen quickly assessed the situation and, without consulting his master, immediately summoned several maids.

“These are all volunteers, so please don’t worry. I’ve also ensured their discretion.”

Seeing the butler line up maids and demand he choose one infuriated Kayev to no end. The butler’s actions, taking matters into his own hands, had gone too far.

Just as he was about to harshly reprimand the butler and dismiss the maids, a familiar golden hue caught his eye. The radiant hair color that had haunted his dreams since he left the House of Earl Danverton.

“Celestia…”

Unconsciously, he murmured the name that came to mind. His voice, affected by the drug, was impossibly deep.

Hearing the name he had unintentionally uttered, the butler appeared flustered. At the same time, the woman before him raised her head, and Kayev could hardly believe his eyes.

As if mocking his assumption that she was merely another maid with similar hair, there stood Celestia Danverton herself.

“Celestia Danverton…!”

He called her name again, his voice rough as if scraped. But this time, it carried a markedly different tone.

Strangely, the moment he confirmed it was truly her, an uncontrollable anger surged within him. Why was she here? 

His drug-clouded mind couldn’t think straight.

“If that’s what you want, Duke…”

However, perhaps misunderstanding Kayev’s intent after he had called her name twice, the butler dismissed everyone else except the two of them. The summoned maids moved swiftly, leaving no time to intervene. When Kayev came to his senses, the only people left in the room were himself and Celestia.

The room was filled with silence. In the quiet space, only the sound of his increasingly rough breaths echoed.

After a moment, it was Celestia who moved first. Surprisingly, she hesitantly approached the bed where Kayev sat and climbed onto it on her knees.

Kayev watched the scene unfold from beginning to end, his gaze filled with anger. Her feigned composure only served to stoke the flames of his fury.

Grabbing the waist of the woman who, despite her bold entrance onto the bed, seemed unsure of what to do next, Kayev pulled her down onto the mattress. The sight of her slender body collapsing onto the bed made his vision go red, though by now, he couldn’t tell whether it was from anger or excitement.

“For someone who dared climb onto a man’s bed, you seem far too scared.”

He growled, trapping her faintly trembling body within his arms.

At first, he wasn’t sure why he was so enraged, but now he understood.

The thought that Celestia might have casually offered her body to someone else filled him with unbearable disgust.

If Kayev hadn’t brought her here in time, if he hadn’t asked the Crown Prince to send her to the Elderly Duchess’s house, she might have ended up lying on another man’s bed like this somewhere else.

“So, the Lady of Danverton has seen her fair share of the world’s hardships, it seems. Without shame, you come to spread your legs for your former knight.”

Though his words were laced with mockery, his body was steadily growing more aroused. While he was furious at Celestia for offering herself so recklessly, there was also undeniable joy in having the woman he had longed for appear before him of her own accord.

Since reuniting with her, the dam holding back his emotions and desires had burst all at once. In the end, Kayev climbed atop her, driven by unrefined emotions.

“Or… have you always thought of me this way? You used to follow me around, saying how much you liked me. Was it just because you wanted to seduce me? Hm? I thought you were innocent, but it turns out you’re nothing but a shameless woman.”

Celestia wanted to refute his cruel words. However, the overwhelming feeling that her heart might leap out of her chest if she opened her mouth kept her silent.

All she could do was avert her gaze from him.