Chapter 13: Chapter 5: The Young Nobleman's Entreaty

Erwin, who greeted the morning without sleeping a wink, sat up on the bed.

—Is it morning...

He cast his gaze to the jewelry box left placed on the side table and covered his face with both hands.

—It's no good... There is not a single room for self-justification...

No matter how many times he thought about it, the one at fault was himself. When he stroked down his face while exhaling, the stubble pricked his palm.

—Should I take a bath for now...

Erwin, who couldn't sleep a wink despite being completely exhausted, got off the bed while staggering.

He let out a sigh, which he had already let out countless times, threw off his robe, and entered the bathroom. In the Marquis House, copper pipes passing warm water were laid throughout the entire building. The ones who could bathe anytime they liked were only a very small portion of the wealthy. Even among nobles, other than the Imperial Family, it was only a few houses including the Abalov Marquis House.

While pouring hot water over his head, he thought about whether there was any way to somehow keep his dignity.

—When we meet face-to-face, should I say it suits her quite well...? No, what do I do if she is wearing glasses again in the first place. At that time, should I slowly have her take off her glasses after we open up to each other as planned. ...But, saying what? Even though I declared she was fine the way she was, with what kind of face should I tell her not to hide her face at this late hour?

The warm water drops pouring onto the back of his head traveled down his nape.

Erwin placed his hand on the bathroom wall and looked at the hot water flowing at his feet. It felt as if a fog hung over the core of his head.

He was at fault. He knew that.

However, Tia's figure that had become beautiful provoked an overwhelming anger in Erwin's heart. It was the kind of anger felt when a treasure that was carefully hidden and secretly gazed upon was exposed by others.

—Even though it was my role to make her beautiful.

—Even though I was trying to open her heart.

That was exactly why he wanted to be the only one who knew her true face.

He thought he was being childish himself, but his emotions exploded when he realized that would not be fulfilled.

Erwin, who swept up his wet blond hair that darkened in color, took powdered soap in his hand and smeared it on his jaw.

—Should my first words be "I have a gift"? ...No, is "I took a break so let's spend time together" better. ...As expected, it would be unnatural not to touch upon yesterday's events.

When he wiped the mirror clouded by steam with his hand, his face was clearly reflected for just an instant and immediately blurred. Averting his eyes from the color of regret floating in his gray-blue eyes, Erwin started shaving his beard with a razor.

—Should I say I am sorry. If I apologize to Tia, should I do it to Stepmother and the twins too?

If he was honest with his own heart, the reason he did not want to apologize was because he was self-aware of his narrow-mindedness.

It was something to be thankful for that they cared for their sister-in-law and daughter-in-law who married in from a foreign country. It was far better than causing a conflict. Even though he thought so, he felt as if he, who was rarely home, was being left out. To speak frankly, it was the jealousy of Erwin, who wanted to monopolize Tia.

—How pathetic.

The lukewarm water drops falling quietly made Erwin even more miserable. Perhaps his gloomy feelings messed up his hands, the blade of the razor slipped smoothly.

"Ouch!"

A smell of iron struck his nose along with a sharp pain. Erwin, who clicked his tongue, washed off the soap remaining on his face.

The hot water stung the cut. He cursed himself, wondering what he was doing. It seemed even his hands had grown dull due to a lack of sleep. If this kind of cut was seen by Darrell, he would end up taking a mountain of scolding. The house steward always did not think well of the young lord of a distinguished Marquis House shaving his beard himself.

Erwin, who left the bathroom, immediately pressed the wound with a cloth. Even though he only cut a single thin layer of skin, the blood did not stop easily because he was warmed up. Erwin put on his robe in an awkward posture while pressing the wound.

It was fortunate that he had finished shaving his beard. Otherwise, he would have ended up having to face Tia with a half-shaved beard.

The drops dripping from his still wet hair wet the wound, creating a blood stain on the robe. As he was frowning, there was a sign of a person beyond the door. Realizing their master had woken up due to the hot water being used, a servant had probably come.

"Bring me the medicine box."

He looked at the wound in the mirror while shouting. The bleeding was finally about to stop, but he did not want to dirty his shirt or cravat. He touched the wound several times with his fingertips, checking to see if blood got on them as he returned to the bedroom.

"Just stopping the bleeding is fine. My cravat will—"

"Did you get hurt?"

The one who was there was not a servant, but his wife. Seeing the shoulder of his robe dyed red, she swallowed her breath and quickly rushed over to Erwin, who was standing stiffly.

"Why... a wound? Where did you get hurt?"

Just like yesterday, Tia had taken off her glasses and was exposing her well-shaped forehead.

"Why are you staying silent? Don't tell me... you didn't injure your head, did you?"

Her willow-leaf-like eyebrows knitted, and her almond-shaped eyes opened wide.

"Ah, your hair is soaking wet."

When Tia pulled Erwin's hand and made him sit on a chair, she wiped his head with the linen hung around his neck as if pressing down on it. It tickled when her thin fingertips touched his scalp. She was probably checking if there was a wound on his head.

"Does it hurt? I wonder where it's bleeding from. ...What should I do, maybe I should call Darrell after all and—"

"Tia."

He instantly grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Her teary eyes stared at Erwin in surprise.

The beauty of her hazel eyes, where green sparkles scattered.

"—I'm sorry."

Words slipped out of his mouth before he could think with his head.

"I shouldn't have said such a thing. Such a terrible thing."

"Rather than that, treating your wound comes first."

"I don't care about the wound."

Yanking her wrist, he embraced her delicate body.

"Hey, the blood—"

"I just messed up shaving and the razor grazed me. ......Will you not forgive me?"

Because Tia placed her hands on both his shoulders and exerted force, Erwin reluctantly loosened the strength in his arms.

"Forgive you?"

It was a subtle expression that could be taken as either being angry or holding back laughter. Erwin gulped down his saliva.

"You thought I was ugly, didn't you. You got so angry because I dressed up beyond my standing."

"Wrong!"

He leaned forward and grabbed both of Tia's arms.

"I gazed at your sleeping face every night. Even on our first night, I thought your true face was so beautiful."

He desperately appealed to Tia, whose eyes were wide.

"I was jealous of the twins. Even though I am the one who knows your beauty best."

There was no pride or anything. Erwin simply clung to Tia as if to rely on her.

"You were... jealous?"

"Yeah. Even though I want to spend time with you, my work is incredibly busy, and all I could do was watch you continuously close the distance with the twins, which I really hated."

"Is getting along a bad thing?"

"You have to get along with me the most. Because we are a married couple."

Later on, Erwin would writhe in embarrassment remembering this moment, but unfortunately, due to extreme fatigue and lack of sleep, his judgment had dropped to the lowest level. On top of that, because of his wife who appeared in a surprise attack, all his calculations were blown away.

"...We are, after all, a temporary married couple, right?"

"I refuse. I don't want us to be temporary."

He rubbed his head against the hand stroking his wet hair. He was completely like an infant or a spoiled child.

"Why?"

"Because I fell in love with you."

Ha, Tia laughed as if amazed.

"What part of me are you saying you fell in love with? I am a cheeky, unknown woman from an enemy country of the Empire."

Her hazel eyes gleamed.

"Because I took off my glasses and made myself look neat? There should be much prettier women in the Imperial Palace."

"You are not cheeky, you are brilliant. Besides, it's not an enemy country anymore. You are certainly beautiful, but your greatest virtue lies elsewhere."

"I got along with your family without obtaining your permission."

"I was jealous, but I am also proud. You instantly charm people. Not just the twins or Stepmother, but even Darrell and the servants are completely on your side. ...Although I was the first one to be captivated."

"I used you. I forced you, who was reluctant, to take my virginity."

"You can use me!"

He wrapped his arm around Tia's back, who staggered because he stood up forcefully.

"You can use me as much as you want. ...So please, forgive me."

Tia, who was dumbfounded, reached her hand out to her husband's face.

"...Did you not sleep?"

He was gently stroked under his eyes.

"After I hurt you, there's no way I could sleep."

"What about your meal?"

On the desk, the light meal that was prepared for him last night was left untouched.

"I didn't have any appetite."

"Because you hurt me?"

"Yeah."

The hand placed on his cheek felt so comfortable that he closed his eyes.

"...I was not angry from the beginning."

He snapped his eyes open.

"But, I..."

"I am not hurt either. So, there is no need to beg for forgiveness."

Erwin felt hopeless.

"No way. Then how do I—"

"But, I think the twins and Mother-in-law were surely hurt. So you have to apologize to your family, not to me."

The outer edges of his dignified eyebrows lowered pitifully.

"Do you hate me?"

"I don't hate you. ...But"

"Please don't say any more than that. ...If I'm not hated, then that's fine."

Tia pulled her husband's hand with a smile and made him sit on the bed.

"I didn't think you were such an honest and adorable person."

"...Are you making a fool out of me?"

"There's no way that's true. It's much better than that snobbish feeling when we met at the Legal Affairs Bureau. ...Now, sleep a little. Or do you want to eat something? ...Kya!"

He forcefully pulled the hand of Tia, who had started to raise her waist, and pinned her down beneath him.

Her striking hazel eyes resembled a rich brandy, and the green sparkles scattered here and there were beautiful.

"I have a gift for you."

"...Is that so?"

"Yeah. I hope it pleases you."

While continuing to gaze into her eyes, Erwin slowly brought his face closer.

"Hey, you should eat something—"

"Food comes later."

The words disappeared between their touching lips.

Erwin, who opened her mouth, invaded her oral cavity with his tongue. Driven into a corner by the thick tongue, Tia let out a muffled breath while resisting.

"Nn... ngh, Erwin, even though you are tired—"

"Shh, it's fine so keep quiet."

He held down his wife who tried to escape by shaking her head left and right, and threw off his bloodstained robe.

While wrapping his arm around her back and pulling her body close, he groped her entire body with his right hand.

—"I don't hate you", huh.

She was surely trying to say, "I don't love you yet."

The depths of his chest ached dully.

Forcefully exposing her body like this was wrong. Even though he knew that, Erwin absolutely couldn't stop.

Even though he was completely exhausted, Erwin's manhood was in a battle-ready state just from kissing. To become this aroused was—

—Since that night when I embraced Tia.

His heart beat violently and irregularly. He popped off the chest buttons of her day dress with one hand and yanked it open.

A pure white décolletage, and fully swollen breasts. What a sinful sight. Erwin's breathing grew rough.

"If you don’t want to, tell me so."

He didn't know whether he could stop, but rather than being hated, it would be better to go to the bathroom one more time and douse himself in cold water.

Was it that she pitied his miserable face, or did she guess the words he added in his heart. Tia, whose eyes had been wide open, let out a soft breath and smoothly draped her arms around her husband's neck.

"Tia."

"No."

A whisper that seemed to warm his earlobe.

"You will have a meal, and sleep here... right now."

Saying so, she gave a lick to the scar running faintly across his cheek.

If he had been standing, he probably would have collapsed to his knees. Erwin stole his wife's lips without saying anything, and untied the strings of her bodice with trembling hands. And then he kneaded her liberated breasts, enjoying their weight and sensation.

"Erwin."

Having his name called mixed with hot pants, he lost himself. Erwin devoured her lips.

His whole body was like heated iron. Hard, hot, and dry, yet at the same time melting into a slush.

When Erwin embraced her slender body, Tia softly tickled the man's back with her fingertips.

"Erwi... ah, aah..."

A thick chest and abundant breasts rubbed together. Sparks scattered between the two of them, heightening as if drawing a spiral.

Tia opened her knees, sandwiched Erwin's hips, and changed the angle of her pelvis.

"Kuh... Tia, ..."

Their genitals pressed tightly together. Tia's part was breathing with plenty of juice, and Erwin was already rock-hard, looking like he would release at any moment.

Erwin groaned in the back of his throat, lightly lifting his hips to take some distance. By doing so, the coral-colored nipples swaying at the tips of her white breasts entered his field of vision, and he rounded his back to suck on them.

"Haa...h"

Slender, smooth legs wrapped around the man's waist, and her heels firmly pushed his hips. The distance he had taken the trouble to create closed, and the tip of his hot stake touched her moisture.

"Shit... this is bad, Tia."

He endured the relentlessly attacking pleasure by biting his back teeth.

"Hurry."

Ridiculous. He still wanted to caress her, and even kisses were completely insufficient. And above all else, if he entered her now, he would finish immediately.

"But, I haven’t prepared you enough—"

Even though he showed resistance with his mouth, his hips were moving gently, shallowly gouging her honey-mouth. It was a dangerous play that could lead to an accidental release.

"I have been ready for a long time. ...Hurry, don't tease me."

Is there a man who could refuse this sweet invitation?

At the very least, Erwin could not refuse. He held his breath, bit his back teeth, and advanced his hips while dripping sweat from his entire body.

Ah, this blinding pleasure.

Erwin grabbed her slender waist with both hands and pierced her in a single breath.

Along with a high-pitched scream, the supple flesh squeezed tightly. A flash of light ran before his eyes, and Erwin roared while grinding his back teeth.

He couldn't even manage three strokes.

《Continues in the next volume》