Lewd Courtship - Chapter 72

Rachel steadied her trembling legs, waiting for him to finish completely. The released fluid trickled down one of her thighs. Just as the thick liquid reached her knee, his member slowly withdrew.

With the loss of his presence inside her, she swayed unsteadily. Killian naturally caught her stumbling body, wrapping an arm around her waist as he gently stroked her back. Then his fingers stilled, and his lips parted slightly.

I should say something…

In that brief moment of searching for words, the fading impulse gave way to a swelling surge of emotion. He had ignored even the earnest advice of his loyal subordinate, yielding only to desire. Doubt bloomed again—had that choice truly been right?

Yet Killian still didn’t know what to say. No words of comfort, no promises, no expression to define their relationship came to mind. He was simply lost in the warmth radiating from the woman in his arms.

“Ah… Your Majesty…”

Rachel, nestled against him, called out to him in a murmur. She let out a contented sigh and rested her head against his firm chest. The pounding rhythm of his heartbeat echoed against her forehead, and that vibration showed no sign of fading.

His heart might burst at this rate. Ah, could it be…?

A thought flickered—that this wasn’t just about physical intimacy. The doubt she had suppressed earlier with an “I don’t know” began to slowly unfurl.

He had always been stingy with revealing his true feelings. Why had he sent her away during their date? Why had he acted so coldly in his chambers earlier?

Yet he hadn’t properly explained any of it—not why he sent her away, not why he acted coldly in his chambers, not even what emotions had driven him to be intimate with her now.

Still, if he truly felt something, surely there would be some sign. Rachel quietly looked up at Killian. His face was nearly expressionless, and his turquoise eyes, now cooled of their heat, seemed fixed on some distant point.

Hmm… I really can’t tell.

Reading him remained as difficult as ever. In a voice still soft and hazy with lingering pleasure, she cautiously spoke.

“Your Majesty.”

“…Speak.”

“Don’t you have anything else to say to me?”

Her calm, measured question made Killian’s gaze waver. His arm around her tightened with a force he hoped she wouldn’t notice. After a long hesitation, he finally managed to force out a single word.

“…No.”

A silence fell, as if time had stopped. Within that stillness, Killian waited for Rachel’s response. He expected something—further questioning, disappointment—knowing her nature, he thought she would surely have something to say.

“If that’s the case, I understand.”

Contrary to his expectations, she accepted his answer with unsettling composure. That unfamiliar quiet made his eyes flicker again. The words he had swallowed rose all the way to his throat, yet in the end, none found their way out. The two of them remained locked in their embrace, sinking deeper into the silence.

…I hate this atmosphere.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, Rachel pushed against his chest. When he didn’t budge, she pushed harder. Only then did Killian step back.

She busied herself with her clothes, trying to shake off the awkwardness. Thanks to her late start, she had only worn a single-layer dress and underwear. She struggled to pull the dress on and tie the strings.

Then, Killian silently reached out. His familiar fingers brushed against her back before disappearing. Rachel blinked, pretending it didn’t affect her, but that small kindness only made her feel emptier.

If only he had said something… anything.

No matter how much she tried to understand that he was a man of few words, if he was this reluctant to speak, it was clear he had no real feelings for her. She had to accept that their relationship was purely physical now. Rachel erased the “I don’t know” from her mind and settled on “It’s just desire.”

Unaware of her thoughts, Killian felt an inexplicable unease watching her. He felt stifled, yet there was still nothing he could do. Rooted to the spot, he could only watch her retreating back.