Chapter 16
Side Story: The Present Life of the Arrogant Archduke
A few days after the grand wedding of the Northern Grand Ducal couple, Raymond and Yulia.
At dawn—
Yulia was sleeping alone in the large bed. Her shoulder and neck, slightly exposed above the sheets, were covered in deep pink marks that Raymond had carefully made.
Clack. Raymond emerged from the connected bathroom, wearing a shower gown.
He approached the bed where Yulia lay and looked down at her quietly. Water, not yet dried from his hair, trickled down his jawline.
“Mm…”
As Yulia stirred lightly, the sheet slipped down, revealing the gentle curve of her b****t. The n****e, which Raymond had eagerly licked and sucked, was slightly swollen. It looked like a translucent red fruit.
“……!”
Raymond’s pupils trembled violently. Shutting his eyes tightly, he pulled the sheet up to Yulia’s neck. For a Sword Master, lifting a sheet with his eyes closed was a simple task.
Even though he had been extremely careful not to touch her skin or look, Raymond’s arousal had already become unmistakable.
There was no way the vivid image burned into his mind could vanish just by closing his eyes.
Having thoroughly explored Yulia’s body over the past few days, Raymond’s body reacted reflexively, rising in anticipation of what was next.
Raymond shot a glance at the e******n lifting his gown and walked over to the bedpost.
When he untied the cords fastened to the post—shff—a sheer curtain draped softly around the bed. Now, Yulia’s figure was barely visible as a silhouette through the fabric.
After confirming her steady breathing with focused ears, Raymond shuffled back to the bathroom and turned on the cold water.
Some time passed. Once he had calmed himself, Raymond returned to the bedroom.
The drawn curtains around the bed must have made it feel cozy, as Yulia was now softly snoring. A smile played at Raymond’s lips.
‘She must be worn out.’
Raymond, recalling how he had poured holy water and salve over her body and devoured her without restraint for several days, quickly emptied his head of the thought.
He couldn’t keep wasting time in cold showers. There was something he needed to do while his wife was asleep.
‘Wife.’
He rolled the unfamiliar word around in his mouth.
My master.
My Yulia.
My wife.
Rubbing his chest that tickled strangely from within, Raymond took off the shower gown and pulled on a pair of pajama pants.
Too lazy to button up the top, he simply threw on a casual indoor robe and tied the center sash to finish getting ready to go out.
Before the wedding, everyone had told him to go on a honeymoon or at least take a few days off to spend time with his bride.
Back then, he had flatly refused.
“Unnecessary. Nothing will change after the ceremony anyway.”
Yet now, without a word, he had spent several days not even stepping out of bed. It was a rather shameful look for someone in his position.
Raymond ran a hand over his face for no real reason and turned toward the door.
Step. He took one step and looked back. Another step—he turned again. Repeating this, he finally reached the door.
He even grabbed the doorknob… but that was as far as he got. He couldn’t bring himself to grip it. Leaving Yulia alone and stepping out of the bedroom was just too difficult for Raymond.
Letting out a sigh, he lifted his head, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
Just above the door, at the center of the magic circle, the mana stone, which should have been a deep blue, had faded to a pale sky-blue.
All important rooms in the Grand Duke’s estate had a silence spell applied so that no sound could be heard from within. Restoration magic, which returned damaged doors or windows to their original state, was also in place.
The mana stone would gradually lose color and become transparent the more the magic was used. As Raymond pondered the reason, his lips parted slightly.
“Ah…”
He recalled the moment on their wedding night when he had flung the door open as if to break it down. At the memory of his foolish past self, Raymond squeezed his eyes shut.
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