The Past Life of the Arrogant Archduke - Chapter 9

Just the sensation of bare hands touching had awakened the senses in his body, and that brief kiss had sent a wave of pleasure surging through him.

Raymond was deeply shocked by his body’s unexpected reaction.

Even during the nobles’ congratulations after the wedding, even as he received the Grand Duke’s seal from his parents—he couldn’t regain his composure.

As he began to prepare for the wedding night and undressed to bathe, Raymond dismissed all the attendants. The moment he removed the multiple layers of complex clothing, his e******n stood fully revealed.

He had been like this ever since that brief contact with his oh-so-esteemed bride earlier in the day.

Raymond’s brows furrowed sharply. Ever since discovering his past life, his mini me had never once stirred… until now.

Up to that point, his only experiences had been the occasional wet dream. But now, seeing himself fully aroused, Raymond clenched his teeth in fury.

Clatter.

Raymond poured ice, prepared earlier by the attendants, into the marble bathtub until it overflowed. The water, filled with floating chunks of ice, was enough to make one shiver just by looking.

He submerged his body in it.

But no matter how long he sat there, there was no change. His e******n didn’t subside in the slightest, and irritated, he finally stood.

Throwing on a silk robe embroidered with the Grand Duchy’s crest, Raymond headed toward the liquor cabinet.

He grabbed the nearest bottle, poured himself a full glass, and gulped it down. His throat burned as if on fire. One bottle after another, he emptied them all in seconds—then hurled the glass at the wall.

Crash!

The crystal shattered into countless shards.

Unfortunately, a knight trained in aura didn’t get drunk—only slightly flushed. A fact Raymond hadn’t known, as he had always avoided alcohol.

He loathed his own manhood, which now felt like it was about to burst from long-suppressed tension. It would have been so easy to relieve himself with just a few strokes.

But after this e******n had been caused by contact with that woman, he didn’t even want to touch it.

Raymond had been a genius who awakened his aura at the youngest age in the Grand Duchy’s history, even without the aid of his past-life memories.

He had always rejected the traditions of the Grand Duchy. To him, tradition was just that, tradition. Once he became Grand Duke, he had planned to do away with such superstitious rites.

And yet, now, it was his own body that had betrayed him.

Yes. Betrayal.

It felt like a betrayal of every effort he’d made in this life, and of his very existence.

After working so hard to rise above the past, a past where he had been nothing more than a night-time toy, how could he now find himself swayed by the very woman of that past? It was something he could never forgive.

Raymond reached for the sword lying on the table.

Clunk.

The sheath fell to the floor, and he ran his hand down the glowing blue blade.

Wuuung— The sword responded with a resonant hum.

His true companion from the battlefield, forged through life and death.

With a chilling gaze, he looked down at his own e******n.

“Yes. If you were gone, I wouldn’t be dragged around like this.”

If it couldn’t be controlled, it was useless. He had already planned to adopt a capable heir from a branch family, so he could just cut it off.

Just as the blade, charged with aura, began to fall—

“Ray…”

Her voice echoed like a hallucination. His hand stopped midair, as if someone had seized it.

His e******n bobbed up and down like a dog responding to its master’s call.

“Keugh…”

Raymond bared his teeth and clenched harder, but his hand wouldn’t move. Instead, it was his legs that acted.

As though obeying a command he couldn’t resist, his feet turned him toward the bridal chamber.

The entire floor had been cleared for the newlyweds. Raymond, bloodshot eyes blazing, stormed down the silent hall.

Aura flared around his body and sword, and the flowers that lined the corridor withered and crumbled in his wake.

‘Kill her. Kill her. I’ll kill that woman, no matter what.’

Even if he became a madman who murdered his bride on the night of their wedding, he refused to be a puppet dragged around like this.

Bang!

The door to the bridal chamber flew open and slammed into the wall. The heavy door swung back into place but failed to close properly, now left hanging ajar as if broken.