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Chapter 30
That couldn’t be right. I frantically shook my head.
Abuse? No. It wasn’t something that severe.
“That’s not it! It’s just… the education was strict, that’s all.”
The education required to become the perfect noble lady.
Corsets, beatings—those were things other noblewomen likely endured too.
*Though, in Rachel’s case, it was probably a bit worse.*
I lowered my gaze and stared at the smooth, pale back of my hand, unmarked and unscarred.
“…But you wanted freedom from your family, didn’t you? From your mother, too. Life in that household couldn’t have been easy.”
“That’s…”
“If you don’t mind… could you tell me about it?”
Denok’s gaze met mine, steady and unflinching.
I had intended to brush it off with a smile, to move on lightly—but in that moment, something unexplainable enveloped me.
Like leaning against an ancient tree—an eerie sense of calm.
A strange hope that whatever I said, he would simply listen in silence.
After a moment of hesitation, I opened my lips.
I’d never spoken of this to anyone. These memories, these feelings.
After my mother passed away when I was little, my father had ignored me for being unable to use any abilities.
The only one left by my side was Rachel, and I clung to her irrationally.
Maybe it was fear—fear that if she left too, there would be no one left at all.
But she would coldly push away the hands that gripped her skirts, offering only strict instruction in return.
Looking back now, perhaps she, too, had been forced to remain by my side.
Doing as Father ordered. Following Sertia’s command.
“…So, I started training early on—until I could be perfect as a lady.”
Of course, as a child, learning all the formalities quickly hadn’t been easy.
And noblewomen’s bodies were never to be blemished.
Rachel punished me in ways that left no marks.
She’d make me soak my hands in cold water for long periods. Or kneel and balance heavy books on my thighs.
If I ever fainted from the pain, she’d douse me in cold water until I woke up, trembling.
Denok’s expression stiffened as he listened.
The air grew cold in an instant.
“You mean… the head maid did all that? Don’t tell me she still…”
His expression darkened to something frightening, and I hurried to clarify.
“Not anymore. Things are different now.”
I kept her at a distance, and there were too many eyes watching.
Rachel wouldn’t dare lay a hand on the Grand Duchess now.
But Denok still looked unconvinced.
“Even so, keeping someone like that close is dangerous. If you wish, I’ll see to her removal—”
I immediately shook my head.
“Thank you, but it’s too soon. I need a perfect excuse to avoid Father’s suspicions… only then can she be dismissed.”
He reluctantly nodded but added one last thing:
“If she ever lays a hand on you again… tell me.”
At those words, I paused.
His brow was furrowed, his gaze heavy with concern—and for some reason, that stirred something unfamiliar inside me.
Maybe it was because I’d never had anyone worry about me like this before.
“…Alright. I will.”
—
That night.
After bathing, I stood in a daze before the mirror.
Wet strands of hair clung to my skin, and the faint, familiar marks lingered like whispers across my pale flesh.
The burn-flower he always left behind.
It hadn’t even been that long, but already the mark had faded.
Which meant—
*I’ll have to ask him… to leave another tonight.*
Heat bloomed in my ears.
It would be just like any other night, and yet… I felt oddly nervous.
Maybe because of the look on his face earlier.
The way he got angry on my behalf when he heard my story…
“Young Lady, let me dry your hair.”
“Ah, sure.”
Had Melissa not pulled me from my thoughts, I might have stood in the bathroom forever.
“By the way, when you spoke to me earlier, I knew you were acting—but I still got goosebumps!”
“Right. Thank you for that.”
She was referring to the moment I’d coldly scolded her in front of the other nobles—an act, to maintain appearances.
“Hehe, I learned my lesson—never make you mad, my Lady!”
“I doubt I’d ever treat you that way for real.”
With a small laugh, I pushed the tension away.
How much time had passed since I returned to my room and began waiting for him?
A tall shadow crossed the threshold, stepping inside.
Denok wore his eye patch again tonight.
But perhaps it was the short-cropped hair or the sharpness of his features—something about him felt… dangerous.
My gaze dropped to his lips—plump, red, beneath that black patch.
“Shall I begin?”
I’d been staring blankly when his low voice snapped me back.
I drew in a small breath and nodded—but then, remembering he couldn’t see that, I spoke aloud.
“Yes. It’s fine.”
He approached slowly.
The mattress dipped beneath his weight, and his careful fingers pushed aside the fabric of my gown.
It was a familiar gesture, yet tonight… I felt strangely embarrassed.
I turned my head away sharply—and heat fluttered over my exposed collarbone.
Flinch.
His lips pressed down in gentle repetition, as if trying to soothe my tension.
Just like in the daytime, he remained tender—
Avoiding anything I disliked, focusing only on what would make me feel good.
His hand traced my trembling back, and when my breath quickened, he rained soft kisses over my face.
The warmth of his lips against my eyelids made me relax, ever so slightly.
It almost felt like being cherished.
And that—that was the very thing that made it harder to endure.
“Hngh…”
I bit my lip, trying to suppress the whimper.
His leisurely movements gave me time—too much time—to feel everything acutely.
Even now.
As my breathing calmed, he leaned in and gently sucked the skin of my neck.
“Ah…”
The sensation of being pulled into heat and moisture—it sent jolts down my spine.
I shuddered involuntarily, head tipping back—only for his hand to support my waist as his tongue flicked over the same spot.
That, too, was maddening in its own way.
Unlike when he used his teeth, there was no pain—only maddening softness.
It felt like being trapped in a prison made of cotton.
Gentle, but inescapable.
I clenched my legs tightly, trying to endure the fire blooming across my skin.
“Ahh—p-please, that’s enough, Your Highness…”
The words slipped out in a broken whimper.
Then his lips moved to my mouth.
Oddly, I welcomed it—anything to get away from that unbearably sensitive spot.
My breaths came fast and uneven as I reached for him and pulled him close.
His tongue traced over my lower lip before our mouths met in a deep, melting kiss.
“Mm…”
The heat was so thick it felt like my mind had turned to marshmallow.
He bit down gently, then took advantage of my surprise to slip inside.
When I held my breath, startled, he drew back just enough—then slowly pulled my lip into his mouth again.
His hand on my shoulder tightened, and I trembled beneath it.
A flicker of thought urged me to push him away—but he moved faster.
His leg slid between mine, slipping beneath my dress.
A soft shift of my chemise—and then, without warning, a firm knee pressed upward.
And with it, he invaded where I was most vulnerable.
“…!”
My breath caught, and light flashed behind my eyes.
My body stiffened as all sensation converged in one place.
“Hngh! Nngh—!”
I tried to push his shoulder away.
I couldn’t even tell where my hand had landed—just reached out in desperation.
So when my fingers caught on something like fabric—
I didn’t stop.
“…Ah.”
“…Haa.”
The moment I sensed something was wrong, I opened my eyes.
Through the shifted eye patch, I saw it—
A vivid purple eye staring back at me.
The patch, once delicately hooked on his nose bridge, fell away with a soft flutter.
