LCWD 15

~Chapter 15~

At that moment, Petunia’s bedroom was full of heat and tension.

Even though the cool sea breeze came through the open window, it wasn’t enough to cool down their overheated bodies.

“Ah!”

Petunia let out a sharp cry and collapsed onto the bed. Her red hair, tinted by candlelight, spilled across the blankets like a river.

At the same time, the shadow over her quickly disappeared.

Apollyon had flipped their positions, escaping the bed just as Petunia tried to climb on top of him.

Like a spring, she sat up.

“Apollyon, where are you going?”

She grabbed his sleeve, stopping him from running away again.

Then, slowly, she let her hand slide down his sleeve and gently took his large hand into hers.

Frozen in that awkward position, Apollyon stayed completely still.

Petunia lightly pulled on his hand. Even though she didn’t use much force, his large body was easily pulled toward her.

But Apollyon was stubborn. Even in this chaotic moment, he refused to lie back down on the bed.

So, Petunia stood up instead.

Facing him, she took his other hand and linked their fingers together. His large hands were too big for her small ones.

Trapped, Apollyon’s long eyelashes trembled. It was the first time he had touched someone like this, aside from his parents.

Petunia didn’t miss the moment. She brought their joined hands up to her cheeks and gently rubbed her face against them like a baby animal.

“Let’s just end this on a good note, okay?”

Her voice was soft like a butterfly’s wings, but Apollyon could feel the seriousness behind it.

There was something oddly familiar about her smile.

It reminded him of the villain in a fairy tale he read as a child.

He almost wished the woman in front of him were a thug from a back alley. If she were, he could knock her out and give her to the guards.

But she wasn’t—she was his wife.

She looked like someone who couldn’t even lift a sword, and there was no way he could use his strength against her.

So Apollyon was doing his best to hold back, gently trying to resist her.

Every time Petunia came close, he used only the bare minimum force to escape.

But the difference in their sizes was just too much. Even a little push from him made her stumble to the side.

It was frustrating for him.

Meanwhile, Petunia was equally frustrated.

This delicate body she now had was a problem.

Compared to her old self before she was reborn as Petunia, she had been taller and stronger.

She had thought Petunia’s body would be just as fit—but she was wrong.

Even a little effort left her out of breath, and Apollyon’s smallest movements knocked her down easily.

In her previous life, she was pretty fit. She had even prepared for civil service exams that required physical training, like push-ups and sit-ups.

But this noble lady’s body…?

“Hah… ugh…”

To put it simply, it was like a paper doll.

Before marriage, she had mostly stayed indoors and didn’t realize how weak her body was. Now she knew—and she hated it.

And then there was her husband, who kept trying to run away.

Her body wasn’t cooperating, and she was starting to get irritated.

But she couldn’t just jump on him. What she really wanted was emotional and physical intimacy—not something one-sided.

She hated to admit it, but she was feeling sad.

Forget getting revenge for that forehead kiss.

At this rate, she wouldn’t even get the romantic, deep connection she had dreamed of.

Her perfect first night wasn’t supposed to be like this.

She had imagined something more loving, tender, passionate…

“M-My hands are cold!”

Apollyon suddenly pulled his hands away from hers.

“…”

Seriously? What kind of male lead pulls away because his hands are cold?

This wasn’t a simple rejection—it was a full-on emotional fortress.

Who in the world gave him the label of “gentle male lead”? He was more like a “cautious male lead.”

Always cautious. Always hesitant. He was the type to check a solid bridge a hundred times before stepping on it.

Petunia stared at her now-empty hands in disbelief.

“Wife… Did I hurt you?”

Apollyon had somehow escaped and now stood at a distance, nervously looking at her hands.

He seemed worried he might have hurt her by using too much strength.

“You’re worried? That I got hurt?”

“…”

“If you’re that worried, why don’t you come and look for yourself?”

She held out her hands calmly. But Apollyon just took another step back.

This man wasn’t the type to get scared easily. If a monster appeared, he’d rather cut it down than run.

Which meant… he thought she was scarier than a monster.

Love was supposed to be playful, but her heart stung from the way he treated her.

“This is too much…”

“…”

“Are you really trying to make the new bride cry and run out on her wedding night?”

She picked up his belt from the floor.

She had worked so hard to seduce him that she could barely catch her breath now.

“I-I didn’t mean for things to go like this…”

Apollyon mumbled with a pitiful voice.

If anyone was going to run from the room crying, it would probably be him—not Petunia.

Everyone said Petunia was soft and gentle, like her parents, the count and countess.

But to Apollyon, she didn’t seem like a noble lady at all. There was something wild, like a street criminal, hiding underneath.

Her graceful appearance didn’t match the fierce fire she carried inside. It was so intense, it was almost painful.

Her beautiful face and strong actions didn’t match at all—like someone else was inside her body.

Apollyon felt a natural fear toward that mismatch.

He even imagined a wild lion bursting out of her lovely shell.

“Is the wedding night more important than your health?”

“Yes.”

Her answer was firm and direct.

“…”

“If you’d been cooperative from the start, my body wouldn’t be in this state now.”

Apollyon fell silent. That was as good as admitting his fault.

The truth was, escaping this room would’ve been easy.

If he wanted to, he could have slipped past Emma and Wilson outside and jumped out the window.

It was just the second floor. For him, that was nothing.

But he knew he was in the wrong.

What kind of groom refused to consummate the marriage? That was the height of rudeness.

So, he had come to her room with the intention of doing his best.

His plan was simple: stay with her until sunrise.

It was the most respectful solution he could think of.

If she didn’t mind, they could just sit and talk until morning.

He had even prepared some stories from his childhood to share.

But he hadn’t expected her to be so… enthusiastic.

The marriage had been rushed, and the wedding had no sincerity.

No noblewoman would be happy with a marriage like that.

Most people avoided Apollyon.

They were afraid the curse would spread just by touching him.

He assumed Petunia would feel the same.

Besides, she had been engaged before—to Sonod, heir to the Duke of Quinton, someone Apollyon knew well.

Apollyon didn’t trust rumors, but the ones about Petunia seemed believable.

He knew about her and Sonod. If she wasn’t heartbroken, why would she marry him?

He thought Petunia wouldn’t want to be near him at all.

That’s why he kissed her on the forehead instead of the lips—and why he hadn’t even considered the wedding night.

He assumed there would be no physical intimacy between them.

But that was just his own misunderstanding.

Petunia clearly wanted their wedding night.

And by the rules of noble society, he should follow her lead.

But he couldn’t.

He was scared of the changes in his own body.

He didn’t want it, but his blood kept rushing. His lower stomach felt tight and heavy.

His heart had been pounding ever since she touched his clothes.

Whenever their skin brushed, it burned like fire.

He didn’t understand what was happening.

He remembered the sex education his tutor had given him as a child.

According to that, this was just a natural response to new physical contact.

But as her touches continued, something felt… off.

This wasn’t just a physical reaction.

It felt like a survival instinct—like facing a dangerous animal and wanting to flee.

He was scared.

Otherwise, why would his body freeze just from looking at her sitting on the bed?

This strange feeling had to be fear.

Apollyon, with that conclusion, dropped his gaze.

Maybe if he didn’t look at her, his stiff body would finally relax.