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Chapter 53
*** Silence flowed as I remained in Denok’s embrace. Soon, he stretched out his arms and held me. A low voice brushed past my ear. “Is something wrong?”
“……!” Thank goodness. He had noticed my unusual behavior. A mix of relief and anxiety surged over me at once. I tightly closed my eyes. “Denok…….”
When I lifted my head, the first thing I saw was his gaze, filled with concern as he looked at me. His eyes, which had been empty when I first saw them, were gradually regaining warmth and beginning to hold various emotions. While that fact made me happy, a sharp pain pierced a corner of my heart at the thought that I had to ask this of him again, to push him once more. “Please tell me what’s wrong. How else can I help you?”
When I remained silent, just looking up at him, he whispered softly. He seemed convinced something was wrong, as his voice was quiet. Fortunately for me. I rolled my eyes, glanced at the eagle statue quietly observing us, and then reached out and pulled Denok into an embrace. I felt the body against mine stiffen in surprise. I raised my heels, bringing my face close to his ear. “Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
“…….”
“Rachel placed a magic stone that records video here.” I let out a small laugh, ensuring it would look to the eagle statue like we were sharing an intimate whisper. His shoulder flinched, perhaps because my breath tickled his ear. “So… today we have to deceive them thoroughly.”
“Th-that means…” For some reason, Denok’s voice sounded deeper than usual, as if he was clenching his teeth, the pronunciation slightly muffled. He seemed very flustered. Well, given the situation, it was understandable. My face felt hot, but I ultimately added a direct explanation. “Hold me.”
“……!”
“As if you truly love me.” In that instant, Denok’s body stiffened like a rock, and he was silent for a long while. The corners of his smiling mouth trembled slightly. ‘I… didn’t want to do this either.’ But no other method came to mind. Besides, if we managed this once, wouldn’t we be able to get rid of Rachel completely? “Rachel is suspicious of us, so we had no choice. But I promised myself that once this is over, I’d send Rachel away to my father’s side.” I whispered with an apologetic heart.
At that, his long-closed lips parted. “Are you… really alright with this?”
The answer to that question didn’t come easily. But I gave a small nod. Then he asked again. “Are you truly, alright?”
“Yes…. I’m sorry to you, but I think it’s best to be certain.” Then, the arms holding me tightened. “You mean we must be certain. As if we truly are in love.”
“Yes, yes. If it feels too difficult, I’ll… Kyaah!” Before I could finish speaking, my body was lifted into the air. I let out a short scream. Solid arms were holding me up under my back and knees. In the moment I blinked in confusion, Denok strode over and gently laid me down on the bed. My red hair scattered across the sheets, and his large shadow fell over me. “I missed you, Edith…”
It was an unfamiliar resonance. Had my name ever been pronounced in such a ticklish sound? Meanwhile, with a face that was somehow unlike his usual self, he said that and slightly curved the corners of his eyes. His knee pressed down right beside where I lay. There was… nowhere to escape. His body slowly leaned over. “It seems I don’t have to hold back today.”
“Y-Your Majesty…”
“Please call me by my name. Like you did before.” Why… does this feel so natural? But my question ultimately never left my lips. His lips, approaching without hesitation, swallowed my query. “Hng.”
Along with an unrestrained rush of breath, a warm tongue swam through my mouth. He now knew all my weak points, what stimuli made me hazy. His skilled tongue sought out only the sensitive spots, teasing them. My head grew dizzy from the endless, sensation-shattering movements—to the point I nearly forgot this was an act. Simultaneously, his fingertips carefully traveled up my skin. When I unconsciously held my breath, he gently stroked my skin as if urging me to keep breathing and turned his head. Because of that, his tongue delved deeper, and I could only tremble and tightly clutch the hem of his clothes.
There was certainly nothing rough about it. It was just soft, slow movements, yet goosebumps rose wherever his touch passed. This is an act. I repeated it to myself so I wouldn’t forget. “Ngh…!” When his hand brushed against the soft flesh that was making its presence known, my mind went blank for an instant. It was strange. Surely the effects of the medicine should have worn off by now. So why? Why was I reacting so sensitively to his touch? It felt like a prickling electric current was flowing through my entire body. And over that numb sensation, the heat from the soft kisses was layered again. My mind grew foggy from the alternating stimuli. Even though I had permitted this, even though I had started it, for some reason, it didn’t feel real. As I accepted his kisses in a daze, he touched me with one hand while using the other to support the back of my head. Now, I was simply trembling, crackling, held in his embrace.
He would softly suck on my lips, then catch my fleeing tongue and rub against it. When the hot tongue scraped inside, making me whimper, his fingers tickled my earlobe upwards. Before, when I had taken the aphrodisiac, I could at least dissociate because I knew I was under the influence of a drug. But now, without any excuse to escape, every sensation he gave me felt vivid. When our lips parted, a sweet moan escaped immediately. “Ah! Hah, Denok…!”
“Haa…” He was also breathing heavily. He pulled the hand holding the nape of my neck, drawing me into his embrace. A rough breath descended over my head, and I felt the hand gripping my hip tighten. A husky, split voice tickled my ear. “I hurried here because I missed you like this…”
It was the first time I realized he was this good at acting. The thought flickered through my mind as I twisted my head away from the ticklish breath at my ear. “Show me… more, my lady.” As if telling me not to run away, he held me close and twisted my body as if administering punishment. “Ah! Ngh, Huh!” Dizzying sensations wouldn’t leave my head. It felt like my whole body was melting softly in the heat. My lips kept parting, and my vision grew moist and blurred.
“Were you waiting for me?” Even amidst it all, perhaps conscious of the recording stone, he whispered like that. I blinked my bleary eyes and let my head thump against his shoulder. “Yes, yes… I waited. I waited for Denok to come.” I thought acting along with him would make it more natural. Then, I felt a warm, gentle pressure on my head, and his hand began to slowly move downward.
“You waited so obediently.” His voice, falling by my ear, mixed with a slight laugh, dug deep as if licking the inside of my ear.
