Chapter 9
“Really… am I pretty?”
“Among all living beings, is there anyone more beautiful than you? To me, everything about you is lovable, more magnificent than even the greatest works left by master artists.”
“Ah!”
He smiled in satisfaction, sticking out his red tongue and gently licking. In an instant, a tingling sensation spread through her body like an electric current.
“I don’t know how many times… I’ve desired you, more than I could ever count. I spent every day anxious, worrying you might drift away from me, that your heart might leave me and never return.”
I want to say I feel the same—that I was also afraid you might leave and never come back—but this man doesn’t give me even a moment to speak.
“Mm!”
An overwhelming stimulation washed over her like a wave. It was so intense that it felt like her senses were being overpowered, and she didn’t quite like that feeling. His touch was pleasurable and joyful, but the unfamiliar intensity of it made her feel slightly frustrated at how easily she was being swept away.
“……Ruchea.”
His voice, which had been focused on her for a long while, now carried a strange sigh. She loosened her stiff body and looked down at him through hazy focus.
His eyes were unusually serious, but unlike that, his expression kept twitching as if he were trying to suppress laughter. Why?
“Are you trying to fight me right now?”
“…What?”
“This isn’t war. If you keep tensing up like that, you might injure your muscles. This isn’t torture. There’s no need to endure it like your life depends on it.”
He spoke gently, the corners of his lips lifting to reveal perfectly aligned teeth. His bright, beautiful smile made her mind go blank for a moment again.
His large fingers brushed her cheek, sliding down slowly and lightly tracing her lips. They were slightly swollen from how tightly she had been biting them, leaving uneven marks under his touch.
“If your pretty lips get any more damaged, I don’t think I’ll be able to keep touching you like this.”
“But… it just feels too overwhelming…”
“Being sensitive isn’t a bad thing. The more you respond, the happier I am. But right now, it looks like you’re resisting because you hate it.”
“That’s not it. Really, it’s not.”
It wasn’t disgust. Not at all. Worried he might misunderstand, she shook her head firmly.
“It’s just… I like it when you touch me, Ash. I really do. But my body reacts so strangely that I was trying to hold back. I’m the only one who feels so overwhelmed, while you’re so calm…”
“I’m not calm at all. I’m holding back a lot because I don’t want to hurt you. You just can’t see it, but right now I feel like…”
His amber eyes darkened in an instant. He leaned closer, his gaze turning almost intoxicating as he looked down at her.
“I want to swallow you whole. That’s the kind of desire I’m suppressing. My body keeps begging me to let go, and it’s getting harder to endure.”
As he spoke, he pressed closer, their bodies tightly aligned. The heat of him spread through her, making her feel him completely with her whole body, and she realized—she had been the naive one.
Because he was struggling just as much as she was.
Smiling faintly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and lay back onto the bed. Then, just as he had done to her, she gently took his earlobe into her lips and softly sucked.
“Ha, Ruchea…”
“Do whatever you want. As much as you want, however you want.”
She had no idea how dangerous those words were. She would only realize later that this was her greatest mistake—thinking this level of intimacy was all there was to it.
It wasn’t long before she understood.
He let out rough breaths, showering her with deeper, more intense kisses. She ran her hands over his firm upper body, quietly marveling.
‘How can someone be this solid? There doesn’t seem to be any softness at all.’
Every time his thick arms moved, tightly defined muscles shifted under her palms. His warm body heat, as hot as hers, and the way sweat made their bodies cling even closer—all of it felt strangely comforting.
“Relax, Ruchea.”
She swallowed hard and tried to loosen her body. But the unfamiliar sensation of being pressed against a man’s bare skin kept distracting her.
Of course, she knew this kind of intimacy wasn’t exactly ordinary.
“It’s my first time… so my heart, my head, my body—it’s all out of control.”
Even as she said it, she couldn’t look him in the eyes. He chuckled softly at her avoidance, lifting her right thigh gently and pulling it upward.
“This is troublesome. I’m getting more and more worried. But I can’t stop here either.”
Despite his words, he showed no intention of stopping. And she… didn’t want him to.
He smiled, lowering his head to gaze at her intently.
His throat bobbed as he stared without looking away. His eyelids trembled slightly before he glanced at her again, almost as if drawn in, and leaned closer.
“Ah… mm…”
‘W-what… is this really normal? Is it? Really?’
She couldn’t believe it. People said that once one experienced intimacy, it could become addictive, but not everyone felt that way.
In truth, she hadn’t been very curious about such things compared to other noble ladies. She hadn’t particularly wanted marriage. She hadn’t even been interested in men.
So for her, Ash was her very first everything.
A sharp wave of sensation shot up her spine, making her head feel dizzy.
It was strange. Strange, yet not unpleasant. An unfamiliar intrusion gradually turned into subtle pleasure, making her breath hitch.
Her vision flickered white as she trembled, gripping the blanket tightly. Her body ached with unbearable sensations, yet she didn’t want it to stop.
She couldn’t even stop the sounds slipping from her lips, turning into uncontrolled cries.
“A-Ash… Ash…”
Despite her desperate calls, he didn’t stop. As if he intended to consume her completely.
It felt like she had become a fruit—sweetly being devoured by pleasure far beyond gentle affection.
The pleasure spreading through her body grew faster and faster. Just as her voice began to break into uncontrolled cries—
He finally pulled away.
She gasped for breath, completely drained, as if all her strength had been taken away.
‘Ah… I’m exhausted.’
She felt like she would fall asleep instantly, as if she had just finished intense exercise.
“You smelled incredibly intoxicating… I didn’t expect it to be this sweet. I’m a little disappointed it ended so soon.”
Smiling pleasantly, he quickly removed his belt, then his pants, and finally his undergarments in one motion.
‘…Does that even grow like that?’
She stared, unable to believe what she was seeing. It had seemed large before—but now it looked even bigger.
“Does… that happen?”
He looked down at himself, then shrugged.
“What do you mean, does it happen?”
“I mean… it looks bigger than before…”
“Ah. Honestly, I’m surprised too. It’s the first time I’ve reacted this strongly just from seeing a woman’s naked body, and it’s also the first time I’ve had such trouble controlling this.”
He smiled calmly, as if it were nothing. He gently stroked her, trying to soothe her, but she was still nervous.
“You look so sensitive like this… it’s driving me crazy. Your father would never know what a treasure you are. The fact that only I get to see this side of you… I consider that a great fortune.”
“Don’t… tease me. Ah…”
“I’m not teasing. I mean it.”
His grin made her heart feel like it might burst.
She, too, had discovered so many new sides of him. But that unfamiliar, sensual expression of his would take time to get used to. A lot of time.
Still, the atmosphere itself wasn’t unpleasant. His gaze was dripping with sweetness, like honey.
“I’m glad you seem to like it.”
He kissed her parted lips softly, then shifted again.
“You’re tense again. I’m not trying to attack you. Relaxing would help you as well.”
“…I’m trying.”
Her heart was pounding wildly. She didn’t want to ruin this moment—but it wasn’t something she could fully control.
He, too, breathing heavily, moved closer again. Instinctively, she pulled her hips back.
When he saw her retreat, his eyes followed her movement. Feeling guilty, she tried to act like she hadn’t noticed—but then he smirked.
A crooked smile formed on his lips as he looked at her silently.
