Chapter 8

Surprised by the force that made her back hit the wall, Nadia’s eyes widened as she looked at just who it was who had done such a crude, bold move.

A little while ago, the green eyes which she thought held no emotions at all, but now they were staring at her as though he wanted to devour her. This man who was significantly larger than Nadia had a formidable expression as he held her locked in his arms. And yet, rather than getting frightened, Nadia was angry.

Nadia stared at him with the same intensity, not wanting to lose.

“Just what are you doing.”

“…Don’t talk like that.”

With clenched teeth, his tight jaw expressed how much anger he was holding back. His voice sounded more like a predator’s snarl than a man’s voice. Nadia couldn’t understand why he was mad.

What was his problem? Was he complaining now even though he played to his heart’s content?

This sudden ambush that was too close for comfort prevented Nadia from seeing Asheel in any favorable light at all.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re treating me like I’m nothing…”

“You are nothing to me.”

It was absurd of him to try and sneak around to involve himself with her again. He didn’t know how much she went through at that time—how she held back her tears, what kind of forlorn days she spent.

No. Of course it’s possible that he didn’t know, but there was no use saying anything now. She vowed not to be swayed by his words. She was done with all that after experiencing it once.

In Nadia’s mind, Asheel had already become a scoundrel who played with her and threw her away. And after all that, even if it turned out that this wasn’t true, she had just gotten married yesterday. She was now the wife of another man. She now had nothing to do with him.

“There was no reason for you to have stood me up that time. No, I’ve already expected that it would happen, but it was sooner than I thought…”

“What are you talking about?”

Nadia couldn’t help herself from asking back, then she bit her lips. Just a second ago, she promised that she wouldn’t be shaken by him.

Pushing away the arms that trapped her between him and a wall, she opened her lips and spoke coldly.

“Move. We have nothing to talk about.”

She didn’t want to hear anything from him. Whatever it was that came out of his lips—everything scared Nadia. She tried to push him away again, but he wouldn’t budge. She felt frustrated that she couldn’t get away on her own unless he would loosen his hold around her.

“I don’t know what you want to do here, but we’re already over.”

It was something that she had wanted to say to Asheel for some time now. But as she said this, she had to focus a lot of effort into her eyes so that her tears would not fall. The corners of her lips seemed to quiver, but she continued speaking.

“Haven’t you had enough fun?”

A fist rushed next to her head—and it made her jump instinctively, but Asheel’s gaze on her was more terrifying than the ferocious sound that slammed next to her ear. At this moment, she came to realize their difference in strength, and so her shoulders trembled.

But at the same time, she was livid. Who was it between them who did something wrong? How could he deceive her all that time, only to turn up here and threaten her instead of getting on his knees to beg for her forgiveness?

Nadia was convinced that she was the only one who deserved to be angry here. She didn’t have to be afraid of his low threats. He was a knight, and yet he still threatened a lady like this. Despite her trembling hands, Nadia opened her lips to criticize him, but he cut her off.

“Maybe you’ve had your fill, but I’m not done with you yet.”

“Stop spouting nonsense! I got married just yesterday!”

“That doesn’t matter.”

His rough, hot hand gently wrapped around Nadia’s cheek. Unlike his hostile attitude just now, he caressed her as though she was something that could break at the slightest touch.

Seeing that she was hesitating, he went ahead and carefully stroked his thumb over Nadia’s lips. Nadia tried to deny everything that she heard, but if he continued to talk…

“Just know… that I won’t let you go.”

And his lips rushed in. He had restrained her from leaving all this time, so she had no choice but to helplessly stop him from moving closer. But right now, not only was the hand that she used to push him away caught in his own grip, but he also swept in and locked his lips with hers.

All they had ever done before were light kisses. There was a time when she was happy with just that, thinking that he must have been trying to be considerate and respectful because she never asked him for more.

However, the current Asheel was someone unfamiliar to her. The look in his eyes, the tone of his voice, the intensity of his actions… All of these seemed to say that the Asheel she once knew was all but a lie.

She tried to keep her mouth closed, but his hand grabbed her chin. Even though she closed it forcibly, she eventually relented because she couldn’t resist his persistence. When his tongue went into her mouth, she shed tears as her complex thoughts became even more complicated.

He touched her earlobe and stroked her neck, obviously sending signs of sexual provocation. Nadia trembled with an itching sensation, something that she didn’t know the name to, yet she tried desperately to think of a way to get out of this situation.

Considering their huge difference in physique, it was impossible for her to escape through force. If she struggled—if her hair and her dress would be left in shambles—it would be clear for anyone to see what happened. Rumors would spread in an instant, and if that were to happen…

Swept away by an uncontrollable helplessness, she loosened the tension in her body. All she had to do here was to endure and let this moment pass.

If she just waited a little… Asheel would be bored with a useless toy, so he’d eventually come to his senses and let her go. If he would generously let her leave like that, then she would at once.

And Nadia was sure that Asheel knew the reality of the situation, too.

What could one knight do against a Marquis?

In any case, it was going to be fine. Nadia would be leaving Elheim with her husband in four days, so she was never going to meet Asheel ever again.

As his tongue stroked over hers, she desperately comforted herself.

She tried to get rid of the words ‘I won’t let you go’ that she heard just a moment ago.

“Uungh…”

Asheel let go of Nadia’s wrist, then embraced her waist strongly. With her back arched, there was no distance left between their bodies. Whenever their tightly engaged lips would untangle and twist together once more, the sound of their tongues and lips smacking—the sound of their heavy breathing were so closely mixed that it was difficult to distinguish whose it was.

As his fingertips began to rove carefully over her back and waist as though he was handling a delicate instrument, she could feel goosebumps throughout her body. She could feel his intense gaze at her, waiting for her reactions, but Nadia closed her eyes and pretended not to notice it.

She wanted to treat all this with apathy, but her body kept reacting by itself. Once again, when Nadia tried to swallow her moan, his hand suddenly went up to hold the back of her neck, then an aching pain came—and finally, their movements stopped.

He removed his lips from her, then reached up to press down on the part where a mark was left. The sensation of his tongue invading her lips could still be felt, and Nadia gasped and blushed heavily.

Desperately trying to catch her breath, Nadia was still waiting for him to step away, but the silk gloves she had on her left hand came off before she could notice.

Suddenly filled with shame, she hid her hand behind her back. However, she had already been caught having the darkening blue bruise wrapped around her wrist. An incredulous smile formed on his lips.

At this, her face heated up from the exposed evidence of what had happened the previous night.

“Ah, it’s his doing. Your husband.”

All she wanted to do right now was to run away and hide. Without even having to look at herself in a mirror, she knew what her body looked like at this moment.

She could barely keep a straight face. She could feel her face flushing bright red, and so there was no guarantee if she managed to keep a dignified front.

“The proper…”

“I really regret it.”

Asheel cut off Nadia’s words, saying something she couldn’t understand. The emotions behind his green eyes were unreadable. He grabbed her shoulder roughly, then turned her around.

“W-What are you… Ahh!”

Her skirt was lifted up. Asheel grabbed Nadia’s thigh even as she struggled, then he spoke with a calm tone.

“Stay still.”

And then he ripped her dress apart.

Nadia was terrified, not knowing what to do. And yet despite everything, she still tried not to shed tears as her hands were on the wall in front of her.

She couldn’t believe what was happening.

Was he truly the man she knew?

Even though she could feel his hands pulling her hips up and pulling her undergarments down, all she did was deny reality without rebelling.

She couldn’t hold her tears back anymore, especially now that she was turned away from the person she tried so desperately to hide her tears from. Her cheeks were soaked.

Why was this happening?

Even after last night’s affairs, she was being touched down there again. Nadia was horrified and she almost screamed, but she barely covered her mouth and looked at the door. She didn’t know if he locked the door after they came in, but if someone were to find out about this…

“Spread your legs.”

He touched Nadia’s bare backside while saying this. The way he spoke was like he was dealing with a prostitute.

“…No.”

He laughed because he didn’t miss the tremor of her voice.

“No?”

“AH!”

She heard the sound of her undergarments being torn off from her thighs. Nadia cried out as her legs were spread open a little.

The place between her legs still stung, but even without that problem in her mind, she was going crazy with panic, worrying that someone would barge into the room and see them like this.

Why was he doing this? Nadia still couldn’t fully understand why Asheel was so enraged with her.

Just a while ago, he initiated a conversation in which she refused to take part in. It was her now who wanted to talk, but he didn’t seem to be open to it anymore.

“Just… J-Just stop this now…”

The fact that he wasn’t listening was obvious with how he started opening up her entrance with the tip of his finger. As soon as Asheel touched her there, Nadia realized that she was wet.

She closed her eyes tightly. Just thinking about him seeing this made her want to die from shame. She just wanted to disappear. But in no time, she cried out and had to open her eyes again.

She could feel his hot breath… his tongue licking her entrance.

“Wh, why are you… You’re crazy, you’re out of your… AHH!”

The more Nadia tried to utter words due to her astonishment, the bolder Asheel’s actions became. She couldn’t even struggle to keep her dress, the one that she had chosen to wear for the banquet, up on her body as it now just fell down to her feet.