novelFirst Night (3)
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Lucia Ch 9
First Night (3)
Translated: iseuli
Edited: lili
Note: In the Korean raw when people are sharing verbal dialogue, it's very easy to differentiate who is who without extra explanations because one will talk in polite form while others do not (or they have their own style of talking). But this does not translate well because of many reasons. Thus, I include (name) after quotes to help you out. This portion is not part of the raw. It's just extra notes so readers will have a smoother experience.
Hugo, who was still lying in bed, slightly furrowed his brows and opened his eyes. His eyes were clear, as if he had been awake all along. He was sensitive to his surroundings and had been awake from the moment Lucia began struggling in bed.
'What in the world is she doing?'
After she had fallen off the bed with a thump, only silence followed. He threw off the blanket and got up. He moved his body lightly, unlike a person who had been asleep till recently. Getting up from bed, he walked around to her side.
She was sitting there in daze as she started frantically shaking her head from side to side. She grasped onto the mattress and struggled to stand up. Though not accustomed to personally helping others, he couldn't sit quietly and do nothing. He walked toward her with a slow pace, being careful not to scare her.
"Oh..."
Her pumpkin orange eyes opened wide as she viewed the empty bed and his upright figure.
"You have bad sleeping habits. How could you fall off such a wide bed?"
He had woken up just now, so his voice was lower than usual. Even so, he was handsome. Lucia, who was staring at him with dazed eyes, quickly snapped back to reality.
"That's... not it!"
His arms, that held her up, made her body heat rise, so Lucia tried to push him away with embarrassment. However, his body was as solid as a rock and wouldn't budge. She decided to quit fighting against him when she saw that any further efforts would be futile.
"Then do you sleepwalk?" (Hugo)
"I woke up to drink water and..." (Lucia)
Lucia felt a little shy for some reason, and looked at the floor while muttering the rest of her words in a low voice.
"Walking is... a bit difficult right now..."
He let out a soft sigh. Putting on the slippers that were under the bed, he moved his feet with light steps. When they reached the end of the rug, the sound of glass shattering under his feet could be heard.
'Ah... I broke a glass cup yesterday... '
She had forgotten all about it. If it weren't for him, she would have walked right into the floor strewn with glass pieces with her bare feet.
He easily carried Lucia up with one arm and stopped in front of the table. Pouring a glass of water, he handed her the cup.
"Don't break it this time."
"... Yes."
He never stopped teasing her. Tsk, she mumbled silent complaints to herself and obediently accepted the cup.
He wasn't just tall, he was also very strong. He was handling her easily as if she were a small child. He was supporting her buttocks and hips with only one arm, but she felt very well-balanced and at ease.
"Thank... you."
He took her empty cup and placed it on the table.
"Anything else?"
"... Huh?"
"Shall I take you to the bathroom?"
"No!!"
Lucia yelled while her face glowed red. Her gaze met his, and it felt like his red eyes were laughing at her. His black hair was usually styled neatly, but currently his hair was tossed in its natural form and it seemed amazing to her. Lucia raised her hand and combed his hair out of his face. His brows twitched slightly.
She was embarrassed of her impulsive action and his fierce stare felt burdensome. She followed his line of sight down and was startled with shock. Half her breasts were out in the open with her nipples peeking out a little. She had tied her robe carelessly before, but it had come undone. Her ears felt hot.
Lucia hurriedly held her robe and attempted to cover up. Unfortunately, her robe was caught between his arms and her body, and pulling at it didn't do anything to help cover herself up. Just then, his hand firmly grasped her breast.
"Hp..." (breath in)
Lucia gasped in alarm and quickly darted her eyes to him. His red eyes seemed to trap her and she couldn't move. He had been staring at her all this time, and she could feel his gaze turn heavier. She was scared, but she couldn't turn her eyes away from him.
As soon as he grasped her breast with a bit of strength, Lucia took a breath and moaned. He laid her on the table and took a mouthful of her breast.
"Ah!"
An electrifying sensation ran up her spine. His lips were sucking on her breast while his tongue stroked her nipple. He lightly nibbled on it, then dug his tongue in.
"Ah! Hk!"
Lucia gripped his shoulder while her body spasmed from the stimulation. The hard table supported her body as he pressed down onto her. Greedily seizing her breasts, he teasingly licked, bit, and sucked on them without pause. The sucking sound that escaped his lips flustered her, and her body burned up with heat.
The belt had long fallen to the floor while her robe laid completely undone on top of the table. The cold air brushed against her skin as her naked body was exposed to the open. He spread her legs by propping one of them up on his arm. His finger rubbed against her as he slowly made his way in.
"Uu..."
A burning pain made her cry out. She was still hurting from the aftereffects of taking in his huge length at once. Even so, after his finger pushed and pulled from inside, her juices started flowing out, causing an embarrassing sound to echo throughout the room. Thanks to that, his finger could glide in and out easily. However, she was still suffering from pain.
"Does it hurt?"
Lucia hurriedly nodded. She stared at him with a helpless and desperate crying look. It hurts. I don't want to do it. She sent this message to him with her eyes. But when his finger left and instead his hardened member prodded her, she paled completely white. When his length entered her tender insides, she started to cry.
"Ssh..."
He tried to calm her down while kissing her, but he pushed in deeper. Her insides were burning and painful.
"Uuck..."
It was a different pain from the time he had first entered her. Her insides were painful and the muscles all over her body were sore. Huge droplets of tears fell one after another from her eyes.
He put his strength behind his thrusts as he pushed into her on top of the table. Really... It felt too good. Her insides firmly wrapped around his member and stimulated him in all the right places. Feeling like he was tasting something sweet, he lightly licked her lips.
'She really... makes a person go crazy. '
Her tears, her expression, her sniffling cries, the screaming, her sweet body and skin, her innocent reactions, her insides that firmly hugged his erection... Everything about her caused him to become exponentially aroused. It was as if he had turned into a starved vampire who had caught the scent of blood. The demon inside him hissed to release his inner beast and rough her up until his sexual hunger was satisfied.
'I can't. '
If he acted on his inner demon, that frail woman would die. His young wife was frail and weak; with a little bit of strength, she could easily break. She was still too inexperienced to fully accept a man. It would be bad if he killed his wife the first night after marriage.
He lightly kissed Lucia, who was crying. He tangled his tongue inside her small mouth and thoroughly investigated. While doing so, he composed his sanity that was about to fly off into space. Their kiss continued until she looked to be out of breath.
His length was fully sheathed inside her. He slowly pulled out and Lucia groaned. She squeezed her eyes thinking it wasn't over yet. However, he simply helped Lucia dress and lifted her up once again. Lucia watched him with big eyes.
He laid her onto the bed. Lucia looked at him suspiciously while keeping very quiet.
"Are you regretting it?"
Lucia quickly shook her head from side to side.
"I won't touch you anymore, so go to sleep."
She relaxed, letting her tense muscles loosen. She was behaving so noticeably different, that he had to swallow back the bitter smile forming on his lips.
'So she's that kind of person. '
He let out a sigh. His circumstances were laughable and pitiful. His very stiff piece of wood was starting to hurt from pent up sexual frustration. It would take too long to let it cool down on its own, but he was irked that he would need to take care of it himself. He never had to masturbate as he'd never had a shortage of women; thus he never had to resort to such means.
He sighed, confused over how to go about this situation, while Lucia admired him. The room was brighter now, and she could see his face more clearly. It would be difficult to find someone else as handsome as him.
His sculpted face was well-balanced; his features perfectly harmonized with one another. He had a high bridge nose and sharp eyes. She could not find any flaws on him. Even so, people didn't refer to the Duke of Taran as 'charming'.
'Because... of his facial expressions... ?'
He was always indifferent and cold. It was impossible to read his inner thoughts by observing his expressions. One would have a hard time guessing whether he was feeling good or bad.
He was well-known for his military prestige and frightful presence during war, making others fear him.
He got up and disappeared somewhere. She watched her handsome husband leave with a sad heart, without the slightest clue that he was going to the bathroom to take care of his rigid member.
'Why did he agree to marry me... ?'
She had no idea. A lot had happened between them, but not enough to justify such a result. He would be able to find many women who would agree to the same terms as her. Back then, she had chosen the best path possible, but thinking back, it didn't add up perfectly. It would be correct for him to laugh at her like a joke and brush her off like a bug.
He returned from the bathroom with a foul temper. He was able to release the pent up sexual frustration, but he didn't feel satisfied at all. If anything, he felt awkward. He had just married; there was a perfect female in front of him, yet he had to resort to jerking himself off. He had decided to act like a gentleman because of her, but he couldn't help boiling with anger on the inside. He hid all his anger within his heart and returned to bed.
She didn't go back to sleep, simply rolling in bed. When her pumpkin orange eyes watched him, he couldn't help but feel annoyed. However from his expression alone, one would never know his true feelings. He seemed to be wearing a cold and unconcerned mask.
"You're not returning to sleep? If you don't sleep, you won't be able to gather any strength for later. In a few hours, we'll be leaving for the North, it won't be an easy ride."
"I will not become a hindrance to your daily affairs. Please do not worry."
Her voice was firm and strong, and he couldn't help but scan her body condition up and down.
"You can't walk."
Lucia looked defensive while pouting her lips. When he continued to stare at her face, she mouthed a silent 'What?'
"... You were thinking of doing it again, weren't you?"
She caught him off guard with that question, causing him to burst out laughing.
"So you're saying it's my fault you can't walk."
"... It is not like I cannot. It just feels... a bit weird..."
"I'll call for a doctor in the morning."
"Huh? I'm fine. I'm really fine."
Lucia was shocked and politely refused. How was she supposed to explain that embarrassing pain to another person? Although that person would be a doctor, she still didn't want to.
Lucia stood up to prove her perfect body condition, but her muscles were stiff and her lower body was shooting with pain. She let out a silent scream inside her heart, while beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead.
Tch. He clicked his tongue and smoothly helped her return to bed.
"If you're tired, clearly explain it to me. From my point of view, it will be impossible to leave today."
"I am really fine. Please do not feel you must change your schedule because of me."
"It will be a carriage ride of at least three or four days. There will be no villages or towns you can rest in on the way there. You'll need to spend all those days inside a carriage. Are you telling me you're fine with that?"
"Yes, I'm really fine."
"Don't be stubborn about stupid things."
One must take responsibility for one's words. It would be troublesome to shout out proud words, then make a lot of petty excuses later. He needed to understand her mentality clearly in order to plan for any changes, so he could minimize any sort of trouble that would emerge later on. Preventive measures would become impossible once problems were blindly left for the future because 'there's no helping it. '
There was no difference with women as well. They would say 'I'm fine, don't worry about me. ' But later, they would tell him that wasn't what they'd meant. They would complain that he could not understand their feelings. Whenever that happened, he would break up with them on the spot. Anyone who hid and harbored complaints within their hearts would end up stabbing him in the back one day.
"I am not trying to be stubborn... I understand you have urgent business in the North. It is true that I am suffering a bit of discomfort, but I feel I must bear it for now."
A slight crack formed on his frosty expression. The urgent situation in his Dukedom. That was the excuse he'd given to settle the marriage in an informal matter. He hadn't shared explicit details on the matter, and anyone would conclude that the next step would be to hurry back as soon as possible.
Of course he couldn't explain, 'I settled the marriage this way because it would be too troublesome otherwise. There's nothing going on up North. ' He tried to hide his embarrassment, so his voice sounded friendlier than usual.
"... It's not so urgent that problems would arise by being a few days late. I'll delay our travels to a later date."
Lucia observed him once more. The man was not as overbearing and cold as she had originally believed. He didn't ignore any of her words, and conversing with him didn't feel uncomfortable at all. The more she got to know him, the more she didn't understand. He wasn't such a bad person, but he wasn't a good person either. Whenever she settled on one, the next moment she would think a different way.
"Is it okay... to ask you one more thing?"
"No. Go back to sleep."
"When the urgent business in the North is settled, will you return to the capital?"
That woman was really... He glared at her with cold eyes, but she didn't seem scared or meek at all. She was like that from the beginning; she didn't have any hesitation when dealing with him. She was quiet, but she expressed everything she needed to. It would be fine to ignore her if he was so annoyed, but he felt strange that he didn't mind answering all her questions.
"There will be many things to do. I haven't made any plans to return to the capital any time soon."
He had told the Crown Prince he would be back in two years, but there was no explicit date set up. It would be fine to extend the deadline as much as he wanted.
"Will that be okay? I mean... did the Crown Prince gladly agree to your request?"
That was a question he didn't expect. Hugo met her gaze with interested eyes. It was true that he sided with the Crown Prince, but he didn't do anything for him personally. There was nobody who could give a concrete confirmation that it was definitely so. It was a sensitive topic. Was this woman interested in power? He stored that information with interest.
"He didn't gladly agree."
Kwiz had tried to tie Hugo down with both threats and bribes. But he hadn't felt tempted at all. He had formed a perfect administration system in the North, so even if he wasn't there, the Dukedom would be fine in the long term. However, there was a need to make his presence as the Duke known.
"I see that... you stick with any decisions you make until the end."
Lucia had grasped that one tendency of his. Once he made a decision, he would promptly advance forward. It only took a month for them to hold an informal marriage. Without a pause, everything had happened so fast. Before she realized, she was already signing her name on the marriage certificate.
"Have you ever had a time when you regretted a decision you have made?"
His silence felt painful.
"... If the question was too personal then..."
"Never. I have no attachments to anything of the past. It's useless to hold onto something that's impossible to change."
It was so. She felt a chilling tug at her heart.
'Once he throws me away, he will never look back. Whether it's his work, human relations, or girls. '
He was a strong and arrogant man. He had been that way inside her dream, as well. He had always been confident and received people's praise as something matter-of-factly. Many yearned for him. It wasn't easy to approach him, and the most people could do was sneak glances at him from afar. It might be that Lucia liked that man far more than what she'd imagined.
It was amazing that he was within her reach. She had become his wife. It was unbelievable that she was his woman now.
'Such bright eyes. '
Hugo thought to himself while watching her pumpkin colored eyes gazing back. Her eyes sparkled with desire, awe, and fear. Usually, the women who desired him had no such emotions. The many women who tried to seduce him desired his wealth and authority. He hadn't seen a woman whose eyes were so clear.
Was she so different because she had grown up in such unique circumstances? If she had grown up like normal royalty, surrounded by servants, she wouldn't have been any different than the others. This was probably only possible because she had grown up believing she was of common birth.
His theory of life was that the world couldn't change. Someday, her clear eyes would be polluted by this world's greed. She could only remain so innocent until now, because she hadn't experienced the true world yet. She was just a late bloomer.
She didn't seem dull-headed, so at least she wouldn't be annoying in the future. In addition, her body didn't just feel good, it felt amazing. He was perfectly satisfied with those results, although it was a rushed marriage.
"It seems you'll go to sleep only after I leave."
"How about Your Grace? You are not sleeping anymore?"
"I wake up around this time everyday."
"This... early?"
Count Matin had only woken up when the sun was up high - mid day. She suspected he hadn't lived to see such a thing as the morning throughout his life. But in his defense, it was not because Count Matin was particularly lazy or anything. It was common practice for nobles to go to sleep far past midnight and wake up late in the morning. The reason being, nobles frequented various balls, social parties, and dinners late into the night.
"I told you not to call me 'Your Grace' in bed."
"... Yes. But it is... not so easy. It doesn't feel right..."
Other women were always impatient to call him by name. But this woman was not so easy. Although he was sitting close to her, she didn't place one finger on his body. After a night of heat, women would cuddle and cling onto him like a piece of gum.
'Was yesterday unpleasant? Maybe it was a bad idea trying to touch her just now?'
She was different from other women. Other women didn't cry from pain like her. For the first time since he was born, he started to suspect his own self-pride.
"Vivian."
He never kept questions inside his heart, but facing such clear eyes staring back at him, he couldn't muster up the courage to ask, 'How did you feel about our first night together?' It might be that he was scared of what might come out of the girl's mouth. In her case, she would not reply 'it was nice' for the sake of the man's pride.
"... Rather than my name, practice not getting shocked hearing your own name. Maybe it's just that you don't like it when I call your name?"
"... I'm uncomfortable... with the name..."
"I have to call you by something."
"There are many ways to call me."
"Many ways? What other ways... My wife? Honey? Darling? My love? Cutie?"
Lucia's face glowed bright red. How did he speak such words so naturally?
"Choose."
When she remained frozen with her mouth shut tight, he tilted his head.
"Do you hate the common ways to be addressed? What about my sunshine or my soul mate?
"My name! Please just call me by my name."
"Mm. I think that's the best too, Vivian."
Lucia became sulky seeing his sneaky smile. As expected of a player. She had no expectations that he would remain faithful to her because he was married. Inside her dream, although he had no public girlfriends after marriage, he would have had many girls to play around with hidden somewhere.
"Let's stop here. Go back to sleep."
"But..."
"Vivian!"
Lucia's eyes grew wide, then giggled the next moment. What to do? He mumbled to himself while watching her with gentle eyes as she laughed.
"How many hours do you usually sleep?"
"About three to four hours."
"Everyday?"
"There are times when I can sleep for only one or two hours, too."
In shock, Lucia's mouth gaped wide open. Being a Duke was not an easy job that anyone could handle. It was only possible for someone as hardworking as this person.
"... I'm sorry. That will be impossible for me. I might die sleeping only three to four hours a day."
"... Did I ever ask you to do the same?"
"Your Grace... Hugh... How can the Duke's wife sleep while her husband is working... ?"
It was confusing whether he was laughing from amusement or from being at a loss for words.
"I appreciate your sentiment, but there's no need. Just close that mouth of yours and sleep."
His hand covered Lucia's eyes. His huge hand covered most of her face. He wasn't particularly fond of talking with women, but he didn't find conversing with her annoying. Actually, she had a very nice voice. She didn't have the typical fake and high-pitched nasal voice but a clear and gentle, soothing one.
"I'm sorry for annoying you."
"..."
He didn't feel annoyed. But he didn't bother to deny her statement.
Within the darkness, Lucia blinked a few times and soon returned to sleep. He watched her breathe in a slow and relaxed rhythm, and quietly chuckled.
He watched her sleep peacefully for a short while before he got up. He walked around the bed to her side and bent down, then lightly kissed her cheeks as her breath tickled his cheek. He gently sucked on her soft lower lip and separated with a lick. When he straightened up, his expression looked very complicated.
***
Jerome and three maids were on standby in the receiving room. There was no way they would disturb the newlywed couple in their own bedroom. Following the death of the last generation's Duchess, this golden rule had been ignored. However, since the appearance of a new Duchess, it had been reinstated.
When Hugo finished his bath, the three maids moved swiftly to aid him. They patted down the remnant water on his body, while taking off his robe to help him into his regular clothes. They discovered a round bite mark on their Lord's arm and red scratch marks on his shoulder, however nobody spoke of them, and promptly hid them underneath his clothes.
The three maids moved like they were a single entity with perfect harmony. The youngest of the three siblings was 17. Their parents had passed away due to an epidemic from the slums and the siblings were the only ones to survive through the ordeal.
The three had become orphans and had lost their voices due to the epidemic. Jerome had taken them under his wing and had educated them personally. The three were smart and loyal. Many years had passed, and they currently excelled at their job to the point that Jerome didn't need to look out for them at all.
"All the preparations to leave are complete. Would you like to do the final inspections one last time?"
"I'm pushing our trip to tomorrow."
"Yes, Your Grace. The palace maids came for a visit late last night. When we informed them that you were sleeping, they said they would return this morning."
Kwiz was quite stubborn. He hadn't given up at all. He would most likely continue to pester him with letters, asking for him to return to the capital. It was also a talent to pester him to the highest degree possible without causing an annoyance.
"The next time they visit, let them stay the night. I should visit the palace today."
Since there was time, he should visit and pacify him a bit. The battles within the inner palace for the title of the next Emperor were fierce. The Crown Prince was everyone's target due to his title alone. The Crown Prince at this time had no power to suppress anyone; he was simply a huge flashy target for everyone. Although the situation was intense, Kwiz had yielded to the Duke's decision of returning to the North.
"While I'm away, call for a doctor."
Up until this day, the Duke had never called for a doctor once. The person with the most free time was the Duke's family doctor. Thus, everyone was able to understand why the doctor needed to be called.
"Is the Duchess ill?"
"No. Don't call the doctor yet. When our Princess wakes up, ask if she requires a doctor. Follow her decision."
The Duke didn't forget any detail of last night.
"Be sure to call for a female doctor."
"... Yes, Your Grace."
A female doctor? Jerome's brain spun dizzily. He decided he would try to decipher his Lord's hidden message later. Where in the world would he be able to find a female doctor? He decided he had to carry out an investigation for the best female doctors ahead of time.
"Your Grace, this is Fabian."
Hugo furrowed his brows once he heard the voice from outside the door. It was too early for Fabian to show up. If it was anything so urgent that he would show up, it was never good news. Once Fabian received permission to enter, he observed courtesy to the Duke and passed an envelope.
"An urgent message has arrived from the North."
Hugo's expression darkened as he read the message. It seemed he jinxed it. Things had turned out for the worse in his territory for real. That had resulted from the long absence of the Duke.
If the owner didn't properly discipline his subjects, whether they be animals or humans, they would eventually forget their standing. The barbarians were very faithful to this logic. They wouldn't dare act out of line, as long as they were properly kept in check with fear.
"Haven't I been pretty generous when they weren't thinking of annoying me?"
His low growl caused a chilling atmosphere. Jerome and Fabian kept their mouths shut and attended to their Lord with cautious eyes. They understood he didn't ask that question waiting for an answer.
"Fabian. Inform throughout our Northern territory that I will grace them with my presence. I should make my rounds with everyone since it's on the way."
"But, Your Grace, then..."
"It doesn't matter. I'm looking forward to seeing how much they can struggle. It will make me very happy to see them burning with fighting spirit. That way, stepping on them will be amusing."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Fabian gave a short and firm response.
"Jerome. I'll depart soon. You remain here and escort the Duchess home. Don't feel you must rush home."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Jerome followed behind the Duke, who was already leaving the mansion. Hugo left one last message before saddling onto his horse.
"This is the Taran's Lady of the House. Give all your respects to her."
"We will follow your commands, Your Grace."
He kicked his horse and raced into the distance. The knights who were on standby followed behind him. Jerome stood still, watching the Duke until he couldn't be seen anymore. Before he opened the door to the mansion, he turned once more toward the direction that the Duke had disappeared.
"... The Taran's Lady of the House."
The Duke hadn't said any great words. 'Give all your respects to her'. He had conveyed words that were so obvious. But those obvious words spoke volumes by the mere fact that they were spoken by Hugo, the Duke of Taran himself. The Duke wasn't someone who looked after others. He didn't even bother to keep the appearance of doing so.
'Am I reading too deeply into something he casually said?'
Only the future could tell.
(end)
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