Political Marriage (5)

Suppressed breaths brushed against Miraine’s ears.

Miraine, waiting for an answer, lifted his head to gaze at the Grand Duke’s icy mask. Meeting those dark eyes, he kept silent, then began to strip off the other’s clothes.

The heavy cloak lined with wool fell to the floor, and his hand touched the collar. The deep black pourpoint was embroidered with a golden dragon from scripture and fastened with ivory buttons. Miraine undid each ivory button one by one.

In a soft voice, the Grand Duke spoke.

“Have you ever had intimate relations with a man?”

No answer came. Nor had Miraine expected one. He merely continued his soliloquy.

“I have not. I’ve read books in advance, but I’m still nervous. I never anticipated such a situation… Your Highness. I beg your understanding with a cautious heart.”

It was a roundabout way of asking for a normal marital bed.

Miraine’s brow furrowed as he glanced at the Grand Duke’s expression. Forcing his gaze away from the eyepatch, he lowered his hand.

At that moment, the Grand Duke let out a short sigh and reached out.

An elegant hand roughly snatched Miraine’s. Miraine flinched.

“I’ll do it.”

Brushing aside Miraine’s hand that had touched his abdomen, the Grand Duke quickly unfastened his own buttons. In an instant, he tore off his top, tossed it to the floor, and reached for his shirt.

Miraine’s gaze fell upon the thin shirt that revealed his skin.

Elegant fingers were undoing the top button of the shirt, then the collar buttons all the way down.

Miraine couldn’t tear his eyes away from the Grand Duke’s body.

‘Impressive.’

His body was magnificent enough to draw admiration from Miraine, who had once been a knight.

That solid frame was packed with muscles like twisted iron wires, without a single soft spot, exuding strength. His smooth skin, as if carved from ivory, even bore tangled scars that harmonized like a painting on paper.

It was the body of one who had reached the pinnacle of knighthood.

“Magnificent.”

Faced with a truly perfect physique, the knight marveled.

Miraine did not realize that when he spoke, the Grand Duke’s body tensed and then relaxed. Embarrassment tinged the face beneath the mask, but Miraine paid no attention to what was happening above the Grand Duke’s neck.

He unconsciously reached out and touched the Grand Duke’s body. His index finger brushed over a rib. It was not out of sexual desire, but with pure admiration that Miraine caressed that artwork-like body.

“Beautiful… Hah!”

The Grand Duke tolerated no further indulgence.

“Hah!”

Startled as his hand was snatched, Miraine looked up. Meeting menacing eyes, he let out an awkward laugh, realizing he had made a mistake.

“I’m sorry.”

He tried to pull his hand free from the Grand Duke’s grip, but failed. The Grand Duke’s hand was so firm that Miraine could not escape. Struggling, Miraine glanced at him. The moment their eyes met, the Grand Duke flung his hand away as if discarding trash.

Miraine apologized again.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

Rubbing his tingling hand, he spoke slowly.

“It’s just that your body is truly exceptional.”

The Grand Duke seemed not to find it worthy of a reply. Meeting his cold eyes, Miraine offered a smile.

“Beautiful, you say?”

The Grand Duke twisted the corner of his mouth into a sneer.

“I hope you can say that after seeing the face beneath the mask.”

Then he reached out. Flinching, Miraine realized the hand was unbuttoning his own shirt and stiffened.

At last, the true beginning of the wedding night. Miraine let out a trembling breath. He tried hard to avert his gaze, which kept drifting to the eyepatch.

A hint of complexity flickered across Miraine’s pale face.

The Grand Duke sent a cold sneer across his lips as he watched, but Miraine did not notice.

Fingers like carved ice quickly removed the clothes.

When only a few buttons remained, Miraine could no longer suppress his agitation and let out a groan. At that moment, the Grand Duke’s face hardened.

The touch stopped.

“Ah.”

A low breath escaped Miraine’s lips. Cold sweat beaded on his pale forehead. The Grand Duke stared at him with intense eyes for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

“You’re scared.”

Miraine was taken aback.

“…Are you afraid of me?”

Afraid?

Steadying his breath, Miraine muttered.

“Yes.”

But that wasn’t the reason for his agitation. After a moment’s hesitation, Miraine spoke with a sigh.

“Could we please have a normal marital bed, at least tonight?”

The Grand Duke’s reply came after a considerable pause.

“What?”

“I told you, I’ve never been with a man before.”

Miraine finally revealed his agitation.

Covering his pale face with his hand, he dropped his head.

‘Ah, damn it.’

Everything was ruined.

“…Please remove the eyepatch. After this, I will obey your orders without daring to defy.”

“…”

“At least tonight, I wish to avoid humiliation. I beg you.”

Miraine adopted a polite attitude to avoid displeasing the Grand Duke. As a lower-ranking noble, his words could have easily provoked thoughts like “How dare you defy my command?”

Having witnessed how the arrogance of nobles like Count Laster and the Emperor could twist, Miraine had to be cautious.

“If you wish, I will of course comply… but still.”

“I won’t do it.”

At the gritted voice, Miraine was startled and raised his head.

“Really… Ah.”

“Shut up.”

The Grand Duke reached out to Miraine. Flinching back, Miraine’s eyes widened as the hand covered his mouth.

The Grand Duke looked down at him with hollow eyes. With a face like an old man who had lived a hundred years, he spoke in a voice thick with emptiness.

“Is this, so…”

Miraine silently blinked.

Looking at the obedient Miraine, the Grand Duke opened his lips but failed to continue and closed them. Letting out a sigh, he reached out and took Miraine’s hand.

Miraine stared blankly at the white cloth tying around his wrist.

“I will not treat you like that.”

Speaking with a tired face, the Grand Duke knotted the cloth. Miraine looked at him awkwardly.

The Grand Duke calmly explained.

“This is out of consideration for you.”

Miraine’s gaze fell on the mask. He realized the situation belatedly and let out an ‘Ah.’ Embarrassed, he hesitated.

“This is your last chance, Miraine Laster.”

The Grand Duke, seated on the bed, pulled the cloth tied to Miraine’s wrist. The pull was gentle, but Miraine obediently followed.

“If you want to stop, it’s now.”

Still sitting, the Grand Duke finished undressing Miraine.

Miraine placed his hand over the Duke’s and whispered.

“I won’t stop.”

The Grand Duke let out a hollow laugh. Miraine’s top slid down his arms. At that moment, the Grand Duke grabbed his wrist and pulled.

“…!”

In an instant, his vision shifted.

The Grand Duke was right before Miraine’s eyes.

“You will definitely regret this.”

Miraine hesitated, then abruptly closed his eyes. It was his choice. The Grand Duke sneered and sighed.

“Foolish…”

Then he bowed his head.

It was the moment their lips met.

“…Ah.”

A hand traced his ribs and moved to his back. Miraine yielded to the arm encircling his waist. The moment their skin touched, his brow furrowed slightly.

The tongue rubbing his lips was very gentle, as if soothing him, and it lightly touched his lip.

The kiss gradually made his body languid.

Only after a considerable time did the Grand Duke pull away.

Meeting those sharp, testing eyes, Miraine brought his hand to his lips. Unconsciously, he changed his gesture from the back of his hand to his fingers.

“Thank you.”

A faint smile appeared.

Miraine’s fingers traced the warmth remaining on his lips.

Aware of the Grand Duke’s stiffening body, Miraine whispered again.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

He found the Grand Duke’s hand and held it, feeling the groan.

When a hand suddenly covered his ear, Miraine did not resist.

The wedding night was very different from what he had expected.