Duke Ashillean’s Contractual Marriage - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Ugh, my back was very sore. Even though I slept well, my body was tired from head to toe.

‘This is a job that consumes quite a bit of her stamina.’

The inside of her thighs was also sore. In any case, she wasn’t feeling very well. The feeling was similar to when she once crawled through the thorn bushes in search of a demonic beast hidden underground. I don’t think my body hurt like this even when I was slapped around by the tail of a dragon-like demonic beast.

Rubiana looked at the man who made her body this way. In this kind of situation, that guy would already be facing his death now with a ghastly white face and already out of breath. Annoyingly, Louismond is unscathed. It was just that his face was a bit pale. He was still sleeping with even breaths.

As she looked at him, his swollen and full lips were the first thing that caught her eyes. I wonder how many times those lips bit and sucked me last night. She stared intently at his lips resembling the suckers of an octopus-like demonic beast living in the frozen lake. It was strange that it was just slightly swollen. Even though he put it like that and like this.

He wasn’t only a pretty husband, but he also had excellent stamina. That’s some good stuff. It seems like we could last a long time and that’s… satisfying? Ugh, Rubiana shook her head and rubbed her back.

(T/N: I can’t with Rubiana’s thought hahahaha)

‘I can’t believe you only had swollen lips when you made me like this.’

She was about to get annoyed but when she saw his lips twitched, she sighed.

“Ugh.”

She thought he was about to wake up when his breathing changed, but Louismond only moved his body a little.

Instead of opening his eyes, his hand ran across the bed. His hand felt the bed as if looking for something, and then suddenly reached for Rubiana. She was just too lazy to move so she stayed still, and without any fear, he wrapped his hand on her waist and pulled her towards him.

“…!”

In an instant, she felt like cursing. Touching my sore back? Should I just poke your closed eyes with my fingers? She even thought of the bad things she shouldn’t do to an unarmed [tnote keyword=”non-combatant”]. A person who is not engaged in fighting in the war, especially a civilian.[/tnote]

“Mmm.” Louismond smiled contentedly, and kissed Rubiana’s forehead. “Sleep a little longer. Last night was too tiring….”

His whispers mixed with his sweet breath. Louismond hugged Rubiana tightly and fell asleep again. His action was something he did while he was still sleeping. He wouldn’t even remember it when he wakes up later. I’m sure this isn’t like a fox at all.

It had a fabulous effect. Rubiana felt that her irritation melted away in an instant.

‘Hiyaah, this feels good.’

Rubiana momentarily forgot about her sore waist as she looked at Louismond’s sleeping face. He wasn’t doing anything. He was just closing his eyes and breathing. I am just looking at him, and it is fun. It seemed like I wouldn’t get tired watching him for a long time like this.

Rubiana raised her hand and swept away the strand of his silver hair on his face.

“Mmm, hmm.”

Louismond held her hand on his cheek with his hand.

‘You said it was your first time. Isn’t this the basic level for men?’

Like last night’s fiery affair, and the act of cuteness overflowing even in sleep.

Rubiana looked back on her memory of last night as her hand was on Louismond’s cheek. The more she thought about it, the more she was surprised. A virgin younger guy is very scary, folks. It made her want to scream to the whole neighborhood.

Even when her hands were trembling that she looked not very threatening, the look in his eyes changed in an instant. Even when Rubiana tried to push him away because she was tired, he kept on going, saying that he could still do more.

(T/N: Told yah, he won’t be needing any rabbit meat [wipes sweat])

‘Oh? The sun had risen.’

She thought she already saw the dawn of light shining through the window while being held by Louismond. I think I fell asleep again at that time. When she opened her eyes, Louismond was already wiping her body with a sunken face as if all the blood in his body was drained by a vampire.

“I, I did my best. From now on, I will do my best every night….”

She seemed to have heard a solemn oath after that, but she couldn’t remember well. She just remembered the comfortable feeling of having a towel soaked in warm water on her body.

“Ugh.”

Louismond tossed and turned again. He thought it was over again, but it wasn’t this time. His eyelids fluttered and trembled. With each blink, his long eyelashes moved and his blurry eyes became clearer. Soon afterward.

“… Duke.”

Recognizing him, he was faintly smiling. It was a pity that he was calling her Duke and not her name. In this situation, she thought that it would be alright to call her ‘Ruby,’ a nickname she hates so much.

Anyway, she thought that it wouldn’t be too bad to open her eyes every morning and look at this face.

‘Grandma, I think you are right.’

She said that men should look whether on or off the bed. Her words were quite true. It was said that when you listen to the words of adults, [tnote keyword=”white bread”] I am not too sure about the meaning of ‘white bread’ here. Maybe like Santa, you’ll get rewards if you listen to adults? If someone knows the meaning, you can share it in the comments~[/tnote] will come out even when you sleep.

Caw, caw –

The cries of the crow in the morning sounded dreary. For some reason, the hair on her back stood because from not far away, she could see the splendid Imperial Palace standing tall.

When Rubiana was about to be depressed by the calamity she brought upon herself, Louismond greeted her in a slightly husky voice and kissed her on the cheek. Chu.

“Did you sleep well?”

Then the fear she felt on her back disappeared at once. The Emperor’s resentment was far away, while the warmth of the beauty on the bed was just next to her. Even if she gets scolded, she thought of enjoying this morning with a beautiful man a little more.

“Well, it’s all right.”

Rubiana belatedly realized that her voice was also quite relaxed, hugging the large body near her. Also,

“Ugh.”

She tried getting out of the bed but instead collapsed back. She felt like she sprained her waist in an instant. Louismond naturally helped Rubiana as if he knew she would be [at this condition]. He slowly walked to the bathroom, hugging Rubiana on her shoulders so he wouldn’t strain her body.

‘You’re quite familiar with holding a person in your arms.’

Rubiana looked at Louismond with doubts in her green eyes, but Louismond didn’t notice her gaze and continued servicing her. He filled the bathtub with a mixture of hot and cold water, then headed towards the chest of drawers lined up against the wall. Again, he ‘familiarly’ searched the drawers of perfume and bath products.

“Yes, it is usually placed here.”

It was a casual remark. It looked like he was almost whispering to himself, but Rubiana clearly heard him.

‘Look at this guy.’

Leaning against the wall, the corners of Rubiana’s lips raised.

Louismond didn’t notice Rubiana looking at him. He continued to open the drawer, checking the scent, looking for a satisfactory scent combination. He grabbed a handful of dried petals and scattered them in the bathtub. He looked sacred as he soaked his hand on the water and swayed it. The bath water seemed to have turned into holy water. Louismond, making the holy water with just his hand, looked like an angel.

‘So then, was I a great person who wrestled with an angle on the bed?’

I think my name would be written on the pages of the Bible instead of a history book.

“Duke, excuse me for a moment.”

Having finished preparing the bath as Rubiana was contemplating, Louismond begged her pardon and supported Rubiana. Half of Rubiana is curious about what he made, the other half of her thought that her body was so sore she didn’t want to move, but she still gave her body to Louismond.

Louismond helped Rubiana soak in the bathtub. He didn’t just put her inside but was gentle and careful – it was a very polite and ‘familiar’ touch.

“Mm.”

Rubiana let out a satisfied moan as soon as her body was soaked in the bathtub. The reluctant feeling she had earlier completely disappeared. A smile was drawn on her lips.

‘Oh, this feels good.’

Rubiana drooped down on the water and rested her head on the bathtub’s rim. The water was moderately warm. The faint scent of perfumed oil mixed with water and dried petals wrapping around her body doesn’t feel that bad. The scent was also subtle, so it didn’t raise any of her nerves. In any case, everything was perfect.

With a splash, Louismond sneaked into the bathtub and sat across from her. Rubiana opened her closed eyes and smiled at Louismond. She had a languid smile in her relaxed state. Shrinking his body as if avoiding their bodies to touch as he went inside the bathtub at his own will, Louismond saw her smile and took more courage. He rubbed Rubiana’s shoulders and arms with a soft sponge on his hand.

“Why are you even doing this….”

Rubiana stopped talking. It was too perfect and was too ‘familiar’ to refuse.

Rubiana was born and raised as the eldest daughter of the venerable Count Luxen. There were already nannies and maids ready for her even before she was born, and she seldom did her own bathing nor wore her own clothes, until she entered the monastery.

However, her life after that was pretty difficult, making it natural for her to wash on her own. Now, it felt awkward for her to be attended like this. Even when she arrived at the capital, she didn’t have a separate maid who would help her with her bath.

She thought that this body would live forever without anyone attending to her bath. Louismond’s touch once again captured the awkward feeling on her body at once. Rubiana relaxed and enjoyed Louismond’s touch as he grabbed her arms and rubbed her shoulder.

“Ohh!”

In a defenseless state, Louismond stumbled towards Rubiana. Louismond quickly grabbed the edge of the bathtub with his hand. Accidentally having body contact with Rubiana could have possibly been prevented, but there was nothing that could be done once the two bodies were in contact. The water shook and overflowed outside the bathtub. Rubiana laid back and relaxed inside the bathtub.

Louismond was frozen in his position, as if he was about to pounce on her. He was barely supporting himself with his hands on the edge of the bathtub. His upper body was exposed out of the water. Drop, drop, drop. Water droplets dripped down from his shirt. Rubiana’s eyes moved along with the water. Lowering his head as he followed Rubiana’s gaze, Louismond blushed.

“…!”

Asserting his honor, he wasn’t ashamed to see her chest. Using a light-colored bath agent, the bath water was transparent. Under the water, Rubiana’s submerged body was exposed, and he was blushing. Even if it was only until the sun had risen this morning,

‘It’s alright to die like this. I already did my best.’

He gave all of his strength into it and acted as if he would turn white and become ashes. His body had long since regained its energy. Louismond actually felt that keenly.

‘Get a grip, Louismond. Turn your head away. You already did your best yesterday. The interview is over. You know there’s nothing worse than a persistent and stubborn man.’

He kept on reminding himself, but he didn’t close his eyes nor turn his head away. He couldn’t take his eyes off of it. He was touching it all night but it somehow felt embarrassing to see it on the water. Even Rubiana’s face casually looking at him stimulates him.

He didn’t see it much last night because it was dark. He could only feel it with the touch of his hands and lips, but Rubiana’s body had many small and large wounds under the bright lights of the bathroom. The first thing that caught his eyes was the wound on her shoulder.

(T/N:

Me: Rubiana, how is Mr. Louismond’s service?

Rubiana: Yes.

Hahahaha lol)