〈 Chapter 330 〉 5. Bread and Dagger (28)
The woman’s thoughts were a tangled mess.
It was immediately after witnessing an unbelievable sight. She found herself instinctively fleeing from it.
Even though the shock left her unable to walk properly.
The woman walked and walked until she finally returned to her bedroom. For a long time afterward, she sat there in a daze.
What had that act been?
She still couldn’t understand.
The sight of the two men and women clinging to each other, moans and cries intertwining, had arrived as a shock beyond her imagination. It was a scene she had previously only known through knowledge.
Yes, she knew what they were doing.
The reproductive instinct was a desire possessed by all living beings. It wouldn’t be strange if a couple in their prime spent a night together.
If that man were not the object of the woman’s unrequited love.
He was a silent man of weight. It was abundantly clear that he would not casually abandon his chastity. This was as obvious a truth as the level of trust the woman had in the man.
But why?
Why had he engaged with the heir of the Yuridina family?
All sorts of possibilities crawled into her mind like creeping vines. However, no matter how much she pondered, there was no answer.
She had only managed to come up with the most plausible hypothesis.
Ian Fercurus and Delphine Yuridina are in a romantic relationship.
The moment that thought came to her mind, the woman found herself unable to breathe for a while.
Her chest squeezed, and intense pain stabbed at her mind. She felt like crying tears.
That couldn’t be true; if it were, there should have been rumors circulating.
The woman regretted the nights she had spent tossing and turning in her past.
The silence of the unfamiliar place felt strikingly foreign. To clear her head, she stepped out of her bedroom, only to find the outside dark and quiet.
It was then that a certain intuition took over her.
There was an unusual lack of presence.
Only a specific corridor felt that way. Although there were guards standing here and there, it was hard to deny that the level of vigilance was unusually low.
When she came to her senses, she realized she was walking down that very path.
And she saw it.
The scene in the room, where an unexpected warm wind blew.
The hellish nightmare that seeped through like an old stain, endlessly repeating.
The woman’s breath caught, and even when she covered herself with the blanket, she couldn’t forget the memory. Overwhelmed by her painful feelings, she groaned.
But one question lingered in her mind.
Had it been that pleasurable?
The next heir of Yuridina glanced back out the door with a victorious smile.
The woman realized as she faced that cruel curve.
That the female was truly enjoying the situation.
There was no trace of pretense or falsehood in the climactic cries. The woman saw someone unraveling in such a disheveled manner for the first time.
It was a feeling she had never imagined before.
Of course, she too was a woman.
She had long known that the day would come when she would offer her purity to the man she loved. Thus, she had fleetingly envisioned that future, but she had never expected to witness such an overt scene.
Her head felt muddled.
Should she reveal it to others?
But it would take courage to confess that she had been eavesdropping on their secret meeting. If they asked why she’d been spying silently, she would have no excuse.
That she had simply blanked out.
Would they believe her if she said she couldn’t even muster any impressions?
That night, the woman couldn’t sleep at all.
She only kept reliving that painful memory, and involuntarily, her fingers fell downwards.
“……Huff.”
It was sticky.
She could tell even through her underwear.
As soon as she opened her eyes in the morning, one thought arose.
“……I’m screwed.”
It was a short and straightforward phrase.
No expression could better summarize how she felt right then. I burned away the hangover that pierced my mind with magical energy.
As I gradually turned my eyes to the side, I saw a beautiful woman with skin as white as snow lying there.
Her soft breathing was sweet. Her pointed nose and slender jawline, along with her delicate features, showcased her beauty.
What about the curves of her body?
Though hidden beneath a thick blanket, the nude form she had seen the night before was nearly a work of art. According to her testimony, I was the only one who had witnessed that with my own eyes.
The feel of her resilient skin was still vivid.
She had been the partner I had clung to madly the night before. My feelings were bound to be complex.
I silently admired Senior Delphine’s face for a moment.
Though she had been so provocative, her peacefully sleeping face looked utterly pure.
That purity was something I had stolen away with last night’s actions.
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
Who would have imagined?
Until a few months ago, I had merely been the second son of a rural baron, ranking low in the academy. My first partner turned out to be the next heir of the formidable Yuridina.
And that beauty was completely flawless as well.
I sat up, scratching my head.
My mind was still a jumble.
What should I do? I had recklessly released my affection inside Senior Delphine.
It was only natural to take responsibility.
At that moment, while I was engrossed in my thoughts.
“Uhm……”
Senior Delphine opened her eyes with a soft moan.
For a moment, she looked dazed, but soon a gentle smile spread across her face.
It was a warm and affectionate smile.
“Good morning, my master.”
Though we had shared our bodies multiple times yesterday.
Seeing that smile made the urge to pounce on Senior Delphine rise again. Thankfully, as I had driven out all the effects of the alcohol, I did not inadvertently pounce on her.
I merely averted my gaze, feeling a bit shy.
I heard the sound of Senior Delphine giggling softly.
“What’s wrong? You seem so different from last night.”
“No, I was just a bit excited back then…”
I fumbled for excuses but ultimately let out another sigh.
What excuse could I possibly make?
In the end, I had to speak to Senior Delphine in a serious tone.
“Regardless, I sincerely apologize for last night’s impropriety. Since I have taken a woman’s purity, I shall obviously shoulder my responsibility…”
“It’s fine.”
However, despite my determination to be earnest, Senior Delphine’s response was refreshingly casual.
My eyes held a questioning look as I turned to Senior Delphine. Then, she smiled sweetly and offered me a beguiling gaze.
Even the gesture of yawning and subtly pulling her arm out from under the blanket was flirtatious. The woman’s breasts once again caught my eye.
How much had I touched that voluptuous flesh yesterday?
As I became lost in the memories of last night, I fell into a daze.
“I told you, right? It’s just a very short day in this long life… And since it’s partly my fault, I don’t intend to dwell on just one night.”
A sigh of contemplation escaped my lips.
Senior Delphine looked at me and burst into laughter.
It was then that her unexpected confession slipped out.
“You know, I’ve always thought I was alone.”
It was a story I had never heard before.
Perhaps the distance between our hearts had closed as our bodies got closer.
Senior Delphine casually revealed the true feelings she had hidden.
“It’s because my life had to utilize even my family. And now, I have to doubt the retainers I once trusted, so I feel gloomy in many ways… A cruel master who can’t manage his subordinates, and a foolish girl who can’t do anything without her master.”
“……Senior Delphine.”
It felt like a futile worry.
I wanted to tell her that she was already capable enough, but her response came faster than my words.
She gave me a pitiful smile.
It meant for me to stop.
I couldn’t bring myself to refuse such a request.
“But last night, for the first time, I didn’t feel alone. So thank you, my master… I feel a bit better now.”
Just as she said, Senior Delphine’s mood appeared to lighten.
Her expression showed a release from pent-up emotions.
After watching Senior Delphine in silence for a moment, I cautiously asked again.
“But since you might end up having a child, you need to take responsibility first…”
“Is that so? Does that mean the next heir of Yuridina has already been decided?”
While I asked nervously, Senior Delphine seemed only relaxed.
Shouldn’t it normally be the other way around?
I was somewhat perplexed.
However, Senior Delphine looked genuinely sincere.
“Don’t worry too much. Getting pregnant isn’t that simple, you know… I have something to believe in too. And, well, if I must take responsibility, I overspent quite a bit yesterday.”
I let out a small laugh.
Given how long that night was, I had indeed worked hard. Ultimately, it had even left Senior Delphine fainting.
“We did keep each other occupied throughout the night.”
“And perhaps had one more drink, and since it was the alcohol in your mouth, it felt particularly special?”
It had been a blissful time.
I couldn’t deny that I had shared enjoyable moments with Senior Delphine the night before, even though my heart felt heavy.
At least now, I felt that the joy of last night was greater.
Until Senior Delphine added one more comment.
“But your expression, like a puppy that’s lost its master…”
It was a teasing remark she let out with a chuckle.
Upon hearing that, I had to furrow my brows in reflection.
Had I really looked like that the day before?
No matter how much I tried to think back, no suitable memory surfaced, and I had to turn to Senior Delphine with a question.
“……What expression?”
“You know, that look of a puppy that lost its master… Oh, didn’t I tell you yesterday? Someone was watching us while peeping. There’s no way someone would blatantly disobey me, so it can’t be one of the Yuridina. It’s likely one of your companions you brought along.”
The playful smile Senior Delphine had as she spoke those words.
Upon hearing them, I was left in shock, as if I had been struck by lightning.
Someone had been watching us?
At that moment, I could no longer suppress the rising questions within me.
“No, if that was the case, you should have said something…!”
“For whose benefit?”
But Senior Delphine only dismissed my anger with a snicker.
“Were you planning to stop then? We had already shared our bodies, and the witness saw everything… what difference would it have made to speak at that time?”
It was a logical rebuttal.
So, I had no choice but to suppress the burning emotions inside me.
As if anticipating that, Senior Delphine smiled leisurely and said,
“Try to make an effort. If you truly have nowhere to go, come to me. My body is always yours, my master.”
I wanted to say something, but ultimately, I fell silent again.
Senior Delphine was right.
It was already spilled water. Regret would be too late now.
And coincidentally, Senior Delphine began to sweet-talk me.
“Our dear master, although you say you’re angry…”
Her delicate touch grazed my groin.
I flinched but stopped resisting when I saw Senior Delphine’s captivating gaze.
At this point, it felt foolish to pull away.
“You’re quite honest with your body, aren’t you?”
Then, with her body pressed against mine, her whispers carried the sweet scent of flesh.
“Master, I would like to have breakfast…”
I had no grounds left to refuse.
“……Should I do it with my mouth?”
After some time passed, I finally managed to leave Senior Delphine’s chamber.
With a new worry nestled in my heart.
Who could have been watching me and Senior Delphine’s intimate moments?
I didn’t have much time to ponder.
The battlefield was like a writhing, living being. It was a place where unusual things could happen at any moment.
That meant information was critically important.
My mission was to recover lost information and identify traitors.
Given the urgency of the task, my party and I had to head straight to the front lines.
All the while, with another mystery weighing on our minds.
The attitudes of the women surrounding me had begun to seem somewhat suspicious.
The first was Senior Elsi.
