Chapter 29: BWCGD

Chapter 29

The moment their bodies pressed together without a single gap, her mind became hazy, as though wrapped in thick fog.

Every place touched by his burning body heat felt as if it would melt away.

Crushed beneath his large body, she could no longer think clearly.

The wet sounds made her body feel as though it were floating into the air.

Just as her heart lurched violently, like someone suddenly falling from a great height—

"Haa... haa..."

Only when she was on the verge of hyperventilating again from lack of breath did Kallian finally let her go.

As he lightly sucked her lower lip before pulling away, there was obvious reluctance in his movement. A long, thin strand of saliva stretched between their lips.

He slowly looked over her flushed cheeks, reddened eyes, and the tears gathered in them from a purely instinctive reaction.

Evelyn brushed back her messy hair and met his gaze.

The moment she looked into his eyes, shining with desire, an unfamiliar emotion stirred inside her.

She could not know everything he was thinking, but she could tell one thing.

He did not want this to end.

You don't have to hesitate.

You can want me a little more.

Without thinking, Evelyn reached out and cupped his face with both hands. Her lips stung, but it hurt less than her aching heart.

"You said I should learn properly."

"What?"

"I still don't understand. Just a little more..."

Before she could finish, his lips suddenly covered hers once again.

"Hng!"

The instant their lips crashed together again, warning bells rang in her head. She desperately tried to grab hold of her fading reason, but it was already too late.

"Ha... hn... ngh...!"

As pleasure that almost felt like pain ran through her body, she trembled. Like soothing a whining child, he gently sucked on her tongue.

The slow, gentle kiss, as though awakening every hidden cell in her tongue, made a warm tightness gather deep in Evelyn's lower abdomen.

I'm going crazy.

Is this what it feels like to offer your blood to a vampire?

It felt as though every bit of strength in her body was being drained away.

The sweet, soft sensation was so captivating that it clouded her mind.

"Hng... w-wait..."

Soon, pleasure spread down her spine, leaving her nerves completely frayed as she struggled to calm her heated body.

As if sensing her excitement, he briefly pulled away from her lips and gently nibbled on her earlobe before speaking in a low voice.

"If you're uncomfortable, tell me."

His rough, hot breath brushed against her ear.

"Though I don't know if I'll actually be able to stop."

"Ngh."

Biting her lower lip to keep herself from making a sound, a sudden question crossed Evelyn's mind.

Before, he had said he was extremely wary of physical contact with women.

He had even claimed that if any woman came close, overwhelming revulsion would surge through him, making him want to tear them apart.

Though for someone who said that, he certainly seemed very skilled at kissing and physical intimacy.

Still, it was only natural that he understood women.

The woman in the portrait was clearly not included among "other women."

What truly mattered was that this man, who supposedly had neither interest nor curiosity toward the opposite sex, was reacting to her.

And somehow, that fact filled Evelyn with an indescribably strange feeling.

She knew it was not attraction born from romantic desire.

But she did not care.

So... just a little more.

Ah... this feels so strange.

Wrapping her arms around the neck of the man who seemed ready to satisfy her deepest desires, Evelyn panted, intoxicated by the overwhelming sensation.

As they remained like that, the large cloak and robe slipped to the floor.

Her glossy long hair and graceful shoulders were revealed in the darkness.

She saw violent impulses fill the man's eyes as he stared at her.

The hand that had been caressing her exposed thigh boldly slipped beneath her nightgown, slowly tracing the back of her neck and along her spine.

Her chest repeatedly swelled and fell as though her heart would burst.

Every place his hand touched tingled as if electricity flowed through her body, making her toes curl tightly.

Perhaps finding that bothersome, he caught her weakly struggling ankle in his hand.

As he slowly removed her slipper, her small foot twitched inside his large hand.

She was so overwhelmed that even such a small touch was enough to make her moan.

Twisting the corner of his lips as though he understood her condition completely, he gently brushed the hollow of her spotless sole with the tip of his tongue.

"Ah..."

For a brief moment she was swept away by pleasure.

Then, after placing countless kisses along her slender leg, he gently pulled her ankle up and wrapped it around his waist.

Their bodies pressed even closer together, allowing her to feel every inch of his firm body.

"Haa... haa..."

Evelyn breathed heavily and looked at him through half-lidded, dazed eyes.

At that moment, something changed in his gaze.

It was as though he had seen someone's lingering image in her, and finally let go of the last thread of reason he had been clinging to.

Blood that had trickled down from above his brow flowed along the sharp bridge of his nose.

It looked so strangely alluring and sensual that Evelyn tightly shut her eyes.

Because otherwise, she felt she would melt completely.

Because she feared she would end up provoking the man who was trying so hard not to take her.

"Don't rush me. I don't want to hurt you."

As though he had read her thoughts, the man lowered both hands and firmly gripped her hips.

Sweat had already formed all over her body, as if they had repeated countless intimate acts.

Her heart pounded violently.

She felt as though she would lose consciousness.

"Ah... stop... Your Grace...!"

But as though he had no intention of giving her what she truly wanted—

His hands moved even faster, stimulating her until Evelyn could no longer endure it. She hurriedly sought out his lips and bit them.

"Hng! Haa... ngh...!"

Although he eagerly returned her kiss, he never stopped.

Whether because of the overwhelming pressure of his enormous hands or not, her body had reached its limit.

Her body burned with unbearable heat, and whatever reason remained had long since vanished beneath the demonic energy.

"Ha..."

His beast-like groan mixed with his hot breath.

Darkness, thick as tar, swallowed her vision whole.

Everything went black.

The next morning, before dawn.

Standing by the window of his office, Kallian once again watched Evelyn in one corner of the garden as she casually warmed up with a wooden practice sword.

Her morning routine never changed.

Whether it rained or the wind blew.

After working up a sweat with the wooden sword, she would sit cross-legged, rest both hands on her knees, and quietly fall into meditation.

Even after collapsing into sleep from exhaustion following their intense physical intimacy the previous night, nothing about her routine had changed.

Of course, it was no ordinary meditation.

Kallian, whose perception of energy was exceptionally sharp, could clearly see pale green aura and brilliant white light flowing through her veins.

It was remarkable.

A woman who claimed she had never once left the estate had somehow mastered the use of healing power with uncanny precision.

Almost as though she had learned it directly from him.

From controlling magical power to manipulating aura and casting techniques, every single step was disturbingly similar to his own methods.

And that was not all.

Her ability to absorb demonic energy, convert it into magical power, store it, and use it was valuable enough that even the master of the Northern Magic Tower would lose his mind over it.

The more demonic energy she absorbed, the stronger she became.

If those mad magicians discovered her, they might even try to make her their test subject.

"As expected of the future Grand Duchess. Her elegance is truly remarkable."

Benjamin, who had entered the office before dawn, looked out the window over Kallian's shoulder, interrupting his thoughts.

Elegance?

Pretending to review documents at Benjamin's arrival, Kallian glanced outside once more.

She wore a loose shirt and boots that reached halfway up her calves.

Everything she wore was of fine quality, but it was hardly the attire one would expect from a future Grand Duchess.

Still...

He had to admit she naturally drew his attention.

She's a woman I can never quite understand.

The pale dawn light dyed the edge of the window blue.

Straightening the faint smile at the corner of his lips, he turned away and sat at his desk.

As always, Benjamin placed the cigar case, teacup, and newspaper on the desk before asking calmly,

"Did everything go well while you were away?"

After staying awake for two straight nights, Count Martin had finally succeeded in creating the barrier stone.

Pure passion for new research, combined with an appropriate reward, had made the impossible possible.

"Was everything peaceful at the estate?"

Kallian gave a small nod as he asked.

Benjamin answered with an intentionally serious expression.

"I dismissed two maids a little while ago."

"I see."

"Aren't you going to ask why?"

"I'm sure you handled it properly."

"Well... that's true."

Benjamin shrugged as casually as flowing water, making Kallian chuckle.

Even so, his thoughts drifted back to the previous night he had spent with the woman.

After taking the warp gate from Eldin and arriving near the capital, Kallian was attacked by assassins while passing through the Heart of Ferrum.

Or perhaps "attacked" was not the right word.

He had already known they would come.

The pursuers always appeared like ghosts whenever Kallian traveled without an escort.

But he had never once allowed their blades to draw his blood.

Even so, frustrated by repeated failures, his enemies continued sending assassin after assassin.

Unlike before, when he merely wounded them enough to keep them alive, yesterday he had deliberately cut down dozens of assassins.

It was a warning.

A message telling them not to provoke him with pointless actions.

He intended to make an example of what would happen if anyone endangered the journey he was about to take with his future Grand Duchess.

Though "cut down" wasn't quite accurate.

It would have been more fitting to say he had ground them into nothing.

The problem lay in the swordsmanship of Orpheus.

For generations, the people of the North had fought monsters far more often than humans.

Because of that, both their sword design and their swordsmanship differed greatly from those of the Imperial Knights.

Their techniques had been perfected to deal with monsters whose hides were incredibly thick and who would not die even after their vital points were pierced.

Against humans, however, those same techniques were unnecessarily brutal and terribly inefficient.

So no matter how highly trained those assassins were, to Kallian they were little more than village children swinging sticks.

Humans were soft.

Weak.

With only a little strength, he could have killed them easily.

Yet because he fought them at full strength, far too much blood had been spilled.

By the time he came back to his senses, not even traces of the bodies remained.

Their flesh and blood had already been washed away by the pouring rain.

Then, without warning—

The pain arrived.