The Lady Of The Red Moon (19)

“Oh…!?”

Kaiston pressed down to keep Liris, who was trying to bolt upright, from moving and spoke firmly.

“Stay lying down. I’ll wash first and come out.”

“Y-Yes, Master…!”

As she got off the bed and hurriedly called to him, a blanket was flung over Liris’s head with a flop.

Leaving her silently screaming under the covers, Kaiston went into the bathroom, and Liris began rolling on the bed wrapped in the blanket.

“Really? Really?”

‘Does he really like me? Oh my!’

‘Ah, I can’t stand it. I have so many things I want to run to him and ask.’

And thus, the bold slave disobeyed her master’s order and tried to spring up, but—

“Uuugh…”

She collapsed back down. Her body had no strength.

“No. I can’t give up like this.”

Because of what he said, Liris, thinking she had to press him to the end, practically tumbled off the bed.

“Ugh…!”

She put effort into her weak legs, braced on the bed, and managed to pull herself up.

“Hah… Master…”

Her amber gentle eyes blazed bright blue in that moment.

‘I’ll pester him until the end!’

Meanwhile, Kaiston, who hadn’t expected his slave to dare disobey his order, was raining all sorts of curses on himself. What on earth made him blurt that one line? Remembering Liris frozen in shock made him snort with derision again.

“I’m insane.”

‘I should wash quickly, get ready, and go out. I’ll drink tonight and not come back.’

Thinking that, he doused himself with cold water over and over until the boiling agitation inside him calmed somewhat.

As he wiped himself with a towel, he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror—Dull black hair thrown about, a face far from handsome, a rough man’s body scarred in places.

Sigh.

He let out a sigh.

‘Right. There’s no way she’d like me. Even I don’t find anything pleasing about myself. Still, Why am I so shocked? I’m not unprepared.’

Kaiston slipped on the robe hanging in the bathroom. Once he went out, he’d act as if nothing had happened. He arranged his expression, took a deep breath, and turned to leave when—

“Master!”

The bathroom door flew open without warning, and Kaiston flinched, taking a step back.

“You…”

Liris walked slowly toward him, wearing the most astonished expression he’d ever seen. Even seeing her stagger, he didn’t think to steady her.

“Master.”

Liris managed to reach him and abruptly grabbed his arm.

“I’m sorry for acting on my own. I’ll accept punishment later. But right now, I just can’t stay still…”

“……”

“Is it true? Really, Master, you like me?”

Holding his arm tight and looking up at his captivating violet eyes, Liris asked. She had to hear his true feelings. She had to know.

In this moment, no plans or goals mattered to her. Her mind was blank, and on that white void one wish stood clear.

And Liris—

“Ah…?”

—saw Kaiston’s face flush bright red. At seeing that face, memories flashed through her head: him pressing her cloak hood down, spinning away from her, those moments when he seemed oddly suspicious.

“Oh…”

“……”

Liris’s face turned red as well.

“Wh-When did…”

Coming to his senses, Kaiston scooped her up and placed her in the bathtub.

“Ah! Master!”

“Wash thoroughly and come out. If you disobey me one more time, I’ll punish you.”

“B-But…”

Liris called out desperately as he tried to leave the bathroom.

“I have no strength! I can’t wash myself alone!”

“……”

As she had expected, he came to a halt. As he turned slowly, Liris flashed her amber eyes and smiled as charmingly as she could.

“Master, please wash me. Okay?”

‘Is this what they mean by winning someone over with your body?’

She couldn’t help herself. She had yanked him close by the tub, kissed him, and now clung to his body. It was the first time she’d thrown herself at him like that.

“Huh, Master…”

Liris whispered, taking him inside her.

“Since when… have you… liked me?”

Sitting on his lap and clutching his neck, Liris was firmly supported at the waist by his hand.

“I fell in love at first sight.”

“Whaat?”

Startled, she froze mid-movement.

“Didn’t you know?”

Kaiston chuckled and nibbled at her nape. The tickling pleasure inside made Liris moan again and again, yet she kept asking questions.

“It didn’t… Uuugh, seem like that…”

“If I hadn’t fallen for you, I wouldn’t have held you.”

There was one misconception Liris had. Though he spent most of his time in the Red Moon, it wasn’t that no woman ever tried to get close to Sinal’s lord. Some were daughters of viscounts or barons, and a duke’s retainer even tried to offer a striking beauty who was an adopted daughter. Still, he hadn’t held any woman simply because his heart didn’t stir at all.

At some point, his world had become colorless. Nothing formed clearly on his retinas: the ashen fortress, the knights in black uniforms, the loathsome monsters and their eerie fluids, the blood and tears of comrades—things he’d seen every day for twelve years.

Even flowers called beautiful, women, or anything else, everything appeared the same gray to him. No matter the heavy perfume sprayed, the metallic stench of blood lingered at his nose. How could he be moved?

Only Liris had been special to him. From the start, she shone. She alone had color and life. He couldn’t look away. When he took her small hand and pulled her into his arms, Kaiston felt that he was still alive.

Just having turned away from slaying a monster, the metallic stench should have overpowered him, but her sweet scent pushed it all aside. His heart—usually dormant except when swinging a sword like a madman—pounded and responded.

As if meeting the single destiny he’d waited for all those years, Kaiston fell for Liris in an instant.

But just because he felt that way didn’t mean she did. Not wanting to burden her, Kaiston added as if it were nothing.

“My standards are a bit high.”

“Th-That’s…”

Because most women looked like stones to him, rumors even circulated that he was uninterested in women, but after a retainer who truly tried to offer a man was severely chastised, such gossip died down.

“But why are you curious about that?”

“Yes?”

Kaiston’s violet eyes took on a slightly chilly glint as he looked at her.

“Is it amusing? That I like you?”

“N-No. That’s not it, Master.”

“Then?”

Unable to answer properly and hesitating at his question, his hand gently stroked her buttocks.

“You’d better answer properly.”

Then he scraped his finger around the entrance that was struggling to take him. Though they were in water, something slick unlike water came away on his finger.

“Ugh…!”

“Hm…”

Amused by her flinch, his hand slid back a bit and explored another opening.

“Ah…! Ma-Master…”

“Earlier, you seemed to like this place.”

“N-No… ugh…!”

When a fingertip slick with fluid pushed inside, Liris recoiled in shock. Having that unexpected place invaded made her mind go blank. A chilling pleasure zapped through her body. She couldn’t believe she felt so good being caressed in such a shameful spot.

“I do like you, but I won’t let everything slide just because of that.”

“Aah…”

Watching Liris trembling as she clutched his neck, he let out a low laugh. He stroked the inside that was trying to push him away, and a moan escaped her. Her legs tightened on either side, and the inner wall holding him contracted sharply. Each time his finger scraped that wall, she felt like her breath would stop.

“Master, uh… I’m just…”

Liris choked out the words through tears.

“I-I like you too… I’m happy…”

A crease formed between his brows.

“Liris.”

He pulled the waist he’d been holding tight against himself.

“Ahh!”

His shaft thrust deep inside, drawing a panicked moan from Liris. The simultaneous pleasure of front and back assaulting her left her unable to think. With each hard plunge, her head grew dizzy. The slapping of water and their sounds buzzed in her ears.

“Are you saying nonsense to escape?”

Though he drove her so fiercely, his voice remained cold. Liris even wondered if what he was doing to her was a new kind of torture. The unbearable pleasure built until it bordered on pain.

“I—I’m serious! Hngh, what should I do… to make you believe me?”

Near the brink of climax and barely able to breathe, Liris forced the words out to him.

“……”

Suddenly, his motion stopped. The tears gathered in Liris’s eyes finally plopped into the water.

Kaiston withdrew his finger from her.

“Ugh…”

The sudden move made her clench down and take him harder for a moment. But then he lifted Liris up, withdrew himself, and set her down. Her body—expecting the surge of climax—trembled with disappointment.

“Master…”

Sitting facing each other in the tub, Liris and Kaiston looked at one another.

“Liris.”

“Yes?”

“Do you truly like me?”

His violet eyes shone brightly, as if staring through her. Without wavering, she met his gaze and nodded.

“Yes. I like you.”

“You don’t like mixing bodies with me just because of the physical?”

“…Yes?”

“Even if it’s for that reason, I’ll hold you again right now. We can continue our arrangement as before. It means it’s fine if no feelings intervene between us.”

Taken aback by Kaiston’s words, Liris thought about herself for a moment. Of course being with him had been truly pleasurable. Even from that first experience—usually said to be only pain—she’d reached climax, so perhaps her body was especially responsive in that way.

But imagining the same pleasure with some other man made her shiver. She had no desire to entrust her body to any man except Kaiston. Even recalling those she had once felt any interest in made her skin crawl.

“It’s because it’s you, Master, that makes it good. If it weren’t you, I wouldn’t want it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Liris answered confidently. She’d never liked anyone so much in her life. Even moments ago, she had forgotten her duties and simply yearned and yearned. Thinking of the tasks she needed to perform once she captured his heart, it wasn’t wise to lay bare her feelings like this. Yet she was desperate not to be misunderstood and wanted to show him her heart was the same.

“Then.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“Will you marry me?”

“Whaaaat?”

Liris’s eyes went wide at his completely unexpected words.

‘W-What, a proposal in the middle of sex, suddenly here in the tub! No, no, that’s not the point now. A proposal? Does he know who I am?’

“I-I’m a slave, though?”

“Status doesn’t matter. I’m not of the Empire’s bloodline either.”

Kaiston stared intently at her face and continued, “Originally I planned to say it after you’d spent at least a year in the Red Moon, but if you truly like me, it’s not bad to decide right away.”

“Uh… I, I. Of course…”

“Liris.”

Cutting off Liris’s stammering, Kaiston spoke in a slightly lowered voice.

“I’m going to give you a choice. If you don’t intend to marry me, I’ll let you go in a year. I must marry before it’s too late. Most likely, I’ll take a partner to bear my heir and rule Sinal. If that happens, I’ll provide for you so you can live without want for the rest of your life. I won’t care if you meet another man and marry. But if you truly say you’ll marry me—”

His violet eyes glinted coldly.

“You must swear you’ll love only me until you die. You must never betray me. If you betray me—”

For the first time since meeting him, Liris froze in sudden fear.

“I’ll kill anyone who causes you to betray me, by any means necessary.”