The Crown Princess's Man (16)

As the curtain slowly fell, blood gushed out in torrents. In the darkness, Kaiston’s body, stained crimson, staggered.

“Damn…”

Seeing him spit curses, Millen’s sinking heart calmed a little.

“Commander, are you all right?”

“No. I’m dying.”

Kaiston smiled weakly and handed over the dagger. Millen took the blood-soaked dagger and examined him. Kaiston’s internal injuries seemed severe. It was clear because the blood he spat out contained fragments of organs.

“W-we should go back quickly.”

“Hah… I really can’t walk.”

Kaiston snorted a laugh as he watched Millen pacing, unsure what to do.

“I’ll stay here, so go to the General’s quarters and bring a healer. There’s also a healing potion in the bag. It’s late… but there’s no other choice now.”

“How can I just leave you! If I leave you alone… what if someone attacks again?”

“Don’t worry and go. I’ll hide myself.”

Millen bit his lip and hurried off toward the General’s quarters. Watching his retreating back, Kaiston confirmed there were no more signs of movement around them and called his spiritual beast.

“Aaron.”

Kaiston gave a wry smile as he looked into the furious golden eyes.

“Take me to the Crown Princess first. I’m really dying.”

Aaron turned his back to him with a look that said “We’ll see about that.” Kaiston slumped onto him and breathed heavily; Aaron leapt into the air.

Because Liris shared Kaiston’s soul stone, Aaron always knew where she was. Without hesitation, Aaron cut across the sky of the Isles.

Despite the Imperial Palace’s tight security, the supernatural spiritual beast ignored all magical barriers and reached the Crown Princess’s residence in an instant. With Kaiston already unconscious, Aaron tapped the terrace door with his front paw.

Liris, fortunately not asleep yet, opened the door to see what the noise was and recoiled in shock at the sight of Aaron and Kaiston.

Aaron walked into the Crown Princess’s chamber and gently set Kaiston down on the floor.

“W-what on earth happened?”

Liris couldn’t hide her panic and rushed to her husband, covered in blood and unconscious. She didn’t know the details, but the reason he had come to her was obvious.

“Di Ruana Karta. Heal!”

More desperately than ever, Liris used sacred power. A dazzling white light spread from her small hand pressed against Kaiston’s chest across his whole body. Liris bit her lip as the sacred power drained and drained with no end.

Only when Liris was nearly exhausted did Kaiston’s breathing stabilize. After a little more time, he finally opened his eyes.

“Liris…”

At the sight of his beloved wife’s face as soon as he opened his eyes, Kaiston smiled.

“Kai… How did you get hurt so badly…”

He closed his eyes for a moment to gauge his condition, then sat up. A groan escaped him.

“Hah, really. The capital of the Empire is no ordinary dangerous place.”

Aaron, still in his full size, approached and bit Kaiston’s torso hard.

“Ugh. That really hurts, Aaron.”

Aaron kept gnawing several times despite being pushed away, then finally seemed satisfied and stepped back. He then turned and vanished. He was clearly furious, but as always, he would calm down by when he was called again.

“Liris, send someone to Millen for now. He must be worried.”

Liris, who was about to snap that Millen worrying was the least of their problems, swallowed it and nodded. She summoned the knight guarding the bedroom, gave a rough location, ordered him to send someone, and then returned to Kaiston.

“Are you feeling any better now?”

“Yes. Thank you. You saved my life.”

“How did this happen? For you to be hurt this badly…”

Kaiston gave a bitter smile. If he hadn’t been caught up in the final opponent’s self-detonation, he wouldn’t have been so gravely wounded. Yet even with techniques used to minimize the damage, the force was such that not only Millen but nearby houses might have been blown apart.

He had never imagined a human, not a beast or a demon, would commit such a heinous act. The heart of someone who coveted the throne was truly appalling.

“I was careless. I should’ve anticipated it.”

Kaiston pushed himself up.

“Could you get me some men’s clothes? I need to wash up.”

He was covered in the blood of the one who had self-destructed.

“Yes. I’ll do that.”

Liris watched his back with a hardened expression as Kaiston staggered into the bath slowly.

“Raiden…”

She had nearly lost Kaiston. Rage surged up. For the first time in her life, a murderous intent filled Liris’s amber, usually gentle eyes.

Curious about the room Liris had lived in since childhood, Kaiston slowly looked around. Unlike his room in the Red Moon, there was so much to see. As he peered at the small trinkets in the display cases, he asked, “Did you make these yourself?”

“Most of them, yes.”

Kaiston examined a thin bracelet that looked like several strands of thread twisted together, and Liris smiled and asked, “Shall I give it to you?”

“…This one?”

Liris opened the case, took out the bracelet, and slipped it around his wrist.

“Ugh. It doesn’t fit.”

Though he didn’t show it, he must’ve been a little hopeful. She smiled as he lightly tugged the bracelet’s end, trying to make it fit.

“If I look, there should be matching thread left. I’ll make one to fit your wrist, Kai. Then we’ll wear them as a set.”

“That’s an idea.”

Kaiston’s face visibly brightened.

“Ah, since I’m making them, I’ll make one for the baby too. Then the whole family will have a set.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Kaiston smiled and ran his hand through her hair.

Since there was no official record of his entry into the Imperial Palace, he would have to leave before dawn, but he decided to stay with Liris until then. She nuzzled his chest, comforted by his presence and scent.

“I was gloomy thinking we’d have to be apart today.”

“But you came home after a long time… Wasn’t it nice?”

“Being by your side is my home.”

His hand, which had been stroking her back, paused for a moment. Noticing, Liris tipped her face up and smiled slyly at him.

“You’re touched right now!”

Though it was dark and she couldn’t see, Liris could easily guess his expression.

“…Yeah.”

He hugged Liris a little tighter.

“I’m really happy.”

He kissed her with a smile at her playful pecks. Light kisses, popping softly, rained on her lips, the bridge of her nose, and her forehead.

As his hands moved to rub her curved waist and hips, his touch grew more suggestive and Liris let out a small moan. The warmth through the thin fabric was too hot to ignore.

“Hah… Kai…”

Kaiston watched Liris’s amber eyes heat up and kissed her more deeply this time. He slid his tongue between her parted lips, pulling her tongue and holding her fast.

“Mmm…”

His hand slipped under her slip, sliding aside her underwear and brushing her inside.

“Ugh…!”

Liris trembled. He gently rubbed the fountain’s opening with his fingers, gathering the starting wetness on them, then pressed and rubbed the pearl encircled by layered petals. A tingling sensation rose from below and spread from head to toe. Her hands clutched his shoulders tightly.

Feeling her folds soaked through, he slid his finger into her entrance. When she clenched and flinched, his thumb rolled her clitoris to soothe and stimulate it. Her body, unsure where to focus, welcomed his fingers easily, writhing and drawing them in deeper as if waiting. He added another finger and scraped her inner walls; Liris groaned, not knowing what to do.

She hadn’t noticed during morning sickness, but after it passed, she felt more sensitive than before. He often soothed her indirectly like this, but having grown used to deep, intense relations with him, it simply wasn’t enough.

They had abstained throughout the trip to the Isles, so she didn’t want to finish sloppily today. Liris threw one leg over his waist, curling around him and pressing close. She felt his body flinch. The lewd squelching of his hand moving between her open legs teased her hearing.

Liris rubbed her body against him on purpose. She cupped his rigid manhood at her lower belly with her palm, moaning coquettishly as she stroked. His movements inside her stilled abruptly.

He broke the kiss and exhaled softly.

“Liris.”

Liris blinked, pretending not to notice.

“Y-yes?”

Even then, her hand worked diligently. Kaiston laughed, thinking she was hopelessly adorable.

“Are you okay?”

She rolled her eyes once and nodded.

“I think holding back would be worse.”

They hadn’t completely avoided intimacy because of the pregnancy and had learned some tricks, but it was still cautious every time.

“All right. Then I’ll be as gentle as possible.”

His words made her beam with delight.

“Yes, I like that.”

Kaiston turned her over and pulled her underwear completely off. She felt his heavy, firm shaft press at the hollow of her hips. His manhood, which had been lingering between her thighs and labia, began to slide slowly into her. The movement was very slow, gauging depth, but the fullness that tightly filled her flesh felt wonderful.

“Hah… Kai…”

Kaiston kissed the nape of Liris’s neck and cradled her clitoris with his hand, rubbing it gently.

“Tell me immediately if it’s too much.”

“Yes. I will.”

With only about half of him inserted, he began to move his hips cautiously.

“How is it? Are you all right?”

“Mmm… yes…”

It felt lewd and languid at once.