The Night Stretched On
Glacia approached me with her hair still damp, and the sight of her was utterly captivating. A faint, sweet fragrance like tropical fruit wafted from her body. Wait, did she seriously fill the tub with Capri Sun for her bath? That stuff isn't cheap. Rich people and their ridiculous spending habits are beyond my comprehension. Besides, if you bathe right before bed, your pillow gets wet and smells weird... but I suppose that's just a matter of personal preference.
"I'm sorry. When I was told that Sir Werner would be visiting, I was in the middle of my bath, so I couldn't greet you properly and ended up making you wait."
I deliberately averted my gaze. Honestly, looking at her felt like visual assault. It was a completely different kind of violence from the kind I'd seen back when I moderated the Dragnity Fantasy Minor Gallery. Speaking of which, it pissed me off just thinking about it. Why the hell did those bastards upload photos like that? What a bunch of dogs. If someone had posted a picture of Glacia looking like this on the gallery, I would've banned them for a month for posting adult content.
Right now, part of me wanted to issue her a one-month ban too... but the lower half of my body, which held supreme administrative privileges over me, refused to allow it. A man's brain isn't located in his head—it's further down. Still, as someone who had entrusted himself to the teachings of Confucianism, I managed to stop at simply turning my eyes away, demonstrating a level of patience that far surpassed ordinary mortals.
"Not at all. I was worried that showing up unannounced so late at night might have been rude on my part."
"It's fine. I was feeling rather bored anyway."
"That's a relief. Though it's quite unusual... taking a bath in the middle of the night?"
"It's a habit I've had since childhood. I could never fall into a deep sleep unless I bathed right before bed."
Well, if that's the case, there's nothing to be done about it. I had no intention of criticizing someone's personal sleep cycle. It's not like she was twisting anyone's neck for the sake of good rest—just sleeping with wet hair. No big deal.
"But... it seems I won't be getting much sleep tonight."
"Heh. Are you nervous because it's the night before the engagement ceremony?"
Even as I kept forcing my gaze away, I wanted to tell her right then that I was leaving and just bolt. The only reason I couldn't look her in the eye was the last shred of conscience I had left. After ogling her like this, how could I possibly turn around later and suggest breaking off the engagement? Even among the world's worst scumbags, that would be a special kind of scumbag. I might be a bit shameless and selfish, but I wasn't that much of a bastard.
"No. It's because we'll be having our first night together a bit earlier than expected, so there won't be time for proper rest."
For a moment, I doubted my own ears. This damn ear of mine is trying to deceive me. No matter how much I was under the control of my lower half, was I really about to abandon my pride as a Confucian and side with lust?
"Haha, I think I misheard..."
I tried to brush it off as a misunderstanding, but before I could even finish speaking, I felt a warm sensation and a sweet scent against my lips. She had grabbed my chin and pressed her lips against mine to silence me.
Interrupting an elder's words, grabbing someone's chin, and forcing a kiss on them—these were acts a Confucian could never tolerate. But my body, already seized by my lower half at the brainstem level, couldn't throw a Confucian punch.
Our tongues intertwined. Kissing Glacia felt different from kissing Camelia. Her saliva was thick and sweet like syrup, yet it carried a refreshing, tangy citrus scent. It was like eating yuzu sherbet drizzled with syrup. Our tongues tangled and twisted for what felt like an eternity before we finally pulled apart, gasping for air. A long, sticky strand of saliva connected our lips. The moment we wiped our mouths, Glacia leaned in and kissed me again.
Even though it was only a brief moment, it felt like an incredibly long time. And even though it felt so long, the pleasure from that kiss left me only wanting more. Then Glacia pushed me, causing me to fall back onto the bed.
"...Haa. With this, you've taken my first kiss."
Even if your mouth is crooked, your words should be straight. Honestly, wasn't she the one who stole it? But if I opened my mouth to protest, I had a feeling she'd just kiss me again.
"Haa... Lady Glacia, that's... I..."
Instead of kissing me this time, Glacia lifted my chin with her index finger, forcing our eyes to meet.
"You are now officially my husband."
"Wait, Lady Glacia..."
We hadn't even had a proper ceremony yet, and she was already changing how she addressed me and talking about consummating our marriage... From a Confucian perspective, this was an utterly outrageous act. But I couldn't say anything. Right now, I was no different from an impala standing in front of a carnivore. My life was on the line—Confucianism could take a backseat. Survival came first.
The person I respected most had once said, "A gentleman does not remove his hat even in death." But given the chance, I'd fix my hat and run for my life while figuring out an escape plan. Honestly, the reason I respected him was because I couldn't live that way myself. Didn't that mean I respected those capable of such things?
"You used to speak to me so casually before. This sudden formality feels distant and uncomfortable."
"Haa... Understood. Glacia..."
Glacia suddenly stripped off the undergarment she was wearing. Her pale, naked body was revealed.
"Yes, my husband. Let's go ahead and have our first night together a little early."
I gave up. Whether she treated me as Werner or Vernia, she could do as she pleased. Honestly, she wasn't the type to listen even if I spoke, and I had no confidence I could win against her.
Glacia took my hand and placed it on her chest. The soft, squishy texture felt like touching a giant marshmallow or steamed bun. It was addictive. Cocaine and heroin were nothing but weaklings in front of breasts. If you wanted to compete with touching breasts, you'd need to come back three or four times stronger. Until then, I'd stand at the pinnacle of breast-touching and wait.
"How does it feel, my husband?"
"...It's soft."
My hand, which had only been lightly touching her breast, began moving more actively. I wasn't just touching—I tickled her, teased her slightly protruding nipple with my index finger, and even applied a bit of pressure to stimulate it. Glacia's face flushed red.
"Husband... Haah... This is a bit... Ngh..."
This was my chance for a complete reversal of roles.
"Why are you acting like this? Weren't you the one who suggested having our first night early and guided my hand to your breast, Lady Glacia?"
Judging from her reaction, I could roughly guess her weak points. With my right hand, I continued stroking her nipple back and forth before bringing my mouth to it and gently biting down.
"Haaah... But... this is really..."
For a brief moment, I wondered if I could use it as an excuse to run away if she pushed me off. But it didn't matter anymore. My lower half had taken control of my body long ago, and the voice of reason screaming at me to stop before things went too far had already been beaten and locked away in prison.
Glacia desperately tried to endure the pleasure, but when she could no longer hold back, she bit down on my shoulder. It didn't hurt like being bitten by a pitbull. Instead, while she was biting me, I felt a strange pleasure around my shoulder. This was definitely because she was half-vampire. Her mother, Melissa, was the Queen of Vampires, and according to Melchior, being bitten by a vampire didn't turn you into one. Instead, it felt good.
"Are you that embarrassed?"
Glacia, who had removed her teeth from my shoulder, slightly lowered her head as if feeling a bit shy.
"Sir Werner... If you suddenly start fondling my breasts like that..."
"So... did you dislike it?"
"No, it's not that, but still..."
This time, I silenced her by pressing my lips against hers. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. It was even written in Hammurabi's Code as a method of punishment. Since she had interrupted her elder's words like that, it was only fair that I repaid her in kind, wasn't it? This was a kiss of justice, realizing the sacred laws of antiquity.
When the kiss ended, her blush became even more pronounced. Her face had turned so red it almost matched her eyes, and she looked incredibly cute. Her usual beauty was already outstanding, but this side of her was so unlike her normal self that it came across as adorable.
I didn't know why I was ignoring reason and doing this, but the soft lighting in the room, the faint sweet scent coming from Glacia's skin, and her body—which could arouse any man—had turned me into this. If I got angry and said, "You made me like this," I idly wondered if the heavens would strike me down with lightning for bringing this fate upon myself.
But Glacia's shyness lasted only a moment. She ran her fingers across my chest, letting the cool sensation from her fingertips sink deep into my heart.
"You do know that a first night doesn't end with just this much, right?"
Reversal of roles? Yeah, right. It looked like I was the one about to be devoured.