Chapter 184: Responsibility (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: Responsibility (3)
Ever since he’d fallen into this world, Cloud’s memories had been slowly fading, so much so that he hadn't even noticed it himself. In contrast, his memories of his time as a playboy were vivid.
The woman who had supposedly pulled him out of his debauched life was nowhere to be seen in his mind.
Perhaps that was why he had been so indecisive and wishy-washy in his relationships with women.
...Right. That’s just an excuse.
But what could he do? What was done was done. Now that his memories were clear, he had to sort things out.
That was why he had told Frillite he was seeing other women.
Friends were one thing, but a fiancée was a relationship born from a misunderstanding.
It needed to be redefined.
The timing, however, was terrible.
“...You’re seeing other women?”
Frillite’s voice was not just cold; it was frigid.
It was to be expected. She had steeled herself with immense resolve on her way here—so much so that she’d felt a little sullen seeing him sleeping so soundly. Now that her resolve had been rendered meaningless, her cold reaction was inevitable.
“Who are they?”
“Katarina. Leslie.”
“Katarina and Leslie? You mean the dancer and the princess?”
“Yes.”
As Cloud nodded, Frillite sighed inwardly. She’d had a bad feeling ever since she realized all his companions were beautiful women.
Whenever he laughed and talked with them, she would feel a pang of anxiety.
Each time, she had dismissed it, thinking, No, it can’t be...
But her worst fears had come true.
He was dating those women.
The uneasy feeling she had tried so hard to ignore had been right all along.
At this point, she almost felt a sense of relief.
“Since when?”
“For a while now.”
“Be specific.”
“...A few months after we subjugated the Behemoth.”
As he said, it had been quite a while. It was nearly two years since they had defeated the Behemoth. That meant they had been dating for at least a year. How far had they gone?
...Just imagining it felt like a dagger twisting in her heart.
Instead of pulling the dagger from her chest and turning it on him, she endured the pain and said, “How much time do you need?”
“For what?”
“To sort things out. Is a month enough?”
Cloud’s expression hardened.
“Frillite.”
“What is it? Is a month not enough? Then name your price. But it can’t be too long. I’d like you to have it sorted out before the engagement ceremony.”
Despite Cloud’s stern face, Frillite didn’t waver in the slightest.
Instead, she tilted her head.
“Why are you making that face? You’re the one who had an affair, are you not?”
“An affair? How is me dating them an affair? I started seeing them before you ever mentioned an engagement.”
“Do you really think so? That it’s not an affair? Then what about what you said that day we rode out to subjugate the ogre?”
“The part about being your kept man and all that? That was—”
“Don’t you dare say it was a joke. There are things you can joke about and things you can’t. And what you said back then was not something to be joked about.”
Just as she had said she would, Frillite had risked a scolding to ask her father about his intentions.
She had taken responsibility for her words.
Therefore, Cloud also needed to take responsibility for his.
Frillite truly believed that.
“...Fine, let’s say that’s true. But I told you then, didn’t I? That if you came looking for me later, I might already be taken.”
“It seems you don’t recall my response to that. That’s fine.”
I’ll make you remember.
Frillite pulled Cloud’s head toward her and kissed him without warning. He tried to push her away, but she held him tight, refusing to let go. Her lips moved, exploring his soft ones.
It’s not enough...
The sensation of their lips touching was certainly pleasant, but it felt lacking. Perhaps it would have been enough for the innocent girl she used to be, but having seen all sorts of things in Cloud’s dreams, she knew there was a step beyond a simple peck.
She moved her tongue, intending to take that next step. She tried to slip it between his lips, but he clenched his jaw, resisting.
His refusal to let her kiss him properly angered her.
You’ve done it plenty with other women, but you won’t do it with your own fiancée?
A surge of anger washed over Frillite, and she grabbed his crotch. Startled, his lips parted slightly. She didn’t miss the opening and thrust her tongue inside.
The tips of their tongues met.
A thrilling sensation shot down Frillite’s spine.
So this is a kiss...
No. This wasn’t it.
A kiss wasn’t something so static; it was a more dynamic act. She moved her tongue, licking his. But his tongue remained motionless.
Frillite tightened her grip on his crotch.
Only then did Cloud’s tongue begin to move, responding to hers.
So it’s true. A man’s weakness is his crotch.
Pleased that she could finally have a proper kiss, Frillite let their tongues intertwine.
Schlick. Slurp. Smooch.
Lewd sounds filled the air as their tongues tangled. The more they kissed, the more ecstatic Frillite felt. She thought she finally understood why lovers were so fond of kissing.
She felt no shame for forcing herself on him.
She was quite drunk, and besides, his lips belonged to her, his fiancée.
She was only taking what was hers.
And she had no intention of being satisfied with just this.
Frillite broke the kiss.
A thin, white thread of saliva connected them.
Wiping his mouth, Cloud said, “...I remember now. You said if I had someone, you’d make them leave.”
“Exactly.”
She smiled. It was her usual smile, but on her face, flushed from the alcohol, it looked somewhat obscene. Cloud averted his gaze.
“I spoke with Katarina and Leslie.”
“What did you talk about?”
“I asked if I could add one more person to the future we’re building.”
Frillite’s eyebrow twitched. Having looked away, Cloud didn’t notice and continued.
“I got an earful and we almost got into a fight, but somehow, I got them to agree.”
“...”
“I want to ask you the same thing. Frillite. Is it okay if Katarina and Leslie are part of our future?”
“No.”
An instant reply.
Cloud sighed.
I knew it.
He hadn’t expected her to accept it right away. He would have to put in the effort, just as he had when persuading Katarina. He was about to say the words he had prepared.
Their lips met again.
Is she still not satisfied?
Fine. I’ll have to talk to her after she’s had her fill.
Just as Cloud resigned himself and tried to focus on the kiss, Frillite began to unbutton his shirt.
“?!”
Stunned, he pushed her away. She seemed displeased that the kiss had ended so abruptly, but he had no time to worry about that.
“Frillite? Didn’t you say you wanted to do this after we were married?”
“According to the conventions of noble society, yes. And I intended to follow them. For the most part, that is.”
In Cloud’s dreams, she had watched him sleep with countless women. Though it wasn’t Cloud’s current body, the soul was the same—in fact, that was his true self.
She had said she understood, but intellectual understanding and emotions were two different things.
Every time he laughed and joked with another woman.
Every time he tangled his tongue with another woman.
Every time he caressed and slept with another woman.
Her mind would go blank, and her chest would ache.
Especially that time he was pinned under the ass of some queen, whimpering like a defeated beast. It felt like her heart was being torn to shreds.
Recalling the unpleasant memory, she bit her lip hard.
The fact that she had brought strong liquor, locked the door, and laid him on the bed tonight was heavily influenced by those visions.
Those scenes might be in the past, but there was no telling what the future held. He was handsome, and there were many women around him. That meant he could have any woman he wanted. He might not be able to forget his past and start sleeping around indiscriminately.
That anxiety had pushed her.
And his confession about dating two other women proved her fears were not unfounded. She was furious that he had cheated, but she was also relieved that it wasn’t too late.
“Cloud. You are mine.”
Frillite began to unbutton her own shirt. Growing impatient with the slow pace, she grabbed both sides and ripped it open.
Buttons scattered with a series of pops.
The parted shirt revealed the white skin beneath. Her stomach was perfectly toned, and her large breasts, barely contained by a black bra, jiggled, making their presence known.
“I will carve that into your body today.”
So that you won’t even have eyes for another woman.