Chapter 119. The Return of His Wife Rachel

[A few days later]

The afternoon sun stretched long across the floor.

Rachel had returned safely to the castle after visiting her family home, Baron Richard's estate.

As she opened the door to the office, her face bloomed like a bouquet of flowers—radiant with joy at seeing her beloved husband rather than weary from the journey.

Rachel sighed softly as she took in the mountain of paperwork piled in one corner of the office.

"Lord Lucian. You must have worked so hard to restore the territory while I was away."

She approached and gently patted his broad shoulders.

At her affectionate touch, a cold bead of sweat trickled down Lucian's spine.

Like a student who hadn't touched their summer homework, guilt pricked at his chest.

'Restoring the territory...'

The only thing he had truly sown in his wife's absence was—quite literally—his seed.

Not just into his retainer maids, but into the pregnant Sophia, the succubus Bella, even the vampire butler (who lapped it off the floor). The sheer volume of semen he had poured into every woman in the castle defied imagination. And now, the memory of his debauchery with the regular maids sent another chill down his back.

He had made excuses—claiming he was too busy with territory affairs—to delay visiting her family home for the first time since their marriage, sending her alone instead.

"Ah... Ahem. Well, there was certainly no shortage of work to be done."

Lucian feigned composure, clearing his throat and averting his gaze.

Unaware of his thoughts, Rachel began chattering excitedly about her trip, her words bubbling over like a burst dam.

The usually poised and dignified Countess now resembled an overeager girl, her stories tumbling out one after another.

"Father was a little surprised when he first heard of our marriage, but he accepted it right away. He even ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠promised to spare no expense in supporting the restoration of the Eckhart fief—more supplies, more manpower, anything we need."

She beamed, clasping Lucian's hand tightly.

"My family and friends back home threw a grand celebration for us. They sent back a whole carriage full of wedding gifts and a generous dowry. Everyone couldn't stop praising you, calling you a true hero."

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shining with pride ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and love for her husband.

Faced with such pure, unwavering devotion, Lucian felt a swell of gratitude and emotion rise in his chest.

This woman—who had waited faithfully for a man like him, cursed by his bloodline and steeped in debauchery—was his true light. The steadfast support of her family was his shield.

Rachel was the rightful mistress of the Eckhart family, the most precious light he had to protect.

As she paused to catch her breath, Lucian could no longer hold back.

He pulled her into a crushing embrace.

"Lord Lucian...?"

Then, without warning, he captured her lips in a deep kiss.

"Mmph—!"

Rachel blinked in surprise as his tongue invaded her mouth.

At first, she thought it would be a ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠simple, affectionate peck. But within seconds, Lucian's kiss turned ravenous—parting her lips and plunging inside with relentless hunger.

Schlick... Slurp... Shlup.

His thick, heated tongue explored her mouth with a fervor that was both unfamiliar and achingly familiar. Every cell in her ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠body remembered the taste of him, and the sensation sent a shockwave through her mind.

Rachel's eyelids fluttered shut as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Lucian's kiss grew more carnal by the second.

He ravaged her mouth, his tongue sliding against hers, sucking at the root of her tongue, licking the roof of her mouth—exchanging saliva in a wet, obscene dance.

Rachel's breath hitched, a muffled moan escaping her lips.

"Nngh... Hah..."

As if responding to the intensity of the kiss, Lucian's large hand groped her chest through her dress, squeezing the plush mound possessively.

Squelch.

"Ah—!"

The sheer strength of his grip, the way her soft flesh yielded between his fingers—it sent a jolt of heat straight to her core.

After so long without his touch, even this much made her body tremble. It felt like their first night together all over again—every nerve in her body alight with anticipation.

'Ah... Lord Lucian...'

Between the kiss and the rough fondling, Rachel's legs weakened.

Any fatigue from the long carriage ride had long since vanished. She desperately wished he would tear away the cumbersome layers of her dress, take her bare breasts into his scorching mouth, and lay her across the mahogany desk right then and there.

But just then—

Lucian abruptly pulled away, releasing her breast.

"Hah... Haa..."

Rachel panted, looking up at him with longing.

He tenderly smoothed her disheveled hair, his voice slightly strained.

"You must be tired from the long journey... Go freshen up in your room and rest."

"Eh...? But—"

Rachel couldn't hide her disappointment.

To get her this worked up, only to send her away? Was this really the same man who had just kissed her so passionately?

But Lucian's gaze remained unbearably tender.

In truth, he was barely restraining himself from taking her right then on the desk. But he couldn't bring himself to ravish his exhausted wife in such an impersonal setting.

Moreover, after days of suffering from priapism, his body wasn't at its best. He wanted to give her a proper reunion tonight—in their bed.

"I'll join you after dinner. Rest well until then."

At his gentle smile and promise, Rachel swallowed her disappointment and nodded.

"Alright. I'll... wait for you in our room."

She pressed one last kiss to his cheek before leaving the office.

Though her steps were reluctant as she walked down the hall, a smile still lingered on her lips.

'Well... We have all the time in the world.'

Savoring the lingering warmth of his touch, Rachel quickened her pace, already imagining the heated night to come.

Meanwhile, the Captain of the Guard finished his detailed report to Count Lucian and immediately set off—without even brushing the dust from his armor.

His destination, of course, was the maids' quarters—where Nancy was.

"Nancy!"

Nancy, who had been carrying a laundry basket down the hall, turned at the sound of his voice.

"Oh! Captain! You're back!"

She set the basket down with a bright smile and rushed into his arms.

The Captain hugged her tightly, uncaring of any onlookers, before pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"Were you well? Nothing amiss in the castle?"

"Of course! You're the one who must've had it rough."

Though she smiled as they exchanged pleasantries, something about her seemed... off.

Even the Captain—known for his bluntness and lack of tact—couldn't miss the shadow over his lover's face.

She was smiling, but her eyes trembled slightly, avoiding his gaze.

"Nancy, you don't look well."

His large, calloused hand cupped her cheek gently.

"Did something happen? Don't hide it from me."

At his tender, worried tone, Nancy's eyes reddened.

What she had done in his absence...

Though she could blame the Count's desperation, the atmosphere—none of it erased the guilt weighing on her chest. She had taken another man into her mouth, given herself to him fully, despite having a lover waiting for her return.

"Captain... I..."

After a long hesitation, she led him to a secluded greenhouse before speaking.

"The Count... fell ill with a new affliction."

"A new affliction?"

"Priapism. For days, he couldn't... soften. Every woman in the castle had to take him in—even the pregnant Lady Sophia and that demon Bella. But it still wasn't enough..."

Nancy clenched her skirt, her head bowed.

"I... slept with the Count in the storage room. I had no choice. He was in so much pain..."

She couldn't bring herself to mention the threesome with Ari and Riri.

"I'm sorry, Captain... I should've refused to the end..."

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

The Captain was silent for a long moment. The longer his silence stretched, the more Nancy's anxiety grew. Would he be angry? Call her filthy and leave?

But when he finally spoke, his voice was heavy—his head lowered.

"Don't cry, Nancy. I... also have sins to confess."

"Eh...?"

"During the civil war... When the rebels seized Eckhart Castle, I led a suicide squad to retake it. We infiltrated through a hidden emergency passage under cover of night."

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