Uriel Wayne Daina Alfred ─ Did She Tell the Maids Not to Wait Up?
Did she give the maids advance notice not to wait up?
The mansion they entered was utterly silent, with no sign of anyone around. The chandelier adorned with glowing luminous stones softly pushed back the darkness, swaying gently in the breeze blowing through the open windows. Because of that, the flickering light rippled like a heat haze, lending the opulent space a touch more damp, decadent air than luxurious.
It felt as if only Ferzen and she remained in the world. Uriel didn't hate the sensation, so she paused for a moment and quietly leaned her head against his arm.
“……”
He looked down at her without a word, reached out to gently smooth her disheveled bangs, then tugged her clasped hand forward. At a glance, it seemed romantic—the man leading the woman—but to Uriel, it felt like he was yanking an invisible leash, filling her with a sense of submission and a strange thrill.
Thud.Click.
The clear sounds of their footsteps echoed as they climbed the stairs. Glancing up at Ferzen beside her, he carried a faintly dangerous scent. Was this how a wolf stealthily carried its captured prey back to its den?
But Uriel didn't resist. For a lamb to follow so meekly without bleating was contradictory.
'Ah……'
As they headed somewhere in the mansion—toward her bedroom, presumably—Uriel looked up at Ferzen halting before a door engraved with ornate patterns and pressed her lips together.
She wasn't oblivious; her intuition told her this was the bedroom of that insignificant woman from Ruerg.
“Tonight…… the one who needs you by her side is me.”
“Yes.”
“……”
“I've been rude. Forgive me.”
Ferzen rarely apologized. Uriel was quite surprised, but at the same time, displeased. His apology meant he'd truly been minding that woman's feelings.
But there, Uriel sensed something off. The very idea of him minding anyone was absurd to begin with.
No, even if he was…… at this point, after he'd already taken her as a concubine, what reason was there? Especially on the eve of her first night, making it so blatant.
'Ah……'
As her thoughts reached that point, Uriel had a hunch.
“Are you upset?”
Maybe she should play along for now.
“You know I am, so don't ask.”
Putting on a moderate act, Uriel turned her head away. Then Ferzen spoke, as if scolding her feigned sulk.
“Uriel…… Jealousy will only tire you out.”
Hearing that, Uriel laughed inwardly. Well, he hadn't even been married for a full year yet, and he'd never had multiple wives in his household, so it was natural for him to be naive about this.
“Hey. If you're worried about her feelings, just go tell her.”
“……”
Perhaps because it wasn't the reaction he'd expected—his face stiffened, frozen. Uriel found his expression of such varied emotions rare and intriguing.
'Still, it bothered me, so……'
Deciding to do something he'd dislike, she resolved.
“That I'm going to have sex with you right now.”
“……”
“That I'm taking your cock to another woman. But it's not cheating, so don't worry—that's what I'll say. Is that okay?”
“Uriel.”
“You don't like vulgar words?”
“And yet you say them anyway.”
“You're doing something bad right now too. Women are more sensitive to this stuff than you think. They notice right away. Aren't you trying to subtly rank us, discriminating between me and her?”
At Uriel's words, Ferzen flinched. Because they were true.
“I'm confident enough in my own charms not to feel jealous or lash out at some backwater northern girl just because of that.”
Lowly status. Mediocre abilities. Looks that couldn't be called exceptional. Feeling jealousy toward such a woman would be laughable.
But whenever Ferzen treated her better or paid her more attention, Uriel felt an instinctive twist in her gut.
“If I envy or feel jealous, it's because of your actions.”
Feeling jealous over discrimination was, in a way, natural. Of course, Uriel didn't deny there was some compensatory psychology at play. Their lives had invested vastly different spans of time.
It was a twisted affection—no, more accurately, love-hate.
Shaped from birth solely for Ferzen, the only one who could fill the voids from that process and reward her was him.
“So if you want a harmonious family, don't discriminate. Just behave yourself. This only backfires. I don't want to be treated differently. I hate it. Why should I be discriminated against? You know how I was raised, how I lived.”
“……”
“I can have deep conversations with you about elemental magic theory. I know politics too, so I can share your burdens on territory management or future directions. And when you're hungry, no need to agonize over the menu. Whatever you crave, I like it too.”
Uriel reached out, carefully clutching the hem of Ferzen's clothes.
“Our conversations won't have awkward silences. The books you've read, the instruments you play, the plays you've enjoyed…… Just shift the topic slightly, and I can connect with you on all of it.”
“Uriel.”
“It's fine to prioritize her first. But don't favor her. If you give her a gift, give me the same one later. Even simple skinship like stroking her hair—no exceptions.”
“……”
“It's okay if she experiences everything with you first…… But I hate it if she has something with you that I haven't. Whether tangible or intangible.”
Smoothing out the crumpled hem of Ferzen's clothes she'd gripped, Uriel lowered her hand.
“Handling me is simple. So…… don't make it complicated.”
Her words carried so many emotions, so much meaning, that Ferzen fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“I'll do that. I was short-sighted.”
“……”
“I'm sorry, Uriel.”
“Yeah……”
Unlike the earlier apology, this one rang with true sincerity, so Uriel quietly leaned her head against his chest. He placed a large hand on her head, drawing it deeper into his embrace.
Like a dog delighted by its master's voice calling its name, Uriel nuzzled gently against him, inhaling his scent. Their sensitivity to each other's natural fragrance might be another thing they shared.
……After some time had passed like that.
Squeeze!
“Ah……!”
His own thick scent enveloped her at such close range. As Ferzen lowered the hand stroking her hair and pulled her into a rough embrace, Uriel felt her breath catch.
Especially with her breasts crushed mercilessly against him, it was embarrassing. If her dress had side slits, they surely would have spilled out vulgarly.
“Eut……”
But such thoughts soon faded. Ferzen's hands began to roam her waist and back with lewd intent.
And as the bulge pressing against her lower abdomen swelled gradually through his trousers, Uriel's face flushed red.
Formal pants weren't very stretchy, after all. The size she'd glimpsed sideways in the carriage differed starkly from the one she now felt directly against her skin through the fabric.
'Ah……'
But before Uriel could properly gauge its true size, Ferzen—clinging to a thread of reason—pulled away.
Oddly disappointed by that, Uriel reached out and……
Twitch!
gently gripped his erect member over his pants.
“Th……”
Shocked at her own boldness, Uriel was startled inwardly, but Ferzen's cute flinch drew a natural smile from her.
His brow furrowed slightly, those signature red eyes looking down at her.
Too late to take it back now, Uriel met his gaze head-on, curling her lips in a pout.
“You'd worked so hard to calm it down, and now it's raging again.”
“……”
“Am I the first to make you hard in the mansion hallway?”
Releasing her hand briefly, Uriel poked at his crotch again with her soft index finger. She wondered where this boldness came from, but feeling like she had the upper hand against Ferzen made her inexplicably pleased.
“……”
In response, Ferzen said nothing, simply brushing back his bangs. A faint sheen of sweat clung to them.
Watching her clumsily seize control and revel in it, he felt both affection and a rising sadistic urge to crush her.
“Ah……!”
“Come on. It's not far.”
So Ferzen grabbed Uriel's hand and resumed their halted steps.
Her bedroom was precisely diagonally opposite Euphemia's—far apart.
Thud.
As Ferzen stopped, Uriel realized this was her room. And entering meant her first night, a belated realization that made her tense up unreasonably.
She suddenly understood why the maids had massaged her hips.
“Why are you just standing there?”
“Wh-what……”
“You know how to open a door, don't you?”
“Don't treat me like an idiot……”
Stung by Ferzen's words, Uriel reached out. But from behind, he pressed his swollen erection against her rear like a poke……
“Hik……!”
She let out an unseemly moan and flinched. As his mocking voice whispered in her ear, Uriel whipped around, eyes wide—but……
Creeeak!
“Ah……”
His hand stretched past her cheek, opening the bedroom door, leaving her no chance.
Thud.Click.
Pushed by his body against her back, Uriel stumbled inside.
The room's interior was simple. That stark simplicity suited Ferzen's tastes—and hers too.
Click.
And then the door shut.
“……?”
No—it locked.
“Wh-why lock the door……”
The faintly dangerous aura he'd exuded climbing the lobby stairs thickened further.
“Hut!”
Ferzen approached from behind without a word, roughly embracing her waist, lifting her chin with his hand, and whispering low in her ear.
“Just in case you might run…… I've blocked the escape.”
The wolf in its den bared its fangs with a growl.
Yes, it was time…… for the lamb to be devoured.