Chapter 3

 

The golden eyes shimmered brightly as they stared at Cordelia. Under the chilling gaze that seemed to freeze her, Cordelia found it difficult to breathe.

 

“D-Duke…”

 

She could barely utter the words and trembled uncontrollably.

 

She should apologize, beg for mercy… but…

 

‘Ah.’

 

As Duke Calix approached and sat closer, Cordelia’s eyes widened.

 

The Duke began scanning Cordelia with his chilling golden eyes.

 

His gaze passed her lake-like blue eyes, trailing down her slender and pale neck, and directed towards her concave collarbone. When his gaze touched her prominently raised chest, Cordelia finally realized that she was completely naked.

 

She quickly extended her arm to cover her exposed chest and spread her palm to shield between her legs, at which point the Duke smirked mockingly.

 

With one corner of his mouth lifted, the Duke’s smile was beautiful. Yet, inexplicably, it appeared sinister.

 

He was known for brutally slaughtering the Martians. Even knights shivered at the sharpness of his aura.

 

Sensing the threat, Cordelia instinctively took a step back. In response, Duke Calix grabbed her waist with his strong arm and pulled her closer.

 

Cordelia’s body collided with the Duke’s solid chest. She ended up in a state where she was embraced by the Duke’s arms.

 

In a state of confusion, she lifted her head and locked eyes with Duke Calix.

 

“After making me like this, you’re trying to run away? How heartless,” said Duke Calix, pressing his lower body tightly against Cordelia.

 

“Your… Your Highness,” she stammered.

 

The Duke’s center pressed against her exposed body. The hot and firm sensation against her thighs continued to grow in size. Startled, Cordelia flinched, and the Duke wickedly grinned while tightly embracing her waist.

 

“Ah.”

 

The Duke kept touching Cordelia’s intimate area persistently. Every time she tried to move her hips back to avoid it, the Duke pressed his lower body more stubbornly against hers.

 

She couldn’t focus at all. Her body was burning with heat from below, and the Duke in front of her was terrifying.

 

‘How… is this possible?’

 

They said he would never wake up. Even though Duke Calix, with his exceptional physical abilities inherited from royal blood, may be unable to recover from a mortal wound and was barely clinging to life, it was impossible for him to wake up.

 

Moreover, the maid had been giving the Duke medicine every night, most likely a drug to prevent Duke Calix from recovering. The maid standing opposite Duke Calix had no intention of aiding his recovery.

 

“Ha. You don’t have the luxury to be lost in thought right now,” Duke Calix looked at Cordelia as if his pride had been offended.

 

When his cold eyes met hers, a sense of dread overwhelmed her, causing her body to tremble once again.

 

“Sa… Save me, please,” she trembled, barely able to utter the words.

 

“Save you?” 

 

Duke Calix scanned Cordelia with a sluggish gaze. A bright smile appeared on his face as he observed Cordelia, who was trembling pitifully. His smiling face seemed satisfied yet chillingly beautiful.

 

“Continue,” 

 

He said.

 

“Pardon?”

 

“What you were doing just now. Keep shaking your body as it moves up mine.”

 

“…”

 

“If you’ve brought me to this state, you should take responsibility, shouldn’t you?”

 

The Duke pointed at himself with his eyes.

 

“Do that?”

 

Cordelia’s face turned pale. It was an act. She had only pretended to mix her body while the Duke was asleep. But now…

 

“Lost in thought again? I thought this was more than enough for you. Seems like it doesn’t satisfy your desires,” the Duke said as he pressed his possession against Cordelia.

 

“Ah…”

 

An unfamiliar sensation elicited a moan from her.

 

Upon hearing the moan, the Duke smirked and pressed himself harder against Cordelia’s thigh.

 

“Ah… I… I don’t want this,” she pleaded.

 

His touch between her legs was hot and firm. With each contact, her lower abdomen grew hotter, and a strange sensation enveloped her.

 

Cordelia tried to push the Duke’s shoulders with her hands, attempting to avoid his advances. However, his solid body didn’t budge at all.

 

“Don’t want it? Have you forgotten what you did to me just a moment ago?”

 

Cordelia’s body tensed as the Duke scrutinized her.

 

If she were to think about what she had done to him, she couldn’t find any words, even if he were to kill her right now.

 

With no room for excuses, Cordelia remained silent and trembled as she observed his demeanor. The Duke pressed his lips against hers.

 

His hot tongue entered Cordelia’s mouth.

 

The Duke thoroughly explored Cordelia’s mouth, licking every inch from the roof of her mouth to the insides of her cheeks, sucking as if inhaling.

 

As the Duke fervently sucked on her mouth, as if devouring it, he entangled his tongue with hers, provoking a response.

 

As the Duke’s tongue entwined with hers and sucked it in, a tingling sensation coursed through Cordelia’s entire body. It felt completely different from when she had explored his lips alone earlier.

 

Due to the Duke relentlessly exploring her mouth, Cordelia was completely lost at the moment. Her breath became ragged, reaching her throat, and sensing this somehow, the Duke released his lips.

Cordelia let out a gasp for breath.

 

Just as she thought it was over and tried to relax, his lips descended to her chest.

 

He placed the erect peak inside his mouth and began rolling it around. The forceful sucking caused a painful sensation in her chest.

 

“Stop…” Cordelia pleaded.

 

The Duke continued sucking on her chest persistently, causing a tingling sensation beneath her abdomen. The intense sensation was both uncomfortable and strangely pleasurable. She was frightened by the overwhelming sensation. And being in this situation with the Duke filled her with a sense of disgust.

 

Cordelia twisted her body, trying to distance herself from him. But it was futile. He wrapped his strong arm around Cordelia’s waist and pulled her closer.

 

The Duke sucked on one breast as if devouring it, while vigorously shaking the other breast with his hand.

 

“Ah-huh.”

 

Unintentionally, Cordelia let out a moan in response to his stimulation. She tightly sealed her lips, trying not to make any sound. She felt ashamed of herself in this situation.

 

The Duke chuckled at Cordelia’s desperate attempts to close her mouth.

 

His hand, which had been touching her chest, moved downward. Passing over her flat stomach, it descended between her legs, causing Cordelia’s eyes to widen in shock.

 

“Oh!”

 

Cordelia was taken aback when the Duke’s hand reached her intimate area.

 

He leisurely caressed her pubic region and lightly teased the hidden clitoris with his fingers.

 

“What… What are you doing right now?” 

 

Cordelia exclaimed, startled, as she instinctively moved her body backward.

 

However, due to the Duke’s arm wrapped around her waist, she couldn’t move away at all.

 

“To pay you back.”

 

“What?” 

 

Cordelia asked, confused.

 

“I have a temperament that requires me to repay what I receive. Since you freely touched and sucked my body, arousing me, you should repay me in the same way,” the Duke explained while firmly pressing on her sensitive spot.

 

“Ah!”

 

As the Duke’s fingers pressed and swirled around the sensitive area, a moan escaped Cordelia’s lips.

 

“Is it really unpleasant? It doesn’t seem like you dislike it here,” 

 

The Duke remarked, teasing Cordelia’s clitoris with his fingers, causing the inside to moisten.

 

“Uh… I don’t like it,” 

 

Cordelia said, trembling and shaking her head in response to the unfamiliar sensation.

 

In response to Cordelia’s reaction, the persistent Duke continued to swirl and vigorously stimulate her clitoris.

 

“Ah-ha-ha,” 

 

Cordelia couldn’t help but let out a moan, even though she tried to stay silent.

 

The sensation was completely different from when Cordelia touched her own body for the sake of acting. Her entire body tingled, and it felt as if a fire had ignited below.

 

Despite the tingling sensation, she knew she had to keep her wits about her. She needed to figure out how to navigate this situation and find a way out.

 

As Cordelia tried to gather her thoughts, the Duke’s long fingers intruded inside her.

 

“Ah!” 

 

Cordelia exclaimed, arching her back and moaning at the unfamiliar sensation.

 

She moved her body back, trying to evade the Duke’s touch.

 

Desperately trying to escape, she cried out, “I… I’ve never done anything like this. So please, stop.”

 

Looking up at him pleadingly, the Duke smirked.

 

“You didn’t do such things, so don’t tell me not to. What should we do? I have to repay you not just equally, but two or three times more to satisfy my anger, right?” he said.

 

After finishing his sentence, the Duke provocatively stimulated Cordelia’s insides with his thick finger, causing her legs to become soaked.

 

“You’re not being honest, saying you dislike it while reacting like this.”

 

Cordelia’s face contorted. She felt ashamed of herself for reacting in such a way.

 

“Please… stop…” she pleaded.

 

As Cordelia looked at the Duke with tear-filled, reddened eyes, his expression hardened.

 

“If you dislike it that much, I’ll stop,” the Duke said, removing his hand that was touching Cordelia’s insides.

 

He released his arms that were embracing her and moved back, sitting down. Cordelia was taken aback.

 

With eyes filled with desire, he looked at her roughly, exploring her forcefully. Even though he had been forcing himself inside her, he stopped at her resistance.

 

‘What is he thinking?’

 

Her body trembled with a growing sense of unease.

 

She had touched the Duke’s body, and engaged in various acts, and now she was rejecting his touch and resisting him, even pushing him away despite begging on her knees.

 

In this situation, even if the Duke were to kill her on the spot, she had no words. But her resistance had unsettled him.

 

‘Could it be?’

 

Anxiety rose in her throat as she observed his cool, hardened expression.

 

She couldn’t die like this. If she admitted her mistake, Melia, that child, would be sold to the ruthless Marquis.

 

She straddled the unconscious Duke, rocking her body and moaning. She kissed him, sucked his flesh, and engaged in all sorts of chaotic acts, putting on a performance. Even though she had done such things, there was nothing she couldn’t do.

 

And… they were a married couple.

 

On paper, Cordelia was the wife of Duke Calix. To deceive the Emperor, they even received approval from the temple and made a proper marriage vow.

 

It was something that could be expected between a husband and wife.

 

Think of it as an obligation to be fulfilled. It had to be done anyway.

 

Cordelia tried to recall the reason she had to accept him. And soon, she made up her mind and looked up at Duke Calix.

 

“I… I don’t dislike it.”

 

Cordelia looked directly into Duke Calix’s eyes. She conveyed that she couldn’t resist and begged for her life.

 

“It’s burdensome to hold you with such a solemn expression on your face.”

 

The Duke looked at Cordelia with a reluctant gaze, as if he wasn’t inclined to do so.

 

Cordelia became anxious at the expression that carried a sense of refusal.

 

 “Please… please do it.”

 

Afraid that the Duke might harm her without embracing her, Cordelia urgently spoke while looking into his eyes.

 

“If you make that expression, I’ll look like a bad guy. It’s true. But still, please smile.”

 

The Duke caressed Cordelia’s face and spoke as if it were a request or an order.

 

Cordelia made an effort to smile. However, her stiff lips didn’t move.

 

“It won’t work. I have to make you happy.”

 

Duke Calix wrapped his arms around Cordelia’s neck and pulled her towards him.

 

The Duke pressed his lips against Cordelia’s plump, small lips. Gently sucking on Cordelia’s lower and upper lips alternately, he eventually opened his lips and entered inside.

 

The Duke’s hot tongue explored every corner of Cordelia’s mouth. Entwining his soft tongue with hers, he sucked on it for a while, thoroughly exploring the soft flesh of her cheeks and the even alignment of her teeth.

 

Duke Calix devoured Cordelia’s lips as if he were eating them. He pulled their tongues together, vigorously rubbing them against each other, and with the wet sound, saliva dripped down.

 

Due to the Duke persistently sucking and nibbling on every corner of her mouth without letting go of her lips, Cordelia had difficulty breathing. She felt slightly dizzy because of the scent emanating from the Duke’s body that had enveloped her.

 

The Duke, who had been exploring her mouth freely, grabbed Cordelia’s breasts. With his large hands, he kneaded the soft flesh, and between his fingers, the plump flesh squished out.

 

The soft breasts were roughly kneaded by the Duke’s large hands. The Duke caressed her breasts in a circular motion with his palm. After several slow strokes, the Duke’s hand reached the pink nipple. His long fingers teased the sensitive nipple with continuous stimulation.

 

“Ah…”

 

As the fingers roughly toyed with the nipple, a soft moan escaped from Cordelia’s mouth.

 

The Duke began to tease the nipple in earnest. He pressed and pinched the nipple with the tip of his finger, twisting it.

 

After tormenting the nipple for a while, the Duke’s lips eagerly sucked on it, biting it. Cordelia’s nipple rolled around inside the Duke’s hot mouth.

 

Suck.

 

With an audible sound, he sucked forcefully, causing a tingling sensation to spread throughout her body, and her toes curled.

 

The Duke greedily sucked on Cordelia’s breasts. He pulled and teased the untouched nipple, continuing his affectionate actions.

 

Cordelia’s mouth emitted consecutive moans. The overwhelming sensation was so electrifying that it was almost frightening.

 

The Duke was rough. He sucked forcefully and with his large hands, he kneaded her breasts vigorously, leaving red marks. She didn’t like his rough touch, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but lose herself, hoping that it wouldn’t stop.

 

Shaking her head, Cordelia scolded herself for having such thoughts.

 

“Ah!”

 

Lost in self-reproach, Cordelia let out a startled scream.

 

Without knowing when he entered, the Duke’s thick and long fingers were already inside Cordelia’s intimate place.

 

He pushed his fingers deeper inside. The unfamiliar sensation caused her lower abdomen to contract. As he increased his speed, moving inside, an embarrassing sound accompanied the slippery liquid that flowed out.

 

Cordelia felt embarrassed by the moans escaping from her mouth and the fluid dripping down below.

 

The Duke inserted another finger. The sensation of filling her insides urgently made her back arch involuntarily.

 

Cordelia’s body trembled under the rapid and stimulating touch inside. She whimpered, her waist trembling.

 

After a while of exploring inside, the Duke moved up Cordelia’s body. He aligned his center with hers.

 

Cordelia’s body trembled with fear as she anticipated his entry. The Duke gently stroked Cordelia’s lower back with his large hand to calm her.

 

“I can’t hold back any longer,” 

 

he said, as his thick and large member delved into Cordelia’s depths.

 

“Ah!” 

 

Cordelia screamed in pain, feeling like her body was being torn apart. It hurt as if she was being ripped apart below.

 

“It… It hurts.”

 

As Cordelia’s voice mixed with cries of pain, Calix Duke stroked her lower region. Seeing the traces of blood on his member, the Duke seemed surprised.

 

The Duke withdrew his member from Cordelia’s insides. Then, he lowered his head and began to lick the inside of Cordelia’s thigh.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Startled, Cordelia jerked her body and screamed.

 

“It hurts?”

 

Duke Calix sucked on the tender flesh inside her thigh, more gently than when he had devoured her chest earlier.

 

With his lips, he sucked on the inside of her thigh, while his fingers played with Cordelia’s core.

 

“Ah.”

 

Under the Duke’s touch, the inside became slippery. She couldn’t regain her composure under the simultaneous stimulation.

 

“Hmm.”

 

The Duke’s lips explored Cordelia’s secret place. His tongue flicked and probed various spots, sucking and devouring the wet interior.

 

Feeling embarrassed as she spread her legs wide for the Duke, Cordelia tried to move away, but Duke Calix held her tightly with his arms.

 

“Stay still. It won’t hurt if you do it like this.”

 

As the Duke sucked, the lower part became wet with excitement. The constant flow of fluids was embarrassing and shameful, but the Duke eagerly sucked it all as if it tasted delicious.

 

“… Why are you doing that?”

 

The Duke’s actions were bewildering and embarrassing. She felt so embarrassed that she wanted to escape, but the area below kept getting wet, and an indescribable sensation overwhelmed her, leaving her with no sense of composure.

 

“It’s urgent, so let’s do it like this.”

 

The Duke pushed his own into Cordelia again.

 

“Ah… Ahh!”

 

Cordelia let out a mixture of cries and screams.

 

As his large member forcefully entered the narrow opening, it felt as if everything below was being torn apart. Cordelia cried out in pain, but the Duke paid no attention.

 

Duke Calix exerted strength and pushed his own deep inside. His large member tightly filled Cordelia’s insides.

 

The Duke, having pushed his own all the way in, cautiously began to move his body. Initially, he leisurely explored the insides of Cordelia, but then he increased the speed and relentlessly thrust into her inner depths.

 

Duke Calix continuously delved inside Cordelia without pause. He forcefully thrust, causing Cordelia’s body to shake uncontrollably.

 

His movements digging inside were so fast that it was painful at the core. The Duke raced inside Cordelia at full speed like a wild stallion. With each forceful thrust inside, Cordelia’s insides squeezed and an unknown pleasure blossomed.

 

“Ah!”

 

As he intensified his vigorous movements, Cordelia moaned as if screaming. The sensations overwhelming her were so stimulating that they bordered on terrifying.

 

“Huh.”

 

After passionately thrusting for a while, the Duke let out a deep groan and collapsed onto Cordelia’s body. The hot liquid he released filled Cordelia’s inner depths.

 

‘It’s over.’

 

As a sense of relief washed over her along with complex emotions, suddenly Cordelia’s body was lifted into the air.

 

She found herself lying on the bed, her buttocks raised, in an embarrassing position. Startled, she tried to change her posture, but Duke Calix, who had embraced her from behind, pressed his own against her buttocks.

 

“Why.…? Didn’t it finish?”

 

They had just finished, yet his member was now fully erect as if it hadn’t happened.

 

“It’s not over. What do you take me for?”

 

The Duke grabbed Cordelia’s waist and pushed his own deep inside.

 

“Oh no.”

 

Due to the changed position, his member went even deeper. The Duke exerted force, lifting and shaking Cordelia’s body uncontrollably. His deeply penetrated member ruthlessly thrust into Cordelia’s inner depths. With each brush of his member, eerie heat and ambiguous sensations emerged, leaving Cordelia completely lost in her senses.

 

Due to the Duke’s rough movements, her lower body became weak and repeatedly collapsed.

 

“Ahaha. It’s too fast. Slow down, please.”

 

Cordelia pleaded, but the Duke did not slow down. He only held her waist to keep her upright as her strength waned, and she sank down to the bed.

 

Cordelia’s body shook uncontrollably. Pleasure and pain surged simultaneously with continuous stimulation.

 

“Ah. Please. Stop.”

 

Overwhelmed by the surging sensations, Cordelia found herself involuntarily moving her waist while begging for him to stop. However, the Duke did not cease his movements. The more Cordelia cried and pleaded, the more intense his movements became.

 

***

 

Cordelia opened her eyes as she felt something warm touching her.

 

The surroundings were pitch dark, indicating that it was deep into the night. Cordelia squinted her eyes to gauge the time and saw the face of Duke Calix. The Duke was wiping Cordelia’s body with a towel.

 

Startled, Cordelia sat up.

 

“Your Highness.”

 

Duke Calix, who was wiping Cordelia’s legs with a towel, looked up.

 

“Are you awake?”

 

“Please give it to me. I will do it myself.”

 

Cordelia extended her hand, requesting the towel, and let out a moan. Her whole body felt sore and painful. Every little movement caused her pain.

 

“Does it hurt?”

 

The shining candlelight illuminated Cordelia’s face.

 

It hurt. A lot.

 

Until a few hours ago, the Duke had held Cordelia without rest. Cordelia pushed to her limits and pleaded for him to stop, but he didn’t.

 

“Stay still.”

 

Duke Calix laid Cordelia back on the bed. He wiped between her legs with a warm towel, thorough in his movements, even reaching the inner thighs.

 

“Ah… there…”

 

As the towel entered between her legs, Cordelia shyly shifted her body in embarrassment. In response, the Duke firmly held her leg and wiped her intimate area with the towel.

 

As the soft and warm touch came into contact, the lingering pain in her lower region seemed to alleviate slightly. However, she felt embarrassed. Being wiped by the Duke while being completely exposed.

 

After thoroughly wiping every part of Cordelia’s body, Duke Calix set the towel aside. Cordelia quickly got up and picked up the discarded nightgown, putting it on.

 

Fully dressed, she crouched in the corner of the bed and sat down. The memories of what transpired between her and Duke Calix came rushing back, causing her face to burn with anger. Not only that, but she also felt embarrassed for exposing herself to him. And she was afraid. Afraid of what Duke Calix might do to her.

 

“Are you afraid that I will kill you?”

 

While looking at Cordelia trembling, Duke Calix asked,

 

“Kill… Are you asking if I’ll kill you?”

 

As Cordelia stared back at him with fearful eyes, Duke Calix stared intently into her blue eyes.

 

“Explain.”

 

“What?”

 

“I need to know what happened to decide whether to kill you or spare you.”

 

Cordelia, who had been unable to gather her thoughts due to the Duke’s intense gaze, regained her composure upon hearing his words about determining her life or death.

 

“Baron Lawrence, my father, tried to sell my younger sister to an old Marquis. So I refused to let her go and was ordered to do as told…”

 

Cordelia explained the events that had transpired.

 

“You tried to protect your sister. Such touching sibling love.”

 

Duke Calix, who had been staring at her for a while, finally averted his gaze and sneered.

 

“Please spare me. If I die, that child will be sold off to the torturous Marquis.”

 

Cordelia pleaded as she prostrated herself on the bed.

 

“Are you serious?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Are you genuinely concerned about your sister rather than worrying about yourself?”

 

The Duke looked at Cordelia intently, his face expressing a sense of disbelief at the possibility.

 

“I can’t go on without her. I’ll do whatever I’m told. Anything. So please…”

 

Life held little meaning for Cordelia without Melia. It was because of her that she could endure.

 

“Explain it properly.”

 

“…”

 

“A mere Baron wouldn’t be capable of orchestrating such a thing. It doesn’t make sense. 

 

Cordelia’s face darkened at Duke Calix’s words. She didn’t know who was behind it all. Baron Lawrence only gave orders without providing any explanations.

 

“That…”

 

“You want to live?”

 

Duke Calix urged Cordelia, who hesitated and faltered.

 

“I don’t know much about it.”

 

“But you have a general idea.”

 

He gestured to Cordelia as if telling her to go on and speak.

 

“His Highness, the Crown Prince…”

 

“The Crown Prince is responsible for this? Is there any evidence? Be careful not to speak recklessly and get into trouble.”

 

As he urged her to speak up, he questioned if there was any evidence to support her claims.

 

“There’s a lady in waiting in the Duke’s residence who used to be a maid to Empress Mother Cassandra.”

 

“How do you know that?”

 

“When my mother was alive, she attended a ball held in the capital, and I saw her there.”

 

When Cordelia was young, her mother received an invitation from relatives and attended a ball held in the capital. Accompanying her, Cordelia saw the lady in waiting, who was now the wife of Duke Jansen and the former maid of Empress Cassandra, who had become the Empress Consort.

 

When Cordelia saw Lady Jansen at the Duke’s residence, she recognized her at a glance. Though time had passed, Lady Jansen’s characteristic stern expression remained unchanged.

 

Cordelia found it strange that a highly regarded noblewoman was serving as a lady-in-waiting in this place. However, it implied the presence of the Empress and the Crown Prince, as she used to be a lady-in-waiting to the late Empress, the mother of Prince Ronald.

 

Duke Calix and Prince Ronald had been engaged in fierce rivalry for several years over the position of the Crown Prince. The fight between the two princes was so intense that even Cordelia, who had lived only in the countryside, could hear about it. It was not difficult to speculate who was behind the person who made Duke Calix like this.

 

“That cackling voice belonged to Lady Jansen, right? She must have wanted to kill me because her family collapsed because of me. Still, she remains as a lady-in-waiting due to her pride.”

 

Duke Calix smirked as if finding it amusing.

 

“Not bad. Or is it because my relationship with my brother is a mess that anyone can figure out?”

 

Duke Calix scrutinized Cordelia with eyes that pondered his decision. Cordelia’s gaze wavered under the Duke’s chilling and relentless stare. She felt uneasy because she didn’t know how Duke Calix would treat her.

 

“What are you going to do with me?”

 

She tried her best to keep her voice steady and not show any trembling.

 

“You’re quite clever. How do you expect me to trust you? You, who dared to climb on the Duke’s body and commit all sorts of outrageous acts under the Prince’s command?”

 

Duke Calix grabbed Cordelia’s chin, lifting it to meet his gaze. His dazzling golden eyes pierced through Cordelia as if penetrating her. The icy light emitted from his shining golden eyes made Cordelia feel as if she were freezing.

 

“You will be useful to me.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Cordelia stared straight at the Duke, ready to make her move.

 

“…”

 

“If the Duke is to understand the situation and resolve it, he will need time. I can be of help.”

 

She spoke with an earnest gaze, saying that it would be difficult for her to handle it alone and that she could be of assistance.

 

“I will betray the Crown Prince and help you.”

 

“Yes, I will do anything. So…”

 

“Why?”

 

Just as she was earnestly asking for her life to be spared, Duke Calix unexpectedly threw a question at her.

 

“Because I think you will spare me?”

 

“…”

 

“How can I trust you?”

 

“…”

 

“And do you trust me? If I promise to spare you but then say something else, what will you do? Hm?”

 

“…”

 

Duke Calix looked at Cordelia, whose words had faltered, and smiled mysteriously.

 

“I haven’t heard anything. I don’t know who I’m doing this for or what I’m doing. I’ve never been properly explained about the tasks I’ll be assigned or the rewards I’ll receive if I succeed.”

 

Cordelia was always anxious. Although her father, Baron Lawrence, had said he wouldn’t send Melia to the Marquis Gatong, she didn’t know if it would be honored. Moreover, she didn’t know what would happen to herself once the task was completed.

 

She had asked the lady-in-waiting several times if Melia was doing well and what would happen to herself after the job was done, but each time, she only received a threat to not make any mistakes and do what she was assigned.

 

Duke Calix wouldn’t be any different from the Crown Prince. To the noble aristocracy, someone like Cordelia would be a disposable and insignificant item.

 

Still, it seemed like she could negotiate with the person in front of her. No matter how exceptional he might be, it would be difficult for him to handle everything alone in the Duke’s residence occupied by opposing factions.

 

“If you promise to spare me, I will do everything in my power to assist you, Your Grace. I will become your right hand and do whatever you ask.”

 

It would be dangerous for the Duke to appear in front of people without any preparation. Even if he was impulsive and acted on his own, he wouldn’t be reckless.

 

“I will need your help. So promise to spare me.”

 

Cordelia repeated what she had said and asked in return, “But what if I’m not needed?”

 

Despair crept into Cordelia’s face, which had been confident, until then, at Duke Calix’s words.

 

“What if I’m not needed? Then what?”

 

As despair and fear rushed over her, her vision turned white.

 

“Fine. I’ll spare you.”

 

While contemplating whether she should beg for her sister’s assistance even if it meant sacrificing herself, Duke Calix spoke abruptly.

 

“On one condition.”

 

“…”

 

“Keep up with that skillful acting of yours.”

 

“Continue acting?”

 

“You don’t have to put on that expression. It’ll be easier than before. We’ll do it together.”

 

“Together?”

 

“I said I’ll do anything. Well, don’t you like it?”

 

As Cordelia pondered the meaning of his words, the Duke asked.

 

He meant to continue what they had just done with the Duke. It wasn’t acting, but actually mingling their bodies.

 

She didn’t want to. However, Cordelia didn’t have the right to refuse. If she said she didn’t want to hear, the Duke might kill her.

 

“Fine. But you have to keep your promise.”

 

With determination, she looked into the Duke’s eyes and spoke.

 

Suddenly, Duke Calix tightly embraced Cordelia’s waist.

 

“Now that the agreement is settled, shall we practice once to signify that?”

 

“Now? Th-that’s absurd.”

 

She could feel his presence pressing against her buttocks. His excitement was evident in its swelling.

 

“We’ll know if it works or not once we try.”

 

Duke Calix embraced Cordelia and toppled her over. Cordelia closed her eyes as if resigned to her fate.

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