LCWD | Chapter 14

~Chapter 14~ 

“Ugh!”

Apollyon let out a small groan and pulled his hand away from my face.

“And you say you fight monsters… such a baby.”

I didn’t even bite him that hard, but his reaction was dramatic. This was the same man who chopped down enemies without mercy and led the charge into the monster forest—yet here he was, overreacting like this?

Wait a minute…

What if he’s not overreacting?

‘Could it be that… his palms are sensitive?’

I looked down at him. His shirt was open slightly, and his neck was red.

The lighting wasn’t very bright, so I hadn’t noticed before, but now I saw his skin was flushed all over—his jaw, ears, and neck, all bright red like apples in harvest season.

‘…He’s kind of cute, though.’

Seeing him react so strongly to such a small touch made me want to tease him even more.

As he whimpered and held his hand, I smirked and moved closer.

It was summer, and we were both in sleepwear. Our clothes were thin, and I could feel his skin clearly against mine.

His chest was even firmer than it looked.

Surprised by the sudden contact, Apollyon tried to pull away. If he had used even a bit of force, he could’ve easily pushed me off. But he didn’t. He was careful not to hurt me and held back his strength.

Still, no matter how much he tried, he was still trapped in my arms.

I smiled wickedly as I looked down at him.

My long hair brushed against his chest. When I pushed it behind my ear, I saw his throat bob as he swallowed hard.

Eventually, he just shut his eyes tightly, giving up resisting.

It felt strange to have someone so much bigger than me completely under me like this. A mix of pride and a warm fluttering sensation stirred in my chest.

I cupped his cheeks in both hands.

His eyes shot open in surprise. They were wide and scared, darting around without a place to focus.

“…Why do I feel like I’m the bad one here?”

“…”

“You know I’m not the one doing anything wrong, right?”

“…”

“What kind of groom tries to run away on the wedding night?!”

I lost my temper and bumped my forehead against his. It didn’t hurt much, but it left a faint sting.

Apollyon blinked and stammered.

“I-I wasn’t running away!”

“You were trying to, and I caught you.”

“…”

“You think I didn’t notice you arguing with Wilson outside the door earlier?”

His face stiffened, as if wondering how I knew that.

“You do realize how embarrassing this is, right?”

As expected, his hand froze mid-air and dropped.

In this country, the wedding night is a very important custom for nobles. Refusing it was seen as deeply disrespectful—and in some conservative circles, even shameful.

If people found out the new bride hadn’t consummated her marriage, there would be gossip. Nasty rumors, like she wasn’t attractive, he had a mistress, or that one of them was physically incapable.

And in a male-dominated society, the one who suffered most from those rumors was the woman.

Especially when the groom in question was Apollyon, the gossip world’s superstar. In this rumor-loving empire, it would be a field day.

There were already weird rumors floating around that I had teamed up with Apollyon to get revenge on Sonod. No doubt Sonod himself was behind that nonsense.

If people found out about this on top of that, both Apollyon and I would be exhausted dealing with the fallout.

“If you get it now, just stay still. No matter what, I’m going to uphold this empire’s traditions. That means doing my duty as a wife.”

I leaned closer, my arms resting on his shoulders. His lips, slightly moist, looked too tempting to ignore.

As my face drew near, Apollyon seemed to sense something and met my eyes. Our lips were just about to touch.

“Gasp!”

“…”

He inhaled sharply, and I felt his chest rise against mine.

At the same time, something soft and fluffy slammed into my face. A pillow.

The pillow dropped to the floor, revealing Apollyon staring at me with shocked, wide eyes.

I blew a strand of hair away from my mouth and sighed. My head actually hurts now.

“W-Wife, are you okay—”

“So this is how it’s going to be?”

“…”

“Now I really won’t stop until it happens!”

I grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him toward me.

***

Outside the bedroom, Wilson and Emma stood guard.

Normally, no one stood guard inside the mansion, and if they did, guards would be used—not high-ranking staff like them.

But tonight was different.

Wilson and Emma had dismissed the other servants and were standing in front of the newlyweds’ room themselves.

The younger maids glanced over, clearly curious, but ran off after catching Emma’s sharp glare.

Emma looked like a fierce watchdog, while Wilson was like an immovable statue. He seemed calm, but his presence made people nervous.

Clearly, these two were no ordinary staff.

They had stood motionless for hours, and the younger staff whispered about their incredible discipline. True professionals.

After the night shift ended, everyone else went back to their quarters. Only Emma and Wilson remained.

Emma spoke first, eyes still fixed forward.

“Do you think there’s progress?”

“…I can’t say yet.”

Wilson replied calmly, standing straight.

The two of them chatted without moving a muscle. Only their lips moved, like a secret agent scene.

Though they looked like professionals, the truth was… they were eavesdropping.

All their attention was focused on the door, trying to catch the slightest sound.

“…Surely, he’s not going to do nothing, right?”

Emma’s voice trembled slightly.

“…Didn’t the Duchess seem determined?”

“But the Duke needs to cooperate too…”

“…Let’s wait. The night is still long.”

Emma pursed her lips. Both of them looked a little worried.

They had been with the Teabridte family for nearly 30 years.

In fact, they probably knew the estate better than Apollyon himself.

Emma had been his nanny since before he was born. Wilson had been managing the estate since before Apollyon’s mother even married into the family.

When Apollyon was cursed, many people left the house—but not them.

To Emma, Apollyon was like her own child.

She wasn’t afraid of the curse. She was afraid of it hurting him.

Wilson felt the same. He didn’t hate Apollyon, only the curse that ruined his future.

They knew he had a hard time trusting people, but neglecting his duties as a husband? That was too much.

Especially when his bride was the only person who approached him when everyone else ran away.

Even someone like him couldn’t possibly be rude enough to skip the wedding night… right?

At least, they hoped not.

They weren’t expecting a child or anything. But Apollyon was a powerful duke in the heart of the empire.

All they wanted was to avoid giving the gossiping nobles more fuel.

That’s why they stood guard—so they could stop rumors before they started.

The house was so quiet, only the ticking of Wilson’s watch could be heard.

The two stood in silence, almost ready to give up.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, a noise came from inside.

Emma’s eyes widened. So did Wilson’s. His tired eyes lit up.

“Ugh!”

Another sound, almost like a small cry.

“…Did I just imagine that?”

“I heard it too.”

They exchanged quick glances and quietly stepped closer to the door.

Still cautious, they didn’t lower their guard.

From inside the room came faint, irregular noises.

Barely audible, but unmistakably the sound of a man and woman breathing together.

They looked at each other with teary joy.

It seemed the Duke had finally opened his heart to the Duchess.

Emma wanted to scream in excitement but settled for covering her mouth with her hands. She couldn’t ruin their first night.

“It worked, right?”

“Yes. I believe so.”

Wilson answered with a pleased smile.

They looked at the door like it was a precious baby bird—gentle and proud.

Now that the first step had gone well, they could finally relax.

Now it was up to the lord and lady of the house.

“We should leave them alone now.”

“Yes, let’s go.”

Wilson was already planning to have the cook prepare stamina-boosting dishes in the morning. Emma, meanwhile, looked forward to washing the bedding.

As they walked back to their quarters, their steps were light and full of joy.