Once the child was born, it became a pretext to bind her to Rotiara indefinitely, offering a perfect escape from the emperor’s troublesome meddling. Despite this seemingly advantageous situation, there was a significant complication: Elise no longer harbored the desire to be pregnant. Even in moments of intimacy, her expression betrayed despair, signaling her reluctance to welcome a child. What had once been her voluntary and sought-after decision had now transformed into its opposite.
However, the significance of Elise’s desires appeared inconsequential. She, too, had missed the opportune moment. Rezette couldn’t be abruptly subdued. Observing him immersed in these thoughts made it clear that he was not in his right mind.
Ah… or perhaps.
Contrary to expectations, it was quite the opposite. This state of mind was, in fact, a step closer to regaining his sanity. The present Rezette embodied the very image he had detested throughout his life—a person unable to control even the most basic instincts. He had become a wretched individual succumbing to violent impulses, resembling a wild beast driven by madness, indulging in anything that seemed precious.
Ultimately, he found himself returning to the past, all because of this woman, effortlessly pulling him back. Surprisingly, it wasn’t an entirely unpleasant sensation. Leaning over the slumbering woman, Rezette breathed in the delicate air that touched his nostrils. Even through her closed lips, a sweet fragrance emanated.
Undeniably captivated, he hesitated for a moment before attempting to kiss her.
In the topic that had pushed him to the brink thus far, Rezette stood in front of her lips for an extended period, grappling with conflicting emotions. The Royal Church’s chapel had been the initial site of their kiss. Perhaps it was the setting of a mixed-race Mass before God that bestowed upon Elise’s lips an aura of sanctity, an area not to be carelessly defiled.
However, now that traces of him adorned her, did such significance still hold weight?
The boundary had been breached long ago, and there was no turning back. He wouldn’t forsake the gratification that this ecstatic body offered, and he certainly wouldn’t relinquish it willingly.
If Elise rejected him, he could make her desire him—it was merely a return to a few days ago, a simple task. The inexplicable discomfort and impatience would likely fade away.
Rezette willingly yielded to temptation. As their lips finally met, the experience was as sweet as the first taste of a newly discovered fruit.
***
I must return to my senses.
It took Elise a full two weeks before she could muster even somewhat coherent thoughts.
For three days straight, her actions were confined to crying, whimpering, dozing off, and waking up in tears. Apart from the moments when Rezette carried her to the bath or fed her on the sofa, she remained confined to the bed, a natural outcome.
Even during her baths or brief sofa respites, Rezette never left her side. He adeptly soothed her; when he sensed her mind drifting, he handled her assertively, evoking gasps. However, as she slumped in his arms, weary, his actions swiftly turned tender.
He planted kisses on her cheek and ran his lips through her hair repeatedly. Feeling his touch, as if cherishing the most precious person in the world, Elise couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming desire to cry incessantly.
Yet, the phase of sorrow and emptiness passed swiftly.
When Rezette took charge, an intense mix of pain and pleasure overwhelmed Elise beyond comprehension. Enveloped by that tidal wave, she lost herself in an instant. Merely locking eyes with Rezette now blurred Elise’s vision, her heart racing.
As his heartbeat pulsed through her like a rhythm, sorrow and resentment dissolved, leaving only instinct. Despite attempts to resist and fight, she inevitably found herself clinging to him with unwavering strength.
No.
It was a feeling that should not have intensified further. Even as she was ruthlessly swept away by the pleasure of relentless physical sensations, Elise somehow managed to construct a barrier around her heart.
Yet, perhaps influenced by her mood, whenever Elise forced herself to close her eyes or loosened her grip around him, Rezette sensed it instantly and pulled her back. Initially dismissed as coincidence, she believed it to be part of the copulation process, an aftereffect of escaping the overwhelming ecstasy. However, every feeble attempt to escape or resist prompted him to press his lips against her body again, as though an alligator were dragging her into a swamp by the ankle.
As this repeated for three days, it became undeniable. This was clearly intentional. Rezette was denying Elise any chance to regain her senses.
Could it be because he’s aware that I’ve heard Genovia’s story?
