“Could it be that your cycle has returned?” Elise inquired, skepticism coloring her tone.
“It’s highly unlikely,” Rezette murmured.
“Then why, without any warning, so suddenly…?” They had just arrived at the makeshift tent where they planned to spend the day. Finding amusement in Elise’s expression, Rezette let out a bitter laugh.
“If it had, you wouldn’t be standing on both feet like this now. You must be aware of that, right?” She had been informed that he was not entirely human. Still, if there was any human decency left in him, couldn’t he show some mercy?
“…It’s still difficult. Riding horses all day makes my back ache,” complained Elise.
“I warned you about that in advance. The one who followed without heeding the warning is you.”
The situation felt unjust, leaving Elise with a sense of powerlessness. As Rezette, attuned to the subtle moistness emanating from her tensed form, groaned, the vibrations echoed through his throat.
“Are you placing blame solely on me even in this situation? Who’s provoking whom, after all?”
Inevitably, Elise’s face, along with her exposed shoulders and chest, blazed a bright shade of red.
***
As always, the time spent in union felt interminable, as if it would stretch into eternity. The rugged contours of Rezette’s face, steeped in desire, his eyes veiled in a hazy intensity, erratic breaths, and bodies glistening with sweat and other fluids—all of it unfolded in an atmosphere of raw intensity. The most fervent side of the otherwise indifferent and cold man was laid bare to Elise without reservation.
Leaning against his warm chest as if it were ablaze, she caught her breath in short gasps. The sensation of fullness, as if her insides were mysteriously swelling, showed no sign of fading away.
Even after reaching the climax multiple times, Rezette didn’t release her, savoring the aftermath.
“It seems your thoughts have changed,” Elise murmured with a restrained voice, as if a realization had just dawned on her. “Just a few months ago, you didn’t want to hold a woman like me.”
“Who said that?” Rezette mumbled.
“You did.”
Rezette, unable to resist, had kissed the smooth curve of her collarbone, but he abruptly halted his movements. Lowering his eyes, he took a moment to reconsider when he might have spoken such absurd words.
Without hesitation, Elise provided the answer. “You said you had no desire to hold a woman who couldn’t even control herself.”
At Rezette’s silence, Elise continued, “At that time, in front of the throne room… When you acted so intimidatingly. Don’t you remember? Even though the me then and the me now aren’t that different.”
Rezette silently swallowed a curse. The mention of the throne room brought the memory flooding back. When he remained silent, she assumed he couldn’t recall, and a sense of injustice tinged Elise’s voice.
“You even said it would be better to end my life than to engage in such acts with you… Have you forgotten?”
He had indeed uttered a string of unnecessary words. To divert from the uncomfortable topic, Rezette promptly apologized, “I misspoke.”
“Misspoke…” Elise repeated slowly.
“It wasn’t sincere back then either. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Elise closed her mouth with a disconcerting feeling. What wasn’t sincere? It seemed more genuine than anything else. Rezette wasn’t one to cloak himself in hypocrisy or deliberately sow malice. It wasn’t that his words lacked sincerity; rather, the sincerity had evolved.
“Then, am I really pretty?” Elise inquired.
“What’s the reason for asking such an obvious question?”
“Enough for you to desire me?”
Confronted with this unending stream of questions, Rezette raised his head. His narrowed eyes suggested a quest to fathom her intentions. Finally, he responded succinctly.
“Yes.”
An unfulfilled thirst lingered in his azure eyes. Each time Elise witnessed those enigmatic clusters of emotions, her heart couldn’t help but tremble.
Then, gradually, her heart raced uncontrollably. She hadn’t desired things to escalate to this point. She could have feigned ignorance, but she found herself repeatedly entangled. Her mind and body seemed to be operating independently.
Perhaps because he’s the first man I’ve known… Perhaps he’ll be the only man in my life for something like this.
Elise struggled to rationalize this emotion. Typically, appending the word “first” to anything made it especially significant.
Moreover, she couldn’t envision herself entangled in such a situation with anyone other than Rezette. She had no intention of sharing such intimacy with another man. So, whether this marriage endured for an extended period or was fleeting, he would forever be her first and last.
After hesitating for a while, Elise asked, “Do you also want… a child?”