Side story 02. Jealousy Incarnate
After giving birth to her first child and almost dying from postpartum illness, Priscilla, unfortunately or fortunately, never got pregnant again. She always kept people around her son, whom she risked her life to give birth to. She was worried that he might feel lonely growing up without siblings.
The first time Damien realized the feeling of jealousy was when a child studying mathematics with a tutor answered a question faster than him. No matter how hard he tried, Damien could not beat the youngest of the Winstons. There were many kinds of geniuses in the world, and Ralph Winston, a genius in surveying and mathematics, was the first wall Damien faced. At first, he thought he could beat him if he invested time and effort. It took him half a year to admit that it was impossible to overcome that wall. And then Damien declared to Priscilla that he would not study with Ralph anymore.
He recommended Ralph as an assistant to the person in charge of the expansion of the Tisse Castle to his mother, who opened her eyes wide and asked what was going on.
“Damien, he’s only fourteen.”
“Mother, I am sure that Ralph is more intelligent than Charlie, the man in charge of the castle.”
Thanks to Priscilla, who believed in her son, Ralph Winston, the genius born of Tisse, successfully completed many of Tisse's buildings. One day, after some time had passed, Priscilla carefully confided in her son while walking with Damien through the gallery Ralph had designed.
“I’m worried that I may have aroused too strong feelings of jealousy in you when you were younger.”
Damien said.
“I did feel jealous. And soon I realized that it was a waste of time to dwell on such low-quality feelings. I would enjoy seeing someone better than me working for me more.”
Young Damien considered jealousy a lowly emotion. And now, a dozen years later, Damien has had to admit that he is caught up in a very lowly emotion.
“I wonder if Your Majesty is feeling unwell. I am worried that I may have talked too much when you are tired.”
Thirteen. Sophie, who had grown a lot in just a few years and was now completely oblivious, expressed slight concern to Chloe. Chloe, who was sipping black tea in the sunlit greenhouse, turned her head to look at Damien.
“Is that really true?”
“Not at all. Don’t worry about it, ladies. Just talk comfortably.”
Chloe smiled slightly at Damien, who was nibbling on a cookie. Damien, sitting on a sofa with the same pattern in a greenhouse full of pale pink and white roses, surprisingly didn't feel out of place. Chloe opened her mouth with a smile as she watched him, who seemed incredulous that he had barged into the girls' tea time without warning.
“Your Majesty, you have come to have tea with me. Continue your story, Sophie. Gray has set up a school in Guinevis?”
“Yes. For children from difficult circumstances. Not only Guinevis, but also the wealthy people from the nearby seaside areas donated books and other items. Of course, my mother took the lead.”
“As expected, that’s amazing.”
Chloe clenched her hands tightly in excitement. Damien, who was chewing dessert next to her, twisted his lips silently. From the first day Sophie came to study abroad at the royal court, hearing unpleasant names, he felt an urge to send the child back to the duchy immediately.
“As expected, you are someone who always gets lucky no matter what you do.”
“It’s more about effort than luck. That kid really works hard at everything.”
Chloe added quietly, pouring warm black tea directly into Damien's cup.
“Are you jealous?”
Damien leaned back in his chair, holding his teacup, and raised his voice. Chloe paused for a moment. She couldn’t help but notice that Damien, who was smiling on the outside, was putting serious meaning into his words. However, she felt that if she abruptly ended the conversation here, it would be even more awkward. She would definitely tell Gray that she had tied up her feelings and said goodbye. Chloe made a mental promise to herself and smiled even brighter at her husband.
“If it were His Majesty that I know, he wouldn’t know such petty feelings, even as a joke.”
"Yes?"
Demien smirked and raised his eyebrows at her as if to tell her to do more.
“Yes. I wonder if it would be a good idea to award someone who raises Swanton’s profile in other countries.”
“Sorry to break your expectations, Chloe, but I have no intention of giving anything in my name to Gray Wilson.”
Chloe instinctively glanced at Sophie. As expected, Sophie was quick-witted and worried that the atmosphere would become awkward because she brought up Gray. From the first day of studying abroad, she thought that she should end the conversation before Sophie became uncomfortable.
“Yes, if that is Your Majesty’s will, I too...”
“If the Swanton congregation were to learn of the origins of the revered clergyman Gray, it would likely reflect negatively on his reputation. No matter how lax the caste system may be in the Duchy, stereotypes sometimes work differently than reason.”
Damien rarely interrupted her words and added. Only then did Chloe nod. No matter how much her husband disliked Gray, he was still the type of person who could at least distinguish between public and private matters.
“I was short-sighted.”
Chloe, who had been trying to sponsor under the name of the Verdier family, if not the royal family, thought it was fortunate. She had always been a bit off balance when it came to Gray. Damien smiled as if he had read her mind as she vowed to be careful.
“My wife is really charming because she treasures her past relationships. It makes me, in reality, hold on to her even tighter.”
Damien lifted his hand and lightly brushed the cookie crumbs from the corner of her mouth. Chloe blushed without realizing it at the gentle touch.
“Sophie, continue your story. How is your father doing these days? Is Mrs. Stella still doing well?”
Unlike Chloe, who reflected on herself for misunderstanding such an affectionate man, Sophie even felt as if a cold chill was slowly flowing out of Damien's body. After finishing her story, Sophie hurriedly left the greenhouse under the pretense of having to unpack.
“What? You’re so jealous?”
It seemed like she had something to write to her mother, who had been telling her with shining eyes to bring up Gray's story in front of the royal couple.
As the royal carriage pulled by two magnificent horses arrived at the theater, reporters who had been waiting in line took photos one after another. Chloe naturally accepted the welcome as she walked into the theater escorted by Weiss. Weiss, who was not used to big events, spoke in a slightly nervous voice.
“Your Majesty’s popularity seems to be growing with each passing year. Thanks to this, royal support is at an all-time high.”
Chloe smiled faintly next to Count Weiss, who was secretly revealing himself to be one of Damien's close associates, even while feeling nervous that someone might say he wasn't a politician.
“I’m sorry for making you go through all the trouble because of me.”
“It’s a hassle. It’s not worth it, Your Majesty.”
It was a play in which Margaret, who was Chloe's personal maid at Tisse Castle, played the lead role. The news that the royal couple would attend the performance of an actor whose popularity is currently on the rise caused twice as many reporters to gather as usual.
“Your Majesty, is His Majesty not attending? I am afraid I may ask if His Majesty the King is unwell!”
As soon as one brave reporter raised his voice, the surroundings became quiet. The King's health has always been a sensitive topic throughout history.
“Questions like that...”
As Weiss showed his displeasure, Chloe stopped him and smiled brightly.
“Then, shall I become the Queen of the nation who came to watch the play while leaving behind her sick majesty? Please write a good article.”
Chloe's joke briefly dispelled the tension that had been building. Weiss thought there was certainly a reason why the Queen was popular with the citizens. Although she looked like a small and lovely woman, no one in the kingdom did not know that she was a strong-willed Queen. According to Cromwell, who had gone to the duchy to retrieve her (whether it was true or an exaggeration), the Queen was even a sharpshooter.
“I apologize for the inappropriate question! Then, may I ask why His Majesty has never personally escorted Your Majesty, the Queen, to formal occasions? He has never done so before!”
“Well, that’s...”
The Queen, who had been catching her breath for a moment, looked at Weiss and naturally postponed her answer.
“Would you please answer, Count Weiss?”
I'm sorry, Count. Chloe seemed to whisper with her eyes. Weiss cleared his throat and chose his answer. It was difficult for both him and the Queen to understand the King's thoughts when he suddenly changed the schedule just hours before the performance.
“His Majesty...”
Having spent more than half his life as a soldier following orders, Weiss, who had no confidence in improvising, hesitated for a moment to answer. The creepy horror presented by Margaret Seymour, the best actress in the kingdom! He stared at the sign hanging on the roof of the theater and barely opened his mouth.
“Actually, he doesn’t see many plays with this kind of material.”
After Chloe watched the play and said goodbye to Margaret backstage, it was late when she returned to the Rose Castle. She changed her clothes and headed to the master bedroom, but Damien was not there. Chloe rang the bell to call Paul. She wanted to tell him quickly before the outrageous remarks Weiss made today made the cover of the royal newspaper tomorrow. A King who is afraid of bizarre plays. It was funny to think about it.
“I’m sorry for calling you so late. But where is His Majesty?”
When she rang the bell to call Paul, he told her that Damien was in the library of the villa. After sending the butler away, Chloe headed to the villa wearing a nightgown. She lowered her voice to the guards who found her and offered to escort her.
Click.
The villa, connected to the Rose Palace and the Cloud Bridge, was a place that Damien had expanded several years ago, and it contained a library, a piano room, and a game room. It was a place created for the private time of the royal couple and their family. As soon as she entered the high-ceilinged library, moonlight poured in through the large windows. Damien was there.
“Damien.”
Damien, who was sitting on the floor with one knee up and reading a book, raised his head at the sound. Seeing a glass of dark red wine next to him, Chloe hid her feelings of disappointment and approached him.
“What book are you reading alone and enjoying so much?”
Instead of answering, Damien showed her the thick spine of the book. A sigh-like laugh escaped Chloe’s lips as she realized that it was the original work of the play she had seen today. Why was he reading that after breaking his promise at the last minute? She opened her mouth in a sullen voice.
“Thanks to you, I had a great date with Count Weiss, Your Majesty.”
“Don’t provoke me and come here. If Weiss loses his job, I’ll be the one who’ll have a hard time.”
Damien motioned toward her. Chloe moved her cane and sat down beside him, and Damien lifted her skirt with a casual touch.
“It’s swollen.”
“Count Weiss, who could not afford to lose his job, did not dare to touch me.”
Damien smirked and gently stroked her tightly packed thighs. The tension in her legs, which had been strained from wearing braces all day, eased just by his touch. No matter how much Chloe went to a formal event was bound to make her nervous.
“Does that mean you miss the King’s impudent touch?”
Damien's touch became secretive. Chloe refused his touch and instead rested her head on his broad shoulder. Her loosely braided hair, which had been neatly arranged, tickled the tip of Damien's chin.
“Yes. I missed you. I had a hard time concentrating during the whole concert because I was thinking about you.”
“Should we have sneaked in and made love without the reporters knowing?”
Chloe muttered to herself as she listened to the words, confused whether they were jokes or serious.
“I wish that were the case.”
No matter how trustworthy Weiss was, he couldn't compare to Damien. Especially when he was in a place where everyone was paying attention, seeing his smile made her feel so at ease.
“Chloe. Now is not a good time to seduce me.”
"...why?"
Chloe raised her head and looked at him with clear eyes. Damien frowned, and his eyes seemed to darken for a moment. In an instant, her body fell backwards.
“I don’t have the confidence to maintain my dignity.”
Damien, with his back to the moonlight, stared at her with intense eyes. His gaze was more oppressive than the way her wrists were tied together. When Damien was angry, he had a habit of relentlessly stimulating her until she cried out in shameful pleasure. Chloe had a feeling that Damien would whisper a lot of obscene words to her today, something she would never get used to hearing, no matter how often.
“So you’ve been avoiding me all day. So why did you come crawling all the way here?”
Damien whispered softly, covering her body with his shadow. His breath smelled like sweet wine. Chloe whispered soothingly to Damien, who had come up to her nose.
“I didn’t crawl, I walked.”
At his touch, the soft silk gown slipped off her body. As Chloe swallowed dryly, Damien buried his lips on her exposed white shoulder. Chloe’s eyebrows furrowed slightly at the deep kiss, and eventually, a sigh escaped her lips, and Damien raised his head. His eyes were dark with desire.
“Then shall we start crawling now?”
The traces of the kiss quickly settled on her white skin like a flower of heat. Chloe realized belatedly that Damien was more disturbed by the conversation they had had that afternoon than she had thought. It was too late to regret her complacency.
“There’s no need to be jealous, Damien.”
“I don’t know such petty feelings.”
Contrary to his joking remark, Damien’s eyes were filled with a dangerous light. After he had finished preparing, the clothes he had not worn before began to pile up. Damien let out a deep breath like an animal slowly preparing to hunt. Damien had pushed her away from his sight, fearing that he would do this. The fluffy tapestry carpet touched Chloe’s knees. Chloe reached out and grabbed his forearms tightly, and whispered her true feelings while gasping for breath.
“I thought it would be stranger if I deliberately avoided the topic of Gray.”
“Who said anything? I never said anything about that, Chloe.”
Damien whispered in her ear from behind.
“If you refuse to talk, then cool your head and talk later...!”
Chloe stopped talking, gasping for breath. His voice, painfully biting her soft earlobe, faded away.
“My head is very clear.”
Their lips were darkly entangled. No matter what was really going on in his head, Chloe could feel one thing for sure: Damien's body was incredibly angry.
“You started the conversation, so let’s do it now. But it might get a little intense.”
Damien warned, running his hand over Chloe's wet lips. Chloe couldn't help but feel her rapid breathing.
“If you were this upset, you should have said something sooner.”
“Who cares? If someone heard me, they’d think you were desperately missing your ex in front of me.”
Cruel person.
“You know very well that I’ve never had a lover...!”
Chloe's voice rose involuntarily. She didn't want to add to the awkward noise that was reverberating through the quiet, high-ceilinged library, but she couldn't stand the feeling that her husband, who was giving her pleasure as punishment, was so misunderstood.
“Even if you had it, it would have disappeared from my hands.”
Damien whispered like a tyrant, kissing her nape and spine in turn. The hot and affectionate kisses were foul play.
“It’s really not something you should be worrying about this much... Sigh...!”
“Are you happy enough to cry?”
Chloe was eventually driven out without even being able to say anything. Damien brought his side of his face to her sweaty cheek and spat out.
“Let me say a word to the wise Queen.”
The shadow of the window frame reflected on the floor wavered dizzily before Chloe's eyes.
“I decide how I feel.”
“Let go... Damien.”
“You know that can’t be happening, right?”
Damien's breathing was ragged. He held her hand tightly as if trying to grab the floor, which she had no use for.
“I like that you’re honest. It’s so innocent of you to not hide anything from me. But Chloe.”
A bead of sweat ran down Damien's forehead and landed on Chloe's shoulder. He hugged her tightly and sighed.
“I’m not as perfect as you think.”
Chloe didn't hide Gray's story because she wanted to be confident in front of him. She also wanted to show that she was now living diligently as a wife to a man. If Gray had heard that she had casually brought up his story in front of her husband, he would have guessed how comfortable she was.
"Sorry."
“Why aren’t you apologizing?”
Damien asked with blurry eyes. Chloe hugged him and opened her mouth as if making an excuse, her whole body blushing.
“To be honest, I never thought you’d care about him until now.”
“You overestimated me.”
If there was one thing Chloe deeply misunderstood about Damien, it was that his cold reason was paralyzed when it came to her.
“The reason I don’t kill Gray is because I don’t want you to waste your time hating me even though you love me, my love.”
“I was reckless. So, stop it now...”
“Are you really telling me to stop? Haha. Be honest with me, Chloe.”
Damien smiled faintly. Chloe shed tears, but it was no use. The man who knew Chloe's body better than she knew herself kissed her cheek and explained in detail why he couldn't stop.
“It would be better if you just beg.”
Chloe, who had turned to face him and hugged him, clenched her fist and hit his shoulder, but it didn't look much different from throwing pebbles at a castle wall.
“Don’t cry, Chloe. I don’t want to bother you.”
“It’s because of you...”
“Easy, I’ll make you feel better.”
He gently caressed Chloe's knee with his large hand. It felt like a boat that had been tossed around by rough waves for a long time and finally found shallow water. It wouldn't be strange if the world turned upside down with the aftertaste still filling her body. Chloe kissed him lightly with her eyes, nose, and mouth all red. Damien especially liked it when she kissed him with a face that looked like she was going to cry.
“Is my jealousy messier than you can imagine?”
Chloe pursed her lips and nodded vigorously in affirmation. Only then did she feel relieved when she saw the statuesque Damien quivering his lips and finally, strangely distorting his face. The anger in his eyes had already disappeared as he held back laughter.
“I still love you. You know that, right?”
“I know. Of course.”
A confident man, without even a single thread on his body, pressed his lips together and whispered haughtily.
“But why are you being so mean?”
“The mischief hasn’t even really started yet.”
Damien laughed, whispering in her ear. He may be a selfish man, but it’s not that he doesn’t love her. Chloe wanted to tease him more, but she couldn’t help but follow his lead and fall into passion.
That night. After confessing her love several times, both voluntarily and forced, and falling asleep without knowing when, and waking up buried in a pile of books, Chloe realized one thing for sure.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty. Your Majesty, the Queen... Oh my...! Excuse me!!”
If you make the King jealous, you will be put in an ugly situation by the cleaning servants.
After giving birth to her first child and almost dying from postpartum illness, Priscilla, unfortunately or fortunately, never got pregnant again. She always kept people around her son, whom she risked her life to give birth to. She was worried that he might feel lonely growing up without siblings.
The first time Damien realized the feeling of jealousy was when a child studying mathematics with a tutor answered a question faster than him. No matter how hard he tried, Damien could not beat the youngest of the Winstons. There were many kinds of geniuses in the world, and Ralph Winston, a genius in surveying and mathematics, was the first wall Damien faced. At first, he thought he could beat him if he invested time and effort. It took him half a year to admit that it was impossible to overcome that wall. And then Damien declared to Priscilla that he would not study with Ralph anymore.
He recommended Ralph as an assistant to the person in charge of the expansion of the Tisse Castle to his mother, who opened her eyes wide and asked what was going on.
“Damien, he’s only fourteen.”
“Mother, I am sure that Ralph is more intelligent than Charlie, the man in charge of the castle.”
Thanks to Priscilla, who believed in her son, Ralph Winston, the genius born of Tisse, successfully completed many of Tisse's buildings. One day, after some time had passed, Priscilla carefully confided in her son while walking with Damien through the gallery Ralph had designed.
“I’m worried that I may have aroused too strong feelings of jealousy in you when you were younger.”
Damien said.
“I did feel jealous. And soon I realized that it was a waste of time to dwell on such low-quality feelings. I would enjoy seeing someone better than me working for me more.”
Young Damien considered jealousy a lowly emotion. And now, a dozen years later, Damien has had to admit that he is caught up in a very lowly emotion.
“I wonder if Your Majesty is feeling unwell. I am worried that I may have talked too much when you are tired.”
Thirteen. Sophie, who had grown a lot in just a few years and was now completely oblivious, expressed slight concern to Chloe. Chloe, who was sipping black tea in the sunlit greenhouse, turned her head to look at Damien.
“Is that really true?”
“Not at all. Don’t worry about it, ladies. Just talk comfortably.”
Chloe smiled slightly at Damien, who was nibbling on a cookie. Damien, sitting on a sofa with the same pattern in a greenhouse full of pale pink and white roses, surprisingly didn't feel out of place. Chloe opened her mouth with a smile as she watched him, who seemed incredulous that he had barged into the girls' tea time without warning.
“Your Majesty, you have come to have tea with me. Continue your story, Sophie. Gray has set up a school in Guinevis?”
“Yes. For children from difficult circumstances. Not only Guinevis, but also the wealthy people from the nearby seaside areas donated books and other items. Of course, my mother took the lead.”
“As expected, that’s amazing.”
Chloe clenched her hands tightly in excitement. Damien, who was chewing dessert next to her, twisted his lips silently. From the first day Sophie came to study abroad at the royal court, hearing unpleasant names, he felt an urge to send the child back to the duchy immediately.
“As expected, you are someone who always gets lucky no matter what you do.”
“It’s more about effort than luck. That kid really works hard at everything.”
Chloe added quietly, pouring warm black tea directly into Damien's cup.
“Are you jealous?”
Damien leaned back in his chair, holding his teacup, and raised his voice. Chloe paused for a moment. She couldn’t help but notice that Damien, who was smiling on the outside, was putting serious meaning into his words. However, she felt that if she abruptly ended the conversation here, it would be even more awkward. She would definitely tell Gray that she had tied up her feelings and said goodbye. Chloe made a mental promise to herself and smiled even brighter at her husband.
“If it were His Majesty that I know, he wouldn’t know such petty feelings, even as a joke.”
"Yes?"
Demien smirked and raised his eyebrows at her as if to tell her to do more.
“Yes. I wonder if it would be a good idea to award someone who raises Swanton’s profile in other countries.”
“Sorry to break your expectations, Chloe, but I have no intention of giving anything in my name to Gray Wilson.”
Chloe instinctively glanced at Sophie. As expected, Sophie was quick-witted and worried that the atmosphere would become awkward because she brought up Gray. From the first day of studying abroad, she thought that she should end the conversation before Sophie became uncomfortable.
“Yes, if that is Your Majesty’s will, I too...”
“If the Swanton congregation were to learn of the origins of the revered clergyman Gray, it would likely reflect negatively on his reputation. No matter how lax the caste system may be in the Duchy, stereotypes sometimes work differently than reason.”
Damien rarely interrupted her words and added. Only then did Chloe nod. No matter how much her husband disliked Gray, he was still the type of person who could at least distinguish between public and private matters.
“I was short-sighted.”
Chloe, who had been trying to sponsor under the name of the Verdier family, if not the royal family, thought it was fortunate. She had always been a bit off balance when it came to Gray. Damien smiled as if he had read her mind as she vowed to be careful.
“My wife is really charming because she treasures her past relationships. It makes me, in reality, hold on to her even tighter.”
Damien lifted his hand and lightly brushed the cookie crumbs from the corner of her mouth. Chloe blushed without realizing it at the gentle touch.
“Sophie, continue your story. How is your father doing these days? Is Mrs. Stella still doing well?”
Unlike Chloe, who reflected on herself for misunderstanding such an affectionate man, Sophie even felt as if a cold chill was slowly flowing out of Damien's body. After finishing her story, Sophie hurriedly left the greenhouse under the pretense of having to unpack.
“What? You’re so jealous?”
It seemed like she had something to write to her mother, who had been telling her with shining eyes to bring up Gray's story in front of the royal couple.
***
As the royal carriage pulled by two magnificent horses arrived at the theater, reporters who had been waiting in line took photos one after another. Chloe naturally accepted the welcome as she walked into the theater escorted by Weiss. Weiss, who was not used to big events, spoke in a slightly nervous voice.
“Your Majesty’s popularity seems to be growing with each passing year. Thanks to this, royal support is at an all-time high.”
Chloe smiled faintly next to Count Weiss, who was secretly revealing himself to be one of Damien's close associates, even while feeling nervous that someone might say he wasn't a politician.
“I’m sorry for making you go through all the trouble because of me.”
“It’s a hassle. It’s not worth it, Your Majesty.”
It was a play in which Margaret, who was Chloe's personal maid at Tisse Castle, played the lead role. The news that the royal couple would attend the performance of an actor whose popularity is currently on the rise caused twice as many reporters to gather as usual.
“Your Majesty, is His Majesty not attending? I am afraid I may ask if His Majesty the King is unwell!”
As soon as one brave reporter raised his voice, the surroundings became quiet. The King's health has always been a sensitive topic throughout history.
“Questions like that...”
As Weiss showed his displeasure, Chloe stopped him and smiled brightly.
“Then, shall I become the Queen of the nation who came to watch the play while leaving behind her sick majesty? Please write a good article.”
Chloe's joke briefly dispelled the tension that had been building. Weiss thought there was certainly a reason why the Queen was popular with the citizens. Although she looked like a small and lovely woman, no one in the kingdom did not know that she was a strong-willed Queen. According to Cromwell, who had gone to the duchy to retrieve her (whether it was true or an exaggeration), the Queen was even a sharpshooter.
“I apologize for the inappropriate question! Then, may I ask why His Majesty has never personally escorted Your Majesty, the Queen, to formal occasions? He has never done so before!”
“Well, that’s...”
The Queen, who had been catching her breath for a moment, looked at Weiss and naturally postponed her answer.
“Would you please answer, Count Weiss?”
I'm sorry, Count. Chloe seemed to whisper with her eyes. Weiss cleared his throat and chose his answer. It was difficult for both him and the Queen to understand the King's thoughts when he suddenly changed the schedule just hours before the performance.
“His Majesty...”
Having spent more than half his life as a soldier following orders, Weiss, who had no confidence in improvising, hesitated for a moment to answer. The creepy horror presented by Margaret Seymour, the best actress in the kingdom! He stared at the sign hanging on the roof of the theater and barely opened his mouth.
“Actually, he doesn’t see many plays with this kind of material.”
***
After Chloe watched the play and said goodbye to Margaret backstage, it was late when she returned to the Rose Castle. She changed her clothes and headed to the master bedroom, but Damien was not there. Chloe rang the bell to call Paul. She wanted to tell him quickly before the outrageous remarks Weiss made today made the cover of the royal newspaper tomorrow. A King who is afraid of bizarre plays. It was funny to think about it.
“I’m sorry for calling you so late. But where is His Majesty?”
When she rang the bell to call Paul, he told her that Damien was in the library of the villa. After sending the butler away, Chloe headed to the villa wearing a nightgown. She lowered her voice to the guards who found her and offered to escort her.
Click.
The villa, connected to the Rose Palace and the Cloud Bridge, was a place that Damien had expanded several years ago, and it contained a library, a piano room, and a game room. It was a place created for the private time of the royal couple and their family. As soon as she entered the high-ceilinged library, moonlight poured in through the large windows. Damien was there.
“Damien.”
Damien, who was sitting on the floor with one knee up and reading a book, raised his head at the sound. Seeing a glass of dark red wine next to him, Chloe hid her feelings of disappointment and approached him.
“What book are you reading alone and enjoying so much?”
Instead of answering, Damien showed her the thick spine of the book. A sigh-like laugh escaped Chloe’s lips as she realized that it was the original work of the play she had seen today. Why was he reading that after breaking his promise at the last minute? She opened her mouth in a sullen voice.
“Thanks to you, I had a great date with Count Weiss, Your Majesty.”
“Don’t provoke me and come here. If Weiss loses his job, I’ll be the one who’ll have a hard time.”
Damien motioned toward her. Chloe moved her cane and sat down beside him, and Damien lifted her skirt with a casual touch.
“It’s swollen.”
“Count Weiss, who could not afford to lose his job, did not dare to touch me.”
Damien smirked and gently stroked her tightly packed thighs. The tension in her legs, which had been strained from wearing braces all day, eased just by his touch. No matter how much Chloe went to a formal event was bound to make her nervous.
“Does that mean you miss the King’s impudent touch?”
Damien's touch became secretive. Chloe refused his touch and instead rested her head on his broad shoulder. Her loosely braided hair, which had been neatly arranged, tickled the tip of Damien's chin.
“Yes. I missed you. I had a hard time concentrating during the whole concert because I was thinking about you.”
“Should we have sneaked in and made love without the reporters knowing?”
Chloe muttered to herself as she listened to the words, confused whether they were jokes or serious.
“I wish that were the case.”
No matter how trustworthy Weiss was, he couldn't compare to Damien. Especially when he was in a place where everyone was paying attention, seeing his smile made her feel so at ease.
“Chloe. Now is not a good time to seduce me.”
"...why?"
Chloe raised her head and looked at him with clear eyes. Damien frowned, and his eyes seemed to darken for a moment. In an instant, her body fell backwards.
“I don’t have the confidence to maintain my dignity.”
Damien, with his back to the moonlight, stared at her with intense eyes. His gaze was more oppressive than the way her wrists were tied together. When Damien was angry, he had a habit of relentlessly stimulating her until she cried out in shameful pleasure. Chloe had a feeling that Damien would whisper a lot of obscene words to her today, something she would never get used to hearing, no matter how often.
“So you’ve been avoiding me all day. So why did you come crawling all the way here?”
Damien whispered softly, covering her body with his shadow. His breath smelled like sweet wine. Chloe whispered soothingly to Damien, who had come up to her nose.
“I didn’t crawl, I walked.”
At his touch, the soft silk gown slipped off her body. As Chloe swallowed dryly, Damien buried his lips on her exposed white shoulder. Chloe’s eyebrows furrowed slightly at the deep kiss, and eventually, a sigh escaped her lips, and Damien raised his head. His eyes were dark with desire.
“Then shall we start crawling now?”
The traces of the kiss quickly settled on her white skin like a flower of heat. Chloe realized belatedly that Damien was more disturbed by the conversation they had had that afternoon than she had thought. It was too late to regret her complacency.
“There’s no need to be jealous, Damien.”
“I don’t know such petty feelings.”
Contrary to his joking remark, Damien’s eyes were filled with a dangerous light. After he had finished preparing, the clothes he had not worn before began to pile up. Damien let out a deep breath like an animal slowly preparing to hunt. Damien had pushed her away from his sight, fearing that he would do this. The fluffy tapestry carpet touched Chloe’s knees. Chloe reached out and grabbed his forearms tightly, and whispered her true feelings while gasping for breath.
“I thought it would be stranger if I deliberately avoided the topic of Gray.”
“Who said anything? I never said anything about that, Chloe.”
Damien whispered in her ear from behind.
“If you refuse to talk, then cool your head and talk later...!”
Chloe stopped talking, gasping for breath. His voice, painfully biting her soft earlobe, faded away.
“My head is very clear.”
Their lips were darkly entangled. No matter what was really going on in his head, Chloe could feel one thing for sure: Damien's body was incredibly angry.
“You started the conversation, so let’s do it now. But it might get a little intense.”
Damien warned, running his hand over Chloe's wet lips. Chloe couldn't help but feel her rapid breathing.
“If you were this upset, you should have said something sooner.”
“Who cares? If someone heard me, they’d think you were desperately missing your ex in front of me.”
Cruel person.
“You know very well that I’ve never had a lover...!”
Chloe's voice rose involuntarily. She didn't want to add to the awkward noise that was reverberating through the quiet, high-ceilinged library, but she couldn't stand the feeling that her husband, who was giving her pleasure as punishment, was so misunderstood.
“Even if you had it, it would have disappeared from my hands.”
Damien whispered like a tyrant, kissing her nape and spine in turn. The hot and affectionate kisses were foul play.
“It’s really not something you should be worrying about this much... Sigh...!”
“Are you happy enough to cry?”
Chloe was eventually driven out without even being able to say anything. Damien brought his side of his face to her sweaty cheek and spat out.
“Let me say a word to the wise Queen.”
The shadow of the window frame reflected on the floor wavered dizzily before Chloe's eyes.
“I decide how I feel.”
“Let go... Damien.”
“You know that can’t be happening, right?”
Damien's breathing was ragged. He held her hand tightly as if trying to grab the floor, which she had no use for.
“I like that you’re honest. It’s so innocent of you to not hide anything from me. But Chloe.”
A bead of sweat ran down Damien's forehead and landed on Chloe's shoulder. He hugged her tightly and sighed.
“I’m not as perfect as you think.”
Chloe didn't hide Gray's story because she wanted to be confident in front of him. She also wanted to show that she was now living diligently as a wife to a man. If Gray had heard that she had casually brought up his story in front of her husband, he would have guessed how comfortable she was.
"Sorry."
“Why aren’t you apologizing?”
Damien asked with blurry eyes. Chloe hugged him and opened her mouth as if making an excuse, her whole body blushing.
“To be honest, I never thought you’d care about him until now.”
“You overestimated me.”
If there was one thing Chloe deeply misunderstood about Damien, it was that his cold reason was paralyzed when it came to her.
“The reason I don’t kill Gray is because I don’t want you to waste your time hating me even though you love me, my love.”
“I was reckless. So, stop it now...”
“Are you really telling me to stop? Haha. Be honest with me, Chloe.”
Damien smiled faintly. Chloe shed tears, but it was no use. The man who knew Chloe's body better than she knew herself kissed her cheek and explained in detail why he couldn't stop.
“It would be better if you just beg.”
Chloe, who had turned to face him and hugged him, clenched her fist and hit his shoulder, but it didn't look much different from throwing pebbles at a castle wall.
“Don’t cry, Chloe. I don’t want to bother you.”
“It’s because of you...”
“Easy, I’ll make you feel better.”
He gently caressed Chloe's knee with his large hand. It felt like a boat that had been tossed around by rough waves for a long time and finally found shallow water. It wouldn't be strange if the world turned upside down with the aftertaste still filling her body. Chloe kissed him lightly with her eyes, nose, and mouth all red. Damien especially liked it when she kissed him with a face that looked like she was going to cry.
“Is my jealousy messier than you can imagine?”
Chloe pursed her lips and nodded vigorously in affirmation. Only then did she feel relieved when she saw the statuesque Damien quivering his lips and finally, strangely distorting his face. The anger in his eyes had already disappeared as he held back laughter.
“I still love you. You know that, right?”
“I know. Of course.”
A confident man, without even a single thread on his body, pressed his lips together and whispered haughtily.
“But why are you being so mean?”
“The mischief hasn’t even really started yet.”
Damien laughed, whispering in her ear. He may be a selfish man, but it’s not that he doesn’t love her. Chloe wanted to tease him more, but she couldn’t help but follow his lead and fall into passion.
That night. After confessing her love several times, both voluntarily and forced, and falling asleep without knowing when, and waking up buried in a pile of books, Chloe realized one thing for sure.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty. Your Majesty, the Queen... Oh my...! Excuse me!!”
If you make the King jealous, you will be put in an ugly situation by the cleaning servants.
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