Amelia reached out with a trembling hand and touched Ivan's face. She pulled him closer. She searched his eyes, as if checking to see if he was crying, and her gaze was piercing, her eyes longing. They were filled with worry and concern for him.
“...”
A woman who hated him, yet couldn't bear to abandon her love for him. Amelia was a foolish woman who wanted to die because she hated herself for it. So, even though she didn't realize it, she knew that her desire to die wasn't entirely sincere.
Every time Amelia hesitated, their lips, now so close, would touch tantalizingly again and again. Ivan couldn't resist the urge to touch her, and swallowed deeply, lips soaked with saliva he couldn't identify.
"I love you."
And only at the moment when their lips finally parted did he whisper his heart. It was only at this point that he could confess, and it was something he couldn't hold back. Even if Amelia didn't ask, he had to whisper his feelings over and over again.
The truth is, he's only just come to terms with this feeling, and he couldn't help but say things like, "I'd rather die than see you leave." But he swallowed back the words that would have made Amelia feel guilty. He couldn't commit any more sins against the woman before him.
As if reading his mind, Amelia kissed him again. Ecstasy awoke his body. But it was also painful, knowing he would soon lose the warmth he held within.
“Just give me a few days.”
Even so...
He wanted to be with her, even if only for a few brief moments, for the few days allowed. Ivan climbed onto Amelia without hesitation. Then, Amelia's hand dug into Ivan's neck. The shirt, already unbuttoned at the front, exposed his chest, which no longer functioned properly.
“Yeah...”
Amelia moaned softly. But the sound was completely swallowed by Ivan's lips, which were clenched and clenched as if harboring resentment.
Meanwhile, Ivan's hands steadily pulled down the neckline of Amelia's dress. His lips, barely separated, lingered on her ear. It was a ticklish movement, but it certainly helped to warm Amelia's body. Amelia, sensitive to stimulation near her ears, gasped at the tickling noise.
“Ear, stop...”
Amelia groaned and writhed slightly. It wasn't that she truly disliked it, but Ivan, instead of irritating her ears, lowered his lips to her jaw. The stimulation moved from the center of her jaw, down her neck, and along her collarbone.
“...”
And only after giving her a gentle kiss on the arm that still bore the dog bite marks did he lift his upper body. It was almost a habit every time she spent the night.
Before, he didn't know why he moved that way. Ivan hadn't paid close attention to Amelia's story about her wounds, but strangely enough, he remembered everything. She didn't know if it was born of love, but simply attributed it to his good memory.
You can't be that foolish.
Ivan laughed at his own foolishness and his past, where he had only ever thought of himself as superior. He then quietly looked down at the woman before him, at the most prominent part of her body: her slender figure. It was a feature that had been particularly prominent even before she gave birth.
Normally, he would have kissed her there next, but he didn't want to do that now. Ivan quietly took Amelia's foot, visible beneath her skirt, in his hand. Perhaps it was because his hands were large, but the woman's foot in his hand was small, her ankles bony. Ivan kissed Amelia's instep as if he were kissing the foot of a goddess he admired.
Amelia's body flinched and jumped at Ivan's unfamiliar touch, something he had never done before. She seemed even more embarrassed at the thought of such a reverent act, even though she was half-naked.
“Ankle, what’s wrong?”
Then, there was a noticeable trace. It was something Amelia had never mentioned, and something he hadn't noticed before. Amelia's chest heaved as she gasped for breath, and her gaze shifted to Ivan's ankle.
“I got bitten by the hunting dog Aaron released.”
"...When?"
Ivan's face hardened. The only wound he knew of was the one on her shoulder, so awkwardly located that it was almost hidden by her dress.
"After I sent Ian to you, he felt resentful of sending a life out that should have been destroyed."
Did you injure yourself with a short bird? Where on this little woman's body could you find a wound?
“You fucking bastard...”
Ivan summoned Amelia only a few days after bringing Ian home. Ivan's jaw tightened. If you were to ask which was worse, he couldn't say, but at least he hadn't hurt Amelia. He knew how lowly that was, since Amelia could never defeat him with brute force.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He was angry. Of course, at Aaron, and at Amelia, who never once mentioned this scar. But most of all, in himself, who hadn't noticed it even after so many times they'd slept together.
“It’s okay now.”
But that was all Amelia said. She told him that she didn't feel any pain because of this wound, so he hugged her as hard as she wanted. That was all she wanted right now.
“...”
But that tore at his heart even deeper. He could clearly see himself not paying attention even if he'd said it before. He could read Amelia's mind, knowing that she'd kept quiet.
“From now on, don’t hide your pain.”
“...”
“Wherever you are, say it hurts.”
Ivan kissed Amelia's instep again, then the scarred ankle bone. As if ticklish, Amelia twisted the bedsheets slightly.
“People will know your heart.”
Amelia nodded silently. Only after that answer did Ivan lift Amelia's ankles and begin moving deeper and deeper. Her ankles, her calves, her kneecaps, her smooth thighs, and even deeper.
“Ah. Wait, wait.”
Amelia clutched his head in confusion, but Ivan didn't stop there. He knew it was because she anticipated the pleasure that was coming, not because she was afraid.
“Ugh...”
While Ivan's gaze was fixed on a single point, Amelia covered her face with both hands and swallowed her voice. Meanwhile, Ivan's outstretched left arm clutched the soft flesh with a proud, almost involuntary, grip.
Ivan finally straightened his back as the sound escaped her, unable to be hidden. One thigh was clenched with unquenchable desire, but looking at the woman, scattered like a white flower on the bed, he felt like he could just watch forever.
“Kiss me, Ivan.”
But if that wasn't what Amelia wanted, he had a duty to live up to her expectations. Ivan bit Amelia's lips without hesitation, then delved into that supple area, tearing it apart without a second thought.
Amelia took a deep breath and pulled Ivan's shoulders into an embrace. Ivan pressed his body against Amelia's, their hearts almost crushing against each other.
Sharing a similar heartbeat beneath smooth, soft skin, he wished time could stop. For in that moment, longing and yearning took precedence over sexuality.
The surroundings were quiet. No one was causing a disturbance in the Emperor's bedroom, so it was only natural that the surroundings would be quiet, but the silence he felt was quite different. The stillness he had become accustomed to for several days was gone.
Feeling an emptiness akin to anxiety, Ivan quietly opened his eyes. The sun had risen, but the darkness of dawn hadn't completely dissipated.
“...”
As expected, his arms were empty. The shiny back of her head, which had grown familiar in just a few days, as if he'd lived with it his entire life, was nowhere to be seen on the bed. He was alone on the spacious bed.
"I've had Rodan get the Lure Chandler ready to sail again. I've loaded it with all the provisions we have, so there shouldn't be any shortages."
“...”
“It’ll take about two months to reach that land, so it’ll be a bit difficult.”
She left.
He's told Rodan to leave in advance if she came, so she figured he'd be gone by the time he woke up in the morning. Still, seeing nothing before his eyes left him with a sense of emptiness he couldn't bear.
What should I do now?
No thoughts came to mind. He had no idea what to do. Amelia had only been with him for a little over two years, yet it felt as if something that had dominated his entire life had been ripped out. Now Ivan felt as if he would sway like a reed in the slightest breeze.
At that time, she must have felt this way, too.
A thought suddenly occurred to him. Perhaps Amelia's feelings were similar to those of Ivan, who, assuming he would die, had put a sack over his head and sent him away.
It was such a painful feeling to send a loved one away to a place where they can't be seen, a place where they may never be seen again.
The dawn light completely enveloped Ivan, oblivious to his complex thoughts. Ivan stared sadly at the blue of the sky, fully revealed beyond the window, and then closed his eyes. His eyes were wet. The excessively scattered light was stinging them.
“...”
A woman who hated him, yet couldn't bear to abandon her love for him. Amelia was a foolish woman who wanted to die because she hated herself for it. So, even though she didn't realize it, she knew that her desire to die wasn't entirely sincere.
Every time Amelia hesitated, their lips, now so close, would touch tantalizingly again and again. Ivan couldn't resist the urge to touch her, and swallowed deeply, lips soaked with saliva he couldn't identify.
"I love you."
And only at the moment when their lips finally parted did he whisper his heart. It was only at this point that he could confess, and it was something he couldn't hold back. Even if Amelia didn't ask, he had to whisper his feelings over and over again.
The truth is, he's only just come to terms with this feeling, and he couldn't help but say things like, "I'd rather die than see you leave." But he swallowed back the words that would have made Amelia feel guilty. He couldn't commit any more sins against the woman before him.
As if reading his mind, Amelia kissed him again. Ecstasy awoke his body. But it was also painful, knowing he would soon lose the warmth he held within.
“Just give me a few days.”
Even so...
He wanted to be with her, even if only for a few brief moments, for the few days allowed. Ivan climbed onto Amelia without hesitation. Then, Amelia's hand dug into Ivan's neck. The shirt, already unbuttoned at the front, exposed his chest, which no longer functioned properly.
“Yeah...”
Amelia moaned softly. But the sound was completely swallowed by Ivan's lips, which were clenched and clenched as if harboring resentment.
Meanwhile, Ivan's hands steadily pulled down the neckline of Amelia's dress. His lips, barely separated, lingered on her ear. It was a ticklish movement, but it certainly helped to warm Amelia's body. Amelia, sensitive to stimulation near her ears, gasped at the tickling noise.
“Ear, stop...”
Amelia groaned and writhed slightly. It wasn't that she truly disliked it, but Ivan, instead of irritating her ears, lowered his lips to her jaw. The stimulation moved from the center of her jaw, down her neck, and along her collarbone.
“...”
And only after giving her a gentle kiss on the arm that still bore the dog bite marks did he lift his upper body. It was almost a habit every time she spent the night.
Before, he didn't know why he moved that way. Ivan hadn't paid close attention to Amelia's story about her wounds, but strangely enough, he remembered everything. She didn't know if it was born of love, but simply attributed it to his good memory.
You can't be that foolish.
Ivan laughed at his own foolishness and his past, where he had only ever thought of himself as superior. He then quietly looked down at the woman before him, at the most prominent part of her body: her slender figure. It was a feature that had been particularly prominent even before she gave birth.
Normally, he would have kissed her there next, but he didn't want to do that now. Ivan quietly took Amelia's foot, visible beneath her skirt, in his hand. Perhaps it was because his hands were large, but the woman's foot in his hand was small, her ankles bony. Ivan kissed Amelia's instep as if he were kissing the foot of a goddess he admired.
Amelia's body flinched and jumped at Ivan's unfamiliar touch, something he had never done before. She seemed even more embarrassed at the thought of such a reverent act, even though she was half-naked.
“Ankle, what’s wrong?”
Then, there was a noticeable trace. It was something Amelia had never mentioned, and something he hadn't noticed before. Amelia's chest heaved as she gasped for breath, and her gaze shifted to Ivan's ankle.
“I got bitten by the hunting dog Aaron released.”
"...When?"
Ivan's face hardened. The only wound he knew of was the one on her shoulder, so awkwardly located that it was almost hidden by her dress.
"After I sent Ian to you, he felt resentful of sending a life out that should have been destroyed."
Did you injure yourself with a short bird? Where on this little woman's body could you find a wound?
“You fucking bastard...”
Ivan summoned Amelia only a few days after bringing Ian home. Ivan's jaw tightened. If you were to ask which was worse, he couldn't say, but at least he hadn't hurt Amelia. He knew how lowly that was, since Amelia could never defeat him with brute force.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He was angry. Of course, at Aaron, and at Amelia, who never once mentioned this scar. But most of all, in himself, who hadn't noticed it even after so many times they'd slept together.
“It’s okay now.”
But that was all Amelia said. She told him that she didn't feel any pain because of this wound, so he hugged her as hard as she wanted. That was all she wanted right now.
“...”
But that tore at his heart even deeper. He could clearly see himself not paying attention even if he'd said it before. He could read Amelia's mind, knowing that she'd kept quiet.
“From now on, don’t hide your pain.”
“...”
“Wherever you are, say it hurts.”
Ivan kissed Amelia's instep again, then the scarred ankle bone. As if ticklish, Amelia twisted the bedsheets slightly.
“People will know your heart.”
Amelia nodded silently. Only after that answer did Ivan lift Amelia's ankles and begin moving deeper and deeper. Her ankles, her calves, her kneecaps, her smooth thighs, and even deeper.
“Ah. Wait, wait.”
Amelia clutched his head in confusion, but Ivan didn't stop there. He knew it was because she anticipated the pleasure that was coming, not because she was afraid.
“Ugh...”
While Ivan's gaze was fixed on a single point, Amelia covered her face with both hands and swallowed her voice. Meanwhile, Ivan's outstretched left arm clutched the soft flesh with a proud, almost involuntary, grip.
Ivan finally straightened his back as the sound escaped her, unable to be hidden. One thigh was clenched with unquenchable desire, but looking at the woman, scattered like a white flower on the bed, he felt like he could just watch forever.
“Kiss me, Ivan.”
But if that wasn't what Amelia wanted, he had a duty to live up to her expectations. Ivan bit Amelia's lips without hesitation, then delved into that supple area, tearing it apart without a second thought.
Amelia took a deep breath and pulled Ivan's shoulders into an embrace. Ivan pressed his body against Amelia's, their hearts almost crushing against each other.
Sharing a similar heartbeat beneath smooth, soft skin, he wished time could stop. For in that moment, longing and yearning took precedence over sexuality.
***
The surroundings were quiet. No one was causing a disturbance in the Emperor's bedroom, so it was only natural that the surroundings would be quiet, but the silence he felt was quite different. The stillness he had become accustomed to for several days was gone.
Feeling an emptiness akin to anxiety, Ivan quietly opened his eyes. The sun had risen, but the darkness of dawn hadn't completely dissipated.
“...”
As expected, his arms were empty. The shiny back of her head, which had grown familiar in just a few days, as if he'd lived with it his entire life, was nowhere to be seen on the bed. He was alone on the spacious bed.
"I've had Rodan get the Lure Chandler ready to sail again. I've loaded it with all the provisions we have, so there shouldn't be any shortages."
“...”
“It’ll take about two months to reach that land, so it’ll be a bit difficult.”
She left.
He's told Rodan to leave in advance if she came, so she figured he'd be gone by the time he woke up in the morning. Still, seeing nothing before his eyes left him with a sense of emptiness he couldn't bear.
What should I do now?
No thoughts came to mind. He had no idea what to do. Amelia had only been with him for a little over two years, yet it felt as if something that had dominated his entire life had been ripped out. Now Ivan felt as if he would sway like a reed in the slightest breeze.
At that time, she must have felt this way, too.
A thought suddenly occurred to him. Perhaps Amelia's feelings were similar to those of Ivan, who, assuming he would die, had put a sack over his head and sent him away.
It was such a painful feeling to send a loved one away to a place where they can't be seen, a place where they may never be seen again.
The dawn light completely enveloped Ivan, oblivious to his complex thoughts. Ivan stared sadly at the blue of the sky, fully revealed beyond the window, and then closed his eyes. His eyes were wet. The excessively scattered light was stinging them.
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