CHAPTER 106
The countless stars that had glittered above the glass dome ceiling vanished.
The broad, rectangular shoulders rose, casting a shadow over Arabelle’s face and blocking her view in an instant.
The Emperor’s red eyes filled her hazel eyes completely, as if he wouldn’t tolerate her gaze wandering even for a moment.
His cool, mesmerizing face, which always made her heart flutter, slowly descended.
His slightly disheveled black hair covered his forehead, and the play of shadows under the light on his deep-set eyes and high nose gave him an air of freedom and danger.
Each time his searing touch passed over her now heightened skin, Arabelle’s hands fluttered helplessly, lost. His large, calloused hand gently pressed her hand onto the bed, entwining their fingers.
But it was his left hand that moved freely without hesitation.
His thick fingers grasped her slender waist, tickling and slowly caressing downward as if playing a harp. An unknown heat swelled in places his hand hadn’t even touched.
Feeling her reflection in his red eyes so unfamiliar, Arabelle lowered her lashes.
“Haa…”
Her slightly swollen lips drew a breath, her round eyes widening in surprise.
Unable to fully exhale her startled breath, she pushed against the Emperor’s shoulder with her trembling hand. Her other hand, held by his right hand, could only wriggle futilely.
His lips fell softly on her trembling shoulder, soothingly, but his left hand mercilessly began to break her down.
“….”
Silent breaths spilled from her tightly bitten lips.
Her legs quivered like a fish caught on land, writhing on the sheets. Her hazel eyes clouded with confusion and wavered.
Why is His Majesty doing this to me…?
She couldn’t understand why he was doing something that could only be described as ‘this’. Tears of frustration welled at the corners of her eyes as the Emperor’s unrelenting hand disregarded her struggles.
Fear engulfed her, reminiscent of the first day she rode in the carriage with him.
Arabelle, who had spent significant intimate time with the Emperor, was still shy and bewildered, which would be a lie to deny.
But she believed she had adapted enough to enjoy their private moments with excitement…
Especially since she had undergone Empress training after the Empress selection competition, including lessons on marital relations.
The Emperor and Empress’s relationship wasn’t just a private matter; it was an important duty to produce heirs for the empire. The lessons explained the act of marriage in very biological and straightforward terms.
And they repeatedly emphasized the obligations in the bedroom. Under no circumstances was the Empress to refuse the Emperor, and the Emperor had to sleep with the Empress twice a week until she conceived.
Each time the Emperor’s shoulder muscles moved slowly, Arabelle’s reddened lips released hot breaths.
As her trembling, slender back curved forward, the Emperor’s arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder, pulling their bodies closer.
Was what was happening to her now what the lesson had emphasized—never to refuse the Emperor?
Arabelle shook her head slightly, trying to hold onto her fading consciousness.
But the lessons had mentioned violent and abnormal acts the Emperor might show on the first night, examples that had scared her to sleepless nights.
Yet she didn’t worry. She believed the Emperor would never demand such terrible acts from her.
Arabelle clung to the Emperor’s neck with her arms, unable to endure the intense sensations. It felt like flames were consuming her bones and veins from within.
Though she wanted to escape, her body clung to him, craving something more, which left her astonished. The surrounding light, colors, shapes, smells, and textures all mixed, throwing her senses into disarray.
She wished to faint, hearing her own shameless breaths so vividly in her ears. Shaking her head again in fear, the Emperor’s hot lips scattered kisses across her face.
He whispered softly into her ear, words only she could hear.
As the Emperor finished speaking, Arabelle struggled to lift her eyelids and met his red eyes.
She remembered. The words he had whispered when he first taught her the language of lovers.
‘On our first night, I want to share a love that brings joy to both of us. Unlike men, a woman’s body needs time. I don’t want to be a terrible man who satisfies himself while his wife is unprepared.’
Seeing the red eyes, holding a flame but not letting it burst, Arabelle’s eyes filled with tears.
She finally understood.
All their intimate moments until now, and even this moment… the Emperor had been considering her, ensuring their first night wasn’t marked by fear or pain.
He had been preparing her body, unfamiliar with him, to willingly accept him.
‘I had the worst night of my life… sob, sob… I didn’t even know what was happening… I wanted to die from the humiliation. I never want to do it again.’
She remembered the daughter of her aunt’s cook crying the day after her wedding, unable to even recover.
It wasn’t just her. She had heard stories of young women being beaten by their husbands on their first night while on errands in the village. They shuddered, sharing how terrifying, painful, and empty their first night was. The husbands were unkind and rough, but they sighed, saying it was their fate to accept it without resistance.
Though not fully understanding, she vaguely grasped what it meant.
A woman’s life, dependent on her husband’s treatment, determined whether she lived a noble or miserable life.
After their private wedding and knightly vows, the Emperor lifted Arabelle into his arms. Bringing her to the bed and sitting her down, he didn’t rush.
Soothing her pounding heart with gentle kisses, he slowly removed their clothes, one by one.
As she melted in ecstasy in his embrace, Arabelle realized how considerate the Emperor had been all along, even at this moment.
Her flushed, disheveled face reflected in his red eyes. Excitement and anticipation spread across her expression instead of fear.
As her body, once tense clinging to his shoulders, began to relax, the Emperor whispered to Arabelle again.
When Arabelle pressed her trembling lips against the Emperor's collarbone, he slowly laid her slender body onto the bed.
A large, dark shadow was cast over her pure and translucent body, like the first snow. Though its overwhelming size seemed as if it could swallow her whole, she no longer felt afraid.
As she reached out and willingly wrapped her arms around the Emperor's neck, he lowered his body slowly.
Thus began the couple’s wedding night.
***
Arabelle’s first night was one of perfect happiness, colored by the Emperor’s consideration, patience, and kindness.
Of course, it was true that when she faced the unclothed Emperor, the fear she had suppressed resurfaced.
She might have even clung to the Emperor, sobbing that it was impossible.
The moment his low laughter spread through her ears, she understood what the worries of the three maids meant.
“No matter how much he hides it, you can tell. His Majesty is truly perfect… But what if he’s too perfect for you to handle…? The size difference between the two of you is just… for the first night… that is… Oh dear, what am I even saying?”
“Forget what Rosa said. It’s not that you’re small, it’s just that His Majesty is very… large. Which is good. I mean, not that way… Well, yes, that way too, but… You need to relax every muscle in your body. Understand?”
“If it doesn’t work, you might as well pretend to faint. Just roll your eyes back a bit and let your head fall to the side like this.”
The three maids, who were preparing her night dress for the wedding night, eagerly demonstrated how to convincingly feign fainting.
But their worries were unnecessary.
The Emperor gave Arabelle a perfectly tailored first night.
With a soft thud, her soft brown hair fell onto the white sheets. A look of indescribable happiness shyly colored her flushed face as she panted for breath.
The Emperor’s hand brushed aside the hair stuck to her sweaty forehead. Arabelle buried her face in his warm hand and slowly closed her eyes.
Her entire body felt languid, and a pleasant drowsiness washed over her.
His red lips lowered to her ear and whispered softly.
“The night is still young. Now that we’ve consummated our marriage, we should enjoy this time together without shame, as a married couple should.”
Her round eyes opened, looking up at the Emperor above her.
With an almost lascivious face, he smiled, pulling up one corner of his mouth.
***
In an instant, his large hands grabbed her slender waist and pulled her back down.
His tall, muscular body, covered in sweat, glistened. Far from being exhausted, the Emperor seemed to be gaining more energy. It was a moment of realization of how much he had been restraining himself.
“Y-Your Majesty…”
Her voice cracked embarrassingly through her swollen lips.
But that, too, was quickly consumed by his hot lips. She could no longer feel the sensations in her mouth.
It wasn’t just her lips. Arabelle felt as if the Emperor was devouring her very soul, making her sob once more.
Unable to contain herself from the changes her body experienced under his touch, she burst into tears.
She repeatedly fell off an endless cliff and was swallowed by the raging waves. Though she feared she couldn’t take anymore and cried, she clung to him, sorrowful that he might move away.
The Emperor’s hand grasped her chin, turning her face to capture her lips once more.
Their countless wedding nights began anew.
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