By Zephyria How on earth did my breasts become so sensitive?
The main culprit was very clear. Ivan Bikoff, who tormented, tormented, and tormented me until I inevitably burst into tears every time we mixed bodies, also had a very persistent and long afterglow.
We lay side by side on the bed, facing each other, and I watched Ivan as he traced my chest, where bite marks were clearly visible.
His face, so nonchalant as if he were exercising his natural right, was even annoying, and it only brought on more shame. When he gripped my nipple, which felt like it had grown larger than before, I gasped and grabbed his wrist. I tried to gently push him away, saying no more, but he smiled again, softly.
He knew that when he smiled like this, I couldn’t stop him.
Damn it, he was so annoying, but I liked it, so my grip eventually loosened.
“⋯Ah, it hurts⋯.”
“My dear, you like it when it hurts.”
“⋯That’s, no, but still⋯.”
“Shall we do it with your mouth then?”
“Ughhhhhh⋯.”
I’m really going to die, you bastard. Your wife is going to die. I shook my head desperately, and Ivan let out a soft “Pfft,” laughing as he took his hand off my chest. I was saved. I thought he would stop. But instead of his hand, Ivan’s face was suddenly pressed into my cleavage, and I felt a rush of relief, pulling Ivan into an embrace.
It was hard to endure his torment, but I liked lying like this, holding each other.
Ivan’s panting breath in my arms, Ivan’s hands loosely covering my shoulder blades, were both warm. Even before we left for our honeymoon, Ivan would often hold me like this after sex. Yet, the feeling now was very different from then.
Back then, knowing I liked him, I felt my heart race, thinking he was playing with me, but now⋯. Now, I could see that Ivan liked me too.
Perhaps, I was a little… happy⋯.
As I drifted in and out of sleep, drowsy, Ivan suddenly spoke.
“There’s one more thing I haven’t told you yet.”
“⋯Yes?”
I was instantly wide awake. What else did he want to talk about? Ivan, who kissed my chest with light pecks, lifted his head. We lay embracing each other, our eyes meeting. Seeing Ivan’s lips curve into a gentle smile, I relaxed before I even heard what he said.
It must be good news. What is it? What is he going to say⋯.
“I’m a very curious person⋯. I was always very curious about the wide world. From a young age, I always thought I had to visit all five Duchies and all five Kingdoms someday.”
“⋯Yes, um⋯. Yes. ⋯So?”
“I’m happy that I can fulfill my dream with you. I love you.”
“⋯.”
My god.
No, you crazy bastard⋯.
Even with his lips touching and then pulling away, I couldn’t snap out of my daze. My heart must have stopped for a moment. My heart was pounding so loudly from surprise that I could hear it clearly, and Ivan’s ears surely could too. My husband, chuckling softly, nudged my taut skin with his chin and whispered intimately.
“Shall we start with your mouth?”
“⋯.”
“Hmm?”
“⋯Yes.”
Well, if I’m going to die, I’ll die once, not twice. Eric Bikoff, the man, let’s get the words ‘death by orgasm’ etched into the Nobility Yearbook, yes. With a firm resolve, I lay back down and opened my legs. If there was a threshold for happiness, I had long since surpassed it.
As we sailed down the river, the season changed to winter.
The Eldos Ho sailed down the Saras River, stopping at several small ports. We sold some of the goods brought from the capital and bought fresh provisions repeatedly. The process of seeing, touching, and loading local specialties onto the ship, one armful at a time, was all enjoyable.
Our destination was Yulan. In the port city, renowned for its beauty, we bought many beautiful and lightweight fabrics that could likely be sold. Ivan would occasionally drape a colorful cloth over my shoulders or chest, contemplating various ideas, and I bought them all, happy to see Ivan’s pleased smile even if the fabric wasn’t suitable for me.
Many of the laborers fished on deck as a pastime, so we ate enough fish this time to last a lifetime. Skilled chefs performed culinary magic with all sorts of fish every day. As we headed south, further south, we were all prosperous, leisurely, and happy.
That is, until just before we entered Indus Bay.
I had wanted to die by orgasm, but…
The compass mounted on the wall spun wildly. The ship spun around several times in place, and we, who had rolled out of bed mid-sleep, quickly regained our senses and looked out the window. The moonlight shimmering on the black sea was relentlessly pushing against the hull.
What, what is this? Did the Helmsman drink himself silly? Ivan, who had fallen asleep and woken up with me, had no way of knowing, but I relied on his wisdom and asked hesitantly.
“What… what is this?”
“Who knows. Is everyone out of their minds…”
A rough word, for Ivan who never swore, escaped his lips.
Ivan’s face, deeply furrowed, was surprisingly sexy, and I was flustered. It was the first time I had seen him angry. Ivan, seeing me sitting there, still flustered and my heart pounding even in this situation, quickly became gentle and urged me to get dressed.
We quickly put on our clothes, and Ivan, telling me to hold his hand just in case, clasped mine tightly as we stepped out of the room. A faint humming sound could be heard from somewhere. The high, gentle melody intertwined with the sound of the waves, creating a truly beautiful sound.
Who was singing?
Twenty laborers, four sailors, and the captain—a total of twenty-five people stood on deck. However, not a single one of them opened their mouths.
“Can you see where Sam is?”
“⋯Yes?”
“I mean the Helmsman. Right now… Ah.”
That’s right. The sailors Ivan brought originally numbered five, excluding the captain. But there was no time to look around for the missing Helmsman. Everyone on deck was staring, as if entranced, in one direction. And the ship, swaying and lurching, was steadily approaching the direction of their gaze.
What I thought was moonlight breaking on the waves, filling the deck, was now revealed to be light emanating from a golden hill that had risen from the sea. Why was there an island here? No, shouldn’t this be happening?
Even I, who had never piloted a ship, knew that the ship would be wrecked if it collided with an island. Startled, I was about to run, but Ivan, who had been observing our surroundings for a moment, untied his cravat and tied my left hand to his right.
“What is this,”
“Listen carefully. From now on, we will tie the people on deck to the mast with ropes around their waists. Our task is to tie all twenty-five people, then go to the captain’s cabin, knock out the Helmsman, and change course 70 degrees to starboard.”
“Yes?”
“I have a few ideas, but I can’t be sure of anything, so never leave my side. Promise me, my dear.”
“Uh, yes!”
What in the world was happening?
Together with Ivan, we grabbed ropes and ran across the deck. As the golden island drew closer into view, the men on deck began to try to jump over the railing into the sea. It was maddening. We barely caught them, and they struggled to break free, so I ended up slapping them across the face until they were dazed, and then tied a rope around their waists.
For some reason, only Ivan and I were sane. Because my wrist and Ivan’s were tied together, Ivan blocked the punches aimed at me with his body, and blood burst from his lip. After seeing that, my eyes went wild, and I knocked down every single person I could grab.
We’d tie one, and as I got up, Ivan would tie another. If we subdued two, Ivan would tie two. For the big, strong ones, we’d tie them together. It was fortunate that we hadn’t hired Mercenaries for our peaceful journey. Even I had never thrown punches at those who used aura.
After tying all the struggling men to the mast, the golden island seemed to be right before our eyes.
The sight of the tied men struggling to break free was horrific and grotesque. Even the usually docile men had swollen cheeks from being beaten, gnawing at the ropes with their teeth, and writhing on deck. If I had been alone, I would have been overwhelmed, wondering how to handle this, but Ivan never hesitated for a moment, striking and tying the struggling men. Then he told me what to do.
“Are all twenty-five accounted for?”
“Yes! They’re all tied up.”
“Then let’s go.”
After counting the people for a moment, Ivan ran to the control room. My gaze fell on the cravat tied between our wrists, which had loosened slightly from the rough scuffle. Ah, I might lose it, I thought, and then…
“A little faster.”
“⋯Yes!”
Ivan gripped my hand tightly and pulled me along. I must have been completely out of my mind from the shock. Gritting my teeth, I ran again. It didn’t take long to knock out Sam, who was gripping the controls.
Ivan normalized the ship with incredibly swift movements.
Since he told me never to leave his side, I stayed close to Ivan, gnawing on my lips as I watched him. On Ivan’s right wrist, which had been dragged around haphazardly during the chaotic fight on deck in the dark night, a dark bruise had formed.
Perhaps it was because my skin was fair, but even though my wrist was red and chafed, it wasn’t as bad as that.
As the ship quickly moved away from the golden island, I glanced out the window. Seeing me, Ivan let out a long breath, operated a few more buttons, and gripped the steering wheel tightly. I counted the bulging veins on Ivan’s hand and carefully opened my mouth.
“⋯Ivan.”
“Yes, my dear.”
“Th-that, right now… what is this…?”
“Who knows.”
His answer was more indifferent than I expected, and I felt deflated. I closed my lips tightly, then crumpled and tugged at his cravat, which had connected us, unsure of what to do. Ivan glanced at me, his face showing a hint of regret, and gave a bitter smile, beckoning me closer.
I quickly moved until our shoulders were almost touching. It was true that I had no backbone, but now, with no one else to rely on but Ivan, I felt even more anxious and restless. Ivan’s hand stroked my back, then ruffled my hair.
“I’m sorry, I was a bit sensitive just now.”
You know that? I was damn scared. How could you do this to me, of all people? I suppressed the urge to say that and shook my head. Burying my face in Ivan’s neck, I let out a sniffle, a sound that was neither a breath nor a sob, and only then could I properly reply.
“⋯No, well, you had a reason to be.”
“⋯Haha.”
Why are you laughing? Don’t laugh. I know I’m funny too. I was someone who always acted according to my physique and status. Whining and acting spoiled like this wasn’t my true self. Even now, if the person next to me wasn’t Ivan, I would have gritted my teeth and endured it as if nothing had happened.
So, isn’t it Ivan’s fault for making me want to lean on him, burrow into him, and rely on him like this? Who made me this way?
Seeing Ivan keep looking at me and smiling made me feel wronged and embarrassed, and my cheeks burned hot. So ashamed, I considered biting Ivan’s shoulder in a fit of madness, but Ivan gently pushed my shoulder away and drew my gaze downward.
“Do you see the Holmos crest brooch on the cravat now?”
“Yes? Yes.”
“That’s a Defense Artifact.”
This?