NOVEL NEXT chapter 36
36 – 36. The Wedding (1)
“Are you okay? Your face keeps getting red. Are you feeling sick?”
“…No, really. I’m fine. Just… a little nervous, maybe?”
“Pfft, what is there to be nervous about? You and me… now we’re becoming a family. No one can say anything about it.”
It’s really strange. My heart pounds so much that my chest resonates loudly.
…And the reason for that is none other than her.
I noticed a change since I woke up in the morning.
I started to feel a completely different emotion towards her, who was sleeping soundly next to me.
It wasn’t the affection or love that I felt for her before,
It was a horribly repulsive, black desire.
Her bright red lips, narrowed eyes, long eyelashes, sharp nose, and fair skin.
All of it became more stimulating. Much more than before.
I couldn’t hide my lower parts, and she “resolved” that issue for me.
“Cough…”
“Are you really in pain…?”
“Oh, no. I’m fine. Just give me a little, a little more time – no, I mean… time, give me time.”
“…Okay. Drink some water and calm down. Okay?”
Everywhere she touches feels like it’s being electrified.
Even though her fingers quickly pull away, it feels like she slowly removes a hand covered in grass from my skin.
A sensation so intense that it felt like my brain was frying, a sensation that relentlessly pounded on my brain.
She must know. Probably.
I can tell from the occasional smile she can’t hide since a while ago.
…What on earth did she do?
Drugs? Does such a thing really exist? Did she feed me something or give me an injection while I was asleep?
Otherwise, there’s no way my heart would be pounding like this.
“…Gulp.”
Just by seeing her, I feel my breath becoming slightly rougher.
Every time she looks at me and smiles, I feel saliva that I couldn’t swallow roughening my throat as it goes down.
“…Huhh…”
My eyes are so hot. I mean, my own eyes. My eyes that are looking at her feel excessively hot. Like tears are about to flow, like hot warmth enveloping my eyeballs.
A trembling body and heart that won’t stop.
And whenever she pretends not to know and brushes past my body,
“Gahhh…ugh?!”
Even I am taken aback by the hot breath that bursts out, causing my body to twist uncontrollably.
“…Are you not okay? Right? You…”
“What…what did you do to me…”
“Me? No, I didn’t do anything to you.”
“Did…did you give me some kind of drug?”
“…You know, you seem to have these delusions. And I want to tell you how much those thoughts are tearing me apart.”
With my body wrapped up, I gently slide my hands, which were preventing my body from bouncing around, into the pockets of my jacket and bring them to my chest.
“I want you. You know that, right?”
“…That, ugh, looks weird…huh?”
“Yeah, I love you. You know that too, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“Yeah. Those reactions you show, the reactions that happen when I love you.”
“…L-Lies.”
“No, not at all. You see, I can guess now why I didn’t bother to dress up when I was with you…”
No way, it can’t be, really? Is it true?
“Heh, you’re right about what you’re thinking. Just thinking about you makes my body burn. But when I see you, it’s almost unbearable. Even if our eyes meet, I can only think about you. And even if they don’t, I wonder what you’re doing. You only think about me, don’t you? Well, that’s…an indescribable pleasure for someone in love.”
“…Y-You won’t tell me that you’re now willing to share your emotions, right…?”
“That’s something only crows do. Do you know how complex, difficult, and meticulous the contract that connects souls is?”
Swiftly, a thin thumb grazes the back of my hand.
At the same time, I forcefully jerk my head to the right.
Oh, there’s a wall on the right –
But instead of a sharp pain, I feel a warm sensation.
“Be careful.”
“T-Thank…you, sniff, thank you.”
Ah, again…this again…
“Ugh…!”
The feeling of blood rushing to one place has been incredibly uncomfortable since earlier.
It keeps happening over and over again, and it doesn’t subside.
The pleasure is horribly overlapping, turning into pain now.
“…Sigh, it’s okay. You just need to get used to it a little. Besides, I didn’t invite many guests to the wedding for that reason, and I also prepared something for you.”
“…Don’t… turn your words around… What did you do to me…”
In a hazy state of mind, I desperately threw the question at her, holding onto the doubt tightly.
Even that, I could barely hold onto my blank mind against her breath, but that’s all I could do.
“You know, today is quite a special day. It’s the day after the full moon, when the boundaries of souls become faint.
Maybe because my soul is peculiar, it’s affecting you too… That’s what I think.”
“..Then… a new… ability has awakened… right…?”
Emotional sharing, really? Is she joking?
Did she really feel this pleasure every time she looked at me? Really?
“Look at your condition. You’re ruining the clothes I carefully prepared for you, and you don’t feel anything?”
“How… how do you endure it…”
“Me? I don’t endure it.”
“..W-what?”
“It’s been a while. That’s why I intentionally moved my office closer to you. I also felt sorry for making the maids suffer all the time.”
So, that’s why you kept provoking me like that? Intentionally dressing up like that, intentionally working while leaning on me, intentionally?
“Well… it wasn’t exactly provoking, but every time you showed how much you liked me, I was somewhat pleased.”
Of course, I complied, but if I keep feeling this way, like this, every moment…
“…This, this is insane…”
“No, it’s just a matter of getting used to it. Just be careful on the night of the full moon and the day after. You understand, right?”
With those words, a warm breath tickles my ear once again.
With my head shaking vigorously, I barely manage to speak to her with a tangled tongue.
“…Th-then please, postpone the wedding.”
“Oh dear, that’s not possible. The king himself will be in attendance.”
…What did I hear? What did she say?
“…Lies.”
“…Did you really think I would miss this opportunity, my love?”
She’s gone mad. Can she really smile with those eyes? With eyes that say they don’t know what to do with their overwhelming adorableness, even as I constantly shake my head and intentionally stroke her hair?
Is this what I want to show everyone?
To completely isolate myself with shame, just to have me?
“…It might not be so bad, but it’s not like that. From the beginning, you said this moment would be about recognition and blessings from everyone. I just never imagined you would change like this. I never expected this to happen to me.”
But if I were to show this appearance in front of the royal family, it would be a death sentence, even if they were to look at it kindly.
If I were to show such a disgrace in front of the king, my life would be forfeit.
And hers too.
No, maybe she would be the one to cut me down first.
Because she loves me that much.
“…Thank you for understanding. I can finally gauge the depth of my love.”
“Enough, stop making noise… If the king sees us like this -“
“It’s okay… This place is a bit special, except for the priest who will bless you and me… Ah, really. How pitifully the soy sauce is burning like this… Are you in a lot of pain?”
Since earlier, it feels like the sensation in my waist has disappeared. I don’t even want to turn my eyes downwards.
The feeling of something constantly flowing out is not pleasant at all.
Moreover, she is now running her fingers along my thigh, holding me tightly in her arms.
I don’t even want to explain my condition, this is embarrassing.
But I held onto my twisted tongue and managed to speak one word at a time.
“Don’t… Don’t beat around the bush. What’s going to happen?”
“Everyone will only see your back from the second floor. To be more precise, they will only see our backs. It’s because of the strong push I gave. Fortunately, right?”
What kind of wedding ceremony is this?
She wants to devour every moment of mine alone, if that’s what she’s thinking.
Except for the priest who will see both of us, my expression, my mood, everything will be taken over.
“Yeah. Right. It seems like the time we spent together meant something… Thank you for knowing me this well already.”
“Heh, it’s funny… Don’t, don’t touch me…”
“Your voice trembles so pitifully… I understand. It would be troublesome if I messed up your clothes anymore. I’ll try my best to hold back as much as possible. The crows will have a hard time. You should tightly hold my hand over there. Just in case. Don’t I have to catch you?”
“Th-then, okay… I’ll do that.”
The body’s abnormal state that is barely settling down. The calmness in my breathing and thoughts.
I never thought that tranquility could be so welcome.
“They say you’ll get used to it.”
“…Noisy.”
The wet towel and spare clothes handed to me.
…Did she know from the beginning that something like this would happen?
When did she start planning this?
If she didn’t plan it, does that mean she always prepared for something like this to happen whenever she went out?
This is something I simply cannot understand.
I don’t want to experience it again…
“Please, just endure a little longer…”
“I’m feeling a bit impatient. Don’t say anything and hurry up and get dressed. You know how much I’ve been looking forward to this.”
Yeah… Even in this state, I’m wearing a tuxedo and she’s wearing a wedding dress.
Today is our wedding day.