Chapter 77 - OUR FIRST, AND OUR LAST

Lucio, who was standing still, opened his mouth with a great amount of pain. Now it seemed difficult to endure it all, as he seemed to struggle to even restrain himself. As he staggered, Patrizia instinctively helped to support him.

“Be careful.”

“Haaa… Stay away from me. I may end up doing something that will make you despise me even further.”

“That is why, how can you not listen to me like this? There are plenty of palace maids out there. I will have one brought over right now. What are you doing Mirya, not even leaving right away?”

“…”

Eventually, Mirya ran to the Empress Palace making a face that was ready to burst into tears, and Rafaella just stood there with an expression not knowing what she should do. Lucio seemed to have reached his limit, as he finally sat down where he had been standing. Patrizia was caught by surprise and supported him.

“Your Majesty.”

“Haaa… I had said to get away from me already.”

He bit his lips with a face eroded by bitterness. His lips were torn and bleeding as if it was proof that his instinct was difficult to control. ‘Damn it, why is Mirya taking so long to get back? Is it so difficult to bring a woman residing in the Imperial Palace?’ She asked for a request from Rafaella in an urgent voice.

“Rafaella.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Take His Majesty to the nearest palace building right now.”

At the end of Patrizia’s words, Rafaella nodded and supported Lucio up so she could move him to the nearest building, which was Iste Palace. Meanwhile, Lucio constantly hurt himself to endure giving in to his desires. His lips were already messed up, and the inside of the mouth was about to be ripped apart. Patrizia was full of unreasonable anger, and uttered words of resentment at Lucio, who had collapsed within the Iste Palace.

“Why are you this foolish, Your Majesty? All of the women in the Marvinus Empire belong to Your Majesty. If you want you could…!”

“What is the point of that?”

He asked her in a voice that seemed to be completely exhausted.

“If the actual Empress is not mine, it would be useless even if the ladies all over the world were to be mine.”

“How can you say something like that…!”

“Both of you go out now. Now I can no more… I cannot withstand it anymore.”

He seemed to be suffering with a rougher breath than before, and Lucio squeezed out his voice. Patrizia, staring at him with a frozen expression, and soon opened her mouth.

“Rafaella.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Go outside. You will keep guard. Stay there and block the entrance and make sure that no one comes in until I go out.”

“Your Majesty, are you…?”

“Go outside.”

“Empress, what are you trying to do right now…”

Ignoring Lucio’s voice, Patrizia resolutely maade her order.

“Go out, right now.”

Only then did Rafaella nod with a serious look on her face.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Rafaella hurriedly went outside of Iste Palace, and Patrizia left alone as he slowly moved toward Lucio, who had collapsed. His face twisted into a frown, and he asked her.

“What is the meaning of this? You also must go out right…”

“You said Your Majesty might become more contemptible to me.”

Patrizia laughed sadly.

“It would not be so bad if it became like that. What would happen if I despise Your Majesty even more from this state…”

“I said go out!”

“Your Majesty, am I not barren anyways? No matter what happens today, no one will know about it.”

Patrizia said this and began to slowly undress. He cried out to her.

“I said stop it!”

“…”

But Patrizia continued to take off the clothes she had been wearing without any words. When she finally took off all but a very thin black slip, Lucio was almost on the brink of losing consciousness. She thought that she had better hurry and slowly took off his clothes. PLIP, PLIP. When the buttons were unfastened, Patrizia felt that her rationality was gradually fading. If this was the feeling of crossing a river that did not allow a return…

“You will surely regret it if this happens today.”

“There was not a moment that I was not full of regret after the day I met Your Majesty.”

She smiled coldly and kissed Lucio, who had finally returned to his natural instincts.

“Even if I gain more regret from this moment, there will be no particular difference.”

Patrizia opened her eyes with a blank expression. For a while, Patrizia stared at the sky with her blank eyes as if she did not grasp the current situation, and soon remembered yesterday’s incident in the unfamiliar setting. She laughed emptily and slightly turned her head around.

“…”

Patrizia had never even dreamed that she would entangle her body with his in such a way, and felt the absurdity of it all. What happened yesterday was clearly ingrained in her memory, and it bothered her. She steadfastly bit her lips. The fact that she had rolled around in bed with a hateful partner gave her a strange feeling.

“Haaa…”

After she let out a sigh, she looked at her husband, who was still asleep and fluttering about. Her first night that was spent without any love. To have also borrowed the power of medicine as well. She had really reached the end of where she could go. Patrizia muttered to herself in a mocking manner.

“Ugh!”

Patrizia had tried to raise her body, and let out a groan without realizing she did. The aphrodisiac’s medicinal effect had been amplified by Lucio’s lack of patience, and eventually it was Patrizia who was on the receiving end of it all, as a virgin. She touched her back with an expression full of pain. Yesterday he said he was being accommodating, but nevertheless, the pain afterwards had been unavoidable because it was her first time.

“… Ngh.”

She got up from the bed while struggling with all her strength as she let out more groans. Patrizia put on the dress on her own, that she had worn to Iste Palace, and slowly stepped out as she walked with a limp.

Before the last door could be opened, Patrizia turned around and looked at Lucio, who was still in deep sleep. She muttered to herself with a bitter facial expression.

“This is our first and last time.”

She spit out those words, then opened the door without any hesitation and went outside. Even in that moment, Lucio still had his eyes closed.

“Your Majesty.”

Rafaella’s face looked quite haggard, as if she had stayed up all night. Patrizia asked her while feeling somewhat apologetic.

“Are you alright?”

“I am alright. What aboutYour Majesty?”

“Ah…”

Patrizia shook her head with a slightly embarrassed face.

“It is… a bit painful.”

“Would you like me to carry you on my back?”

“Oh dear. There is an Empress’s face to uphold.”

At the mention of saving face, Patrizia suddenly thought up Rosemond. Apparently the first one to attempt seduction was Rosemond. Then that eventually meant that Rosemond had not been chosen by Lucio. ‘Her insides must be churning.’ Patrizia thought this to herself, as she asked Rafaella another question.

“What about Mirya?”

“Preparing Your Majesty’s bath. She has been busy warming up the stones since the morning.”

“Haha…”

Patrizia scratched the back of her back with an awkward facial expression. It was strangely embarrassing, even though it was nothing to be ashamed of. She coughed emptily, and then talked to Rafaella.

“Because it will look strange to be supported up by you, let alone to be carried on your back, so I will walk on my own.”

“It is at this kind of instance that you have an escort knight to relentless use. If you do not like either of the options, then I will just carry you in my arms, so do not say anything further and just be carried, Your Majesty.”

Because Rafaella was being stubborn to the very end, Patrizia had no choice but to be forced to head towards the Empress Palace in Rafaella’s arms. As she had her eyes tightly closed, because she was embarrassed to be possibly seen by anyone, she found out she had already arrived at the Empress Palace within a few minutes. As she entered her quarters, Mirya welcomed her in the usual way instead of making a fuss.

“You have arrived, Your Majesty.”

“I will take a bath first.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Patrizia was supported up immediately by Mirya, and Parizia washed herself in the huge bath with the help of the maids’ hands. As soon as she took off my clothes, the bright red marks could be found all over her body, and the atmosphere instantly became awkward, but fortunately it did not last too long. It was a calm process, except for one young maid who had gently cleaned up every corner of her body, carelessly saying something she shouldn’t have.

“…The medicine His Majesty took yesterday seems to be quite strong.”

“…”

Patrizia was so embarrassed in that moment that she wanted to go hide in a mouse hole.

In the middle of their intimate relations, Patrizia had spoken to Lucio who unconsciously tried to use a contraceptive.

‘I am infertile anyways. It is alright if you do not use anything.’

“Should I have just told him to do it?”

“Yes?”

“It is nothing.”

Patrizia sighed briefly, and soon had three or four clean towels on her body, as the maids were carefully wiping down her body. It was a sign that they were being cautious as it was right after she had her first night of coupling with the Emperor. Patrizia was grateful for the consideration from her maids on one hand, but also felt burdened on the other.

“Ah, Your Majesty. Communication from the Marquis of Grochester arrived this morning, and Lady Petronilla has caught a cold, so she says that she will remain in her home for the time being. Still, she said she will probably be able to come out for His Majesty’s birthday celebration.”

“Oh dear.”

Patrizia laughed.

“It seems that she must have enjoyed her date even while being hit by the rain outside, our Nilla.”

“Lady Petronilla must also meet a good partner and get married as well.”

“It is not ‘also,’ but more like she ‘should,’ is it not Mirya.”

Patrizia smiled bitterly as she corrected Mirya’s words, and Mirya only smiled quietly with an awkward expression. Subsequently, Patrizia instructed one of the maids in a more rigid voice than the one she had used before.

“Look into the current situation at the Vain Palace side and come back. What is the status of the Marchioness right now, and what is the atmosphere of the Vain Palace? I already have my predictions, but… it is better to confirm it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Mirya goes to the Central Palace and tells the maids to replenish their Majesty in Iste Palace. When you wake up, you’ll be embarrassed if no one is there.”

“… Yes.”

Only then did Patrizia feel there had been some sort of organization, and closed her tired eyes. Yesterday, no, today, how many hours had she slept? Three hours, no, two hours? Grasping onto her blurry memories, Patrizia murmured to herself.

“… It seems I need to take some time to rest.”

Rosemond sat without any movement on a chair, with a frosty expression on her face. Everything was the same as it had been yesterday. The slip dress that she hadn’t changed out of, and the thick makeup that she hadn’t taken off. And the other maids, including Glara, were nervously looking at Rosemond as they stood next to her.

“So… His Majesty spent the night with the Empress yesterday.”

“That is… what they say, Marchioness.”

If that was so, last night would be the first night of coming together for the Empress and the Emperor. But Rosemond was more calm than one would expect. She smiled coldly, and spoke to herself.

“Well, she is a barren woman and will not be able to give birth to a child anyways, so it does not matter.”

“… ”

It was not a position that could be held only by intimate favors. In the moment, His Majesty may whisper sweet things to a new flower due to simple curiosity, but it would not be for long. First of all, he was someone that was incapable of love. Rosemond’s expression softened as she thought about that. Nevertheless, it seemed that she was still angry about how she had missed on yesterday’s perfect opportunity. But even then she soon consoled herself.

“It is fine. I, and His Majesty, are both still young, so there will always be a chance.”

If there was anything she had to worry about, it was that she had completely lost his trust. But it would work out if she just made up excuses, and made another opportunity. If that still did not work…

“Your Majesty, more than that.”

Glara changed the topic to lighten the atmosphere within the cold Vain Palace.

“Would it not be better to think about what will happen on the day of the birthday celebration?”

“… What do you mean? Ah!”

Rosemond nodded her head and laughed as if she had forgotten about that.