Droit du Seigneur: His Lordship's Right of the First Night - Chapter 12
“You look pretty.”
As Louise tried hard not to show her gloomy expression, an older maid who had assisted with her bath spoke consolingly.
“Don’t be too scared. The first night for a woman is always painful. It’s something everyone has to go through at least once.”
“…”
The maid, seemingly sympathetic to Louise’s situation, had been relatively kind to her from the beginning. Her warm demeanor reminded Louise of Melissa, the shop owner from the village, which made her feel a bit more at ease. Still, Louise only managed an awkward smile, not knowing how to respond.
‘A decent man wouldn’t send his bride to such a situation.’
Although the head maid was carrying out her duties diligently as instructed, most of the people present probably shared this sentiment.
Droit du seigneur.
The lord’s right to claim the first night with a bride before her husband. Although this ancient practice still existed, it was rarely exercised these days. Most places allowed a marriage tax or the husband’s labor to substitute for this tradition.
Sending her here, despite those alternatives, suggested that her future husband didn’t care much for her.
“Dress her.”
After preparing her for the night, Louise was finally given clothes to wear. It wasn’t the old cotton tunic and apron skirt she had worn when she came to the castle. A maid, following the head maid’s orders, brought out a box containing a thin, flowing negligee.
While it was hardly proper attire, Louise was grateful for anything that covered her, considering she had been standing naked for quite some time in front of several people.
“Ah…”
But when she put on the negligee and saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she was at a loss for words. The sheer fabric barely covered her thighs and did little to hide her body. Her entire silhouette was visible, and the translucent material revealed her rounded breasts and nipples as well as the contours of her thick pubic area.
The thin piece of underwear she was given did little to conceal anything. Feeling her face burn with embarrassment, Louise turned to the head maid.
“Is this all I get to wear?”
“Yes. Surely, you don’t expect to trouble His Lordship with the task of undressing you bit by bit? Save that request for your husband.”
“…Understood.”
“Be grateful you got even that. Under the previous lord, women were required to go in completely naked.”
Louise bit her lip at the head maid’s cold reply.
It’s okay. Just endure it for a little while. It will all be over soon.
Trying to compose herself, Louise was about to put on the tiny underwear when the door suddenly opened. Several people, dressed in pale dalmaticas, entered the bathroom. They were priestesses who also served as the castle’s healers.
“Is this the girl you mentioned?”
Two of them brought in a large, uniquely designed chair and placed it inside. The head maid nodded, and several priestesses lifted Louise and placed her on the chair.
In an instant, she was half-reclined against the chair’s back, and without any explanation, her negligee was lifted, exposing her. Her green eyes, like the summer forest, widened in shock.
“What…what are you doing?!”
Instead of answering, two priestesses held her legs. With a click, her slender ankles were secured to the chair’s armrests, spreading her legs wide. Louise let out a thin scream of surprise.
“Ah! W-What are you doing!”
“Stop making a fuss and stay still.”
“Ah!”
As Louise struggled to get off the chair, the head maid approached with a stern expression. She slapped the soft flesh of Louise’s exposed inner thigh with a sharp hand.
“It’s necessary to check if you are deceiving His Lordship. You better comply.”
“Check…what do you mean by that?”
“There have been cases where women, not virgins, tried to deceive the previous lord by coming on their menstrual cycle to hide the truth. We need to ensure you’re not one of those deceitful women.”
