Droit du Seigneur: His Lordship's Right of the First Night - Chapter 43
That Time Without You
They say the first time is always the hardest. After the first time they became one, they quickly grew closer. The more Louise thought about how she had ever considered such a vigorous man impotent, the more astonished she became.
Intimacy with Richard always awakened new sensations. She was often overwhelmed by intense pleasure, feeling as if her entire body was melting, and then there were moments when sharp, acute pleasure felt like it was filling her up completely.
As their physical closeness grew, so did her feelings for him. The fact that their relationship would soon end occasionally pierced her heart, but Louise tried to push those thoughts away and focus more on the time they were spending together now.
The time they spent together increased gradually. Although Richard never neglected his duties as the dominion’s lord, he found time to see Louise amidst his busy schedule.
Richard, who used to spend his days off hunting or catching up on work, had become accustomed to spending time with Louise at some point.
“Hold the brush more comfortably and relax your grip.”
“Like this?”
“Yes, you’re learning quickly.”
On a day off, Richard was enjoying leisure time with Louise in the garden. The glass conservatory behind the west wing was bathed in warm sunlight. Sitting side by side on a plush sofa inside the cozy greenhouse, he was teaching her the basics of painting.
In front of the long velvet-covered couch stood a luxurious elm easel with paints and art supplies.
“It might be better to hold the brush a bit closer until you get used to it. About this much, I believe?”
Although he said he had only learned art briefly as a child, as was customary for royalty, Richard was surprisingly knowledgeable about art.
Every time his large hand overlapped hers to teach her how to hold the brush, or when he gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, Louise’s heart raced.
Ah, the scent of His Lordship again….
The soft, heavy scent that she had grown accustomed to filled her senses. The mature fragrance next to her shook her heart deeply.
“You’re really talented, my lord! If you weren’t a fief lord, you might have become a famous painter.”
“It’s not that impressive. I’m just mimicking.”
Richard laughed quietly at Louise’s praise. Sometimes, when he felt stifled, looking at pastoral watercolors brought him a sense of relief. But he enjoyed appreciating art more than creating it. The one with real talent, in his opinion, was….
“In my opinion, you’re the one with real talent. Have you ever thought about becoming a painter?”
“Talent? No, not at all….”
If she had received proper training, she would surely have excelled. He felt regretful as the lord of Evron, seeing a talent in his territory going unnoticed. However, Louise shook her head, dismissing the idea.
“Art class was fun when I was in school, but that’s all. I haven’t thought about it since. If it were just me, maybe… but I have my family right now.”
“You’re still young, it’s not too late. If financial difficulties are the issue, I could….”
Richard stopped mid-sentence, realizing he might be overstepping.
Even if she was struggling financially to the point of needing to sell her body, she might not want to leave her husband to study art. She might value staying with her loved one more than attending an art academy in the capital or studying abroad.
“If it were just me, maybe… but I have my family right now.”
Family. That word surely meant she loved her husband. Even if she didn’t show it in front of him, she must be eagerly counting the days until she reunited with her former lover, whom she left behind for the sake of their wedding.
As proof, Louise still sent letters regularly through the servant Richard had assigned her. Though he deliberately ignored it, not wanting to know, she was likely exchanging letters with her husband.
Swallowing the bitter taste in his mouth, Richard decided not to say what he had been thinking.
Let’s be honest. Was he really concerned about her talent, or was he just trying to keep her away from her husband out of petty jealousy?
Though he silently criticized himself for blocking her future, he doubted he would easily send her off to find her dreams even if she were his wife. Lately, he felt that he wouldn’t be able to let her go anywhere, not even allowing other men to see a single hair on her head.
He had long since passed the point of thinking that this was wrong. Even though he tried to accept that their relationship was just physical and destined to end, his heart was helplessly drawn to her.
“Wow….”
On the wide canvas, pastel-toned watercolor paints had combined to create a beautiful landscape. It felt as if a fresh breeze was blowing through the forest they had painted together. Louise looked at the lush, verdant scenery with admiration.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes, but it feels a bit incomplete. If the canvas were bigger, we could have added a few blooming flowers.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but there’s no space left, so we’ll have to finish here and next time….”
“We can still add them.”
Richard spoke casually as he mixed new colors on the palette. Combining a light baby pink with strawberry red to create a medium shade, he suddenly turned Louise toward him.
“My lord…!”
He pulled the ribbon that tied her front and unbuttoned the dress underneath. In an instant, her indoor dress fell to her waist without any chance to stop it.
