My Favorite Smut Author Is My Husband! - Chapter 4
“My parents, the late Duke and Duchess, deeply cherished and respected each other. Growing up seeing that, I came to believe that a marriage shouldn’t just be about practicality, but that it should also involve such feelings. That is my conviction!”
Sweat gathered inside the Duke’s clenched fists. As he looked into her blue eyes, his speech felt unnecessarily long.
Fortunately, before the atmosphere could become too heavy, there was a knock on the door, and servants entered with tea and some snacks.
“I see.”
Lily lightly nodded in gratitude to the servant and the Duke, lifting the teacup to hide her lips.
‘Right. I almost forgot something important, distracted by Duke Ashulin’s body and K’s novels!’
There was one key element she desired in her married life:
Her husband had to be someone who could bring her shame only in the bedroom.
She was, after all, the only daughter of the wealthy and prestigious Count’s family. With wealth and status secured, she didn’t need those things from her spouse.
However, for a marriage that would last a lifetime, he should neither cheat nor bring in a mistress, tarnishing her reputation with shame.
At the same time, at night, she wanted a man who could make her body tingle with shameful words and actions so intense that they left her feeling weak.
“I think the same, Your Grace!”
The Duke clearly fulfilled the former condition. Lily took a sip of her tea and placed the cup back down.
Now, it was the Duke’s turn to feel parched. He lifted his teacup to his lips, unable to meet her gaze, the intense blue of her eyes proving too much for him.
“I also have my own beliefs and hopes. I wish to be emotionally connected with the one I marry.”
Of course, a physical connection was important as well.
“And, though it’s a bit embarrassing to admit, the moment I walked through that door, I realized my heart had moved towards you, Your Grace. If we marry, I will be a devoted wife to you.”
“*Cough!*”
No matter how bold she was, Lily was still a nineteen-year-old virgin with no romantic experience. She blushed at her forwardness and leaned in slightly, whispering as if trying to avoid the servants’ ears.
The problem was that the Duke, startled by her sudden scent and confession, ended up choking on his tea and dropping the cup he had been about to cover his mouth with.
Disaster.
“Aaah!”
From the start, the teacup had been too small for his large hands. As it slipped from his grasp, the tea inside spilled onto Lily’s face.
“My lady! Oh no. I’m so sorry! Is it hot? Get a cold towel, immediately!”
Had he ever been this flustered in his life? As the Duke jumped up to rush to her side, the table shook, making Lily’s teacup wobble as well.
“My, my eyes… Could you hand me something to wipe them with? It’s not hot, so don’t worry.”
“I truly apologize. I don’t know how I can ever make this right…”
“Huh?”
She sensed a large presence approaching beside her. Although it wasn’t hot, her skin started to sting slightly, and as she groped blindly around, her hand landed on something thick. Instinctively, her hand moved lower, and she realized it was connected to a leg.
“My lady, you can’t open your eyes just yet.”
Through her teary, blurred vision, she confirmed what she had grabbed.
His left thigh.
“The dress… I apologize. If it’s alright with you, I can prepare one of my mother’s gowns for you in the meantime… Or no, I’ll send someone to buy one immediately!”
Lily, momentarily dazed as she tried to gauge the size of what she had grabbed, sat quietly, while the Duke, on the verge of losing his mind, watched her.
Her collarbone and the curves of her chest were exposed, dampened by the tea, and she sat there crying, looking pitifully beautiful. He wanted to lick those tears away.
“I’ll take full responsibility, my lady.”
With both of them haunted by visions that blurred their reason, they came to the same decision:
I have to marry this person.
***
“Lily, my dear. Did we push you too hard? If you’re feeling forced, you can still change your mind…!”
“Mom. No, Mother. Can’t you tell just by looking at my face?”
Her parents had originally urged their reluctant daughter just to meet the Duke. But now, she had come back not with an engagement, but with a set wedding date, leaving her parents more and more frazzled by the day.
But Lily herself was healthier and more radiant than ever, simply waiting for the not-too-distant wedding date with excitement.
“We really fell for each other at first sight. I won’t regret it.”
“My dear, you’re still too young and innocent. Marriage isn’t just about appearance, there are so many important things!”
Appearance? Lily could only recall the new book by author K and the weighty left thigh. The Duke’s face? It seemed decently composed, but she couldn’t quite remember it.
They shared hobbies, and he was well-endowed. As for the other elements, couldn’t they just figure them out along the way? Lily Artea flashed an innocent smile, oblivious to her mother’s growing anxiety.
“I have my own standards too, and Duke Ashulin fits them perfectly!”
“Oh dear, I fear we may have ignited too much of a flame in you…”
