The Maid and The Usurper - Chapter 0
The sight of her red face, stained with humiliation, was pleasing. A cold hand dug its nails onto his shoulder, but it wasn’t enough to leave even the slightest mark on his hard skin, which could only be pierced by an arrowhead. It was the only time he could dominate her, who had dominated him all day long.
He pressed his lips on her hunched shoulder. Even in the throes of ecstasy, her body had remained cool. Layla’s body temperature was cool, and, honestly, it aroused him like a dog in heat. Unable to control himself, Leopold lightly bit on her delicate shoulder. As her trembling body leaned onto him, he strewed short kisses over where he’d bitten.
“Ah… Count, please stop…”
The amethyst earrings dangling from Layla’s ears swayed, irritating him. It was clear that the young upstart from the Kraft family had tried to impress her with it. He must have subtly flirted, saying her eyes resembled lilacs. Despite his gentlemanly demeanor, his intentions were no different from Michael’s.
What annoyed him the most was that Layla had flaunted the obvious gift from the young Kraft upstart.
“Why don’t you try tightening it a bit more, Layla?”
Their rough breathings intertwined. His spiteful nature wanted to torment Layla like a bee. How dare she flaunt that gentleman’s gift in front of him. He pinched her prominent, plump n**ples with his fingers and twisted, gently rolling her n**ples with his thumbs, stroking from the areola to the n**ple. Leopold, who had been subtly moving his hips at first, suddenly thrust into Layla.
“Ah…”
Layla’s inner walls trembled at the sudden intrusion. Leopold grinned in satisfaction and thrust deeply. Embarrassed by her honest reaction, Layla turned her head away. Leopold liked Layla’s sweet naivety. As she’d turned her head, her elegant and slender nape was exposed, arousing him even more and sending a rush of excitement between his legs.
Facing Layla’s neck, he understood why beasts got excited by the scruffs of their prey. His blue eyes blazed with desire. He lowered his head and brushed his lips on her nape.
She was so beautiful, from her delicate nape flushed red and trembling, to her thick, quivering eyelashes. He knew it was just an excuse, but he couldn’t help but blame the god who had created Layla to whet the sadistic nature of men like him, was also responsible for turning him around and acting despicably.
“You’re still so beautiful, Layla.”
“Stop it… Ahh…”
Leopold flicked his tongue, gently teasing her stiff n**ple. As his tongue swept around the red bud, Layla squeezed her eyes shut, her face flushed crimson with embarrassment at his mischievous torment. Calloused fingers traced her delicate jawline and then pressed against her lips. Leopold pried her slightly parted lips, slipping a finger into her mouth..
“Suck, Layla.”
As she hesitated, Leopold thrust his hips forward. Layla’s small tongue instantly wrapped around his finger. A lusty groan escaped his lips. Knowing Layla was small for him in every way and she struggled to accommodate him, Leopold moved gently as he entered her. He moved slowly and leisurely through her tight opening, and then he pounced deeply.
“Ugh.”
Layla bit down hard on his finger. It should have been painful, but Leopold’s expression didn’t change. His dark blue eyes became hooded. His thrusts became shallow, then he suddenly plunged in, a low growl rumbling in his throat.
He moved like a beast, his solid muscles ripping like boulders. Like a male marking his mate, he moved to imprint a deeper impression. Layla was pinned between his body and the headboard, unable to move. He hugged her tightly, devouring her lips while releasing his c*m. It was a habit he had somewhat grown accustomed to by now.
The end of every act brought about a strange sense of quietude. They relied on each other’s scorching body heat to catch their breath. Leopold hugged Layla’s trembling body in his strong arms. He moved slowly, not withdrawing. Even after e*********n, his body was still raging on the inside. Layla shivered in the afterglow and grabbed the hem of his robe.
Leopold liked the aftermath as much as the prelude. He loved it when Layla trembled and leaned on him. He buried his nose in Layla’s soft skin and brushed his lips against it. Layla let out a whiny moan as his hips moved subtly. With a low chuckle, Leopold slowly withdrew.
“Enough with the grumbling, Layla.”
Leopold playfully nibbled at the delicate skin on Layla’s neck, then scattered small kisses over it. He slowly pulled away, returning to his composed self despite having been somewhat forceful and eager just moments before. Leopold ran a hand through his sweat-drenched bangs, tidied his disheveled clothes, and stood up.
“Wait here, I’ll be right back.”
As always, the cleanup was his responsibility. Though a bit clumsy, he was still meticulous and thorough. Seeing Leopold straighten her clothes often made Layla hope that she still held a place in his heart. Leopold pulled down her skirt, which had ridden up to her waist, and refastened his loosened cuff buttons. As Layla caught her breath and gathered her opened neckline, Leopold watched her while biting on a cigar. When she struggled to tie her dress, he tossed the cigar aside and grabbed the laces.
“Let go. I’ll do it for you.”
Leopold smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the marks that adorned her chest. He traced the reddish marks with his lips while tightening the laces. When he kissed her n**ple and flicked it with his tongue, Layla weakly pushed against his shoulder.
“Stop… ah…”
Leopold bit lightly on Layla’s n**ple, causing her fingertips to tighten. He rubbed his sharp nose against her cleavage, then lightly nipped and sucked on the tender skin in between, leaving a lovebite. Only then did Leopoldvbgf raise his head and fasten her chest strap.
“I left it where it won’t be seen, just as you always beg. Stop whining.”
Leopold lightly kissed Layla’s lips before fully pulling away. His fingers lingered, gently caressing her cheek.
“How considerate of you,” Layla mocked.
Leopold let out a low, pleasant laugh at Layla’s sarcasm and pulled a cigar from the humidor on the table.
“What brings you here?”
He lit the cigar and took a drag, a habitual gesture. Layla tidied her tousled hair, which flowed down her shoulders like a waterfall of moonlight. The dangling earring from that young Kraft upstart still annoyed him greatly.
“What happened at the Privy Council?”
Despite all the money spent, the scouts who should have come running to report were still keeping their mouths shut, leaving him clueless about the situation.
“Did that brat Michael, who can only move the Privy Council President because he’s his uncle, pull some trick?”
Layla clutched her skirt. Leopold tapped his cigar into the ashtray.
“The Holy See has officially requested a dispatch concerning the monster disturbance in the Kingdom of Plourde.”
There was no way this news from the Pope wouldn’t reach his ears. Cardinal Eloise had told him nothing about it.
“Damn Clement II.”
Leopold chewed the end of his cigar. The old man, who was just waiting to die, was still overflowing with thirst for power. He hadn’t given up his habit of collaborating with Baden in his youth, and purging many under the guise of heresy. Now, he seemed to be hastily grabbing Baden’s hand again to restrain the bothersome Cardinal Eloise.
“He asked if I had the ability, as the Duke of Orléans, to protect the borders with Esselbach by land and Hispania by the sea.”
“He wants to challenge your right to succession? A lord who cannot defend their territory is not a lord?”
They dragged up old, almost irrelevant laws. Considering they even brought up contracts written two hundred years ago, customary laws weren’t all that surprising. It was merely an unexpected blunder by Orléans.
“So, they want you to dispatch troops to Plourde?”
Leopold had a rough idea of the situation in Plourde. He suppressed his anger. That bastard was determined to throw Layla into the midst of those swarming monsters. Leopold irritably flicked his cigar.
“What did Michael say? Did the fool offer to help?”
“He said he might be able to reject the Privy Council’s proposal.”
Considering Michael’s treacherous nature, it wasn’t hard to predict what he would demand in return. He was a man with an angelic face harboring sinister thoughts, who ignored his mother’s concerns, and only cared to look at Layla with eyes full of lust.
“Wouldn’t you feel worse if you showed any hesitation to such a proposal?”
Having just extinguished his cigar, Leopold’s strong arm wrapped around Layla’s waist from behind and easily lifted her onto his lap. His lips brushed against the back of her neck. He was still bothered by his half-brother. Whether it was considering him a rival or something connected to Layla, it all bothered him.
“So, what did you decide to do?”
“I told them to send me if they recognize my ability, saying it wouldn’t do to send an incompetent person in response to the Vatican’s request.”
“Damn it. You should have refused that.”
It was an overly diligent response, typical of Layla, who was often described as shrewd. A response that involved walking into danger just to guarantee there would be no talk of his succession rights. Leopold undid the back of Layla’s dress. As he pressed his lips to her neck, he pulled down her dress, letting it slip below her waist from the underdress to the slip.
“Enough of that for now. What about Michael’s offer to get you out of there?”
“I declined.”
“Good move, Layla.”
Her tiny back was covered in ugly scars. From horse whips to belts, the scars varied in type and were the result of malicious beatings. He gritted his teeth as he traced the scars with his hand. Her body, frail and emaciated from lack of proper nourishment, had bones that jutted out starkly. He had no intention of sending such a fragile body to Plourde alone.
“Whatever happens, whether you need something or have a request, come to me first.”
Although he spoke nonchalantly, it was ultimately a plea to Layla. It was a feeling he never wanted her to notice.
