ETDO Chapter 19

I buried my face in the fluffy pillow and inhaled deeply. The fresh bedding the maid had laid out this morning smelled of warm sunshine.

As I rolled over, wrapping the soft blanket tightly around myself, the empty space beside me caught my eye. Since our marriage, we had never been apart like this.

The absence of Arthur, who was always within reach, hit me hard. I gently stroked the spot where he usually lay.

‘I miss you…’

A sigh escaped my lips. 

I wished my husband were lying next to me, holding me tight. 

I wished he were kissing me all over. 

And then, I wished he were inside me…!

My face flushed at the thought. Imagining his toned, muscular body moving above me sent a wave of heat through me, and I buried my face deeper into the blankets.

I longed for Arthur’s body, his warmth, and the passionate moments we shared. Sighing, I crossed my legs and tossed and turned restlessly. I had to admit that I wanted to have sex with him right now.

We hadn’t slept apart once since we got married. We always went to bed together, and every night, we passionately explored each other’s bodies. By the time Arthur was satisfied, I was usually exhausted and fell asleep immediately.

That was why I had never been this wide awake before. I must have had too much energy. That’s why it felt so strange to be lying here alone, trying to fall asleep.

As I pictured Arthur’s handsome face, the image of another cool, handsome man with the same features automatically appeared in my mind. I shook my head vigorously, startled.

“I must be crazy. Why am I thinking about him?”

I clicked my tongue, chiding myself. Just because they looked alike didn’t mean Ethan was Arthur.

After Arthur’s hasty departure, I hadn’t seen Ethan for two days. I wasn’t particularly concerned; I just assumed he was busy. I was rather relieved not to run into him.

When would Arthur return? I felt like I would be bursting with frustration by then. We were still newlyweds. I missed his touch, but I didn’t want to relieve this desire on my own.

“Oh my, how could I possibly do such a thing…?”

I mumbled to myself, rubbing my flushed cheeks. When Arthur would passionately pursue me every night, it often felt overwhelming, but now I already felt empty. I must have gotten used to it. Or had I become a woman who couldn’t live without sex?

Perhaps because I was feeling uneasy being alone, all sorts of useless thoughts bombarded my mind. I rolled around restlessly, the blanket wrapped around my legs.

The rain, which I thought would stop soon, started pouring down even harder in the afternoon. As night fell, a fairly strong gust of wind rattled the windows, accompanied by heavy rain.

The rumbling sound of thunder grew closer as if a storm were about to break. It must be difficult for him to travel around and inspect things in this weather. Were his legs alright?

Was it raining there like it was here? 

I sighed, worried about Arthur, who never left my thoughts.

‘I guess I won’t be falling asleep quickly tonight either…’

I must have tossed and turned for a long time. 

How much time had passed? 

I had just drifted off to a light sleep when…

Click!

It was a very faint sound, barely audible. As if deliberately trying not to wake me, it was extremely cautious. Like Arthur’s movements when he would try to leave the room as quietly as possible at dawn while I was still asleep.

I couldn’t tell if the sound was real or part of a dream. I tried to focus on my senses, but everything felt hazy. I tried to open my heavy eyelids, but it was no use. My body felt increasingly heavy as if I were being sucked deeper into the bed.

Then, the bed dipped slightly as if someone had sat down, and a cool hand brushed against my forehead. Long, firm fingers gently brushed my hair, tucking the stray strands behind my ear.

The hand moved past my temples, caressing my jawline. It trailed down my neck, then grazed my bare shoulder, brushing against the nightgown covering my chest. Soft lips touched my shoulder.

“Mmm…”

The hand pulled down the strap of the negligee from my shoulder. A soft tongue licked my skin. The hot, thick tongue moved from the curve of my shoulder, lightly licking the hollow of my armpit, then slowly descended towards my breast.

The gentle caress felt pleasant. I wanted to open my eyes, but my whole body was limp and heavy like a wet rag. The lure of the sweet sleep that had just come over me refused to let go. The desire to keep sleeping and the desire to feel more of the pleasurable touch battled fiercely in my mind.

This familiar touch, the scent of musk. 

Arthur must have returned. 

Filled with a sense of welcome, I wiggled my toes under the covers.

A firm hand pulled my negligee down further. Before I could feel the cool night air against my bare skin, a warm hand cupped my breast.

Arthur. Just as I murmured his name, my voice barely a whisper, the taut peak was sucked into a warm mouth.

‘Ahh…!’

A hot, wet tongue slowly circled my nipple. The moist heat gently swirled around the sensitive, erect nub like a snake swimming through water. The pink peaks, swollen between his tightly grasping fingers, were drawn into his hot mouth one after the other. The familiar pleasure sent shivers down between my legs.

My body, now attuned to his touch, writhed slowly under the covers, yearning for more stimulation. My back arched, trying to press my breast deeper into his mouth.

“Mmm… Arthur…”

Suddenly, the movement stopped. The tongue, which had paused for a moment, resumed its slow licking of my breast, then trailed up my neck to behind my ear. Everywhere he licked and sucked, shivers ran through me, raising goosebumps down my spine.

“Lily…”

A low, deep voice tickled my ear. His tongue teased my earlobe, then slipped inside. I struggled to open my heavy eyelids. A smile spread across my face involuntarily. 

I missed you.

“Do you recognize me?”

Outside, the heavy rain continued, and the low rumble of thunder drew closer. In the dim light, the prone figure above me raised his upper body slightly. A large man’s body pressed down on me, and he commanded in a low voice.

“Open your eyes, Lily.”

I blinked.

Golden hair cascaded down over the forehead of the man leaning over me. Two blue eyes stared down at me intensely in the darkness.

I was still drowsy, not fully awake. I smiled at him, and he grinned back. Just then, a flash of lightning split the darkness of the bedroom.

Crack!

And immediately afterward, a deafening clap of thunder followed. It was a sound so loud that shook the ground, enough to jolt me fully awake. Another flash of white light followed the sound.

For some reason, I flinched as I looked at the face staring down at me. All traces of sleep vanished instantly.

And in that brief flash of light, I saw the distinct upward curve of his right lip. My breath caught in my throat.

‘…You?!’

The image of another man with the same face, wearing the same smile, flashed through my mind. As another flash of white light illuminated the room, realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. As if to solidify the shocking truth I didn’t want to believe, another deafening clap of thunder followed immediately.

Crack! Boom!

“You recognize me now.”

My whole body froze like an animal slowly paralyzed by a venomous sting.

Before I could react, my hands were seized in his large grasp. His grip was like steel, immobilizing me completely. Panic surged through me, and I struggled with all my might.

“Let, let go of me!”

You idiot! You fool! 

I was furious at my own stupidity. 

They’re twins, you idiot! 

How could I forget the most important thing and be lulled into a false sense of security just because they have the same face?!

The rumbling thunder echoed my despair.

Outside, the fierce wind howled, shaking the trees, and heavy rain pounded against the roof and windows. It was so loud that I wondered how I could have possibly fallen asleep.

“Now, now! Calm down, Lily…!”

Eden chuckled, that wicked, knowing smile playing on his lips.

“Remember what I said about us liking the same things?”

“Ethan! Please, let me go. You… you can’t do this!”

My voice trembled, and my heart pounded frantically. 

Why had I completely forgotten about this hyena lurking around me? 

Oh, God! Please, make him come to his senses!

“Ethan! Think of Arthur, think of Arthur. If your brother finds out about this…!”

“Oh, Arthur. My brother. The righteous and upright Duke Beaufort, admired by all, the best in the Empire.”

He spouted flowery words in an exaggerated tone as if reciting lines from a play.

“Please, Ethan, don’t do anything that would hurt Arthur. P-Please, let go of me first…”

Ethan cut me off mid-sentence, my pleas for mercy lost in a gasp.

“Arthur is the same as me. Not one bit different. You must never forget that, Lily.”

What nonsense! 

Arthur wasn’t a crazy bastard like you! 

Arthur was much more gentlemanly, kind…!

He smirked, looking down at me.

“Were you waiting for Arthur?”

His face, identical to my husband’s, stared down at me with a strange glint in his eyes.

I quickly nodded. It was true, and I had to seize any opportunity to escape this situation, even if it meant appealing to his sense of morality.

“Of course, you were.”

He chuckled. Lightning flashed again, illuminating our faces.

“But as you can see, the person here right now isn’t your husband.”