ETDO Chapter 5

Ethan couldn’t take his eyes off her throughout the wedding. Longing followed him like a shadow, fixated on her laughter, her gestures, her various expressions, her breathtaking figure—everything his eyes could follow. And the thought that Arthur would now legally possess all of her made his expression harden.

On the night the newlyweds had their first night together, he, too, couldn’t sleep. He spent a sleepless night, gritting his teeth as he imagined her naked in bed with Arthur.

The next morning, he sat downstairs, his head foggy and unclear. And the moment he saw Lily entering the dining room, he suddenly realized he had to leave this place as soon as possible.

Seeing the red marks clearly engraved on the nape of her neck only strengthened his resolve. If he stayed any longer, he couldn’t guarantee what he might do.

His chest tightened. He sighed unconsciously. 

How could he ever return to them now?

He scoffed at himself. Here he was, already thinking about returning, after fleeing as if he were being chased. It was ridiculous how easily he had lost face, despite his reputation as the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army.

He became lost in thought. As a simple yet clear plan began to form in his mind, a smile bloomed on his sculpted face.

“Hurry up! We’ll return to the unit as quickly as possible!”

At Ethan’s command, the coachman swung his whip, and the carriage began to pick up speed.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Our honeymoon was so sweet, it was practically dripping with honey. Arthur made every effort to finish his ducal duties quickly and return to me.

Thanks to James and Mrs. Wilson, who took over many of Arthur’s responsibilities, mindful of our honeymoon period, we were able to find time for each other even during the day.

Arthur, contrary to his appearance, was incredibly vigorous. He made love to me three or four times every night and seemed to never get tired. To the point where I had to beg him to stop.

However, the physical pleasure given by the man I loved opened up a new realm of joy in my bleak life. I enthusiastically indulged in my newfound hobby every night.

One day, Arthur took me to the enormous library within the ducal estate.

“Wow…! Are all of these books? Oh my…!” 

I gaped, spinning around in place. The building, with a ceiling as high as a cathedral, was filled with tall bookshelves packed with countless books.

Arthur was delighted by my astonishment.

“You can read any book you want, Lily.”

In fact, I had always loved books. Shy and introverted since childhood, I preferred being alone. I’d rather have no friends than endure the discomfort of being around strangers. So, books were my only friends and companions. I enjoyed nothing more than letting my imagination run wild while reading an interesting book.

While living in hiding from debt creditors, I couldn’t even read the books I loved. While taking refuge in shabby inns or farm sheds, I would often promise myself that I would read to my heart’s content if the opportunity ever arose.

So naturally, I welcomed this with open arms. From that day on, I became completely absorbed in the joy of visiting the library.

In a short period of  time, I devoured fascinating animal encyclopedias, history books, novels, and even a few rare romance novels tucked away in a corner as if by mistake.

Then one day, I found a very interesting-looking book in the catalog. 

A book about twins.

I walked over to the bookshelf where the book was located and searched eagerly, but the book was out of reach, so I hopped impatiently.

“What on earth am I supposed to do if it’s so high up?” 

I muttered to myself and jumped in surprise when Arthur suddenly appeared behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He smiled and kissed my forehead playfully.

“Arthur! You scared me!”

“What book are you looking for?”

“I was trying to figure out how to get that book up there, and then you suddenly appeared out of nowhere…”

“You look just like a rabbit when you’re startled. So cute…!”

I burst out laughing at my doting husband. After hugging and kissing me for a while, he finally asked, 

“Which book is it?”

“That one, the brown leather-bound one in the top corner, way up there.” 

I pointed with my finger excitedly. Arthur walked over and read the title aloud.

“‘An In-Depth Study of Twins’?” 

Arthur turned his head to look at me. “You want to read that?”

“Yes! Since my husband is a twin, I’m curious… and I thought there might be some information that could be helpful, so I wanted to take a look.”

“Oh ho! What a thoughtful wife!” Arthur winked. He seemed to think about something for a moment, then approached me and lowered his voice suggestively. “I can get it for you. But in return, Lily has to grant me a favor.”

“A favor?” 

Arthur’s expression turned mischievous, like a playful child.

“After I get the book for you, you have to do whatever I ask. It won’t be too difficult. What do you think?”

Whatever it was, it probably wouldn’t be something too difficult for me to handle. Having made my calculations, I readily agreed happily. 

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

Arthur immediately turned and walked towards the corner. He handed me his cane and climbed up a small ladder. It seemed a bit high even for Arthur, who was tall, but he retrieved the book without difficulty and handed it to me as I cheered with delight.

“Now, it’s your turn to grant my favor.”

I nodded with a smile. 

Arthur pointed to a large red velvet sofa in a secluded corner. It was an ordinary sofa, the kind commonly found in the living rooms of aristocratic mansions, with a high backrest that gradually sloped down to one side.

As I walked over to the seat he gestured to and sat down, Arthur approached.

“Now, you’re going to sit here and read this book aloud to me. But!”

“But?”

“Until I say I’m satisfied. If not, you have to start reading from the beginning.”

That wouldn’t be too difficult, but… what was he planning? 

As I was about to open the book, my eyes widened as I saw Arthur knelt before me.

“I’m telling you again, until I’m satisfied.”

He grabbed my waist and pulled me down.

“Ah!”

“Shh!” 

He winked playfully at my surprised gasp. Because of his pull, my body ended up precariously hanging on the sofa, my bottom only half on the seat.

In that moment, Arthur’s long, white fingers swiftly lifted my dress. I stared blankly as he reached for my thin undergarments, then, startled, I grabbed his large, firm hand.

“A-Arthur? Are you really… right now…?”

He whispered with a mischievous grin, 

“My wife, you have to keep your promise, right? Start reading aloud.”

“B-But here… what if someone comes…?” 

I stammered, looking around nervously and glancing at the railing. The Duke’s library had a duplex structure.

We were currently on the second floor, so we weren’t directly visible from below, but the space was open enough that anyone could easily hear if I moaned.

“Come on, Lily. You promised me.”

“Arthur, please…” 

I pleaded with a troubled expression, but Arthur’s expression remained unchanged. He kissed my lips lightly and whispered, 

“Lily, don’t you love me?”

I was startled. I immediately cupped his face in my hands, turning it towards me, and met his sparkling blue eyes.

“Wh-What are you talking about? Arthur, you know how much I love you.”

“Then let me do this. You promised earlier.” 

Arthur whispered, showering my cheeks and lips with kisses. His warm lips and heated breath tickled my skin. His distinctive musky scent, slightly bitter, grew stronger.

His large hand trailed from my neck to my chest, and gradually moved downward. His touch, caressing my buttocks and pulling me closer by the waist, carried a blatant demand.

Speechless, I just stared at him blankly and blinked. 

It’s true I had made a promise. But this wasn’t the bedroom. 

Troubled, my face fell again.

“Lily…” 

A languid, yet excited moan escaped his lips. His hot breath and sighs urged me on.

Finally, I couldn’t help but nod at the sight of him sitting there, like a large dog waiting for my permission. He smiled brightly, snatched the book from my hand, opened it randomly, and placed it back in my grasp.

Staring at him expressionlessly, I finally lowered my gaze. The letters didn’t register in my mind at all, but I cleared my throat and tried to focus. After a moment of hesitation, I reluctantly began to read slowly.

“Since ancient times, twins have been perceived as ominous beings, and many people believed they brought misfortune. It was believed that those with identical appearances were conceived by wolves or demons…”

As I reluctantly read aloud in a low voice, Arthur pulled down my undergarments. The small piece of fabric fell to the floor silently.

He slowly parted my legs with his hands. As the cool air touched my intimate skin, I shivered involuntarily.

“…believed to share the same soul… Ah!”

I gasped in surprise as he buried his face against my vagina and slowly licked upwards. His soft, warm tongue, in stark contrast to the cool air of the library, enveloped my sensitive nub in an instant.