Prologue. A Husband’s Duty

Grace lay on the bed, dressed in a thin negligee. The night was deep, but sleep did not come easily.

If only she could at least fall asleep. But drowsiness, ever so cruel, refused to arrive on time and dawdled instead.

Just then, the sound of measured footsteps echoed from the hallway. As if triggered by that signal, Grace instinctively tensed her shoulders.

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Her husband was coming.

The moment she realized it, she felt a strange tingling sensation deep in her lower abdomen. But it wasn’t just the sweetness of newlywed life.

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Grace still didn’t quite know how to treat her husband, Alexis.

To the public, the Duke and Duchess of Václav were known as a loving couple. But in reality, their marriage was nothing more than a display—a show-window marriage.

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No, it had been.

At least, until she had reprimanded him to fulfill his duties as a husband. Until then, they had been nothing more than complete strangers, bound only by their wedding vows.

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But now…

‘Please, just let tonight pass quietly.’

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But contrary to her wish, the footsteps stopped precisely in front of Grace’s bedroom. A short, concise knock soon followed—so much like its owner.

Faced with the inevitable pleasure, Grace exhaled a breath, almost like a sigh.

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“Come in.”

She had no right to refuse. Since she had demanded that he fulfill his duty as a husband, she, too, was now bound to fulfill her duty as a wife.

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At her permission, the door swung open. The man standing in the doorway, tall and striking, was none other than her husband—the ever-busy Duke of Václav and a key figure of the Ecleon Empire.

Alexis didn’t step into the room right away. Instead, he halted at the threshold, locking eyes with Grace.

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Even under the bright corridor lights, his beauty was undiminished.

No, if anything, the light only served to enhance it, casting an almost divine glow around him.

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The first thing that caught the eye was the Václav family’s signature platinum hair, shimmering like silver under the light. Then, there were those deep crimson eyes, gazing at her as if he meant to devour her whole.

The moment their eyes met, Grace froze as if her very soul had been stolen. She couldn’t escape his gaze. Not before, not now—never.

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After a brief pause, Alexis, still leaning casually against the doorframe, spoke.

“You’re still awake.”

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“I was just about to sleep.”

“That would’ve been a shame.”

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Alexis let out a quiet chuckle, running a hand through his still-damp hair. He had likely just finished his work and taken a bath.

Then, in a languid voice, he murmured,

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“Well, my dear wife, you never could sleep without being in my arms.”

“When did I ever…?!”

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“You must have missed me terribly. Staying awake in such attire at this hour.”

It was just a nightgown. Nothing more. But the way he said it made Grace’s face flush as if she had committed some terrible wrongdoing.

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Alexis’s gaze darkened even further at the sight. His eyes alone made her feel as though she was being completely undone, and she fidgeted with her fingers in discomfort.

“Close the door first. Someone might overhear us.”

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Her voice carried a note of reproach, but Alexis merely smirked. Strangely, whenever she acted submissively like this, it only made him more defiant.

“Hurry.”

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Grace’s voice was calm, trying to reason with him. But the more she tried, the more stubborn he became. He shot her a lazy, arrogant look and countered,

“Is there really a need for that? Everyone in this estate already knows we tumble in bed together every night.”

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“Alexis. Please…”

At her pleading tone, Alexis’s voice turned even more commanding.

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“If you want the door closed so badly, why don’t you come and do it yourself?”

Grace rose from the bed and made her way toward the door. She knew all too well that arguing with him would only prolong this exchange. If giving in was the fastest way to end the conversation, then so be it.

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Their broken marriage was only growing more twisted. A relationship held together not by love or consideration, but by coercion, could only drive them further apart with time.

Just as she reached out to grab his hand—

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“Ah—”

Alexis suddenly pulled her in, causing Grace to fall into his arms. His body was fresh from a bath, carrying the crisp scent of soap.

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For a fleeting moment, the familiar fragrance made her lower her guard. But then, his next words rudely snapped her back to reality.

“Couldn’t wait any longer, could you? Seems you were too impatient to make it all the way to the bed.”

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It was crude, deliberately offensive. He always made remarks like this whenever he held her—taunting words meant to provoke.

He knew she despised it. And yet, he did it anyway.

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As if protesting this marriage itself, Alexis would embrace her mercilessly, dragging her down with him—scratching, mocking, and using her to vent his own frustrations.

“You were the one who—mmph!”

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Before she could finish, he silenced her.

Grace’s lips, poised to protest, were mercilessly swallowed by Alexis.

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As if he had been waiting for her to come closer, he dove in without hesitation, claiming her without restraint.

A crisp, refreshing scent lingered on his lips. His hot, pliant tongue invaded her mouth, exploring it at will.

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Her breath grew ragged. As she panted, her chest rose and fell beneath the thin negligee.

Noticing this, Alexis let out a low murmur, his hands roughly kneading her soft curves.

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“And yet, you still insist you don’t want this?”

“Ah… hnn…”

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“If you don’t answer properly, I’ll take you right here. Is that what you want?”

At Alexis’s warning, Grace trembled and gave a small nod.

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“Please… just close the door…”

Her eyes burned with humiliation, tears welling up at the corners.

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Just as he said, her body had already grown far too accustomed to him. Now, even a mere kiss sent tingling sensations racing through her nerves.

She shuddered at the unfamiliar changes betraying her own will.

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And yet, she couldn’t push him away.

Because if she did—if she gave him a reason—she feared their fragile marriage would shatter completely beyond repair.

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She no longer wanted to be treated like a mere servant.

Even if their marriage had begun for reasons different from others, Grace still wanted to protect this home.

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It had been her wish from the moment she decided to marry him.

Because to Grace, the concept of family—of having a place to belong—meant everything.

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“Alexis, please… let’s go inside.”

Alexis looked down at her, leaning against him, pleading.

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Her breath came in shallow gasps, and her flushed cheeks—perhaps from embarrassment or something else—felt oddly seductive to him.

“…Ha.”

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Alexis clicked his tongue lowly, feeling the heat pool deep within him.

Ridiculously enough, for a fleeting moment, he thought she was inviting him inside—into her.

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Even though he knew that wasn’t what she meant.

And yet, because it was Grace saying it, it felt that way all the same.

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It had always been like this.

There was something about the way she spoke, something unintentionally sultry, that twisted inside him—urging him to act on impulse.

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Just like this marriage.

“…This is driving me insane.”

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Before he knew it, despite his own conflicted emotions, the weight in his lower body grew heavy—aching with an unbearable tightness.

If he left it like this, the tension would become impossible to endure.

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Grace must have sensed his change, her gaze wavering slightly. And yet, she neither rejected nor attempted to escape him. That alone was amusing.

“As you command.”

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With those words, Alexis shut the door and, in the same motion, lifted Grace into his arms.

In a single stride, he reached the bed, pressing her down beneath him.

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Then, without hesitation, he trailed his lips down, biting and claiming every inch of exposed skin—devouring her completely.

Alexis’s gaze roamed over Grace’s reddened skin, admiring the marks he had left with satisfaction before settling on the soft, rising mounds before him.

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Her full breasts, already standing taut with sensitivity, seemed to demand his attention.

Using just his fingertips, he traced over the hardened peaks, teasing them with slow, deliberate strokes, a wicked smile tugging at his lips.

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Grace felt her breath hitch at that smile.

That dangerously beautiful man—he was utterly captivating, as if casting a spell over her.

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“Ah…”

As Alexis playfully twisted the sensitive peak between his fingers, Grace let out a low moan.

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Then, as if to tease her further, he pressed his lower body firmly against hers.

Even just the friction—merely rubbing against her—was enough to send sparks of pleasure coursing through her body, numbing her thoughts.

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And this was nothing compared to what was yet to come.

“Haa…”

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Alexis exhaled heatedly against her ear, his breath heavy with arousal as he absentmindedly toyed with strands of her honey-colored hair.

“Ah… it hurts…”

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Grace tilted her head, her body instinctively shifting beneath him.

The movement caused her breasts to bounce slightly, the friction between them intensifying.

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Alexis swallowed hard, stifling a groan.

“Tch…”

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A sudden, unexpected movement.

Grace looked utterly unaware of what she was doing, her expression innocent despite her body’s reaction.

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Alexis gazed down at his wife, his eyes dark with desire, drinking in the sight of her becoming more undone beneath him.

“So impatient, aren’t we?”

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“Ah… hnn!”

Grace Helio.

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The eldest daughter of the Helio Count family, rulers of the western Helio territory—now the mistress of the Václav duchy.

Once the darling of high society, she had plummeted from grace the moment she became entangled with him.

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And yet, through their marriage, she had clawed her way back, resurrected in the eyes of the aristocracy.

She had a peculiar talent—one that drove men insane.

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That innocent face, coupled with the most indecent words, was enough to unravel even the most restrained.

The contradiction only served to provoke Alexis further, his arousal swelling painfully in response.

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Grace gasped, breath hitching as she felt his growing need against her.

“T-Today, please… be gentle…”

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After driving him to the brink of madness, she dared to make such an innocent request.

Alexis let out an incredulous scoff.

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He had no choice but to admit it—this was the same woman who had marched into his chambers that night, demanding he fulfill his duty as her husband. And yet, she had been anything but innocent.

But more than that, Alexis had come to recognize the depth of his own desires.

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He had foolishly assumed that after one night, his lust for her would subside.

Yet, every time he saw her, it surged uncontrollably, no longer something he could rein in.

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Day or night, whenever they were alone, he would taunt her with lewd words, mock her, and then claim her—curious to see when she would finally break, when she would surrender.

And yet, as time passed, it wasn’t Grace who was losing control.

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It was him.

“How ridiculous.”

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“Hnn…”

“Truth be told, don’t you prefer it rough?”

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“N-No…!”

“No?” Alexis smirked, pressing against her with deliberate slowness.

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“Then how do you explain this—how you’re already rubbing against me like you want more?”

“St-Stop… Ah, ahh…!”

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Grace writhed beneath him, as if instinctively anticipating the pleasure to come. The more she moved, the more the heat between them intensified.

Fueled by that reaction, Alexis pressed his lips to the curve of her ear, his voice a devilish whisper.

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“I’m merely fulfilling the duty you seem to enjoy so much as a husband. So shouldn’t you, in turn, fulfill yours as a wife?”

 

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