ETDO Chapter 13

Humming a tune, I headed back to the mansion, thinking about giving the lilies to Mrs. Wilson later to decorate the dinner table. Dusk was already falling, signaling the approaching sunset.

The mansion, not yet fully illuminated, was still dim in many places. As I entered through the door, I ran into Arthur, who happened to be standing at the entrance to the garden.

“Arthur! Look at these! Aren’t these lilies beautiful…?”

I immediately ran over to him and started chattering.

“I’m going to put them on the dinner table tonight. They’ll look wonderful, won’t they?”

Arthur’s face, with the mansion behind him, was cast in deep shadow. A slightly husky voice replied.

“Flowers?”

“Yes! It would be nice to put it on the table as decoration, right?”

Smiling brightly, I took a step closer to him.

Why isn’t he answering? 

Normally, Arthur would be smiling and joining in the conversation right away.

Is he tired? 

Only then did I tilt my head and look up at his face which was shrouded in darkness.

Then suddenly, he strode towards me and pulled me tightly into his arms. He pulled me so strongly that I stumbled, falling into his embrace as if I were about to collapse from the force.

Slightly startled by his completely uncharacteristic behavior, I examined his face. Just then, a low voice emanated from him.

“If you are the wife of one of the twins, you should learn to properly recognize your husband first. Otherwise, there’s a high chance that you will accidentally end up in the arms of the wrong man.”

“!”

I gasped, finally realizing who this man was. 

Good heavens! It was Ethan! 

Startled and flustered, I struggled in his arms.

“Ah! I, I’m sorry! It, it was so dark and I couldn’t see well…!”

“Weren’t you trying to seduce me, pretending you mistook me for someone else?”

“What?!”

I was aghast. My wide eyes darted around helplessly, not knowing what to do. I searched his expression, trying to understand Ethan’s intentions, but I couldn’t read anything from his face obscured by the darkness.

“Why, are you curious about fucking your husband’s older brother too? Wondering how similar or different we are?”

Oh my god! 

I was taken aback by his vulgar words. All the blood drained from my face, and my head spun.

Ethan was the epitome of a nobleman. His insane beauty, his manner of speaking, his elegant gestures—everything about him was impeccably perfect. It was unbelievable that a man who seemed to tolerate nothing irregular could speak like a vulgar laborer off the streets.

Of course, Arthur shared those same noble qualities, but Ethan possessed something Arthur lacked. A raw, dangerous, wildness emanated from his entire being akin to a wild beast. He was a man who commanded attention, a man who exuded an air of dominance; that was Ethan.

“How can you say such things…! L-Let me go!”

I struggled more forcefully. But with both my arms full of lilies, I couldn’t struggle effectively. I was completely trapped in Ethan’s embrace. I couldn’t even move my arms properly, let alone push him away.

“Does Arthur satisfy you in bed? Aren’t you curious about how I would be?”

Now I saw that he was a completely insane person. The crazy things he said at the palace were nothing compared to this. He couldn’t be in his right mind, spouting such embarrassing nonsense so casually.

And here I was, trapped and unable to move in the clutches of such a madman. I grew desperate. Turning my embarrassed face away, I struggled and shouted, my heart racing wildly.

“Let, let me go! Quickly!”

However, instead of letting me go, Ethan placed his other arm behind my head and pulled me closer. His lips immediately crashed against mine. Before I could even process what was happening, his tongue had already invaded my mouth.

He ravaged my mouth and then sucked hard on my lower lip. Struggling to get away from him, I desperately pulled my head to the side.

But as soon as my head turned, he nibbled on my neck like a beast and then licked my collarbone. Goosebumps erupted on my skin where his thick, hot tongue touched. Only then did I realize he had deliberately let go of my head, and I began to struggle with all my might.

“Let go of me!”

As if by magic, he released me instantly. I staggered, suddenly free from his grasp. My strength drained and I felt like I might collapse at any moment, but I managed to stay on my feet.

He calmly watched me panting, his face as if nothing had ever happened. His hair was perfectly in place, and his voice, though slightly cold, was composed.

“Just say the word anytime, and I’ll gladly come running.”

Just as I was about to refute, I suddenly heard footsteps approaching. Ethan smirked at my pale face, turned abruptly, and went inside.

Soon, a clear voice cut through the silent air.

“Oh, Duke Berwick! You’re back already. The Duke also arrived a short while ago…”

“I’ve just arrived, Mrs. Wilson.”

He was conversing with Mrs. Wilson as if he were perfectly normal. I stood there dumbfounded, listening to their conversation from afar. It felt as if rusty scrap metal was creaking inside my head.

“Is that so? Have you seen my lady by any chance? She went out that way to cut some flowers before dinner…”

“Hmm, I’m not sure. I haven’t been out to the garden yet.”

Ha! Such brazenness…! 

I was aghast at his shameless reply as if he were a natural-born liar.

Suddenly, a clicking footsteps seemed to be approaching. Only then did I manage to regain my composure and hurriedly pull myself together.

I quickly wiped my lips with the back of my hand and roughly ran my hand through my hair. Before I could even have the time to worry about my flushed face, Mrs. Wilson appeared around the corner just as I removed my hand.

“Oh, madam! You were here? Oh my, heavens! What beautiful lilies!”

Mrs. Wilson approached, beaming. She carefully took the lilies from me as if cradling a baby. I could only awkwardly force a smile in return. 

Don’t show it. Don’t panic. Please.

“Yes, I was just about to come in. I thought they would look nice on the dinner table tonight.”

“Indeed. Then I’ll go and take care of these flowers right away.”

Mrs. Wilson bowed her head slightly and hurried off towards the kitchen.

I took a deep breath, trying to recover from the shock earlier. I shook my head vigorously, trying to forget, but ironically, the scene from moments ago became even more vivid.

The feeling of his tongue, roughly stirring my mouth until I couldn’t breathe. The firmness of his arms, squeezed my waist as if to break it. His hard, muscular body pressed against me, no matter how much I pushed him away. The taut dominating tension overflowed from him. I pressed my hand against my chest, my hand trembling.

‘I must be going crazy…!’

I pressed my hand against my forehead and squeezed my eyes shut.

Ethan was one thing, committing such crazy acts without a second thought, but I was also a problem for being so flustered whenever he did so. This mess wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been so easily swayed by him.

The problem was this… 

He was… how should I put it… like a bad Arthur. 

He had the appearance of the polite, considerate, and upright Arthur, but his actions were the complete opposite – selfish and arrogant, like a bad version of Arthur. Perhaps it was natural since they were twins, but that very aspect was so confusing to me.

How could a person’s nature be so neatly divided in two? 

But right now, they appeared to me like an angel and a devil. The image of Arthur, surrounded by white light with pure white wings, and Ethan, with a dark aura swirling around him, flickered before my eyes.

But the problem was that the devil seemed so wild and sexy. Even the horns on his head, the huge black wings, and the swishing black tail seemed attractive. He was a truly alluring devil, with intense charisma and an insane sexual appeal emanating from his entire body.

Besides the seemingly virtuous and noble, captivating angel, the wicked and seductive devil was smirking down at me. When his bright red tongue sensually licked his red lips, I shook my head vigorously.

‘No!’

This was only happening because Ethan looked so much like Arthur. If it weren’t for that, there would be no reason for me to be so conflicted. It’s normal for anyone to be confused when faced with two people who look so much alike.

I had momentarily mistaken him for Arthur and misjudged the situation. But how could he, of all people, suddenly kiss his own younger brother’s wife? His sense of ethics was questionable.

‘What on earth is the reason for provoking me with such absurd actions?’

Could he be trying to drive me out by making me look like an unfaithful woman? 

The Crown Prince’s words about Ethan doing anything for his younger brother now took on a different meaning.

Suddenly, my heart felt like it was plummeting to the ground. A life separated from Arthur, unable to be with him anymore! The terrifying thought made my breath catch in my throat, and a sharp pain shot through my heart.

I have to be careful. 

Trying to regain my composure, I began to walk. Fear, like the darkness seeping through the cracks beneath my feet, slowly spread, painting my heart black.

But regardless of my true feelings, perhaps due to the aftereffects of the intense physical stimulation he had left behind, my whole body was still trembling. Worried that my lips might already be swollen, I touched them lightly. My mouth and tongue were still tingling.

As I slowly entered the dining room, there were already two people inside. Arthur and Ethan, who had been sitting at opposite ends of the long table, talking, turned to look at me at the same time.