Contract Marriage: Rewritten - Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Translator: Yonnee
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04_Until It Becomes Possible
“Have you calmed down a bit now?”
At the gentle voice, Laniakea nodded. Even so, tears kept welling up, and she had to dab at her eyes with a handkerchief.
Gemma subtly turned her head toward the door Hyperion had exited through.
‘Why did he have to sound so much like he was scolding her at that moment!’
Because she knew Hyperion well, Gemma could guess what kind of feelings he had behind those words.
But Laniakea didn’t. Even as she wiped at her eyes again and again with the handkerchief, Hyperion’s expression from earlier kept flashing through her mind.
She had thought she was used to his imposing presence, but his hardened expression and words had sounded like blame, nothing more.
“I should have endured it better…”
She tried to stay composed, but the way her words broke apart betrayed her.
Gemma shook her head.
“Not at all. It was His Majesty the Emperor’s fault for acting rashly without realizing Your Majesty was in that state.”
At her words, Laniakea looked at her in surprise.
Guessing the reason for her surprise, Gemma gave a polite bow.
“I was terribly late in greeting you, Your Majesty the Empress. My name is Gemma Ensy, and I was His Majesty the Emperor’s attending physician when he was stationed at the border. Thanks to that, I’ve earned the right to speak a little freely before him. I now serve as the chief physician of the Imperial Palace.”
She also informed Laniakea that she had conducted her examination.
“Fortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any significant issues with your body, but is there any deep-seated pain or discomfort?”
Wounds in such areas can’t always be identified by appearance alone. It was best to hear from the patient directly and examine again if needed.
The problem was, due to embarrassment, the patient might not say anything.
So Gemma, with no other choice, spoke to Laniakea in a more serious tone.
“Your Majesty’s body is tied to the future of the Empire. Please don’t feel ashamed. Think of me as a tool beside you to help bring you comfort, and speak freely.”
Then, Gemma spoke firmly.
“Other than myself, my husband who makes the medicines, and His Majesty the Emperor, no one in the Empire will know of Your Majesty’s condition.”
At her words, Laniakea nodded. Her voice and demeanor were trustworthy. At the same time, she gently held Laniakea’s hand, soothing and comforting her.
Laniakea now understood why Hyperion had gone to the effort of calling them from the border, instead of relying on the existing palace physicians.
“It… It still hurts a little. Or rather than pain, I should say it feels kind of sore or numb.”
At her response, Gemma nodded in understanding.
“It’s likely a dull ache commonly felt after the first experience. His Majesty probably forced the penetration, which caused the muscles inside to tense. The inside of our bodies is all muscle as well. If an area that’s never been used is suddenly used, pain can follow.”
As she listened, Laniakea let out a breath of relief.
The persistent throbbing hadn’t been exactly painful, but she’d feared something might be wrong. Hearing that it was muscle pain eased her worries. Her tears had also stopped before she realized it.
“But you were probably very startled, weren’t you?”
“It would be a lie to say no. But more than that… I’m just embarrassed. This is something I should have been prepared for, as the Empress…”
Laniakea thought back to Hyperion.
Before leaving the room, he had looked back at her several times.
Unlike when he shouted, Why didn’t you tell me to stop?! he had looked lost, unsure of what to do.
He must have been embarrassed too.
Among the many things Laniakea had heard were stories of when things didn’t go well in bed.
That the husband was too small, or couldn’t get it up, or climaxed in seconds after barely managing to get hard. Those kinds of stories.
But never had she heard one about it being too big to go through with.
She had heard of it being so good they nearly died, but never the opposite.
“Was it really my fault, then…?”
The thought slipped out as a murmured whisper.
Gemma replied immediately.
“Absolutely not. Today’s incident was His Majesty’s fault, to begin with. But even so, it’s not entirely on him either. The two of you came into this completely unprepared. So…”
Gemma smiled faintly.
“Starting tomorrow, I plan to hold lessons—for the two of you, and for the future of the Empire.”
Her voice grew lower and more secretive.
“I will do everything in my power to ensure that both of you can fully enjoy your nights together.”
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