The Unlikely Imprint of the Villainess and the Male Lead - Chapter 40 - [ Illustration ]

Chapter 40

Translator: Yonnee

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Every time Luciana’s shoulders trembled, her toes curled as well, and her body temperature rose rapidly as if she were running a fever.

“Don’t push me away.”

“……!”

As Luciana instinctively tried to pull back, Richt grabbed her retreating hands and pressed his lips against hers, almost as if marking her.

His kiss, contrary to his usual cold demeanor, was warm and soft.

“Ah…”

This wasn’t right.

Luciana let out a soft sigh, biting her lower lip in bewilderment.

Right now, Richt wasn’t acting like a beast consumed by his rut—he felt more like a man wholeheartedly surrendering himself to a woman.

His crimson eyes, locked on her, radiated a heat that was unmistakable, even in the darkness.

And the more his eyes burned with intensity, the more Luciana’s heart raced uncontrollably.

No matter how much she tried to remind herself that he wasn’t hers, the sight of his handsome face, now resolute in seducing her, kept catching her attention.

To make things worse, the strange tension of the dark bedroom only added to the thick atmosphere, making it more intense with every second. And Richt seemed to sense this too.

His gaze darkened as he gently cupped Luciana’s flushed cheeks, his fingers lightly brushing the edges of her eyes in a teasing manner.

“Luciana.”

“……”

“Lucy.”

“That’s…!”

No one, aside from her family, had ever called her by that special nickname before. And now, hearing Richt utter it so casually, Luciana’s face flushed crimson, and she recoiled in shock.

“What? Am I not allowed to call you that?”

“It’s just…”

“Hmm?”

As the crackling sound of the fireplace filled the room, Richt’s face inched closer.

‘This isn’t right. He may look composed, but he’s clearly not in a state of reason.’

Looking deeper into those red eyes, Luciana saw not clarity, but an abyss—dark and deep, like a silent void.

“!”

The moment she realized this, she felt as though she was being swallowed into an endless pit.

Frightened, Luciana gripped the magical device in her hand, but Richt was quicker.

“You won’t need this anymore.”

“Wait…!”

Seeing how she seemed ready to flee only heightened his sense of urgency. Like a trap snapping shut around its prey, Richt snatched the artifact from her hand and bent down.

Ah…!

Before she could react, their lips met.

A slick, moist sensation slid between her parted lips, like a snake slithering through wet earth. His tongue, coiling around hers, slid over the soft membranes inside her mouth, sending chills down her spine as if she had been pulled from water.

Richt kissed her with the intensity of parched soil soaking in long-awaited rain, deeply and without pause.

As his need intensified, he pulled her closer, her soft body pressing against him through the thin fabric of her chemise. The clarity of that moment overwhelmed Richt, making him let out a distant, desperate sigh.

The deeper their entanglement became, the more his scent filled her senses, swirling inside her like a storm. Amidst the frantic movement, unswallowed saliva trickled from her lips, and Luciana, overcome by the heat invading her mouth, forgot how to breathe.

Though he wasn’t trying to hurt her, she had the overwhelming urge to escape. Struggling weakly in his muscular embrace, she squirmed, unsure of what exactly she was trying to flee from.

Nngh… Please…

Her flushed eyes, tinged red as if soaked in paint, reflected her shock. She had never imagined her body could feel this way.

Every time his large hands trailed over her skin as if leaving marks, a swirl of sensations flowed through her delicate nerves.

“Haah!”

The kiss that had started in a moment only ended when Luciana, breathless, weakly hit his solid chest, bringing it to a halt.

“Your lips are a mess.”

Half-lidded crimson eyes dropped to her swollen lips, glistening under the low light.

It had only been a brief bite, and yet they were already plump.

Richt’s usually stiff head, which had never bowed to anyone, now naturally tilted downward, his eyes fixed solely on her.

t/n: hooooo booooyyy this illustration was the number one reason i decided to pick up this novel ohohoho