The Unlikely Imprint of the Villainess and the Male Lead - Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Translator: Yonnee
—
“!”
Chu— chu—
Just as a bird pecks with its beak, Richt brushed away the traces of saliva with gentle kisses, then lifted Luciana effortlessly before she had a chance to push him away.
“Kyaah!”
He headed straight toward the large bed where they had spent their previous night together.
“Y-Your Grace, wait…! Just calm down for a moment, please!”
The moment Luciana was laid on the bed, she waved her hands frantically as Richt, with surprising speed, began unbuttoning his shirt.
“I can’t. I can’t hold back any longer.”
There was no pretense in his words. Richt’s usually smooth, pleasant voice was rough, frayed by the strain of his prolonged restraint.
The intense gaze fixed on Luciana’s disheveled figure, and the heavy rise and fall of his exposed chest, showed just how close he was to his breaking point.
With a final tug, the last button came undone, and his white shirt fell away like shed skin.
“Luciana.”
His voice, as soft as honey rolling over a piece of candy, and his hand, pushing her legs apart gently, were unrelenting.
“Mmnh!”
His shadow loomed over her as his taut body lowered, finally covering her completely, like a ravenous beast revealing its inner hunger.
When his lips began to trail down her neck, Luciana covered her mouth with both hands to stifle a shuddering gasp.
Each place he touched seemed to erase the words floating in her mind, one by one, until there was nothing left but the clear sensation of his touch.
In the end, Luciana was helplessly drawn into the thick darkness.
* * *
“Ugh…”
Cold… and sore.
Awakened by a slight chill and a dull ache, Luciana slowly opened her eyes.
“!”
The familiar feel of bare skin beneath the soft sheets…
When she opened her eyes, she found herself greeted by the familiar sight of Richt’s upper body, just like that morning when she had first woken up in his bed.
‘Ah…’
Luciana bit her lip hard enough to feel the sting.
Unlike the night of the ball, she hadn’t had the numbing effect of alcohol to dull her senses, and as soon as she regained her composure, memories of the long night began flooding back.
‘…Not once did he act like a madman.’
Luciana looked at the sleeping duke with a face burdened by conflicting emotions.
Throughout the night, Richt had remained consistently gentle.
If not for the unusual circumstances binding them, it would have looked as if they were simply two lovers, sharing an intimate night together. There had been no hint of violence or aggression from him.
‘Maybe because he’s the male lead. How could anyone be so…’
Remembering how she had cried unabashedly last night, Luciana blushed deeply. Since she was now fully aware, every moment—from start to finish—remained vividly etched in her mind.
Although she had initially tried to keep her wits about her, she had eventually surrendered to the accumulating sensations.
‘No use thinking about what’s already done. Dwelling on it will only make things more complicated.’
Every single moment with Richt—who had seemed entirely like a man in love—still left her heart fluttering when she recalled it, as if he were breathing life into her memory.
Even now, it was the same.
Just like that first morning, Richt had held her tightly in his sleep, as if she were precious to him.
Recognizing their situation only made the warmth encircling her feel even more blatant.
‘I need to stop lying here like this, get dressed, and leave.’
Judging by the dim light around her, it was still early morning. Just as Luciana was carefully shifting to pull herself free—
“……!”
She suddenly felt a strange presence and looked up, only to find herself staring into a pair of sleepy, crimson eyes.
‘Ugh, we’re so close.’
His drowsy eyes, staring intently at her, looked as if he were a puppy gazing affectionately at its owner.
‘Should I say something…?’
It wasn’t exactly the moment to casually wish him a ‘Good morning’, yet it felt awkward to ignore him completely now that they’d locked eyes. But smiling and asking how he slept didn’t seem right, either.
Slam!
Perhaps it was fortunate that Luciana’s dilemma didn’t last long.
“Ah!”
The blanket slipped slightly, revealing her pale skin, which immediately jolted Richt awake.
In an instant, he pushed Luciana away with an icy expression, his gaze no longer clouded by drowsiness.
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