Chapter 60
Episode 60
Gunther and Maria returned to the bedroom, hand in hand. As soon as the door closed, Gunther looked at Maria with a boyishly shy expression and said,
"Could you say that again?"
"Huh?"
She had said many things to Gunther, and she didn't know specifically which words he wanted her to repeat.
"That I'm your man..."
His face flushed red.
'Oh, how cute.'
The sight of the large man being so shy that he couldn't finish his sentence seemed incredibly pure.
"Why do you want to hear that again?"
"Oh? That's, well, how should I put it? It makes me feel like I'm loved by you."
'Ha, the feeling of being loved, is it?'
Maria suddenly felt a pang of affection for Gunther. She had only known him as a strong and powerful man, but within him, there was also a vulnerable side, like a tender child craving love and attention. Moreover, since he had never been cared for by his parents like she had, his deprivation must have been even greater. Maria gently wrapped her arms around his neck and said,
"My man, Gunther Paisley. I won't let anyone take you away from me."
Words that sounded good, like an ardent confession. Gunther's eyes shimmered with emotion. And the two felt it simultaneously. Although they hadn't said they loved each other, their feelings were deepening. Soon, their lips met, and their breaths became one. After a long, sweet, and sensual kiss, Maria stepped away from Gunther and turned around.
She turned her back to him and brazenly took off her dress. Soon, Maria's naked body, marked with the Red Dragon, was revealed. Maria wanted to seduce Gunther. Not as Queen Consort Maria, but as his woman, she wanted to look alluring enough. As Maria undid her neatly styled hair, her ashen hair cascaded down, swaying at her waist. Maria silently walked seductively towards the bed. Although she had her back to Gunther, she could feel his gaze intensely heating her body.
"Come here, my man."
Maria lay on her side and called to Gunther. Gunther was greatly aroused by Maria's distinctly different attitude. In public, she was more serious and refined than anyone else. But at this moment, seducing her man, she was terribly lewd and fatal. Gunther's breathing grew rough, and his hands moved urgently to undress. But with Maria's sudden provocation, his mind went blank. As he had done to her in the past, she began to pleasure herself, looking at Gunther with lustful eyes.
"Ah...!"
Maria performed lewd acts that she had never done before, in front of Gunther. She gently caressed herself, sometimes stimulating herself strongly. She knew so well which points on her body were the core of pleasure, and moans escaped her lips at the slightest touch.
Gunther watched Maria pursue her own pleasure and was overcome with even greater excitement than when they were together. Why was this woman beautiful even when doing such things? It was as if a goddess who had finished bathing was enjoying herself on a languid spring day. Then, Maria looked at Gunther with hazy eyes and said softly,
"Now is the time. It's your turn to come inside me."
Without hesitation, Gunther climbed onto the bed and pierced Maria's body, which was even more flushed.
"Ah... Ugh!"
Of course, there was no pain. Like soft but chewy dough, Maria's body was moist and warm. Gunther swirled inside her. He enjoyed Maria's reactions, sometimes surging strongly, sometimes teasingly withdrawing. Then, Gunther stopped for a moment. He was curious to see how Maria would react.
"No, don't leave me like this."
Maria shook her head violently, craving his love. No, her arms were already pulling his neck, clinging to him so that he couldn't pull away from her body. Gunther was embarrassed by his playful behavior, but he trembled with a sense of fulfillment. Soon, Maria got up and changed positions, thrusting Gunther's body deeper inside her. The two ran towards climax, their bodies pressed together in a seated position.
"Huh... Heok!"
A more intense pleasure than ever before struck the two, engulfing them in a bliss they had never reached before. Maria's body arched backward, and her long hair touched the bed. She could only open her mouth, unable to even moan. It was truly the first time she had experienced such physical pleasure. It was the same for Gunther. It was by far the most intense sex he had ever had with Maria.
The two breathed roughly and fell asleep on the bed. They enjoyed the pleasure that surged like ripples, without letting go of each other, and fell into a deep sleep.
Green leaves rustled in the wind, and a cool breeze tickled Maria's golden hair. Her brown eyelashes fluttered. It was hot, so she had taken a nap under a tree, but she felt like someone was watching her. As Maria opened her eyes, a familiar figure came into her blurry vision.
'Mother.'
'Maria, my baby.'
Emma looked lovingly at Maria, who was sleeping with her head on her lap. She touched her daughter's hair and smiled brightly like the spring sunshine.
'Mother, have you come back to my side?'
'What are you talking about? I've always been by your side.'
'Really?'
'Of course.'
At that moment, Maria felt a stomachache.
'Mother, my stomach hurts.'
'I told you to eat sweets in moderation.'
Emma rubbed Maria's stomach, humming a lullaby. When she was young, Emma would rub her stomach with her warm hands when it hurt. Then it would miraculously get better. As the stomachache gradually subsided, Maria closed her eyes again. But after a while, she couldn't feel her mother's touch, so she opened her eyes.
'Mother!'
No matter how much she called, Emma did not reappear, and Maria shouted loudly towards the Duke's residence.
"Mother! Let's go together."
Maria woke up with a start, flustered. The dimly lit bedroom, the ornate ceiling, came into view. And next to her, she could hear the soft, regular breathing. Maria looked at the sleeping Gunther and realized that she had been dreaming. Fortunately, it wasn't a nightmare. Usually, after having a dream, the aftereffects lingered for a long time, but this dream was warm. It was as if something good was about to happen to her. But as much as the joy filled her, so did the regret, and tears finally burst out.
'Mother, Father. I miss you.'
When would she be able to meet her beloved parents? Maria touched her stomach. And she prayed earnestly to God. If her stomach hurt again, she asked that she could actually feel her mother's touch, not just in a dream. It was then. A large hand wiped away the tears flowing down Maria's cheek.
"Did you have a nightmare?"
Gunther, who had woken up at some point, was looking at Maria with a wistful expression.
"Did I wake you?"
"I told you, I don't just see you with my eyes."
It seemed she still didn't believe that all his senses were focused on Maria.
"It wasn't a nightmare."
Maria explained that she had met her mother in her dream and was so happy that she cried. But Gunther surprised Maria with a very unexpected remark.
"Before I met you, I also had dreams sometimes. Most of them were nightmares from my days as a slave, but at some point, I started having different dreams."
"What kind of dreams?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"I believe you."
At her answer, Gunther's expression became quite serious. He thought she wouldn't believe him because it sounded like lip service.
"Maria, I was so happy when I met you in my dreams."
"!?!"
Gunther said that the things they had done together 10 years ago sometimes appeared in his dreams, comforting his weary mind and body. That's how much the memories with her were a source of strength that helped him endure difficult times. But he didn't have the gift of gab, so he didn't know how to express the complex emotions he felt. But Maria seemed to know what he was trying to tell her.
"I know."
"Huh?"
"And I'm happy. That I am a joy to Gunther."
As Maria snuggled into Gunther's arms, he deeply enclosed her within him.
"Damn it! What kind of dog-like situation is this?"
Nora kept venting her frustration alone. To treat Laurent, who deserved to be beaten to death. Even if Nora tried to understand Maria, she couldn't agree with her on this point.
[Nora, the prisoner must be tired from the long journey. Let him rest sufficiently for a week.]
[Yes? So you're saying I shouldn't even put him in prison?]
[Yes, assign him a good room and give him food at the level of a VIP.]
That wasn't all. She was told to give him a bath and even dress him in good clothes. She said it was to compete on an equal footing, but it was too much of a treat for a prisoner. She was only told to monitor him so that he couldn't escape as he pleased. That was obvious, so she would follow it even if she wasn't specifically instructed. But Nora was suspicious of what Maria said at the end.
[Nora, have men attend to Laurent. If possible, young, handsome, and well-built servants.]
"What on earth is she thinking?"
What if she lost in the duel? Nora headed to Laurent's room with a face full of doubt.
Laurent finished bathing while being attended to by young male servants and entered the luxurious bedroom.
"Oh, is she trying to show off to me? That she can eat and live well even if she's not a deposed Empress."
She began to compare the bedroom to the Lastonia Imperial Palace, going around every corner. But the more she compared, the more angry she became. The Lastonia, no, the Landes Imperial Palace, was more expensive in decorations and sculptures, and even just looking at the carpet on the floor, it was so luxurious that it couldn't be compared to other imperial palaces. Even the toilet was made of gold. And the food, most of it was made with high-end ingredients that were said to be difficult to obtain. Some of them were things she had never even eaten before.
"Ah! It's annoying! It's like I sent Maria to heaven instead of hell."