IYAMD 184

It wasn’t until much later that the two of them finally managed to get some time alone.

After returning to the palace and having dinner with the children, they were finally left by themselves, but only after receiving a promise from the twins that they would sleep in their own palace tonight.

Naturally, a barrage of questions from the kids had preceded that. When they demanded to know why they couldn’t stay when they had slept together just last night, Marsilia had been the one to answer.

“You must sleep in your own bedrooms. Constantly moving around from bed to bed goes against palace etiquette.”

The twins looked displeased, but they didn’t push any further. After making them solemnly cross their pinky fingers to seal the promise, they likely wouldn’t be making an unannounced visit tonight, at least.

While Marsilia stepped away briefly to receive an official report, Jaha went ahead and bathed. When the man returned shortly after, his eyes were clouded with disappointment.

“You couldn’t wait even that short moment and bathed without me?”

“I felt sticky after spending the whole day outside.”

Marsilia grumbled as he kissed Jaha’s damp hair.

“You really don’t understand a man’s heart.”

“What are you even talking about?”

Jaha coldly pulled his hair from the man’s grasp and pushed him away.

“Just go wash up quickly, before I fall asleep without you.”

He didn’t actually intend to sleep, but he spoke curtly because of embarrassment.

As a man himself, how could he not know? He had noticed Marsilia’s desire to indulge in certain activities while bathing.

But he still felt self-conscious about making love anywhere other than the bed. He disliked the bathhouse even more because of the way sound echoed there.

Even if they dismissed the servants, everyone knew they would still be waiting right outside the doors, yet he intended to do such a thing right there.

Does that man really have no shame?

A mischievous smile played the lips of the man staring at him. When he realized that Marsilia was looking at his reddening ears, Jaha quickly covered them with his hands.

“I told you to go wash up already.”

“Alright. Don’t fall asleep until I return, my shy love.”

The way he winked and laughed was irritating. Jaha stared at the door through which Marsilia had vanished before slipping beneath the covers alone.

Just to spite him, I should fall asleep first.

With that thought, he closed his eyes, but his mind only grew clearer as time ticked away. His body began to feel progressively warmer, as if the heat that had accumulated in his ears had flowed downwards.

Moreover, whenever he caught an inkling of Marsilia’s presence nearby, he felt as though he was getting short of breath.

Ultimately, Jaha sat up and hugged his knees, staring at the door. Even though he knew the man hadn’t finished yet, staring at it made it feel as though Marsilia might appear at any second.

But Marsilia remained in the bathhouse. Jaha pouted and muttered at the man’s [visit our site]more relaxed attitude than usual.

“Hurry up, you idiot. Before I really fall asleep.”

When the man finally appeared much later, a bright smile already graced his face as he pushed the door. He had no intention of hiding that he had taken his time on purpose.

As soon as he saw that expression, Jaha felt a sudden urge to hit his pressure points.

Should I just leave him standing in front of the bed and sleep alone?

“You look like you’re plotting something wicked.”

“I am.”

“What are you thinking about?”

The man approached while slowly untying the sash of his robe. Jaha’s eyes traced the lines of muscle as he replied calmly,

“I was thinking about banning you from the bed.”

As Marsilia drew closer and the robe parted further, his mouth went parched. His heart pounded as if it wanted to make its presence known.

“If you do that again, I might really get angry.”

“Hmph.”

Jaha scoffed and turned his head away, determined not to look, as watching him only made his throat grow drier. In any case, it would be difficult to hide his condition since that man was likely already hearing his heart beating fast.

And Jaha, too, could hear the accelerating rhythm of Marsilia’s heart. He was not his usual self either.

Jaha bit his lip to hide the corners of his mouth that threatened to rise. He was determined to hide it, as smiling would only make the man more arrogant.

The rustle of the robe hitting the floor echoed softly. The man lifted the blanket and slid inside.

“Jaha.”

The voice ringing in his ear was lower than usual. The sound of saliva being swallowed and the breath visit our sitehe exhaled tickled his ears.

Marsilia pulled Jaha into his arms. The man, who had an exceptionally high body temperature, had become even hotter after soaking in a warm bath. Jaha’s eyes closed due to the body temperature.

Jaha sighed as he felt the smooth skin distinctly even through his thin clothing.

Is there any point in pretending to be angry now?

Jaha opened his mouth and scrunched up his nose at the man’s breath felt right in front of him.

“You’re annoying.”

“Why?”

“Because you look so relaxed.”

Haha. Jaha bit the lip of the man who was laughing and wrapped his arms around his neck. The moment their tongues intertwined, and the man compliantly followed his lead, Jaha’s annoyance melted away like snow.

Affection id a strange thing. There are times visit our sitewhen you get annoyed because you like someone, but then you see how easily you let go of that annoyance.

Perhaps this was proof of how comfortable he had grown around Marsilia. Just as the man acted like a spoiled child with him, Jaha might secretly want to do the same.

Judging by how easily his heart fluttered compared to how he felt around anyone else, it had to be true. Well, just because Marsilia tolerated his moods didn’t mean Jaha threw tantrums.

For just as Marsilia treasured him, the man was equally precious to Jaha.

Thus, maintaining a proper balance was a crucial skill in a relationship.

When Jaha chuckled against his lips, Marsilia lifted his forehead and pulled back slightly.

“Why are you laughing?”

Jaha closed the distance the man had just created.

“Because you’re cute.”

Suspicion flickered across the man’s face, but Jaha decided to act brazenly.

“Because I love you so much.”

Only then did Marsilia drop his suspicious expression. He pinned Jaha down onto the mattress. Jaha’s hips arched under the heavy weight.

That unnatural bondage was so sweet that a moan escaped his lips.

“Mnh…”

Marsilia whispered softly as he rubbed his crotch against his.

“Say it again, Jaha.”

This man knew no bounds. Never satisfied with just once, what more did he want him to say?

Jaha glared at him and pulled down the man who was propped up on his arms.

“If you keep teasing me, I won’t tell you again.”

“Tch.”

Marsilia clicked his tongue and charged at him like an angry bull. He kissed him and sucked on his tongue until it hurt. He sucked on his lips, then bit the bridge of his nose gently.

“You’re the most annoying at times like this.”

Yet, in the next instant, he contradicted his complaint when his soft lips gently traced the bitten spot, accompanied by a ragged breath.

“Though it’s a problem that I find even that lovely.”

This time, Jaha arched his back slightly. He bit the man’s cheek, lips, and jaw in turn.

“I love you, Marsilia. So hurry up and… do it, alright?”

“Well, if you beg that desperately, I have no choice.”

The man who had been chattering finally undressed Jaha. Despite his nonchalant expression, unauthorized copyhe removed his clothes with the utmost haste, causing the seam to tear slightly.

The two smiled as they caressed each other. They traced every inch of their bodies with obsessive care, rediscovering every detail of a terrain they already knew perfectly.

Despite the familiarity of the touches, a new sensation spread throughout his entire body with every contact. It must have been the same for Marsilia. Whenever Jaha’s hand caressed a spot, he inhaled the sweet, hot breath coming from him.

As the burning heat gathered in his chest, it soon spread in all directions, tingling down to his fingertips and toes. His lower abdomen ached, and his hard penis throbbed. His rear twitched as if his body, accustomed to sex, was preparing to open up.

Whenever his insides throbbed, Jaha shuddered and shook his head. He was dying to climb on of him this very instant. However, because they hadn’t been intimate in over a month, he waited until Marsilia deemed it ready, until he loosened the tight entrance and lubricated his insides sufficiently. And until, at last, Marsilia thrust his cock inside him.

As the searing heat forced its way through his insides, Jaha held his breath. He trembled like a fish caught on a harpoon. Then, at the exact moment a thrilling sensation piercing deep inside caused a moan to burst out of his mouth like a scream along with his breath.

“Ah! Ngh, ah…!”

Heat surged through his body, turning his mind to a pulp. From that moment on, Jaha clung to Marsilia, ensnaring him with his limbs. He wrapped his legs around Marsilia’s waist and continued to pull him closer. He lifted his own hips, allowing him to burrow deeper inside him.

He couldn’t even remember when their lips had parted. A sensation like a flashing bolt of lightning swirled before his eyes, and he desperately hugged the man’s shoulders and clung to him.

He could barely tell if his eyes were open or closed. The only things Jaha could perceive were the length as hot as molten iron and the heavy masculine scent radiating from the man who acted as though he would split his body in two.

And so, their first night together in a month got more intense.

***

A few days later, news arrived that the delegation from Helga had crossed the border.

On the morning of the third day following that news, Jaha dressed in his formal attire early to match the delegation’s scheduled arrival time.

Marsilia headed to the main palace the moment he opened his eyes, while Jaha ate breakfast with Gerald and received a report regarding the preparations for the luncheon.

Because hosting the delegation fell under the empress’s jurisdiction, Gerald hadn’t been able to leave his office for days. Gerald finished his report with a gaunt, dark complexion. He rubbed his face with his hands and let out a sigh.

“You’ve worked hard. You must be exhausted.”

“I feel like I’m dying…”

For a man who rarely complained, this task must have been ​visit our site​taxing. Filled with guilt, Jaha comforted him.

“They are only staying for a week, so hold on a little longer. Once this is over, I’ll let you take an extended leave. Is there anything I can help with?”

Gerald stared at Jaha with a gloomy expression. He wore that exact look every time Jaha visited the empress’s palace to offer assistance.

It was as if staying still and doing nothing was the best way to help.

“The preparations are almost complete, so we can leave the rest in the hands of the chef.”

Everything, from consulting with the kitchen to planning the menu and preparing the palace where the state guests would stay, had passed through Gerald’s hands. He had received some assistance from the Imperial Household Department, but since Ashton was away on injury leave, it hadn’t been of much help.

“Why don’t you delegate some of the workload? It seems like you always take on everything by yourself.”

Though Gerald had brought along three or four employees from his guild, he suffered from a compulsive need to verify everything with his own eyes. Apparently, Serez was the same way; it made one wonder if workaholism was an occupational hazard inherent to aides.

The way he frowned reluctantly at the suggestion, despite looking dead on his feet, proved he was a textbook workaholic.

“Don’t blame me if you die of overwork.”

If Gerald were to drop dead from overwork, it would be his own doing. It wouldn’t be because of a superior piling duties onto him, but because of his own habit of seeking out and creating more tasks for himself.

“Ha… It’s not as if Lord Jaha is entirely blameless for my condition.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Do you have any idea how many times you’ve caused trouble under the guise of helping?”

“They weren’t even major disasters.”

The light in Gerald’s eyes grew dimmer.

“Lord Jaha… do you not realize how agonizing it is for a merchant when even a single gold coin is missing from the ledger?”

“Just balance it out. You can just say I spent it.”

Jaha had been raised in a merchant family, but because he had left home at a young ​stolen content​age, he knew little about actual administrative work. Furthermore, since the chief steward managed the household finances, the young Jaha had never been privy to the intricate details of bookkeeping.

Thus, he dismissed it as nothing, but Gerald only looked more distressed, his expression withering with anxiety.

“This is a disaster…”

Was it something to worry about so much when his superior said it was fine? Jaha viewed it as a simple matter of flexibility, whereas Gerald seemed to view it as a clash of core values.

When two parties failed to bridge their differences, the superior always won out in the end. Gerald quickly shifted to another topic.

Jaha, who naturally possessed a personality that didn’t sweat the small stuff, promptly forgot the conversation they had just shared.

Since this had been the norm for the past four years, everyone looked accustomed to it. The attendants waiting on them and the two individuals involved in the conversation all shared the same sentiment: the empress simply wasn’t the type to care about trivial matters, and fretting over it would only wear out the subordinates.