ETCHY 08

Chapter 08

“…What if I’m honest?”

Cornered, Crescentia blurted out.

It had only been a few days since she’d met Erich, but the sensations he had shown her were intense enough to shake her twenty-two years of life.

Through Erich, Crescentia had discovered the new truth that time could flow arbitrarily. That sometimes it could move excruciatingly slowly, and other times faster than an arrow.

When she stayed up all night thinking about Erich, waiting for the slow-coming morning was hell. On the other hand, when she was with him, her body and mind felt like they were floating up like balloons.

Because of him, her life had become a mess. The moment she saw Erich today, Crescentia felt sad at the thought that she had to ignore her own immature heart, which had already forgotten last night’s tears and was fluttering with excitement.

The feelings she’d developed in the Empire had to be left in the Empire. Because she had to return to her homeland soon.

But Erich wouldn’t let her turn him into a memory.

He provocatively pushed into places no one had ever trespassed, challenging Crescentia. Without even knowing what kind of heart she’d had when saying goodbye.

“If I’m honest, what would change? You’re a noble of the Empire and I’m a princess of Regina. Between us lies the Karola Sea—an ocean as vast and wide as Regina itself. If I go back like this, I’ll never be able to come to the Empire again. We’ll never see each other again.”

“Stop with the excuses.”

“Erich!”

“I’ll show you what changes. Hurry up.”

Erich rolled up his shirt sleeves as he spoke. Revealing his thick forearms with prominent veins, he placed his hand beside her head.

“Tell me. Do you want me?”

Erich bent his massive frame and leaned in. Crescentia’s vision filled with blazing golden eyes.

“If you don’t make a move, nothing between us will change.”

“…”

“Decide.”

Crescentia’s eyes narrowed. Just looking at Erich von Petrov made her heart ache. She hated having to part with him.

But what she hated even more was being forgotten by him. Crescentia couldn’t bear the thought of him someday forgetting even her name.

The Grand Duke Erich, who would hear of her marriage and dismiss it with indifference.

Even imagining it made her heart throb.

“Do as you please, Princess. Be content with a lukewarm friendship that’s neither here nor there.”

At Erich’s provocation, Crescentia’s jaw tightened.

How could he speak so cruelly?

But what made her feel worse was that his words weren’t entirely wrong.

Crescentia would surely remember him for the rest of her life.

But if she backed down now, he would forget her.

She didn’t want that.

So Crescentia gathered her courage for her first love—the one who had taken her first kiss.

“I don’t really understand my own feelings. But… I don’t want friendship.”

At Crescentia’s confession, Erich’s lips curved into a soft arc. He lightly kissed her mouth and whispered secretly by her ear.

“Then let’s do something friends would never do.”

What could that be?

Crescentia, blinking innocently, was horrified when he buried his face in her chest. Erich pressed his body against hers as she lay sideways on the sofa and pressed his lips to the round upper part of her chest.

He moved his tongue over the area exposed above her bodice as if kissing it.

“Hngh…”

When Erich bit down gently on her collarbone, Crescentia’s head fell back and her back arched. Erich didn’t miss the opening and pulled her bodice down in one swift motion.

Because he had already undone all the ribbons of her bodice without her even noticing, the garment that had been tightly constraining her upper body fell away limply.

“Ah!”

Crescentia reflexively cried out as her chest was exposed.

The June sunlight streamed brightly into the drawing room. Erich stared intently at her breasts revealed in the bright light. Heat kindled in his previously cool eyes.

“Don’t look…”

Ashamed that a man had seen her naked body, Crescentia tried to cover her chest with her hands. But she didn’t know that pressing her arms against her breasts only made them look fuller.

“That’s quite a demand.”

Erich’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he gazed at the appetizing female body before him.

“You have a talent for driving people crazy, Princess.”

Erich murmured as he slipped one hand beneath the folds of Crescentia’s voluminous skirt. Crescentia, looking up at him with a puzzled expression, flinched as the garter of her stocking came undone.

“E-Erich…”

“What?”

Erich, looking at her calmly, let out a sound of realization.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take mine off too.”

With that, Erich threw off the shirt he had been wearing.

Crescentia’s face burned at the sight of the wild man’s naked body.

“Don’t just look—touch.”

Erich said lowly, taking her hand and placing it on his chest. Crescentia dazedly stroked his body, made of resilient muscle.

Seeing curiosity creep into her eyes, Erich chuckled and leaned his upper body forward.

Crescentia, having let go of the arms covering her chest to touch Erich, let out a cry. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as if clinging to him, gasping. Erich pressed against her, ravenously devouring her innocence.

Trapped in the man’s embrace, Crescentia moaned. Forgetting to stifle her sounds so no one outside could hear, she gasped in dizzying pleasure.

‘Wh-what do I do…’

Was it alright to do this?

Was it alright for an unmarried man and woman to do such lewd things in broad daylight?

Crescentia sank into intense pleasure while sinking into confusion. When she hesitated, Erich lifted his head.

“What’s wrong? Too bland?”

Erich said teasingly, burying his face in her voluptuous body. Crescentia, startled by his aggressive actions, floundered.

“L-let’s stop now…”

“I don’t want to.”

Erich said stubbornly, grabbing Crescentia’s waist as she tried to pull away from him. And then he promptly lifted her skirt.

“Erich!”

Crescentia, flustered by the sudden assault, tried to pull her skirt back down. But the situation was already beyond her control.

Erich grabbed her flailing slender legs and pushed deep between them.

“…I was planning to just have a taste and let you go. But you’re a princess who turns people into perverts.”

Erich’s words flowed into Crescentia’s ears and just as quickly drifted out. She blinked blankly.

She couldn’t quite understand what Erich was saying. Just processing what was happening was overwhelming enough.

Even the fact that less than an hour remained before boarding time had been erased from her mind.

“Ah!”

Crescentia, looking at Erich with a flushed face, let out a moan. Erich had begun to thoroughly toy with her below.

“Shall I tell you a secret, Princess?”

Erich peeled away the remaining fabric draped over Crescentia’s waist and spoke in a sultry voice.

“I went to the harbor earlier to see you. I had no intention of remaining just a friend. But when I returned to the residence, you were waiting for me? How commendable.”

Crescentia gasped at the thrilling sensation. Erich kissed her cheek and whispered.

“I’m so grateful you came into my arms of your own accord.”

“E-Erich!”

“I won’t go all the way today. That way, your interest will fade.”

“That will never—Ah!”

Crescentia’s mouth fell open as she tried to explain herself to Erich.

“St-stop…”

“I’m just following the Princess’s decision. It’s too late to back out now.”

Erich said casually, tracing her neckline. As his raw greed roamed over her body, Crescentia’s hips lifted.

“You’ll be begging, ‘Erich, fuck me. Put it in and shake me up.’ You won’t be able to forget this, so you’ll come looking for me.”

Erich casually uttered embarrassing words. But what was even more embarrassing was the sounds Crescentia was making.

Hot heat spread through the spacious drawing room because of her, and her moans echoed loudly. She needed to be quiet, but she couldn’t stop the wanton sounds from escaping.

As heat gathered in Crescentia’s moans, Erich kneaded her soft body as if it were his own. When his face moved lower, she stretched her legs out straight and her thighs trembled.

“Here it is. The place that drives you crazy with pleasure.”

Erich’s low whisper was unbearably sweet.