“It was… okay.”

Elfreda whispered those words, breaking the silence and drawing Ejnar’s attention.

As he slowly let go of her, she seemed somewhat disappointed. What expression would she make if he left now? Would she be disappointed for not conceiving his seed?

With his curiosity piqued, he silently released his grip on her.

At that, Elfreda looked at him with a visibly confused face. As if she was just waiting for him to speak… almost like a puppy. Realizing this, Ejnar suddenly felt his feelings changed and decided to stop teasing her. He felt like he already knew the answer anyway.

She looked as if she might cry if he actually left.

“If you’re busy, you can go…”

“….”

“It’s okay for you to leave.”

Ejnar silently chuckled.

Making such a face and saying those words, who would believe her? Or was this also an advanced strategy?

For a moment, his expression darkened, causing Elfreda to shrink back a bit.

…What did she say wrong?

Before she could wonder—

“Aht…!”

Ejnar swiftly lifted Elfreda and strode towards the bed. Laid down on the bed, she still looked bewildered as she gazed up at him. He smirked awkwardly as he took off his jacket.

“Do you want me to undress you?”

Only then did Elfreda realize what was happening. She hesitated before slowly starting to unbutton her nightdress that was buttoned up to her neck. But due to her nervousness, the stiff buttons didn’t come undone easily.

Watching her struggle, he clicked his tongue and climbed on top of her.

“Ah…”

The shadow cast by Ejnar loomed over her laid body.

Initially, his fingers carelessly worked the buttons at her neck, but soon, he became almost aggressive, as if he might tear them off. Her tension escalated with his intensifying movements. Towards the end, he practically ripped the buttons off.

When Elfreda’s gaze drifted to the limp buttons, he remarked with an incredulous look.

“So, even with your husband right on top of you, you still have the energy to worry about the buttons.”

“What? Ah, that’s…uht!”

At that moment, Ejnar buried his face above her neck. When he brought his lips to her and pulled her lips in deeply, the same sweet scent as the night before flooded his senses. If the aim was to seduce him, it was a resounding success.

“Huht, Your Majesty…”

When a sensitive area untouched by anything else was teased by soft lips and sharp teeth, Elfreda moaned, unsure of how to react.

Ejnar found himself grinding his teeth.

Who taught her to make such a sound? How long had she practiced to make such an enticing noise?

His movement grew more blatant, and she writhed her body around and gripped the bedsheet. She almost reached out to him but restrained herself, thinking he wouldn’t want that.

“Ah…!”

Still, when he entered her, all her efforts seemed to mock her, and her mind went blank. She couldn’t think of anything. She could only sway as he wished. Elfreda clung to the bedsheet as if hanging from a cliff. As if it was her only lifeline.

As the intensity escalated, her lower body was mercilessly pressed into the bedsheet. Ejnar pressed in as if he wanted to bury her in the bed.

Waves of stimulation flowed into her intensely.

Elfreda’s cries grew louder.

“Huhk…”

As the stimulation became overwhelming, tears welled up in Elfreda’s eyes.

Ejnar, like a man finding an oasis after a long walk in the desert, lowered his head down to suck them in. The gentle touch of his wet tongue tickling her moist eyelids made her flinch. It was the first tender touch she received during their relationship.

Unknowingly, she smiled faintly.

That smile quickly dispersed as Ejnar increased his pace again, but the brief moment of tenderness allowed her to feel a much purer pleasure despite the similarity to the previous night’s act.

“Kuht…”

“Ah…”

Finally, he filled her completely. This warm sensation was familiar yet still strange on the second encounter.

But it wasn’t unwelcome.

What if their child were to occupy this space? What would that feel like? Elfreda’s heart raced at the thought of an event yet to occur.

‘…A child.’

The moment the story she heard from Serena last night crossed her mind, Elfreda’s eyes met Ejnar’s, which were glaring at her intensely.

At the same time, she strengthened her mind.

‘I won’t be influenced by my father’s wishes.’

Even if she were to have a child with him, that child wouldn’t bring Machi over to Makaeri. She would raise the child thoroughly as if they were one of Machi’s own.

Therefore, at least the guilt she felt towards him regarding that matter could be lessened.

As Elfreda lay there listlessly, Ejnar took a few deep breaths before slowly getting up. He looked ready to leave immediately, just like the day before. She almost reached out to stop him but quickly gathered her senses and stopped herself.

However, Ejnar noticed her hand hanging in the air and looked at her intently. After much deliberation, Elfreda finally spoke up with a resolved face.

“Why don’t you rest here a bit longer before going?”

“….”

“You seem tired…”

She couldn’t bring herself to express her genuine wish for him to stay a bit longer and awkwardly beat around the bush. While Elfreda tried to maintain a calm demeanor as she spoke, she felt her sincerity slipping through and eventually turned her gaze away from him.

Ejnar quietly watched her, then softly broke the silence.

“What if I’m not tired?”

“Yes?”

“Would you have told me to just go?”

“Uh…”

As her face flushed with embarrassment, Ejnar couldn’t help but smirk, feeling a sudden urge to tease her further.

“It seems like you might be tired, but then again, maybe not…”

“If it’s inconvenient for you, I can leave instead…”

“And you’d go out looking like that?”

Hearing that, Elfreda instinctively lowered her gaze and then quickly blushed even more.

Teasing her further might make her cry again. Ejnar chuckled silently and lay down beside her without saying another word. The bed was spacious, and they weren’t lying too close to each other, but Elfreda felt her heart drop just the same.

For the first time, she was nervous about lying in bed.

How to position her toes, where to place her arms, even the smallest details became a concern. Breathing itself felt like something she had to be conscious of.

‘…But still.’

It was nice.

Unaware, the corners of Elfreda’s mouth curled up as she closed her eyes. Ejnar quietly observed the smile on her face, then finally decided to ask the question he had been holding back.

“Have you met Princess Serena?”

“…Yes, somewhat.”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Elfreda fumbled her response. Though she tried not to show it, Ejnar caught the slight discomfort she couldn’t hide and continued.

“She’s returning in three days. Machi must not be as interesting as she thought.”

“It can’t be that. She probably knows staying longer would be an inconvenience.”

“Probably. But tell me.”

Ejnar sharply asked.

“Do you also speak formally to your sibling?”

“…Ah.”

Elfreda’s face momentarily paled, but she quickly masked it with a smile.

“I’m still not fully accustomed to the Machi’s way.”

“If you find formal speech challenging, perhaps not using it at all is an option.”

He spoke firmly.

“You are the queen of Machi. Your actions reflect on me.”

Essentially, he was telling her to consider the weight of her actions. Elfreda nodded in acknowledgment.

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

Elfreda responded awkwardly. She was relieved that he didn’t probe any deeper.

In the meanwhile, Ejnar observed her for a moment before straightening his gaze. Oddly, a part of him felt a sense of unease. However, without any reason to feel that way, he brushed off the feeling.

__