"Huh?"
"I... I love you too!" Maelona blurted out suddenly, the words spilling from her before she could stop them. Her face burned instantly, and she vanished beneath the quilt in pure sha and embarrassnt, hiding as if the blankets could swallow her whole.
Aether laughed, the sound deeper and more amused than before.
"Looks like my dear needs a little more pounding~" he teased shalessly.
"G-Get out, you monster!" Maelona shouted from under the bed covers, her voice muffled and panicked, as if she were genuinely terrified he might act on his words again.
Her body was absolutely not ready for that... Not now... Not even close!
Please, let her rest!!
Aether only smiled softly in response. He rose from the bed at an unhurried pace and walked toward the bathroom, closing the door behind him. The sound of running water followed, and not long after, he stepped out freshly showered.
Maelona had been staring toward the bathroom without realising it. The mont he erged, she yelped and snapped her gaze away, her face erupting into a deep purple as she covered her eyes.
"Oh goodness... wear sothing, idiot!" she protested loudly, peeking through her fingers only for a second before hiding again.
Aether smirked at her reaction.
"What?" he replied casually. "I have nothing to hide and... do you?" He even shook his hips slightly, fully aware of the effect it had on her.
Maelona’s face turned even purpler, heat flooding her ears as she scread inwardly.
’Hide? You saw everything!!!’
She was far too embarrassed to even respond out loud. Aether chuckled again, thoroughly entertained by her shyness, and finally reached for his clothes.
Maelona cautiously peeked between her fingers as he pulled on his pants. Her gaze drifted across his broad shoulders, and her breath caught when she noticed the marks.
Scratches.
Bite marks.
Evidence of everything that had happened the night before was still visible on his skin.
Her face turned impossibly purple!
’W-We really did it... ah...’ she thought, a gentle smile blooming across her lips like a shy flower. A soft giggle escaped her before she could stop it, warmth filling her chest.
Then her eyes caught sothing else... a black mark disappearing?
"...There’s sothing on your back?" she asked hesitantly.
"Huh?" Aether frowned and turned toward the mirror, scanning his reflection carefully. He tilted his head, then shook it. "I don’t see anything." He turned around fully, showing her his back. "See?"
Maelona blinked, confused.
Whatever she had seen was gone now.
"But... I’m sure I saw sothing," she murmured.
Aether stepped closer and kissed her forehead gently.
"Looks like my Maelona is still dizzy," he said softly. "You’re imagining things. You should rest properly today."
He slipped on his shirt, leaned down for one final kiss, and then turned to leave. The door closed quietly behind him.
Once he was gone, Maelona exhaled slowly. She lowered the quilt and glanced down at herself, only to imdiately squeak and hide again beneath the covers.
Her face turned a deep, overwhelming purple.
"S-So many..." she whispered, lips trembling as she rembered the marks covering her body.
Bites.
Bruises.
Proof of affection etched into her skin.
Yet instead of fear or regret, sothing warm spread through her chest.
She felt loved.... REALLY LOVED!!
"It feels... good," she murmured softly, curling her knees closer and hugging herself as her gaze drifted to the ring on her finger. Her fingers brushed against it carefully, almost reverently.
"Hehe... I’m married now?"
She whispered, shy laughter escaping her lips.
"And... being loved?"
She covered her face again, giggling quietly, overwheld by the reality of it all.
Then the room felt different.
Empty.
Far too empty.
... She felt sad?
"I... I feel lonely?" Maelona whispered, eyes widening slightly in surprise. "He hasn’t even been gone a minute..."
She pressed the quilt closer to her chest, confusion and longing mixing together in her heart.
Was this love?
Was this what marriage felt like?
She had never known anything like it before.
"Damn, Maelona... You fucked really well... ah."
A teasing voice snapped Maelona out of her spiraling thoughts. She turned sharply toward the sound and froze.
Liora stood near the open doorway, one hand resting lazily against the fra. A sly smirk curved her lips as her sharp eyes lingered far too knowingly on Maelona’s hand, then drifted to the faint marks along her neck that the quilt failed to fully hide.
Maelona’s cheeks flushed a deep, panicked purple. She tugged the quilt higher, hiding her neck completely as her head dipped in embarrassnt, shoulders curling inward like a scolded child.
"O~ oooo~," Liora drawled wickedly, clearly enjoying the sight. It was her first ti seeing Maelona like this, stripped of composure and authority, and she relished every second of it. With slow, deliberate steps, she approached the bed, her grin widening.
"Look at you, getting all shy. Hehehe... it seems our dear ex-Queen Maelona has finally beco a woman~"
Maelona’s lips twitched as she shot Liora a glare, her face still burning.
"S-Stop it, you idiot," she snapped weakly.
Liora stopped in front of her, leaning slightly forward, eyes glinting with mischief.
"Oh, I almost forgot to ntion," she said casually. "The maids are gossiping quite about the loud noise all night~"
Maelona’s face turned pale instantly.
Her breath caught.
Was she really that loud?
The room was designed to suppress sound.... She knew that.
How?
Well, you know, her daughter and Aether... so yeah. She already knew the rooms were good at blocking those noises.
And yet... the idea that others might have heard her made her stomach twist painfully.
Her voice trembled when she spoke.
"W-Was I... too loud?"
Was she louder than Aria... Louder than Liora? Really?
Liora’s grin deepened, and she opened her mouth as if to answer when another voice cut in sharply.
"Co on, Mom," the voice said calmly. "She’s obviously just teasing you."
Liora stepped aside with a lazy shrug, revealing Aria standing behind her.
Maelona’s heart sank.
Her gaze dropped imdiately, guilt weighing heavily on her chest. Then her eyes caught sothing that made her pause.
The ring.
She inhaled slowly.
He had chosen her.
... And she had accepted it.
Whether it was guilt or fear, she could not run from it anymore.
Maelona looked up at her daughter, who moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed, her expression calm and gentle.
"I... I’m sorr—" Maelona began, her voice breaking.
"Mom, please," Aria interrupted softly, smiling with quiet sincerity. "I accepted it. With my whole heart."
Maelona returned a weak smile, eyes glistening.
"Still... I shouldn’t have done it," she said honestly as she clenched her fist seriously and nodded. "And don’t worry. I’ll never get between you. I will not get Jealous or try to steal your ti with him..."
Aria’s smile didn’t fade, though there was a knowing depth behind it.
"I think only ti will calm you down," she replied gently.
Her eyes wandered around the room, taking in the damage left behind. The cracked cupboard. The overturned chairs. The broken table. The lingering, familiar scent hanging in the air made her pause.
She hesitated before speaking again, her tone awkward, almost unsure of herself.
"Did... was it good?" Aria asked, imdiately regretting the question even as it left her mouth... Not sure how to react to this and... She wasn’t sure why the hell she asked it at all.
Maelona’s face ignited once more.
"P-Please—" she pleaded, lowering her head.
Liora burst out laughing.
"Of course it was," she said smugly. "Otherwise, why do you think half the room looks like it survived a battle?"
Before Maelona could react, Liora suddenly tugged the quilt downward just enough to make her squeak in shock.
"Whsss~ oh my," Liora whistled, eyes sparkling with amusent. "He really didn’t hold back, did he? So rough play~" Her tone dropped into sothing sharp and teasing. "Looks like soone waited a long ti to finally claim what was his."
Maelona shrieked and scrambled to pull the quilt back up, mortified beyond words, while Liora only laughed harder at her reaction.
"Y-You!" Maelona shouted, her voice cracking as her face turned a deep, furious purple. She yanked the bedsheet higher, clutching it tightly to hide herself completely, as if the fabric were the only thing holding her dignity together.
Aria blinked in stunned silence... they were really rough!
Liora, entirely unfazed, flopped down onto the edge of the bed with exaggerated curiosity. She leaned forward slightly, inhaling as if the space itself were a puzzle she wanted to unravel.
"Hmmm... strong~," she muttered with a crooked grin. "Looks like this bed saw most of the action."
Maelona stared at her in pure disbelief.
"W-What is wrong with you?" she snapped sharply, teeth clenched so hard they ached. "Stop it, you barbarian!"
"My daughter is right here!"
Liora raised an eyebrow slowly, clearly enjoying the reaction far too much.
A sharp smirk tugged at her lips.
"And yet," she replied calmly, her tone almost casual, "you ended up with your daughter’s husband."
"..."
Maelona froze in sha.... Her face darkened further as her fingers trembled around the sheet, but when she spoke, her voice carried unexpected resolve.
"Enough, Barbaric woman!" she hissed.
"He is my husband now. Everything that happened was after that." She glared fiercely.
"So shut up and stop turning this into sothing disgusting."
Leaning forward, she smacked Liora lightly on the head.
"Ouch!" Liora exclaid, more surprised than hurt, rubbing the spot with an exaggerated pout.
Aria frowned deeply, "After becoming your husband?" she asked slowly, trying to make sense of the words. "What do you an by that?"
Even Liora straightened, her teasing expression shifting into sothing more attentive and curious.
Maelona let out a long, tired sigh, her shoulders sagging.
"I’ll explain everything," she said quietly. "But after I take a bath. I need a mont to breathe and think, okay?"
Liora’s lips twitched, "Oh?" she said lightly. "Then let’s bathe together. The bathing hall in the mating house is massive anyway. Plenty of space to talk without shouting."
She glanced toward Aria, who hesitated briefly before tilting her head and giving a small nod.
They really wanted to know what she ant. She got married!
Maelona rubbed her temples, already exhausted.
"Fine... Fine," she muttered. "Just... let put on so clothes first."
Then Liora paused, her expression shifting as another thought surfaced, sothing that clearly bothered her.
"By the way," she added slowly, "Why did your room keep flashing with blue light in the middle of the night? Like it was turning on and off really fast.
Were you two playing with the lights or sothing... all night?"
Maelona and Aria both turned to look at her at the sa ti, the exact sa unspoken question crossing their minds.... What the fuck are you doing watching them all night?
Still,
"Blue light?" Aria asked, glancing toward her mother. "What was that, Mom?"
Maelona blushed deeply as she muttered, "D-don’t you two know already? Don’t ask ... idiots." Her voice ca out small, almost buried beneath her embarrassnt.
Aria and Liora exchanged confused glances, genuinely at a loss.
"We... we really don’t know," Aria said, her brows knitting together in confusion.
"Did candles change colour or sothing?"
Maelona’s face burned even hotter, spreading all the way to her ears.
’I cannot believe my own daughter is teasing now...’ Her thoughts spiraled wildly, unwanted images flashing through her mind, vivid and shaful. ’What am I supposed to do? It’s not like they truly don’t know, right? Or do they? Are they pretending just to corner like this?’ Her fingers curled into tight fists, trembling faintly as she fought the urge to flee the room.
"Co on, spill the truth," Liora said seriously, "Otherwise, I’m calling Aether."
"A-Aether has a m-magic... c-cock?" Maelona blurted out before she could stop herself. Her entire face turned beet purple, lips quivering, eyes shaking as her imagination betrayed her again, painting far too detailed scenes she desperately wished she could erase.
"..."
"..."
Dead silence swallowed the room.
****
anwhile, Aether strode briskly through the palace corridor, stretching his shoulders and rolling his neck as fatigue finally set in.
"...I might have pushed her too far," he muttered to himself with a tired exhale. "Yeah. Definitely did."
Kaelen wanted to talk about sothing important... and Aether intended to settle it before moving on to his next responsibility. His pace remained steady as he passed several closed doors lining the corridor.
Then—
Thud.
One of the doors swung open abruptly, and a blonde figure stepped out mid-yawn, eyes half-lidded.
Yaa-
The yawn stopped instantly.
So did Aether’s steps.
They stared at each other in stunned silence for several long seconds.
"KYA!"
Before the scream could fully echo through the corridor, Aether grabbed her wrist, pulled her back inside the room, and slamd the door shut behind them, locking it in one swift motion.
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