I just did what he told me to do without thinking about what he said. The next moment, his fingers dug like a rake through my loose hair.

"Hoo..."

A long breath, taking in surprise flowed out of my mouth. The first kiss was short. Even after it fell, I could not open my eyes. It was because the permission to open his eyes had not yet been given. Instead, I held out my hand in the air.

He pressed his cheek to my palm.

I could see that what had been granted last time was still in effect.

It felt a little strange. The Emperor of the novels I had read did not do this... It was the thing he found the most unpleasant for a lower human to touch him without knowing the subject.

Rubbing his cheek against my palm, he buried his lips in it. Raniero parted his lips slightly and scraped the skin of my palm down with his front teeth. His breath felt damp.

I hesitated before wiping his lips with my thumb. At that moment, laughter was heard. Still keeping my eyes closed, the person in front of me was the one who made me feel infinitely nervous. I became so sensitive that the hairs all over my body stood up.

As he approached slowly, it was easy to tell because I still had my hand on his cheek. He got very close. I placed my hand on his shoulder softly as I trembled a little.

"The wound on your lips... I can leave it there, right?"

"That's right."

I took a deep breath and prepared my mind, barely managing to utter my words.

"I'm ready."

Whether I was ready or not, it did not matter to him. Anyway, as soon as the words fell, he placed his lips on me.

The breath that passed between the interlocked lips was burning. My lips were wet from saliva. I did not know whom it belonged to. Little by little my body lost strength, and I slid slowly. At some point, the position of sitting face to face had changed to that of me lying obliquely under him.

Since Raniero had predicted that he would leave a scar on my lips, it felt like all my senses were rushing to my lips. The kiss, which had been going on for so long that it took my breath away, stopped for a moment and I gasped for breath.

"Your Majesty, when..."

"Don't ask."

Even though I could not even catch my breath, he pushed into me again. My lips were crushed and spread. Accepting him, I put my arms around him. It was too much, and I felt dizzy, like I was going to faint.

While Raniero's knee was pushed between my thighs, his fingers were wrapped around my wrists, bounding my wrists with one hand.

Between the sounds of wet contact and falling, there were very soft voices that did not make sense. Embarrassed for not being able to speak, I raised my thighs slightly. At that, he let out a laugh over my tongue.

...As if he knew everything.

"Hurry..."

"What?"

He whispered in a slightly hoarse voice as his hand came up on the blanket. Now, the hand that used to caress my knee slowly moved upwards on the thin summer fabric.

I shook my head vigorously.

"A wound..."

Lowering his head as though he knew it, still, Raniero did not take his hand away.

I begged for a wound every time my lips fell off for a moment. I wanted him to stop tormenting me. I kept scratching the soft sheet with my heel. The feeling that I felt through my clothes, the blanket, and the two layers of fabric was somehow distant, lacking, and painful.

The wounds came without warning.

After gently sucking and rubbing my lips, he suddenly raised his fangs sharply.

"Heut...!"

When I recoiled back and trembled, strength entered his hand that gripped my wrist. The delicate mucous membrane was torn easily by Raniero's fangs and my tension. The next moment, I could taste something fishy.

"Ha—haa..."

His hand eventually fell from my wrist.

As with his legs before, his hands slowly descended the curve of my arm and rubbed the inside of my upper arm with his thumb.

"You've got a fever."

Raniero then put his nose under my ear and sniffed as if trying to smell the cold from my body. My vaguely heated body flinched at such a simple gesture.

"It's swollen."

He said, stroking my arm. The swelling was something I felt when I was alone a while ago. In addition, it seemed that the place he touched was a little sore — on the inside of the arm or on the side of my chest.

"Open your eyes."

I opened my eyes and gazed at him. However, breathing did not come back to normal easily. Raniero stole my lips with his fingertips, and the red liquid smeared on his fingertips. Staring blankly at it, I then lowered my gaze.

"I forgive you for this."

He uttered sweetly.

'Your lip wound... I did not even give it to you.'

I protested to myself.