Assessing Our Mutual Status

 Chapter 10.1

The touch of your lips is unbearably exquisite.

Breath, warmth, sensation—

All of it melts my heart like a beguiling poison.

It’s so blissful it feels like a dream, making me fearful to put it into words.

The slightest hint of rationality could drag me back to the harsh reality.

Until yesterday, I spent sleepless nights in tears.

I don’t want to return, I can’t return to those cold, lonely nights filled with sorrow.

At last, I’ve found my other half, my destined partner, my beloved.

Kiss me, hold me, gently caress me.

One kiss is worth a hundred words.

One vow is worth a hundred kisses.

Please, wound me.

Mark me as yours with an indelible scar.

※ ※ ※

"Mm..."

"...Puh..."

I can't tell how long I've been kissing Leon like this.

More greedily than a drunkard guzzling alcohol, I devour his lips.

But I can't help it; every time our lips touch, my love for Leon wells up from within.

Words of love seem trivial compared to my desire for his affection.

At this moment, I am no longer human, but a beast.

Squelch...

The sensation of something entering my mouth momentarily brings my reason back.

My lips are sealed by Leon's.

Then, what is this?

Something slithers around inside my mouth like a snake.

It's rough, yet strangely warm and slippery.

As our lips part, I finally realize what it is.

I see Leon's own tongue peeking out from his lips.

When our lips meet again, Leon intertwines his tongue with mine even more intensely.

It feels as if our tongues are being tied together like a cord.

The Leon who is always so gentle with me seems a bit frightening, making my body shiver despite the heat.

Leon must have noticed my trembling because the strength in his arms holding me begins to loosen.

The moment our lips part, I take a deep breath, having held it back for so long, and end up coughing.

"Eh... cough..."

Leon, panicked, rubs my back, but the atmosphere is already awkward.

This is nothing like the romantic encounters in picture books.

"Sorry, I overdid it. You were so cute, Angie, I couldn't control myself."

"...Do you think I would forgive anything if you call me 'cute'?"

"No, I wouldn't say that."

Even as he says this, I can't miss the slight wavering in Leon's eyes.

Well, I'll let most things slide today. We've finally become a couple, and I want to avoid ruining it with a fight.

"As you are aware, I was brought up as the betrothed of a prince, which admittedly has left me somewhat lacking in common experience. Unlike yourself, I have not been acquainted with the nuances of kissing or intimate relations. I would appreciate it if you could be a touch more considerate."

"Huh?"

Leon makes a surprised sound.

"What is the matter? Did you assume that I had engaged in such experiences with the prince? Those betrothed to royalty are closely monitored and expected to abstain from such acts prior to marriage."

"No, not that. Why do you think I'm not a virgin?"

"...What?"

"...Yeah?"

We look at each other, tilting our heads in confusion.

"But you said your senior invited you to a brothel during your soldier days."

"I said I was invited, not that I went."

"...You're kidding?"

"It's true."

[T/N- I DO F#CKING NOT BELIEVE IT]

"...I heard that the military has a tradition of taking new recruits to brothels so they won't regret it later."

"That's only if you spend a night's worth of a regular soldier's monthly salary. I'd rather save that money."

"...Have you ever dated a woman?"

"No."

"...Have you kissed anyone other than family?"

"You're my first, Angie."

"...Have you ever seen a woman's naked body?"

"Only when I was a kid, bathing with my mom, sister, and Finley. What is this, a new kind of interrogation?"

I stare into Leon's eyes. He doesn't seem to be lying.

"That's right! I'm just a stingy, unpopular Viscount! No woman has ever liked me!"

Ah, he's sulking. Leon is lying on the bed with his knees up.

It's strange, the testimonies from the Bartfault family are drastically different from Leon's own perception.

"Most of the girls I liked ended up liking Leon. We even fought over it a few times."

"Until it was found out he'd run away to join the army, the neighborhood girls wouldn't stop pestering me ."

"My brother was the object of admiration for girls of his age."

"Leon, unpopular? The girls were just too busy competing with each other to confess."

According to Leon's siblings, he was quite popular. It seems Leon was seen as unattainable, and the women around him never conveyed their feelings. Moreover, the scars from the war had caused several marriage proposals to be withdrawn, severely damaging his self-confidence.

However, this lack of confidence is what led to my meeting Leon, so it's a blessing in disguise.

"I'm sorry, Leon. I wasn't mocking or pitying you."

"........."

"In fact, I'm happy that I'm your first."

"........."

"I just wanted you to take the lead because I'm inexperienced too."

"...heh"

Leon suddenly starts shaking. Was he teasing me? Anger and embarrassment make my face heat up. I pinch his behind* a bit harder.

[T/N- Yeah]

"That hurts, Angie."

"Shut up, it's your fault for teasing me when I'm trying to be serious. Give me back my maidenly innocence."

"But you're not shaking anymore, right?"

He's right; my trembling has stopped.

"By the way, how much do you know about sex?"

"In the royal palace, there are instructors for bedroom matters. I was taught various things in theory."

"What about practical experience?"

"Of course not."

I'm starting to feel a bit anxious. Both of us being virgins makes this seem incredibly difficult. The manuals on bedroom techniques are buried in my private desk at the Redgrave house. I never had an interest in erotic books, so I haven't read much.

Looking at myself now, in simple pajamas with a face swollen from crying, there's no trace of allure. This is definitely not good.

"I need to redo my makeup!"

I hurry to go back to my room in the guest house. At least I need to fix my eyes and put some color on my lips. Among the things I brought to the Bartfalt estate, there should be some provocative underwear. Though I haven't tried it on and am unsure if it fits, it has to be better than this look.

As I rush to get out of bed and head to my room, Leon grabs my hand.

"You're fine as you are. There's no problem."

"There is a problem. Messing up the first time can have lasting effects."

"We're going to undress and get dirty anyway."

"That's not the point. This is about my resolve."

If I'm going to be with Leon, I want him to hold a beautiful version of me. I want him to be devoted to me alone. Despite my thoughts, Leon's hand doesn't let me go.

"If you're going to hold me, I want you to hold a beautiful me."

"I'd rather hold the real, unadorned Angie."

Leon lets go of my hand. His unexpected words break my resolve to go back to my room.

"Not the Duke's daughter Angelica, but just a girl named Angie. Is that so bad?"

"Leon, you’re unfair."

He's loving me for who I am, without regard to status or benefits. How can I refuse after that? Sighing, I bury my head in Leon's chest.

"Even if you regret this later, we can't redo it."

"Are you sure you won't regret being with me?"

I answer Leon's question by kissing him, sealing his lips with mine. That response is enough.

"I'll try not to hurt you, but if I fail, I'm sorry."

"It's the same for me. We're both inexperienced."

This time, I slip my tongue into Leon's mouth.

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Authors Note

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The Time My Fan Fiction Was Read Overseas and Unexpectedly Turned Into Fan Art (Light Novel Style)

Hello again to everyone who has read my previous work, "The Duke's Daughter, Whose Engagement Was Broken, Marries a Hideous Country Noble and Seems to Find Happiness". For those who are new, nice to meet you.

It was a Sunday in late March, a few months after I finished my previous work. As I was writing my new fan fiction and browsing illustrations and novels on Pixiv, I decided to search for illustrations of Ange, the character I focused on in my previous fan fiction. That's when I found an illustration (Just click the raw button) that depicted almost exactly the same scene I had imagined.

I thought, "Wow, there's someone in the world with fantasies similar to mine. Who could this be?" After further investigation, I discovered that the illustration was inspired by my fan fiction. I was so shocked that my jaw dropped and my eyes nearly popped out in delight.

Alongside my joy, I felt a strong urge to give something back to the person who read my humble writings and paid to create fan art. So, I hurriedly began writing this new piece.

I already had a rough idea for the erotic scenes and had planned to release it once more detailed information about the second season of the anime was announced. However, as a writer, I felt it would be wrong not to repay the readers' kindness, so I paused my other writing projects to work on this one.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to Shiki, the artist who drew the illustration, and to the person who commissioned it. Thank you very much.

Raw-Link

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Translator Note

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This chapter have Illustration in the Author Note cheak it out by clicking the raw .

And by the way translating smut is very very very embarassing job believe it or not .