I Refuse This Life, Your Highness! - Chapter 115

The news of the Duchess bearing an heir was more than enough reason to host a grand celebration. Guests from across the lands, including those from the now-separated Empire, gathered to offer their congratulations. Among them, of course, was Leia.

“Your Grace.”

“Thank you for making the time, Leia. I know you must be busy.”

With the change of emperors, much had shifted within the Empire. Noble families of prominence, including Airdren, had been swept away, their places taken by others. Although Leia’s predecessor had been purged, her position as a close confidant of the current emperor though she strongly disliked the term “confidant” led to her being elevated to a countess.

Just as the duchy had risen to become a grand duchy, the Ceress estate had been elevated to a county, leaving Leia with no shortage of responsibilities. As the newly established Countess of Ceress, she was undoubtedly overwhelmed with work.

“Oh, it’s no trouble. It’s nice to get out for a change. I’ve been cooped up at the manor for far too long.”

It was clear how busy she had been. Leia, at least, had managed to attend, unlike Lyle, who hadn’t even left the imperial palace. Instead, Lyle had sent a detailed letter along with a plethora of gifts and baby clothes for the unborn child.

“And how have you been, Your Grace?”

“Busy, as always,” Yuraine replied.

The two shared a knowing smile. They both understood “busy” didn’t even begin to describe their endless schedules. As they chatted, Leia suddenly remembered something.

“There’s something I wanted to give you in person.”

“In person?”

At Yuraine’s curious expression, Leia reached into her coat and pulled out a small box wrapped in silk and adorned with flowers. Opening it revealed a delicate necklace made of variously crafted gemstones, its design small yet clearly aged.

“It’s a necklace used in Ceress to bless newborns,” Leia explained.

“For newborns?”

Yuraine looked even more puzzled. Wasn’t this an heirloom?

“I didn’t get to wear it, though.”

“Oh…”

Leia smiled lightly, brushing it off.

“Your child will be a Lamia, right? I hope they receive every blessing this world has to offer.”

“Even so…”

Surely, this was meant to be passed down to future Ceress children. Yuraine hesitated, uncertain. Leia, seeming to read his thoughts, smiled knowingly.

“It doesn’t matter. Ceress’s bloodline will end with me. I don’t intend to marry.”

“Ah…”

Yuraine nodded in understanding. It was a decision he could respect.

“If that’s what you want, Leia. I’ll make sure this necklace is the first thing the baby wears.”

Leia smiled, a weight seemingly lifted from her shoulders. She looked genuinely at ease—a rare sight for the head of a recently elevated Lamia family, surely burdened with countless headaches. Today, however, it was evident she was enjoying her time away. As they continued chatting, a large hand suddenly rested on Yuraine’s shoulder.

“Your Grace.”

“Ah, the Grand Duke of Iserre.”

“Formalities, how awkward,” Isis said with a faint smile before turning his gaze.

Yuraine and Leia followed his line of sight to where Leon was surrounded by a group of women, visibly uncomfortable yet trying his best to remain polite.

“Sir Leon seems to be in a bit of trouble, Leia. Could you lend him a hand?”

“He doesn’t look troubled to me,” Leia replied with a shrug.

“Oh, he is. Even if he doesn’t show it, he’s probably struggling.”

“Hmm.”

Leia shrugged again and smiled. “Alright. I haven’t greeted Sir Leon yet anyway. I’ll go rescue him.”

“Thanks.”

“It’s nothing.”

Leia made her way toward Leon and the women. Some greeted her warmly, while others seemed less enthusiastic. Leon, however, looked at her as though she were a savior.

“Looks like he really was in trouble,” Yuraine said, amused.

“Leon’s not very good in settings like this.”

“Really? That’s surprising.”

“It’s true. He’d probably turn into a cat and bolt if he could.”

The image of Leon as a cat fleeing the ballroom made Yuraine chuckle. As he glanced toward them again, Isis gently pulled him closer.

“Your Grace?”

“Let’s step outside for a bit of fresh air.”

The indoor atmosphere was beginning to feel stifling, so Yuraine gladly followed Isis to a balcony hidden behind heavy curtains. The cool evening breeze brushed against his face as he leaned against the railing and looked up at the sky. Stars sparkled against the deep blue expanse, while the orange lanterns decorating the garden glowed like flowers in the dark.

“It’s beautiful,” Yuraine murmured.

“So are you,” Isis replied.

Yuraine blushed for a moment at the obvious answer, then looked at Isis. Isis was a cold, blunt man, and yet she could say such sweet things in such a cold tone. Isis took a step forward and stood right next to Eureka, resting her arm on the railing. Yuraine gingerly rested her head on his arm. A kiss fell on the top of her head, spontaneous and unexpected.

After meeting Isis, Yuraine often thought to herself. I wonder if this happiness is real, if it can last forever, if I’ve promised myself eternity with the one who gives it to me. I’ve lived my life with nothing but dusty love and deceptive emotions.

He lifted his head and looked at Isis. The scarlet light flickered across his plain face. Yuraine rose to his feet, and Isis rose to face him. Yuraine reached out and cupped both his cheeks, then leaned in and kissed him. She could barely reach Isis’s cheeks with her feet, but she pressed her lips to his again and again, and he bent down. Finally, our lips were properly touching.

Isis’s hand slipped around his back, her fingers gently pressing down on each button, the other clutching the hem of his wide-spread bottoms. Their lips parted for a moment, and Isis smiled bitterly.

“What an unscrupulous human I have been.”

“……Suddenly…….”

“Because I want to walk in your hem here.”

“…….”

There was nothing to say. Yuraine was waiting for him to do it here, too. Yuraine whispered in a low voice.

“Then…… I’m an unscrupulous person, too.”

Isis rounded her eyes for a moment, then smiled.

“We’ll have to wait until the banquet is over, though.”

“That’s …….”

There was no way they were going back to the banqueting hall with both of them being unscrupulous, especially when they were the center of attention.

Night fell, and a line of carriages left the castle, leaving behind the guests who were staying at the Grand Duchy. The couple walked down the corridor, trying to appear as calm as possible as they left the banqueting hall. But inevitably, their nerves were too much for each other to bear.

As soon as they reached the Grand Duchess’s bedchamber, Isis swept Yuraine into a quick hug and slammed the door shut with one hand. Their lips met before the sound had finished. A large hand ran down her back, quickly unbuttoning her pearl robes. Yuraine pulled Isis into a hug, wrapping her legs around his torso and rubbing her bottom hard. They had waited long enough.

They didn’t have enough time to make it to the bed. Isis laid Yuraine face down on the armchair and quickly pulled on the hem of his robe. The rich hem of her dress was pulled up at once, falling to her waist and revealing her smooth legs.

Yuraine stood on her heeled feet and hugged some of my hem as she stood. After a few moments of gazing at her lower body, Isis tugged at the string that held her panties together. A small piece of fabric fell onto the armchair, exposing her already wet mound. Isis cupped her hands around the white, rounded buttocks and stroked them, then moved her hands down.

The flesh of her inner thighs was damp with the water from her backside, but it was also delicate and tender. I slid my hand back down her inner thigh and slipped my fingers into the band of her lacy silk stockings. The stocking stretched thin, but he didn’t remove it, just pulled his hand away. He didn’t feel the need to remove them as the white, thin stockings hugged Euryale’s legs tightly.

Isis breathed heavily as she squeezed Yuraine’s hips and thighs. Lamia’s early pregnancy didn’t mean she had to avoid the relationship, but they still wanted to be careful with each other, though they didn’t know how careful they could be in this state.

“I’m wet.”

“Oh, I know…….”

Yuraine barely replied, burying his face in the armchair. Isis felt her head grow hot, her backside soaking wet in all her finery and glamour. The fingers that had been groping her thighs found her mound, and she flinched as two hands gripped the flesh and pulled, causing the opening to widen slightly. A trickle of juices oozed from the gap.

Isis ran her fingertips over it for a moment, then slid one finger inside. Yuraine’s body tensed and stiffened. Isis stroked his unbuttoned, bare back to soothe him, then continued inside. The hot, moist flesh clenched tightly around his finger. Isis moaned softly. The mere touch of his fingers inside her was enough to make her stomach flutter.

His thick fingers slipped in and out of the entrance, staining it redder and redder with each pass. The juices oozed out of her, dripping in a steady stream. It was so wet I could have gone right in, but I held back. Yuraine made a pained sound.

‘Sire, that, just now, if you’ll put it in…….’

At the trembling voice, Isis bent down and kissed his ear, then continued her work. Until Eurain’s wheaten shaft was as wet and shaggy as if it had been sprinkled with water.

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