"What are you doing?" Dereck woke late, as usual. Although the consorts and concubines had the urge to wake up early, Dereck had no such urgency.
This was the first mission on which he could relax without worrying about its conclusion. So, he decided to enjoy every bit of that.
Novela had no such luxury, or she was supposed not to.
It was the day after her first night. No one would have questioned anything, even if she had woken up at noon, as long as Dereck remained in the bed chamber.
Novela, in contrast to Cecilia, was Dereck's consort. Hence, she was obligated to greet her mother-in-law each morning.
She was compelled to have breakfast with the other consorts unless her husband had explicitly instructed otherwise.
For someone like her, the rule would be extremely stringent. After all, she was Dereck's courtyard-only lady, responsible for keeping things running smoothly there.
"My lord, are you awake?" Novela smiled at him. She wanted to come closer, but the maids were serving her.
The concept of the bath is rare in this world. The nobles generally get their bodies whipped by the maid first thing in the morning. They would only take a bath on special occasions, like weddings.
Coming from the modern world, it would have been a problem for him in the first few missions, but he soon got accustomed to it.
"Where were you?"
"Ahh!" Novela didn't expect Dereck to realize she had left the bed long ago. She had even ensured that Dereck was sleeping when she left the bed.
"Were you training?"
"Ahh! How do you know?"
"I can smell it."
"Smell?" Novela had perspired profusely throughout her training. Unlike others, she did not take the time to wash herself between workouts. Training consumed her to the point that she lost interest in everything else.
Her friend and instructor had reminded her about it. She didn't care. After all, she was training to better herself, not to please others.
Yet hearing it from Dereck had made her blush. He was the one person she cared about. She couldn't help wondering, 'Should I take a bath?'
"Your scent is so intoxicating…"
"Huh!?" Novela wasn't sure if she had heard it right. But the giggle of the maid beside her made her realize she might not have heard it wrong.
The two maids serving her were her personal maids who had come with her after the marriage. The pair of older maids had no problem understanding the intention of the husband of their young miss.
"Ohhh!" Only when they grasped did Novela follow their eyes and look towards the bed. Dereck had already come off the bed and stood there naked.
"Oh! My Lord." After feeling the sensation and residue of last night's action between her legs, she realized that they had a great time.
However, she didn't remember any of that. For her, it was the first time she had seen her man naked. Her face was already flushed from all the training, but watching the man he loved walk towards her naked made her blush more.
Before she could craft her opinion, he was already standing before her. "I am sweaty. You shouldn't…"
She instinctively stepped back, only to persist against the table. Derck's touch on her sweaty waist sparked another fire inside her excited body. But the excitement was different from the excitement she felt during the exercise.
Watching him come closer, she closed her eyes, expecting a kiss on her lips. However, it didn't care. The lips touched the place she had least expected.
As soon as his lips touched her hard nipple, she felt goosebumps spread from the kiss and cover her breast.
She glared at him in dissatisfaction, only for him to look at her, put out his lips, and comment, "It's salty."
"My Lord!"
Her eyes instinctively went towards her maids. They had been with her for a long time. They had repeatedly warned her not to be so unladylike after getting married. She couldn't help herself. She wouldn't feel right unless she had her morning exercise. But who would have known…
Looking at her dissatisfied face, Dereck couldn't help but kiss her. One kiss was enough to wash away her resentment.
"But I like it." Dereck looked at her and licked his lips.
"What do you…" Novela wanted to ask but didn't get the chance.
The peculiarity between Dereck's legs was immediately apparent to her when he approached her. The more they interacted with one another, the more lively it would become. For a while now, it has even been prodding her thigh.
She had expected this much from her man. Not getting hard would have been a shame for her. That didn't mean she had expected him to suddenly touch her crotch or even penetrate her love abyss with his finger.
"Young miss, your mother-in-law would be waiting for you."
"My lord…" Although she wanted to be with Dereck, she couldn't ignore the custom on the first marriage day.
"Tell my mother your miss will be tending me until I am satisfied."
"My Lord…"
"Shhhh…" Dereck put the finger on her lips before turning towards the maid, adding, "If you are afraid, tell Fida to report that I will take my consort to meet my mother after I am done with her."
The pair of maids still hesitated. It was their first day in the house, and they weren't aware of the order of the authority. The only thing they knew was the fact that the young master's mother was the principal wife of the count, and when it comes to internal affairs, her words reign supreme.
Dereck, on the other hand, didn't care about their dilemma. He unhesitantly pushed another finger inside her, making her struggle like a fish on the ground.
"You were so excited last night." Seeing her struggling hard to escape her finger, Dereck couldn't help but tease her more.
"Sorry?"
"You were pulling on my hair."
"I wouldn't dare."
"So you don't remember!?" Dereck had expected it. After all, she was too intoxicated with the drink they had fed her. "Then you do not also remember that you pushed me down and sat on me."
"My lord." She looked at the maids, but they shook their heads. Last night, they weren't allowed in the bed chamber. Even if the audience would like to gossip, they would never do so with the maid.
"Then why don't you ask them who was screaming and cursing throughout the night!? They might have heard it from outside."
When Novela looked at her maid this time, they nodded. Her reality shattered in front of her eyes.
She did more than just hit her man; she sat on him the night they were married. Furthermore, she screamed like a regular whore, and to think that…
"You are a naughty girl, aren't you?"
"My lord!" Novela didn't know what to say to redeem herself. To begin with, she didn't even remember what type of unspeakable thing she had done with him.
"It looks like I would need to punish you."
"I am sorry…"
"Sorry won't be enough." Dereck shook her head. Turning towards the maid, he ordered, "Give us some space."
The maid hadn't expected it. Normally, the noble wouldn't care about the presence of the servant, even if they wanted to have sex.
"Please forgive my lady, young master." The eldest of the maids went on her knees. The youngest also followed suit. "My lady means no harm to the young master."
"Yes, yes. She was intoxicated from the drink. She could not do something like that to the young master intentionally. Young miss is deeply in love with…"
"Silence Haku…" Novela glared at her. "My lord had ordered you to get out. You must not disobey his order."
"But…"
"No, but. Even if I don't remember it, I have disrespected my Lord." Novela looked at Dereck, adding, " It's a mistake worth punishing. No matter what punishment my lord has decided, I will receive it. You can leave now."
The pair of maids wanted to say something, but they knew how stubborn their miss could be. They had to follow her orders, even if they didn't want to.
As soon as the door closed, Dereck ordered, "Turn around and put your hand on the table."
Novela didn't even hesitate. The most common form of punishment for children was being whipped on the buttocks and thighs. Still showing her ass to Dereck made her feel a bit shy.
"Do you know why you are being punished?"
"I have disrespected my lord."
"How?"
"Sorry, my lord. My memory of last night is a little hazy."
"No. It is not about something you did last night. You have done it this morning."
"What!?"
*Slap*
She was about to turn to look at him, only to be slapped on the ass.
"I am not done with you. Keep looking at the front. Raise your ass, spread your leg." Although it seemed suspicious, she didn't even hesitate.
*Slap*
'Is he controlling his force out of fear of hurting me?' Novela was expecting the punishment to be painful, yet…
"You dare leave me alone in bed."
*Slap*
"That wasn't all. You even used your scent and gorgeous figure to seduce me. Even trying to leave me hanging and go to meet my mother?"
"My lord!?"
*Slap*
"Stay like this. I am not done with you. No matter your punishment, you are not allowed to say another word."
"But…"
*Slap*
"My lord…"
*Slap*
"Don't move."
She was trying to understand the situation better when she felt him holding onto her waist. And she felt it.
Something was pushing against her opening. Novela was sure it wasn't his finger. And the thing's identity made her wonder, 'Is he trying to do it while standing?'
"As a consort, you have only one duty. I don't care what you do other times, but you should be there to serve me when I want you."
*Slap*
"Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes."
"Good. Now use your hand to spread them."
She blushed when she realized what 'they' were. "Should we go to bed?"
*Slap*
"Spread them like the whore you are."
*Slap*
"Why are you being so timid when you were presenting your alluring figure to entice me earlier?"
*Slap*
"Spread them."
Novela's face was totally red. She hadn't been humiliated like this before. However, this did not prevent her from stooping to the table and spreading her ass cheeks with both hands.
Even though she braced herself for an assault, the first one was much more intense than she had anticipated.
The fact that she wore white cotton underwear dyed with blood this morning proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they had done it the night before.
However, she didn't remember. So, it was her first time, and she didn't hate the sensation. Although she made an effort to extend her legs slightly further, Dereck swiftly grabbed her waist and intensified her assault.
She was struggling hard not to make a sound, but the ecstasy didn't let her brain work to its full capacity.
'No wonder, they said, it was a feeling that can't be described in words.' The moment she remembered the words of her married friend, another worry hit her.
'Could it be that I have done all those things in front of everyone? In the 'ritual of Proof?'