Die Melusine - Chapter 42

Ian sighed more often these days. It was because his daily commute had grown unbearably long.

Recently, he had taken to commuting directly to the villa. The seaside villa in the southeastern part of Triton Grand Duchy stood isolated, seemingly abandoned in the middle of a vast stretch of sand.
The mere fact that his superior—someone who despised change and insisted that everything remain in its designated place—had chosen to stay at the villa instead of the grand ducal palace was baffling enough.

Even worse was having to wait for hours in the study, hoping the duke would emerge from his bedroom—a rare occurrence. And on days like today, when he wasn’t just there to get a signature on some documents or deliver a routine administrative report, the waiting was even more of a torment.

“So. How serious is this rebellion?”

When the Bartone Duke and his household were purged, all remaining relatives in the principality had supposedly been dealt with.
However, it turned out that distant relatives from their maternal side—who had been living in another kingdom—had returned, rallying with the remaining vassals to resist. They rejected the lord sent by Kieron and declared their own authority.

Though no bloodshed had yet occurred, the rebels had seized the fortress with their private militia and were now demanding independence and sovereignty over the principality.

“It seems to be a significant movement. Given that they’ve come seeking help after trying to handle it alone, the situation must be beyond their control.”

Kieron rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb twice. He exhaled a short sigh, though his expression remained as unreadable as ever.

Challenges to the Empire must be dealt with harshly.
It was a matter of preserving authority. The grand duke’s direct involvement was necessary, but it wasn’t a particularly difficult or complicated problem.

“We made a contract, so we’ll honor it. Assemble a fleet at the same level as last time and depart at dawn tomorrow.”

“We’ll be thoroughly prepared.”

“And Count Luthern—you stay here.”

“Yes, sir… What? Here?”

Since becoming the duke’s deputy commander, the count had always been at Kieron’s side. In fact, there hadn’t been a single instance where he hadn’t followed Kieron onto the battlefield.

“You’ll be on watch.”

“On watch… sir?”

With the emperor and the marquess under close observation by the agents already deployed, and the Triton Grand Duchy enjoying an unprecedented era of peace under Kieron’s rule, Ian couldn’t quite understand what or whom he was supposed to monitor.

He hesitated, unable to answer right away, which earned him a sharp, chilling glance from Kieron.

“The Bartone situation will only take a few days, but traveling back and forth across the sea will take at least two weeks. Make sure there’s no trouble in the meantime.”

“Your Excellency, with all due respect… who exactly am I supposed to be watching?”

“Melusine.”

“…Pardon?”

Ian’s expression twisted in disbelief. He didn’t even bother hiding his reaction. That tiny woman—who could barely walk on her own two feet most of the time—needed to be watched? What on earth for?

Since becoming deputy commander, Ian had never faced a bigger crisis. He opened his mouth to respond but couldn’t figure out what to say.

As always, the grand duke seemed utterly uninterested in his subordinate’s reaction. Ian quickly wiped the dumbfounded expression from his face. After all, it wasn’t like he had a choice in the matter.

“The item I left with the farrier—”

“Oh, that item, sir…”

“I’ll probably need it before heading to Bartone.”

Kieron murmured softly, his long fingers brushing against his lips as he sank into thought. His dark, sharp eyes narrowed slightly.

Suddenly, a chill ran down Ian’s back as if something had just clicked in his mind.

“Ah, it seems that both the farrier and the jeweler are taking longer than usual since it’s the first time they’ve made something like this…”

A farrier’s usual work involved shoeing horses or trimming hooves. A jeweler, on the other hand, would typically be preoccupied with designing elaborate pieces to increase their value.
Neither of them would have understood what they were really making, but since it was an order from the grand duke, they must have poured all their effort into it regardless.
If they knew its true purpose—like Ian did—they would surely be horrified.

“Tell them to finish it today. No matter what.”

“Yes, I’ll bring it to you as soon as it’s completed.”

Ian lowered his head, trying to push away the swirling thoughts clouding his mind.

He had served under Kieron for over twenty years, yet the man standing before him hadn’t changed one bit.

So why did he feel so unfamiliar today?

***

“Do you really have to go…?”

It was already the umpteenth time she’d asked the same question.

Kieron watched Melusine quietly as she wriggled on his lap, completely at her own whim. His eyes lazily traced the rise and fall of her breasts with each breath, following the pink buds at their peaks. He noticed the faint red imprint of his fingers on her left breast—a mark from when he’d gripped her a little too hard earlier.

He savored the sight, feeling his mouth water slowly. Just thinking about sinking into her body again was enough to make him throb with anticipation. But his little fish was exhausted, and dragging her to the edge once more before leaving didn’t sit well with him.

“Kieron… should we do it again? Hmm?”

Melusine had clearly noticed the change beneath her and asked with a sparkle in her eyes.

“Hmm, maybe.”

His casual response made her soft pink lashes tremble slightly. She bit her lip before pouting, her eyes dropping into a delicate, sorrowful gaze.

“But…”

It was a new expression Melusine had been making lately whenever she felt disappointed—one that Kieron found just as amusing as her face when she was lost in pleasure. He wanted to provoke that look again and again.

“But?”

Melusine fiddled with the buttons on his shirt as she continued hesitantly.

“You keep… doing it outside.”

“Hmm? Ah.”

A soft chuckle escaped Kieron’s lips as he recalled what she meant.

“I know now. If we do it outside, we can’t have a baby.”

Her blue eyes widened as if she were accusing him outright, her gaze firm.

“So…”

His golden eyes locked onto hers, making a soft tingling sensation ripple around her chest.

“I want a baby. A baby from you, Kieron.”

Melusine’s lips moved hesitantly before she spoke clearly, as if determined to make herself heard. She’d told him this many times before—had he really forgotten, or was he just pretending not to remember?

“Ah, right.”

A little fish dared to ask for my child. He mused with a detached air, as if he were hearing someone else’s story.

Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he eased her back onto the bed.

“So, what should we do about that?”

Kieron caged her beneath him, his arms on either side of her head.

“Please… give me one,” Melusine whispered, clutching his arms tightly.

He captured her lower lip, sucking on it roughly. The scent of the sea filled his senses. In the eyes of the woman gazing up at him, he could almost hear the sound of crashing waves.

“Do it yourself.”

By now, she had grown quite skilled. Her fingers worked their way into his trousers, pulling out his hard, throbbing length with practiced ease.

As she barely held one side of the pillar with her small hand and ran it down, it moved as if pulsating in her hand. Not long after the previous mating, her still damp inner walls twitched in anticipation.

“Ah… uh-uh…”

She tried to move her pelvis to match the entrance, but it wasn’t easy. Instead, she lightly pressed the man’s penis against her clitoris and rubbed it shallowly, and her lower body melted with pleasure. As she moved, recalling where he felt particularly good when he touched her, her lower body became more and more wet with an unknown liquid.

Whoosh. The man’s breathing changed. An unfamiliar wave rose in his golden eyes fixed on Melusine. The woman was even more excited by his change.

“Huh, I want to put it in. Heuk.”

An unbearable itch stirred deep inside her, a hollow ache demanding to be filled. She craved the feeling of him stretching her, scratching that persistent need, leaving no part of her empty.

Melusine tried several times to press him against her entrance, pushing down on her own, but he wouldn’t budge. She spread her legs wider, adjusting herself, but it made little difference. It was frustrating—her own body refusing to yield, stubborn and uncooperative. A series of suppressed whimpers escaped her lips, tinged with helplessness.

“Kie… hnn… I can’t do it. Help me, please…?”

He remained still, silently watching her every movement, as if engraving the sight of her writhing beneath him deep into his memory.

“Please… it’s too much… ahh—hng!”

Suddenly, Kieron grabbed her ankle and bit down hard on the delicate skin near her ankle bone. His teeth left a vivid mark, the sting sending a sharp jolt through her body.

“Ah! It… it hurts—mmph…”

Before she could even pull her leg back, he thrust into her in one swift, decisive motion, filling her completely.

Even though she had longed for it desperately, the moment he buried himself fully inside her, Melusine’s hips trembled uncontrollably. The blunt tip pushed past her delicate walls, the sensation of being stretched so deeply sending a shiver down her spine. Every inch felt painfully vivid, almost too much to endure.

Clink.

A sudden weight pressed down on her ankle, right where he had bitten earlier.

“Hah… what is… ahh, w-what’s that?”

Clink.

Without a word, Kieron secured the same object around her other ankle—a custom-made shackle. It wasn’t jewelry, not really.

“Ankle restraints,” he whispered, his voice calm yet heavy with intent.

“W-wait… huh? Ahh! No—ah!”

The shackles looked like elegant anklets at first glance, their design deceptively beautiful. Each iron ring was wrapped in pure gold, adorned with pearls formed from Melusine’s own tears. What set them apart from ordinary jewelry, however, was the embedded zeolite gemstones—grayish-silver stones intricately set alongside diamonds, both inside and outside the ring, as per Kieron’s special request.

As his tongue traced the bite mark on her ankle, Kieron thrust deeper, his hips moving with slow but forceful precision.

Clink, clink.

Each time Melusine cried out, the pearls on the shackles chimed softly, the sound sweet and clear, filling the room. The gentle ringing was just as satisfying to him as the way her body clenched around him, desperately pulling him in.

Perhaps next time, he mused, he would craft something similar for her neck—like a collar. Fitting for a cherished pet.

“Kie… it feels so good… ahh… deeper… please,” Melusine moaned, her voice breathless and trembling.

She clung to him, blissfully unaware of the shackles’ true purpose, focused only on taking him as deeply as she could. Yet, no matter how long they moved together, Kieron never lost control—not once did he spill himself inside her.

Eventually, exhaustion overcame her, and she drifted into sleep, still wrapped in his arms.

As dawn broke, Kieron left the villa, slipping away without a sound.

Ian was waiting with the fleet, his expression stiff as he watched his superior approach.

“The coast… Tell her to stay far from it.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll make sure she knows,” Ian responded, bowing low.

With that final instruction, the grand duke boarded his ship. The deep, ominous blare of the vessel’s horn echoed over the sea, lingering long and low, like a warning to anyone who dared defy him.