I Plotted The World Destruction With The Male Lead - Chapter 18 (M)

She briefly worried that they had overslept, but it was still earlier than expected. Since the estate’s servants had already prepared a bath, Van carried Eleanor inside.

With several hours left before their departure, they had plenty of time. Exhausted, Eleanor remained nestled in Van’s arms as he stepped into the tub, letting the warm water envelop her body.

Even with her legs weakened from their earlier activities, she continued guiding him. Perhaps because of that, Van found himself burning with the urge to hold her again.

If not for their imminent journey to the capital, he would have done so—ten times over.

Sinking into the comfortably warm water, Van ran a hand over Eleanor’s shoulder and let out a deep sigh.

Right now, he had an excuse—limited time—to bathe with her. But in the future, her maids would be the ones assisting her during bath time.

The mere thought of anyone else touching her skin made his insides churn with frustration.

As Van, who had been gently washing her, suddenly pulled a sullen expression, Eleanor reached out and touched his cheek.

His stiff expression melted instantly as he gazed at her.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just feel a little jealous…”

“Jealous?”

Van couldn’t bring himself to admit that he was jealous of the maids who would be assisting Eleanor with her baths in the future. Instead of answering, he simply pulled her into his arms, his hands idly caressing her body.

Compared to her delicate touch, his calloused swordsman’s hands felt rough, yet the way they traced over her soft skin sent a peculiar shiver through her.

‘It’s just because of the guiding.’

Eleanor told herself this, yet she didn’t stop channeling guiding energy into Van. His impurity still hadn’t lessened to the level she desired.

Observing her expression, Van slowly slipped his hand between her legs. As his fingers brushed against her soft petals, Eleanor instinctively pressed her thighs together.

“W-We have to leave in a few hours…”

“Which is precisely why I need to scoop my essence out of you before then.”

“If it drips out while we’re on the move, that would be troublesome,” Van whispered, slyly sliding his fingers into Eleanor’s parted folds.

Having released inside her so many times, she was filled with a mixture of his seed and her own fluids. Although they both wore contraceptive rings, judging by the sheer amount he had released, it seemed like taking the rings off would lead to pregnancy immediately.

Van covered Eleanor’s lips with kisses as he gently stimulated her soft inner walls. From deep inside to the very entrance, his fingers curled, slowly scooping out his release. Eleanor clung to his chest, panting heavily.

“You’re twitching inside,” he murmured, his voice dripping with sweetness. “It makes me want to lick you clean… May I torment you a little more?”

The sultry whisper sent a shiver down her spine. As his fingers wickedly stirred her depths, Eleanor squeezed her legs together and shook her head.

“T-That’s… ngh….”

As the sensual stimulation gradually heated her body, Eleanor attempted to stop guiding. She had been channeling energy through every point of contact between them, but the sensations from where Van was teasing her had become overwhelmingly intense—it was too much to handle.

However, the moment she tried to withdraw the guiding energy, Van spread her thighs apart. Bringing his other hand to her vagina, he grasped the stiffened bud along with its petals and began kneading it in an enticing rhythm.

“Ngh… haah! Ahh… Duke, mm….”

Even just rubbing her bud and gently rolling the sensitive tip sent waves of dizzying pleasure through her. With his fingers still stirring inside her, Eleanor was left gasping, unable to stop guiding.

Van silenced her moans by pressing his lips to hers, slipping his tongue between them. Since the guiding energy continued to flow, even the act of their tongues entwining sent electrifying pleasure coursing through them.

His cock throbbed painfully, demanding to be buried inside her. But if he entered now, he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop after just once or twice.

As Van rubbed his cock against Eleanor’s waist, he recalled the matter of imprinting.

In his eagerness to claim her during their first night together, he had completely forgotten about it.

The imprint had formed the morning after, while they were both still exhausted from their union. Neither Eleanor nor Van had even realized when it had happened.

Van had been entirely consumed with loving Eleanor, and she had been too lost in the pleasure he gave her to notice anything else.

However, both Eleanor and Van were aware that the imprint had formed.

Van could now sense Eleanor’s location and emotions, while Eleanor, even when apart from him, could perceive how much impurity remained within him.

“Ngh… ahhh…!”

As he sucked on her lips, Eleanor reached her climax.

Now that they were imprinted, Van could feel the pleasure she experienced, reading every emotion that coursed through her. Overwhelmed with joy, he tormented her even more relentlessly.

As he caressed her body, guiding energy flowed thickly between them, leaving Eleanor helpless against the sensations. Especially when he gently rolled her sensitive bud up and down—she felt like she was going to lose her mind.

“Mm! Nngh, ahh… ahhng!”

With Van’s tongue deeply entwined with hers and his hands teasing her, Eleanor trembled violently in response. The stimulation was overwhelming, yet every sensation was utterly breathtaking.

As he relentlessly coaxed out every last drop of his seed from her trembling depths, Van smiled in satisfaction.

The only regret he had was that he couldn’t immediately fill her up again with himself.

Van lifted Eleanor from the tub, her body limp in his arms, and gently pulled away from her lips. Then, he brought lukewarm water and began washing her again.

Her body was still overheated, making the tepid water feel refreshingly cool against her skin.

Letting out a deep sigh, Eleanor leaned into Van completely, entrusting him with her weight. With careful and tender hands, he finished bathing her, then laid her down on a massage table.

The only thing left was for him to wash himself.

Rubbing himself against her waist alone wasn’t enough to find release, so Van, watching Eleanor, pleasured himself.

Lying stretched out on the bed, watching the scene before her, Eleanor felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

He was a royal who had imprinted on her.

Because of that, Van could no longer receive guiding from another Guide, nor could he share intimacy with anyone else. Only her guiding could save him now.

“Kh…!”

As he climaxed, Van flushed slightly, as if suddenly aware of Eleanor’s gaze. Feeling like he might get hard again, he quickly turned away and stepped into the shower.

When he returned, he draped a thick towel over Eleanor’s body, wrapping her in warmth. Then, pulling her into his arms, he whispered,

“…Are you not exhausted?”

“I’m fine.”

At her answer, Van kissed her. It wasn’t because he particularly liked her response—he simply wanted to steal a kiss whenever an opportunity arose.

“Once we’ve had breakfast, we’ll be leaving. Until then, you should rest,” he said, lifting her from the massage table.

*

Emperor Dael Astrada was surprised when he received a report that Van had departed this morning, rather than yesterday as originally planned. It was an uncharacteristic move for his nephew.

He was furious upon hearing accusations that Van had attacked Carlyle, yet at the same time, he was also concerned. If Van had used his abilities, he might now be in a state where he required guiding.

Luria had been guiding Van since childhood, but there were limits to what she could do. Even if he used a teleportation magic circle, traveling from the eastern region to the capital would take time, which only added to Dael’s worries.

‘Could it be that, contrary to Carlyle’s claims, Van suffered a serious injury?’

Though he was angry that Van had violated the imperial decree forbidding conflicts between members of the imperial family, Van was like a son to him.

It had long been established that Dael was infertile, but with Van, his nephew and a strong successor, there had never been an issue regarding the imperial lineage.

Furthermore, Van was a pitiful child who had lost his parents at a young age.

When Dael’s younger brother faced death due to a lack of guiding, he left behind his wife and son and climbed to the snowy mountains to die alone.

His death stood in stark contrast to that of the former Grand Duke Javes, who had died before his wife and child.

When Grand Duke Grandmeyer passed away, the emperor brought Van to the imperial palace, fearing he might suffer the same fate. At the time, the only remaining guide in the empire was Empress Luria, making it a natural decision.

Van’s mother, a princess from another kingdom, returned to her homeland after being widowed. It was known that she later remarried a noble and had two more children.

She and Van only exchanged letters occasionally—neither did she visit him, nor did Van travel to her kingdom.

Now, the emperor was troubled, wondering what had caused Van to fight Carlyle.

Carlyle had claimed, “The Grand Duke of Grandmeyer suddenly attacked me.”

The courtiers speculated that Van had tried to eliminate Carlyle, his competitor.

However, the emperor didn’t believe that.

‘Van would never do such a thing. There must be a reason.’

If a new guide appeared, the emperor planned to ensure Van was bound to them, no matter the justification.

It had never been openly declared, but the position of crown prince was practically Van’s. There was no reason for him to fight Carlyle over it.

At the same time, Dael could not simply doubt Carlyle, who had been loyal until now. The situation left him in deep contemplation.

Just then, Empress Luria approached him.

“Are you troubled over Van again?”

Luria cared for Van as much as the emperor did. She deeply regretted what had happened to his father and sympathized with Van’s circumstances—being forced to part from his mother.

“He only just departed. He’s usually impatient, so it’s strange.”

“There must be a reason. He may get angry at times, but he’s not the type to harm others without cause.”

The emperor knew that Luria disliked Carlyle.

Perhaps it was because of the crimes Carlyle’s father had committed, or maybe it was because the officials had set up a rivalry between Van and Carlyle, which only fueled her resentment.

From the emperor’s perspective, her feelings were not necessarily a bad thing, as they stemmed from her affection for Van.

“There may be a reason, but defying an imperial decree is still wrong. With no guide available to stabilize them, such fights only harm both sides.”

“But—”

Luria, seemingly displeased, started to protest, but Dael raised a hand to stop her.

“He knows how much I favor him. It would be best to punish him just enough to rein in his temper.”

Luria was furious at this.

Rumors in the capital painted Van as hot-tempered and quick to anger, calling him ‘The Mad Dog of the East.’

Luria saw this as an absurd slander.

Anyone who knew Van even slightly would understand how ridiculous the rumor was.

The emperor, too, recognized this, but he had left the rumors unchecked. Eventually, they spread far and wide.

By then, the empress had begun to suspect that there was someone deliberately spreading them.