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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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The dry touch of his lips on hers.
The familiar scent of gunpowder, now evoking a sense of longing.
The faint melody of the waltz.
The soft humidity of the outdoor terrace enveloping them.
Ludmilla, who had trembled with shock, her eyes wide with surprise, now closed them gently.
And she slightly parted her lips, savoring the sensation of her first kiss.
She cautiously moved her tongue, afraid of making a clumsy mistake in front of Edanant.
‘It’s bittersweet. Did he drink coffee before coming here…?’
A bitter taste lingered after the dry touch.
Coffee.
The subtle and deep bitterness was undoubtedly the flavor of coffee.
What taste was Edanant experiencing?
She had briefly sipped wine at the ballroom, so he must be savoring a bittersweet taste similar to coffee.
Ludmilla rejoiced at her choice of having wine.
If she had eaten a heavy meal like steak beforehand, it could have led to a disaster.
“I apologize. It was rude to act without asking. You seem quite surprised.”
“I-It’s alright…! I was a bit surprised, but…”
Edanant slowly parted his lips.
A thin strand of saliva, like a spiderweb, connected their lips.
It was a passionate first kiss.
Ludmilla’s lips, wet with saliva, spoke volumes.
Overwhelmed by the unfamiliar experience, Ludmilla turned her head away, her face flushed crimson.
It was impossible to even meet his gaze for a moment.
“I apologize, it’s my first time… I was quite clumsy.”
“It was… my first time too.”
They confessed that it was each other’s first kiss.
Ludmilla’s face flushed even redder.
He had been surprisingly skilled, so she had assumed he had shared passionate kisses with many women.
To think that this was Edanant’s first kiss with a woman…
It meant she was his first.
And it meant that he truly loved her, enough to express his affection with a first kiss.
His first.
I’m his first…!
Her heart pounded wildly.
A warm euphoria washed over her.
She could almost hear the saintess, dressed in pure white robes, wailing in despair.
Ludmilla felt confident that she had finally won the fierce competition for his heart.
“So it was both of our first times.”
“C-Cough…!”
Edanant chuckled and said.
Ludmilla turned her head away and coughed awkwardly.
“It’s an honor. To have received the beautiful princess’ first kiss. I’m truly lucky.”
“D-Don’t tease me! It’s embarrassing…!”
Perhaps it was the afterglow of their first kiss.
Her entire body felt hot, like a candle melting wax.
Ludmilla shrank back at Edanant’s playful teasing.
She let out a soft, sweet sigh, showing that the lingering sensation hadn’t faded.
“Ludmilla?”
“W-Wait… Just a moment…”
She could sense multiple presences approaching.
They must be searching for her, who had disappeared after displaying her vulnerable side.
It couldn’t be helped.
He couldn’t put Ludmilla in a difficult position because of his momentary attachment.
Edanant reluctantly stepped back.
Ludmilla, her desperation evident, grabbed his arm.
“Mmm…!”
The passion ignited by their first kiss emboldened the virgin princess.
Ludmilla reached out and wrapped her arms around Edanant’s neck.
And with a resolute expression, she initiated a rough, almost aggressive kiss.
“……!”
Was it because he lacked experience with kissing?
Or was his body burning with passion, making him lose his composure?
He froze, stiff as a board, at Ludmilla’s forceful display of affection, her arms holding him captive.
The difference in their strength was evident, as he couldn’t even move his shoulders.
“All I need… is you. Nothing else matters.”
Her animosity towards the one true god,
Her murderous intent towards the complacent crowd,
Even the unsettling whispers that had constantly fueled her negative emotions,
All of it faded into insignificant thoughts in the face of the kiss she had longed for.
Ludmilla, who had received Edanant’s heartfelt confession, reciprocated with her own passionate declaration, showcasing her unwavering love.
Edanant nodded, wrapping his arms around Ludmilla’s slender waist.
“Do you know how surprised I was to see you collapsed on the floor?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. It’s my fault for worrying you.”
“How could it be your fault? It’s all because of the one true god’s oracle…”
The passionate and innocent kiss ended.
But Edanant and Ludmilla were still holding each other close.
She didn’t want to let go.
She didn’t want to separate as if nothing had happened.
So they gazed into each other’s eyes, as if about to kiss again, and whispered like lovers.
“Should I propose now? Or later?”
“I-Isn’t that too sudden…! P-Please propose later. My heart feels like it’s about to burst…”
After confessing their feelings, he mentioned a proposal.
Ludmilla felt dizzy as Edanant, usually indecisive, began to move at lightning speed.
A proposal.
In other words, a marriage proposal.
The time had come to end her long life as an old bachelorette.
But perhaps the rapidly unfolding situation was too sudden.
Despite facing the moment she had longed for, Ludmilla made the foolish decision to postpone her answer.
???????
The next day.
Ludmilla spent the night tossing and turning.
She couldn’t sleep.
No,
To be precise, she couldn’t bring herself to sleep.
The unsettling feeling that had enveloped her entire body didn’t matter.
Ludmilla’s mind was currently filled with the lingering sensation of her first kiss with Edanant.
“Mmm…! Mmm…!”
She swallowed a moan, a mixture of sweet and sorrowful emotions.
Simultaneously, she ripped the pillow she was clutching in her hands to shreds.
Rip-!
The pillow let out a screech as feathers scattered everywhere.
The maids, witnessing the princess’s frenzy in her bedroom, hurriedly closed the door.
And then, as if nothing had happened, they appeared with brooms and buckets in hand.
“Sister, are you that happy?”
“Ahem…! It would be a lie to say I’m not happy.”
Her younger sister, who had been observing her frenzy, chuckled and said.
This was a first.
She had never seen her sister like this.
To think that her sister, who always carried herself with perfection, would act so recklessly and clumsily.
Elizaveta smiled faintly, watching her sister cough awkwardly.
“I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be acting so giddy in front of you…”
“It’s alright. I’ve always wanted you to end up with Edanant. You kissed and confessed your feelings, so it’s only a matter of time before you get married.”
Perhaps it was because her wish had finally come true.
Elizaveta momentarily forgot that she also had feelings for Edanant.
They had loved the same man.
Therefore, she was worried that her childish bragging might hurt her younger sister.
But Elizaveta smiled brightly, showing a mature side, genuinely congratulating her.
It was because she truly loved Edanant, but she also supported her sister.
“Sniff. Sniff…”
As the princesses of the Valtarian Imperial Family were displaying their heartwarming sisterly bond,
The girl with flowing light green hair interrupted the beautiful atmosphere, sniffing the air.
What was that?
She wasn’t a military dog dispatched to a crime scene.
Rue, her eyes closed as she focused on her sense of smell, approached Ludmilla.
And then, she grabbed Ludmilla’s skirt and buried her face in it.
“Huh? Auntie… I mean, the pretty sister suddenly smells weird.”
“……”
The Luinong’s sensitive nose had detected a suspicious scent.
A burnt smell.
To be precise, it was the smell of burnt velvet.
Why would such an ominous scent emanate from the princess’s evening dress?
Just like Edanant, who subtly emitted the scent of gunpowder whenever he used the god of war’s divinity.
“Rue, even though my sister is an old bachelorette, you shouldn’t say such things.”
“Eek…! S-Sorry! I was just… curious about the unique smell!”
A foul odor was a common characteristic of demons who worshiped the Disaster Gods.
Rusty iron.
Decaying soil.
Rotting plants.
Demons always invaded, leaving behind a nauseating stench, like a harbinger of slaughter.
But apostles who had received the Disaster God’s divinity were different.
Just as Edanant emitted a refined scent of gunpowder, Ludmilla smelled like burnt velvet.
It was likely the same for other apostles who served innocent calamities.
“……”
A strange smell.
A unique smell.
She had been subjected to a shocking remark, almost a critical hit, from the mischievous little girl.
It bothered her.
What if Edanant suddenly visited…?
Ludmilla, showing a troubled reaction, asked the maids to prepare a bath.
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