They Say an Age Gap Like This Doesn’t Even Need Matching - Chapter 46

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

On one hand, he was delighted that she wore the earrings simply because he had given them to her.
‘That’s true.’
He murmured to himself.
‘She never cared much for adornment in the first place.’
It had been that way since their first meeting.
Unless a magical artifact served a practical purpose, she wouldn’t spare a glance at cumbersome ornaments.
After the founding of Bardia, which ended the Dark Age and ushered in the age of humanity.
While other women took pains to beautify their appearances and adorned themselves, she alone remained unchanged.
She would don the Knight Order uniform that the temple had carefully consecrated for her and bound lightly across the castle walls.
Everything about her like that must have made his heart race.
And yet.
Even he couldn’t understand why he was so eager to give her beautiful dresses and jewels.
It seemed she had indeed visited the Tower of Repentance, just as he suspected.
The fact that she brought up that topic first—did she think the punishment imposed on the Crown Princess was too lenient?
When she stared at him with eyes asking if he was worried about his sister, he nearly answered.
That for her sake, he could kill it.
Of course, he knew that wasn’t the answer Iserna wanted, so he kept it to himself.
As he walked past her, he thought.
‘It’s about time.’
A faint smile played at his lips.
‘I should reveal my true identity.’
Until now, Iserna had regarded him as an enemy of Bardia and remained vigilant.
He was very curious to see what reaction she would show once she learned who he truly was.
A woman as perceptive as her would quickly realize that a deposed prince abandoned even by his own nation was worthless.
‘I’ve succeeded in bringing Iserna here, so my usefulness is exhausted.’
The Emperor seemed to believe he could wield that man as his own blade, but that was a delusion.
Could a mouse ever hold a lion’s leash?
Only he could command that man.
‘Let me see with my own eyes as she chooses me.’
Thus he would witness that man’s despair and collapse for the first time in three hundred years.
The reason he left the two of them alone now was solely for that moment.
For the higher one rises, the greater the impact of the fall.
‘Fall in love with all your heart.’
May she love with all her strength and experience boundless joy.
When those days of jubilation end, that great happiness would instead tear her heart asunder.
Only then.
Would their long, bitter karma finally come to an end.
***
‘Is this really practice?’
The thought flickered through my mind for a moment.
But I couldn’t pursue it further.
I was in no state to properly judge anything.
Elhart’s arm was wrapped firmly around my waist.
As if he wouldn’t let me slip away.
My skin flushed hot from his ragged, labored breathing and the warmth of his breath against me.
It was hard to believe this was the same man who’d been sulking with jealousy just moments ago.
“Elhart….”
Elhart, fully aware of my state, lifted his head slightly.
“Ser.”
He called my name in a voice that had grown low and rough.
“Can I continue?”
“Don’t ask. Just… hurry.”
My chest heaved with each rapid breath, betraying how aroused I was.
His shadow looming over me felt as though it would swallow me whole, and a shiver ran through me.
Then, he suddenly struck his own cheek.
I jolted upright in shock.
“Elhart…?”
The force was strong enough that bruising should have been inevitable, yet his cheek returned to its normal color in an instant.
“Why did you do that?”
“Ser, if we go any further… I don’t think I can hold back. So we need to stop.”
I glanced at the taut tendons visible on the back of his clenched fist.
I assessed the probability of escaping his grip if he decided not to let me go.
‘Hmm… I can’t overpower him through physical strength alone.’
Unless I drew upon my abilities.
‘But using that power on Elhart feels… wrong, doesn’t it?’
If that’s the case, then stopping as he said would be the right choice.
‘But why should I?’
What does it matter if he can’t hold back?
He wouldn’t hurt me anyway.
After a moment’s deliberation, I picked up the restraint he’d released.
“With this, I think it’ll be fine.”
His eyes trembled fiercely.
“You’re going to… use that?”
“It’s a precaution, but I thought it would put your mind at ease.”
If Elhart decided to, he could break it anyway, but it would take at least a second to destroy it.
That much time would be enough for me to escape him.
“Now you don’t need to worry, right?”
I urged him on while gazing into his wide, startled eyes.
“Give me your hand.”
He obediently extended his hand.
“Binding them in front will be safer.”
“Then you won’t be able to touch me.”
Since that would feel somewhat regrettable, I fastened the restraints around his wrists in front instead.
“Mm….”
Elhart’s gaze fell to the metal shackles binding his hands.
It was natural that he looked at them with skepticism.
After all, he had broken free from them so easily before.
“There. Done?”
Regardless, I lifted his arm and slipped inside it.
Then I sank onto his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Now it’s your turn to show me.”
“…?”
Until now, I had felt everything while he had never finished before me.
That was terribly unfair and cowardly.
I pressed my body against his without any gaps.
“Ha….”
His normally composed brow furrowed.
As he clenched his teeth and tried to squeeze his eyes shut, I cradled his face in both hands.
“Look at me, Elhart.”
I whispered softly.
“You won’t improve if you don’t.”
When I bit his lower lip, he let out a low groan and lifted his eyelids.
“Ser….”
The moment my reflection appeared in his dangerously beautiful eyes, I pressed my lips against his.
As I drew his tongue in and sucked on it eagerly, his hot breath warmed me from within.
‘This feels wonderful….’
With his restrained hands caressing my back and waist, he gripped my buttocks.
“Ngh….!”
From that moment on, I too completely lost my composure.
I stared at his face as if half-entranced.
Could a face twisted with arousal be this sensual?
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him as he bit his lip and breathed heavily.
Rather than subsiding, my excitement only made my body burn hotter.
“Elhart.”
I whispered softly while gently caressing his cheek.
“You know I’ve been blessed by the Goddess, don’t you?”
Elhart gazed at me with eyes still lingering in the afterglow of pleasure.
“…?”
“All the children I bear will become Goddess’s Knights like me.”
He seemed unable to immediately grasp why I was saying such things.
“My dream is to create a Knight Order of children….”
I told him about my long-held dream.
Imagining twelve children wielding spears and cleaving through the sky, a satisfied smile bloomed naturally on my face.
What if among them there was a child born with a body like Elhart’s?
‘I could even sweep away the Demon Realm.’
My eyes sparkled at the thought that suddenly came to mind.
Elhart, who had been quietly listening to my story, asked with a serious expression.
“Ser, you do understand what it means to have a child… don’t you?”
At Elhart’s words, I was taken aback.
“Do I really seem like I lack such common sense?”
“Then you’re really thinking of… being intimate with me? While refusing my proposal…?”
I stared at him in bewilderment, as if he’d been struck by shock.
Huh? Regardless of marriage, wasn’t I supposed to bear and raise many children unconditionally?
Has that changed since 300 years ago?
“Is it the custom now to marry first, unconditionally, before being intimate?”
Elhart’s eyes wavered slightly.
“No, it’s not… exactly… like that, it seems.”
Yes, I thought as much.
Even Elhart didn’t want to be intimate with me when we first met.
“If you don’t want to have children with me, just say so. I’ll use contraception.”
“Contraception… how would you do that.”
“I’ll pray to the Goddess that the time isn’t right yet.”
“…?”
“…?”
Elhart’s expression was strange.
“Ser.”
“Yes.”
“I have no intention of creating a bastard.”
“Is that so? Understood.”
I’ll have to offer prayers to the Goddess then.
He parted his lips slightly, his expression suggesting he didn’t know what to say.
But I had no leisure to wait for him to organize his thoughts completely.
Since we’d settled what needed to be decided, there was no reason to hesitate further.
Though it appeared we were having a rational conversation, in truth, I was not in my right mind.
It had been that way since the moment I saw Elhart’s face contorted with pleasure.
‘I want him… right now.’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————