A Marriage of Convenience /The Marriage Business

Ch 95

"Soon, it will become a relationship worthy of being called by that title."

Bianca's face turned contemplative as she recalled their first experience.

At that time, Zachary was impatient, eager, and rough, as if embracing a woman for the first time.

But that was more than enough to prepare herself. Bianca nodded her head with determination.

Zachary, who had confirmed everything until the last minute, leaned towards Bianca. When Zachary's warm breath touched her cheek, Bianca involuntarily closed her eyes.

His lips glided across her cheeks, down her chin, and onto her neck. The bare neck, without a necklace, rested under his lips.

The tension was akin to that of a wolf seeking flesh.

Bianca's body stiffened unconsciously at the touch of his firm lips brushing against her delicate skin.

Zachary pressed his lips onto Bianca's as if marking her and ran his hand along Bianca's skirt. Zachary's hand reached Bianca's thigh, traversing the generous hemline of the fabric that enveloped her leg. He felt intoxicated by the soft skin that his palm touched, but that wasn't enough.

"The clothes."

Bianca could hear a hazy voice close to her ear, and involuntarily, she squeezed her thighs.

"May I undress you?"

In no time, Zachary's hand moved to Bianca's waist. Bianca's coat had long been discarded, and her clothes were as disheveled as they could be.

Bianca deliberately responded bluntly to hide her embarrassment.

"You can't do it without undressing yourself."

Then, she leaped from her spot, turned her back to Zachary, and sat down again. It was a bold move, but her heart raced. Just because Zachary wasn't visible didn't mean his presence wasn't felt. Every time she felt him move, Bianca's body trembled.

Bianca was a noblewoman with a maid always at hand, so the button of her dress was at the back. Zachary brushed Bianca's long hair over her shoulder, exposing her back, struggling to undo the buttons that were too small for his fingers.

But it wasn't easy. It was so embarrassing that Bianca felt utterly ashamed.

Unlike Zachary's lightweight attire, Bianca was dressed in garments large enough to provide warmth. Bianca cautiously added, thinking that even though she specified the first night, it might seem like she was protecting herself from him.

"I'm so dressed because..."

"No. This is the right thing to do."

Zachary murmured, focusing.

After a long and clumsy effort, he unbuttoned Bianca's last button. Only then did Zachary playfully joke with a sigh.

"If you had been a little more disheveled, wouldn't I have needed to ask for your understanding in advance?"

Zachary said it casually, but it was different for Bianca.

Bianca lowered her head as if to cover her flushed face.

Then, Bianca's silk clothing slid off her shoulders. The rounded shoulders and prominent shoulder blades shone white in the midst of the night. Zachary let out a low moan as strands of stone-like hair hung over his shoulder.

The legs beneath the dress were exposed, and Bianca didn't take long to be completely naked.

Unconsciously, Bianca pulled the blanket and covered her chest. She didn't trust her body enough to proudly display her immature breasts.

Zachary took a deep breath and undressed himself. Unlike Bianca, who could put on and take off clothes with the need for assistance at all times, Zachary, who almost lived on the battlefield, did everything alone.

Unlike the painstaking task of carefully removing Bianca's clothes, he undressed with skilled and urgent movements.

Zachary's muscular torso was revealed in front of Bianca.

A perfect body like the male god of war in mythology.

Bianca involuntarily moaned at his strong body that everyone seemed to admire.

And soon, he lowered his pants. For some reason, it seemed much larger than she remembered. Ashamed, Bianca unconsciously avoided his gaze.

An unfamiliar sense of shame enveloped her. It was embarrassing to see and not see.

Although her body is a virgin, her mind is not. What is the reason for such embarrassment?

With Fernand, they mostly did it while dressed, and when it came to Zachary, all the lights were always turned off at night.

Moreover, in her previous life, Bianca avoided looking at him, so this was the first time she saw him openly.

So this flagrant situation was embarrassing. Bianca, who objectively recognized it, requested with a trembling voice.

"Turn off the lights, please."

"No."

Contrary to Bianca's expectation that he would gladly listen to her request to turn off the lights, Zachary firmly shook his head. Bianca, who didn't expect to be rejected, looked at Zachary startled, and Zachary, who had removed all his clothes, approached Bianca and responded.

"I don't want to hurt you."

Bianca couldn't understand Zachary. The first night in Bianca's memory passed in darkness and silence. But now, it was different. The dim light of a candle, a small conversation. It was a subtle difference that others couldn't understand, but for Bianca, the gap was too wide.

What the hell happened for it to change?

Now that she thinks about it, it was Zachary who pretended not to hear Bianca's request to join her in consummating their marriage. What shook him? The heat of the tournament? The handkerchief Bianca gave him?

Both were correct.

In fact, Zachary's sudden behavior was due to the love he could no longer reject, and the jealousy he had suppressed until now had reached its limit.

But jealousy and love were not present in Bianca's expectations.

Jealousy and love were not the only things now running through Zachary's heart. Even before Bianca returned, they were clearly present within Zachary.

However, the only thing Zachary could receive from Bianca before her return was coldness. They didn't even speak properly, so they didn't know each other's deepest thoughts, and even if they did, they would have been rejected due to the deeply ingrained hostility Bianca had at that time.

So, Zachary kept his mouth shut, stayed around Bianca to take care of her, and only approached her in unavoidable moments. Of course, it was because he was afraid of Bianca's rejection.

Bianca had no way to confirm that fact. She simply continued to speculate in vain, not even guessing Zachary's true intentions.

To be honest, Bianca wasn't really guessing to find out the answer. It was to focus on something else and forget the weight of the situation for a moment, but Bianca's other thoughts didn't last long. Every time Zachary moved, all her senses turned towards him, and in the end, her efforts to pretend not to know were in vain.

"You're like a little bird."

Zachary climbed onto the bed and gently held the back of Bianca's neck, caressing her cheek with his thumb. It was an awkward gesture, not seeming to know how much force to apply.

"If I press too hard, you'll get hurt."

Bianca lifted the blanket even higher and covered her chest as she murmured in response.

"...You'll be disappointed."

That won't happen.

Zachary said sternly and leaned towards Bianca. Holding Bianca by the nape, he carefully laid her down on the bed and let himself fall on top of her.