Page 99 of Rise of a Fallen Man

The duchess didn’t flinch at my choice of words. The lack of decorum didn’t faze the seasoned politician like herself.

“If you’re implying I’ll derive any kind of pleasure from watching you defile the prince, you’re very mistaken. I’m simply looking after his interests.”

“Good. Then our goals align. I wish nothing but the best for your nephew too. He begged me to ‘defile’ him in private, and I shall oblige. You’re not setting foot in my bedroom.”

“I am not leaving—”

“Suit yourself. Feel free to stay in this room for as long as you like. Now if you excuse me, I have a husband to bed.”

I placed a hand on the handle of my bedroom door and paused just enough to make sure they wouldn’t rush me in their eagerness to get in.

The duchess squared her shoulders, angling her head down like a bull, ready to charge.

“I’ll give you thirty minutes, Your Highness, before I enter this room. If you’re not done by then—”

“I need longer than that,” I interrupted her hurriedly, my fake composure slipping. “I need to take a bath first.”

“Well, then you’d better hurry.” She remained relentless. “At least on his first night with a woman, my nephew deserves better than a wife who reeks of horses and other men.”

I swallowed that insult as a punishment for all my lies and silently entered my bedroom.

Not finding Leafar in the sitting area, I peeked behind the silk screen to find him in my bed. Wrapped in my blankets, he slept on his side with his mouth open and a string of drool glistening in its corner.

I quickly slipped into the bathroom and had a shower. I made the water as hot as my skin could stand without blistering. Lathering the sponge with the rose soap, I scrubbed every part of my body, washing off every trace of Salas’s touch.

Despite my best efforts to hold them in, tears ran down my cheeks. I’d broken promises and lied just for a chance to experience a sliver of stolen happiness with the forbidden man. As a result, I made everyone around me miserable and drove the man I loved out of the city.

Now, I had to lie to myself that I didn’t need Salas in my life, that I could do just fine without him. I had to deny any chance of happiness to myself to keep everyone else happy.

And so it had to be.

I dried my skin with a towel, put on my robe, and walked over to my bed to finally have sex with my husband.

Leafar blinked at me, sitting in bed with the blanket pressed to his chest.

“Did I wake you up?” I asked. “I tried to be quiet.”

“I wasn’t sleeping,” he lied, but I didn’t hold it against him. I’d told far worse lies myself. “Um... my aunt?” He looked around as if expecting the grand duchess to jump out from behind the screen.

“She’s in the sitting room. It’s just you and me here tonight.”

He looked confused. “But she should be here.”

“She gave me thirty minutes to... consummate in private.”

He perked up.

“Really? I guess we better hurry then.”

He tossed off the covers, revealing his completely nude body and his already partially erect penis. His shyness seemed to have melted under the heat of his eagerness to get it over with.

“Wait.” I stopped him by raising a hand. “I have a few conditions first.”

“What kind of conditions?” he asked warily.

“You’ll lay down on your back and will remain in that position during the whole thing. Please.”

“All right.” He readily agreed, plopping back into the pillows. “Isn’t that how it’s always done? The wife is always on top.”

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