The Incompetent Emperor Who Changes the World from the Shadows: Iron, Gunpowder, and the Young Maidens of Favor - Chapter 17: A First Night of Love and Vows ☆

Chapter 17: A First Night of Love and Vows ☆

The heavy door closes quietly, and silence fills the stone-walled chamber.

In the flickering candlelight, it’s just Ariel and me—a night for only the two of us.

Her chestnut hair falls gently, her gaze fixed on the floor, waiting for the voice of “me,” the emperor.

But her faintly trembling shoulders and quivering fingertips convey the depth of her tension and resolve.

“Come here.”

I extend my hand, and she hesitates for a fleeting moment.

Then, with determination, she takes it.

Her hand is surprisingly small, slender, and cold.

But it’s firmly nestled in my palm now.

I guide her to the large bed by the window, and Ariel sits obediently.

Her delicate, girlish shoulders are straight, yet they tremble slightly, as if with fear.

I feel her heartbeat resonating with mine, vibrating the air without even touching her.

“…Are you scared?”

I ask in a low voice, and she bites her lip briefly before shaking her head.

“I’m not… scared.

But… I’m so… embarrassed.”

Her lowered eyelashes frame cheeks faintly flushed in the candlelight.

I gently lift her chin with my fingertips.

Her small jaw trembles slightly in my hand.

Meeting her eyes, I slowly, carefully press my lips to hers.

At first, it’s just a soft touch of a kiss.

But as she gasps, I deepen it slightly—parting her lips and tracing their softness with my tongue.

Her body tenses in surprise, but her lips soon part, accepting my tongue with a tremble.

Her sweet breath fills my mouth.

A faint floral scent wafts from her chestnut hair.

Her hands reach out, clinging to my chest.

I pull her close and gently press her down onto the bed.

Her petite frame feels fragile, like glasswork, yet she entrusts herself to me with complete faith.

The weight and warmth of her body tighten my chest almost painfully.

“…Is it really okay for me to become Yours, Your Majesty?”

She looks up at me with teary eyes.

“Yes.

You’re already mine.”

I whisper and reach for her chest.

Even through her dress, I feel the soft swell beneath.

Each time my fingers brush the fabric, her slender body quivers, and I sense her stifled breaths.

I unbutton her dress one by one, peeling it away, and Ariel covers her chest with her arms.

“…Are you embarrassed?”

At my voice, she glances at me briefly and shakes her head slightly.

“…It’s just… the first time someone’s seen me…”

“It’s alright.

You’re beautiful.”

Her ears flush red as she slowly lowers her arms.

Her exposed chest reveals snow-white skin, faintly pink from her neck to her collarbone and breasts.

When I touch her, I feel her rapid pulse beneath her skin through my fingertips.

I press my lips to her neck.

Ariel’s breathing audibly quickens.

I trace her collarbone’s dip with my tongue, slowly moving to her chest.

“Nn~… Ah, no, that’s…”

She doesn’t pull away, gripping the sheets tightly with both hands, entrusting her trembling body to me.

When my lips touch her small nipple, her body jolts.

I roll it slowly with my tongue, tracing the shape of her breast with my fingers, and the hardened tip clings to my tongue.

“Nn~… Haa~…”

Ariel’s voice trembles, tinged with heat.

“…Do you want me?”

I whisper in her ear, and she nods slightly, her face almost tearful.

“Yes… I want all of you, Your Majesty…”

Hearing her whisper, my chest burns with an intense heat.

I gently press Ariel back onto the bed.

Her white dress falls gracefully, her delicate body standing out against the sheets.

Her chestnut hair spills over the pillow, her cheeks flushed cherry-pink with anticipation and shame.

I run my palms slowly over her slender shoulders, delicate collarbone, and slight chest.

Each touch makes her body quiver, her breaths quickening faintly.

“Ariel… are you sure?”

She lowers her eyes shyly but looks up at me firmly.

“…Yes.

Because… I love Your Majesty.”

I etch her words into my heart and press my lips to hers again.

To her neck, her collarbone, the soft swell of her breasts.

When I trace her small nipple with my tongue, she shuts her eyes tightly, biting her lip and letting out sweet moans.

“Nn~… Yah~… That’s so embarrassing…”

My hands slide from her sides to her waist.

Her slender ribs rise and fall with her breaths, her pulse rippling beneath her skin.

I gently grip her waist with both hands, stroking the base of her thighs.

Lifting the hem of her dress and tracing her slit through her undergarments, her body shudders sharply.

“Nn~… Ah~… There…”

I carefully remove her undergarments.

Her exposed secret place glistens faintly in the light.

I caress the soft, petal-like folds with my fingertips.

Ariel writhes, clinging desperately to me.

“Sorry, is it uncomfortable…?”

“It’s fine… But… Your Majesty’s hands are so warm…”

I trace her depths slowly with my fingers, occasionally teasing her clitoris gently, watching her surrender her body to me.

Her small frame gradually melts into the heat, the sensation passing through her skin.

Her breathing grows ragged, her eyes misty, her legs wrapping tightly around my back.

“I can’t… wait anymore… Please…”

I shed my clothes and press my heat against her entrance.

Ariel tenses but looks up at me without fear.

“If it hurts, tell me right away.”

“…Yes.

I’ll be fine.”

I slowly part her legs and press my heat against her center.

Her slender legs wrap tightly around my back.

The moment our heat merges, her whole body jolts slightly.

With each movement, I feel an almost painful love for her.

“…Nn~… Ah~…”

She closes her eyes, enduring the initial pain.

But the hands gripping my shoulders gradually relax, and soon, sweet breaths mingle with her shy moans.

I stroke her cheek gently, moving shallowly, tenderly, deepening gradually.

“Ariel…”

Each time I call her name, she responds with a tearful smile.

“…Your Majesty… I love you…”

Her hoarse voice melts everything within me.

In this other world, for this moment alone, I want to love this one girl with all my heart—

With that wish, I hold her slender waist and fill her depths with my heat.

Our bodies become one, the world quietly dissolving into the night.

Even after we finish, I keep stroking Ariel’s hair.

“You’re mine alone.

I’ll never let you go.”

She smiles, her tear-streaked eyes nodding faintly.

“Yes.

I’m not going anywhere—I’ll stay here forever.”

Outside the window, only the sound of treetops swaying in the night breeze envelops our shared secret.