Ch.77Because it’s one bedroom.

# A Grand Afternoon Tale

It was an afternoon when I became the protagonist of a grand historical tale.

Right after receiving an iron-fisted rebuke for the hardboiled old man’s unexpected comment. The excited atmosphere quickly subsided, and the eyes of the three people looking at me were filled with reverence.

“Why are you all suddenly acting like this? And even you, Irefi…”

Irefi’s reaction was slightly different in nature from Bartlant’s or the Emperor’s. Though filled with shock, her eyebrows curved downward, as if pressing down her displeasure.

Their strange gazes were honestly burdensome. Unable to bear it any longer, just as I was about to ask for an explanation, Irefi beat me to it.

“Why is everyone—”

“Nepy.”

“Hmm?”

“You lied, didn’t you?”

Irefi smiled brightly. Especially her mouth corners, which rose unnaturally high toward her cheekbones. In contrast, her eyes remained as flat as a harbor coastline.

In short, a chilling sensation ran down my spine. Even my spine, which hadn’t felt cold when lying on the freezing floor of the Great Cavern causing a commotion…

“Irefi? What do you mean by lying…”

“I trusted you, Nepy. I relied on you greatly. Nepy is very honest, right?”

“If you say so, I guess…?”

“Heh, heheh. Ahahah.”

“Hahaha.”

“You’re laughing?”

“…Huh?”

Something… something is going wrong. By the time I realized it, Irefi’s brows were already trembling, expressing her anger.

“Living as a savage, then regaining your senses to find you were a Founding Noble… that was your explanation, right?”

“Ah.”

“But in reality, you were a human who crossed over from an entirely different dimension.”

“W-well… actually…”

“I understand. You probably thought such an outlandish claim wouldn’t be believed. So you made up something more plausible.”

“Are you angry, Irefi?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Irefi’s clenched fists trembled.

Would her mood improve if I let her give me a good beating? Or should I reference the lines the old man used when comforting Lorian?

Numerous possibilities swirled in the tense atmosphere.

However, Irefi went far beyond my expectations and expressed self-deprecation.

“I’m angry at my past actions. I did doubt you for a long time.”

“Wait, hold on Irefi.”

“Well. I’ve deceived you and done various things to you, so I have no right to speak. How could I demand trust from you?”

“No, that’s not at all…”

“I’m sorry. How much you must have suffered keeping such a secret… From now on, I’ll work harder to earn your tru—oof?”

“Irefi, stop.”

“Nepy…?”

As Irefi grew increasingly dejected and remorseful, I stood up without caring about the gazes around us and embraced her tightly.

I also patted her back gently on my own accord. Somehow, I felt this was the only way to stop Irefi from trampling her own self-esteem.

“I’m fine. It’s my fault for giving up on explaining and making up something convenient.”

“Nepy.”

“Irefi.”

Pure white stardust scattered around us sparkles. Even though I suspect it’s an illusion, when I’m with Irefi, I find myself falling into it.

The moment of reversal was brief. The two men’s throat-clearing brought us back to reality.

“Ahem.”

“Hmm, it’s wonderful to see the two Marquesses getting along so well. However, since we’re in His Majesty’s presence… well… yes…”

At Bartlant’s pointed remark, we jumped apart and hastily sat down. It was embarrassing to realize we had completely forgotten our surroundings.

‘It’s been so long, I can’t control myself.’

The old man’s memory experience had skipped over quite a few parts. Even considering that, I had lived a new life merged with the old man for an enormous amount of time.

To avoid being dominated by self-awareness in my past life, I had to constantly remind myself of Irefi. I endured my past life by tracing memories built with her.

As the long years passed, my longing for Irefi grew. As the end approached and self-awareness strengthened, I desperately needed her. The result was my current narrow field of vision.

“Your Majesty!”

The Emperor flinched at my bold call.

“Speak.”

“I’m leaving. Right now!”

“W-what?! I’d like to hear more about the dimension you lived in… No, that’s not it. We need to establish countermeasures against Feita’s declaration of war…”

“I’m leaving!!!”

I was shouting at the top of my lungs with unimaginable audacity.

This is bad. Living as the old man for too long seems to have slightly affected my personality. Especially in the reckless direction.

The Emperor, rarely faced with such a firm attitude, became speechless. His lips trembled as if unsure what to say.

Finally, what he managed to express was his own turbulent curiosity.

“Uh… um… Well, b-before you go, just one thing about your dimension…”

“Do you know kimchi?”

“Hmm? What did you say?”

“Do you know BTS?”

“Hmmmm?”

“Do you know democracy… Ah, that might be dangerous. Anyway, I’ve taught you everything, Your Majesty!!!”

I grabbed Irefi’s hand and immediately turned around. I wanted to get to a private space as soon as possible to properly engage in various activities.

Irefi hesitated but then matched my direction, perhaps overwhelmed by my forcefulness. She remained quiet as I dragged her out into the palace corridor. I almost wondered if the woman I had brought out was really Irefi.

I worried that she might be upset by my forceful leading. Normally, I wouldn’t act so hastily and rudely. I had no choice but to rush out due to truly unavoidable circumstances.

‘It was just too uncomfortable to keep sitting there. Phew!’

It’s painful to directly face Bartlant, the carbon copy of his ancestor from my past life.

Moreover, looking at the Emperor made me nauseous every time. His crimson eyes inherited from Asar kept grating on my nerves.

His only fault was being accidentally related by blood. Even rationally acknowledging this, I understood that reason and emotion occupy separate domains.

It seems I’ll need time to escape the lingering effects of my past life. Particularly, I need to purify these persistent echoes by staying close to Irefi.

As soon as we boarded the carriage, instead of sitting across from Irefi, I sat right beside her and held her hand.

“Nepy…? Somehow you seem different after our brief separation. Strangely more aggressive, I should say…”

“Don’t you like it?”

“Not at all. I like this version of Nepy too. You look quite delicious.”

“W-what? Delicious…?”

Just as I wondered if I had misheard, Irefi moistened her cherry-blossom lips and delivered a direct killing blow.

“Yes, very, very delicious.”

“Irefi? Uh… mmph…?!”

“Haah… mmm…”

Beyond our connected soft lips, a moist tongue intertwined like a slide. Everything I saw was colored with Irefi’s hues. Fair skin, pure white hair, and eyes blue as a lake.

You whom only I know, the exquisite colors I want to monopolize, are etched inside my eyelids. Her barely escaping, heated moans carried satisfaction.

“Ahh… mmm…”

“Haah…”

Through the continued moist passage, our tongues intertwined like mating snakes, exploring each other’s body heat. As if refusing to allow careless separation. As if trying to condense desire and affection into sticky saliva.

It wasn’t particularly exceptional or sweet-tasting. Just the taste of air entering and exiting each other’s mouths. That’s all it was. Yet we focused on our rising desires as if savoring preserved fruits.

Heated enough, Irefi carefully stood up. Her weakly drooping eyes and settled gaze were blind with purpose. Eyes looking straight at only one goal.

After a moment, she slowly approached. She bent her knees to sit, but not on the chair—on my lap. Our perfectly facing faces were obvious. Even a fool would recognize the desire connecting us in a straight line.

“Uh… haah… Nepy…”

“Irefi… mmph…”

Our lips met again, warm like a heated bath. Irefi’s light weight on my lap and the body heat transmitted throughout my body amplified the strange feelings.

Her frail body somehow producing incredible strength was incomprehensible. Her small frame, easily embraced with my arms wrapping around her back, was lovable. I even found her cute. As if enchanted, I continued kissing while gently stroking Irefi’s head.

“Mmm… hawuuh… Nephy…”

Irefi’s upper body twitched slightly. Pleased by the gentle stroking, she lowered her head slightly to settle into just the right position. She even rubbed her crown in the same direction as the stroking. Like a puppy craving praise.

As the carriage interior warmed with heat, Irefi clasped her hands behind her back and hugged me tightly. Though we should have been getting tired, the combination of Irefi’s vast lung capacity and my immortal characteristic prolonged our kissing seriously.

Perhaps if the carriage hadn’t jolted once in the middle, we might have kept our lips pressed together until dawn.

Clunk!

“Ah!”

“Oh my.”

Our eyes met directly after the rhythm was broken. Somehow it was funny, and even more so, lovely. Seeing the thin saliva break, I unconsciously desired to trace Irefi’s lips.

Lips touching lightly. A crisp bird kiss, gently sucking. Irefi’s eyes widened at the unexpectedly aggressive act.

I suddenly recalled my past life. I imagined what those two infinitely mature yet affectionate people would have done.

But I soon concluded it wasn’t helpful. Though unintentional, the old man and I were fundamentally different in terms of experience, as he had been a male courtesan.

Eventually, I awkwardly kissed what I could see before me. The soft nape peeking above her snow-white dress. I licked and sucked that spot which looked intimate even though it wasn’t hidden.

“Mmph, haah! Nepy, that, ahng…”

“I love you, Irefi.”

“Me too… huwuh…”

My moistened lips naturally traveled down her neck to face the firm collarbone. I wondered why this thin yet solid bone visible through transparent skin aroused such desire. Without time to resolve this question, I decided to experience it directly.

“Ah, mmm, somehow that, feels good. Nepy. Uuh…”

“Hm… haah…”

Irefi’s body jerked each time I kissed the exposed area. Her sweet moans and encouraging scent seemed to command me. To go a little further. To invade the forbidden realm hidden by her, who was like a blank white canvas.

Unconsciously, my hand rose to Irefi’s shoulder line. My hooked fingers caught the low-cut part of her dress, showing my intention to lift it. Waves rippled in Irefi’s eyes, but that was all. She implicitly closed her eyes and bit the air. Her flushed cheeks seemed to express tacit permission.

Just as I was about to reach that part of Irefi I had only dreamed of.

The suddenly stopped carriage scolded me, saying dreams should be dreamt while sleeping.

“Haah… haah… We seem to have arrived.”

“Looks like it… yeah…”

“…”

“…”

For a while, we rested silently, tightly embraced. It felt like once the heat filling the carriage dissipated, once the body heat we had exchanged cooled, everything that had happened would disappear. I think Irefi felt the same way.

Just as the coachman’s curiosity became noticeable.

Irefi whispered stimulatingly in my ear.

“Would you like to come in?”

“Yes, we should get out now.”

“Yes.”

Thinking the whisper was over, Irefi let out a mischievous sound. Her shimmering, or rather heightened eyes didn’t allow distraction.

She whispered again.

“Since we share one bedroom.”