A Certain Winter’s Tale Chapter 3.14 - Elia Winter

“In that regard, there is no excuse.”

Noah finally lowered his head. Perhaps because he had already scanned his face to his heart’s content, Elia left him alone this time.

Noah could not raise his head and bit his lip. Elia’s voice poured down impassively toward the crown of Noah’s head as he fought an irritation of unknown origin.

“Then, bring the divorce papers.”

❄️🐺❄️

After scattering Aiden, who had burst into a hollow laugh with his face flushing red and blue, back into the air, Elia led Noah into the rear garden of the inner palace. Matilda followed behind the two with a worried look, but seeing Elia taking Noah to the bedroom in the garden, she stepped back with a small smile.

Even as he climbed onto the bed under the snowflake tree, led by Elia’s hand, Noah was lost in a daze.

When Elia’s moist, warm breath poured over the nape of his neck, Noah giggled and hunched his shoulders.

Without letting go of his shoulder, Elia gently nibbled at the nape of his neck and whispered.

“Does it still hurt.”

“Hahaha, that tickles, El!”

Noah burst into laughter, but that was all. He did not cling to Elia actively or whisper pretty, naughty seductions like he had a while ago. Was it because of that? Elia asked with a face like a dejected snow wolf.

“Does it still hurt? What is the matter?”

“Well….”

Before he knew it, the front of his clothes was completely unraveled. Elia did not just wait for an answer but pressed his lips repeatedly over Noah’s white shoulders. Occasionally, from between those lips, a wet tongue would slip out and crawl over Noah’s skin. A ticklish sensation began to race toward his lower body.

Noah twitched his waist and let out a fitful, bitter smile.

“Noah. Where does it hurt? You look drained.”

Even though Elia had eyes full of worry as if afraid of being scolded, he sucked and pulled at the petal tattoo on Noah’s chest and the flower pink protrusion situated beneath it, kiss, kiss. Noah felt that he was uncontrollable, yet he felt cranky. Noah smiled and pushed away Elia’s firm arms wrapped around his waist.

“If you feel sorry, do not do it.”

“….”

At the clear gesture of rejection, Elia lowered his head deeply and shut his mouth tight. However, Elia did not change his posture of lying over Noah’s body and carefully stroked the nipple located on Noah’s chest with his finger. A mysterious sensation spread through him. Because he was in the middle of sulking, he barely suppressed his waist from trying to spring up erotically on its own. Noah tried hard to refuse firmly.

“Ugh, do not do that either….”

“You are angry.”

Just like Snow, this man was also incredibly quick to notice this kind of atmosphere.

“Tell me what I did wrong. I will never do it again, Noah. Was I too late returning to the inner palace? Or are you still angry that I hid the fact that I am the Emperor? Ah, was it because I made the sex too painful, is it because of that.”

“Ah.”

As if only just realizing it, Noah let out a low groan with a blank face. Now that he thought about it, aside from coming home late, there were plenty of things for him to apologize for. Even so, Noah had never been angry at Elia for even a moment. Whether he noticed that point or not, Elia whispered as he pressed his lips against Noah’s white chest.

“If it is not that either, then what could it be for.”

Noah spoke as he carefully stroked Elia’s cheek, which was resting on his chest.

“It is just… my own problem.”

“Noah’s problem?”

He gave a small nod, but he could not block the escaping sigh. Elia said as he gently stroked Noah’s bare waist with his fingers.

“Give me a chance to repent, Noah.”

“No. Rather, I might be the one who should say sorry to El.”

“Why?”

He hesitated, his lips flickering. He did not know how Elia felt, and although he was so happy to have him all to himself, it was only right that he should let him go someday. Like it or not, Elia must one day sleep with a noblewoman, a main wife, to produce an heir. Every time he recalled that fact, a sense of grievance flooded in and something surged from his heart. And Noah knew well that it stemmed from a clumsy and wicked childishness.

“I thought about how El would hold a wife, and I just got a little, well, jealous.”

Elia, who had been quietly placing his ear against Noah’s chest, suddenly lifted his head. Seeing the grey pupils inside his wide opened eyes shining brilliantly, Noah hurriedly avoided his gaze.

Of course, Elia reached out and turned Noah’s face back toward him.

“…Let me go.”

“Noah, look at me.”

“I do not want to. Let go.”

“Shh, please look at me, Noah. Please.”

You are the master of this Winterfall and the master of the Winter Castle. You are a man who can give orders to Noah, who is in the position of a concubine tucked away in his secret palace, as much as you want. There is no need for you to handle Noah so anxiously and desperately.

Splash. Because something welled up in his eyes and surged, Noah bit his lip. Elia, who looked into those eyes that had begun to glisten without being able to hide it, raised his upper body and kissed Noah’s lips repeatedly, peck, peck, and then whispered.

“Shh. Do not cry, Noah. I was thoughtless.”

“I am not crying.”

“Yes, yes. Good boy. Do not cry and listen to me. Other than in bed, I do not know what to do if you cry.”

The moments of moaning and tearing up while accepting Elia in bed suddenly flashed through his mind. It was truly an embarrassing moment, enough to make his tears go right back in. Thanks to that, he was barely able to keep from shedding tears.

Looking into the purple jewels filled with tears, Elia whispered lowly.

“I forgot for a moment that you are not a noble. I am sorry for saying those things in front of you without being mindful, Noah. However, nobles originally marry according to necessity and get divorced quickly too.”

“….”

“The child too….”

“I know.”

Noah chose to just close his eyes instead. Thanks to the darkened vision, the soft kisses falling over his cheeks and face like a downpour were vivid.

“I know. El is… the Monarch must definitely see an heir someday, and I cannot provide an heir for you. It is a part I must understand. No, in fact, if you want it, it is only right. A mere concubine cannot say this or that….”

Because the sense of grievance rushed in like a tide, he ended up rambling. Then, Elia pressed down on his lips and sucked them up, swallowing the fragments of his words. Elia’s lips, which had been deliciously harboring even the low groans coming from between Noah’s lips, pulled away slightly.

“Do not speak like that. Noah. Did I not tell you what this tree means to me?”

Elia took Noah, who was half naked, into his arms preciously. Noah, who had entered Elia’s embrace in a sitting position facing him, pulled by those arms, replied while clinging to the large man.

“You said it was a precious tree.”

“Yes. It is a very precious tree. I will tell you how important a meaning a tree tended by nobles has.”

If nobles spend the night together under a tree that symbolizes the family, they will have a child regardless of whether they are male or female. That old custom that exists only for nobles even in Winterfall. As Elia’s explanation of it grew longer, Noah’s cheeks gradually turned red.

“Then!”

“Yes. Noah.”

Noah’s face was stained red with an appetizing color. Elia, who was staring at that mouth-watering sight while wetting his lips, smiled with his lips beaming. Then, he spoke in a whisper as he carefully stroked Noah’s lower abdomen.

“I poured my seed in here, didn’t I, Noah. I spent the night under this tree to accept you as my partner, not someone the noble council paired me with as they pleased.”

Due to the embarrassment that rushed in, the strength in his arms hugging Elia grew even stronger. Elia’s laughter broke softly over his shoulder. The touch of his hand ticklishly stroking and fondling his belly made Noah even more unable to lift his head.

“It is true. Of course, there were times when I had to give my seed to others by force. But it has never once taken place here. You, Noah, are the first person I have had sex with here.”

While Noah could not raise his head, Elia whispered incessantly.

“The first to be held by me here. The first I have entered. Inside someone’s body….”

“St, stop.”

“My seed….”

“Please stop, El.”