The Flower Dances and the Wind Sings

She felt the oscillation of his sweet breath. Ercella felt strange; her moans sounded unfamiliar to her. Shivers ran through her body from just the slightest touch inside her. His chest heaved as his breathing became shallow. He bent over her neck for a moment as if to catch his breath. “Hah…”

In that short moment, he resumed breathing – chest rising and falling. He kissed her again when he calmed down. Ercella, who got kissed again by Harsen, suddenly pushed him away. “That’s…”

She was surprised by her faint voice. In her nervousness, she looked away. Then, she felt his touch on her cheek.

Harsen turned her head and locked eyes with her. She could only see herself in his black, mysterious eyes. Ercella’s cheeks turned red with a strange feeling.

Seeing that, Harsen chuckled and turned his head and began teasing the nape of her neck. Her body trembled as his unfiltered breath caressed her exposed skin.

Unable to bear the sensations, Ercella held him by both arms. He caressed her back gently as if to soothe her shuddering. Thanks to that, her trembling abated.

Ercella wrapped her arms around Harsen’s neck and got closer. “… Harsen.”

Her voice calling his name was different from usual as if reason had gradually faded away and only her primal instincts remained. Without answering, he rubbed his soft lips on her neck once more.

After lingering in one place for a while, he slowly descended her neckline, devouring the sweet delicacy below her neck. Soon her collarbone was set ablaze. “S-stop… Stop it.”

Ercella’s pleas fell on deaf ears as Harsen proceeded to bite and graze his lips along her white inner flesh. The depths of her stomach tingled and she moaned. The heat formed from the combination of alcohol and his tantalizing touch made her body unbearably hot. Ercella quivered, barely mustering up the strength in her hand to push his shoulder. “It’s tiring…”

He stopped momentarily – like he would resume any second – at her weary voice. Removing his lips from her body, he carefully swept away the sweat from Ercella’s forehead.

She couldn’t help but look absentmindedly at his beautiful smile, completely overwhelmed by the fatigue that soon followed. In that exhausted state, Ercella closed her eyes and whispered. “I’m tired…”

“Come. I’ll take you to your room.” His words were colored with amusement as he gently patted her back. Was he always such a nice man?

Actually, I knew that. This man stayed by my side during my illness. He didn’t abandon me until the very end, even though I would no longer be of use to him if I died.

He’s a good person. Ercella thought, as she gradually became sleepy. His touch on her back was so warm that it pulled her asleep.

* * *

Her quiet breathing echoed in his ear. The man displaying a faint smile swept down the woman’s hair as if dealing with something precious. After several strokes, he frowned at the smell coming from the women. An irritating smell mixed with her sweet scent.

‘… Is it alcohol?’

The smell reached him even in the dark. He closed his eyes for a moment in case he lost his mind because of the stimulating sensation.

He rubbed her back as if trying to calm himself down. Her body flushed from alcohol squirmed wherever his hand touched. Not bad. He chuckled. Tomorrow she’ll be nervously reflecting on tonight’s events. As always.

As he wrapped his arm around her waist, he sighed heavier than before at her skinny body. She always had a small build, so no matter how much he fed her she remained like that. I wish I could fix her weird taste in food, but she’s stubborn and never listens.

Silence spread between them. He held the woman in his arms a little longer and stared at the papers on the table for a moment. He coolly lowered his pitch-black eyes.

You, what do I do about you?

Eventually, he stopped thinking for a while. Once again, he sighed and held the woman in his arms. Her white skirt fluttered through the air.

Suddenly, he noticed that she came here in her nightgown. Clearly, she was too drunk to realize what she was wearing as she came to my office.

She is a woman who values her dignity the most, so I can guess her reaction tomorrow to the servants who saw her all the way here. He ordered the guards waiting outside to send away everyone in the hallway and the second floor. It won’t do her good to be seen carried by me.

He held her carefully in case she woke up and moved her to their room. Her dazzling blond hair fluttered in the dark as he lay her on the bed. His gaze lingered for a while, fixating on her face. He didn’t know what she did for her to be so tired; her dry eyelids dropped and she soon fell asleep. Her face was tranquil.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her and watched her quietly. His ears heard nothing but her quiet breath. With an expressionless face, he bent over and fixed Ercella’s uncomfortable sleeping position. Her small hand held his wrist, not wanting to let go of his warmth. He was about to pull away his wrist and leave.

“… Harsen.”

He completely froze at the trembling voice calling his name.

The man scoffed at himself. I know this sad voice is a lie because you’re intoxicated. It’s your old drinking habit.

Like always, the woman habitually stretched out her arms and gave herself to him. He was in a bind because he had a lot of work to do, but it was more difficult to shake her off, so he ended up staying there.

* * *

‘I’m thirsty.’

She thought as soon as she opened her eyes. Ercella rang the bell next to the bed. Lianne immediately came into the room as if she was waiting outside.

“Did you call for me, Madam?”

“Yes, can you get me some water?”

“Oh… Yes.”

Lianne’s expression changed slightly. She tilted her head, but Lianne looked away feigning ignorance.

“Lianne?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll get it in a minute.”

As soon as she finished, she hurried out like she was running away.

‘What’s wrong with her?’

She was puzzled but couldn’t figure it out. Ercella raised her heavy body. Immediately, her head rang.

‘Oh, I had a drink…’

I was fine before but gradually it became difficult to get a grip on my mind. I feel like my brain is lagging a bit… She pressed her throbbing head several times. Ercella got out of bed, and habitually stood in front of the mirror.

“…….”

She froze when she saw herself in the mirror.

“… What’s this?”

Red flowers were blooming¹ at the nape of her neck and around the collarbone.

She finally understood why Lianne was unusually awkward. Ercella’s pupils began to shake like crazy.

She brought her hand to the red marks and took it away because of the pain. Just then her hazy mind brought back the unfamiliar memories from last night.

“Do I look drunk to you?”

“Ah…”

“S-stop… Stop it.”

“So tiring….”

A voice that doesn’t seem to be mine.

And,

“… Harsen.”

calling his name so wistfully…

Scenes too embarrassing to recall were playing in her mind. Ercella blinked blankly. Dry saliva slid down her throat. She went back to every memory one by one.

She went to his office to announce her return home… That’s all she thought about at the time; she closed her eyes tightly.

“I went out in a nightgown…”

The Duchess went into her husband’s office in her nightgown. There’s no way nobody saw that. Ercella’s complexion gradually turned pale because she was sure there would be gossip about it. I thought I was fine, but I really wasn’t. To go out in a nightgown while drunk. Her fingertips trembled.

Fragments of her memory gradually gathered together.

Their intertwined lips… Harsen, who was teasing her flesh… In his office in her nightgown, seducing him by sitting on his lap…

‘Ah, I made another mistake.’

Above all, Ercella was worried about the location and her attire. Previously, whenever she drank and embraced Harsen, it was done in their bedroom, not in his office, so it never became an issue.

How could I debase my father and me? But that absolutely unacceptable thing really happened yesterday.

“I’ll tell Clifton to bury it…”

Wait, tell him to bury what? Ercella became increasingly teary. Fortunately, nothing else happened, but what about these marks?

He must have forgotten. Today we were supposed to go watch a play with Vicente. How can I go out like this?…. If I could make them disappear by crying I would do so quietly but that’s impossible. Ercella was devastated.

And how can I face him now? She didn’t have the confidence to see Harsen. She’s always been like that.

I usually avoid him the day after drinking because the shame would kick in. Lianne opened the door and came in as she was getting increasingly panicked. She pretended not to, but her gaze went to her red marks.

“I brought it, Madam.”

“Yes… Thank you.”

Ercella gulped down the water Lianne brought to her awkwardly. She felt like she was a bit alive now that her dry throat got wet. Lianne glanced at Ercella’s face and said quietly.

“Today… You didn’t forget about your visit to Countess Zardea this morning, did you?”

Oh… Tears filled her eyes. She remembered that today was the day the Countess invited her to her residence to talk about something.

By morning a countess, by afternoon a pretense². I’m a total mess. I don’t mean to announce my stupidity to everyone. What should I do? Ercella wanted to give up and bury herself under the covers.

“… Would you like to wear a scarf?”

Ercella looked at Lianne with a tearful face at her cautious question.

“That… I guess you’ll be hot where it covers, but I think you can wear a dress that will cover your entire upper body.”

Lianne said, glancing at the marks on her clavicle. A dress that covers the entire collarbone. Or a neck scarf. Even if I cover it by dressing out of fashion, everyone who knows will know. But she had no choice, so she nodded.

“… Then I’ll bring a suitable dress.”

“Yes, please.”

After a brief answer, Ercella went back to bed and plopped down. Suddenly, she began blaming the Marquess. Why did she recommend drinking yesterday? No, before that, I should blame myself for being too careless thinking that it would be okay to enjoy it for the first time in a long while.

“What are you doing?”

She went on and on until she started blaming Harsen. I know he’ll laugh it off without giving a damn. She can’t fight back because she started it. And her even greater crime to boot was entering his office in her pajamas. Nothing was going her way, so Ercella pouted.

She began hating Harsen, again.

If you knew I was drunk, you should’ve sent me back nicely.

Enough whining; time to go to the Count’s.

I did NOT sign up for this. GIVE ME BACK MY INNOCENCE!!!

Volume 1 ended with a bang. Literally! I wouldn’t have been able to translate this chapter without lil-valley and Purist. Thank you so much both of you.

Aaaaand I’d really appreciate it if you turn off the AdBlock while reading and if you can afford to support me on my Kofi

Footnotes

1. Hickies
2. She’s embarrassed that she’s not acting according to her status.