Winter Bud - Chapter 10

Pressed like this, she wanted to ask what she had done so wrong. What crime so grave had she committed to deserve such torment? Nanna only loved her children. Loving those children whom no one else loved was her duty.

Was it not? For a mother to love her children… that was natural. The Emperor too, if he were a proper man, would have done so. Perhaps if it had been another woman instead of Nanna, he might have. But if that were the case, he should have refused when the Duke recommended a woman like her as empress.

He should have built a family with another woman and seen imperial heirs born. Even now, Nanna wished the Emperor would do so. She wished for his happiness. That much was true.

“I, I don’t ask for much. Truly. You know what kind of woman I am, Your Majesty. What I want is….”

“Too much.”

“No! It is not.”

Before she knew it, moisture was welling in her eyes. Forgetting even that the Duke, leaning against the pillar of the shelf, was staring at her sharply, Nanna twisted her face and shook her head. The Emperor only looked down at her. That indifferent gaze was haughty and terribly cold.

It was no different from back when she had been Stateira’s maid. As if looking at the clock on a desk, or the pet dog in Stateira’s arms. That was how indifferent and heartless his eyes were. Nanna let her tears fall, then felt the futility of it.

Yes. Letting these tears fall. She quickly wiped away the tears caught between her lips and tried to calm her chest.

“Please, at least let me take Stella. That is all I ask.”

“No.”

The Emperor refused lightly. Nanna felt desolate and dropped her shoulders. Her lips moved faintly like a fish gasping, then she slowly nodded. The Emperor only gazed at her indifferently. From that gaze, nothing could be read. Nanna felt that clinging further had no meaning.

She had learned painfully through the years that throwing herself at his feet in tears only bred more resentment. So today’s meeting with Duke Everhardt had been just as meaningless.

“You must be punished.”

As Nanna turned to leave, the Emperor opened his lips. His slow voice made her face stiffen. Punished? What did he mean? She couldn’t understand, yet fear struck her. Nanna stared at him.

“Kneel.”

“Your… Your Majesty.”

“Kneel, Empress,” he commanded.

Nanna, unable to defy, slowly sank to her knees. Duke Everhardt looked at him with dark eyes. The Emperor looked back at him calmly, then parted his lips.

“Show how you served me before the hour of rest.”

“…Pardon?”

“You used your mouth on my cock. Didn’t you?”

He muttered. A dry murmur, without even a trace of laughter, made Nanna’s lips part. He grabbed her tear-stained face. Nanna trembled like a bird caught in a snare. He seized her chin harshly, as if to break her neck, and studied her face, marred by weeping.

Violating Nanna was nothing more than a way to remind a lowly beast of its place. It held no other meaning. Since she accepted it as punishment, he would treat her like that whenever he pleased. And so, this too was a form of punishment.

He shoved his thumb into the mouth of the woman who had dared to meet her former master without permission. Her frightened face was worth seeing. Then he pulled out his thick cock. Nanna shook her head in shock and tried to pull away. He seized her abundant hair.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty. P-please don’t. The Duke….”

“I never gave you permission to suck your former master’s cock. Isn’t that right, Duke? You fully yielded her to me.”

“I never knew His Majesty cherished Nanna so much.”

The man with the pipe parted his lips. His refined, low voice rang in her ears. Nanna let tears stream down, overcome by the unreal sensation. She couldn’t understand why the Emperor was doing this to her. Why was this so-called ‘punishment’ taking this form?

At times, whenever Nanna displeased him, he would mete out punishment. Maids and noble ladies alike all said with one voice that never in history had an empress been punished so often. Nanna too thought there was nothing she could do. She had never satisfied the Emperor from the beginning.

Still, not like this. It would have been better to copy the scriptures as before, or to be confined for a set period. If not that, then to kneel in front of his chambers and wait for hours would have been better. Why, why….

“In the bedchamber then.”

“No. Here. That way, the Duke will not be mistaken again.”

He gave a slight laugh. That crooked smile didn’t look human. Of course, the Emperor had never treated her as human. If he did, he couldn’t do this here. Nanna did not think he acted out of love or possessiveness.

She had seen him love. He was not a man incapable of love. She knew how serious and dignified he was with women he loved.

He knew chastity, he knew fidelity. He was tender and considerate. Though he had grown rough compared to his noble status, he was very gentle to his woman. He laughed often, and his affection overflowed in abundance.

She had seen, right by his side, how dearly he cherished her, how afraid he was that she might wear away. Nanna knew the love of Stateira and Orestes. That was why this was not even lust. Her eyelids trembled finely.

“Your Majesty. Please….”

“Do you want to do it in front of the princes?”

The Emperor spoke something horrific. Her blood ran cold. Nanna, staring at him with terrified eyes, felt the ground give way beneath her. Her knees lost strength, and tears streamed down her cheeks. From time to time, the acrid smoke of the Duke’s tobacco stung her nose. She raised her hand, fumbling at his front. Then, accustomed, she took out his member and put it into her mouth.

Smooth and thick…. The shaft she wanted no part of seemed less a part of the man than an independent being with its own will. At her touch, it slowly rose. Nanna drew in a breath but couldn’t release it, her hand trembling on it. Because of the Duke’s smoke, she couldn’t help being aware of him.

“Suck.”

It was like an order to a dog. Nanna couldn’t hesitate any longer. She opened her mouth and took the head between her lips. She truly felt like a dog. No, she was his bitch. She conceived when he wanted and bore children of his blood. How many more would she have to bear before she could leave the palace?

The Empress Dowager had told her to bear as many as possible. Princes or princesses, it didn’t matter. That seemed to be her only purpose. Then she really was no different from a bitch. After all, the only thing she ever did was spread her legs for Orestes. Nanna shut her eyes tightly and drew his shaft deep into her throat.