* * *

He wanted to pull his hand out, but within Zeroth’s large grasp, all he could do was squirm, unable to budge even when he applied strength.

“Just thinking about another man educating you is unbearable, so it’s fine. I’m rather grateful for the honor of teaching my wife myself.”

“There’s no need for Your Grace to personally concern yourself—.”

“If not me, then who else would you learn from?”

At Sylvian’s attempt to suggest it wasn’t Zeroth’s role, the latter’s voice turned cold.

The sudden shift in tone made Sylvian widen his eyes.

He grew nervous at Zeroth’s stiff and intimidating expression.

“M-maybe Elgana, the head maid, or one of the other maids—.”

“Are you seriously suggesting you’d show that side of yourself to someone else?”

Zeroth’s harsh tone softened again, but his thumb subtly brushed the inside of Sylvian’s wrist as he asked, his gaze sharp.

Unable to keep up with the shifts in Zeroth’s demeanor, Sylvian trembled.

“Don’t be afraid, my wife. Would I really go as far as to snap someone’s neck just because they gave you s*x education?”

“Hiic!”

“As your husband, my wish is to show you only beautiful, wonderful things.”

The hand that had naturally settled around his shoulders now lightly caressed Sylvian’s neck.

It was a gesture brimming with intent, as though warning him that if he didn’t listen, he might be next.

“I wouldn’t dare to take up Your Grace’s time—.”

“If you follow my teaching without running away, then it won’t be a waste of time.”

“T-then, just a little today.”

The warmth and gentleness in Zeroth’s eyes turned cold and sharp, as though cutting through the air.

Even though Sylvian had resolved to appear timid, the fear that his neck might actually be on the line if he refused entirely made him feel suffocated.

If I reject him outright, will he throw me into the annex?

While Sylvian’s mind raced with thoughts, Zeroth’s hands moved faster.

Click.

“Ah.”

“There’s something my wife must do before our tea time together, but for now, let’s review what’s yours. You said ‘just a little,’ after all.”

Before Sylvian could protest, Zeroth’s pants buckle was undone.

When the sound of the zipper being pulled down followed, Sylvian hurriedly grabbed Zeroth’s hand.

However, the crimson eyes he faced gleamed with a sharpness that seemed unwilling to let its prey go.

“Help me, my wife, so I won’t have to snap someone else’s neck.”

“Y-yes, yes.”

Rustle.

As that cold, piercing gaze swept over him, Sylvian’s strength gave out, and the pants slid off.

Sitting beside Zeroth in just his undergarments, Sylvian felt so embarrassed that he pulled at his shirt to cover himself.

“You’ll have to take this off too.”

Zeroth’s voice was as light as the fingers tapping against his undergarments.

“What did I teach you about our tea time as husband and wife?”

Once again, his eyes were full of affection and tenderness.

This lunatic!

Suppressing the urge to curse at Zeroth for his ever-changing mood, Sylvian recalled what Zeroth had taught him not long ago.

Zeroth was a complete fraud. Even Sylvian, who had learned the basics of s*x education at the Viscount’s estate, could tell that what Zeroth was saying made no sense.

“It’s the time for… a wife to… prove her purity.”

Sylvian hesitated, holding his breath before forcing out the words.

Pleased, Zeroth combed through Sylvian’s increasingly soft blonde hair as if to reward him.

“That’s correct. It’s the time for a wife to serve her husband and prove her purity.”

Hoping this would end soon, Sylvian glanced at Zeroth with a faint plea in his eyes as Zeroth lightly patted his head.

“Excellent learning attitude. We’ll save serving your husband for later and focus on proving your purity for now.”

“Ah!”

With a gentle push to his shoulders, Zeroth tipped Sylvian backward.

Careful not to let him fall too hard, Zeroth pulled Sylvian’s small frame close and gazed curiously between his legs.

“Let’s start from the front today. This view is beautiful as well.”

When Zeroth’s hand slipped between his trembling thighs, forcing them open with ease, Sylvian’s pale face flushed crimson.

“Z-Zeroth…”

Smack.

As Sylvian stammered his name in embarrassment, a light slap landed on the inside of his thigh.

“Hik!”

“What should you call me in times like this?”

“M-master?”

“That’s right. It’s the highest form of respect for your husband.”

Looking at Zeroth’s expression, Sylvian knew he wouldn’t be leaving on steady legs today either.

“Now, repeat what I taught you.”

“M-Master… Hic, Master.”

Sylvian would rather die of humiliation, but since outright defiance seemed to promise a real death, he desperately called Zeroth by the title he wanted.

“Go ahead, wife. Give me the command. I’m waiting.”

For a moment, Zeroth’s demeanor softened as he coaxed the words out of his hesitant wife.

“Master, please inspect this h*le for its purity.”

Torn between wanting to die from shame and the fear of actually dying, Sylvian finally whispered the humiliating words with teary eyes.

“Good job. Now, let’s start by removing your undergarments yourself.”

“Y-yes!”

Sylvian kept his eyes tightly shut until Zeroth gently stroked his thigh and praised him.

Though he felt utterly humiliated, instead of dying from embarrassment, he focused on preventing himself from bleeding to death.

Slowly, he began moving the hand that had been gripping his blouse.

His trembling fingers hesitantly pulled down his underwear.

To devour a man as pure and shy as Sylvian, one would need patience.

After all, this was a man who’d never even joked about such things during his youthful naivety.

“I’ll assist you.”

A sigh was heard from in front of him, and the hands that were dragging down his underwear at a torturously slow pace were overlapped and pulled downward.

As a result, the lower half of his body was fully exposed, the underwear stopping midway down his thighs due to his bent legs.

“Let’s begin the inspection. Hold here.”

Zeroth grabbed Sylvian’s arm and guided it to rest against the crook of his knees, leaving Sylvian’s most private area completely exposed to him.

The movement caused his hips to lift slightly, leaving the partially removed underwear precariously bunched near his face.

“It’s still such a pretty c*ck. Though I wonder how well-behaved it has been.”

Zeroth pressed his finger against the small, closed wrinkles of skin.

“Ah! I-It’s been well-behaved!”

Sylvian’s arms, hooked beneath his knees, trembled violently, prompting a fleeting smile to pass across Zeroth’s lips.

Was he teasing him because it was amusing to watch him react to every little comment?

As Sylvian stammered out his response, Zeroth’s finger casually pressed near the opening, revealing and then concealing the soft, flushed skin.

“Hii!”

Every time Zeroth spread Sylvian’s hips and ran his thumb around the entrance, lightly grazing it with his nail, Sylvian let out a shaky moan.

Press.

Shiver.

“Haaah! I-I’m still… pure!”

As though determined to smooth out each fold, Zeroth’s fingers meticulously teased around the opening, causing Sylvian to protest tearfully.

“In general, bruises on the abdomen don’t show on the surface. The exterior looks fine. The h*le is still quite tight, too.”

“Ahh!”

When Zeroth suddenly slipped his thumb inside, Sylvian’s voice grew shrill.

But thanks to the light pheromones Zeroth had been releasing and his gentle preparation, there was no pain.

“As for the inside… well, we can’t rule out the possibility of it having taken another alpha’s c*ck while playing innocent.”

“Hngh! Z-Zeroth―!”

Slap.

“Master! Hic! Master, there’s only ever been you!”

* * *