A First Night Full of Scars

‘Why?’Diana’s eyes widened.

“…Why?”

“What do you mean by ‘why?’ Isn’t it natural for the newlyweds to spend their first night together?”

In the golden light, his dark face reflected a golden hue. Candlelit eyes shifted to her face.

It was strange. Could it be because of the lighting? Those two pupils seemed to sparkle. It was a subdued kind of joy, both tinged with a low-key exhilaration and pure happiness.

“Why, you don’t want to have intercourse with a bastard slave like me?”

“….”

“But what to do? Things are bound to be like this, Miss.”

Like a captured bird, a pledged shame. Diana had to make a choice.

Her body trembled.

“Please—”

“….”

“This thing on my neck—take it off, at least. Please.”

“….”

Diana’s ocean-gray eyes met purple eyes. With the moon as their witness, she swore she wouldn’t indulge in any salacious acts.

In response to her flat words, Guiscard reached out. The shackle on her neck responded to its master’s touch and loosened.

A large hand touched her throat.

Like this, she found herself journeying along the fated path to hell.

Whether being sold to Ferdinand or the present, it didn’t seem much different. In that case, it would be better… It would be better to look good for the other party. After all, didn’t he remove the shackles after she showed a slightly softened demeanor?

Diana opened her eyes and looked at the man who would be her husband.

Resignation filled her gaze.

The large hand that was wrapped around her throat soon dropped.

Reasoning was already benumbed. Diana approached him with a blank expression.

Reading no resistance in her eyes, Guiscard’s hand eagerly pulled at her thin clothes.

His lips nibbled on her neck. As she pressed her lips in pain, his strong hand took hers and placed it on his flesh.

For a moment, it felt like his hand was trembling.

It’s nothing. This is something you’d have to experience anyway, Diana Brien. You know well what becomes of a noble’s daughter, don’t you?

Now, seduce him. That’s the only way your future life will become easier.

Moving her stiff body, Diana placed her hand on his neck. As she did, his lips parted, and his tongue pushed its way inside her mouth.

“Uub—hmm!”

Whoever said kissing was sweet? Relentlessly, as if heralding the upcoming union, his tongue meticulously explored the confines of Diana’s small mouth. His fingers slid beneath her collarbone.

‘That’s right. Even this relationship would be a form of revenge for him. That’s probably why he’s handling me with such rough gestures.’

“Hm, huh!”

Her body trembled. Just the first night made her mind dizzy, but this man’s attitude frightened her.

Eventually, the man undressed. Diana, lying down, looked at the man gazing down at her. He reached out, caressed her hair, and then took a whiff.

“I’ve only imagined.”

“….”

“What would it be like to properly touch your hair?”

“….”

“What scent would it have? How soft would it be?”

“….”

“It smells filthy.”

Nevertheless, he continued to stroke her long hair several times before pressing his lips against it.

It was an act befitting lovers.

When Diana instinctively tried to avoid his touch, he forcefully pushed her down. Soon, his tongue traced down her rigid collarbone, and she reached out, trying to remove the shirt draped over Guiscard’s body.

Upon that, he sneered. He didn’t say a word, though his eyes were those of someone looking at a submissive slave.

He no longer bothered with any semblance of affection.

He simply slapped her hand away and dug in at once.

“Ahk— aaah!”

Diana closed her eyes tightly and writhed in pain. She knew trying to express the pain would be in vain.

Instead, she bit down hard on her lips, but even that was short-lived.

“Uggh—uuhk!”

Unintentionally tightening her arms around his neck, his thrust became rougher as low moans echoed in her ears.

With tears streaming down, she gazed up at Guiscard.

While holding her chin, he licked away the tears.

Her arms weakly shook at his rough movements. Diana made muffled sounds in her hand, unable to let those sounds escape her lips.

“Diana.”

“….”

“Diana, Diana. Milady, Milady!”

Ah, he was a monster.

Diana closed her eyes.

Waking up from slumber, Diana bit her lips. A dull ache spread throughout her body.

Staring blankly at the bloodstained sheets, she kept nibbling on her lips.

She couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.

As her hand moved to touch her smooth neck once again—a neck without a shackle. In front of everyone, like a dog being dragged, she married and then offered her body to this man to loosen the leash.

“Ah… oh…”

Because so much had happened, Diana had tried hard to reject the shock. However, realizing what she had done, she felt a wave of nausea.

She sacrificed her purity, the most precious value imposed on a noble lady.

Was that all?

She mingled with an enemy, skin to skin. She moaned in his arms and accepted that man’s kisses.

Whether it was pain or pleasure, it didn’t matter.

Facing the reality she would have to endure, disgust welled up within Diana. She covered her mouth.

Her stomach churned ceaselessly.

“Uhhk—urghh!”

Diana threw up right on the bed. Alongside, the suppressed sobs that had been held back burst forth.

All felt uneasy and frightening.

However, there was no presence to soothe her anxiety.

She realized she was truly alone. Therefore, for the first time, Diana discarded the mask of nobility and began to sob like a vulnerable human.

Eventually, she heard a rustling sound from somewhere.

When Diana turned around, she found Guiscard sitting on a chair, watching her. She—who cried to her heart’s content, thinking there was no one else around—froze as soon as she met eyes with him and stared at him with a stern face.

Tears streamed down her face.

Unconsciously, she took the blanket and covered her naked body.

Seeing this, Guiscard turned his head away as her sobbing filled the quiet room for a while. As if he couldn’t bear to hear more, he soon left the room.

It was a very cold first night, indeed.

━━━ ∙ʚ(✧)ɞ∙ ━━━

The fallen noble of Fanberoux became Queen. That alone was enough to invite ridicule.

Not even a foreign royalty, but a noble from a collapsed nation.

On top of that, how was the wedding? The king sadistically placed a slave’s collar on the bride. Because of that, everything surrounding Diana was tainted with disgrace.

It seemed Guiscard deliberately placed servants who were not favorable, or rather hostile, to her to inflict genuine suffering.

Among them were maids she expelled, truly reaching the pinnacle of torment.

Everyone was her enemy.

Before she could attempt anything, her efforts ended in frustration. Guiscard abandoned her and subtly trapped her in adversity.

It would have been better if he openly mocked her.

“Oh my, Queen.”

Young Lady Levianne, who became her lady in waiting, had a beautiful face but a venomous tongue. A sophisticated lady who embraced the pitiful queen of a defeated kingdom. People praised her virtues, but she always pointed fingers at Diana.

If Diana dressed lavishly, she would be scolded for recklessly spending the national treasury. When Diana dressed modestly, she would mock her, questioning if she was truly a slave.

Even if she opened her mouth, her voice, even her breath, became the subject of mockery.

When she attended royal banquets, noblemen fled in fear of accidentally mingling with her, and the knights avoided her with disgust.

“The young lady from a defeated country.”

“Look at that pitiful sight.”

“Slave queen.”

Even the court jester sang songs mocking her.

…Slave queen. Lowly queen. Queen without a country.

Every mockery in the palace followed her.

***
“You’re too much; please don’t do this to Our Majesty, the Queen.”
***

Lady Levianne always tried to shield her, but Diana knew.

She only fueled people’s criticism.

Due to her unfamiliarity with the customs of the Lodbrook Kingdom, it was quite common for Diana to be dressed in clothes that didn’t match the etiquette. Lady Levianne even blocked her from doing anything and acted as if she were the queen’s palace.

The maids and ladies-in-waiting treated Lady Levianne like a queen, while Diana was either mocked or ignored as if she didn’t exist.

It was only natural since Guiscard, her supposed husband, did not become her ally in that place. He had left her in a hellish environment, always immersed in the battlefield.

What was even more appalling was that before going to the battlefield and after returning, Guiscard always embraced her roughly. It was an explosion of vitality akin to the savage nature of a cruel beast.

After being skin to skin, she would retch once again, and Guiscard left the scene.

Diana didn’t refuse intercourse.

Regardless of the circumstances, the more he embraced her, the more Guiscard seemed to favor Diana.

If there was something to be thankful for about Guiscard, it was that he hadn’t shown interest in other women.

‘Still, I’m not sure if it’s something to feel grateful for or not,’ Diana thought coldly.

In that hell, Guiscard—who hadn’t stayed in the palace for long—and she could never become close. She had turned away from him, and Guiscard had also kept his distance from her. Yet, he maintained one rule: when he was in the palace, they would share at least one meal a day.

That, at the very least, made Diana look somewhat like a queen.

Like that, they reached the fourth anniversary of their marriage.

Lately, she came late as she was sleeping late due to body discomfort. Coming to the dining room with a paler face than usual, she found the table filled with meat.

Diana gazed at it indifferently. She had no appetite.

“It seems Our Queen is still as cantankerous as ever.”

Guiscard, who was already seated, spoke. His sharp eyes gazed at Diana as if she were pitiful, but she didn’t meet his eyes.

“I heard that the Queen has been particularly cranky lately.”

“….”

“More than usual.”

In the past, she was forced into elaborate dresses due to rumors about her impoverished appearance. Now, what could he say about her capriciousness?

“Eat.”

At his command, Diana, with a weak expression, ate the meat presented to her.

The moment she smelled it, nausea overwhelmed her, but she struggled to suppress it and chewed with difficulty. The meat was quite tender, but for her, who had lost her appetite, chewing was merely challenging.

She looked at Guiscard as if saying it was enough, and he was looking at Diana’s face.

The moment their eyes met…

“Bleegh!”

As Diana covered her mouth and retched, at that moment, a maid standing behind shouted.

“Queen, are you okay?”

“….”

“You could have endured a little longer.”

Diana looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Even if you say you feel nauseous just by looking at the King’s face, that’s…”

“….”

It seemed like a whisper, but it was enough for Guiscard to hear.

Guiscard immediately stood up.

The place for their meals vanished forever.

A few days later, he left for the battlefield.

_