I Became My Son's First Love - Chapter 23

“People are watching.”

“I don’t care if anyone sees.”

“Are you really out of your mind?”

At his selfish words, Eve couldn’t hold back, and sharp, unfiltered words escaped her lips.

Azazel nodded slowly, agreeing with her. “If you put it that way, then yes, desiring my mother makes me a madman. I’m far from normal.”

“Young Duke Seratine!”

Azazel feigned surprise at Eve’s fierce reprimand, offering her some advice with exaggerated concern. “Eve, if you don’t want to get caught, lower your voice.”

Eve unconsciously bit her lip, and Azazel, noticing this, pressed his finger against her lips to stop her. He gently turned her head back in the direction they had come from.

“Do you hear that? The Duchess is in high spirits. Do you want to spoil her fun by showing her this scene? If you don’t care, by all means, continue.”

There was no trace of bluff in his tone. Was this his true nature? Eve realized that provoking him further wasn’t a good idea. Despite her frustration, she refrained from biting the finger that touched her lips.

Instead, she reluctantly asked, “What exactly do you want?”

“You.”

It was a demand she could never accept.

Azazel patted her exposed shoulder, as if soothing a child. “You don’t need to answer right now. But I’d like you to seriously consider it.”

His hand, slightly rough, gently rubbed her shoulder, slowly moving toward her ear.

“And next time, call me Azazel, will you, Eve?”

His lips were so close that she could feel his breath as he spoke with a sweet smile. He planted a brief kiss on her lips, but Eve pressed them tightly together. Azazel let out a quiet laugh, tickling her upper lip with his breath.

“Stubbornness can be cute too.”

Eve shot him a sharp glare, but Azazel remained unfazed, offering his hand.

“Shall we head back now?”

Without so much as glancing at him, Eve turned away coldly. She could hear another stifled laugh behind her. What on earth did he find so amusing?

As her footsteps, heavy with displeasure, echoed, they were soon drowned out by approaching laughter. The source of the laughter was Aeshath.

Anna, who had spotted Eve before Aeshath and Rose did, was startled and pointed to her face. Evidently, her expression must have looked twisted. With Anna’s help, Eve managed to compose herself and joined Aeshath and Rose.

“You’re back. I’ve decided to review the paintings and plan an exhibition. Are you available next Monday? How about coming to my villa?”

The moment she returned, she was met with unexpected news.

“Your villa, Duchess?”

“It’s less conspicuous than the main residence, so it’ll be more comfortable.”

Something about the situation seemed off. Eve tilted her head in confusion.

“And what does that have to do with me…?”

“Of course, you should come too. Who else can Rose rely on but you? Rose, you’re very fortunate. There aren’t many patrons as devoted as this.”

Standing next to the beaming Aeshath, Rose’s eyes sparkled with admiration as she gazed at Eve. It was the same look she had when Eve had understood the intention behind one of her earlier paintings.

“Yes, if it weren’t for you, I would have given up on painting long ago.”

“You see? You simply must come. I’ll send a letter with the exact date and time. If I like the paintings, we can start preparing for the exhibition right away. I’ll send a carriage, so all you need to do is show up.”

It was an entirely unexpected turn of events. Just then, Azazel’s footsteps grew closer.

Eve hastily asked, “Is it absolutely necessary for me to attend?”

“Of course, it is. I’d like to hear your opinion too. After all, you helped select the paintings for the exhibition, didn’t you? And since it was your recommendation, it’s only natural for you to assist.”

Aeshath had no intention of retracting the invitation. Her determination felt strangely familiar to Eve.

“…I already have plans.”

“Plans?”

Though the words hadn’t gone through her mind first, they seemed like a decent excuse. Eve sighed dramatically.

“Yes, I’m supposed to meet with Count Hound.”

“Oh.”

Aeshath blinked, her expression unreadable. It seemed like the invitation might finally dissolve. However, Eve’s hopes were short-lived.

“He has quite the appreciation for the arts, doesn’t he?”

Once again, it was about him. Aeshath’s gaze shifted to Azazel, who had just arrived behind Eve.

“Why not invite the Count as well?”

Eve couldn’t believe her ears and turned to Azazel, startled. “What nonsense are you saying?”

To her surprise, Azazel looked pleased. “Well, you don’t have to bring him. But if you can’t postpone the appointment, he’s welcome to come along.”

It was clear that the invitation wasn’t going to be withdrawn. If Eve wanted to make herself even more uncomfortable, she could bring Count Hound along. Azazel was clearly enjoying himself. Eve glared at him with narrowed eyes, but Aeshath seemed to have a different opinion.

“That’s not a bad idea. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Dane. It would be nice to catch up.”

Instead of avoiding trouble, she had only invited more of it. Eve’s face twisted in frustration. She scrambled to come up with another excuse.

“I’ll need to check with the Count before giving you an answer.”

“Alright, would you like me to postpone the date a little? Let me know when you’re free.”

There was no way to avoid this invitation. As a baron’s daughter, she couldn’t keep refusing the Duchess’s requests. A low laugh echoed behind her once again. It was the kind of laughter that unsettled her, and the source was, of course, Azazel.

Feeling an inexplicable surge of irritation, Eve stamped her heel onto his foot. She heard a muffled groan from behind her, followed by a quiet gasp. Surprised by his reaction, Eve hesitated.

‘He really is insane.’

She felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment as she reflected on her reaction to his groan. To be flustered by something so absurd—it was humiliating. All she wanted now was to leave as quickly as possible. Feeling desperate, she gave an indifferent reply.

“…I’ll ask the Count.”

“Alright, let me know once you’ve decided.”

***

Eve awoke in darkness. Thick, impenetrable darkness enveloped her. This place was familiar to Eve. It was the dream world she would arrive in whenever her body became heated. She could already guess the reason behind this dream, biting her lip in self-reproach.

It would have been a lie to say she hadn’t expected the dream. After all, it was her body, and she knew herself well. But still, she had hoped it was just her imagination. She didn’t want to acknowledge the situation because it was something she shouldn’t accept.

As if following a script, a man with black hair appeared like smoke, wrapping his arms around her waist and planting soft kisses along her chest. There was no warning, but the physical intimacy felt familiar in the dream.

When Eve lifted her hand and gripped the man’s shoulder, his kisses grew deeper, more sensual. The warmth of his breath against her chest made her body heat up instantly. Before she knew it, her clothes had disappeared, and her flushed, pink nipples were exposed. In the dark, her pale body gleamed even brighter. As she tangled her fingers in the man’s black hair, he eagerly bit down on her hardened nipple.

A soft moan escaped Eve’s lips as he took her right nipple into his mouth. His warm tongue pressed against her sensitive skin, and the humid heat sent shivers down her spine.

“Ah…!”

His thick tongue rubbed against her nipple, drawing out a tingling pleasure. As Eve wrapped her arms around the man’s face, he bit down gently, sending a jolt of pain-tinged ecstasy through her. Her body trembled with the sharp sensation as her nipple, enveloped in his hot, wet mouth, was teased by his firm teeth.

She wondered if the pleasure was so intense because it was a dream, unsure if her real body would feel the same. She had never experienced such a sensation in reality.

Looking down, she watched the man devour her breast like a starving man. His mouth, which had been sucking on her nipple, now engulfed her entire breast. A languid sigh escaped from her.

“Mm…”

As if in response to her moan, the man kissed her nipple with a loud smack, then looked up at her with lustful, saliva-slicked lips. His intense gaze sent shivers down her spine. Her right nipple, now wet and exposed to the cool air, ached as if crying out for more. It longed to be taken back into the warmth of his mouth.

As if reading her thoughts, the man firmly rubbed her swollen, sensitive nipple with his fingers.

“Ah!”

The sensation made Eve curl her toes involuntarily. With one hand still gripping the back of his head, she squeezed her left breast with her other hand. The sight of her pale, untouched breast being squeezed in her hand was incredibly erotic. Watching her intently, the man took hold of Eve’s hand, bringing his lips to her left breast.