Taming The Villainesses novel Chapter 381

Ayra’s arms and legs squeezed my body even tighter.

Had she gotten angry that I touched her breast without permission? That was the only explanation I could think of. Ayra spoke.

"Teo, have you ever had relations with a female mage?"

A female mage?

No, among the women I’d been with, none had been mages. If one were to be added, Ayra would probably be the first. But I had no idea why she was bringing this up right now.

"Why are you asking something like that right now...?"

"Female mages, they say, must choose their spouses with much more care. You understand that, right, Teo? That’s why that foolish Kashim tried to court me."

"That was already quite a while ago, wasn’t it?"

"What I’m talking about is something similar. Why female mages can’t just marry whoever they want. Do you know the reason?"

"Well..."

It doesn’t matter much for male mages. But I’d heard that for female mages, marriage had to be conducted with extreme solemnity and rigor.

I didn’t know the details, but I’d heard that if a female mage married a man with inadequate magical capacity—or no magic at all—his life could be endangered. That was all I really knew.

Ayra spoke.

"We devour them. We, who are far greater than our mates. We literally swallow them whole—mercilessly. We suck out everything inside. For the next generation."

Her words made a shiver crawl down my spine. I didn’t fully understand what she meant, but the nuance was unmistakable.

"Teo, right now, if we were to have sex, you would be devoured by me. Your body hasn’t recovered. Your magical rank is lower than mine. Would you still be willing to be consumed by me?"

If I slept with Ayra right now, I would die—

Was that what she was trying to say? I didn’t think she would make empty threats or bluff for no reason. Ayra was someone who hated lies—including the ones she herself might tell.

"Teo, could you... die for me?"

Ayra was telling the truth.

If I slept with her now, I might really die. I didn’t know how exactly, but maybe my magical energy would be sucked dry to nourish the next generation.

"......."

"......."

Silence passed between us. Finally, the hands that had been gripping my arms and the legs that had been wrapped around my body—relaxed and fell away.

"That’s why you’ll have to be patient. Until you become someone who won’t be devoured by me."

As Ayra said this, she looked at me with an air of composure, like one would when addressing a younger sibling or someone beneath them.

"Still, Teo, I have expectations for you. You’re talented, so it shouldn’t take long. And since you’re half-fairy, you have more time than most."

I asked, unable to help myself.

"Then... when would I be able to finally be with you, Lady Ayra?"

"Hmm... at this rate, I’d say maybe five years. Possibly ten. It depends on your efforts, Teo."

Five to ten years.

Did that mean I wouldn’t even be allowed to touch her chest until then?

That thought made my vision spin. I felt like a groom from an old folktale, being exploited under the promise of marrying someone’s daughter.

Five years. If I hadn’t asked like this today, who knows how long I’d have suffered and agonized alone.

How was I supposed to endure five years?

So I said it.

"If I can sleep with you, Lady Ayra, I don’t care if I die today. And besides, you said I might die—not that I definitely would, right?"

"...What?"

"I can’t possibly wait five or ten years. I’ll just hold you tonight and die gloriously."

It felt refreshing to say it out loud. But Ayra’s expression wrinkled with an emotion I had never seen before. She looked either stunned—or disgusted by me.

"Teo, are you insane...? How dare you say such shameless things before your queen..."

"You’re my queen—but you’re also my wife. In public, you're the queen, but when it’s just the two of us, I think of you as my wife."

I slowly reached out toward Ayra’s chest.

What if she pushed me away in anger over my insolent behavior? I was worried—but surprisingly, even as I cupped her breast, Ayra didn’t get angry.

Squish.

"You’re not angry?"

"Touching a breast on our wedding night is only natural, isn’t it?"

In that moment, it felt like lightning surged through my brain.

Had my death-defying confession worked? Wedding night—she’d said it herself.

I never imagined I’d hear those words from Ayra’s lips, so I got completely swept up in excitement, mounted her body, and laid her down on the bed.

I brought my lips to hers, and Ayra, half-lying under the blanket, accepted them with an awkward kind of passivity.

Her lips were soft, but her tremble and inexperience couldn’t be hidden.

Was this her first kiss—as a queen?

It probably was. I suddenly became curious what it felt like for such a proud and noble queen to experience her first kiss. So I pulled away and asked.

"How was it?"

Ayra’s face beneath me was flushed red with both lamplight and blush. She averted her eyes and muttered softly.