Chapter 197: I Did Not Want To Get Naked

Elias took a deep breath before pushing the doors open, then sent a Mental Whisper through the connection between him and Natasha.

[Nata...]

"...Gulp."

He swallowed the rest of his words as his gaze fell upon his wife.

She sat at the edge of the bed wearing a golden-white robe embroidered with gold that hung loosely from her shoulders, revealing her cleavage and the smooth curves of her upper body.

With her left leg crossed over her right, the robe parted enough to reveal the lower portion of her thighs and the delicate string of her red lace briefs, making it difficult for him to tear his eyes away.

Her hair was gathered into a neat bun and secured with a hair bodkin, while her mischievous golden eyes remained fixed on her husband’s bewildered face.

[Image]

[Y-You look great,] he finally managed to say, though his wandering gaze betrayed how thoroughly she had caught him off guard.

Natasha narrowed her eyes, and the corners of her lips curved into a knowing smirk.

[What is wrong?] she asked, tilting her head slightly before extending a hand toward him.

[Come...]

He unconsciously took a step forward. Only afterward did he clench his fists and mumble inwardly, ’Calm down, Elias! You have to go to Monica.’

He let out a deep breath and looked at her for a moment before turning his head to the side and once again taking a deep breath.

Although he was trying his best, the bulge in his pants betrayed him.

[Hmm? Why are you not looking at me?] Natasha asked as she rose from the bed and slowly stepped toward him.

[I cannot sleep with you tonight,] he answered and prepared himself for anything that might come next.

Natasha froze in her tracks. The mischievousness in her eyes vanished, and she frowned deeply.

[Why can you not?]

He turned his head toward her and looked into her eyes as he responded, [I promised Monica that I would sleep with her tonight.]

Natasha’s expression darkened, and she mumbled, [You promised her even though you told me to prepare?]

He bit his lower lip and rubbed his face with his left hand. [She asked me to promise before she made the request... I... I did not know she would ask to sleep with me tonight.]

His hand moved upward and brushed his crimson hair before he added, [And we have been sleeping together since the day we moved to the manor... I believe one day would not be mu—]

[And?] she interjected.

He blinked; her expression had turned serious, and her gaze pierced him like daggers.

[What?] he muttered, confused.

[Yes, we have been sleeping together since forever.] She waved her hand. [And what about it?]

Elias fell silent.

She stepped closer and poked his chest with her index finger.

[Do you think that lowers the value of the single day or moment that I spend with you?] Her eyes carried a heavy obsession as she asked that.

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang in Elias’s head.

[Ding!]

[Affection Rate is increasing!]

[Natasha Sephila’s Affection Rate: 47.9]

’What?’ He was stunned. Natasha was mad at him, yet her Affection Rate was increasing. How could something like that be possible? What he didn’t know, however, was that affection became deeper when there was a threat to it.

At the moment, for Natasha, Monica was a threat to the closeness she had built with her husband.

They could have him in the mornings, afternoons, and even evenings, but the night was hers. He was hers and hers only, and she wouldn’t allow Monica or Stella to take him away.

He let out a sigh. He was feeling guilty for doing this, but a promise must be kept; otherwise, what would be the value of his words, especially to his wives?

He looked at her and smiled faintly before he said, [I did not mean it that way.]

She narrowed her eyes. [What did you mean, then?]

He rested his hands on her shoulders, gently rubbing them as he replied, [Natasha... if I do not keep my promises, what would be the value of my words? The promises that I made to you, to Stella, and to Monica would all lose their value. I hope you understand that this is not something I can decide based on how I feel.]

He paused for a moment and continued, [I must do it for all three of you—]

[What about the promise you made to me? Even though you only told me to prepare, it was indirectly a promise that you would definitely spend the night with me.]

Natasha wasn’t stupid. She knew that she couldn’t keep Elias for herself, but he had made her believe that this night would be special, so she couldn’t just let him walk away.

For a long while, he stayed silent; his eyes continued to move around as he thought about what to say and do.

However, no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t come up with anything, so in the end, he decided to comfort her and make up for his mistake as best he could before leaving. The commitment mattered, but his wife’s feelings mattered just as much.

He exhaled deeply, pulled her into his arms, and leaned his head forward.

[I am sorry,] the words rang in Natasha’s head before his lips met hers and he kissed her deeply.

She held his head as he kissed her deeply and slowly moved her closer to the bed.

He pulled his head back and smiled.

Natasha took deep breaths, and he opened her robe. Then he took off his shirt, threw it away, and wrapped his arms around her bare body.

Looking into his black eyes, she listened as he smiled and said, [I never meant to hurt you. I am deeply sorry for making you expect something but failing to give it to you.]

[Every moment I spend with you is precious to me, no matter how often we are together. I am grateful for all of it, but I must still make these difficult decisions.]

He moved his head closer to her ear and gently bit it. [I would love to spend the night with you, but the responsibility that I have toward all of you would not let me ignore any of you.]

His hands moved lower, and he grabbed her plump cheeks as he added, [To me, responsibilities are greater than what I feel.]

Her eyes trembled, and she rested her head on his shoulder before she began to suck on his neck.

[You are mine,] she said.

[Natasha Sephila’s Affection Rate: 49.3]

He smiled and ran his fingers through the back of her hair. [That I am.]

She continued to suck on his neck for a good minute and only stopped after her mark was left on his neck.

They looked into each other’s eyes and hugged.

[I am going,] he said.

She smiled, and the familiar obsession returned to her eyes. [Do whatever you want. In the end, you will come running back to me.]

He chuckled, and they shared a shorter, gentler kiss while holding the backs of each other’s heads.

After pulling back, Elias winked at her and picked up his shirt before leaving the room.

Natasha watched him leave with a faint smile, and once he left, her smile vanished.

She tied the knot of her robe and jumped onto the bed.

For a while, she stared at the ceiling, then she moved her hand under her pillow and mumbled, [Mine...]

She pulled out a handkerchief from under the pillow and closed her eyes before sniffing it.

Even though he wasn’t with her, his smell was, and for now, that was better than nothing.

Elias pushed open Monica’s bedroom door and found her lying awake on the bed, her blue eyes following him as soon as he stepped inside.

"Were you waiting for me?" he asked with a faint smile.

Monica furrowed her brows and replied, "Why would I wait for you?"

Elias chuckled as he approached the bed and sat on its edge. "Should I go back, then?"

"Sure." She smirked, seemingly unbothered by his suggestion. "If you do not want to know what I found out."

He shook his head at her antics before glancing at the space beside her. "Do you think this bed is big enough for both of us?"

"Probably not," Monica admitted, but a mischievous glint soon appeared in her eyes. "However, if we sleep as close as we can, there should be no issue."

"Oh?" Elias smirked as he leaned forward, bringing his face closer to hers. "Is that what you really wanted to do?"

"W-What about it?" she stammered, her cheeks flushing as she tried to maintain her composure.

"Cute," he remarked before gently poking her small nose with his index finger.

Monica’s face turned beet red, and she was about to retort when her gaze suddenly settled on something near his collar. Her expression changed as she stared at the reddish mark on his neck, and the playful smile on her lips gradually disappeared.

"What is that?" she mumbled.

"What?" Elias muttered.

"There is something on your neck," she said, pointing toward the mark.

"Something on my neck?" He frowned and instinctively touched the side of his neck.

"Show me," she insisted.

Completely unaware of the mark Natasha had left behind, Elias leaned closer and turned his neck slightly so Monica could examine it.

The moment she recognized what it was, Monica froze.

’A kiss mark...’

Her blue eyes narrowed as she stared at the unmistakable mark, and the realization that another woman had deliberately left it on him sent a surge of fury through her chest.

’One of those two bitches marked what is mine!’

She quickly suppressed her anger and fixed her gaze on Elias’s neck.

"Closer," she ordered.

"Huh? What is wrong?" Elias asked, bewildered by her sudden change in attitude.

"Just come close," she repeated, her voice leaving little room for argument.

Still confused, Elias lowered himself toward her, bringing his neck within reach. Monica immediately pressed her lips against the very spot Natasha had marked.

’Hehehe.’

She stopped once she was confident that the mark was now hers, a pleased smile on her face.

"Let’s sleep," she said.

He nodded, rose to his feet, and began to take off his clothes.

"W-What are you doing?" she stammered.

"Ah!" Realization struck him like a battering ram, and he let out an embarrassed chuckle as he explained, "Usually, we only sleep in our briefs, so I did it out of habit."

Monica instantly caught the "we" in his words and narrowed her eyes. "You and who else?"

He began to put his shirt back on and responded, "Natasha. We sleep together."

Her blue eyes trembled, and she muttered without thinking, "Stop."

"What now?" He frowned deeply.

’Why cannot they just let me have some peace?’ he wondered. First, he had to deal with Natasha, and he still had a boner from that. Now, Monica was also giving him trouble.

’What am I even supposed to do?’ He was very grateful that Stella wasn’t like these two.

"Strip," she said.

He furrowed his brows. "You want me to strip?"

"Yes."

"Like... strip? Strip? Fully naked?" He couldn’t understand what had gotten into her all of a sudden.

Her face turned red, and she muttered after closing her eyes, "Yes! Just do it, and do not make it sound weird!"

"Uh-huh." He nodded and mumbled under his breath, "If you say it so weirdly, it would obviously feel weird."

"Stop muttering to yourself and strip me, too," she pushed through her lips, her eyes shut tightly.

He nodded as he threw away his shirt. "Of course, why else did I come here?"

"Do you not want to?" she asked.

He took off his pants and briefs and walked over to her.

"Open your eyes," he said.

She slowly opened her eyes, and they widened.

"This is why I did not want to get naked."

She stared at his stiff dick and gulped. "Why is it like this?"

...

[Inventory] (All the items that Elias currently has in his Inventory.)