Chapter Text
“Miss Navia, it seems you have a lack of sleep these days. Your oxygen in your blood is rather low.”
They said that blood is 50% water. As someone who has close affiliations with water to the point of seeing memories in the water in all Fontaine’s water, even tasting the difference between each region’s water that mostly can’t do, this someone should be able to distinguish health differences between each blood, right? That goes into their mind when someone says blood contains water. Out of curiosity, the Archon herself establishes a test run for the beloved Iudex to taste test each blood. They borrow some science kits from the Research Institute and are taught by some researchers how to take blood samples.
The Archon willingly cuts her fingertips, the researcher pushes some drips of blood outside first before putting the following blood into the glass thing, they called it the microscope slide. Furina then ran to the Iudex’s office and demanded he take a lick of her blood and tell her what he found. The man gives one glance again to make sure that she won’t suddenly change her mind at the last second before taking a lick.
“Lady Furina, have you been eating too many chocolate cakes again? Your sugar level is rising.” He asked.
The girl was caught red-handed but also intrigued that the Iudex could know about that just from a simple blood sample. She then began talking about her plan to conduct multiple sessions like this. She wanted to know her people’s condition due to the past crisis, it must’ve brought them so much stress. However, the researcher is too busy with their schedule first since they are in the middle of much research. The man doesn’t see the need to because he hasn’t felt any discomfort or negative emotions in the water, but if she wants it and it doesn’t cause harm, as long there is a definitive procedure as well, he will help.
With that, Neuvillette is now giving consultation, though it’s mostly one way. With the help of the Fortress of Meropide as well as their collaborator. The main reason was the Duke also wanted the prisoners to be given the chance for consultation. Sigewinne as the Head Nurse does her job perfectly and splendidly, but receiving information about each prisoner’s health issue will ease her work by a lot and may focus all of her attention into tending rather than analyzing the problem first.
Neuvillette technically has fangs that are capable of penetrating human skin but if he bites it directly and sucks some blood on it, that would lose the purpose of respecting each person’s consent and privacy. Prisoners in the Fortress also wouldn’t like it if the Iudex got close to them at an alarming distance. It will cause discomfort both for him and the prisoners. So, Sigewinne is the one taking care of the responsibility of taking each blood sample, naming them, and delivering them to Neuvillette. Wriothesley is the one responsible for writing the results while accompanying Neuvillette and lets his guards deliver the results to each respective person personally.
Wriothesley guarantees that Neuvillette doesn’t know who is who by putting the prisoner’s number, as well. Only him the one remembers all the numbers.
“Oh, finally. This is the last one.” He signs the result paper so the prisoners know that it is real and legitimate.
The Duke is peeved. He crawls to the sofa and throws himself onto the nice cushion, sitting right beside the Iudex. Loosening his red tie then stretches his whole body. “Good work.” Neuvillette compliments, brushing the messy bangs of the dark hair to the side. “Good work to you too, Monsieur. I am sure Sigewinne would be jumping with happiness as she read everyone’s report. She always wanted to make a whole session of her examining each prisoner but we couldn’t find the time for it.”
Everyone gets the right, yes, including the guards. With Sigewinne’s timing management, she managed to take samples of everyone too. Wriothesley sure is very kind. He gives everyone equal rights, and no one gets left out. While they are sipping the finest tea of the Fortress, Neuvillette suddenly realizes something very important he forgot.
“You haven’t given yours.”
It took more than a few seconds before Wriothesley’s eyebrows went up and said, “Ah.” As reflexes to realizing that it’s true. He hasn’t given blood samples to Neuvillette. But it sounds too much of a bother to go to the infirmary and get the equipment.
“You can do it directly, right? Just bite me and get some blood from there.” Wriothesley said, putting down his cup of tea, hands slowly moving to his collar, pulling down the black strips on his neck, “It’s fine. I consent.”
Even so, it feels wrong for Neuvillette to come this close to Wriothesley. Even dragons at some point will stop breathing if their neck comes off from the main body, yet this man allows Neuvillette to go directly to his neck. But, Wriothesley already gave his consent and he trusted that if he felt any discomfort, it would immediately notify. The Iudex slowly approached the Duke. Putting his left hand on top of the chest, as countermeasure if he felt any sudden rises in the heartbeat because Wriothesley’s body sees him as a threat, he will retreat in an instant.
The fingertips brushed, searching for where it should not be bitten and where it is fine to be bitten. Once he found it, the distance between his face and neck was deleted.
The warm breath from Neuvillette slightly tickles Wriothesley. His body tensed, even more, when a kiss was laid on the anticipating skin. A kiss that was so gentle, that he almost let out a pathetic whimper. It’s only biting, right? Why does Neuvillette make it so intense and intimate? He’s going to make the blood rush to the face.
The follow-up lick almost caught his catching a very sharp breath, surprised but it burned something inside the Duke. Something that he hadn’t known yet. His breath spaces started to become shorter as the point of the sharp fangs tested the water. Preparing itself before penetrating beyond the outer layer of the skin.
“Please tell me if it becomes unbearable.” Neuvillette reminded again and replied with a short nod.
The sharp tip presses against the surface. The blood vessels underneath are most likely screaming as their systematic way is suddenly interrupted by something foreign that shouldn’t be there. Wriothesley winces, feeling the sensation of something hard penetrating their way deeper. Catching each breath to hold back any pained voices. This is nothing in comparison to the injury he sustained that left marks on his neck, but any wound is a wound no matter how small it is.
A moment of stillness from Neuvillette, he is asking if they should continue without a single word because he feels a rushing increased heartbeat. Permission was given.
There is something… erotic about this. The shocking tingle his neck reacted when the mouth of the Iudex performs a sucking gesture to taste the blood is a sensation he had never known. It was supposed to be only blood-sucking, but each time his head felt numb and empty. As if Neuvillette was also sucking his logical and sane mind together. The longer Neuvillette latches on him, the less pain it becomes. No longer pain, it was exchanged with something of the opposite. Is it pleasure?
Slurp.
The emptier his head is, the more he can’t concentrate on anything. Everything in his head was replaced by only Neuvillette’s hand sensation on his chest, his faint scent, the soft lips brushing on his skin. It was all Neuvillette, Neuvillette, and Neuvillette.
“…sley.”
“…thesley.”
“Wriothesley.”
Third name calling was needed to snap the man from empty head. He looks to the side. If he can see Neuvillette’s face like this, does it mean it is over? The Iudex’s face showed signs of worry. But the Duke brushes it that he was just tired and daydreams a little too much just now. He can’t let the other party know that he was feeling somewhat orgasmic feeling when he was bitten and had his blood drunk. He doesn’t have that much pride, but he still has to protect his dignity somehow. Time to change the topic, “How was it? Something interesting?”
“Ah, yes. I didn’t find any sickness or any sign of intense fatigue. It seems you’ve been taking care of your body very well. But,” Neuvillette gives it a pause before continuing, “Did something good happen recently? Your dopamine level is quite high.”
Wriothesley thinks again, remembering the recent days, weeks, and months. There hasn’t been anything good other than when he received news that the crisis had been successfully solved with minimal damage. But other than that, his life in the Meropide has always been the same. Nothing interesting, and he knows nothing should make his dopamine level increase. The only good thing recently was he finally had a look at Neuvillette’s face after a long time of not seeing him.
“Also, may I ask how is your sugar consumption this time?” Neuvillette asked another question, considering Wriothesley didn’t answer the previous one.
“Sugar consumption? I didn’t drink tea with sugar for this week since the Head Nurse has been nagging a lot about how I will get early diabetes if I keep the behavior.”
The answer leaves Neuvillette questioning, he brushes his chin in thought, “But your blood tasted very sweet. I believe it didn’t come from my tongue since I haven’t eaten anything sweet today.”
That’s very weird, indeed. Sigewinne even confiscated the sugar jar in Wriothesley’s office in her infirmary and locked it with a special safe. They even came to the infirmary to confirm it with her. “I locked the jar somewhere. Eating two cubes of sugar every day is bad for your health, Your Grace! Especially in the future, you will get—”
“Head Nurse, I would love to hear your presentation about it again but that’s not why we came for you.” Wriothesley quickly cuts the girl, before she pulls out her presentation.
Neuvillette thought to himself again. It didn’t answer his question, though. He decided to ask another question, “Does dopamine affect the taste of blood?”
“Dopamine? That’s the hormone that is usually triggered when you are happy or relaxed, right? Hormones shouldn’t affect your blood taste. Is the sweetness you tasted in Your Grace’s blood similar to the one you tasted in desserts, Monsieur?”
“That’s right.”
Sigewinne immediately turned her head to look at Wriothesley. Piercing him with silent questions whether he is hiding a stash of sugar somewhere in his office or the Fortress. The Duke laughs at the suspicion awkwardly, trying to convince the Head Nurse that he is following her suggestion. Sigewinne said they could talk about this later, turning her attention back to Neuvillette.
“I’m sorry, Monsieur. The examination that I did yesterday also didn’t indicate a high sugar level in His Grace’s blood. Perhaps you were mistaken or taken aback by His Grace’s blood taste?”
“Why are you talking like my blood has a special taste…”
“Perhaps you are correct. I’m sorry for questioning you, Sigewinne and Wriothesley. Please take some rest. No need to see me off. Thank you for your hard work and cooperation today, both of you.”
Neuvillette knows it’s not normal for Wriothesley’s blood to be that sweet. It was sweeter than the sweetest honey and more delicious than any spring water he had tasted in this life. Something else that piqued his interest was how Wriothesley’s face was very red, and his expression was quite… endearing. Hazy eyes as if his mind had gone elsewhere, moreover he was almost drooling. He tried to find the correct word to describe it, but only some vulgar word choices came to his head.
Wriothesley’s face before was very… erotic.
Navia, Clorinde, and Furina almost dropped their tea cups when hearing the news from the man, Wriothesley himself after telling the story of how the two bitemarks happened on his neck. The first one to react was Navia, putting down his teacup because she needed to stand up, if she didn’t let out all of her emotions to her language body, she might explode because it wasn’t enough to express her shock.
“W-What do you mean you let Monsieur Neuvillette bit your neck to extract the blood?” She asked, still in shock.
Wriothesley was surprised to receive this kind of reaction, meanwhile, he is perfectly fine and calm, “I just thought that was the fastest and easiest way.”
“You could’ve used your wrist or anywhere! What do you mean it’s the easiest and fastest way when there are more ways to do it without having to be that… Intimate?”
Now that Navia mentions it. Wriothesley soon follows with a shock. Why did he let Neuvillette do it? And why did Neuvillette allow himself to do it? Clorinde only sipped tea on the side, ignoring the density and her simple-minded friend. Now the two are in a panic. She glances at Lady Furina and for some unknown reason, she is sweating furiously with a panicked face, she tries hard to hide it, though.
“What do YOU mean he bites the neck of the Duke?!”
“Doesn’t he know in dragon tradition it’s the same thing as marking someone as their beloved?!”
“Maybe he forgot? Did he forget it? It must be. Wait… He does forget most of his memories after all!!”
“What should I say to him now?! ‘Oh. You can’t get married anymore because you are now married to the Iudex’??? No! That would only create even more panic!”
“WAIT! THEY ARE MARRIED ALREADY WITHOUT SIGNING LEGAL DOCUMENTS?!?!”
“Also, Wriothesley. Hasn’t Sigewinne already told you to reduce your sugar consumption? Meanwhile you…” Clorinde moves her glance to each cake on Wriothesley’s table. Not to mention stacks of sugar cubes. The man munchs on his cakes without a care. It’s his cheat day, and besides Sigewinne can’t know what he ate on the Overworld because she needs to stay in the Fortress.
He might forget another promise he made with Neuvillette, though.
“Monsieur, I never knew you were good at giving massages.”
“The Melusines often learned this and they sometimes experimented it on me. I learned some things, thanks to them.”
Wriothesley lays on the bed, face resting on the soft pillow. He enjoyed every single moment of Neuvillette giving him some massages on the shoulder and the back. All the report writing breaks his back and stiffens his shoulders so badly. Today was supposed to be a promised day of Neuvillette having a taste and examining the Duke’s blood again, why did they stray away from the main goal and now doing this?
However, the massages do increase the quality of the blood flow, so the blood should be fresh for better results. Neuvillette presses his hand, making Wriothesley flinch in slight pain. It should be a good sign. This pain means how stiff his muscles are. The piercing light eyes take notice of the healed wound from the last bite, it’s already closed. That’s a relief. Neuvillette doesn’t want the wound to be longer than it needs to be.
“Shall we start?” He asked.
“Huh… Oh, yeah. Uh… I feel I am one with the bed.” Wriothesley tried to get up, but it was useless. The massages already relaxed him so much that he became too lazy to even get up. Not to mention he forgot that the equipment was left on his coat in the other room. Just imagining he has to be separated from the comfort of the bed… Oh, the horror, “Monsieur, sorry, you can say no to it. But I am honestly feeling too sluggish right now. Can we do it just like the last time?”
That came as a surprise for Neuvillette. He genuinely thought it was a one-time thing. He wouldn’t say no because it seems Wriothesley doesn’t want to get up from the bed. The Duke’s face lits up. Grateful he doesn’t have to be separated from the lovely bed. His hands loosen, taking off his tie and those black strips. Putting it on the side.
“Excuse me.” Neuvillette doesn’t need to ask permission like that. Wriothesley is used to holding several Melusines on his arms and shoulder, this bodyweight is nothing.
The Iudex puts himself on the back. He sneaks his left hand again under the chest, right on the heart. As usual, it’s only as prevention if Wriothesley feels any unbearable pain. The last wound is already nearly healed. Should he bite that part? But it’s already gone their way to heal the wound. But it would be troublesome for Wriothesley and Sigewinne to have to tend another wound.
“Nh…” Would it sound weird if Wriothesley said how the hot breaths start to feel normal for him?
The slow kiss is the part where he can never get used to. The long lick also sends too much electricity tingle to his whole body. Meanwhile, the biting part only made his body flinch a little, burying his face deeper into the soft pillow. The blood flowing out is a weird sensation, as always. He wonders if his blood still tastes sweet since he just had many sweetened teas and desserts a few days ago with the ladies.
Suck.
It feels a little weird now. Why does his head feel lighter and number than before? It’s not painful so it’s not something he should inform Neuvillette. His breath becomes breathless. Those tingles turn to something more vulgar. Its sensations. This is similar to sexual pleasure? Wait, how can this be possible? Wriothesley could’ve sworn he didn’t have a sick liking of having his neck bitten, especially by a fang similar to a beast, too.
“Ahn…”
Suck.
Wriothesley’s blood... Every time Neuvillette performs the sucking gesture, a burst of sweetness comes along. It’s sweeter than before. Almost like the overly sweet taste of wine, he had to drink as courtesy years ago. He isn’t fond of alcohol but this sweet taste is not something he dislikes. This amount of blood should be enough to analyze, but even he doesn’t know the reason why he can’t stop now. He told his body to stop, but all of the sweetness…
It might turn to something of an addictive taste.
They are both drowned in a weird pleasure they never knew existed. The pillow is Wriothesley’s current best friend to muffle his voice, even if most of them are only breathless moans. Neuvillette presses his body against the Duke harder, to the point his hair is tickling the poor oversensitive, and overstimulated neck. The right hand is too busy holding down the shaking hips.
The time when Neuvillette finally gasped in panic because of how much blood he drank was when Wriothesley’s bottom body jerks up in response to the one hard suck. His body notices many things. Wriothesley’s hand held Neuvillette’s wrist tightly. There is a pool of wetness on the pillow, just as he is processing the scene, a drop of saliva drips down to the same place.
The most eye-catching was how empty, almost rolling them to the back. Overall expression silently expresses how high in heaven Wriothesley was.
“Haa… Ahh… Nnh…” Wriothesley tried so hard not to let those voices come greeting Neuvillette’s ears but his head was too empty to even think on how to.
Neuvillette gets up from the Duke, offering to help him to get up. Wriothesley accepted the kind gesture, hand already touched the Iudex’s gloved hand. The moment he moved, just a centimeter of his legs, he quickly retrieved his hand. He said that he felt sluggish, so he would just stay here for a little more.
Schlick….
He needs to make sure again, only to worsen the situation. His face is completely red. Screaming inside his heart, could not believe that he just had an orgasm when Neuvillette bit him. It was so sudden; he didn’t even register that he was cumming. All he remembers were pleasure sensations, his body shaking and suddenly everything turns white in his head. He can no longer face Neuvillette with a straight face.
While the Duke is busy with his panic, Neuvillette thinks to himself. The blood still tastes very sweet. Should he report it to Wriothesley? But the scent from his mouth didn’t indicate he was eating any desserts for today, perhaps yesterday? He doesn’t normalize hiding the truth and facts from anyone, but it seems the sweet taste is his problem, not the blood itself. He chooses to swallow this first and find out the answer rather than create panic again, specifically for Sigewinne. But, that expression. Neuvillette is not innocent anymore to not know what expression those were.
Wriothesley could only pray to the entities above for Neuvillette to not realize what was going on.
Neuvillette took a glance at the hand that was holding his arm. A body reflex to express the storm inside them. That grip, that expression, the right hand clutching to the sheets ‘til its wrinkles. All those signs only led to one conclusion—
Wriothesley was having an orgasm when Neuvillette bit him. Furthermore, orgasm without any genital touching…