Chapter 12: In Plymouth (5)

As long fingers brushed past his scrotum and began to toy with the opening, Claire realized exactly what Elpian intended to do. He struggled desperately, his body still weak and heavy from his recent release.

“Wait, stop. Ah!”

After hovering near the entrance, Elpian began to push inward slowly. Perhaps because he was still loose from his climax, the finger that hadn’t been able to penetrate even an inch on the first day was now sliding inside. It wasn’t excruciatingly painful, but the bizarreness of the sensation made Claire’s face contort.

He didn’t want to say anything that would let Henry, hidden just inches away, know exactly what was happening. But he knew that if he remained silent, he might simply be taken right then and there.

Forcing strength into his weary limbs, he bit down hard on Elpian’s neck. However, that life-or-death defiance was easily quelled when Elpian grabbed his head and pinned it down. Even as blood trickled from the wound on his neck, Elpian wore a look of casual ease.

“Good. It’s no fun hunting if the prey doesn’t show its teeth.”

Speaking in a terrifyingly low voice, Elpian thrust his finger even deeper.

“It’s truly tight. I’ll have a hard time getting in. Is it because you’re built so small?”

Elpian muttered as he explored the interior. Perhaps because the pain had cleared his head, the reality that Henry was listening to every word felt like a knife in Claire’s heart.

Whether it was because Elpian was too focused on his actions or not, there wasn’t a single sound or movement from beneath the bed. Elpian was speaking softly, but Henry would surely hear. The mere thought of what Henry must be thinking, maintaining his silence beneath the bed, was horrific.

Please, let the situation be so foul that he’s covered his ears and looked away, Claire prayed endlessly.

By the time the pain of the first finger began to subside, a second one pushed inside. The sensation of being filled even further made Claire’s face turn pale. And the moment Elpian touched a deeper spot, a groan like a sigh escaped Claire’s lips. Elpian’s red lips curled into a smile.

“If I keep taming you like this, your mouth will be the first thing to beg me to come inside.”

“Heugh… never… that will never… ah… nngh…”

Against his will, Claire let out a sweet, broken sound. He instantly loathed the noise that had escaped him, but when that sensitive spot was stimulated again, he couldn’t help but moan.

Watching him struggle with pleasure despite his hatred, Elpian’s composure seemed to finally fray. As if he could no longer wait for Claire to be fully prepared, his breathing grew ragged.

Finally, Elpian let out a long, hot breath and stopped merely touching Claire. He began to rub his own hardness against the space between Claire’s thighs.

The sensation of that friction against his own member, combined with the stimulation from behind, was far too erotic for Claire to endure. He unconsciously dug his nails into Elpian’s skin, leaving scratches, but instead of getting angry, Elpian pulled him into a tighter embrace and captured his lips.

The wanton movement of Elpian’s hips grew faster, and the bed began to creak rhythmically. Claire felt a searing, stinging sensation in his back, where Henry lay just below, but the overwhelming presence of Elpian on top of him drowned everything else out. The friction was relentless, and the fingers inside him were rubbing shamelessly against his core. At the moment the movement reached its peak, both men let out a loud cry as they reached the zenith together.

Elpian remained still for a moment, eyes half-closed, basking in the satisfaction. When his eyelids finally lifted, his green eyes were clouded; the usual sharpness and coldness were gone.

He gazed down at Claire with a heated look before leaning in for a kiss. The movement was so unbelievably tender that Claire found himself reflexively responding to his tongue. Seeing Claire accept him, Elpian’s eyes crinkled as he smiled.

“You’ll be quite a sight once you’re truly used to this.”

Stroking Claire’s hair, Elpian kissed his forehead. With his usually frozen expression filled with such emotion, he looked like a different person.

An Elpian who wore a smile rather than a sneer—it was a scene that lacked reality. Furthermore, Claire’s entire body felt so languid that he felt as if he were drifting in a hazy dream.

Releasing Claire, who was blinking blankly, Elpian slowly stood up.

As the warmth of the other man’s body left him, Claire felt a momentary, fleeting sense of emptiness. Elpian dressed himself, leaned down to plant one last kiss on Claire’s face, and walked out of the room.

“Bring in everyone from the taverns. We set sail at dawn.”

“Yes, sir.”

The muffled voices of Elpian and Mary Read talking outside reached his ears. Though the words were clear, Claire was too exhausted to process their meaning.

Even Henry, who was right beneath him, felt like a blurry thought on the far side of his consciousness. Claire simply closed his eyes. The swaying of the waves felt like a cradle.

“Claire. Claire.”

Claire woke up to the feeling of someone gently shaking him. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Henry’s face flickering in the lamplight.

“Are you alright?”

The moment he heard that worried question, his mind snapped back to reality, and a wave of self-loathing and shame crashed over him.

It would have been humiliating enough if he had just been forced, but he had reached a climax twice—and he had cried out. He had felt it so intensely that he had forgotten Henry was even there.

Falling into a pit of self-hatred, Claire clutched his head before realizing he was still naked. He was still covered in the traces of both himself and Elpian, his body littered with red kiss marks.

Seeing Henry’s coat draped over his lower half only deepened his shame.

Henry remained silent while Claire hurriedly dressed. Once finished, Claire sat on the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands. After a long silence, Henry’s low voice cut through the stillness.

“Can we kill him?”

Claire raised his head, finally finding the strength to look at Henry. Gray eyes were glinting as they stared at the floor.

“If we wait for a gap when he comes back here and I strangle him… he’ll die without even being able to scream.”

Henry’s voice was filled with conviction, but Claire shook his head. Even at full strength, the odds were slim, and Henry was currently weakened from starvation. Even if they caught him off guard, he didn’t believe that monstrous man would die without a fight.

“It’s impossible. There are pirates with guns stationed right outside the door.”

“But…”

“Besides, he is Elkain Capfrancis’s brother. If we kill him, we’ll be hunted by the vengeance of the Capfrancis family for the rest of our lives.”

“As a man, your honor has been so defiled… can you really be satisfied with just running away?”

Henry’s words sounded more like a reproach than concern. Suppressing his misery, Claire spoke softly.

“It didn’t go… all the way. I have no intention of dragging you into a fight just to reclaim my honor.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Realizing he had overstepped, Henry apologized. Claire shook his head with a self-deprecating smile.

“There’s no need. It’s true that my honor is defiled. You probably… find me disgusting and despise me too.”

“That’s not true, I—”

“Don’t say anything else.”

Claire raised a hand to stop him. The more he spoke with Henry, the more he felt how far he had fallen, and the more it hurt.

He felt that even if they escaped, they could never go back to the way they used to be. With a deep sigh, Claire forced himself to stand.

“We don’t have time for this. How long was I asleep?”

“Only about thirty minutes.”

“It’s still a while until dawn, but we don’t know when Elpian will return. We have to escape before all the pirates get back to the ship.”

Henry looked concerned but eventually nodded. Without further thought, the two approached the door, listened for any movement, and slipped out into the corridor.

Stopping by Claire’s room to grab the leather skins, they moved quickly. Since time was short, Claire handed the dagger to Henry, intending for him to cut down anyone they might run into.

Fortunately, luck was on their side; they didn’t encounter a single soul until they reached the deck. Even the deck was silent, with no shadows in sight.

“They should be preparing to set sail, so why is no one here?”

“They probably all went out to find the rest of the crew. Either way, it’s good for us.”

Unlike Claire, who was scanning the surroundings with an anxious gaze, Henry was undeterred. He ran toward a secluded part of the aft deck, and Claire followed. Henry peered over the railing and furrowed his brow.

“The waves are quite strong. And it’s a bit too high for a beginner to jump straight in.”

Claire looked as well; the dark sea had waves slightly higher than usual, and the black current was surging. Henry muttered softly:

“There’s no ladder, but if we hang a rope, you’ll be able to get down. I’m sure there’s a rope around here if we look.”

As Henry made a move to find a rope, Claire grabbed his arm.

“There’s no need.”

“What?”

“Because I’m not escaping.”

Henry’s eyes widened at Claire’s words.