Kurosaki Iwao and Kurosaki Risako dreaded the upcoming sensual nights.
There was no anticipation of pleasure or enjoyment in the act. Having gone through the first night as a couple, Risako voiced not wanting to bed Iwao ever again. She cared little if Iwao got himself a mistress as long as he was discreet.
Iwao didn't fight against her decision to not sleep in the same bed as her. He wasn't interested in her either. Their marriage was an agreement between families, not affection. Initial interactions were tense while their parents negotiated the marriage.
All Iwao and Risako could do was sit in silence.
They saw nothing appealing in the other, but they went through their parents' wishes.
Not even the chaperoned dates did anything to develop affection between them. Risako accepted the flashy gifts with a painted smile, eager for the lavish lifestyle of the Kurosaki. Iwao followed his parents' date ideas so as to not put effort in planning for the dates.
In the back of their minds, they envied Nagare and Kasane's relationship. They fell in love during the engagement process and continue on showing love to one another. From the servant rumor mill, Nagare and Kasane were a healthy married couple. Sharing kisses whenever possible, having sex almost every night, and addressed one another with cutesy nicknames.
The inclusion of children didn't stop them from showing how much they cared for one another. Nagare was an active father alongside his wife. They joined in a cohesive partnership to manage their little family despite their roles in the Kurosaki family.
None of the elders or Lady Yukina complained about the new Master and Lady Kurosaki. There was an heir and a daughter. The pair had done their duty.
Iwao and Risako had not.
Through the intervention of elders and Lady Yukina's badgering, the couple went to a doctor for a thorough examination. Risako's was far more invasive. Iwao simply gave a sample in a cup and handed it to the doctor.
The results came in as fast as possible. An urgent label and bribery were used to push the medical professionals in hurrying their testing. The papers were delivered quick one morning.
Lady Yukina and the elders discussed the results, relieved to find out that Iwao and Risako were fertile. Nothing was wrong with the pair not having a baby. They could conceive in the first try and never lay in the same bed again.
The elders spoke to Iwao and demanded he go through his duty and bring forth a child.
Iwao placed nights aside to go through the act and conceive as quickly as possible. Work was finished early for him to go back to his home and prepare to fuck his wife.
Like the previous nights of sex, Risako laid on the bed, not daring to move. She showered with hot water, rubbed her skin raw before donning a loose robe. Ignoring Ume's suggestions of scents and shorter robes, Risako wore no accessories or scent to add an allure.
Iwao wasn't like her longtime lover. Her lover was well groomed, clean of facial hair, and made sure to keep himself relatively fit. Iwao didn't deserve to have romantic nights of bliss. If the Kurosaki coloring was not an indicator of their lineage, she would have conceived this child with her lover and played it off as Iwao's. Then again, she would have to seduce Iwao to sleep with her in the same timeframe.
The idea of luring Iwao into her bed was disgusting to think about.
At least, Iwao bathed before he entered their bedroom.
Risako would have fought him off for daring to rub her body with the day's sweat and grime. She wouldn't tolerate such disrespect.
The door opened to reveal Iwao in a loose robe.
Risako bit the inside of her cheek as she opened up her robe. Her naked body didn't inspire the heated look of her lover. Iwao appeared bored, almost grimacing at the sight of her. Nights of sex didn't endear the couple at all.
Tossing aside foreplay, Iwao used his hand to harden himself before he crawled on top of Risako. His wife turned her face away, keeping silent as she opened her legs, exposing herself to him. Without word, he pushed himself inside of her. She jumped; her fingers dug into the bedding of the futon. He began thrusting, thoughts of previous lovers coursing through his mind as he fucked her.
Risako didn't touch him throughout those minutes. Her attention was on the wall as her body rocked against Iwao's thrusts.
At some point, Iwao finished inside of Risako.
Her body trembled as tears of indignation pricked her eyes. She felt disgusted having to keep remnants of Iwao inside of herself. For her body to transform to accommodate a child she did not want or desire. She would mourn the day when the doctor informed her of a positive pregnancy.
Iwao grunted as he removed himself from inside of his wife. He got up, snatched up his robe, and left the room. Hastily putting on his robe, he rushed toward a different section of his home to smoke.
There was no satisfaction of having gone through the act.
This wasn't like the nights he spent with different easy women in the city. The one mistress he kept, who since married, was far more accommodating to his needs and was not as stiff as a corpse. Risako was like a doll to fuck.
In their room, Risako dug her fingers into the palm of her hand. Hard enough for the skin to break and blood to come out.
The door opened and a servant walked inside with a remedy in hand. Risako laid on the bed as the servant fed her the concoction. She didn't need to move as the servant tipped the cup into her mouth. Risako bore the bitterness of the liquid with her eyes closed and her mind blank.
When she finished, the servant rushed out, leaving Risako to contemplate her next moves.
Even if she got pregnant, she wasn't going to mother the child. She contained no affection toward children. Rearing them was out of the question.
That was what nannies were for.
