~NEED~ (SasuSaku)

Chapter 5- Aghast | Secrets (Lemon)

The moon was a warm milky glow in the sky, it reflected the pure rays of the sun and glimmered through the huge bathroom windows that illuminated the statuesque beauty of the Grand Duke as he relished a warm bath in the dark.

There was a lot in his mind and one of them was about his not so weak wife. She really isn't like any other noble in this country and he is unsure if it's because she lacks education or she became someone else, though the latter was atrociously impossible. The reports from the Akatsuki's investigation were somehow irregular when it comes to her personality. But it does not change the fact that she was abused and neglected.

According to the reports her elder sister was denied the inheritance because she does not have any interest in governing and wants to marry a noble and continue to live a lavish life, so Sakura was trained to be an heir for two years despite having no affinity to mana. It may seem blasphemous to the empire but the Marquess was adamant that Sakura should be the next heir.

The family was doing well and both parents cherished Sakura even though she's unable to carry the family's mana lineage but it seems that her path in inheriting the Marquessate was gravely ceased when the Marquess adopted her cousin Sasori Haruno and announced him as the next heir. It is quite baffling, so lacking in education isn't the answer on his former query.

But it appears the abuse started when the Marchioness died of poison and Sakura at the tender age of ten was accused of being the culprit, although the evidence showed that it was done by a new maid who was originally owned by the opposing faction. The maid was sentenced to death but the abuse and torture did not stop.

On the surface the Marquess appears to be a loving father to his adopted son and eldest daughter but since her youngest was not introduced to the social circle she was made the Marquess's emotional punching bag whenever he fails, may it be from gambling, a failed business endeavor, a loss in debate in the Empire's round table or simply because he had a bad day and had a useless child that is unable to accumulate mana.

Despicable bastard and she endured it for eight years.

And because of the Marquess's behavior towards her the maids that serve the rosette in the mansion also started to do the same as they deemed her unworthy as a noble daughter of their master.

Sasuke balled his fingers to a fist and drove them through the wall near the window as a few splashes of water graced the tiled floor and a look of great bitterness swept across the ravinette's face. He took a deep breath and tried to relax once more.

There must be a deeper meaning behind this. I'm sure this is just the surface.

Thinking like a snake in the grass, the Grand Duke already had a plan in mind on how to dust off the entire Marquessate from the Empire's map, afterall slave trading is felonious.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Sasuke's cogitation was halted when he saw his wife covered in a duvet, her hair disobediently wild after their long hours of love making.

"Sorry, your eyebrows were scrunching. So I was wondering who the enemy was." Sakura said as she shyly smiled, clenching the duvet tighter when she remembered her purpose. "Oh God! I'm sorry, I was supposed to wash myself but I didn't know you were here, but I could.."

"Sakura." He held his hand to her, a few splatter of water spilled over by his action.

His eyes were neither commanding nor asking her for a request but they were eyeing her as if to tease her and the rosette hesitated for a bit, probably because a lot of unsolicited ideas came to mind. And Sasuke didn't have a hard time deciphering it, knowing his wife's face reflects it all.