This is the smut chapter. Nothing too graphic, but just to give you the heads up.

Sophia smoothed out her pale pink nightgown before leaving the bathroom. She'd eaten quite a bit during supper, and her full belly was more than happy. The warm, relaxing bath she'd taken only added to her comfort. Despite all that, she still couldn't erase the scarred man from her mind. It seemed like she was in for a restless night with little sleep, if she couldn't get her mind to settle, that is. Her bare feet padded against the floor as she made her way down the hall. Her midnight hair was still damp, but the ends were already beginning to form their natural curls.

When she entered the bedroom, Barok was already there under the sheets. He was in the midst of reading a book by the lamp, his pillow resting between his back and the headboard. Sophia couldn't help but smile, quietly moving to her side of the bed. She climbed in beside him, sighing deeply at the soft, cozy covers.

"Weary, dearest?"

The sudden question caught the woman by surprise, but she smiled nonetheless. "A bit." Her eyes peered up at him from where she lay. "I'm not disrupting your reading, am I?"

Her husband's focus never left the book in his hand. "Not at all. Allow me to simply finish this page before bed."

Sophia rolled onto her other side, her back to him. She grew quiet to politely let him finish. Her eyes closed a few times, yet she couldn't seem to drift off even a little. Her mind was roaming far too much. Instead, she stared at the window, moonlight filtering through the gaps in the curtains.

Barok finally marked his page and closed the book, setting it on the bedside table. His gaze flicked over to his wife, noticing her subtle shifts in movement. He was exhausted, but he couldn't stand to leave her there alone with her thoughts. He laid down and scooted closer to her, sliding his hand soothingly up and down her arm.

"I was correct in my previous assumption. Something is bothering you this evening." He kissed her shoulder. "Tell me what's the matter, Sophia."

He was too perceptive for her to hide it from him. "I just… Today, I thought I saw someone…from a year ago."

Barok paused briefly. "A year ago? You don't mean from the incident, do you?"

She nodded slightly, keeping her back to him. "That's right. The man with the scarred, blind eye. I ran into him…I think. I'm not even sure if it was real or just my imagination." She curled up more. "Either way, I'm...afraid."

Her husband didn't hesitate to wrap his arm around her abdomen, hugging her. "You needn't fear, my love. Even if what you saw is true, I will never let any harm come to you. I will personally make sure this man is found and apprehended before anything. Now please, ease your mind."

"I don't know if I can. Just thinking about him brings back all those painful memories."

The woman froze when she felt a pair of lips on her neck. The contact made her all flustered, forcing a soft gasp from her. It wasn't just a single peck either, but several gentle kisses. She got the feeling he was trying to get her in the mood, and it was working.

"Barok…" He hummed in response. "I thought you were worn out from this morning's trial."

"I was." He propped up on his elbow to lean over her, causing her to turn her head to look up at him. "But a man has a duty to love and cherish his wife, and comfort her in times of need. And also…"

He captured her lips with his, all while his hand began to wander. Trailing from her abdomen, his large hand made its way up and over the mounds of her chest, finally halting when it reached the side of her face. He broke the kiss to lock eyes with her, his steely gaze uncharacteristically soft and loving.

"It's also a man's duty to please his wife." He lowered his voice that was as smooth as silk. "So, for tonight, I'd like to bring you to a state of pure ecstasy."

The light blush on the woman's cheeks was evident in the low lighting of the lamp. "Barok…" She ended up smiling at how sweet he could be. "I think…a bit of attention is exactly what I need right now."

She reached her hand up and around his neck, her fingers getting lost in his disheveled locks. She pulled his head back down to meet her lips once more. Barok was already moving his hand back down to her breasts, massaging one, then the other, and earning a soft moan from his wife in response. With her free hand, Sophia began tracing each and every muscle of his chest and abdomen through the thin fabric of his nightshirt. Her light touch caused the man to shiver with delight, especially when her fingers began undoing the buttons, slowly, one by one. As soon as the last button came undone, Barok abruptly pulled away and sat up, sliding the article of clothing right off. He didn't even take the time to neatly set the shirt aside, and instead, let it fall carelessly onto the blanket, his full attention on his lover.

The corners of his mouth twitched up in a smirk. "Explore all you like, dearest. Whether it be with your eyes or your hands."

Sophia couldn't help but laugh lightly, taking him up on his offer as soon as he was leaning over her again. She started with simply resting her palms against his firm chest, letting her eyes wander from his handsome face to his pale yet toned body. But her touch traveled up to his shoulders and down along his abs. For Barok, it felt like she lit a fire everywhere her hands touched him. Gently sliding his arm under her back, he pulled her up to a sitting position, kissing her neck as he did so.

"Sophia, bestow upon me your divine beauty. Show me everything."

The woman didn't need to be told twice. With a gleam of excitement in her eyes, she smiled mischievously and slowly tugged down the collar of her nightgown, as if taunting him with only a few more inches of exposed flesh. Barok watched her every move as if he were completely entranced by her. After a few moments of her teasing, he huffed and took hold of the hem of her gown. He carefully pulled it up, which prompted her to help him slide it off. He tossed it aside and out of the way, leaving her in her simple cotton bra and her knickers.

A light blush spread across Sophia's face despite the fact that he'd seen her like that before. "What do you think? Of the bra, I mean. I bought it recently. It's much more comfortable than the usual corset."

Barok hummed, as if he were studying her. "I think it looks lovely. Appeals to your figure. However, I'd rather see it off at this moment."

He reached behind her, finding the laces and swiftly untying her bra. As soon as it came loose, Sophia pulled it off, allowing her husband to feast his eyes on her. Barok pulled her in close and started kissing his way down her neck, making his way to her soft, beautiful breasts. He peppered them with sweet kisses, and took plenty of time to simply touch them, earning an array of pleasurable little noises from his wife.

"Simply breathtaking," he murmured from between her breasts, feeling the rapid beating of her heart in her chest. "You're an angel, dearest. Every inch of you is like a sacred treasure, and it's only for my eyes…my hands…my lips. It's all for me to ravish as I please."

Sophia bit her lip, trying to contain her gasps. "You flatter me, my love. I'm the one who's fortunate…to be gifted with a man like you." She lightly gripped his shoulders. "Now please, stop toying with me."

Barok noticed the desperation in her tone and the way she uncomfortably pressed her legs together, and with one of those rare occurrences, he chuckled softly. "Very well. What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't fulfill my wife's needs?"

Tossing the blanket aside, Barok got up to unbutton his trousers, and it was then that the female noticed how uncomfortably tight they appeared to be on him. Once his trousers dropped to the floor, Sophia got up as well to pull off her knickers, and Barok followed suit. With his wife standing bare before him like a gorgeous painting, his own perfectly sculpted body started to move on instinct. He hugged his wife and leaned down to kiss her, their lips moving almost hungrily against one another. As soon as the kiss was broken, Sophia crawled back onto the bed and got herself comfortable on her stomach. Her husband climbed on top of her, his shadow looming over her. His eyes, darkened with desire, bore holes into her back, a grimace making its way to his face.

"I still loathe the fact that those hoodlums marred your delicate skin." He brushed her damp hair to one side and bent down to kiss one of the many scars. "But even with these, you're still the most beautiful woman in my eyes."

Glancing over her shoulder at him, Sophia smiled. "I feel the same way about you. No matter what, my heart will always belong to you, love."

She suddenly gasped when she felt the tip of his manhood poking and prodding at her lower regions. She moaned softly, the warmth between her legs already preparing her body for him. Little by little, she widened her legs, getting situated and nearly burying her face in the pillow. Barok's brilliant hardness slid up and down over her folds while he took the time to kiss each and every scar littering her back. After he'd carefully tended to her old wounds, he moved up to her shoulder and neck, nibbling just enough to make her mewl with delight. His mouth and lower regions were making her feel so good that she barely even noticed that his left hand glided up her arm and gripped onto hers. Her diamond ring sparkled from between his fingers, matching with his silver band as he pinned her hand in place. His other arm was propping him up and keeping his weight off her.

"I love you, Sophia," he murmured against her skin.

"I…love you too…Baro-aaahhh!" Her sentence was cut off by a soft cry.

Her husband had sheathed his entire length into her, all at once. A barely audible groan left his lips, meanwhile Sophia was left gasping and moaning. It certainly wasn't their first time, but Barok's generous size always incited that kind of reaction from her. The man remained still to let her adjust and get comfortable, all while he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. After a few moments, his wife began to wriggle and squirm, lifting her pelvis up to press further back against him. With that acting as confirmation that she was ready, Barok began to move. He started slow, an occasional groan rising from his throat every time he pulled back and pushed in again. It felt incredible.

Sophia's left hand was clutching the pillow her head rested on, and the heat of her husband's large hand over hers only made her squeeze it tighter. Her right hand desperately grasped on to his arm that kept him propped up. With each slow movement he made, a sharp breath sounded from her. Barok teasingly nipped the edge of her ear, doing everything he could to increase her pleasure. He was always like that when he made love to her. The man didn't make a lot of noise himself, but he savored every sound his wife emitted when he did this to her.

"B-Barok…" Sophia's voice trembled, and she struggled to get the words out between her gasps. "P-please…"

Barok hummed into her ear. "Please, what?" He knew exactly what she wanted, but he was going to make her say it.

"Y-you know…what…" She bit her lower lip, turning her head to the side to look at him. "I need m-more…please…B-Barok…"

Hearing her stutter his name like that flipped a switch in him. He pulled as far back as he could without disconnecting them, and with a snap of his hips, harshly pushed in again. The motion alone made the female moan for more, so his thrusts continued at a harder, and slightly quicker pace. Barok was a strong man, and he could be as rough as a feral animal if he wished to. But he never went overboard so as not to hurt her. Besides, he quite enjoyed the deep, passionate love making anyway. To feel her body hugging him tight, and knowing he was occupying every bit of space she could provide drove him wild. And her sweet cries of pleasure could easily push him over the edge. Though at the moment, her moans were getting a bit louder than he would've expected.

"If you keep making such a ruckus," Barok began, pausing briefly for a low groan to escape him, "you're going to disturb the servants."

"Not…m-my…fault…"

Sophia's brain could hardly form a coherent sentence. The knot that had wound itself tight in her belly was on the verge of coming undone. Her grip on his arm tightened, and she began moaning and whining his name repeatedly. Those were the telltale signs that she was close to her peak. With that knowledge, Barok leaned down to lightly bite down on her shoulder, all while speeding up his movements. Sophia's voice grew higher with each word that passed her lips, and it led up to a soft cry of pure pleasure and ecstasy. Feeling her walls constrict around him, Barok slowed his thrusts, letting her ride out her high until he finally stopped.

Sophia was out of breath, panting and gasping as if she had just run halfway across London. Her whole body shuddered from her climax, her mind muddled from the pleasure. Her husband planted soft kisses all across her back, giving her affection to relax her. Once she had caught her breath, Barok slowly shifted. He released her hand, and instead, slid his arm under her abdomen. He gently lifted her up enough for him to press his body against hers, almost laying on her with his chin resting on her shoulder.

With her steadied, Barok began thrusting once more. His wife was still extremely sensitive, so the movement made her whine and mewl in response. The constant flick of his hips was swift and his pace was frantic and erratic. Sophia could hear the barely audible groans deep in his throat, and she knew he was desperate for release. It didn't take long for him to reach his peak at that point. He buried himself as deep as he possibly could, and a loud, almost animalistic growl escaped his lips. Even Sophia was moaning quite a bit at the waves of warmth flooding her. Finally though, Barok's satisfied growl was replaced with heavy panting in her ear.

The woman turned her head, managing to catch his lips for a loving kiss. "Barok… Oh, Barok… My love…" She uttered each word between their kisses.

"Sophia… My dearest… My beloved…" Her husband separated their lips to peck the side of her face. "You're my world… the one thing in my life I'm truly happy for."

"You're my world as well. I could never imagine my life without you, Barok."

The man moved and carefully separated from her, leaving her with a sense of emptiness without him. Sophia rolled onto her side, watching her lover collapse next to her. If he didn't look fatigued before, he certainly did now. His caring wife pulled the sheets over them both, and curled herself into Barok's side with a tired smile.

"Rest now, my love. You went out of your way to care for and satisfy me, now let me watch over you."

She kissed the edge of his lips, watching his weary eyes finally close for the night. Sophia could feel her heart brimming with admiration for that man. A prosecutor once feared as a demigod of death was capable of loving and being loved just like anyone else. It was nights like that that proved it. With a sigh of content, Sophia found her hand instinctively over her stomach, gently rubbing circles before she ended up drifting to sleep. Because of him, her worries were erased for the time being.

Believe it or not, this was actually one of the first times I'd added actual smut to a story (since this was written a while back on AO3). Tried to keep Barok van Zieks in character and I personally think I did well on that part, hehe.