113.

Norma had exercised remarkable self-restraint, ripping just enough of the dress to expose a handbreadth—barely revealing my collarbone and the curve of my chest. It was the second dress he’d ruined today, but at least he’d gotten better at gauging his strength.

A sliver of skin, untouched by the sun, peeked out provocatively. His lips, which had been trailing kisses along my collarbone, naturally moved lower and lower.

My hands, which had been gripping his shoulders, flailed helplessly for a moment before landing in his hair. I clutched it weakly, the silky strands too soft to grip firmly.

When I lowered my gaze, I saw him closing his eyes as he softly bit down after sucking on the tender swell of my skin.

“Ah!”

The sensation made me arch my back reflexively, my breath hitching like someone gasping for air. My limbs trembled uncontrollably as I tilted my head back in desperation.

Before I could steady myself, Norma slid his arms under my sides and lifted me effortlessly. The world spun, and by the time I blinked, I was seated squarely on his thigh.

“…”

In a daze, I found myself staring into his face, now so close. His neatly combed hair was utterly disheveled, a sight so distracting it made me feel lightheaded. Without thinking, I reached out to brush his hair back, but my hands trembled embarrassingly from the strain of keeping my balance.

“Ah…”

A helpless whimper escaped my lips, triggered by the unmistakable sensation of something firm stirring beneath me. Even through the fabric, it pulsed faintly, its presence undeniably vivid.

I knew exactly what it was, and a reckless urge surged through me—to reach down, this time.

Heat flooded my body, and a genuine sense of danger settled in my gut. Instinctively, I clenched my thighs and hips, only to feel a humiliating jolt as I shifted slightly.

Norma’s eyes narrowed as though he could hardly bear it. Then, like a predator closing in on its prey, he lunged, pressing me down as his lips trailed from my mouth to my shoulder and finally to my waist.

Caught up in the heady atmosphere, I forgot entirely that we were on a flimsy rowboat in the middle of a lake. It wasn’t until the boat tilted precariously that the reality of our situation dawned on me.

Oh no.

“…”

Creaaak—creaaak—creaaak.

In the eerie stillness, only the sound of the boat struggling to regain balance echoed.

I had no idea how he managed it, but Norma had somehow steadied us before the boat capsized. Now, pressed against his chest, I blinked in shock. Judging by his racing heartbeat, he’d been just as startled as I was.

Still, once a flame is lit, it doesn’t extinguish so easily.

“This… isn’t the place for this, is it?”

I muttered, my voice sounding deranged even to my own ears. His body, pressed tightly against mine, grew even tenser at my words. Beneath me, I swore I could feel him stiffen further, and I swallowed hard.

“But I’m… a little desperate right now. Maybe we could just, you know, over there—or there—anywhere…”

Driven to the brink, I glanced toward the nearest patch of bushes, rambling nonsense.

“Aisa.”

Norma cut me off, his deep voice sinking so low it sent a shiver down my spine. It was only then that I realized the absurdity of what I’d been saying.

“I might be more desperate than you,” he admitted, his voice trembling slightly, “but outside… outside is far too indecent.”

His tone, though dangerous, wavered awkwardly. As I looked up, I saw his flushed neck and face, redder than I’d ever seen them.

I finally noticed how his arms, which had been wrapped around my waist, were trembling ever so slightly. Slowly, he loosened his grip, reaching out to grab his discarded cloak. He hastily wrapped it around me, bundling me up tightly as if I might unravel at any moment.

“So, I’ll get us to the bedroom as fast as possible,” he declared, his voice still thick with urgency.

“…”

“Hold on tight,” he added, looking more flustered than I’d ever seen him.

Rendered speechless by his sudden determination, I could only gape at him. My lips parted uselessly as I stared at his flushed face, feeling the heat rise in my own cheeks.

Finally, I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on as tightly as I could.

* * *

I would’ve preferred to sleep forever, but once I woke, I found I couldn’t drift off again.

“Ugh…”

My face scrunched up, and an involuntary groan escaped my lips.

Norma always ensured I woke up pain-free, my body carefully tended to before I could even register discomfort. Since our first night together, I’d only ever experienced a mild sense of fatigue.

But now? Waking up with a body aching from head to toe, I was reminded of the first night—a night that felt like a fever dream.

‘Was I always this reckless with my body?’p

As I became more awake, the sensations sharpened. Feeling every ache and throb, I couldn’t help but grow resentful of the seemingly tireless man responsible for this state.

Reluctantly, I opened my eyes, determined to find the culprit and give him a piece of my mind—or maybe bite his arm as punishment.

But I froze.

There, within reach of my nose, was Norma, fast asleep.

The reason my waist had felt so heavy was because his arm was draped loosely around it.

‘There’s an angel sleeping here.’

I thought briefly before shaking my head at my own silliness.

But still, I held my breath in awe.

‘He’s sleeping. Actually sleeping.’

It shouldn’t have been a revelation—everyone sleeps. But seeing Norma Diazi sleeping so deeply was unprecedented.

In the year I’d known him, and the two months we’d shared a bed, I’d never once seen him truly asleep.

Sure, I’d seen him lie down with his eyes closed, but he always woke up before me. Most mornings, I’d wake to find him staring at me, his golden eyes shining like a watchful sentinel.

‘Is this really happening? Did drinking a little met last night do this?’

Awake, Norma was impressive. Asleep, he was extraordinary—his rare vulnerability made the sight almost precious.

For a fleeting moment, I considered summoning a painter to immortalize the scene, but quickly dismissed the idea.

Norma was sensitive to even the slightest movement; if I so much as twitched, he’d surely wake up.

So instead, I held my breath, suppressing my pain and frustration. The curses I’d been muttering melted away, replaced by a reluctant sense of peace.

‘I’ll never let him drink in public again. Only in private, and only in front of me. The trouble he’d cause…’

Determined to commit the sight to memory, I let my eyes wander over his features.

‘His eyelashes are so long.’

His lashes rested neatly against his cheeks, making his face seem even more serene. For a moment, I wished he could stay like this forever. But then, just as I reached out to touch his lashes—

Knock, knock.

Someone rapped at the door.

‘No!’

I screamed internally as his eyelids twitched. He was definitely waking up.

If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve touched those eyelashes earlier. Whoever had dared to knock on the lord and her husband’s bedroom door would not go unpunished.

The moment I tried to shift and get up, Norma opened his eyes. His arms, still wrapped around my waist, tightened instinctively.

“Aisa… Where are you going?” he asked, his voice heavy with sleep, sounding as though he were still dreaming. At the same time, the persistent knock came again.

“Stay here. I’ll be back in a moment,” I whispered hastily, trying to peel his arm off gently. Despite his firm grip, he let go surprisingly easily.

But as soon as my feet touched the floor, I nearly collapsed. My legs almost gave out beneath me, and I froze when I realized I wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing.

‘Damn it. What is this mess?’

In a panic, I grabbed the nearest scrap of fabric and wrapped myself up as best as I could. Then I tugged the blanket over Norma’s exposed torso and pulled the semi-transparent bed canopy shut. Only then did I muster the will to approach the door, where the knocking continued at a steady pace.

Every step felt like my joints were screaming in protest. Gritting my teeth, I swung the door open, and—just as I’d suspected—there stood Erika. She looked startled, clearly not expecting me to answer.

“Lord, this is quite unusual,” she said, her tone betraying genuine surprise.

“You’re the one who knocked. I told you to clear my morning schedule,” I replied, my voice rasping, a reminder of how much I’d overused it last night. Embarrassed, I straightened my back and forced myself to appear composed.

“I assumed your husband would answer, as usual. And for the record, it’s already noon, my lord.”

“Noon?”

“Yes. Has his lordship been sleeping all this time as well? How unusual,” Erika said, raising an eyebrow.

It was true. The sleepless “stardust man” had not only slept soundly but had also overslept.

“…Well, thanks to someone’s knocking, now we’re both awake.”

“I apologize, but after the chaos you two caused last night, you need to start addressing the aftermath,” she said, her tone anything but apologetic.

Her words stopped me cold. Glen’s anguished shouting from the previous night suddenly came rushing back to me.

“Where’s Sir Dogman?”

I asked, craning my neck to look down the hall.

“He’s confined to his quarters, nursing his shock. Please show some mercy, my lord,” Erika said with exaggerated sympathy.

“…Send him some medicine.”

“Yes, my lord. And I must regrettably inform you that lunch will also have to be skipped. There’s a mountain of birthday gifts and correspondence waiting for you to review. I’ll escort you to the office once you’re ready.”

Her mention of the office made me glance back at the faint silhouette visible through the canopy.

“…I’ll be out soon. Just wait a little longer,” I said.

“You’ll pardon my skepticism, I hope,” Erika replied, eyeing me doubtfully.

Ignoring her, I shut the door and sighed. There was no use denying that she had a point—my hesitation was embarrassingly obvious.

Still, I wasn’t about to waste more time. I shuffled back to the bed, where Norma lay half-buried under the blanket I’d hastily thrown over him. He looked disheveled, yet entirely unguarded.

It was strange to see him so vulnerable, but even stranger when he opened his eyes and smiled softly at me, still caught in the haze of sleep.

I couldn’t help but sit at the edge of the bed, marveling at the sight.

“Did you sleep well?” I asked.

“Yes…”

“Good. You must have a bit of a hangover from that drink last night. Rest a bit longer—I’ll let them know. I need to head to the office now,” I said, standing to leave.

But before I could, Norma reached out sluggishly, catching my hand and bringing it to his face. He pressed his cheek against my palm as if asking me not to go.

‘What a shameless man,’ I thought, stifling a laugh.

Even in this relaxed state, he looked more at ease than I’d ever seen him. For some inexplicable reason, it made me feel relieved—and proud.

A sudden realization hit me. As long as I kept my wits about me, everything would be fine.

With that thought, I reached out with my free hand, gently brushing his hair aside.

Lately, I’d been in an unusually good mood. Too good to be true, perhaps. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it.

“Rest well. I’ll see you later,” I said softly, pulling my hand away as I stood to leave.