137.

The kiss was so urgent it felt almost desperate.

But Norma didn’t seem to have forgotten that I needed “absolute rest.” His hands, carefully cradling the back of my head and my waist, were trembling just as they had during our first kiss. Realizing this, I couldn’t help but laugh softly even as we kissed.

Yes, this was exactly what I had imagined.

Feeling Norma’s lips on mine made me keenly aware that I was alive. From some point onward, whenever I survived a moment of peril, this starlit man was always there.

In an instant, my world flipped as Norma shifted. This time, he pinned me beneath him, trapping me between his arms.

Perhaps because it had been so long since we’d touched, my body seemed to heat up quickly. Judging by his rough breaths above me, he felt the same way. Yet, despite his apparent excitement, he didn’t take the next step.

Ah—this must be because of the “absolute rest” condition.

However, thanks to the divine power Norma had poured into me while I was asleep, I was perfectly fine. My body just felt a bit sluggish.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, subtly urging him on. Norma furrowed his brows slightly, as if he was struggling to resist, and murmured in a pained tone.

“We can’t, Aisa.”

If that’s how you’re going to play, I’ve got a trump card.

“…I love you.”

Norma visibly flinched. I hadn’t noticed earlier, but the words “I love you” had a remarkable effect. Just seeing his face turn crimson again made this little attack worth it.

“Not today. Your body has no strength left. You’ll get hurt.”

“…Fine. I understand.”

His expression, strained to the point of near tears, convinced me to stop teasing him. Instead, I loosened my arms from around his neck and spread them wide.

A slow smile crept onto his lips—the smile I loved. Oh, how I’d missed it.

The next moment, Norma embraced me completely with his entire body. Despite his large frame, he curled into me like a child. It should have been ridiculous, but the feel of his soft hair brushing my cheek, the warmth of his breath on my neck, and the solid weight of him in my arms brought immense satisfaction. The tremor of his chest against mine reminded me I was alive.

“Thank you for holding on to me.”

“Don’t ever do that again.”

It was Norma who stopped me from breaking. He was the one who held together my scattered mind, drifting endlessly along the edge.

As I thought about how to express just how special he was to me, Norma spoke in a lazy tone.

“Aisa.”

His voice was more relaxed now than before.

“You’re aware, aren’t you? This and our promise are separate matters.”

“…Promise?”

I didn’t catch his meaning immediately, so Norma lifted his head to meet my gaze.

“You broke our promise and put yourself in danger. You must be properly punished.”

“…Oh.”

Honestly, I hadn’t expected him to bring that up in this atmosphere. As sweet as he was, Norma was never one to let things slide.

“For some time, you’ll only be allowed to see me in this bedroom. Considering you’re supposed to get absolute rest, it works out perfectly.”

He said this with a fresh, bright smile. The golden glow in his eyes took on a mischievous gleam, as if he’d regained his confidence in an instant.

“Give me permission.”

What kind of twisted logic was this, asking permission to punish me? If I found myself looking forward to it, did that make me twisted too?

And so, Norma’s “punishment” began.

* * *

The air was quite cool. It had been almost a month since my “bedroom sentence” had been declared.

I handled two or three important tasks a day, but overall, it was an unusually long vacation since becoming the head of the house. While my body enjoyed the rest, being confined to bed didn’t suit my temperament.

Eventually, I sat up and moved to the small desk in the bedroom. While reading through some documents and letters, I found myself frowning before I realized it.

It was news related to the Crown Prince’s funeral. Thinking of Billinent’s dramatic end, far more so than I remembered, left me feeling conflicted.

We had completely failed to track down Merke. From a letter Nicholas sent, it seemed he too had lost her trail.

If Merke had decided to disappear for good, no one would be able to find her. Not even Adrienne, who was burning with determination to kill her.

Adrienne might end up dedicating the rest of her life entirely to revenge. It was a harsh fate, but paradoxically, it might be the very thing that gave her the strength to keep living.

Could the Emperor protect Merke’s daughter, his granddaughter?

Probably not. He wouldn’t act directly. Perhaps instead of ordering Hailot on a state visit, he should have commanded him to protect his granddaughter. The temples were inviolate, so it would have been better to use Hailot for that purpose rather than risk wasting his talents.

According to Nicholas, there was only circumstantial evidence of Hailot’s negligence, but it was certain. Fueled by a desire to spite that lunatic, I immediately began drafting a letter to the Emperor.

Thinking of how Billinent’s death had turned out so differently from the original, I started recalling other deviations from ‘Ophelia and the Night.’

For instance, Ophelia, who failed to become a hero.

Having used her divine power to save me, Ophelia had lost it once more. Because of that, there was no way to prove she was the one responsible for that miracle. She remained a shadow.

Wasn’t this world supposed to revolve around ensuring Ophelia’s happy ending? While happiness might mean different things to different people, a protagonist’s happiness should be a grander affair.

Even if not a hero, she should have received blessings and love from everyone.

“Something feels… lacking…”

I was pondering this vague sense of dissatisfaction when the door to my bedroom suddenly opened without a knock. Startled, I jumped to my feet as though caught committing a crime.

“You were sitting up again.”

“Norma.”

It was Norma, the bedroom’s other occupant.

He had returned already. Fearing he might attempt another “princess carry,” I quickly scrambled back onto the bed.

From behind, I heard his soft laugh. With long strides, he followed me at a leisurely pace, flaunting his tall frame.

Once snugly under the covers, I looked up at him with a face as nonchalant as if I’d been lying down the whole time.

“…So, you were lying down.”

Sitting by the head of the bed, he graciously pretended not to notice.

Recently, Norma had taken over all sorts of administrative tasks in my stead. But rather than working in the office, he handled everything from the bedroom. Unless he had to meet someone, he stayed in the bedroom with me.

For a while, Norma simply combed my hair with his fingers. Then, he spoke.

“Aisa.”

I had been waiting for the news he was about to deliver.

“They’ve completed the purification ritual.”

Finally.

A high priest from the central temple of the capital had come to report on Nyx’s case.

“It’s all over now.”

Instead of replying, I nodded slowly. The thing that had tormented me for over a decade was finally gone. Yet, I didn’t feel the great sense of liberation I had expected. If anything, it felt hollow.

“I thought I’d feel triumphant, but I don’t. Maybe it just hasn’t sunk in yet.”

It was hard to believe that the threat that had so ravenously pursued me was truly gone.

“It’s fine. You’ll get used to it slowly.”

“Yes.”

There was something calming about Norma’s words. When he spoke, it seemed like it really would be fine, and my anxiety eased.

He was right. It was time to grow accustomed to this peace. I had plenty of time now, so there was no reason to rush.

As if to help me settle into that mindset, he continued to stroke my hair gently, letting me relax.

* * *

It felt like I was indulging in every ounce of leisure I could afford in this lifetime. I lounged until noon, eating the meals Norma brought me, letting him feed me bite by bite.

Come to think of it, he seemed to genuinely enjoy doing things for me. Of course, even receiving small things made him so happy he could faint. Did that mean he loved both giving and receiving?

“…He just loves me.”

By now, I had come to take Norma’s love for granted. When had I grown so brazen? Honestly, I wasn’t sure. But I knew Norma Diazi had made me this way.

I squinted at the man who had instilled me with such overwhelming confidence. He held out a piece of chopped fruit, cheerfully making an “Ah” sound as if feeding a child.

“…”

Instead of opening my mouth, I stared at his parted lips, as if I didn’t know what to do. When I didn’t respond, his golden eyes flashed with a hint of concern.

Before he could start worrying, I opened my mouth just a beat too late and took the small piece of fruit. His puzzlement quickly turned to joy, and he smiled brightly like a child.

For his happiness, I obediently chewed the fruit. But inwardly…

‘I want to pin him down right now.’

I was having darker thoughts than anyone could imagine.

‘And this man, as always…’

Though my gaze might appear indifferent, I was looking at him with smoldering intensity.

‘Doesn’t intend to take it all the way, does he?’

Being confined to the bedroom with only Norma for company turned out to be far better than I had imagined—no, it was blissful. I was thoroughly enjoying this life.

However, there was one glaring issue with this otherwise perfect setup.

‘Why doesn’t he just do it?’

He fed me, bathed me, dressed me, undressed me. He kissed me, caressed me, and did everything else—but not ‘that’.

‘Did I misinterpret “only look at me in the bedroom”? Why, oh why, doesn’t he…!’

For a moment, I almost voiced my frustration aloud but caught myself just in time.

“Aisa?”

Holding another piece of fruit, he blinked at me with wide eyes.

We had certainly progressed beyond mere hand-holding by now, but the way he passionately showered me with affection while avoiding the final step was maddening.

The reason for Norma’s behavior was, in fact, simple:

“Even at her healthiest, the Lord of the house is delicate. If you proceed while she’s still recovering, I’ll personally intervene, husband or not. No contraceptive teas for now, either!”

Jan’s unusually stern advice had left a disproportionate impression on him. Specifically, the line, “Even divine power can’t fix everything if you overdo it,” had stuck in his mind—though I only learned this much later.

 

In any case, I’m fine now, really. He seems to think I’ll die if he so much as touches me.

This unresolved tension was driving me insane. I stared at Norma’s face with the intensity of someone trying to bore a hole through it.

Am I the only one who feels this way? I was certain he wasn’t so innocent himself. Are we really going to leave it at this, even today?

“…”

The next moment, a chaste kiss landed on my lips. Sadly, my fiery gaze seemed to have no effect. While he offered a sweet display of affection, I couldn’t hide my disappointed expression.

Blushing slightly, he hesitated before asking shyly, “Didn’t you want a kiss?”

“Well… it’s sort of similar…”

So it was just me, after all. Embarrassed and disheartened, I glanced downward—only to freeze in disbelief.

“After all that… after ‘this’… why?”

When I muttered while glaring at a certain part of his lower half, the man who had been pretending to be all innocent finally froze.