Anje slowly moved her fingers down from where they had been stroking the tip of Aiden’s chin, tracing over his firm torso. Except for a loosely draped robe, he was completely bare.
“That’s right. And your body is just as stunning…”
A faint crease formed between his brows, though it wasn’t out of displeasure. It was more a matter of patience for Anje, who seemed to still be carrying the fatigue of the previous night.
However, as her hand brushed over an old scar visible through the opening of the robe, Aiden’s crimson eyes darkened even further.
“Anje.”
“Should I stop?”
“…Fool.”
Anje, who was more accustomed to calling him a fool than being called one herself, burst into laughter—only to gasp and struggle under Aiden’s sudden weight pressing down on her. It was an unexpected ambush.
“Ugh, Aiden! Y-You’re too heavy!”
“My apologies.”
Aiden quickly lifted himself and adjusted his position, trapping her between his arms and legs instead. He had intended to create a more intimate atmosphere, but in his haste, he had nearly smothered her.
“Is this better now?”
“It’s better now, but…”
Anje’s gaze fell on his body, which was now almost completely exposed as the robe had slipped off in their playful struggle. Her cheeks flushed red.
Noticing this, Aiden chuckled and kissed her nose affectionately.
“You’ve seen me so many times before, and yet…”
Despite the sunlight pouring in through the window, he remained completely at ease. His attitude starkly contrasted with his past, when he had been anxious about revealing his scar-riddled body.
“It’s just… this isn’t home, so it feels unfamiliar.”
“Oh dear, we’ll have to work on getting you comfortable then.”
At his mischievous remark, Anje giggled and began to trace the scars on his body one by one.
“I’m very adaptable, you know.”
Speaking in a tone she had picked up from the farm school students, she continued to run her fingers over his skin. Aiden clenched his jaw.
He had taken a cold bath to reflect on how he had tormented her last night, but if things continued like this, all his efforts would be for nothing.
Unaware of his internal struggle, Anje focused entirely on the scars etched across his body, much like knots in wood.
She could still vividly remember the first time she saw these marks. Just seeing them had made her imagine the pain he must have endured, and she had been unable to stop herself from crying.
‘Anje, if you cry like that… I had all these convincing lies prepared, and now you’ve made me forget them all.’
Even Aiden, who had tried to lighten the mood with a joke, was powerless against the sight of Anje’s crystal-clear tears streaming down her face.
‘H-How… How did this happen? Who did this to you, and why…?’
‘Shh, calm down. I’ll tell you everything, so wipe those tears first, okay?’
Faced with such pure tears filled with nothing but love for him, Aiden had no choice but to be honest about his scars.
No interrogation, no form of torture could have made him speak as quickly as she did.
Struggling to find the right words in response to his harrowing past, Anje had simply hugged him tightly and offered clumsy words of comfort.
‘It must have been so hard for you, Aiden.’
‘It’s all in the past. And… you cried for me.’
As Aiden reassured her with, ‘I’m okay now,’ Anje sniffled, unable to completely stop her tears.
That night, they talked about his past, kissed, held each other, and cried. By morning, they finally had the energy to laugh at each other’s swollen eyes.
Snapping back to the present, Anje pressed a soft kiss to the largest whip mark on his body and whispered,
“I love you.”
Back then, she had wished she could erase his scars—whether through medicine or divine intervention, so that it would be as if nothing had ever happened.
But now, even if others saw them as unsightly, these scars felt like symbols of the life he had endured. And she loved them.
It was only natural, after all.
Because Aiden—scars and all—was the man she loved.
Like a sunflower adoring the sun, like a tender green sprout cherishing the rain.
“I love you too.”
He whispered back before capturing her lips in a desperate kiss.
Just holding back this long had been a challenge. But after her confession, he could no longer resist.
Barely managing to break the kiss, Anje hurriedly pulled up the blanket.
“W-Wait. It’s still morning…”
“Does it matter in our honeymoon phase?”
She shot him a glare as he transformed into a shameless predator.
“How long are you going to keep using that as an excuse?”
“It’s not an excuse. We really are on our honeymoon.”
Even as she scolded him for his relentless passion, she didn’t completely push away the hands sneaking under the blanket.
Because it was true—they were still in the midst of their sweet honeymoon.
‘I suppose I should let him get away with it this time.’
But would this fiery passion of his really subside once their honeymoon ended?
The thought briefly crossed Anje’s mind, but Aiden gave her no time to dwell on it.
“Focus, Anje.”
“Ah, wait—”
The meticulously planned honeymoon itinerary she had carefully outlined in the latest travel guide was unlikely to be followed today.
* * *
“Aiden, I’m hungry.”
Anje, who had dozed off and barely woke up after the sun had risen high in the sky, wrapped a gown around herself and pleaded with a voice that sounded as if she were on the verge of death.
It was only natural—she had exhausted all her energy in bed without having breakfast.
‘Just one more time.’
Knowing full well that once would turn into twice, and twice into three times, she had still allowed it. That was foolish of her.
Aiden, having caught her faint voice, entered the bedroom.
“I figured as much, so I’ve prepared a meal.”
“Really? That’s great!”
Anje naturally wrapped her arms around Aiden’s neck as he lifted her up.
With legs trembling like those of a newborn fawn, it would be difficult to walk all the way to the kitchen, so riding the “Aiden carriage” was the obvious choice.
TL/N: POOR ANJE.
“You smell like butter.”
She giggled and buried her nose into the space between his hair and neck. Aiden proudly boasted about his efforts.
“Well, I had the oven running for hours. You can look forward to it, Lady Anje.”
The cottage they had rented entirely for themselves was well-equipped with cooking appliances, including a large oven.
Taking full advantage of both the kitchen facilities and the fresh ingredients he had bought on the way there, Aiden had been busy showcasing his culinary skills while Anje slept.
Back in Leslie, they mostly ate freshwater fish or salted seafood, but since they were by the sea, he wanted to treat her to an abundance of freshly caught seafood.
Anje lifted her finger and pressed down on his nose, flattening its prominent bridge without mercy.
“How diligent of you. You’ve been overly enthusiastic since yesterday.”
She had struggled to stop him when he insisted on buying a hundred shrimp at the market just to make potage or whatever it was. They already had more ingredients than two people could possibly eat, and adding a mountain of shrimp on top of that was too much.
As if reading her thoughts, Aiden responded,
“I’ll definitely make potage later, but for now, let’s enjoy today’s dishes first.”
“What did you make—? Whoa!”
Her eyes widened in amazement as she took in the luxurious spread on the dining table.
The most eye-catching dish was a seafood platter, featuring lobster and king prawns boiled with butter, parsley, and scallion roots.
Though a simple dish, the sight of plump, juicy lobster and shrimp alone was enough to make her mouth water.
Beside it was a large halibut, seasoned with salt and roasted before being topped with mustard sauce. Additionally, there was a clear soup made with clams, garlic, and pepper.
Aiden seated Anje first, unfolding a napkin over her lap.
“I also prepared some wedge potatoes in case you get tired of seafood… Is there anything else you’d like? Perhaps a simple turnip salad?”
“Oh, no need. The table already looks like it might collapse under all this food!”
She gestured for Aiden to sit across from her.
“Everything looks so delicious. But really, no matter what we eat, it would taste amazing with that view.”
“You’re right.”
His crimson eyes, which had been fixated on her, shifted toward the window.
“It’s even more beautiful than what the owner described.”
“Isn’t it?”
The reason they had chosen this cottage over so many other accommodations was its location—perched on a hill right in front of the sea.
The dining area, in particular, had a large window that perfectly framed the coastline, a view as breathtaking as the trees and flowers back in Leslie.
Waves repeatedly advanced and retreated, creating white foam as they crashed onto the golden shore, glistening under the sunlight.
The sea, starting from a clear emerald green and gradually deepening in shade, blended harmoniously with the blue sky, making it a sight so refreshing that just looking at it felt like a breath of fresh air.
Anje glanced at the vase on the table and smiled.
“You even found flowers in the meantime? You’re quite thorough with your preparations.”
The bell-shaped flowers, bashfully drooping their heads, were bluebells Aiden had picked from the garden in front of the cottage.
As their name suggested, their deep blue hue complemented the scenery outside and added a lovely touch to the table.
“Oh, it’s nothing. It would have been nice if I had bought some flowers at the market yesterday as well, but I only thought of it later, so there weren’t many options left.”
“Come on, I like wildflowers like these the most. You really do know my taste.”
Wildflowers had played a role in bringing them closer, making them a fitting presence at this table as well.
TL/N: I REALLY WANT WHAT THEY HAVE!!!
* * * *
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