Vivi, who had been enthusiastically scrubbing my arms until they squeaked, froze in place and stared at me blankly.
“Pardon? Are you still nervous?”
“Maybe I should just run away….”
“Oh, ma’am!”
Vivi, who had been patting my back lightly as I muttered absentmindedly, burst into laughter.
“Oh, come on, ma’am. You’re not a newlywed bride about to spend her first night. Why are you so shy? Anyone would think you just got married! Oh, how adorable.”
“…A newlywed bride….”
My gaze, which had been wandering aimlessly, landed on Vivi.
Did she really think I looked shy?
“Vivi, you should’ve seen Ian’s eyes in the office earlier.”
“His Grace’s eyes? What about them?”
“…Never mind, just… something about them.”
That man was half out of his mind.
To exaggerate a bit, for a moment, I felt like a prey animal thrown into a predator’s den.
When faced with a life-altering crisis, humans instinctively see a flashing red light in their mind….
‘That was exactly it earlier.’
I might not have lived long, but I wasn’t so naive that I couldn’t understand what this situation meant.
If things continued like this, I had a strong premonition that something big was bound to happen.
As I submerged half my face in the water, blowing bubbles, Vivi suddenly burst into laughter.
“Well, it is about time the two of you started discussing an heir. I’d be thrilled with a little duke who looks like you or a little duchess who looks like His Grace….”
“Vivi!”
I jerked my head out of the water and shouted at Vivi.
Splash! The water in the bathtub rippled noisily.
“What are you even saying?!”
“Hehe.”
You’re supposed to be on my side, and this is all you can come up with?
I wasn’t sure if my face was hot because I’d been in the warm water too long or for a different reason altogether.
“Anyway, don’t be so nervous. It’ll all work out somehow.”
“But the how is the problem….”
Unfortunately, Vivi seemed entirely uninterested in understanding my complicated feelings.
She had been discreetly adding bath salts and smearing lavender-scented cream on my arms and legs for a while now, so it was clear whose side she was really on.
By the time my bath was over, my body was radiating a fragrance far stronger than usual.
‘Why is the world like this to me?’
Dragging my feet, I shuffled toward my room, but Vivi stopped me and gently turned me around.
“Not this way, ma’am. That’s the wrong room. You’re not using this bedroom anymore.”
“…Oh.”
Vivi pointed toward Ian’s bedroom.
‘…So, the time for denial has officially ended.’
Fully realizing the situation I was in, I suddenly felt oddly calm.
Fine, let’s think positively.
We’re married, after all. Sharing a bedroom as a couple isn’t that strange. It’s perfectly normal.
The more I stressed about it, the more absurd the situation seemed to feel.
“…See you tomorrow, Vivi.”
“Good luck, ma’am!”
Don’t cheer for me.
Tightening the shawl over my thin negligee, I resolutely stood before the door.
Knock, knock.
“Ian, I’m coming… in.”
There was silence on the other side.
“Ian?”
Why wasn’t he answering?
‘Oh no, did he already fall asleep?’
Had I taken too long in the bath and made him wait?
Actually, that would be perfect.
Slipping inside quietly, I glanced around the room.
It was structured similarly to my own bedroom but slightly larger and more open since it had been designed as the master bedroom from the start.
On the table sat the oil lamp Vivi must have brought from my room.
‘…This feels so strange.’
As Vivi said, it wasn’t the first time we were sharing a room, but staying together on a trip was one thing. Sharing a space indefinitely was entirely different.
“Why am I so nervous about something like this…?”
I mumbled, my tone a mix of resignation and frustration.
“Eloise.”
“Goodness!”
A voice came from right beside me, making me flinch and shiver instinctively.
“…Ian?”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t see Ian’s face. Before I could turn around, he had gently wrapped his arms around me from behind.
His damp hair brushed against my cheek.
“Oh, you weren’t asleep? I thought you might’ve been.”
“At this hour? Of course not.”
“…Oh.”
Right, this man was known as the most sleepless person in the empire.
I was expecting too much.
A hollow sigh escaped my lips.
I could feel Ian chuckling softly behind me.
“Is something funny…?”
“No, not at all. Just…”
His voice, though denying it, was tinged with amusement.
But why was he hugging me so casually from earlier?
As heat seemed to rise again in my face, which had finally cooled, I shuddered and wriggled out of his arms.
“Ahem. Anyway. I’m feeling a bit sleepy, so I’m going to bed. I’ll take the left side, if that’s okay.”
Without glancing back, I walked straight to the bed and lay down, pulling the blanket up to my nose.
Peeking out slightly, I glanced over at Ian.
He stood a short distance away from the bed, leaning on one leg, staring at me with a peculiar expression.
Why are you looking at me like that?
“What, what? If you’re not going to sleep, you can step out…”
“No. I’ll sleep.”
Cutting me off, Ian walked to the bed and lay down on the opposite side. Neatly, with the blanket pulled over him.
‘…Huh?’
This time, I was the one caught off guard.
Wait, is he actually just going to sleep?
‘What happened to that unhinged look he gave me in the office earlier? Why is he so… calm now?’
Midway through my thoughts, I clamped my mouth shut in horror.
‘What’s wrong with me? Do I sound disappointed right now?’
Had my mind finally snapped after a day of relentless tension?
“Ridiculous…”
“Eloise?”
Ian turned his head toward me at my muttered words.
I flinched as our eyes met in the darkness.
“Is something the matter?”
“N-No? Not at all…”
I couldn’t possibly say, Why are you just going to sleep?, so I mumbled while averting his gaze.
“It’s just… I thought you wouldn’t go to sleep right away….”
The moment the words left my lips, I regretted them instantly.
Stupid. Why don’t you just advertise to the world that your brain is rotting?
“Oh.”
Ian let out a small sigh.
“I told you, didn’t I? I have no intention of forcing you into anything you dislike.”
“……”
He reached out, smoothing my messy hair as he spoke.
“I want to win your heart, not earn your hatred.”
So, what, he’s saying he’ll stop at nothing if I don’t resist?
“Well… It’s not that I dislike it….”
What am I even saying?
Was I finally losing it? Really?
Before I could stop my runaway mouth, my face burned in embarrassment.
“Oh, so you don’t dislike it.”
“Wait, no, I take that back—!”
But Ian was faster than my excuses.
As he narrowed his eyes slightly, a soft laugh escaped him.
“You’ve given your permission, then.”
“…What?”
Before I could fully grasp his meaning, he pulled me into his arms, rolling me effortlessly.
Trapped in his hold, I stared up at him in bewilderment.
His silver hair glimmered in the moonlight, resembling fine threads of silk.
Gazing down at me, his lips curled into a smile before he cupped my cheek and pressed a lingering kiss to my lips.
“Hm.”
My breath caught as our breaths mingled, erratic and tangled.
He teased the inside of my mouth for what felt like an eternity before biting down gently on my parted lips and pulling away slowly.
“It seemed like you wanted a less innocent night.”
“Hah. No, that was a mistake—!”
Before I could explain, he planted a light kiss on my eyelid, silencing me.
At the same time, his body pressed closer, his hand roaming my waist with deliberate slowness.
“W-Wait. Ian.”
Flustered, I stammered and tried to push him away, but he showed no signs of letting go despite my feeble resistance.
His lips left a trail of kisses, starting from my face, moving to my jawline, neck, and collarbone, before traveling lower.
Every place his lips touched burned like fire.
“…Ah.”
As Ian drew back slightly, a rush of cool air slipped between us.
I shivered, my body trembling.
He paused, lifting his gaze to meet mine.
At last, my weak attempts to push him away faltered.
“…Ian. It’s cold. Hold me.”
With a soft murmur, I wrapped my arms around his neck.
• • •
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