He buried his lips in the back of my neck and inhaled as if inhaling my body scent.
“Every day, every single day, I dreamed of you, Bella.”
“Dream?”
“Sometimes I cut your leg and took your hand, one day we walked together on the beach, and one day I couldn’t hold you even though you were just crying.”
“…”
“I thought letting you go was my job. I shouldn’t hold you. I don’t deserve it.”
“…”
His low voice rang behind my back.
“I thought that was the way to make you happy. But I just can’t do that.”
Valery kept telling me he was sorry. So I patted his hand lightly.
“It’s okay. It’s fine now.”
Since we’re together. In the end, we waited for each other and found each other.
I groaned and turned myself into his arms. I wanted to move comfortably, but his arms still held me like shackles. Barely facing each other, I raised my hands and wrapped my hands around his cheeks.
“Thank you for coming to me first and being brave first.”
Then I kissed him lightly on the lips. I parted my lips lightly and smiled at him. His eyes shook violently, and his large hand wrapped around my cheek in an instant. He then kissed me like a surprise.
There was always a sense of guilt when I kissed him. I should feel like that now, but I couldn’t think of anything. It was as if all my thoughts had evaporated.
I was the one who would just wrap my arms around his neck against who was coming against me. He pushed me firmly against my waist and slowly laid me down on the carpet. Drunk with the sweetness he gave me, I didn’t even know where I was. That’s how much I missed him to the extent that I myself was surprised.
I opened my eyes only after I felt the hard floor and carpet on my back. Valery’s hot, soft lips moved slowly down my neckline. Coming to my senses, I managed to push him away.
“…Hold on.”
“…”
He put his lips on my lips, cheeks, chin, and the nape of my neck as if he were drunk with something.”
“Wait, wait, Valery.”
“Ha...”
The hot breath made her goosebumps. Only after he buried his nose and lips on the nape of her neck and collarbone and inhaled her body scent that was he push back a little.
“Bella”
“Ummm, no more.”
“…Bella.”
“No. Stop.”
A half-drunk face looked down at me in a daze. I wanted to be drunk on him, just as he was drunk on me. Even now, with his kiss, it felt like all the time had flown away.
But that’s it for now. It was one thing to accept him and to use my power on him. I couldn’t use my curse-like power on him just because I wanted him and liked him.
And it seemed to be irrelevant, but there was a very important part. Yes, right now… it was still a bright day. I just didn’t draw the curtains, so it wouldn’t show much. If I kissed a man who appeared out of nowhere and then Amaterin came in like this, I would face a really terrible situation.
I lay down on the floor and breathed heavily. All my hair, which had already been combed finely in the morning, was tangled like a mess on the floor.
“Do you know what time it is now?”
At that, Valery’s eyes lit up with a little frustration.
“…I know.”
“Do you remember that we just met again today? It was only a few hours ago.”
“Yes, Bella.”
He kissed me on the cheek again. Another small kiss climbed up the jawline. As soon as his lips touched my earlobes, it was itchy, and I shrank unconsciously.
“Um, now that we have plenty of time, take it slow, okay? Because I will be by your side.”
Flinching at those words, he stopped. Then, with the hand that had been rubbing my waist for a long time, he put it on my back and slowly raised me. Even in the midst of that, his lips didn’t part away from my neck, just like a vampire. I touched his lips as if to compliment him.
“Good job.”
With those words, he hugged me tightly again. I couldn’t breathe, it wasn’t like this before.
I decided to lay him on my leg. I didn’t think he would stop no matter what I said, so I decided to change my method altogether. Fortunately, he obediently followed my lead. After running my fingers through his hair a few times, he closed his eyes with the corners of his mouth raised.
“Your Majesty the Emperor.”
He opened his eyes again. I looked down at him and said, “I heard the news too. Actually, when I heard that you had inherited the throne, I really thought it was over. Now I really need to get you out of my mind completely.”
“I thought you might come back once I got rid of everything that was bothering you. Bella, even though I would hurt you. Still I thought you might feel sorry for me when everything was sorted out. I know it’s a selfish idea.”
“I left you not to do that, but it looks like I gave you a burden.”
“After all, I couldn’t get everything sorted out. I’m sorry.”
I knew what he meant by sorry.
“I don’t blame the two of them. I decided to think that everyone had their own circumstances. So you don’t have to be sorry anymore. And the empress sent me away. She also apologized. So you really don’t have to be sorry.”
I swept his hair again with sincerity. The soft golden hair slipped smoothly through my fingers.
“Now, I will only be by your side, Bella.”
* * *
The next morning, Amaterin, Kuren, and Ian showed up. Even after dinner was prepared and we talked in front of the fireplace until the night, they didn’t show a single strand of hair. Amaterin, who had just appeared, approached with sparkling eyes.
“I heard it roughly from Ian yesterday.”
“Yes.”
“Is that the person you love? Not Ian.”
I nodded quietly instead of answering. Then Amaterin poked me in the ribs.
“He’s not handsome!”
“Why isn’t he handsome?”
“He’s not handsome! He’s a beauty that came from heaven!” Amaterin made a fuss with a small voice. She must have wanted to do that just yesterday, but I thought she must have a hard time holding it in.
“Umm… right.”
The problem was that I couldn’t deny it either.
“Is he going to stay here? Like Ian? Then what about Ian?”
“What do you mean by what about Ian?”
Then Amaterin murmured with a grave face. “…I think the two of you would be fine.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Ian and I aren’t like that. He won’t stay here forever. He shouldn’t be here.”
“Why? Is it because the house is small?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
Of course, since he was the emperor of an empire, he had to go back. I said I would accept his heart, so I had to go back after a long time, but I was at a loss as to how to organize it. At least I didn’t want to take the surname Rudbihi with me.
It looked like Valery would be staying for at least two more days, so I decided to think about it some more in the meantime. But I wondered if he could stay that long. He wouldn’t be the kind of person who could easily leave his seat for something like this. He probably came after saying he was going away for a while. That’s why I decided to hold it off for a while, probably because Amaterin would freak out if I told her about his identity.
I watched Valery talking to Ian quite seriously. But were the two of them that close? What kind of story were they talking about so eagerly?
Then again, Amaterin poked me in the ribs.
“But you’re in big trouble now.”
“Why?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. You know this is a very small town, right?”
“I know. Oh, I have to go and tell the store owner that the clothes are really warm.”
“Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“What, tell me straight. What’s happening!”
“Well—”
Amaterin even hummed strangely and went inside, saying she would prepare breakfast first. Her words puzzled me, but she was so playful that she sometimes said something like that.
It was the next day. I knew what Amaterin meant as soon as I went down to town.
