Lying next to Celeste, who had fallen asleep first, didn’t sit well with Karl.
Was it discomfort or awkwardness? Unable to define his own feelings, he chose to sit at the table instead of lying down on the bed.
“……Well, it’s for the best.”
There was quite a bit of unfinished work waiting for him. As he estimated the stacked papers, he realized that even staying up all night wouldn’t be enough to get through them all.
Sighing briefly, Karl began to focus on his work, using Celeste’s sleep talk as background noise.
It didn’t particularly matter if he couldn’t sleep. He could catch a quick nap on the carriage back to the capital tomorrow.
Thinking about it, he couldn’t remember the last time he had slept deeply without a care.
Born into royalty, a comfortable and cozy life was, in fact, a luxury denied to him.
Having more than others and living a life of superiority meant he had to sacrifice certain things.
He willingly gave up his personal life in exchange for the status that allowed him to reign over others like an emperor.
The constant fatigue that accompanied him had long since become a normal part of his life.
Living a life with perpetual sleep deprivation, he had forgotten the refreshing feeling that came after sleeping in late.
After all, sleep would eventually come endlessly after death, so what did it matter if he got a bit less now? That was his mindset.
Worrying briefly that he might get distracted by Celeste stirring, he quickly focused all his thoughts on the papers in front of him.
Why were there so many incidents occurring? For every one he managed to resolve, three new ones seemed to arise.
As the reports grew more serious, Karl’s expression mirrored that gravity.
“Ugh.”
His focus was broken by a rough sound.
Rolling his eyes towards the noise, he saw Celeste waking up, mumbling and shifting under the covers as if she had been dreaming.
“Are you awake?”
Rustling, he set aside the finished papers and grabbed a new sheet.
He deliberately avoided turning to look at her, fearing she might feel embarrassed about her ruffled appearance.
“When did you come out?”
She must have meant how long he had been out of the shower.
“A little while ago.”
“I see.”
A tense silence lingered in the room. Karl continued to read the documents.
The quiet bedroom was only occasionally interrupted by the sound of paper rustling when Celeste broke the awkwardness.
“Um, aren’t you tired?”
“I’m fine. You can lie back down and sleep.”
“How can I fall asleep while you’re working?”
Did that sound like whining? Karl put down the paper and looked up.
With her lips pouted and head turned away, Celeste resembled a child sulking for not getting what she wanted. Karl suppressed an urge to laugh.
“I really am fine.”
The arrogant Celeste Aisha Louisette from before was gone.
Whether due to amnesia or something else, the woman before him was different from the infamous Celeste of the past, and Karl found himself quite taken with the current Celeste.
Her clumsy and quirky demeanor was sometimes endearing, and her honest emotional reactions felt very human.
Watching her face, so openly expressive, made him want to tease her.
“Are you waiting for me to lie down with you?”
“W-What do you mean, Your Highness? Lying down together?”
“Why not? We’re married now, so that’s only natural.”
He placed all the papers on the table.
Standing up and pushing the chair back with his newly freed hands, he noticed Celeste’s startled eyes following his movements.
Holding back a grin, Karl slowly moved his legs.
“Why didn’t you say sooner? I certainly don’t want to be an unkind husband leaving his wife alone while staying up all night.”
As he spoke, he nonchalantly unbuttoned a couple of his shirt buttons.
Celeste’s pupils began to shake as if an earthquake had struck. How could her thoughts be so transparently visible?
As he approached her, Celeste instinctively moved back.
But sitting on the bed limited her movements.
She quickly found her back against the headboard, and Karl seized the moment to lean toward her.
Thinking back, they hadn’t even had a proper first night after their wedding.
Even if they had, it should have happened much sooner. It was only natural for a married couple to share a bed, and…
Karl climbed onto the bed, thinking of various excuses. Celeste tightly gripped the blanket. She held on so fiercely that her fingertips turned white.
Was it really that surprising?
Since they were married, it was only natural to share a bed and, having done so, it would logically lead to having children.
Having grown up in a royal family where producing heirs was of utmost importance, Karl couldn’t quite understand why Celeste, who blushed and was overly shy in his presence, seemed so perplexed.
Of course, her flustered demeanor was cute, but that was beside the point.
What began as playful teasing due to her adorable reactions gradually developed into something deeper.
The night was deep, the bedroom calm, and his wife before him was incredibly beautiful.
It wasn’t merely her beauty that stirred his heart; the fact that she was his wife and the mother of his children seemed to awaken a sense of connection and protective instinct in Karl.
While Celeste pressed herself against the wall, unable to move, Karl stepped closer to her.
As she looked up at him, her eyes reflected not just fear, but also anticipation and a hint of excitement.
Was it an illusion? Karl smiled softly and cupped her cheek with one hand.
“Like pudding after a meal,” he thought, amusingly reminded of Celeste’s face as he caressed her.
The soft, bouncy, and smooth pudding resembled her lovely cheeks perfectly.
“Your Highness…”
“Call me Karl.”
He didn’t want to hear stiff formalities from her. He longed to hear his name in her sweet voice.
Given his position, Karl was seldom called by his name by others.
Although he was more accustomed to being addressed with grand titles such as His Highness the Duke or His Highness Albrecht, with family, he wished to feel a bit more at ease.
Of course, his aunt Lady Pulcheria addressed him by his name, but it would be entirely different for Celeste to do so.
“Please.”
“…Karl.”
With his prompting, Celeste reluctantly called his name. Her soft voice sounded delightful.
Karl mused if his name had always sounded so pleasant, while he gently stroked near her chin.
Just holding her face made him realize how small she truly was—not in terms of height.
He had always surrounded himself with big, dark men, so his pale and delicate wife felt more fragile and pitiable than any other creature.
As his hand brushed down over her chin, it grazed Celeste’s neck and shoulders. Her frame was so small that it stirred something primal within him.
He decided to postpone complicated thoughts about Valerie and how their married life would unfold until tomorrow.
For now, he wanted to focus solely on the beautiful woman before him. Karl slowly brought his lips down.
“Karl.”
“Shh. Just… for now….”
He let the rest of her words slip into her mouth. Karl gently pressed his lips against hers.
As he glided his hand down her stiffened body, a hot sigh escaped Celeste’s lips.
Whether she felt ticklish or shy, her startled breath quickly vanished from his mouth, taking with it the last shred of his reason.
Celeste’s body lay back against the bed.
Karl positioned himself over her, lifting his arms to avoid crushing her. If he pressed down and obstructed her breathing, it would be disastrous.
His lips, which had briefly pulled apart to reposition, soon reconnected.
Why were her lips so sweet? It felt as if she had swallowed candy before bed; Celeste’s mouth tasted delicious. Would other parts of her be this sweet?
Karl’s lips detached. Perhaps in a daze, Celeste’s once wary gaze now blurred with warmth.
Her flushed cheeks, dampened lips from his saliva, and dreamy eyes stripped him of his final restraint.
His unsteady hand found the strap of Celeste’s dress.
The motion was entirely instinctive, lacking any conscious thought.
A sudden memory arose of the joke that noble nightgowns could easily be removed by a partner’s touch.
Why did thoughts of drunken knights whispering lewd jokes at the end of a banquet surface now?
Karl pressed his lips against Celeste’s neck, a soft smile forming.
The words he had dismissed as drunken nonsense seemed to hold truth.
The nightgown unraveled easily, and in that moment, a sweet aroma wafted through the air.
It was a sublime, intoxicating scent, overwhelmingly sweet and enchanting.
