Chapter 164: The First Night (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 164: The First Night (1)
Annette coyly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"No, it’s not that I dislike it, it’s just..."
As her voice trailed off, the fluttering hem of her skirt tickled his heart every time she moved.
"I was joking."
Loik spoke with his chin tilted up, trying his best not to stare at her too intently.
"Please, have a seat for a moment. I’ll warm the room further."
Loik tossed a generous handful of processed magic crystals—used in place of firewood—into the fireplace. Soon, the room grew cozy as the hearth began to crackle.
Annette sat on the edge of the bed, looking a bit awkward.
"Is there anything you need?"
"I’m a little thirsty..."
"Ah, I’ll bring some tea right away."
"Instead of tea, is there any wine?"
"...I will bring wine."
Tense with nerves, Loik hurried to the dining room and returned with a bottle of Snow Wine.
While Annette sipped a glass of the chilled wine, Loik, sitting on a stool opposite her, polished off nearly the entire bottle by himself. It wasn't that he was trying to get drunk—he simply couldn't endure the sudden, parching thirst.
Whenever his gaze dropped even slightly from Annette’s face, he caught glimpses of her pale, soft skin. Feeling like a complete scoundrel, he lowered his head entirely, only to have her snowy-white ankles catch his eye.
There was simply nowhere safe to look.
He was also acutely conscious of his own bare upper body. Setting aside the scars that densely covered his back and waist, his blood was stirring uncontrollably below his belt, making his nerves feel like they were on the verge of snapping.
He had thought being alone together would be wonderful, but he had been mistaken.
I never imagined it would be this agonizing.
Tiern couldn't be far away. As soon as Annette fell asleep, he decided he would call back all the servants and the knight division.
Checking the fireplace one last time with that thought in mind, Loik stood up.
"You must be tired. Please, get some sleep early."
At those words, Annette, who had been sitting demurely, widened her eyes in surprise.
"I will sleep in the room next door."
Loik spoke with a hint of firmness to reassure her. The villa only had one master bedroom, but there were plenty of guest rooms. Suppressing the heat boiling within him, Loik forced a composed smile.
"If you need anything, call me at any time. I’ll be here in an instant."
Loik was just about to make his exit, trying his best to ignore his own embarrassing state of undress, when Annette suddenly reached out and tugged on his trousers.
Ugh.
Startled by the sudden contact, Loik hurriedly grabbed his waistband.
Annette puffed out her cheeks and arched her brows high.
"You're just going to leave like this?"
She let out a frustrated sigh and spoke with a firm set to her lips.
"Loik, look at what I'm wearing right now."
Flustered, Loik quickly scanned her attire once more. What was she wearing? She was wearing a thin scrap of fabric that looked like it might slide off if he so much as brushed against it.
"Th-the nightgown..."
"Your wife is wearing such a risqué—no, such a pretty nightgown. How can your reaction be so half-hearted?"
Loik stammered at her pouting, duck-like lips.
"H-half-hearted? That wasn't my intention at all."
Honestly, he was flabbergasted. Could she not see how hard he was trying to restrain himself from pouncing on her like a beast this very second?
"Loik, didn't you say you were going to woo me?" Annette asked, her eyes narrowing.
"I... I did."
"And yet you're going to leave your wife all alone in the bedroom?"
Usually, she was the one begging for a kiss, complaining that she was in pain.
Loik unconsciously curled his trembling fingertips into his palms. His heart hammered against his ribs. He truly couldn't understand what Annette was trying to get at.
Brushing his bangs back impatiently, Loik sat down on the edge of the bed, keeping a slight distance from her.
Stay calm. Annette doesn't mean anything by it.
He couldn't let himself get excited and try to devour her. Loik took a steadying breath and forced himself to speak calmly.
"Well, first of all... Annette, you are currently very... that is to say, you are dangerously beautiful."
Annette tilted her head slightly, as if waiting to hear more.
"And I am not... as much of a gentleman as you might think."
He struggled to find a way to soothe her without explicitly stating that he was in heat.
"This kind of provocation is hard to... what I mean is, I'm doing this for your sake..."
Loik was beginning to ramble, his hands gripping the bedsheets, when a slender finger lightly brushed the back of his hand.
"Do you really... think I'm beautiful?"
Annette looked up at him, her eyes slightly rimmed with red.
As if possessed, Loik reached out and tucked a golden wave of hair behind her ear.
"You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in this world."
At those words, Annette bit her lip as if trying to hide the corners of her mouth from curling upward.
"...To be honest, sometimes I'm afraid."
She tilted her small head curiously. After a moment's hesitation, Loik finally confessed his true feelings.
"I'm afraid that you staying by my side isn't reality."
As he carefully brushed back the hair covering her neck, he saw her white chest rising and falling softly. Just looking at her filled his heart with a deep sense of happiness.
I've been cursed my whole life; there's no way such a blessing could be given to me.
Sometimes he was terrified that at any moment, she would turn cold and tell him that all of this had been his hallucination. Loik forced himself to swallow those final words.
"I'll take back what I said about your reaction being half-hearted."
A flushed Annette gave a small smile. She seemed to think it was just a pleasant compliment.
You don't even know how I truly feel.
Just as a wave of bittersweetness washed over him, she spoke again.
"But why were you wearing a ribbon?"
Loik fell silent as he watched Annette pick up the ribbon that had been lying discarded.
"That is, well..."
If he stayed quiet now, he would only look like more of a weirdo. In the end, Loik gave a long-winded explanation about the ribbon.
"...I heard it was a trend, so I just tried it on once."
Why did I ever put that thing on?
Just as his face was turning crimson with shame, Annette’s cheeks flushed pink and her eyes sparkled.
"But I didn't get to see it."
"You said it was my present. I haven't unwrapped my gift yet."
Steam practically rose from Loik's head at her mischievous words. This woman, really...
It was clear Annette was teasing him on purpose. It seemed his lovely wife took great pleasure whenever he was flustered. She looked at him with a playful gaze full of expectation.
To anyone else, this would be a blow to the dignity of the Grand Duke of Blenheim. But honestly, if it meant seeing Annette happy even for a moment, he could endure any amount of embarrassment.
"So, when are you giving me my present?"
Seeing Annette leaning toward him as if coaxing him, Loik eventually turned his back and tied the ribbon around his neck.
The glimpse of himself in the mirror was absurd. A man with a frame the size of a house, wearing such an unfitting decoration around his neck. Loik bit the inside of his cheek and turned back to Annette.
Oh my god!
I, who had been ready to tease him, stood there with my mouth hanging open.
Loik, with the ribbon tied around his neck, looked incredibly seductive.
"Loik, it suits you so well."
Watching him look so embarrassed, I let out a gasp of admiration.
"I should start ordering ribbons separately from Madame Ramondria."
"Do not tease me."
Seeing Loik pout, I burst into laughter.
"I'm serious! How does our Grand Duke look so good in everything?"
As I spoke softly, his resentful expression softened slightly.
"As long as you like it, Annette, that is enough."
I really do love Loik.
I had realized that I liked him a long time ago. I had just been afraid to fully commit to settling down in Blenheim with only my trust in him to lean on. Human hearts are fickle things, after all.
But now, I had to honestly admit it. I loved this man who, despite his embarrassment, tied a ribbon around his neck without a hint of displeasure just because I asked. I loved him much more than I had thought.
The red satin draped over Loik’s chest swayed slightly, as if tempting me.
I want to touch him more.
I slowly placed my hand on Loik’s chest. His large body went stiff in an instant. His breath hitched, growing hot with tension.
Tracing my hand over his firm muscles, I caught the end of the ribbon.
"Then, can I unwrap my present now?"
At those words, Loik swallowed hard and grabbed my wrist. His voice had dropped to a low, husky growl.
"If you go any further, I won't be able to hold back."
His eyes, smoldering with passion, stared intently into mine.
Don't hold back.
Keeping my eyes locked with his, I pulled the end of the red ribbon. Before the knot could even fully unravel with a soft rustle, Loik’s hot lips descended, devouring mine.