Chapter 41
Tarin held out a large paper box. It was sturdy and refined, giving off the impression that whatever was inside must be of high quality.
A gleaming navy-blue box. She had never seen it before, but slowly lifted the lid.
Inside were candies and cookies in all sorts of colors. Even at a glance, they radiated an air of luxury.
“Who could have…”
Her heart suddenly pounded, startling her. Who would give her such a sweet gift?
Agnes was bewildered by something she had never expected.
“The Chief Attendant! Can you believe it? Even though he’s older, he’s such a kind and wonderful man. When he heard that the young lady—no, that Your Highness—went to the library, he must have prepared this for you!”
The chief attendant of the Crown Prince’s palace was known for his kindness, which, compared to Teowin, had earned him high praise among many of the servants.
But Agnes only sank deeper into confusion. The chief attendant wouldn’t have given this to her on his own. Which meant… this must have come from Teowin.
“That man gave me a gift like this…?”
The Empire didn’t have particularly strange or unusual foods. The box contained the usual—candies, jellies, and bite-sized cookies of various kinds.
They were perfect for nibbling on while reading a book.
It wasn’t her tongue but her heart that seemed to melt first at such a thoughtful gift.
After that, her conversation with Tarin faded away. With the tea Tarin had brewed and the snacks that she suspected came from Teowin, she opened another book. Somehow, reading suddenly felt more enjoyable.
Until Tarin came back with more tea and later announced dinner, Agnes was completely absorbed in her books.
It was only after she had finished eating and taken a bath that she snapped back to her senses.
Ah, tonight was the night Teowin would come.
When night fell, Teowin came to her room. Up until he knocked and stepped inside, Agnes had been steeling herself.
As the door opened quietly and he entered, Agnes lifted her gaze. His steady, blue eyes locked onto hers. His face, framed with those sapphire eyes, looked almost sinfully handsome.
She had never thought this way even when looking at famous actors. She had admired good looks before, but the word “handsome” seemed made for this man alone.
Though this was the same bedroom where she always slept, the moment he entered, her body grew hot.
Thinking of their wedding night, Agnes flinched. Tonight was one of the designated nights when the empire required them to share a bed.
“Not coming to bed?”
His voice was low again, and so natural that she nearly walked to him before catching herself. She remained seated at the table.
“I’m tired. I read a lot today…”
Reading quietly shouldn’t be tiring, but she moved away anyway, going to the sofa instead. A blanket was folded neatly on one side, large enough for her to sleep comfortably.
It wasn’t that she hated those nights… in truth, she liked them too. But she simply didn’t have the courage to face it again.
Just remembering how intense he had been that night sent shivers down her spine.
“Planning to sleep on the sofa? You must know it’s our appointed night.”
He asked kindly, not accusatory. Normally, she just accepted things rather than resisting, but this time she pouted.
“Yes. I’ll sleep here.”
The sofa looked soft, and nearly as spacious as a bed. Sleeping here posed no problem at all. In fact, it seemed she would sleep better here than next to Teowin. For her, this was no issue.
She lay down neatly, pulling the blanket over herself. But then—she heard the sound of her blanket rustling. Suddenly, it was lifted, and a rush of warmth pushed inside.
“W-what are you doing?”
It was Teowin. Without her noticing, he had moved swiftly, sliding onto the sofa, his large body pressing her inward. His faint, distinct scent filled the space.
“As I said, tonight is our appointed night.”
“I-I know, but I’m tired. I know we’re supposed to spend the night together, but we could just… sleep apart. It’s not as if one of us will die from it.”
She finally said it. She hoped he wouldn’t mind her avoiding intimacy at night like this.
“No, you won’t die… but you’ll find yourself in endless trouble.”
His low murmur near her ear, paired with his arm sliding around her waist, didn’t frighten her—if anything, that was the problem.
One arm pulled her against him while the other served as her pillow. With his eyes closing, the pressure was clear: don’t disturb me, I’ll sleep like this.
She felt completely surrounded by his warmth. He didn’t seem intent on going further tonight.
“I can’t always hold back. It’s hard for me too.”
She didn’t quite understand what he meant by “hard,” but she knew they couldn’t avoid this forever.
“Being the Crown Princess means being his wife. More than that, it’s the position that will one day bear responsibility for the Empire’s future.”
His voice was quiet, but the meaning was heavy. His lips brushed close to her ear.
“Do you understand?”
Goosebumps swept through her entire body.
She might not have done much of what other people her age had, but she wasn’t ignorant. She knew exactly what he meant.
She twisted, trying to wriggle away again, but his arm only tightened. Finally, she gave up, her body relaxing—only for him to pull her closer still. He shifted, adjusting her until she fit perfectly against him, their bodies like one.
“I heard you were reading earlier.”
When the tense air finally eased, his voice sounded again.
“So you knew.”
Her own words bounced off his shoulder, so close in front of her face. She flinched.
“I asked Tarin where you were. He knows the palace better than I do, after working so hard.”
Her lips brushed lightly against his thin shirt as she spoke. She held her breath, worried her breath might graze his skin.
“That’s good. At first I thought you only wanted to keep busy, but I can feel your sincerity. You’ll make a fine Crown Princess.”
His words carried a trace of gentleness. Perhaps that’s why—
“Tarin was so happy earlier, being praised by the head maid. Is this what he felt?”
She remembered how excited Tarin had been when delivering the snacks.
Now, she had things she’d never had before: a fatherly figure who cared for her, a beautiful mother she longed for, a husband who supported her.
Even if none of it was truly hers, maybe she could believe in it and live that way.
When morning came, the room was flooded with golden sunlight pouring through the grand windows. The sofa was empty, the bed holding only one figure.
That sunlight served as her alarm.
Unable to bear it shining on her eyes, she woke. The curtains let in just enough brightness.
As she sat up, she noticed the empty space beside her.
Once again, Teowin had left before she woke, silent as ever.
But… something was strange.
She had fallen asleep on the sofa with him. Yet she had woken in the bed.
He must have lifted her up and carried her after she fell asleep.
For her to sleep so deeply… she didn’t want to think he saw her as that comfortable.
“Tarin.”
“Ah! You’re awake? If you had stayed inside, I would have come in!”
It was already too much that he waited for her this early; she couldn’t make him wait longer. Agnes waved her hand dismissively and walked out.
Shaking off the last traces of sleep, she washed and dressed with Tarin’s help, wearing a burgundy dress similar in design to yesterday’s.
Tarin, unusually, didn’t complain about the plainness of the dress. Ever since the marquis’s estate, he had grumbled whenever she chose modest clothing over something fancy.
“Did Your Highness sleep well last night?”
“H-huh?”
“After your last night with the Crown Prince, you seemed really exhausted…”
Tarin’s innocent remark made Agnes flush from her neck to her ears.
“N-not at all! Look—don’t I look well-rested?”
She pushed her face forward. Tarin studied her closely.
“You’re right! I’m glad you slept well!”
The innocent boy nodded cheerfully.
And so began a morning where only Agnes’s neck burned hot.
