Side Story 2
The next morning, Nox woke up alone and immediately turned to look at the empty space beside him.
He had expected the person to return late last night, but the space beside him was completely empty without a trace of anyone having been there.
‘Could they still be working?’ he thought, narrowing his brow as he sat up.
He hadn’t slept well, and pushing himself too hard could lead to exhaustion. He quickly washed up, got ready, and went downstairs.
When he opened the door to the sitting room, the first thing he saw were two red heads lying together on the large sofa.
Moving quietly and carefully, he approached them and saw that it was Dayna and Stella, sleeping side by side, leaning against each other. They looked like close sisters, tucked in snugly together under the same blanket.
Nox sighed softly and stood before them. He carefully pulled the blanket away from Stella and shifted it over to Dayna, ensuring it covered her all the way to her chin.
‘Dayna shouldn’t be cold.’
Even though the sitting room didn’t have a fireplace, and Stella’s brow was slightly furrowed in sleep, it wasn’t a concern for him.
He continued to look at his beloved wife’s face for a moment before turning his attention to the fabrics and bundles of papers on the table.
Had they discussed this yesterday?
The papers, filled with Dayna’s handwriting, detailed future sales plans and financial operations.
Though it was her first time in business, the documents were surprisingly thorough and efficient. Nox raised both eyebrows, impressed by her work.
‘I knew Dayna would be like this.’
“Hmm…”
At that moment, Stella let out a soft moan as she furrowed her brow.
Nox noticed it was Stella, not Dayna, who made the sound and, seeing that Dayna was still covered, he adjusted her blanket one more time before gently kissing her cheek. Then, he turned and left the sitting room.
“Ugh… Hmm… Ughhh…”
Hearing the soft groans, Dayna opened her eyes.
What was that noise?
She looked around and found Stella leaning against her shoulder, groaning in her sleep.
Dayna quickly turned to face her.
“Miss, are you alright…?”
Huh?
Stella, who had lifted her upper body, blinked her eyes, looking down at the blanket they were sharing.
It seemed they had both fallen asleep while talking and sharing the blanket last night, but now Dayna realized she had ended up with the whole blanket.
“Did I take it?”
Feeling embarrassed, Dayna quickly gave the blanket back to Stella and spoke up.
“Miss, please sleep a little longer. I’m sorry, it seems like you were cold.”
As Dayna covered her again and gently patted her, Stella’s furrowed brow began to soften, and her whining slowly stopped. Dayna waited until she saw Stella breathing evenly again before carefully rising from the bed.
I must have fallen asleep here without realizing it…
She moved her arms a bit to stretch her stiff body, then quickly left the room and went upstairs to the bedroom.
Perhaps Nox had been waiting for her to return all night.
“Nox!”
She opened the bedroom door and called his name, but no one was there.
Looking at the neatly made bed, Dayna sighed in relief.
It seemed he had woken up early, gone out, and was getting ready for the day.
‘Come to think of it…’
It felt like she had been spending less and less time with Nox lately.
After returning from their honeymoon, Stella had eagerly started the fabric business, and Dayna had been helping her to make sure the momentum didn’t fizzle out. Now that the business preparations were progressing well, she thought it was time to step back a little.
“Well, now that I’ve helped this far, you should be able to handle the rest, right? Are you confident?”
“Of course, Dayna!”
Having given her specific plans the night before, Dayna felt it was time to let Stella take charge.
Now she could finally spend some quality time with Nox. What should they do together?
A natural smile formed on her face as she thought of all the fun possibilities. Imagining all the joyful things, she lay back on the bed.
It wasn’t long since Nox had left, and there was still a lingering scent of his perfume in the air.
‘I love this.’
Dayna reached for Nox’s pillow and pulled it into her arms, resting her head on it.
Holding the pillow close, she began imagining all the things she could do with Nox.
Just thinking about it made her happy.
Nox, who had finished his work earlier than usual, opened the bedroom door.
As usual, he had expected no one to be there, but when he opened the door, he found Dayna lying on the bed, reading a book.
For a moment, Nox froze in surprise and stopped before entering the room.
“Why aren’t you coming in?”
Dayna tilted her head, and when Nox snapped back to reality, he walked inside.
“I thought you wouldn’t be here. You must be busy preparing for the grand opening of the Bibiwud store.”
“I’ve finished my part! From now on, it’s all up to you, Miss.”
That was exactly the reassuring news he had been waiting for.
It was also something he had long dreamed of hearing.
Relieved, Nox walked toward the bed where Dayna was.
She jumped off the bed and into his arms, wrapping herself around him as she pressed her face against his chest.
“Why did you come back so late?”
“If I knew you were here, I would have left work behind and come back sooner.”
Dayna’s soft laugh made his heart flutter.
“You must be tired. Would you like to take a bath?”
“What about you?”
“Well…”
It was a simple question, but Dayna, who had been imagining 110 things she wanted to do with Nox while alone in the bedroom, suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
‘Don’t think anything strange, it’s just a question, right?’
“I’m fine. I… this morning…”
“Would you like to bathe together?”
What together?
Dayna blinked in surprise and looked up.
Though they had been married for less than three months, the idea still felt shy and awkward. Nox, being the calm and reserved person he was, had never once made such a request, so it felt unexpected.
“…Pardon?”
Nox looked down at her without saying a word.
His face remained expressionless, but the tips of his ears were bright red beneath his hair.
Seeing this, Dayna felt a sense of affection and smiled, realizing that he had probably gathered the courage to ask.
“Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
She asked playfully, and he quickly looked away.
Dayna, now with a mischievous glint, tightened her embrace around him.
“Shall we, then?”
“…Alright.”
As Nox responded, his ears turned so red they seemed like they might burst.
So cute!
Dayna couldn’t resist. She raised herself on tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his lips.
When she pulled away, Nox cupped her cheek and bent down to kiss her deeply.
She closed her eyes tightly as his lips met hers, and the sweet warmth of his breath filled her senses.
The kiss deepened, and for a moment, she felt like she was losing herself in him.
Just as she felt her breath run short, Nox slowly pulled away. Their gazes locked, and her heart was pounding fiercely.
Her lips were damp as she lowered her gaze, feeling warmth spread across her face.
“…Shall we go?”
Nox whispered in a slightly hoarse voice.
Dayna nodded slowly, and Nox bent down, lifting her up into his arms.
With her legs dangling in the air, Dayna leaned her head comfortably against his chest. The fast pace of his footsteps matched the quick beat of her heart.
As Nox pushed open the bathroom door, the heat inside rushed out to greet them.
He set her down on the bathroom floor and leaned down to kiss her lips again.
“Ugh…”
As he gently pushed her backward, Dayna silently thanked the maid for having prepared the bathwater in advance.
