-34-
Startled, I looked up to see Lucious standing there, wearing a gown similar to mine. He closed the door and walked into the room toward me. I watched him silently, a little nervous, as droplets of water dripped from his wet hair.
“…Pfft.”
“…Tiana?”
Lucious, who had been approaching me, gave me a puzzled look. He didn’t dry his hair again. I couldn’t help but chuckle and pointed to his head.
“Why didn’t you dry your hair again?”
“I thought you might be waiting for me.”
“Unlike before, I’m staying here now. I’ll be here from now on too.”
“…That’s why I wanted to come to you even faster.”
He cautiously reached out and held my hand, and I could see a trace of desperation in his expression. Once he held my hand, he looked relieved, which made me smile softly.
“Still, you should dry your hair. You’re dripping water everywhere. You’ll catch a cold like that.”
I led him to the bed, made him sit down, and grabbed a towel from the nearby table. Standing in front of him, I began drying his hair.
I couldn’t stop smiling at how familiar the situation felt. This man might keep coming to me with his hair wet like this forever. It felt intentional, like he knew exactly what I liked. He really was my type.
As I continued drying his hair, I noticed that the scent wafting from it was the same as mine. So, he used the same product.
But the one I used was clearly a women’s product. Where did he get it? Did he actually go to the store himself to buy it?
I wondered what kind of expression he had while buying women’s products. …Surely he didn’t go so far as to replace all the bath products in the mansion?
“…Tiana.”
“Hmm? What is it, Lucious?”
While I was still drying his hair in silence, he suddenly took my hand. With a pouty expression, he lowered my hand from his head and said,
“It’s dry now.”
“It’s not dry yet. I need to make sure it’s completely dry.”
“It’s dry enough. So now… please look at me.”
“…Lucious.”
He took the towel from my hand and tossed it aside, then wrapped his arms around my waist. His eyes, now filled with heat, looked up at me as he leaned in closer.
“I suppose I should dry my hair properly from now on.”
“Why?”
“Because while you’re drying my hair, you don’t pay attention to me.”
“…Pfft…”
“See? You’re not even nervous anymore… And today is our first night together…”
His cheeks flushed red as he muttered, and I couldn’t stop the laughter bubbling up. His sulky face was adorable, and the fact that he had been looking forward to our wedding night made me happy. I leaned in and kissed his head lightly.
He looked dazed from the sudden kiss, so I asked,
“You do know how to spend a wedding night, right?”
“Of course. I am a man, after all. I even studied and got advice…”
“Advice? From who?”
“…Alexandra…”
Again? Our dear little sister sure is working hard for her brother. Knowing Alexandra, she probably didn’t explain in detail, but I was still curious.
“What did she say?”
“…To be… proactive…”
“…”
Lucious lowered his gaze, his cheeks red. That sounded just like something Alexandra would say. I stifled my laughter and gently lifted his face with my hand.
“So how are you going to be ‘proactive’?”
“…”
“Hmm? Lucious.”
I teased him, lightly stroking his cheek with my fingers. He flinched and turned redder, then slowly reached for the sash of my robe and began to untie it.
As the robe parted, revealing the slip underneath and the skin beneath, he stared blankly, entranced. Smiling, I pushed him down onto the bed and straddled him.
Looking down at him, I untied his gown. When his bare body was revealed, I blushed slightly but still let my eyes wander across his form.
Broad shoulders and defined muscles. Faint scars dotted his chest. Surprisingly, he wasn’t overly lean. I carefully reached out and touched his upper body.
Tracing a short scar along his collarbone, he twitched and grabbed my wrist.
“Tiana…”
“This much is necessary to call it being proactive. What’s with the hand? Are you trying to stop me? You can’t. I’m going to be the proactive one tonight.”
“…Can I… touch you too?”
Hearing him ask so sincerely, with that heated look in his eyes, made my heart race. How did he know that asking for permission like that was even more thrilling than just doing it?
He couldn’t have learned that from a book. It had to be instinct. This man truly hit every one of my weak spots.
I stopped my hands, blushing, and gave a small nod. His eyes sparkled, and in the next moment, the world flipped upside down.
“Ah…!”
They say never to underestimate a man’s instincts. The gentle lamb from just moments ago suddenly transformed and kissed me deeply. His tongue slipped between my parted lips, hot and demanding, as our breaths tangled again and again.
As we kissed passionately, his hand slid along my slip. Just as he reached the strap on my shoulder, he paused and looked at me. When I met his eyes in confusion, he exhaled shakily and asked in a low voice,
“Can I…?”
“…”
He was asking for final permission, like he needed to hear it one last time. At this point… His sweet, yearning tone made me wordlessly nod and kiss him.
We became husband and wife today, and from now on, we would walk that path together. Accepting him like this was the first step in our marriage.
How could I possibly resist someone this lovable?
“…Yes. I love you, Lucious.”
“…I love you, Tiana.”
We whispered our love at the same time, then lost ourselves in each other’s lips once more. As our heated bodies pressed together, we were swept up in a fluttering happiness that made every second precious.
***
“…Mmm…”
Sunlight trickled through the curtains. I furrowed my brow and slowly opened my eyes.
Warmth enveloped me from behind. I turned over to find myself in Lucious’s arms.
He was sound asleep, breathing softly. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Who knew I’d get to experience something straight out of a novel?
I carefully caressed his sleeping face and let my gaze travel down his torso.
The marks I’d left on him last night were still there, clearly visible. I smiled with satisfaction and buried my face in his chest.
From now on, this man is my husband. No, he is my husband. My favorite character has become my husband for real. I want to shower myself with praise for managing to marry my one true love.
“I get to see this every day now…”
Is this how women who marry celebrities in modern times feel? No, this feels even more surreal. The person in front of me was someone who shouldn’t have existed in reality. That made it even more exciting.
Now that I’d married my beloved, there was only one thing left to do—make sure my husband walks the path of flowers, not tragedy.
I had a lot of work ahead. Social gatherings, interactions with the original female and male leads, and laying the foundation for Lucious’s happy ending.
Thinking about all that, time flew by. The sunlight grew a little stronger, casting a beam across Lucious’s face. He stirred slightly, then opened his eyes.
“Did you sleep well, Lucious?”
“…Tiana…”
He stared at me blankly for a moment, then blinked and smiled. He pulled me into a tight embrace. As I nestled in his warmth, I could hear the wild beat of his heart.
“I thought I was dreaming… having you by my side.”
“It’s not a dream. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten last night?”
“No. I’ll never forget it. It’s just… this moment… feels so joyful and unreal.”
“Same here. When I woke up, I thought I was dreaming too. If dreams feel this real, I never want to wake up.”
“Me too.”
Is this what they call the power of a newlywed couple? Lucious and I looked into each other’s eyes and burst into laughter. It felt like we’d be happy just from eye contact for a long while.
I enjoyed the peaceful morning in his arms. As he gently touched my face, he asked,
“Um… are you okay?”
“I’m fine. A little sore, but it’s a pleasant kind of sore.”
“Do you think you can move?”
“Yes. Why?”
I tilted my head at his cautious expression. He smiled softly.
“If you’re up for it… I was thinking we could take a short trip.”
“A trip?”
“Yes. Well, more like an outing. There’s a small, scenic town nearby. I got some time off, so I thought it would be nice for us to go away for a couple of days. As a honeymoon.”
“Just the two of us… for our wedding?”
I was surprised by the unexpected suggestion. In modern times, honeymoons were common, but here, it wasn’t the norm. I’d been too busy planning everything else to even think of one.
A wedding trip… Even if it’s just a short outing, I hadn’t expected Lucious to bring it up.
“You’ll be starting your role as the lady of the house soon, and your social schedule will get busy. So I thought it’d be good for us to go away briefly before all that begins. I want us to enjoy some quiet time while I still have time off.”
“Lucious…”
“…Is that okay?”
As he anxiously watched me for a response, I shook my head—vigorously—and hugged him tight.
“Of course! I’m really happy. I want to go too, Lucious. Thank you!”
Right. No matter how much work there is, we deserve to enjoy this newlywed moment. There’s no way I’d say no to something like this. Especially since Lucious thought of it for me.
Honestly, where can you find a husband like this? One who suggests a wedding trip on his own?
I kissed his cheek out of joy, and he smiled shyly before returning a kiss to my lips.
“It’s our first trip together, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Me too, Tiana.”
“So… where are we going?”
“That… I’ll keep it a surprise. Something to look forward to.”
“Pfft… Okay!”
At his playful reply, I laughed—and so did he.
