Chapter 48
Before Calhail could even finish his question, Reina’s eyes closed again. Her soft breathing brushed against his lips, making his head spin.
There was a sweet, heated scent coming from her. Calhail felt like he couldn’t stand it anymore and even held his breath, but that wasn’t the only problem.
They were far too close. And her thin, soft clothes didn’t help. She felt so delicate, like the skin of a newborn he once touched long ago. Every inch of her body pressed against his palm was unbearably soft, like jelly. The alcohol he had drunk was only making the temptation stronger.
Looking at her lips moving slightly in her sleep, Calhail whispered:
“…Can I kiss you?”
“…Mmm…”
Her sleepy mumble sounded like an answer. So he pressed his lips against hers. He didn’t feel guilty—after all, their kisses were part of the contract. And it had been three days since the last one.
Reina didn’t push him away. Instead, she hugged him tightly around the neck.
Their kiss deepened. Calhail lifted her up and held her by the hips. Frightened by the sudden movement, Reina instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.
Still kissing, Calhail slowly carried her to the bed. They both fell onto it together, their bodies overlapping.
Morning.
Birds chirped, and Reina slowly woke up.
“Hm? What’s this feeling?”
Even after drinking so much last night, she had no hangover. Instead, she felt strangely refreshed, almost… lighter, like she’d gone back to nature itself.
“Did I just drink really good alcohol?” she wondered.
But then she realized—she didn’t even remember lying down on the bed. She only recalled drinking alone while waiting for Calhail. After that… nothing. Maybe he carried her?
She sat up, but the blanket slipped off her shoulders.
“…Huh?”
Her naked body was exposed. That refreshing feeling? It was because she was completely naked.
“…Wait… Naked?!”
“KYAAAAAAH!!!”
Her scream echoed through the mansion.
Where was Calhail’s jacket? And more importantly—where was her thin slip dress? At least that had been clothing! Now, it was folded neatly on the table.
“…Why is it over there?”
Did Calhail undress her? Did he fold it?
“D-Don’t tell me… did I sleep with him?”
It looked that way. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember a single thing. Nothing. As if her memories had been cut out and washed away.
“No way! That’s impossible! I wouldn’t just… with anyone!”
But then again—Calhail had always wanted her. Maybe he hadn’t resisted?
The only way to be sure was to check her body. Memories fade, but traces remain. She lowered the blanket and carefully looked.
“…Stomach, fine. Arms, fine. Hm? What about this mark on my chest… is that new?”
There were a few faint marks, but she couldn’t tell if they were from last night or just from bumping into something.
“Wait… they say the first time really hurts… but I don’t feel that?”
Just then, a voice startled her.
“My wife seems very energetic this morning.”
“KYAAAAH!!!”
She screamed again. Calhail was standing inside the room, arms crossed.
“Y-Your Highness!”
She quickly pulled the blanket up to cover herself. Meanwhile, Calhail looked perfect—dressed in full uniform, not a single hair out of place—while she sat there naked, messy, and panicking.
“Why are you dressed like that?!”
“Because I already met the Emperor this morning. We’re leaving the capital soon.”
“…Already?!”
“It’s nearly lunchtime.”
Embarrassed, Reina clutched the blanket tighter. Calhail awkwardly looked away, then picked up her folded slip dress from the table.
“W-Why are you taking that?!”
“Because… I need to submit proof of our wedding night.”
“…Ah!”
Reina remembered—without that, the marriage could be annulled. She had planned to fake it later, since she never intended to consummate the marriage.
“W-Wait! You can’t just submit it like that! It’s supposed to be… faked!”
“There’s no need to fake it.”
“…What?”
Calhail smirked, gave no further explanation, and walked out holding her slip.
Later, Reina searched for him. Somehow, the priests had accepted the wedding night proof with no problem, and the marriage papers were approved.
‘So… did it really happen or not?’
It seemed like it did, but she couldn’t believe it. After all, wasn’t your first time supposed to be unforgettable? Yet she remembered nothing.
‘No… maybe I just spilled food on my dress… or maybe I undressed myself because it was hot. Yes! That’s it! That has to be it!’
But deep down, she wasn’t convinced.
She finally found him in the soldiers’ camp. The knights saluted her loudly as “Duchess,” but she felt awkward.
When she reached Calhail, she hesitated, biting her nails.
“Um… about last night…”
He tilted his head. “You want to know what happened?”
Reina blushed. “Yes… I think something happened, but I don’t remember anything. Did we… or didn’t we?”
Calhail stroked his lips with his fingers, thinking.
“…You drank half a bottle of that strong liquor by yourself. Of course you wouldn’t remember.”
“So? What happened?” she pressed.
He smiled slyly.
