Chapter : 136
It was the first night for Liriope and Theo as a formally married couple, after sending their marriage vows.
Still, they decided to spend the first night at the Grand Duke’s castle, so Liriope came to Theo’s bedroom.
Even now, after sending the marriage vows and officially becoming husband and wife, Liriope felt that same awkward yet strange sensation she had experienced in her bedroom at the Duke’s mansion.
The feeling was slightly different, but there was definitely a tension and a fluttering in her heart unlike usual.
“Shall we go to bed now, Lirpe?”
Theo asked gently, noticing Liriope fidgeting with a comb while sitting awkwardly on the nightstand chair. He waited quietly, seeing that she seemed reluctant to climb into bed.
It was the long-awaited first night, but he had no intention of scaring or pressuring her.
Still, he felt he should guide her since she hadn’t moved onto the bed.
“Ah, yes.”
Liriope quickly got up.
Her expression and movements clearly showed how nervous she was.
“Put the comb down.”
Theo said softly to her.
“Ah.”
Only then did Liriope realize she was clutching the comb and carefully placed it back on the nightstand.
After a brief hesitation, she looked at Theo and cautiously asked,
“Um… but…”
“Hmm?”
“This is your first time too, right, Theo?”
“Hmm?”
Theo’s face showed confusion, not knowing exactly what she meant by “first time.”
“I mean… the first night…”
“Oh.”
Only when Liriope asked with a flushed face did Theo understand her question and nod a couple of times.
“Of course it’s my first time. There’s no one else I would spend the first night with besides you.”
“Y-yes, of course…”
“Exactly.”
“But… why… are you not nervous at all?”
“Huh?”
Theo tilted his head slightly to the side.
The slight tousle of hair falling across his forehead made him look even more striking.
Liriope swallowed hard and continued,
“My heart feels like it’s going to burst. But you don’t seem different at all from usual…”
“…”
“I feel like maybe I’m the only one nervous…”
“I’m nervous too.”
Theo reached out to her.
Looking at his hand, Liriope finally took his hand in hers, murmuring in protest,
“You don’t seem like it at all.”
Theo pulled her closer to him and placed her hand over his heart.
“See? It’s beating wildly.”
Liriope’s eyes widened as she felt the strong thump of his heartbeat in her palm.
Though his face looked calm as always, his heart was racing far more than hers.
“I-Is it… okay?”
Her worry grew over the intensity of Theo’s heartbeat.
“It’s not okay. Feels like my heart’s going to leap out of my chest.”
“Y-yeah, me too…”
“Exactly.”
Theo naturally wrapped his arm around Liriope’s waist, pulling her closer.
Resting his face lightly against her stomach, he continued,
“You’re not the only one nervous. I’m trying my best to look composed, but honestly, I feel like I’m dying too.”
Hearing that, Liriope couldn’t help but laugh softly.
She held Theo’s head gently against her stomach and whispered,
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Theo let out a sigh, half exasperated, half affectionate.
“But what are you trying to do, teasing me like this?”
He asked, his ears as red as Liriope’s face.
“Huh?”
“I’m trying to control myself, gathering all my rationality. You want me to lose sleep tonight?”
“I-I just… said I love you…”
In an instant, Theo tightened his embrace around her waist and pulled her onto the bed.
As soon as one of his hands supported her head, her back met the mattress.
Liriope blinked rapidly at the sudden movement.
“Do we have to sleep?”
Theo whispered as he naturally moved above her.
Her face, already flushed, turned even redder.
“Ah, n-no?!”
Panicked, Liriope avoided his gaze and swallowed nervously.
Theo tilted his head and pressed his lips to hers.
A heated, intense kiss began.
Overwhelmed by the passionate kiss, Liriope struggled but then suddenly remembered something and quickly pushed against his chest.
“T-The… giving method.”
“Huh?”
“I haven’t learned how to give my elemental ability to you, Theo. I should read the book and learn how first…”
At her words, Theo kissed her again.
After another persistent kiss, he finally pulled away and said,
“You don’t need to learn it. Once you and I become one, your elemental ability will naturally flow into me.”
“Oh… is that how it works…?”
‘Then what if a spouse doesn’t want to receive their partner’s ability?’
Unable to ask, Liriope blinked, and Theo, as if reading her mind, explained,
“If the receiver doesn’t want it, it won’t transfer.”
“…Ah.”
“So you don’t need to prepare or learn anything. Everything is on my side as the receiver.”
Liriope nodded, understanding.
Seeing this, Theo asked,
“Can we continue now?”
Her face turned bright red again.
Seeing her nod awkwardly, Theo pounced on her like a beast on its prey.
Thus began their long-awaited first night.
Liriope woke up long past noon.
She slowly lifted her heavy eyelids and looked around.
Theo was nowhere in sight, but the familiar, comfortable room greeted her.
‘Ugh…’
She slowly got up, moaning involuntarily from last night’s exertion.
She looked down at herself, clean and dressed in her negligee, and let out a small, embarrassed laugh.
‘Even perfection can be… this perfect.’
She had expected some awkwardness typical of a first-timer.
How to undress a partner, how to proceed…
‘Was this really his first time? He’s such a pro.’
Theo’s experience didn’t seem like a beginner’s at all.
She had even asked him before:
“Are you really inexperienced?”
“Why would I have done this with anyone else besides you?”
“…You’re too…”
“Too good?”
“…Yes.”
“Pretty much everything I do, I do well from the start.”
He had said it casually, and Liriope had frowned.
‘To act so nonchalant about being skilled… that’s a talent in itself.’
Anyway, she had no prior experience with men, so she couldn’t truly measure Theo’s skill last night, but theoretically, he had been skilled and proficient.
‘He made me lose track of where was up and down…’
Recalling last night, she covered her face with her hands.
Her hot face and aching body confirmed that it hadn’t been a dream.
She groaned quietly, trying to cool her burning face.
At that moment, a click echoed as the bedroom door opened.
“Already awake?”
Theo’s voice, which had teased her relentlessly last night, made Liriope’s eyes narrow.
“When did you wake….”
She stopped mid-sentence, startled.
His voice was hoarse and cracked.
“You’ve got a sore throat. I’ll bring you some warm tea.”
‘All because of him…’
She pressed her hot face into her hands and watched Theo leave the room.
He returned shortly, looking completely at ease, and perched at the edge of her bed.
“Are you feeling okay?”
His voice was so gentle and sweet that her heart tightened.
“No…”
“Sorry. It was hard to control myself since it was my first time.”
“Are you okay, Theo?”
Seeing her own state, she wondered if he was fine too.
He smiled and said,
“The world looks different.”
“……Huh?”
“I’d feel happy even if someone asked me to cut off an arm while passing by.”
“W-what….”
Liriope frowned at his bizarre analogy, but his bright smile was so genuinely happy that she couldn’t help but smile too.
“What do you mean, cut off an arm? Ridiculous.”
“Everything just looks beautiful to that extent.”
Theo pressed his lips to her forehead.
“My whole body hurts, you know?”
“Sorry. I’ll hold back from tonight.”
At that, Liriope’s gentle smile vanished instantly.
“Huh?”
Looking at Theo suspiciously, she asked,
“Tonight… what do you mean?”
“I said I’ll hold back from tonight.”
Realizing the truth, Liriope’s face turned pale.
“You mean… you want to do it again tonight?!”
