Chapter 116
The news of Raylenne and Aiden’s marriage shook society to its core, perhaps even more shockingly than the revelation of the former Duke of Ergen’s corruption or the discovery of Crown Prince Harbian’s lifeless body. Raylenne could understand why people were so stunned: “The feuding families have gone beyond reconciliation and ended up in marriage.” Initially, the public was taken aback by this union of the century, but soon they began to view it through a political lens, skeptical that the two families’ members could truly fall in love, especially considering Aiden had once been a prisoner of the Ergen family.
Raylenne wasn’t troubled by the speculation; in fact, the shift in public perception eased the burden of attention she had felt.
“I’m planning to go out today for an inspection with the knights and to visit the estate,” Aiden informed her as he looked down at Raylenne, who was lying in bed.
As Raylenne reached out her hand, Aiden hesitated before leaning down to lightly kiss her forehead. Even without seeing it, Raylenne knew his neck was likely already flushed.
Aiden still got embarrassed easily, even though there were times when he would suddenly change completely, becoming like a wild animal showing its true nature after appearing tame. Raylenne couldn’t help but clear her throat as she recalled their first night together.
After their grand wedding, Raylenne moved into her new home, the Bedeusian Duke’s castle. They arrived at the castle late in the evening. It was Raylenne’s first time at the Bedeusian estate, and it had a distinctly different atmosphere from the Ergen castle. The estate’s location on a flat plain, the slightly brighter gray stone walls, and the carefully tended flowers all exuded a sense of meticulous maintenance, likely the handiwork of the ousted Duchess of Bedeusian.
“The air is cold. Let’s go inside quickly,” Aiden suggested, gently tugging Raylenne’s hand. As she snapped out of her thoughts, she looked at Aiden, who was guiding her inside. Despite the chill in the air, a subtle warmth lingered between their clasped hands, causing Raylenne’s heart to pound with renewed intensity. She had been tense the entire carriage ride back to the estate, her palms sweating inside her silk gloves, which she kept clenching and unclenching.
Her nervousness was largely due to the anticipated consummation of their marriage that night. Although they had shared hugs and kisses before, spending the night together was an entirely different matter. Raylenne quickly cut off her thoughts as her face grew hot with embarrassment.
Glancing at Aiden as he climbed the stairs, she noticed he seemed unusually composed, lacking any apparent signs of nervousness. Though Aiden was typically quiet, it struck her as odd that she alone seemed anxious. She realized that recently, Aiden had stopped showing signs of nervousness or embarrassment around her, a marked change from earlier in their relationship when he would blush frequently. This thought irked her slightly, feeling like she was the only one anxious about the significant night ahead.
However, as she observed him more closely, she noticed a slight rigidity in his steps and the growing warmth of his hand, making her suspect that Aiden might be hiding his nerves. They finally stopped before a deep red door.
“This is the room we will be using,” Aiden said as he opened the door. The room was elegantly furnished, featuring a large canopied bed, a warm beige carpet, and delicate ivory curtains. The cozy and soft atmosphere was clearly designed with her in mind.
“If you want to change any of the furniture, feel free to do so. Let me know if there’s anything else you need,” Aiden offered, but Raylenne shook her head.
“No, it’s already perfect,” she responded brightly, momentarily forgetting her nervousness.
Then she noticed a door in the corner of the room. “What’s that door for?” she asked.
“It’s the bathroom,” Aiden replied.
Ah, a bathroom. Of course, the master bedroom would have one. Just mentioning the bathroom made the atmosphere feel awkward.
“You should bathe first,” Aiden suggested.
“Oh… okay,” Raylenne agreed.
“Shall I call for a maid to assist you?” Aiden asked, but Raylenne declined.
“No, that’s not necessary,” she insisted. While it was customary for maids to help with bathing, she didn’t want anyone else in the room on such a night. It felt too awkward. She gathered her change of clothes and went into the bathroom.
The bathtub was already filled with warm water. As she sank into the bath, the water overflowed slightly. ‘This feels good,’ she thought. Her body had felt stiff all day from tension, but the hot water quickly relaxed her. She gazed at her long hair floating on the water’s surface, feeling her taut nerves finally unwind. After soaking for a while, she got up and washed, then stepped out of the bathroom.
As she emerged with the steam, she noticed Aiden sitting on the bed, still in the same position as before, not even having removed his jacket. He looked lost in thought, somewhat absent-minded. At the sound of her entering, he looked up, and Raylenne, feeling awkward, broke the silence first.
“What were you thinking about?” she asked.
Aiden finally took off his jacket. “Nothing. I’ll go wash up now,” he said, disappearing into the bathroom. Left alone, Raylenne lay down on the bed. The springs softly bounced under her weight, and the bed linens were wonderfully soft. She rubbed her face against the pillow, not bothering to dry her wet hair.
The high-quality bed made her eyelids heavy. The warm bath had also played its part, leaving her feeling drowsy. The thought that tonight was their wedding night began to fade from her mind. Even though she knew she shouldn’t fall asleep, Raylenne couldn’t fight off the sleepiness and her vision darkened as she succumbed to sleep.
* * *
Consciousness slowly returned as a soft sigh was heard. Raylenne’s eyes flew open. She realized it was much darker than before she closed her eyes—it was evening now. The round moon was clearly visible through the window.
“…Lady Raylenne?” She turned her head at the voice calling her. Aiden was sitting in a chair beside the bed. He was the source of the quiet sigh.
Raylenne quickly sat up. She had unintentionally left her groom lonely on their first night together.
“What time is it now?”
“It’s 2 AM.”
I must have slept quite a while, she thought. It was only 11 PM when she closed her eyes. Raylenne said with an apologetic expression, “Why are you still up? You must have been tired today, you should have slept…”
Aiden rubbed his face as if washing it dry. “How could I just fall asleep on a day like this?”
Understanding Aiden’s words, Raylenne’s face instantly turned red. Unlike Aiden, she felt both self-loathing for having simply fallen asleep and guilt towards Aiden, who must have spent hours wide awake.
Raylenne swallowed dryly and looked at Aiden. “Aiden.”
The soft moonlight filtering through the window beautifully illuminated Aiden’s hair. His face was, needless to say, breathtakingly handsome.
‘To neglect such a perfect groom.’ I must be crazy, she chided herself internally. Raylenne spread her arms. “Come here.”
Aiden blinked slowly. Raylenne loved this expression of his. She knew she was the only one who could make Aiden show such a face. Aiden was normally the owner of an impassive, cool personality who wouldn’t even blink if ambushed by an assassin, but he would react like this to just one word from her. Every time this happened, she felt a childish elation at sensing her significant presence in Aiden’s life.
“Aiden, my arms are getting tired.” As she whined with her arms still outstretched, Aiden approached and embraced Raylenne. She tilted her body to the side, falling onto the bed with Aiden. With no gap between them, she could feel him completely. Even his heart, beating as if it would burst.
“Aiden, your heart… it’s beating so fast.”
“It’s been like this all day.”
Although his tone was the same as usual, a subtle tension was evident in Aiden’s voice.
“And I fell asleep, that must have been awkward for you.”
“I won’t deny it.” Aiden said, kissing her forehead. Raylenne buried her face in his chest.
“…I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. You’ve saved me now, at least.”
“Saved?”
“If you hadn’t woken up now, all my blood would have dried up.”
So saying I saved you isn’t an exaggeration, Aiden murmured almost in a whisper. Raylenne’s ears grew hot at this unusually frank expression from Aiden.
“Did you wait long?”
“If you knew the truth, you might think I’m a beast.”
With those words, Aiden kissed her. As hot breaths were exchanged a few times, the night quickly deepened. And on that day, Raylenne learned what happens when the leash is removed from a tamed wild dog.
