Chapter 176

Chapter 176

He furrowed his brows, and a deeper shadow formed beneath his eyes. However, whenever Deatrice saw him show signs of aging like this, she couldn’t help but feel something… What could it be called? Perplexed, perhaps?

If she were to describe it metaphorically, it would be like watching a companion with whom you used to roam the meadows, engaging in various playful activities, suddenly become serious and issue a solemn warning after an unexpected incident occurred.

It felt a bit awkward, but in the end, it was a feeling that made her want to grab the hand he extended, urging her to come out of it.

“But you know, too. That our child is the most certain way to preserve our marriage.”

“Of course, but it shouldn’t be like this.”

“Please, Lucy. Don’t pretend to lecture me. Did you really think I wouldn’t know what you were contemplating every time we intimately intertwined our bodies at those final moments?”

At that, his face visibly stiffened. He was taken aback by her knowing about his reservations, which he didn’t want to reveal.

“You… knew?”

When bodies entwine, you learn all sorts of things. You learn when the other person breathes, what they enjoy, and how their thigh twitches.

As if there was tension in their fingertips, exerting force beneath the covers, not to mention the trembling at the moment their chin and lips brushed against each other, Deatrice surely knew the hesitation in decisive moments and the accompanying agony.

Unable to hide his embarrassment, Lucius felt Deatrice pull his face closer and whisper to him.

“Don’t do that, Lucy. You have no reason to blame yourself.”

“I remember the terrible things I said to you. Yet, I dared to have such thoughts…”

“I forgive you. Just as you forgave me.”

She spoke generously and kissed him. The kiss was tender as if asking when they last irritated each other with their words. Their lips met briefly before parting. The chill of the winter breeze made her skin feel cold.

For a moment, as he buried his face in the nape of her scented neck, he murmured.

“But, do you really want a child?”

“…Yes.”

Her response came a bit late. Lucius sensed her hesitation, yet he simply buried his face deeper in the nape of her neck.

Soon, he boarded the carriage, and the door closed. The carriage raced down the slightly icy road at a fast pace.

The mansion was warm, and Lucius moved slowly and deliberately, avoiding impatience.

As if he could stop at any moment, like a loyal knight awaiting a predetermined command. That’s why their kisses oscillated between desire and reverence.

Deatrice could read his intention whenever he paused and thought it would be best to stop in between. However, he continued dutifully until she uttered the words “enough” from her lips. He undressed her, kissed every exposed inch of her skin, and incited her excitement by gripping his arms and clinging to him.

She had sworn that she would never stop as he wished, but in the end, at the final moment, she said, “Let’s stop.” With a flushed face, she whispered, as if inhaling breath, not meaning to escape from the excitement.

It was because she realized she couldn’t have a child. She hadn’t been ready yet.

Although the sanction of “enough” that resonated during the decisive moment could be resented, he smiled slightly, as if he expected it, and continued to embrace her until the excitement subsided.

The sensation of bare skin against bare skin strangely brought comfort.

She pressed her face against his bare skin and buried herself in his arms.

“It makes the age difference more apparent at times like this, doesn’t it?”

“Huh?”

The low, brief sound resonating from his throat, without opening his mouth, was one of his voices that she liked. Taking her hand to his lips, he kissed it reverently and replied.

“You’ve been telling me to stop earlier, but you know I just have to try it.”

At that, he silently smiled and cupped her face with his hands.

“But I love it when you beg like that. Your eyebrows… they become even darker.”

Slowly, he ran his finger through her eyebrows before continuing to speak.

“When you become stubborn, your eyebrows darken even more.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

She furrowed her eyebrows at his unexpected remark, thinking it would continue with something romantic. And then he let out a soft laugh.

“Look. Just like now.”

For over twenty years, she had faced and lived with her own face whenever she looked in the mirror, but at this moment, Deatrice couldn’t imagine the image of herself that corresponded to Lucius’.

“Look, just like now.” But feeling embarrassed by his gentle laughter, Deatrice raised her hand to cover her eyebrows. Lucius laughed even louder and hugged her tightly, whispering.

“Don’t do such an adorable thing. I’m trying to be serious.”

“You always tease me.”

“Well, most of the time you exude such grandeur, so I don’t get many chances to tease you. As you know, I’m not one to miss opportunities.”

At that, Deatrice warned him with a serious expression.

“You should treat your wife with care first, you know.”

What a nostalgic nagging. Lucius laughed heartily, but he playfully pouted in response to her words, trying to bury himself in her embrace.

“My wife.”

The pride and affection in his voice tickled Deatrice, so she pretended to push him away.

“Don’t act all dramatic.”

“I regret it. The times I was ignorant and troubled you like a fool.”

His words left a lingering impact. Deatrice gently touched his soft hair and replied quietly.

“Don’t say that. Even if it’s you, you couldn’t have forgiven me so easily.”