Chapter 41
Elysia hugged her knees in the bathtub and glanced at the maids.
Heat seemed to rise on her face. It was because of Gray and the maids Renji and Jenny who served her. Wherever she looked, there were all kinds of perfumed oil the maids had brought.
“It’s the first night...”
She never thought of tonight in that sense.
She was supposed to come into the Duke’s house on the day of the wedding, though she was here now, so the maids deserve to think so.
Elysia didn’t think much of it, but when she heard it was the first night, she was tickled and nervous for nothing.
She then frowned and muttered a little.
“It’s all because of Cassian... Why did he ask to use the same bedroom?”
It wasn’t the first time she had spent the night with him, yet her heart was racing. Her face seemed hot and she exhaled as she fanned her hands.
Elysia reached out her hand and turned the hourglass upside down again, which she had placed next to her.
It’s already on the third flip, so it’s probably been over an hour.
...Why can’t she go out boldly?
Finally, she jumped up to her feet.
“Let’s pull ourselves together. It’s not something new.”
As she got up and walked out of the bathroom, the maids, who were waiting for her, approached. Even after her bath, she told them to go away because she would do it alone, although Gray was insisting on her.
“Lady, I will help you.”
Two maids, with Gray in the lead, approached her with stern eyes.
As soon as Elysia had finished wiping her body, she was laid down on a lounge in front of the bathroom.
The maids began to apply all sorts of unknown things to her body.
“Oh my... Madam, your skin is really soft.”
“That’s right. I think even a little bit of management would make a huge difference.”
With a proud face, Gray began to show how much work she had put in the mansion over the years. Needless to say, she looked too happy for her to stop it.
Elysia’s mouth, who had resigned as she entrusted her body to the hands of her maids, opened.
“What about dinner?”
“His Excellency on the days he went to work at the Imperial Palace, did not eat separately at the mansion. Madam, are you hungry?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Gray, who normally would have made a fuss with her saying that she should eat something, was quiet.
‘Eating that small amount of food won’t make your stomach full.’
“It’s over, madam!”
“Yes. I’ll wear the clothes, so you can leave first.”
“Yes, I understand. Call me if you need me.”
Elysia nodded her head and raised her body.
She peered at the clothes placed in front of the mirror as she reached out and lifted the pale pink silk pajama gown. Elysia’s eyes trembled incessantly at the same time as the slip that was a part of the gown fell.
“What is that...”
Slips of the same color as the gown seemed to cover only the places that were barely covered.
No, are they even hidden properly?
“Should I ask them to bring it back?”
Elysia, who remembered the eyes of the maids, wept at the thought that they would never give her the chance. She then picked up the slip with her fingertips as if she didn’t want to touch it.
When she looked closely, it didn’t seem that bad.
The very thin slip, fortunately, didn’t look sheer.
It was just above the knees, though she was okay with it because, before her return, she used to wear it. It’s such a soft material, so when she untied the ribbon on the front, it seemed like it would come off her skin, but at that time she was already... already—
Elysia’s face turned red as if it was about to explode.
“Good thoughts... Good thoughts.”
She didn’t think anything would happen in one bedroom, but she might not have thought that Cassian would.
Looking at her attire, she hoped he would not be misunderstood.
Eventually, Elysia put on the slip, thinking as positively as she could.
She tied the laces from the gown, covered the slip as much as possible with the gown.
At the same time, Philip, the butler, was restricting the employees from entering the second floor with a proud face.
***
Returning to the bedroom with a delighted face after her bath, the corners of Elysia’s lips twitched.
Because the appearance of the bedroom was different from before her bath.
In the bedroom, candles scattered throughout the room were dimly lit. Red rose petals were sprinkled on the floor and the bed and cheese and fruit were placed on the table along with wine.
It was the scene of a bare first night.
Cassian entered the room with a click while Elysia was glancing inside the bedroom blankly from the doorway.
At that, he also looked around the room as her gaze was directed to him. His gaze continued from the bed to the table.
Elysia took a step away from him and opened her mouth.
“You have to prepare...”
The answer came quickly.
“No.”
Cassian never remembered giving such an order.
Seeing that, she narrowed her eyes as if to figure out if what he said was true.
He opened his mouth as if talking to himself, looking at the rose petals that stretched all the way to the bed and table.
“I think I’ll have to hold you to bed.”
“...Yes.”
Elysia agreed with his words and nodded her head with sympathy. She rolled her eyes and gazed at Cassian with her body fixed towards the table.
The atmosphere in the room seemed to be getting more and more mysterious.
Elysia headed towards the table at an unnatural pace.
He laughed loudly at her gait, which wouldn’t be strange even to hear a squeak from her walk. Cassian, who watched as she sat down on the sofa, followed Elysia as she walked.
“You seem nervous.”
“No? No way. It’s not the first time.”
“What’s not the first time?”
As Cassian leaned closer to Elysia, who was sitting on the sofa, he bowed his body. Looking at his relaxed face all the time made her angry.
She swiftly reached out her hand and stroked his chest.
“What? What can I do? I don’t plan on doing that until the wedding day.”
“Hmmm...”
Cassian grinned and grabbed her hand on his chest before raising it. He gently bit her finger without causing any pain.
Elysia, who had been trying so hard to disguise her calmness, opened her mouth blankly at the soft touch on her finger.
She almost groaned.
Because of that, she glared at him with a face that looked as if he had stolen even the innocence of her fingers.
“You’re constantly conscious that I want to bully you.”
Elysia stared at the wine placed on the table and licked her lips. “It’s not like that. It’s earlier than expected, but would you like a drink to get along well?” freewebn(o)vel.com
“I do.”
And so, Cassian sat down next to her.
There was only one sofa.
Pour. The sound of wine glasses being filled rang out.
Elysia, who was looking at the red wine in the glass, frowned at the thought that suddenly came to her.
She was going to have to eat here in the future. Although she could eat while he was away, so as not to give him the bizarre appearance of pouring blood into a glass.
As she continued to think about it, Elysia thought she was really glad that Revos and her engagement had been broken.
Taking the cup, she gently brought it to him.
“Do you enjoy drinking?”
“I drink occasionally. How about you?”
“I don’t enjoy it that much.”
Elysia drank the wine with a surprised expression on her face. It was stronger than she expected.
Cassian opened his mouth as she drank the wine. He picked up the cherries and opened his mouth and said, “Do you get drunk when you drink, too?”
“Tes, I get drunk when I drink. I just don’t have a hangover when I wake up.”
The drunkenness also heals over time, so when she woke up it was nothing.
Even though it is almost impossible to get drunk with weak alcohol. If she drinks wine now, Elysia doesn’t think she’ll get drunk to some extent.
“I’m envious of that.”
“You don’t drink well?”
“I’ve never drank until I got drunk, so I don’t know.”
“Just say you drink well, then.”
She continued sipping the wine to her liking.
The bottle of wine was quickly emptied between light conversations. While neither Elysia nor Cassian showed any signs of drunkenness.
“One more bottle?”
“Yes.”
Seeing Cassian pouring the wine, Elysia moved closer to him. She put her knees up and hugged it, supported her chin, and gazed at him intently. She had never imagined it would be like this when she first opened her eyes in this bedroom.
When she came to the mansion, he gave her a ring and had a lasting relationship with him.
“You know what? The day you first gave me this ring...”
Elysia spread out her hand and showed the ring with the magic stone. Cassian also filled his glass and waited for her next words.
“...I thought you only wanted my body. I thought that was all you wanted from me.”
Hearing her remark, he frowned, thinking he wouldn’t think so.
“I guess not now.”
“It wasn’t like that up until now, though I think it’s right because we’re going to use the same bedroom.”
Elysia laughed playfully.
“It’s love at first sight and even marriage, isn’t it natural to have one bedroom? I was just faithful to that.”
“Didn’t you say the room wasn’t ready?”
“There is that, too.”
Lies.
“Even couples who are married because they love each other have their own rooms.”
Of course, there are cases where one bedroom is used, but that was rare. Still, Cassian just smiled with a look of cluelessness.
They reached the point where they emptied three bottles of wine.
By that point, Elysia was feeling the slowly rising drunkenness.
“You drink well considering you say you don’t really get drunk.”
“No. I’m a bit tipsy right now.”
She smiled and emptied her last glass. While Cassian stretched out his hand, remembering that she was constantly picking the cherries.
Elysia took it and ate what came into her mouth.
“That’s not food.”
His words were towards Elysia, who had pushed the cherries in and snapped his fingers instead. She shut her eyes and grinned softly, before letting go of his finger and chirped.
Cassian raised the corners of his mouth and unbuttoned his shirt as if feeling cramped.
As always, Elysia’s red eyes followed his hand.
“Don’t provoke me. Like I said, I’m going to wait until the wedding.”
It was the first time since she realized her heart, so she didn’t have the confidence to restrain herself.
Nonetheless, Elysia’s gaze turned to Cassian’s hand.
Perhaps Cassian had heard her words, but her gaze continued to stay in one place.
“Why don’t you unbutton the sleeves?”
“Well?”
“We always do it together. I’ll just watch.”
Elysia moved closer to him and grabbed his arm. She then slowly unbuttoned the sleeves and rolled up his sleeves a bit.
“This looks nice, as expected.”
Saying so, she ran her fingers down from his forearm to the prominent veins on the back of his hand.
Cassian put down his glass and made a troubled face.
He knew that she liked his body, though she never expressed it so openly.
As Elysia grazed her hand softly, the hem of the sleeves of her soft robe brushed against his flesh.
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