Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Chapter 23

In both voice and expression, it was clear that he was feeling down. But there was nothing I could do about it this time. So I walked past him and headed to the bathroom. I was so tired and my eyes kept closing, but I had to wash away all the dust from every inch of my body as I came in with a carriage. So I forced my sleepy eyes to open, washed myself clean, and left the bathroom.

“I’m done washing. The Duke should hurry up and wash, too.”

As soon as I came out, of course I thought Bleon was there and naturally told him to wash up, but for some reason there was no one else in the room.

“Where did you go?”

Did he go out for a while?

I sat in my chair and waited for him, but I couldn’t resist falling asleep. So I went straight to bed and lay in the corner.

‘If I sleep like this, will Bleon be able to lie next to me?’

I was lying close to the wall in the corner, but I couldn’t sleep alone. So I tried to keep my eyes open as best as I could, but again, I couldn’t beat the drowsiness and I immediately succumbed to a deep slumber.

Suddenly, my eyes were wide open. I woke up and felt that no one was beside me, so I turned around to find Bleon. He was there, but he wasn’t lying down next to me. Instead, he was hunched over the bed while kneeling on the floor, asleep facing me.

And even in that position, he was still gently holding my hand without letting go. I looked at his face for a moment. As I felt it last time, he had a very pretty sleeping face.

‘How much time had passed?’

Looking at his face, I suddenly looked out the window, and although it was dark, the moon was still shining brightly. I couldn’t make him continue sleeping like this, so I gently shook Bleon’s shoulder.

“Bleon.”

Perhaps I just woke up and unconsciously called his name. He slowly opened his eyes at my call.

“Wife…?”

“Why did you sleep like this? It’s uncomfortable.”

Bleon blinked his eyes and seemed to grasp the situation for a moment.

“Ah…”

“Sleep beside me… Come up here now.”

I pushed myself against the wall a little more so he could lie down next to me.

“No. I like sleeping like this.”

“How can that be comfortable? Don’t argue and just lie down next to me.”

“I’m fine… What to do if Wife is uncomfortable…?”

“It’s not uncomfortable at all. Come now.”

As he kept muttering, I grabbed Bleon’s hand and pulled him closer. Then, reluctantly, he got up and laid his large body next to me. However, as expected, when the two of us lay down, there was no space in the bed. Bleon was a lot bigger than I thought, so his arms were sticking out.

‘What to do?’

Sleeping with his arms out of bed was uncomfortable, so he won’t be able to sleep well. I’m sure his shoulders will be stiff tomorrow, so I looked at him with worried eyes.

“I’ll sleep on the floor. You can sleep comfortably.”

As if reading my eyes, Bleon got up from the bed with a smile trying to reassure me.

“Wait.”

I hurried to keep him from going down and grabbed his arm.

“Can’t you just sleep on your side?”

All I could say was that he lay on his side and slept. But I didn’t want him to sleep on the floor, so that was the only way for the two of us to sleep together on the bed.

“It will be uncomfortable, Wife. I’m fine, so don’t worry about it and sleep comfortably.”

“Still…”

“Then there is one way…”

“How?”

“But I don’t think Wife would like it very much…”

“What is it?”

Even though I kept asking him, Bleon didn’t speak his thoughts easily. Just what was he thinking that he was being so fussy?

“Tell me comfortably.”

“…I can sleep hugging you.”

“What? Ah…”

I looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression at the unexpected words.

“Then I will sleep on the floor, Wife. Tomorrow you have to ride the carriage for a long time, so you have to stock up on your stamina now, otherwise you will be more tired than today.”

And as if he understood my reaction as a refusal, Bleon smiled slightly and got off the bed. There was no resentment or remorse in his actions, and I just stared at him like that.

“…But can we sleep holding hands like before?”

Bleon asked, carefully examining my reaction. For a moment, his actions made me feel as if a stone had landed in my heart.

‘What’s wrong with not hugging?’

What was it that made this kid so withdrawn? What was it that made him so self-conscious of me? He was already done being treated for the drug, so I thought that he would be okay if it wasn’t more than a deep touch or kiss.

“Come here.”

I grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto the bed.

“Huh?”

“Come up and… Sleep with me.”

Bleon’s eyes widened in surprise, and he looked at me.

“…Really?”

And he asked me again as if he couldn’t believe it.

“…Yes. You have to sleep.”

I shrugged with an indifferent look on my face. However, Bleon remained still, clinging to the floor.

“You won’t?”

“I will!”

In a hasty denial, Bleon climbed onto the bed, but he still seemed suspicious about what had happened to him.

‘Was I so cold hearted?’

I felt sorry that I had sent so many denials that this boy had such a hesitant response. So first I lay flat on the bed.

“You’re not going to sleep…?”

“I… will.”

I heard a voice that sounded like he was about to cry, so I tried to look up at him, but for a moment I narrowed my eyes. Bleon was holding me in his arms. He put one arm under my head to give me an arm pillow, and his other arm wrapped around me softly. As his body was closer, I felt a sense of security.

“Is it okay? Aren’t you uncomfortable?”

“Yes. It’s okay… Is the Duke uncomfortable?”

“Not at all. I like it.”

Then he gently stroked my hair affectionately.

However…

‘Why is there something hard on my stomach?’

I didn’t want to mind it, but I had no choice but to feel the touch because it was so persistent. I pushed back as far as possible from it. And as if he sensed my actions, a deep sigh could be heard above my head.

“Ha… I’m sorry, Wife. I can’t help it. I told you, it just stands just by touching you…”

The words he said to me a few days ago came to mind.

“…Will it go down again……?”

Saying that, he hugged me tighter as if he didn’t want to.

“…No. But… I think it would be better if our hips separate a little…”

“…Alright.”

Fortunately, Bleon pulled his waist back, and his member didn’t touch my stomach anymore. If someone saw us from above, the way we hugged would look a little ridiculous, so I laughed out loud.

“Why are you laughing? Wife?”

“No, it’s kind of funny.”

“Huh?”

“I just laughed because I thought it would be funny if anyone saw us hugging like this.”

“They would.”

“Right?”

We laughed for a while over nothing.

“Oh, but where did you go earlier?”

“I bought some food for you, Wife, just in case you were hungry.”

“Alone, Duke?”

I never thought he would do something like this on his own, so I asked him in surprise.

“Yes… There’s a shop right downstairs.”

“What did you buy?”

“Something to drink and some bread.”

I lifted my head out of his arms for a moment and checked the table to confirm what he had bought. Although I could only see a little as I craned my neck, there were indeed a few loaves of bread and a bottle on the table.

“I don’t have much of an appetite right now, so let’s eat while riding the carriage tomorrow. Both of us.”

“Okay.”

“Should we sleep now?”

I had to get enough sleep and rest to get on the carriage again tomorrow. And I woke up suddenly in the middle of sleep, so I was slightly sleepy again.

“Can’t we talk any more…?”

“Talk?”

However, Bleon answered with a sad voice, as if he didn’t want to sleep like this.

“Yes. I want to talk more with my wife.”

Even though I was sleepy, I felt a little bit of regret just like Bleon for some reason. There was practically no distance between us and it was a little hot because it was summer, but there was no unpleasant feeling at all because a cool breeze came in.

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