Chapter 40

When it came to actually planning a wedding, it turned out to be more troublesome than expected.  

“Let’s meet whenever it’s convenient for you, Hazel.”  

“Yawn, alright.”  

Hazel covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned. The fatigue from wandering around all morning and the comfortable fullness from lunch made her feel sleepy.  

“Hazel, if you’re tired, should we go home and rest?”  

Kaiden, noticing Hazel’s half-closed eyelids, immediately called for a carriage.  

“I don’t know why I’ve been so sleepy lately. Let’s rest for a bit and then go on another date in the evening.”  

“Alright.”  

Hazel, thinking she hadn’t even done half of what she wanted to do, forced her drowsy eyes open and held out her pinky finger. Kaiden hooked his finger around hers with a loving smile that seemed to say he couldn’t adore her more.  

While Hazel slept soundly, unaware of the world, Kaiden was busy.  

“Your Grace, do you know how often I’ve been running errands for you at Obir Boutique lately?”  

“Are you looking for a thank-you?”  

“No, no, that’s not it. I’ve discovered something incredible!”  

Philip rotated his shoulder exaggeratedly, his expression brimming with confidence.  

“Obir Boutique is famous for being a dessert café where you can see stars at night. So, I went there tonight to check out their cakes, and the ceiling sparkled as if stars were pouring down from the sky. Do you know what it was? You’ll be amazed when you hear this!”  

Philip, still overwhelmed by his discovery, raised both hands toward the sky as he passionately explained.  

“It was Cliang Kingdom’s amber minerals! The particles were so small, like grains of sand, that you couldn’t notice them during the day. But at night, they sparkled. Apparently, if the amber minerals absorb enough sunlight, they emit their own light at night. Since the Cliang Kingdom is often cloudy and rainy, people didn’t realize this until now!”  

Philip, speaking as if he were already a lord, continued with a look of deep emotion.  

“It’s only a matter of time before we’re rolling in money!”  

Unbelieving, Kaiden visited Obir Boutique himself, and it sparkled like the night sky of Starshade. The owner explained that before Kaiden had secured an exclusive contract for the amber minerals, he had won a small piece the size of a fingernail at an illegal auction.  

To confirm the truth, Kaiden took out the wedding ring embedded with amber minerals. The ring, having absorbed sunlight, emitted a radiant glow that made it look as if stars were set into the band.  

Kaiden made a deal with the owner of Obir Boutique to reserve the café after business hours and secured the amber minerals. It was the perfect proposal location for Hazel, who loved stars, and the wedding ring suited the occasion perfectly.  

Returning home, Kaiden gently stroked Hazel’s hair as she slept soundly.  

Her peaceful appearance made him hesitate to wake her, but he remembered the promise they had made at lunch and her bucket list. He softly called her name.  

– Hold hands with my lover and go on a nighttime walk until sunrise.  

“Hazel, would you like to go for a nighttime walk?”  

When she didn’t wake, Kaiden touched her cheek, planning to let her sleep longer. Hazel stirred, murmuring, “Mmm…” as her eyelashes fluttered.  

“Or, do you want to sleep more?”  

“…I want to go for a walk. Let’s go.”  

It was past midnight, long after the carriages had stopped running. As Hazel held Kaiden’s hand and they left the mansion, walking slowly toward the city, her drowsiness began to fade.  

The gentle dawn breeze was chilly, and whenever Hazel shivered, Kaiden wrapped his arms around her from behind. He matched his steps to her smaller stride, walking slowly.  

From childhood until now, Hazel had always turned to find Kaiden by her side, so she didn’t even know what loneliness felt like.  

She hoped Kaiden felt the same way.  

“Your Grace, when did you start liking me?”  

Kaiden only smiled, so Hazel let go of his hand and hopped in place.  

“I think I know. Was it when I wrote the names of people asking me out on the cookie box in the library and said you could handle them? Am I right?”  

Hazel laughed brightly, as if she had figured it out, while Kaiden simply stared at her without replying.  

If he had to answer when he started liking her, he would have to go back far.  

‘Say hello. This is my younger sister, Hazel Erban.’  

‘Hello, Young Master.’  

The moment Hazel blinked her large, amber-colored eyes twice and greeted him shyly, Kaiden felt like he had forgotten how to breathe. His heart skipped out of rhythm, and the steady rhythm of his inhaling and exhaling was thrown into chaos.  

‘Ah, hello, I’m Kaiden Gray.’  

‘I like chocolate the most. Since it’s my first time meeting you today, I’ll give you this as a token of friendship.’  

She extended her short arm and placed a small piece of chocolate in his hand, then shook his arm. It felt as if the world was shaking with her.  

He thought his fascination with her was just because he wasn’t used to having a younger sister, as he only had younger brothers at home. But Hazel, small and white like a rabbit and prone to tears, kept drawing his attention.  

That day, he fell in love at first sight.  

And now, the grown-up Hazel was shaking his arm again.  

“Your Grace, so where are we going now? Should we just keep walking like this?”  

When Hazel smiled, saying she was fine with anything, Kaiden’s heart ached. Marriage might just leave his heart in pieces.  

“Let’s go see the stars.”  

“Stars? You can’t see them well from here. Where are we going?”  

Hazel, whose eyes sparkled at the mention of stars—the thing she loved second only to chocolate—looked at him, her gaze gleaming under the moonlight.  

“Over there.”  

Kaiden pointed toward the brightly lit Obir Boutique Café.  

Pushing open the heavy glass doors, Kaiden led Hazel to the center of the café, where a mat was laid out.  

“Sit here, Hazel.”  

“What about the stars?”  

“Just wait a moment.”  

Kaiden turned off all the lights except a few wall lamps. The amber minerals embedded in the ceiling began to sparkle, creating a scene that resembled a starry night sky.  

“Wow~ It really does feel like stars are pouring down!”  

Hazel, covering her mouth with both hands, marveled. Even as she lay down on the mat, she continued to exclaim in awe. Lying beside her, Kaiden offered her his arm as a pillow and fiddled with the ring in his pocket. 

“Hazel.”  

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“If you want stars, I’ll make them and bring them to you. If you want snow, I’ll buy you a country where it snows. If you need an older brother, I’ll sometimes be like Evan for you. So, Hazel, will you stay by my side for the rest of your life?”  

The mineral at the center of the ring shone brighter than any star inside Obir Boutique.  

“Marry me, Hazel.”  

Kaiden placed the sparkling star onto Hazel’s ring finger.  

“I’m so, so happy, Your Grace!”  

The moment she saw the ring adorning her once-empty finger, her heart swelled, and she felt as if she was floating.  

Hazel, who had been lying down and gazing at the stars, sat up and wrapped her arms around Kaiden’s neck. Their gazes locked, neither moving for a long time.  

Kaiden’s large hands gently cupped her cheeks, drawing her closer, and their lips met. As they kissed, Hazel’s body tilted further back.  

“Thank you for accepting, Hazel.”  

“Thank you for proposing to me as well.”  

Before she realized it, Hazel found herself beneath Kaiden. As she turned her head slightly, all she could see were stars everywhere.  

Their breaths intertwined, and the warm heat began to transfer to her lips. Their lips met, parted, and met again repeatedly, cutting through the air each time.  

The electric sensation that began at her lips spread slowly and steadily to her fingertips and toes.  

“Ah… haa…”  

As saliva began to pool and her slightly swollen lips emitted soft, wet sounds, Kaiden gradually leaned his weight on her. His tongue filled her mouth, and his firming body pressed against her lower abdomen.  

Even though this wasn’t the first time, Kaiden’s actions always made Hazel feel a breathless tension. She wanted to tell him how happy she was, so much so that she wished she could preserve this moment forever. Hazel cupped Kaiden’s face with both of her hands.  

The heat radiating from his face was enough to warm her palms, and her cheeks turned red from the warmth.  

“Your Grace. Duke Kaiden Gray.”  

“Yes, Hazel Erban.”  

With a soft, wet sound, their lips parted, and a thin string of saliva glittered like the tail of the Milky Way. In the dim light and amidst the lingering sound of their breaths, their eyes met again.  

“I love you.”  

“I love you more. So much that words can’t even begin to describe it.”  

Kaiden’s gentle touch traced the back of Hazel’s hand, slowing down as their lips met again. His tongue slipped through the small gap between her lips, coiling around the base of her tongue each time, leaving her mouth filled with warmth.  

The kiss that followed their confession of love was persistent and fiery.  

Kaiden’s hand, which had been caressing Hazel’s hand, moved to trace her ribs before slipping beneath her undergarments.  

“Haa, wait… not there.”  

As the excitement slowly enveloped Hazel, the countless stars around them seemed to vanish, leaving only Kaiden’s warm breaths audible in the darkness.  

“Mmm… ah!”  

“I love you, Hazel.”