Chapter 4 (Part 12)

When Brienne faintly opened her eyes, she was on Cardin’s shoulder. As she hurriedly got up, his gaze naturally followed.

“Sleep more. We still have a way to go before we arrive.”

“No, it’s fine.”

She awkwardly smiled and wiped her mouth. Trying to focus only on the carriage window, she noticed it was dark outside. Though Devok’s large buildings remained the same, there seemed to be more buildings than before.

Even at this late hour, the streets were bustling with people and brightly lit. The scene was vastly different from when she lived in Peroy.

Staring blankly out the carriage window, a gentle hand held hers. Turning to look, Cardin smiled and asked,

“Is there something interesting?”

She answered honestly.

“It’s just fascinating. I definitely lived in Devok before, but since I haven’t been here for a while, it feels new.”

He chuckled and sat close beside her, looking out the window.

“It feels different being with you.”

Cardin smiled and looked back at Brienne. When she looked at him blankly, he naturally kissed her cheek. As if waking from a daze, she blinked, and he kissed her again. Even when she turned her head, Cardin followed her face and kissed her cheek. As she stepped back, Cardin wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her.

Startled, she inhaled sharply, and Cardin gently kissed her lips. The breath flowing between their loosely touching lips was hot. He kissed her slowly, and when he realized she was softly panting, he deepened the kiss.

As he swallowed her breath, their upper bodies pressed closely together. Cardin seemed starved for desire, marking his breath on her lips as he sucked. His soft tongue enveloped the inside of her mouth, and his arms wrapped tightly around her, making her body relax.

As Cardin’s lips pressed against hers without a gap, her breath was gradually taken away. A soft moan escaped, following his movements, as if excitement seeped through.

Whenever she tried to pull back, he drew her closer with his arms. Her breath came out hurriedly. She felt something firm below, and his rough breath was imprinted on her lips.

A strange sensation slowly rose from below. As Cardin’s hand slid down from her waist, the carriage came to a stop.

Cardin slowly pulled back his lips. The lingering sound of saliva in the air uniquely stimulated her ears. Her breath came out rapidly. Cardin seemed to be the same, as his deep breath touched her lips.

Then there was a knock on the carriage door.

“Your Grace! We’ve arrived.”

Only then did she try to move her legs to pull away from him. However, Cardin didn’t release her waist. When she looked at him in surprise, he touched her nose and said,

“It’s your first time here.”

When she only nodded, Cardin smiled and kissed her cheek. As soon as his lips softly parted, he lifted her with both hands.

Startled, she wrapped her arms around Cardin’s neck. He naturally got off the carriage and walked. Although there was no one around, it was hard to get used to.

“Put me down. I want to walk.”

When she looked up at him, Cardin chuckled and kissed her forehead.

“When a couple first enters a house, the man carries the woman like this.”

Come to think of it, it was a wedding tradition.

“But that’s after the wedding.”

“We’re going to have a wedding anyway, so why not?”

For a moment, her heart stopped. Cardin seemed to always keep marrying her in mind.

Before she knew it, Cardin had opened the door and entered inside. She stayed quiet, assuming he wouldn’t listen even if she tried to stop him. Busy looking around, the house was quite elegant.

It was larger than the place she used to live with her father in Devok. In the quiet atmosphere, she cautiously asked,

“Are we really the only ones living here?”

“I hired the minimum number of servants. So you won’t be disturbed.”

“I’m fine with it.”

“I’ve always wanted to live like this. Even if we can’t live like we did in the cabin, just the two of us quietly.”

Cardin seemed to dislike having many servants and a bustling environment. When she lived in Devok, she envied people who lived that way. For example, someone like Foyne. She came from a good family and had money, making her quite popular among both girls and boys.

On top of that, she was even close to Cardin.

When Cardin almost reached the top of the stairs, she hesitated for a moment before asking.

“Cardin, didn’t you have someone you were going to marry?”

He looked down at her as if it was nothing. She couldn’t meet his eyes, recalling him at the hotel.

It was just yesterday. Before she knew it, Cardin had opened the door and laid her on the bed. He met her eyes with a deep gaze.

“There’s no one else for me to marry but you.”

“……”

“Why do you ask?”

She spoke honestly.

“I saw you at the hotel. You and Foyne.”

Cardin’s eyebrows furrowed.

“You were there too?”

“Yes.”

He laughed incredulously.

“No wonder it looked like your back.”

Cardin’s gaze suddenly turned serious.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“My father was there too, and I felt sorry.”

“You don’t have any sins with me anymore, so don’t feel sorry. Come to me when things like that happen.”

When she didn’t answer, Cardin kissed her cheek. His breath softly brushed against her.

“There’s no one but you for me.”

As he said that, Cardin met her eyes. As if curious about her reaction. She spoke honestly.

“There’s no one but you for me too.”

Cardin smiled brightly and kissed her. The soft touch of their lips was new and strangely pleasant enough not to tire of.

His breath grew rough, and her breath became short. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Cardin didn’t budge and deepened the kiss, swallowing her breath.

The rough kiss showed no signs of stopping. Their bodies grew closer. When their lips briefly parted, she finally spoke.

“I heard a knock.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

His voice was irritated, as if disturbed by the interruption. Before his lips touched hers again, she quickly said,

“But it could be important.”

Cardin looked at her for a moment, then got up and walked to the door. When he opened it, the person in front seemed startled.

The distance to the door was too far to hear the conversation clearly. Cardin stood there for a while before turning back to her.

When their eyes met, he walked over and knelt to meet her eye level. His gaze was gentle. As if it would shine at any moment.

“Is something wrong?”

When she asked worriedly, Cardin smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“It’s nothing serious, just something simple to handle. Go to sleep first.”

“So it is urgent.”

Cardin chuckled and stood up.

“Do you want me to call a servant if you find it uncomfortable to wash alone? Or you can pull this cord to call them.”

“No, I’ll wash and sleep.”

Cardin leaned over, kissed her forehead, and stepped back. Once the door closed, it became quiet for a moment. She slowly looked around the room. The room was quite spacious.

Naturally, it was six times bigger than the room she used to share with her father. Even though it was late, she found the room fascinating and looked around.

The well-finished wooden walls, intricately woven carpet, neat flower pots and clock, a shelf with a few books, and even the daisy on the small table.

It was a flower she had once mentioned to Cardin as being pretty. She happily inhaled its scent. The subtle fragrance softly brushed her nose.

She took a deep breath and lifted her head. She liked the quiet and elegant atmosphere. If it weren’t for his family or her body, living with Cardin alone might have been nice.

After staring at the daisy for a while, she went to the bed. The moment she saw the flower seemed forgotten as unease crept into her heart.

Even as time passed, even with Cardin understanding her past, something unchanged tugged at her heart.