Chapter 99: The One Who Waited Only for Tonight

Quite a bit of talk came from outside about Clive and Eirene’s marriage.

Like the nobles had done, it was because Eirene was Count Phineas’s daughter, but they couldn’t reveal the truth at this point.

And there was also Angela’s advice that being the daughter of Count Phineas was actually better than being a painter’s daughter.

“Time will pass and when they see the young lady’s true nature, things will change.”

Eirene wasn’t thinking about it urgently either. Since she had jumped into this world knowing the situation, she just needed to do well like Angela said.

Tomorrow was the wedding.

The wedding was scheduled for the morning, so she should sleep early, but even with her eyes closed, her mind was crystal clear.

She came out of the bedroom and gazed at her father’s painting for a long while. Then she turned her steps toward the terrace. Looking down at the flower-filled garden from the high place, her dizzy mind settled calmly.

Dervel Palace seemed completely filled with the fragrance of flowers. The greenhouse glass in the garden sparkled in the moonlight. The small greenhouse in the center of the pond, harmonizing with the water, looked like a place from a fairy tale.

Clive had said it was a wedding gift. The greenhouse, completed not long after Eirene left, was well-maintained.

“Can’t sleep?”

Clive approached and stood beside her.

“No.”

“Nervous?”

“A little? What about you?”

“Very much.”

“Liar.”

She looked at him with a smile. It wasn’t the face of someone nervous. He wasn’t that type of person either.

“Really. I’m not nervous about the wedding, but I’m nervous thinking about the night I’ll spend tomorrow.”

“You really…”

When she nudged his elbow, he embraced Eirene.

Since Eirene returned, the two had spent their nights in separate bedrooms.

There was no other reason. Using the same bedroom felt embarrassing for no reason. She felt like a woman who had been dating and was about to get married.

Clive didn’t rush either. She had given him the answer of their wedding night to him who was leisurely waiting for the day Eirene would allow it.

“It feels like a dream. You, and Karl too.”

She stroked his back.

“It’s not a dream. I’m here beside you, and so is Karl. Forever from now on.”

* * *

In front of the temple, crowds bustled to see the Grand Duke’s wedding.

There were people who came to congratulate the two’s marriage, people who didn’t welcome the marriage but wanted to watch anyway, and people who simply came to see their faces.

Eirene was slightly scared seeing the swarming people, but she entered the temple escorted by the knights.

The priest who had been waiting announced loudly that the bride had arrived.

While being guided to the chapel where the ceremony would be held, her heart became peaceful.

There were many people in the corridor too. At her appearance, everyone held their breath and watched with eyes full of curiosity.

As the massive doors opened, majestic music rang out. Since she was a bride without a father, Eirene appeared alone. The path to the groom was long, but she walked without stopping.

Clive, facing the moment he had longed for, couldn’t stop smiling. Today, this moment felt somewhat unreal. From Eirene’s head to her toes sparkled, whether they had added more decorations to the dress made in advance.

When he lifted the veil of the beautiful bride approaching him, he briefly had the ridiculous thought of what if it wasn’t Eirene.

When he smelled her scent as she came close and her slender arm brushed against Clive’s arm, he felt relieved.

This feeling was definitely Eirene.

Rafael’s officiation began from the platform.

It was formal, useless talk.

Though Rafael maintained dignity and majesty as Pope while listing the etiquette and duties to be observed as a married couple, he looked bored too.

Finally, when the marriage was announced and Clive lifted the bride’s veil to kiss her, the temple bells rang along with the applause of the wedding guests.

They had become family.

* * *

Coming out of the temple, Eirene thought she saw Kailro in the crowd.

Just as she tried to confirm, he disappeared and another person filled that spot. Whether it was Kailro or not, she hoped he was doing well somewhere. She had heard he left the Phineas Mansion with his wife.

The Phineas family territory that had been absorbed by the imperial family was scheduled to be sold again to find a new owner.

Not only the mansion where Eirene had lived, but all the territories in other regions were looking for buyers.

Word was going around that it would be difficult unless someone was quite wealthy, since it was vast and fertile land.

Eirene hoped that whoever it was would take root there and live, brightening the place that had been made from others’ pain.

“Do you know someone?”

Following Eirene’s gaze as she stopped walking and stared at one place, Clive looked too.

“I thought I saw Kailro. He disappeared quickly.”

“He would have wanted to see his sister’s wedding. I once looked for Kailro, but he had vanished without a trace.”

That was possible for Kailro.

“He’ll take care of himself well.”

“Don’t you want to find him?”

“I’m done with connections to the Phineas family.”

Clive helped Eirene into the carriage first, then got in.

He looked somewhere and his eyes turned cold. Unlike his gaze, he chuckled and opened the window to call for Ulik.

When he whispered in Ulik’s ear, Ulik called another soldier and gave orders.

“What’s wrong?”

“Some beggar was loitering around, so I told them to give him some money and send him away since it’s a good day.”

“You did well.”

Clive took Eirene’s hand and the carriage departed shortly after.

Meanwhile, the two soldiers who received Ulik’s orders approached the beggar. His filthiness was indescribable and the smell was severe. Even a wild animal wouldn’t go around looking like this.

“Hey! Should you be showing up at such an important occasion? Even if you live by begging, you should read the atmosphere!”

“I, I, uh… the, the bride… my…”

They couldn’t understand what he was saying. Looking closely, the beggar was in terrible condition.

One hand was cut off and wrapped in dirty cloth where blood had seeped through. One foot was also cut off, and he stood leaning on a walking stick that looked ready to break at any moment.

“Ah, whatever. Take this and get lost.”

A few coins fell in front of the beggar. They were the smallest denomination coins among Bainfelt’s currency.

The beggar looking at the coins that fell on the ground got down and picked them up one by one.

When the soldier above clicked his tongue and urged him to disappear quickly, the other soldier stopped him.

“Just leave him. Don’t be harsh to someone who won’t live long anyway. It’s not just any day, it’s His Grace the Grand Duke’s wedding.”

“Is that so?”

“It should be enough to get a bite somewhere. Fill your stomach.”

The beggar who had picked up all the coins seemed to have something to say, mumbling before turning away.

Except for Clive, no one recognized that the beggar’s identity was Count Phineas.

* * *

Returning home, Eirene changed clothes from fatigue and lay down immediately. It was understandable since she had moved busily from dawn without getting sleep.

She barely saw Karl’s face.

Thinking how fortunate it was to have someone to watch the child, she thought she’d just rest her eyes for a moment but woke up when the sun was setting.

“Hello.”

Clive, who was lying beside her, greeted her.

“How long have you been here?”

“About an hour?”

“Were you watching me the whole time?”

“Yes. I’m not very sleepy.”

“You didn’t sleep last night either.”

Eirene turned on her side and folded her arm to rest her head on it.

“How could I fall asleep with you in front of me?”

“You seem like someone who only waited for tonight.”

“I am someone who only waited for tonight.”

“What if I had come back pregnant or right after giving birth?”

“Why think about what-ifs? Right now you’re not pregnant and not right after giving birth.”

Clive’s eyes were hot as he looked at her while touching her shoulder.

“That’s right. But I’m hungry now.”

All she had eaten in the morning was a little fruit. She thought she wouldn’t have an appetite, but hunger came rushing in.

“Can’t be helped. I’m someone who feeds first before making demands.”

Clive got up first and took Eirene’s hand to help her up.

“Do you have something to make me do?”

She asked while pretending not to know though she did. Since she couldn’t beat him, it was fun to tease him like this occasionally.

“Don’t know what it is? Show me a little?”

Clive grabbed Eirene’s wrist with one hand and pulled her toward him. In an instant, as she entered his embrace, he lifted her chin with his other hand.

A kiss immediately followed. It wasn’t the brief kisses they had shared occasionally, but a kiss full of thirst. Eirene, who was flustered at first, became absorbed as time passed, even forgetting that she was hungry.

Clive’s lips were hot. The hand caressing Eirene’s shoulder and nape was also hot. The breath exchanged, the touching skin, everything was like that. When the hand containing heat wandered over the buttons of her pajamas, she pushed him away.

Of course, it was just a pretense.

“Cli…”

Eirene’s voice was swallowed by his lips. The words “wait a moment” only circled in her head with no way out. It was a kiss where the man, unmoving like a huge rock, had to stop first.

A kiss that stopped just before she was about to run out of breath. Unlike Eirene who was breathing heavily, Clive looked perfectly fine.

“Then shall we go have dinner, my wife?”

She took his naturally extended hand.

“I would have resented you if you hadn’t stopped.”

“Were you that hungry?”

“I don’t even have the strength to hold a spoon.”

“Hmm. Oh dear.”

Clive lifted Eirene in his arms.

“What are you doing?”

“If you don’t have strength to hold a spoon, you won’t have strength to walk either.”

“I was just saying that. Please put me down quickly.”

“I don’t want to.”

“You’re not thinking of carrying me downstairs, are you?”

“Yes. That’s what I’m thinking.”

“Clive!”

Since today was Eirene’s first meal as Grand Duchess, most of the servants were stationed in their places.

Thinking that she might show an embarrassing sight she didn’t want even close acquaintances to see to everyone, her vision went dark.

“If it’s because you’re embarrassed, I’ll dismiss everyone.”

“That’s not it.”

She was embarrassed, that was right. But if she told the truth, she could picture what he would do. He was the type who would dismiss everyone like he said, carry her down like this, seat Eirene on his lap, and feed her dinner.

“Put me down. This can be later… I mean, at night…”

Eirene’s face reddened.

“Hmm?”

“So, so at night when you carry me to the, the bed, you can do it then.”

Having heard a satisfactory answer, Clive finally put his wife down. Even when Eirene glared at him, he hummed happily about something and took her hand to enter the dining room.

Before sitting down, Clive called Matilda and instructed her something. The maids moved hurriedly. They were changing the table setting that had been arranged for them to face each other.

So they could sit right next to each other.

Eirene sat down with an ominous feeling. Her throat was parched and she was about to grab the glass containing a drink. Clive slyly moved Eirene’s hand aside and grabbed it. When she looked at him wondering what this was about…

“You said you don’t even have strength to hold a spoon. How are you going to lift a glass that’s heavier than that? I’ll do it for you.”

He brought the glass to Eirene’s lips.

“I can eat by myself…”

The drink was already touching her lips. She had no choice but to end up drinking the beverage as he did it. Gulp, when the drink went down, Eirene saw it.

Matilda was covering her mouth with one hand and laughing.