Side Story 3

With that handsome face tempting her up close, even a Buddha would be enticed.

“Hmm?”

Even at a distance where their breaths mingled, it was bewitching.

She glared at him disapprovingly, then slightly pursed her lips and lowered her eyes.

Instead of answering, she tightly closed her eyes, and with a low chuckle, his breath and warmth drew closer.

Seeing Serena squeeze her eyes shut, Magnus licked his lower lip with a leisurely expression.

With a look of evident enjoyment, he let out a light laugh and kissed her.

He gently bit her lower lip and lightly entwined his tongue, causing her to tremble slightly with her eyes tightly closed.

It was an incredibly adorable sight.

Gazing intently at the woman in his arms who had finally become his, Magnus thoroughly enjoyed himself, licking her lips, then stepped back with a light laugh.

Looking at Serena’s flushed face as she caught her breath, Magnus kissed her forehead again.

“You really…”

“Have you fallen for me all over again?”

“That happens every day.”

He calmly countered her teasing question with a hint of laughter.

Serena, who had mischievously posed the question, seemed rather flustered and rubbed her neck.

“Really…”

“What?”

He chuckled softly and tilted his head.

“Never mind.”

Magnus and Serena strolled leisurely through the garden.

Bees and butterflies flew among the fully bloomed flowers, and the fragrance was so intense it almost made one’s vision blur.

“Ah…”

Even when she closed her eyes tightly, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the dizzying scent, she would slightly roll her eyes at the warmth approaching her side.

“Do you like it?”

“…Yes. It’s nice to come out after a long time. If we had been a bit later, all the flowers would have fallen.”

With the flowers in such full bloom, it was clear that their petals would soon fall off.

“If you wish, they would bloom even in the dead of winter.”

“…Huh?”

“I’ll make it happen.”

“Isn’t that not you working hard, but rather your subordinates, like Pamel?”

She frowned as if finding it absurd, to which Magnus responded quite boldly.

“That’s what I pay them for.”

“That’s abuse of power.”

“They receive more generous salaries than elsewhere, so they should endure that much.”

Hmm.

If they’re paid well, that would certainly be the case.

Since it wasn’t wrong, Serena nodded after a brief contemplation.

“Still, asking for flowers to bloom in midwinter is too cruel.”

“We’ll grow the flowers in a greenhouse. We’ll have to plant them every day, though.”

“…What’s that. It’s too much even for flowers.”

She said it was excessive before, but this seemed to have crossed that line long ago.

It was fortunate that this man’s affections were directed at her; if it had been someone else or a stranger, who knows what would have happened.

‘No, would they have adapted to that as well?’

She didn’t know.

She didn’t really want to think about it either.

“Magnus.”

“Yes.”

“Why do I like you so much? It’s strange.”

Magnus’s eyes widened slightly at Serena’s sudden words.

He looked at her with a slightly surprised expression, then chuckled and kissed her cheek after bending down.

“Are you trying to provoke me by suddenly saying such cute things?”

“No, I was just… thinking how nice this situation is.”

To be honest, the life she had lived had been quite spectacular.

There were certainly times when even this outpouring of happiness and everything that made Magnus happy felt bewildering.

“Isn’t that a good thing then?”

“Mmm… that’s true, but…”

Serena rubbed her neck and let out a slight laugh.

“I just never thought happiness would come to me. You know?”

“Why?”

“To be honest, even though I haven’t said it, I felt like I had lived a life that gathered all the misfortunes of the world.”

Serena said, putting strength in her eyes.

Magnus burst into laughter as he looked at her with her eyes slightly upturned.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“What does it matter? Isn’t it enough that you’re happy now?”

“That’s right.”

If I’m happy now, nothing else matters.

Serena nodded lightly in agreement with Magnus’s words.

As they walked, her back and legs started to ache, and her pace slowed a bit.

“Let’s rest a little.”

Quickly noticing Serena’s fatigue, Magnus hurriedly carried her to a bench in a corner of the garden.

“No… I can walk this much on my own.”

It was only about a dozen more steps.

“You looked tired.”

“A little… fatigue comes easily. Because my body is heavy.”

“Yes, that’s why I helped.”

Magnus added, shaking his head slightly as if to say there was no need to state the obvious.

Serena, rubbing her neck in embarrassment, let out a small sigh.

“…Thank you.”

“If you’re tired, don’t hold back, just say it. It’s much better to solve problems before they arise.”

“I will.”

The breeze that blew was quite cool.

Even the simple act of Magnus sitting beside her, firmly grasping her hand, filled her with an overwhelming sense of comfort and gratitude.

Though Magnus probably didn’t realize it.

Serena yawned and lightly rubbed her eyelids.

“Are you sleepy?”

“Mmm, a little.”

The fatigue that easily overwhelmed her had become quite familiar by now.

In other words, there was nothing new about it.

“Sometimes I think it’s fortunate that you’re here.”

“Sometimes?”

“No, I mean, it’s always good, but sometimes I really think it’s fortunate that you’re by my side.”

Serena quickly changed her words at Magnus’s narrowed gaze.

Only then did Magnus nod with a slightly satisfied expression.

He still wants to hear exactly what he wants to hear, just like before.

“I just wanted to say thank you.”

“I don’t know how many times I’ve heard that ‘thank you’ today. I’m starting to get cold. Let’s go inside.”

“Okay, okay.”

Serena shrugged and nodded readily at Magnus’s exasperation.

Magnus stood up and effortlessly lifted Serena.

Lifting her heavier body with one arm was always shocking, no matter how many times she experienced it.

As soon as she was in his arms, her body instantly relaxed as if nothing had happened.

With the pleasant sensation, her vision blurred and she nodded off, finally resting her forehead on his shoulder.

“I hope the baby is born safely soon so it stops tormenting you.”

At those sudden words that sounded like a complaint, Serena laughed with slightly hazy eyes and spoke softly.

“I don’t think it’s tormenting. It’s probably just saying let’s take a nap together.”

“The problem is that you fall asleep every time I turn my eyes away. I’m losing time to have you all to myself.”

Says the one who holds me every night.

“Tell the child in your belly it’s being inconsiderate.”

“Go ahead.”

He snorted.

“If it’s a girl, she might not like a dad like that, you know?”

When Serena spoke with a mocking seriousness, Magnus flinched slightly, a flicker of bewilderment crossing his features..

His brisk steps towards the mansion entrance seemed to slow a bit.

“…It might be a son, not a daughter.”

She burst into laughter at the words that sounded like a protest.

What an adorable thing to say.

“Mmm, I see.”

“Really.”

“Whether it’s a son or daughter, you don’t want to be disliked, right?”

“I have a conscience.”

That seemed to be the end of his protest.

Serena nodded at his one-liner about having a conscience.

“Anyway, if you’re tired, get some sleep. I’ll wake you up when it’s dinner time.”

Magnus adjusted his posture to bury Serena’s chattering head a bit more into his chest.

“Ah…!”

It was when Magnus entered the room and put Serena down.

Serena’s face suddenly contorted, and a pained groan escaped through her teeth.

“Serena…?”

Magnus’s face turned pale.