Now You’re Obsessed - Chapter 35

‘I’m sleepy…’

Someone might call her insensitive for falling asleep while her newlywed husband was touching her body. Not to mention, this was a rather erotic situation, like something out of an erotic novel, with them sharing a bathtub.

However, aside from the fact that they had just gotten married and were a newlywed couple who could barely keep their hands off each other, to Ariel, Lionel was…

He was also her childhood friend, someone she had spent a long time with, to the point where she felt comfortable showing her most vulnerable side.

‘Lionel… so warm…’

Feeling the solid body gently supporting her, the warmth Ariel felt grew even stronger. Thinking about the times they sat together in comfortable silence or had tea filled with soft quietness, her heart filled with peace and stability.

“Sleep well, Ariel.”

“Mm…”

“Have sweet dreams.”

Listening to the voice that always made her happy, Ariel fell asleep. Unlike the passionate past two days, it was a drowsy and gentle time.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, it was the afternoon, heading towards evening. Ariel thought in a daze,

‘It was this time when we arrived at the inn, wasn’t it?’

Had she not slept for long?

“Lionel, how much time has passed?”

“Ah, a day has passed.”

Ariel, who thought she hadn’t slept for long, was surprised when she heard Lionel’s answer and opened her eyes wide.

“I slept all day?”

“It seems you had a lot of accumulated fatigue.”

“Ah.”

Lionel wrapped Ariel’s freshly awakened body with a warm, wet towel and massaged her. His hands, loosening the muscles in her shoulders and calves, made her body feel refreshed.

Even though she let out a languid moan at his gentle movements, she felt a bit guilty thinking she had delayed their schedule. Ariel whispered, unable to hide her embarrassment.

“We need to get to Veloto quickly. The coachman must have been waiting, you should have woken me up.”

“How could I dare when you were so exhausted?”

Though saying she was exhausted might be an exaggeration, it was true she had been sleeping without moving an inch.

“I gave the coachman an extra day of rest as well, so don’t worry.”

“But Caelo must be waiting…”

“Anyway, this is our honeymoon, Ariel.”

Lionel’s voice lowered slightly as he answered. Ariel, remembering that fact, replied with embarrassment.

“That’s true…”

“So no one can complain if you change the schedule.”

Even if someone did complain, Lionel would deal with it quietly. He had already given the coachman a generous tip. Unaware of this, Ariel stammered a bit as she spoke.

“That’s…”

“So please do as you wish, Ariel.”

“Mm.”

“When we get to Veloto, you’ll be busy again. I don’t want you working without proper rest.”

“…That’s true.”

While Ariel felt awkward at his kind words, Lionel continued to care for her body with a concerned voice. As he pressed firmly to loosen her tense muscles, he whispered,

“If I hadn’t taken the vow of prohibition, I could have healed you quickly with my holy power.”

Lionel said regretfully as he massaged Ariel’s body. Though there was a subtle hint of desire in his touch, he seemed aware of her fatigue and kept it to a caring massage. It was quite refreshing.

“It’s alright, Lionel. What you’re doing now is really helpful.”

At that moment, Ariel’s stomach growled loudly. Lionel, who always charmed her with his smile, kissed her slightly reddened ear and smiled.

“Then you should eat now.”

“Y-yes!”

“You’ve only had light snacks on the way here.”

After saying that, Lionel not only helped her get dressed but also brushed her hair himself. It was as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time, his movements natural. Ariel’s cheeks blushed warmly again.

After Lionel’s touch, Ariel looked as smooth and shiny as a freshly peeled egg. Lionel, who gently touched her cheeks as if he found her endearing, whispered,

“They say the potato stew and roast turkey here are famous.”

“Wow. That sounds delicious.”

Smiling at Lionel’s words, Ariel took his hand and walked to the inn’s hall, then stopped in surprise. Lionel, who had his other arm around her shoulders, seemed surprised as well.

“Oh, you’re finally out!”

“Hello! They say your husband is a holy knight!”

Dozens of eyes filled with anticipation and enthusiasm turned to the two of them in an instant. The hall was bustling with people, as if the whole town had gathered. Their smiles were like those of old friends.

“Oh, um…”

“We heard everything from your coachman. You’re from the Holy Kingdom of Robel, right?”

Ariel and Lionel were quickly surrounded and pushed to a central table in the hall. Hands offering drinks and delicious food came from all directions.

“Holy knights from Robel are always welcome here!”

“This place used to suffer greatly from monsters!”

“Welcome! We heard you’re a famous holy knight!”

“Tell us about the other monsters you’ve encountered!”

The inn, which was usually quiet except when travelers passed by, was now filled with lively energy. Ariel, who had been dazed for a moment, understood the situation after listening to the people around her.

‘This place really welcomes holy knights.’

Indeed, holy knights from Robel were generally well-received wherever they went. Since the continent was plagued by monsters, they were always seen as reliable saviors. Considering that, their reaction was understandable.

‘But Lionel is now…’

Before marrying Ariel, Lionel had taken the vow of prohibition and undergone the ceremony to seal his holy power in front of priests and the Holy Emperor. He could no longer use holy power and had resigned from his position as a holy knight. He was no longer a holy knight.

Realizing this, Ariel cautiously looked at Lionel. She wondered if it was alright for him to hear such things, given that he had been a proud and promising holy knight, recognized as the next leader of the Holy Knight Order.

She felt more guilty, especially since she had fallen asleep while worrying about what kind of work to arrange for Lionel in Veloto.

“Yeah, I heard a famous holy knight retired recently, and we were worried!”

“To think a holy knight would come to such a remote place, Robel’s Holy Knight Order must still be strong!”

At someone’s exclamation, Ariel’s shoulder flinched. Before Lionel could respond, Ariel quickly downed a large glass of beer someone handed her and exclaimed,

“Wow, this beer is really delicious!”

“Well, the little lady can drink quite well for her size!”

“Ariel?”

Lionel, surprised, approached her, but Ariel laughed heartily and accepted the next glass.

“Oh! This is also really tasty!”

“Ariel, drinking on an empty stomach isn’t good.”

Lionel hurriedly fed her pieces of meat and vegetables. Ariel, like a baby bird, ate the food Lionel fed her while not refusing the drinks offered by others.

“One more drink!”

“Haha! She’s a fun lady to drink with!”

“Speaking of which, there was a strange monster in this town before…”

“Ariel, eat this too.”

Lionel continued to feed Ariel and took the drinks offered to her when it seemed too much. Before long, the atmosphere was heated with people who had drunk too much. Ariel, who had also drunk a lot, was no exception.

“Lionel, you’re really… hic.”

“Ariel?”

“Good at drinking!”

“It must be because of the divine power I possess.”

“Re-ally?”

“You should be able to handle it to some extent as well. You do have some divine power, after all.”

At those words, a few people, already drunk, started making a fuss.

“What, the young lady has divine power too?”

“That’s amazing!”

“Am I amazing too, Li, Lionel?”

Ariel smiled bashfully and rubbed her forehead against his shoulder. Lionel smiled faintly at this.

Soon, Lionel, as if wiping something off her face, rubbed her cheek and covered her flushed face with his large hand. Ariel, feeling the warm heat, nuzzled her face into his hand. It was a bit of a childlike gesture.

“Haha, a grown lady acting like that!”

“Leave them be, they seem to be newlyweds!”

“Well, it’s cute to see a pretty lady acting all sweet. It makes me happy just watching!”

Every time people made affectionate teasing remarks, Lionel’s smile deepened. Though his eyes seemed to cool slightly, everyone was too drunk and caught up in the festive mood to notice.

People laughed and added their own playful comments.

“The husband is quite something too! It’s like we’re looking at a statue from the temple!”

“You’re right. Such a beautiful couple is rare in this town!”

“Right? Lionel is so… handsome!”

Ariel smiled brightly, more pleased when others called Lionel handsome than when they complimented her. It was quite satisfying to know that others also found Lionel beautiful.

If someone asked her to name the most precious and beautiful thing she had, she would proudly present Lionel first and foremost.

“Ariel, eat some more.”

Soon, Lionel gently coaxed her to eat another piece of well-cut meat. Ariel savored the juices and flavor, her lips moving as she chewed. After swallowing, she leaned in close to Lionel as if to share a secret.