Chapter 7 (Part 5)

Then, looking at him as he opened his eyes again, she asked,  

“Then… will you continue to treat me as your wife from now on?”  

Then, as he pulled her back into his arms, he replied,  

“That’s what I want to ask you. Aren’t you suspicious or uneasy about someone like me? Don’t you feel uncomfortable? Will you continue to see me as your husband?”  

There were still secrets between them, ones they had not yet fully revealed.  

But even so, at this moment, they were making a promise to each other—to stay together.  

To love each other and to desire this bond.  

She stretched out her arms and wrapped them around his neck.  

Then, pressing her body closer to his, she answered,  

“Of course.”  

“Cordelia…”  

“No matter what secrets you have, I’ll understand. I’ll stay by your side. Even if the whole world becomes our enemy someday… I’ll still be there for you.”  

“And what makes you so sure of that? How can you make such a promise without even knowing who I really am?”  

“Well… at worst, you’re probably an angel, right? You’re too kind for anything else.”  

At her playful answer, he let out a laugh, as if he found it absurd.  

Then he said,  

“You’re probably the only one who sees me that way.”  

For a moment, she recalled the way he had treated a woman who seemed to be his comrade—cold and firm.  

Was that closer to how he usually was?  

Lost in thought, she pretended not to notice and gently brushed her lips against his cheek.  

“Really? That’s not true. From what I see, there’s no man as kind and wonderful as you.”  

Then, dropping all traces of playfulness, she confessed her true feelings.  

“Thank you. Thank you for loving me. For telling me I’m not insignificant.”  

If she hadn’t met him, she probably would never have heard such words in her entire life.  

The fragments of memories that had tormented her endlessly were proof of that.  

Each one was filled with despair, pain, sorrow, and even self-reproach and hatred.  

And yet, knowing all this, he still willingly told her he loved her.  

How could she possibly respond to such a man?  

“I feel the same, Nathaniel. You are also the turning point of my life… and now, I can’t imagine a life without you anymore.”  

“Cordelia…”  

“I actually know a little about what you’re worried about. I know there are still unresolved issues between us and confessions yet to be made. But Nathaniel, I’m telling you that I will love you no matter what, even beyond all of that…”  

Their roots were unstable.  

That was why they were so often fearful and shaken.  

But she believed they could fill that void with something else.  

What did it matter that they hadn’t shared a past together?  

What did it matter that she had been insignificant and that he had only watched her from afar?  

Now, they were together, loving each other sincerely.  

Because of that, she was no longer an insignificant woman.  

Instead of roots tied to the past, they could replace them with the days they had built and would continue to build together.  

So now, she wanted to confess everything in her heart.  

She wanted to give him trust, to make sure he wouldn’t waver.  

“So please, don’t think I’ll ever leave you. If anything, it might be the opposite. How could I possibly feel uncomfortable with you? I don’t feel uneasy at all.  It’s just… you’ve become so precious to me now that I can’t even put it into words. If we can continue to live like this, getting along together… If we can just do that, I think it would be wonderful. And because there’s love, I believe we can make it happen.”  

“You…? You think of me that way…?”  

He responded as if he couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t teasing or playful—he genuinely seemed unable to process hearing such a confession from her.  

What a foolish man. Why did he think he loved her so much more than she loved him? She loved him just as much.  

At times like this, it seemed his self-esteem dropped to the lowest levels when it came to her.  

She wasn’t such an extraordinary woman.  

Even if he didn’t love someone like her, she would still cling to him and want to stay by his side.  

Her heart stirred, and she pressed a kiss mark firmly onto his shoulder.  

“Ah!”  

“That’s your punishment.”  

“Punishment? For what?”  

“For doubting me even after I’ve confessed this much. I love you too. Probably a lot more than you think.”  

“Ah…”  

“And you have this habit of always being the one to give affection. Don’t do that. Let me give you love too.”  

“But, Cordelia… something like that… it feels too much for someone like me…”  

He spoke again, almost as if he were berating himself.  

She sighed quietly and rubbed her forehead against his shoulder.  

It seemed it would take much more time than she had expected to erase his insecurities and show him how much she loved him.  

At that moment, Nathaniel began kissing her neck repeatedly.  

Even though there were already unsightly marks left behind, he didn’t seem to care at all.  

“Sorry. I guess this is what happens when you’ve been in unrequited love for so long. Honestly, I’m just grateful and happy that you’re here with me.”  

“You fool, how can you be happy with just that? And do you think I’d be doing this with a man I didn’t like?”  

“Thank you. Hearing you say that makes me really happy.”  

Unrequited love? What was he talking about?  

When exactly was he referring to?  

For a brief moment, curiosity bubbled up inside her, but she figured she could hear the explanation later.  

So, she decided to focus on what she could do right now.  

“Well then… let’s clean up quickly and do something. There’s something I want to do with you.”  

“What is it?”  

“Our wedding.”  

At her words, Nathaniel’s head shot up.  

With the sound of water splashing, his startled expression came into view.  

He looked as if he wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly.  

She deliberately asked in a disappointed tone,  

“Why? Didn’t we just propose to each other? I thought it meant we’d live together forever.”  

“That’s true, but…”  

He still seemed frozen in shock.  

When she slumped her shoulders and asked, “Why? Do you not want to?” he finally reacted.  

Perhaps thinking she might take back her words, he responded in a somewhat urgent tone.  

“What? No, I don’t dislike it. Not at all. I just… can’t believe it. Let’s do it. Let’s get married.”  

Then he pulled her into a tight embrace again.  

And soon after, she heard him mutter to himself, 

“This doesn’t even feel real.”  

When she pressed her ear to his chest, she could hear the loud thumping of his heart.  

She burst into laughter and teased him,  

“Are you really that excited about having a wedding when we’re already like this, completely bare and pressed together?”  

Of course, she was half-joking.  

But unexpectedly, his response was serious.  

“To me, that’s like a dream come true…”  

His voice trembled as he spoke.  

Could it be? Did I make him cry again?  

Feeling a bit anxious, she decided to shift the mood by throwing out a playful, risqué comment.  

“By the way… do you prefer before or after?”  

“What are you talking about?”  

“Bedtime.”  

“…Suddenly?”  

“Actually, you’re so cute right now that I want to do it right away… but since you mentioned a wedding, it feels like I should wait. I’m also looking forward to our proper first night together… so I’m conflicted.”  

At that, a weak laugh escaped him. Nathaniel looked down at her with an expression that seemed as though all his tension had melted away.  

Although the intensity of his emotions had subsided rather suddenly, at least this was better than seeing him cry.  

She liked it when he smiled. She liked it when he was happy because of her.  

Even if it was because of his feelings for her, she didn’t want to see him make a pained expression because of it.  

“Ha… You say that, but why do you keep rubbing against me?”  

Nathaniel furrowed his brows as he asked her.  

It seemed he had noticed how she was deliberately pressing her lower abdomen against the part of him that had begun to rise.  

But Cordelia widened her eyes and feigned innocence.  

“Hm? What do you mean? The bathtub is just small, so I’m sticking closer to you. Is there something there?”  

As she spoke, she deliberately moved her body slowly, sliding it up and down against him.  

She could see his brows knit together in pleasure as the stimulation reached him.  

“Ugh…”  

“Hm? Why is my dear groom acting like this? It’s our wedding day. Are you feeling unwell? Why is your face so red? That won’t do.”  

“You sly little fox…”  

“So, do you hate it?”  

She giggled as she teased him.  

But suddenly, Nathaniel grabbed her waist with his large hands.  

Before she could react, he lifted her up without warning.  

“Ah!”  

“Of course I don’t hate it. You’re beautiful.”  

“Ah… Slowly…”  

When they sat back down, his hardness was already pressing against her from below.  

With a moan, she began to take him in.  

When he finally pushed himself all the way inside, filling her completely, Cordelia clung to his shoulders, her breath coming out in short gasps.  

“Hah, don’t go too hard… We still have a wedding to do.”  

“Then I’ll stop after just one round.”  

What she had meant was that they should take it easy so she wouldn’t be too tired, but it seemed her words had been misunderstood.  

Before she could explain, he began moving roughly from below.  

“Ah, ah! Hah, ah!”  

“Cordelia… Ugh. Ha…”  

Perhaps because it had been a while since they’d last done this, she felt as though their bodies fit together even more tightly than before.  

Their heated breaths mingled as they passionately intertwined.  

Later, when they looked back, they realized that nearly half the water in the bathtub had spilled over the edge.  

It wasn’t until the milky-white liquid floating in the water spread widely that Nathaniel finally calmed his heat.  

“Should we actually wash up now? I’ll draw fresh water.”  

“I’m exhausted… I can’t… You’ll have to wash me…”  

“Alright. That’s my favorite thing to do. Come here, lean on me. I’ll take care of you.”  

He spoke softly, planting a gentle kiss on her lips.  

Whether it was because their desires had been satisfied or because they had just confirmed their feelings for each other so intensely, his face looked much more relaxed than before.  

She was relieved.  

Afterward, Cordelia leaned into Nathaniel’s arms and comfortably finished her bath.  

They emerged smelling of the same fragrance, climbed into bed together, and took a short nap to rest.  

“Let’s split up the wedding preparations. That way, we’ll finish quickly.”  

“What should I do?”  

“You’ll be in charge of making the bouquet. It’s a symbolic item for the bride.”  

“Are you sure it’s okay to entrust something so important to me?”  

“Of course. I’m entrusting it to you because it’s you. All you have to do is pick fresh, beautiful flowers, gather them, and tie them with a ribbon. Meanwhile, I’ll bake the cake we’ll eat. Then we’ll each change into pretty outfits, ride Skoll, and take a lap around the forest together. After that, we’ll make our vows in the garden. Vows should be exchanged in a pretty place, and luckily, we have our garden.”  

Cordelia explained the wedding process step by step as she lay beside him.  

Nathaniel widened his eyes slightly, as if puzzled, and asked, 

“Without music, a carpet, or candles?”  

She giggled and replied, saying that in the countryside where she grew up, weddings were usually done like this.  

Then, without him even asking, she began to ramble on about the simple yet beautiful weddings she had seen as a child.  

“There was a popular young man in the village, and his wedding was like that. The bride was his childhood friend, and they were such a perfect match that anyone could see it. Anyway, when word spread that they were getting married, the girls in the village cried so much behind the scenes.”

“Were you one of those girls?”  

“Of course! He was kind and handsome, after all. In a small countryside village like ours, he was practically everyone’s first love.”  

“Kind and handsome? You sure don’t hold back in front of your fiancé. You’re making me jealous.”  

Nathaniel pinched her cheek lightly, not enough to hurt. She giggled, grabbed his hand, and replied, 

“Of course, you’re a hundred times more handsome!”  

At her words, a smile spread across Nathaniel’s face. His hand, which was gently stroking her cheek, was filled with affection.  

“Anyway, the village kids came up with a plan together. We decided to gather on the morning of the wedding day.”  

“What plan? Did you try to disrupt the wedding?”  

“Come on, we weren’t that mean. Sure, we were sad and cried a little, but our reason for gathering was something else. Remember how I said the bride and groom would ride horses and take a lap around the village?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Well, we decided to hide along the path they’d take, each of us holding a basket.”  

“A basket?”  

“Yes. And when the couple passed by, we all jumped out at the same time and…”  

Cordelia trailed off, speaking as though she were revealing a grand scheme. Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, clearly suspicious. His expression seemed to say, “This has to be some kind of prank.”  

But the explanation that followed was entirely different from what he expected.  

She proudly recounted the memory, as if it were one of her most cherished moments.  

“We threw flower petals from our baskets.”  

“Flower petals?”  

“Yes, that’s why we all gathered at dawn. We wandered around looking for blooming flowers and collected their petals. Then we threw them as blessings, wishing the couple a happy life together.”  

Cordelia spoke with a bright smile, her eyes curving as she laughed. Then, she asked, “Isn’t it a happy ending?” and playfully begged for praise.  

Nathaniel chuckled warmly and patted her head affectionately.  

“Anyway, the two people I saw back then looked so beautiful. I thought, ‘That’s what it must be like when people who love each other get married.’ I think that’s when I started dreaming about weddings. So, let’s do it like that too. Our garden is full of flowers for the bouquet, and we even have Skoll. There’s no need to borrow anything from anyone.”  

As Cordelia excitedly explained, Nathaniel seemed amused, chuckling softly. Then, all of a sudden, he stretched out his arms and pulled her into an embrace.  

“You’re right. I’m looking forward to it.”  

“Right?”  

For a little while, they enjoyed the warmth of each other’s arms before finally getting up.  

By then, the sun had already passed its peak in the sky.  

To be continued in Volum