2. That Marriage (2)

After returning to the townhouse, Saena sent a letter to Constantine.

Though the groom’s side didn’t interfere with what the bride’s side did or where they held their Blessing Night, both sides needed to agree on the sunrise viewing location.

Since it was an official wedding-related letter, Saena expected a reply tomorrow and was preparing for bed without any thought of receiving an answer.

Tap tap.

But what’s this? Saena startled at something tapping on her terrace window.

‘…Could it be?’

Saena approached the terrace and opened the door.

Whoosh. A familiar black bird flew into her room.

“…at this hour?”

Why did he rush to reply when it wasn’t urgent?

Saena extended her hand for the bird to land on.

Flutter — as the bird was about to land slowly on her index finger…

Whoosh– the curtain billowed with a gentle breeze.

“……?”

The black bird rose back into the air and flew back toward the terrace without delivering anything.

“Huh? Bird, where are you…”

Saena’s eyes widened as she turned to follow the black bird’s trajectory.

“Saya.”

Constantine stood there.

“…Your Grace?”

He had entered her room through the terrace door she had opened for the black bird.

“That title again.”

“How…”

“I wanted to talk in person. Is that alright?”

“But this is… the third floor!”

Saena was truly shocked.

“You’re more surprised by that than by a gentleman visiting a lady’s room late at night?”

“Ah.”

True. Saena blinked awkwardly in embarrassment.

Both his ability to sneak in like this and easily climb to the third floor must be because he was an Oathkeeper.

“That’s my Saya.”

Constantine chuckled and reached behind to slowly close the terrace door.

All while keeping his gaze fixed on her.

When the terrace door clicked shut softly, Saena’s shoulders flinched slightly.

With the sound of the night wind blocked out, the atmosphere became strangely quiet, making her unconsciously swallow.

“Y-Your Grace?”

He began unbuttoning near his neck while holding her gaze.

“My name.”

Watching him continuously undo his buttons, Saena’s lips moved but she didn’t know what to say.

‘W-we may be engaged but still…’

He had already unbuttoned everything and took off his jacket. His inner shirt pulled taut across his chest as he spread his arms to remove the jacket.

The defined muscles were visible beneath the tight fabric.

“You agreed to call me by my name.”

“W-what are you doi… Oh!”

Whoosh. His large jacket settled around her shoulders, creating a breeze.

“Your nightgown is too thin.”

“……”

Aaah! What was I thinking!

Of course! This polite Duke would never do such things!

Saena remained silent in embarrassment, chiding herself for imagining him to be indecent.

“…Should I leave?”

Constantine asked as the strange silence continued.

“Was I too rude?”

“Pardon?”

“I got carried away, coming at this late hour.”

“N-no, it’s fine!”

…Is it fine?

Even as she said it, her feelings were mixed, uncertain whether it was actually fine or not.

It wasn’t that she felt it was rude, more like she felt embarrassed and shy and wanted to hide.

“Um… thank you for the jacket.”

The jacket had a pleasant scent. A masculine yet refreshing fragrance.

It felt strange, like being embraced by him.

“But I’m not cold. It’s fine…”

She looked up at him with eyes suggesting she should return it, but his expression was somehow ambiguous.

“…That’s not it.”

“……?”

“It’s see-through.”

Constantine’s eyes suddenly changed to ‘that look’ as they captured Saena’s gaze.

“My patience has been rather thin lately.”

That look he had when devouring her lips—a look that suggested he wanted to devour not just her lips but all of her.

“Ah…”

She was rather taken aback, as she hadn’t thought her nightgown was particularly provocative, given it wasn’t that thin a material nor a revealing design.

“I came to ask to hold your hand, but I’m not sure if that’s wise now.”

“What? I-it’s fine.”

“Not for you, for me.”

“……”

What should one say in this situation?

“Let’s sit first.”

Constantine suggested as she stood there awkwardly.

With slightly flushed cheeks, Saena sat on the bed. Then pointed to a nearby armchair.

“Please sit.”

“……”

Constantine seemed to make a somewhat gloomy expression. …Was she imagining it?

He sat down very slowly and gripped the armrest tightly. His complexion wasn’t very good.

Why? Is he tired?

“Shall I hold your hand?”

Saena asked, thinking he probably hadn’t been sleeping properly these past few days. But she saw the veins on his hand bulge as he tightened his grip on the armrest.

He really doesn’t seem to be doing well.

‘Why does Morev have such side effects? Do other Guardian Spirits have these side effects too?’

She naturally wondered about this.

“If you’re tired, would you like to rest here for a bit?”

Whatever the cause of the side effects were, he looked very tired, so she guessed he might have come to both discuss and take a nap. Saena made this assumption and offered.

His shoulders stiffened when she pointed to her bed while asking.

“Hah…. No.”

‘Why is he acting like this.’

Is the bed too feminine? Maybe the pillow and sheet designs are a bit much for a man to lie on.

“Then… shall we talk first?”

“Yes.”

Saena told him about the conversation at Madame Charlize’s Boutique. About the Blessing Night ceremony at the Princess’s palace and the sunrise viewing location.

“Will you have a Blessing Night with your friends too, Your Grace?”

“Hmm. I wonder.”

“You won’t?”

“We’d probably just drink if we got together.”

Drink….. Surely he wouldn’t go drinking at those kinds of establishments?

“…At the taverns in Manon Street? I heard many grooms go there during their bachelor nights.”

But Constantine’s expression turned very fierce when he heard Saena’s words.

“Do you know what kind of place Manon Street is when you say that?”

“……”

She knew that the taverns in Manon Street provided more than just alcohol. Hostesses, customized services for unusual proclivities, various drugs, and such.

She learned this because of George Hollander. He had been a regular patron there.

“Who spread such nonsense as if it were common practice?”

He frowned openly and spoke with clear displeasure.

“Don’t you trust me?”

“No, it’s not that I don’t trust you…”

Since she had doubted him for a moment, Saena felt embarrassed.

“I’m sorry. It’s just…”

There was someone who actually did that…

“Saya.”

He suddenly stood up from the armchair and came to stand in front of her.

His massive upper body cast a shadow over her. Even in the backlight, his piercing gaze was clearly felt from his shadowed face.

“I don’t particularly like touching others. You should know that.”

Right. That’s true.

He always wore gloves and kept every inch of skin covered except his face.

She had momentarily forgotten since he rarely wore gloves these days. It seemed he didn’t wear them when meeting her.

“Except for you…”

His fingers slowly rose and tucked her hair behind her ear. Her shoulders hunched as her earlobe tickled, then he gently rubbed her earlobe between his thumb and index finger.

“Uh.”

Why does it feel so strange when he’s just touching her ear?

Saena looked up at him with startled eyes. He swooped down and devoured her lips in an instant.

Her body fell backward from Constantine’s downward pressure. Thump. The mattress sank under their combined weight.

His tongue filled her mouth as he immediately pried it open. Saena trembled at his tongue’s movements as it wrapped around hers and stroked upward to stimulate her palate, the motions too explicit.

She was truly breathless as he sealed her lips as if to swallow even her breath. Only when she patted his shoulders repeatedly to signal did he finally pull away.

“Haa, ha…”

Saena caught her breath raggedly to make up for the lack of oxygen.

His gaze remained unchanged.

“I wasn’t going to touch you because I might not be able to hold back… why do you keep provoking me?”

When, when did I do that?

“…uh.”

Swoosh. His hand stroked up her shin and wrapped around her knee. Then it slowly began moving higher.

“Y-Your Grace?”

“I told you to call me by my name. You’re so stubborn.”

“C-Constantine. Um…”

“Just let me… let me touch you a little longer.”

Saena swallowed hard, unable to adjust to the suddenly intimate atmosphere. She was speechless at his expression as he stared at her like a predator about to devour its prey.

Just as she hesitated, unable to voice any rejection—

“Kyaaang–!”

Thud!

Yolly came flying from somewhere and crashed straight into his face.

“……”

“……”

Sliding down, Yolly got back up and started hitting Constantine’s cheeks repeatedly with his bear paws.

“Hah…”

Constantine grabbed Yolly by the scruff and held him up in the air. Yolly wailed while flailing his short limbs.

“Kyaang! Kyang! Kyangkyang!”

Though Yolly’s cries were sharp, the poor thing just looked adorably cute as he squirmed.

“Yolly. W-where did you come from just now?”

Obviously the nanny must have brought him.

She just asked anything since she felt like she’d been caught doing something bad.

“Kyaang!”

Yolly kept swinging his short front paws like he wanted to throw a punch at the Duke.

“Give him to me.”

Constantine rose from the bed with a short sigh and helped her up as well. Then he handed Yolly to Saena without a word.

“Kying, kyiing.”

Still dissatisfied with something, Yolly showed his displeasure by nervously wagging his tail in her arms.

Constantine reached for his jacket that had slipped down exposing one shoulder, pulled it back up, and fastened it carefully. This completely concealed Yolly within the spacious jacket.