Epilogue: Sensual Moments Outdoors (1)

“Ha.”

A soft sigh escaped Eirin’s red lips as she sat in a chair on the small terrace in the garden, sipping her tea. Seeing this, the Spanish maid, Samara, who was attending to her, tilted her head in concern.

“Is there something troubling you, Señora?”

“Ah.” 

Eirin placed the teacup back on the white table and looked up at her. As she shifted her position, Eirin’s fiery red hair billowed in the breeze under the blue sky. Her hairstyle, carefully arranged by the maid this morning, had become disheveled, but Eirin was too absorbed in the unfamiliar landscape to pay it any mind.

Northern Spain.

Eirin had come here for her honeymoon trip. On the coast of this region, there was a villa belonging to the Duke of Bellaston. Unlike the grand and opulent manor, this was a modest and small house, but everything about it felt fresh and delightful to Eirin. They had only brought a few servants and maids here. The rest were locally hired staff. In addition to the new environment and people, even the food and climate were all different. But seeing Eirin’s excited expression appear anxious, Samara asked again with genuine concern.

“Are you perhaps uneasy being so far from your homeland?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Eirin shook her head.

Of course, most prim and proper ladies dislike change (Eirin had heard someone exclaim, “How can you possibly go to that barbaric country? If my husband insisted, I’d faint!”), but Eirin was not one of them.

In fact, ever since the trip was decided, she had been studying books and Spanish, eagerly awaiting the day she could come here. And as soon as they arrived, Eirin had explored this region under Alexander’s guidance. The beautiful natural environment, the kind people, and everything she had only read about before were fresh and intriguing.

The foreign wonders she could only dream of as a child were now a reality, and she was delighted by even the smallest things, like the delicious little pastries.

“I sighed because these pastries are so delicious.”

Eirin said, picking up one of the bite-sized pastries on the plate.

“There are so many delicious things in Spain, I feel like I’ll gain weight quickly.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Señora. Even if you gain a little weight, you’ll still be radiant.”

Admiration shone in Samara’s expression. Having never met a noblewoman before, the barely 20-year-old girl seemed to regard Eirin as a goddess. Eirin dismissed Samara’s compliment with a smile.

“Thank you, Samara. But what are these pastries?”

“Those pastries are made by baking almonds from this island with honey. They have a simple flavor, but I enjoy them very much.”

“They’re delicious. I’ve never had anything like this before.”

“Shall I have them brought out for tea time tomorrow as well?”

Eirin briefly considered whether she might be indulging her appetite too much, but decided,

“Yes, please do.”

“I’m so glad you’re enjoying the pastries I’ve loved since I was a child. I was worried you might feel lonely coming to this foreign land.”

“I don’t even have time to feel lonely.”

There is so much to see and enjoy here.

This was a new world. Everything was a fresh stimulus, delightful and exciting. 

As Eirin was about to say more, she heard footsteps behind her. The regular, steady footsteps approached her, and she involuntarily straightened her back. It wasn’t long before strong arms enveloped her.

“There you are, Eirin.”

She felt the rigid embrace. There was no one in Spain who would address her as Eirin, except for her beloved husband.

Eirin leaned her head back slightly, resting against the man.

“Alexander.”

“I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

Today, Alexander had briefly stepped out to meet the estate’s farm manager. It was the first time the two of them had been apart during this honeymoon.

Standing in the intense Spanish sunlight, the man was dazzling. His neat brow, long lashes, and straight nose peeked out from beneath his swept-back hair. His eyes, shimmering in the sunlight, were focused solely on Eirin.

For the first time in her life, Eirin was in a foreign land, but she never felt lonely. With such a wonderful man constantly craving her, she had no time for such feelings.

The man raised an eyebrow.

“I couldn’t find you in the bedroom.”

“I wanted to have tea time while enjoying the lovely weather in the garden.”

“Are you alright? You overdid it yesterday.”

Eirin’s eyes widened at those words. Her amber eyes wandered aimlessly before she took a breath.

“What if Samara understands?”

‘Overdid it’ – that meant they had been engaged in passionate relations all night long. The previous evening, Alexander had embraced Eirin and kissed her fervently even as they climbed the stairs to their bedroom after dinner. It had been like that not just yesterday, but continuously since their marriage three weeks ago. Making up for the times they couldn’t often meet before, when Eirin’s brother, Stefan, had interfered, the two had spent many heated nights together.

Even last night, they had clung to each other well past midnight. In the end, the intensity of their pl*asure had Eirin pleading with him to let her go.

“Samara isn’t fluent, so it’ll be fine.”

“Still…”

Samara, who had just been conversing with Eirin, averted her gaze and cleaned up her food crumbs as if she didn’t care. 

She probably understood it all anyway. But Alexander, unconcerned, sat across from Eirin, observing her expression.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.”

“It’s probably too soon to go outside, though, right?”

“Why? Where are we going?”

Everything in this region was so intriguing to her.

“A friend has lent us a boat. If we go out for about 30 minutes, there’s a small island where pirates used to stay. There’s no place to lodge, but it’s a beautiful spot for a picnic. We don’t have to go there today, maybe next time…”

A beautiful island, where pirates once stayed?

What an adventure that would be.

She had only ever seen pirates in novels or newspapers.

Before Alexander could even finish suggesting going next time, Eirin jumped up from her seat, exclaiming,

“I want to go today!”

“We can go next time too. There’ll be other opportunities.”

“No, I want to go today. The weather is so lovely and perfect.”

Seeing Eirin’s unwavering enthusiasm, Alexander smiled, raising the corners of his lips.

“Alright then. I’ll have the picnic preparations made.”

***

The boat they boarded was a small vessel with just a captain and two crew members. It was Eirin’s first time riding something that was neither a decorative pond boat nor a vast ocean-faring sailship. The very sense of adventure thrilled her.

And then they arrived at the small island.

“Oh, Alexander, it’s so beautiful!”

The coastal area of mainland Spain was already breathtakingly beautiful, but this island’s beach was incomparable. The pristine white sands, the shimmering azure waters, and even the exotic plants – everything was radiant. Eirin pointed to a fruit she had never seen before.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a citrus plant native to this region. The fruit is very sweet yet tart.”

“Wow, can I try it?”

“It’s not ripe yet. If you eat it now, it would be incredibly astringent. Let’s go see the pirates’ cave instead.”

“Okay!”

Alexander took the eager Eirin to see the pirates’ former dwelling, and then showed her the nearby coastline from a hilltop overlooking the harbor.

Returning to the beautiful beach, they spread out a blanket and opened a small picnic basket.

“It feels like heaven. To be here with just the two of us in this gorgeous place.”

The captain and crew had agreed to return in three hours, leaving the two of them alone. With the biscuits and wine that Samara had prepared, they enjoyed their leisurely picnic.

“Wherever I’m with you…”

Alexander raised his hand, brushing back Eirin’s windblown hair.

“It feels like heaven.”

At his affectionate words, Eirin blushed. 

Since childhood, she had admired her brother’s friend. She never imagined they would end up in this kind of relationship. But now that she was married to him, every moment was blissful. Even now, hearing his sweetly clichéd words, Eirin’s heart felt like it was clenching.

Perhaps it was the lingering effects of their passionate night yesterday. As his fingertips caressed her cheek and he murmured endearments, a tingling sensation ran through her body once more.

Why again, in a place like this?

Sometimes, when with Alexander, Eirin felt a curious sensation. Flustered, she quickly steered the conversation in a different direction.

“For my next novel, I should make a pirate the protagonist.”

She hid her flushed face behind her hair as she spoke.

“Oh? What kind of story did you have in mind?”

She’d said it to change the subject out of embarrassment, but when Alexander asked seriously, Eirin pursed her lips for a moment and rolled her eyes.

“Something about a lady who, um, washes up on a shore like this, and meets a pirate.”

She had intended to just give a vague outline, but as she spoke, it sounded like a good idea.

“I’m sure she’s never been to a place like this before, after being confined to a small estate, and it must be both frightening and exciting. And the man she meets would be exotic and different.”

Alexander tilted his head slightly, his brow furrowed.

Was it too silly?

Most of Eirin’s stories so far had been about the social circles she was familiar with. But unlike Eirin’s uncertainty, Alexander shrugged.

“Sounds interesting. I’d enjoy hearing it.”

“Really?”

Just recently, the printing press had proposed that Eirin start a new novel. Though she had spoken impulsively, this premise did seem promising. She smiled brightly.

“Wouldn’t it be fun? I could let the readers back home experience this exotic experience I’ve had.”

If she could vividly describe this place they had not yet visited, the readers would surely enjoy it, just as Eirin had delighted in reading about other adventurers’ travels.

But Eirin’s enthusiastic musings were cut short.

“Ah, but…”

“But?”

“I’ve never actually met a pirate. Let alone, you know, be intimate with one.”

She could certainly write about the beautiful Spanish scenery, but when it came to the most important part of the story, the pirate, she wasn’t sure.

All the men she had known so far were well-educated gentlemen. Even her brother Stefan, known as a rake in social circles, was far from a pirate.

“Surely you don’t wish to meet a pirate… or be intimate with one, do you?”

Alexander asked teasingly. Eirin vehemently shook her head.

“Of course not! The one I love is you.”

The thought of being with any man other than Alexander never crossed her mind. She didn’t want anyone else.

“It’s just that I can’t really imagine such a rugged man. If it were a lady’s first encounter with a pirate, it would probably be a forceful, violent one.”

Eirin’s experiences had all been in the warmth of Alexander’s affection. But this could actually be a good premise. Ladies who enjoyed comfortable lives would find such a story enticing.

But perhaps…

“Or, Alexander.”

Eirin suddenly had an idea.

“What if we role-played, like a maid and her master? That might give me ideas. You’d be the pirate, and I’d be the lady.”

At Eirin’s chattering, Alexander couldn’t hold back a laugh. 

From childhood, he had known Eirin to be an unconventional, unpredictable woman.

“You want me to forcefully take you, so you can immerse yourself in writing the story?”

Even now, the things she said could be so startling.

But Alexander loved Eirin’s quirks. After the war, the dull, placid life on the estate was livened only by her presence.

“Yes, Alexander. What do you think?”

Eirin’s eyes shone with excitement, and Alexander nodded.

“Whatever you desire, I’ll do.”

Be a pirate or anything else, I would become it for you.

With those words, the man enveloped Eirin’s slender waist. And he crushed his rough lips against her plump, red ones.

Their lips met in a desperate, passionate kiss. As the startled Eirin tried to flee, Alexander pulled her closer.

“Mm.”

Eirin was completely immobilized, receiving the man’s ardent kiss. From the softest inner flesh to the squirming outer lips, he devoured her in one swift motion.

“Ah, Alexander.”

That’s not what I meant.

Eirin whispered. Pushing against his chest, she panted.

“Not here. We’re outside.”

“You didn’t think a pirate would always make love in the comfort of a bedroom, did you?”

“Well, no, but…”

At Eirin’s hesitation, Alexander began slowly unb*ttoning his shirt.

“There’s no one around.”

With each movement of his hand, the well-trained, hardened muscles were revealed.

“It’s just the two of us.”

Eirin’s small provocation had ignited Alexander.