Chapter 21: Birthday Present (4)

The only sound in the silent study was the crackling of firewood, marking its presence. Chloe’s mind was filled with countless thoughts that came and went, eventually settling into calmness.

She gazed at Tehis absentmindedly and reached out a hand. Without much meaning, she caressed his face.

Her fingertips traced the scar on his cheek, sliding from his chin to his ear. She fiddled with his earlobe, which, despite the outright confession, hadn’t turned red.

“Tehis.”

“Yes, Chloe.”

Tehis’ voice was slightly stiff, as though tension had risen more than warmth. Though he persistently looked at Chloe, the occasional trembling of his eyes was evident to her.

The soundless swallowing of his saliva and the stiffness of his lips, which were pressed together tightly, were no different.

“Are you really okay with this?”

Even if they dated for real, the ending was already predetermined. While the end date might be unclear, the result would still be the same—they would part ways.

As the sole bloodline of Escalante, Tehis would one day have to marry a woman and produce an heir. There was no future for him and Chloe together. And the Mage Tower wouldn’t stand idly by while she dated the Grand Duke and interfered in the continent’s affairs for years.

If they were destined to part anyway, being tied by a contractual relationship would hurt less.

Tehis vaguely understood the implications of her words. It was a problem he had known about for some time, so it wasn’t a reason to back out now.

Even now, as they maintained their contractual relationship, wasn’t he already flying like a moth toward her sunset?

Instead, Tehis’ heart raced. Chloe’s question sounded like permission to him.

As he looked into her eyes, filled with countless indescribable emotions, he stroked her soft cheek with his thumb. His hand slid past her ear and supported the back of her head.

Yes, Chloe. 

He intended to answer as usual—rationally and calmly.

It was a ridiculous thought. He realized it after he kissed her.

A murky heat surged belatedly. Overwhelming emotions burst forth and paralyzed his mind.

It didn’t help that Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck without resistance.

As Tehis greedily devoured her lips, Chloe fell backward. Even as sweet breaths filled her lungs to the point of suffocation, she didn’t push him away.

Caught in the heat that had spread to her, she ruffled his short hair. For the first time, red flowers bloomed on her pale skin.

This wasn’t supposed to go this far.

Their thoughts overlapped, scattered, and melted away. Neither of them could stop, and the study filled with embarrassing sounds.

Eventually, the sun set.

And the new year dawned.

***

Tehis frowned as a thin ray of sunlight pierced through the curtains and hit his closed eyes. 

He raised his hand to block it, but the unfamiliar weight on his arm made him stop.  

A warm body pressed against his side, heating his skin. The slow rhythm of her breathing and the peaceful thumping of her heart resonated through the contact.  

The sensation was too good to be real. It felt like floating in a dream.  

‘A dream….’  

Tehis, who had paused for a moment, squinted his eyes open. When he turned his gaze to the side, the first thing he saw was purple hair.  

The face of a sleeping woman entered his view. Her eyes, red and swollen from crying, looked unreal.  

He felt an urge to kiss her but refrained, worried he might wake her.  

Using his other hand, Tehis blocked the sunlight and glanced around. It was his bedroom, the same one he woke up in every morning.  

He remembered carrying Chloe here while she was fast asleep. Since he had covered her with his own clothes, her dress was likely still in the study.  

The memories that followed stimulated his senses. He now knew how soft Chloe was, how she tasted, and what sounds she made. It was more addictive than words like “alluring” could describe.  

‘This is bad.’  

Tehis was troubled, unable to shake off the vivid recollection of last night’s events. Before anything even more awkward could happen this morning, he carefully tried to move his arm out from under Chloe.  

“Mm….”  

Abort. Tehis froze at her soft murmur and rested his head back on the pillow. Still offering her his arm and shoulder, he pulled the blanket higher with his free hand.  

The warmth of her body snuggling closer in her sleep was comforting.  

“…….”  

Had I ever experienced such a peaceful morning before?  

Ignoring the signals from his body, Tehis closed his eyes. Listening to Chloe’s heartbeat, he let time quietly pass.  

Warm silence filled the gaps where sunlight streamed in.  

It was a spring day in the middle of winter.  

***

Chloe woke up just before noon.  

Her body felt stiff as she stretched, only to curl up with a groan.  

“Are you okay?”  

“Not reall—Tehis?!”  

Chloe’s eyes snapped open. Startled by the unfamiliar situation, she quickly calmed down after piecing together what had happened and let out a sigh.  

‘Right, that happened yesterday.’  

When she had asked if it was really okay to date him, Tehis had answered with a kiss, and they ended up going all the way. She hadn’t intended for it to escalate that far, but she had been swept up in the mood.  

The unprepared rush into her first experience came with harsh consequences. From her waist to her thighs and calves, there wasn’t a single part of her body that didn’t ache.  

And the marks all over her body? That was another story. She literally felt like she had been devoured by a beast and spat back out.  

‘What a beast….’

It was her fault for telling him not to hesitate earlier when he faltered at the beginning.  

When she gasped and pushed him away, saying she couldn’t continue halfway through, he didn’t listen. His body was so firm that it was impossible to move him. Pretending to listen, he had pushed through until the end several times, leaving her utterly helpless.  

And now, look at him. Her whole body aches like she’s dying, yet he looks perfectly fine.  

Thud. Chloe’s fist weakly hit Tehis’ chest in frustration.  

“Potion, uh… can you give me a potion?”  

“Here it is.”  

Tehis handed her a potion as if he had been waiting for her to ask, his movements deliberate as he retrieved it from the bedside. Chloe glanced at him with a curious expression.  

“When did you prepare this?”  

“Aide Lisa came by this morning. Afterward, I told her not to let anyone else in.”  

Ah, so that’s what that was.  

Chloe vaguely recalled hearing something in her half-asleep state. She had thought it was a dream, but apparently, it wasn’t.  

‘Wait, so she saw all of this?’  

Well, as long as the blanket covered her, it should be fine. Even if it wasn’t real, the world had long since been made aware of her relationship with Tehis.  

Shaking off her slight discomfort, Chloe propped herself up halfway and drank the potion. The pain eased noticeably, and she let out a languid sigh before flopping back down.  

While it would have been better to apply the potion directly to her sore muscles, she didn’t want to do that in front of him.  

“Are you going to sleep more?”  

“Mm, let me laze around a little before I wash up.”  

“I could help you—”  

“Tehis.”  

Tehis closed his mouth. While he couldn’t say his casual offer was entirely without ulterior motives, Chloe’s immediate boundary-setting left him deflated.  

But her next words, spoken in a trailing voice, made him realize his assumption was wrong.  

“Don’t say that… haam…”  

Chloe yawned mid-sentence and rubbed her eyes. Her body, which had been thoroughly exhausted the night before, was crying out for rest.  

Though she didn’t feel like sleeping again just yet, she wanted to savor this moment of comfort a little longer.  

“Lie down with me. We can wash up later.”  

“Ah.”  

Chloe patted the empty spot beside her where Tehis had risen earlier. It was clear to anyone that she wanted him to lie there.  

Tehis stared at her blankly for a moment before lying back down and extending his arm. Naturally, Chloe nestled into it, claiming his arm as her pillow. With a satisfied smile, she placed her hand on his chest, which was beating furiously, and closed her eyes.  

In the silence that followed, Tehis came to a sudden realization.  

He could never let Chloe go. She was his only happiness.  

‘Truly, I’m in trouble.’  

Tehis had officially started dating Chloe. But if he wanted to keep her for good, there was a massive obstacle he needed to overcome.  

The Mage Tower.  

Tehis began to ponder how he could persuade the world’s most powerful organization. The first issue was whether he even had the right to take Chloe away from the Mage Tower.  

‘For now…’  

He decided to enjoy the moment.  

Tehis adjusted the arm Chloe was resting on, wrapping it around her exposed shoulder, and closed his eyes.  

There was plenty of time to worry later. For now, he was busy savoring his time with her.  

***

“I didn’t mean to sleep in this late; I’m sorry.”  

“It’s fine. I’ve always wanted to try sleeping in with you, so it worked out well.”  

The two of them didn’t get up until well past lunchtime. After washing up briefly, they sat down for their first meal of the day, chatting leisurely as they ate.  

While discussing their plans for the day, they realized it was the first day of the new year. This came up because of the events happening in the Grand Duchy.  

“Do you need to attend any of them?”  

“I rarely participate in such events. Most of the time, my aide handles them for me.”  

“So, are we staying at the mansion today?”  

“If you want, we can go out.”  

“Let’s stay here. Going out would be tiring.”  

“Then shall we go to the study?”  

“That sounds…”  

Chloe hesitated mid-reply. Without thinking, she had agreed, but memories of what had happened in the study the previous day suddenly resurfaced.  

“The maids cleaned up yesterday’s mess, so there’s no need to worry.”  

“It’s not that I’m worried…”  

Or was she? Was she worried? It felt like a different kind of worry.  

Chloe opened her mouth to speak but decided to let it go.  

“Let’s go to the study.”  

“Yes, Chloe. There’s also a chess set there, so if you’re interested, we could play a game.”  

“Chess?”  

“It’s a simple strategy game. I take it the Mage Tower doesn’t have chess?”  

“No, we don’t. I don’t know what it is, but if you teach me, I’ll give it a try.”  

“Great. This way.”  

The two of them sat at a table in one corner of the study and played chess. Being a game that required strategic thinking, Chloe quickly adapted and managed to pull off a comeback victory in the second game.  

Tehis, who had dared to challenge a mage to a battle of wits, shook his head in disbelief. It was a moment that made him fully grasp the fact that Chloe was the youngest elder mage in the Mage Tower’s history.  

Afterward, the two wandered through countless bookshelves, chatting about various topics and picking out books they wanted to read. Soon, they settled in front of the fireplace, where Chloe began reading quietly. Tehis sat silently, watching her.  

The scent of old books and the warmth of the air filled the room.  

It was Chloe who eventually broke the peaceful silence.