Chapter 2

Who on earth prepares pajamas for the first night of the wedding? 

However, before Daniel could answer, Alice brightly smiled and held out a teddy bear in front of him.  

“Ah! Say hello. This is the one I hug every night when I sleep. Its name is Grizzly. Grizzly, say hi. This is Daniel, who became my husband today.”  

Saying this, Alice cheerfully handed the teddy bear to Daniel with an innocent expression. Daniel froze for a moment, his mind going blank as the soft, fuzzy texture of the teddy bear settled in his arms.  

“Daniel, aren’t you going to say hi? From now on, the three of us will be sleeping together.”  

Alice looked at Daniel with a pouty expression, gauging his reaction.  

“Ah… Hello, Grizzly.”  

Flustered by Alice’s sulky face, Daniel ended up greeting the teddy bear. Alice beamed, snatched Grizzly back from him, and headed toward the bed while hugging it tightly.  

“Now, let’s go to sleep quickly. I’ve been so sleepy for a while now. It’s been such a tiring day.”  

With that, Alice slipped into bed first. Her expression, as she hugged the teddy bear with a blissful sigh, was so endearing. Watching her, Daniel unconsciously smiled for a moment before realizing the awkwardness of the situation he was in.  

‘What kind of situation is this…?’  

Of course, Alice was the most lovable and adorable person in the world, but Daniel loved her as a woman.  

Today was the day the two of them were supposed to become one. Daniel had been so excited the night before that he hadn’t been able to sleep. But now, seeing Alice lying in bed, Daniel was left stunned.  

Alice’s pink frilly pajamas, which accentuated her cuteness, and the teddy bear she was clutching tightly were far removed from the image Daniel had envisioned for their first night together as newlyweds.  

The atmosphere of the bridal chamber was serene and enchanting, but Alice’s pajamas and the oversized teddy bear shattered any sensual mood into pieces.  

‘Um…’  

Daniel didn’t know how to set the mood.  

This was his first time spending the night with a woman, too. How was he supposed to approach that in this kind of atmosphere?  

“What are you doing, Daniel? Come on over.”  

Alice’s carefree smile, devoid of any tension, sent a wave of uneasiness crashing over him.  

‘No way…… Could it be that Alice doesn’t know what happens on the first night?’  

No, that couldn’t be. Alice was twenty years old. She was an adult, which was why she had been allowed to marry.  

‘She must know, right? There’s no way she doesn’t… right?’  

Looking at Alice’s innocent face, Daniel scratched his head and cautiously sat down on the edge of the bed.  

Taking a deep breath, Daniel lay down next to Alice. The soft pillow cradled his head, and the scent of Alice, lying close to him, overwhelmed his senses, making his head spin.  

When he turned his head to the side, Alice was looking at him with a gentle smile. Daniel’s cheeks flushed red without him realizing it.  

“Can I kiss you?”  

When Daniel asked, Alice’s cheeks turned rosy, and she gave a shy smile. Slowly, Daniel leaned toward her. His heartbeat grew louder, echoing in his ears.  

Their lips met. At the same time, Daniel reached out and pulled Alice into his arms. Holding the woman he loved, Daniel felt a fiery heat surge within him.  

Usually calm and composed, Daniel breathed heavily as he pressed his lips against hers, his hand gently caressing her back. Alice’s eyes widened in surprise. When Daniel’s tongue slipped deeply into her mouth, Alice, startled, pushed him away.  

“Ah…”  

Daniel, pushed back by Alice, looked flustered. Alice, equally surprised, stared at him with wide eyes.  

“Um…”  

A moment of silence passed. Daniel began to feel a sense of crisis.  

‘No way…’  

She doesn’t know, does she? She really doesn’t know, does she? 

Daniel felt his ominous premonition turn into reality.  

“Da-Daniel, what are you doing? Wasn’t that just a goodnight kiss?”  

Alice, flustered, turned as red as a tomato. Daniel swallowed nervously.  

“Alice…”  

Alice, clearly shaken, sat up from where she had been lying and placed the teddy bear between herself and Daniel like a defensive barrier. Her face still bright red, she shouted at him.  

“Th-that kind of kiss is not allowed! My nanny said only indecent people do that kind of kiss!”  

It felt as though someone had struck Daniel’s head with a hammer.  

‘She’s twenty years old, isn’t she?’  

Seeing Alice glaring at him with a crimson face, as if he were some great wrongdoer, Daniel felt utterly dumbfounded. Unsure where to even begin, he hesitated for a long time before finally asking in his usual calm and gentle tone.  

“…Alice, do you know what newlyweds are supposed to do on their first night?”  

Alice’s eyes trembled for a moment. Then, she clutched the teddy bear tightly in a defensive posture and avoided Daniel’s gaze.  

‘She seems to know…’  

Surely, the Mistry family wouldn’t have sent her into marriage without teaching her anything. The strong will of the two family heads to ensure that this marriage had no flaws was well known.  

Alice was the cherished youngest daughter of the Mistry Ducal House, one of only two ducal families in the kingdom. This marriage had been a topic of great interest even before it happened.  

As the treasured youngest daughter of a ducal family, many had expected Alice to marry into the royal family or a principality abroad.  

But instead, Alice had fallen in love with the son of Earl Lawrence and gotten engaged to him. While the Lawrence family was prestigious, it couldn’t compare to the Mistry family, which had been a ducal family for generations. People were shocked.  

There had been crises, too. When Alice turned eighteen, the queen consort suddenly passed away. Rumors spread that Alice might break off her engagement with Daniel and become the king’s new consort.  

Fortunately, the engagement remained intact, and during that time, Daniel, fearing he might lose his beloved Alice, endured much emotional turmoil. As soon as Alice turned twenty, he hastened to marry her. It was during this process that Daniel learned he wasn’t the only one worried about the king coveting Alice—her father, the Duke of Mistry, had shared the same concerns.  

In this kingdom, a valid marriage required the consent of both family heads, vows made before God during the wedding, and consummation of the marriage on the wedding night. Without evidence of consummation, the marriage could be annulled.  

“…Daniel.”  

Suddenly, Alice burst into tears.  

“W-why are you crying, Alice?”