For some reason, Rose felt a tickling sensation at the back of her throat and was momentarily at a loss for words. Instead of answering, she nodded and Lucian promptly moved closer and stepped into the bed. 

“Then get some more rest.” 

Seeing the man open his arms as if to embrace her, Rose’s gaze grew even more dazed. The promise of holding her every night before sleep was coming to an end. 

“Don’t I need to hold you anymore?” 

Despite the approaching dawn, Lucian offered his embrace without hesitation. 

“No!” 

Rose quickly crawled under his chin and moved closer to him. Whatever the reason, she had to take this opportunity before he changed his mind. 

“…Can I stay like this and sleep a little longer?” 

As she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him, Lucian replied with a blank expression. 

“Go ahead.” 

Despite his stiff expression, the man’s hand was warm. The gentle heat of his palm resting lightly on her shoulder momentarily left Rose breathless. 

“If you wish to sleep, you should close your eyes, my queen.” 

Ah, how can you be so perfect? 

Rose liked the way Lucian blinked. She loved the way his white lashes lay softly as he closed them. She loved the way his lips moved, blossoming and folding like a flower when he spoke, and the low voice that flowed between them. 

“I want you.” 

At that moment, she wanted Lucian more than anything. 

“That’s not possible.” 

“But Lucian, listen. If it’s in a dream, your physical purity will remain perfectly intact.” 

“I must politely decline, my queen.” 

“Why? You wouldn’t really lose anything by doing it in a dream, would you?” 

“My spiritual purity would still be compromised.” 

Rose, who had been sulking, suddenly brightened at his words, her eyes sparkling. 

“Lucian, don’t tell me you’ve never had a dirty dream?” 

“…” 

“My goodness.” 

As she watched him suddenly fall silent, Rose couldn’t help but laugh. It was impressive enough that he’d reached adulthood without any experience with women, but to think that he’d lived his entire life without a single unconscious desire? 

How devout and virtuous could he have been? 

“Ah, really. What should I do?” 

“…” 

“How can a man be so innocent?” 

Rose laughed as she tugged at Lucian’s cheeks. 

“…Resisting worldly desires is a fundamental virtue that every cleric must uphold.” 

“Oh, really? Such a good little boy.” 

“Who are you calling a little boy?” 

Ah, he’s just too cute. 

Seeing his face harden at being called ‘little boy’ only made her want to tease him more. She wanted to see this innocent man flustered and unsure of what to do. 

“Be honest, Lucian.”

Rose whispered lazily, leaning closer to him with a mischievous grin. 

“You keep rejecting me because you’re embarrassed to see me n*ked, aren’t you?” 

She remembered the night they had tried to consummate their marriage, when he had immediately covered his eyes in shock at the sight of her n*ked body. 

“Hmm?” 

‘How endearing will his reaction be this time?’ 

As expected, Lucian didn’t react. He remained motionless as a stone, and Rose chuckled softly as she watched him. 

‘Oh dear. Is he so embarrassed he can’t even react?’ 

It wasn’t until a moment later that she realised she had been mistaken. 

“I apologise for not informing you sooner, my queen.”  

Rose’s smile faltered for a moment. Her eyes, filled with confusion, scanned his expression. Something was wrong. 

She had assumed he was frozen in embarrassment, unable to move, but… 

“Your clothes were soaked when I found you.”

Lucian said, his expression calm and composed, showing no trace of embarrassment. Even though she was close enough for her breath to touch him, he remained completely unfazed. 

For some reason, he wasn’t the least bit shaken. 

“I was afraid that leaving you in wet clothes would aggravate your condition. I swear I had no other intentions.” 

The gap between his demeanour and the situation was so unbelievable that Rose couldn’t process what he was saying for a moment. 

“I apologise for changing your clothes without your permission.” 

What did he say now? 

“No matter how much I am your husband, I understand that it is a reprehensible act to carelessly lift a woman’s clothes.” 

“……” 

“Although it was an unavoidable situation, the fact that it happened is ultimately due to my failure to take proper care of you in the first place. So if you wish to punish me, I will gladly accept…” 

“Wait, hold on. Just wait a minute.” 

Rose finally grasped the situation and interrupted him mid-sentence. 

“So you’re saying… you saw me n*ked?” 

The man replied with an unwavering expression. 

“Yes.” 

The overly calm reply left Rose momentarily speechless. She bit her lip hard as she stared at the man’s unusually calm face. 

What the hell. 

This wasn’t the reaction she was expecting. 

“…Did you just look?” 

“…Pardon?” 

“I’m asking if you were just looking at my body.” 

No, that can’t be it. There’s no way a man who saw that fabulous body of Rose’s could remain so indifferent. 

“I apologise.” 

Ah, just as I thought. 

Lucian’s troubled and slightly dishevelled expression finally calmed Rose. 

If he was apologising at all, it must have been for thoughts he couldn’t bring himself to admit. 

Perhaps he was even… relieved when he thought of her body. 

The thought of him indulging in such vulgar fantasies filled her with uncontrollable pleasure. Right now, all she wanted to do was corner this innocent, honest man. 

‘Go on, Lucian. Tell me. What did you imagine when you saw my n*ked body? Hm?’

With eyes filled with anticipation, Rose met his gaze. But what came next was another answer, completely different from her expectations. 

“Your fever was very high. Not just your face, but your whole body. It was burning hot, like you were boiling over. You were moaning all the time and cold sweat was pouring off you…” 

“…And then?” 

“So I kept wiping your body with a damp towel. Until your fever went down.” 

Rose’s expression went blank. 

“…That’s it?” 

“Sorry?” 

“That’s really it? Seriously?” 

“Yes, that’s all.” 

“…” 

“I swear in the name of the gods, I have done nothing shameful that would dishonour the heavens.” 

His unwavering expression left Rose completely speechless. 

This was not the answer she had expected either. 

“Did you really just wipe me?” 

“I really just wiped you off. If you don’t believe me, I’m willing to put my name on a contract as proof…” 

“That’s not what I meant. I’m asking – weren’t you aroused?” 

At these words, Lucian, who had been calm all along, furrowed his brow slightly. 

“Why would I be aroused?” 

He looked as if he’d just heard something completely outrageous, and Rose, stunned by his reaction, quickly added, 

“You should have been! Of course you should have been.” 

“I should have been?” 

“Are you listening to yourself? What man in this world could dare to see that Rose n*ked and not get aroused?” 

“I understand that the Demon Queen is very proud of her figure, but weren’t you bedridden and unwell at the time?” 

“So what? Why? What does that have to do with you not being aroused?” 

“What kind of lunatic would be aroused by someone who is sick and unconscious?” 

Rose, who was about to snap back, suddenly froze in mid-sentence. 

“To stand in front of a collapsed person and feel anything but concern – how could anyone dare…” 

The man’s gaze was now filled with utter contempt. The harsh, withered stare made Rose involuntarily hold her breath. 

It was the first time she’d seen him like this. 

“If such a person exists, he must face divine punishment.” 

For the first time, Lucian’s disgust wasn’t directed at her, but at something else. 

Rose’s breathing became erratic. Her heart suddenly pounded as if she had just sprinted at full speed, leaving her breathless. 

“Is that… so?” 

For some reason, she found it difficult to meet his eyes. Instead, she shyly buried her face in his chest and murmured. 

Moments later, she felt his hand at the back of her head. 

“It is.” 

His hand gently stroked her hair, as if tidying it, and Rose shivered slightly, her shoulders shaking at the gentle touch. 

“Ah, my apologies.” 

Thump, thump, thump…

The thumping that had started deep inside her body rose up her throat and reached the tip of her chin. 

“Your hair was sticking out, so I fixed it without thinking…” 

She felt as if a hiccup might break out at any moment. 

“I won’t touch you again, so please rest.” 

His hand left her without a moment’s hesitation. The emptiness on her shoulder hit Rose like a thud, a sudden, heavy realisation. 

This man does not want me. 

Even after seeing my n*ked body, he felt no lust. 

At that moment, her face burned like a kettle of boiling water. 

Her pride was bruised, but far from shamed. 

The moment she realised that Lucian had cared for her – wiped and dressed her without the slightest hint of ulterior motive – her chest swelled unbearably with emotion. Her breathing became shallow and uneven. 

It was the first time in her life that someone had cared for her body so intimately, without any physical relationship involved. 

“Sleep well.” 

Her nose buried in the faint scent of soap that lingered on his neck, Rose inhaled unsteadily. She resented his impeccably polite, restrained hands – hands that didn’t dare linger or brush against her, even as they held her so close. 

For the first time in her life, she wanted him with everything she had. 

Ah. 

I want this man. 

So desperately, with a pain that felt as if every drop of blood in her body was being drained… 

The sound of her heart racing kept her from sleeping for a long time.