I Didn’t Know I Had Two Husbands - Chapter 30

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Yesterday, the gentle Lucian had been angry, and today, the cold Lucian was gentle.

She recalled the sense of dissonance she had felt before losing consciousness yesterday. The man who had been with her the entire time had suddenly returned smelling freshly washed and pulled her into his arms.

Even in her dazed state, she was not so unaware that she couldn’t notice the difference. For a moment, all kinds of thoughts had crossed her mind.

What if someone else had mistaken the room and come in? Perhaps it was a tradition of the ducal house that she didn’t yet know.

The mere thought that a man other than him might be holding her made her blood run cold, and she had only relaxed after confirming the face of the man before her.

Lucian was still Lucian. The scent he gave off and the feel of his skin had clearly changed, yet the intense gaze that kept driving her on hadn’t changed at all. Rather, the impatience in his eyes, as if it still was not enough, had slowly eased the fear that had come with her confusion.

But the unease still lingered. What exactly was he hiding from her?

The question rose to her throat. She wanted to open her mouth right then and demand that he confess. But she still didn’t have the courage.

She had known him since she was seven. She had dated him since she was fifteen. Though they had only been together for three years, she couldn’t easily accept that she had known only a part of the man who had been her one and only love.

Then Lucian spoke, as if he had read her thoughts.

“It’s alright. We have plenty of time.”

It sounded as though he was telling her he would wait as long as necessary.

Elaria quietly looked at him as he gazed down at her at an angle. She simply waited like that, until Amanda returned.

* * *

Elaria had breakfast in the room with him.

She had always woken alone and eaten in loneliness, so despite the lingering unease from yesterday, once she actually began eating breakfast with him, she found herself happy and kept glancing at him.

The way his fringe fell naturally over his forehead felt fresh to her. He wore only a shirt, the sleeves rolled up. Seeing how comfortable he looked in front of her pleased her more than she expected. She cut the smoked sausage into small pieces, placed one into her mouth, and chewed with the corners of her lips lifted.

He ate quite a lot. At dinner, the meal had been served in courses, so she hadn’t noticed how much he ate, but for breakfast, the amount was considerable. What surprised her even more was how quickly yet neatly he ate.

“Master, shall I bring your tea?”

After he finished eating, the butler approached and asked.

“Yes, make it strong.”

“Yes, at once.”

Having finished before her, he drank tea and waited. Seeing that he didn’t stand up first, Elaria began to believe that he truly was taking the day off. After finishing her meal as well, she took tea to cleanse her palate.

They drank in silence for a moment, then he spoke first.

“Would you like to go see the opera at the Luna Theater this evening?”

“…But is it really alright for me to rest too?”

At her cautious question, Lucian gave a faint smile. Setting down his teacup, he asked back,

“Why, don’t you want to rest?”

“……”

Elaria loved everything about him, but she did wish he would fix his habit of answering questions with another question. Seeing her fall silent at his words, Lucian let out a small laugh.

He hoped that someday she would boldly throw back one of his teasing questions, but even so, it’s not as if she hadn’t made any progress. Staring at her small lips that puckered like a little bird’s beak, Lucian slowly licked his lower lip.

Because of Noctis’s excesses yesterday, he hadn’t been able to lay a finger on Elaria. She had fainted before he could even try anything. Even though he knew her limits, that mad bastard had pushed her far too hard.

Instead of sighing, Lucian swallowed a mouthful of tea. If he left her alone here, Elaria would likely slip away like a rabbit. Contrary to appearances, she was not someone who simply followed along obediently. Even while acting as though she would give him everything, once she became stubborn, she would never yield.

“My parents used to rest together before the harvest festival too.”

“They did?”

“We’re busy even now, of course, but once you experience the harvest festival, you’ll realize that this is nothing. You don’t yet know the full schedule of the Asiel family, so I understand what you’re worried about.”

“I see…”

She quietly lifted her teacup and fell into thought. She was probably committing his words to memory.

She always repeated what he said to herself, so she wouldn’t forget.

How adorable that was, she would never know.