Chapter 81
Still holding her, Aidan asked.
“Put me down, it’s heavy.”
“It’s fine.
I like being close to you.”
He spoke sweet words of love so casually.
It was always Floria who blushed at them.
Unsure how to respond, she parted her lips slightly, and he smiled.
“So… what did you want to see?”
“Well… I wanted to see how the northern mountain range and forests changed under the snow.”
Floria turned her head, gazing at the landscape she had so longed to see.
“Oh…”
The cold had reddened her lips, and a gasp escaped them without her meaning to.
A vast, white world lay before her feet.
It was beautiful. The forest glistened where the sunlight touched, and the distant mountains glowed.
“How is it?”
“I didn’t know it could be this beautiful.”
Snow didn’t just crown the eternal peaks—it dusted the entire range.
Evergreen pines, once lush and green, were half-covered in snow, their dark hues contrasting brilliantly with the white.
The forest she had been so afraid of now frightened her no more.
Perhaps it was because she was in Aidan’s arms.
“I never thought that winter would be this beautiful…”
From what she’d heard in Altomolle, winter in Sieff was cruel.
A cold, dreadful season.
But the winter she was actually witnessing wasn’t terribly cold, nor dreadful.
“Next year, our baby will be able to see this too.”
At those words, Aidan lifted one corner of his mouth in a smile.
There was a child in Floria’s womb.
Perhaps it was as it should be.
Whenever they had the chance, Aidan held her, and their nights together had been endless.
Slowly, her belly had begun to show.
Floria’s face—once pale and flawless—now held a gentle glow.
“Yes. Next year, the three of us will be able to see this sight.”
Floria raised her head and looked at the man holding her.
The warmth radiating from him made her forget she was in winter.
Everything was perfect.
Although it had only been a brief outing, everyone in the castle fussed over Floria excessively.
“Your face is flushed—are you coming down with a cold?”
“No, it’s just that the room was very warm.”
They stoked the fire until it felt hot, and handed her a cup of piping soup from the kitchen.
“It was hot enough to make me sweat.
I should take some clothes off.”
These castle folk acted as though she’d get sick at the drop of a hat.
Muttering, Floria removed some layers until she was wearing only a light gown.
It had been six months since she’d arrived.
Thanks to cook Jill’s hearty meals, she’d gained a fair amount of weight—but whenever a breeze blew, she still worried she might fly away, or crumble at a touch.
Once Floria wore the light gown, Aidan moved toward the bed.
He narrowed his eyes and regarded her.
Her pale skin glowed with red blush.
The sight of her looking up at him felt startlingly sensual.
After learning she was pregnant, the doctor advised they abstain for a while, and Aidan had restrained himself.
But now, seeing her delicate shoulders exposed, he couldn’t help the rising heat.
As soon as they lay down, Floria—unaware of his desire—snuggled into his arms.
“I thought winter would be cold and cruel, but it isn’t, is it?”
Outside might be chilly, but inside was perfectly warm—and the contrast felt wonderful.
Yet winter no longer mattered to Aidan.
With her delicate form pressed against him in that thin gown, he couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Inhale.”
Aidan lightly sucked her lips.
Startled by the sudden kiss, she narrowed her eyes and parted her mouth.
Floria was soft. Hot, and sweet.
He explored her lips for a long time.
At first Floria hesitated in surprise, but then she opened and clung to him with passion.
Her slender arms wrapped around Aidan’s shoulders.
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