We’re Married, After All - Chapter 97

“You can’t sleep right now.”

I spoke in a voice tinged with a metallic edge.

“It’s alright. While you rest, the maids will assist with your preparations.”

Saying that, Danel placed a light kiss on my lips—a silent plea not to stir him any further.

Thump, thump. His rapid heartbeat echoed beyond the darkness.

I let my body lean back against the tub, feigning reluctance. As I did, I made up my mind—once dinner was over and Ireneo had fallen asleep, I would coax Danel once more.

Unfortunately, my plan fell apart completely. Tonight, of all nights, the child was especially fussy.

Ireneo’s restlessness didn’t stop at mere whining and crying. Because he took after both Danel and me, he was growing rapidly and had already learned to climb out of bed on his own. If he wasn’t put to sleep properly, he would inevitably wake up in the middle of the night and turn the entire estate upside down.

So, Danel went to put him to bed.

Naturally, I wasn’t pleased with the situation. I had intended to stay awake until Danel returned to our bedroom, but after spending the evening entertaining guests, exhaustion caught up with me. Before I knew it, I had dozed off around midnight.

When I woke up again, it was the dead of night.

I slowly turned my head to look at the space beside me. Danel was fast asleep.

Carefully, I reached out and ran my fingers through his hair. By now, my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, making his features stand out clearly—the neatly shaped eyebrows, the sharp bridge of his nose, and the faint traces of exhaustion near his eyes.

He looked both endearing and weary.

‘Ireneo must have put up quite the fight.’

With my index finger, I gently smoothed the crease between his brows, as if to ease away the tension. The once stern lines of his expression gradually softened.

Then, his eyelids trembled.

Realizing I might have woken him, I quickly pulled my hand away—but it was too late. His drowsy violet eyes slowly blinked open.

I had intended to apologize. But before I could even part my lips, Danel suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“…!”

I gasped in surprise. His grip was much stronger than usual—I could feel the blood draining from my hand.

‘That hurts.’

I frowned slightly and tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t budge.

The next moment, he wrapped his other arm around my waist and pulled me into his embrace. His touch was rougher, more forceful than usual.

“Wait… Danel!”

I used my free arm to push against his shoulder.

Something felt… unfamiliar.

Though we had shared moments like this countless times before, Danel had never been this forceful.

“Hah…!”

Before I could react, his hand that had been holding my right wrist suddenly grasped my left as well, pinning both of my arms above my head in an instant.

“Mm…”

Danel buried his face in my hair, his breath warm against my skin. The way he held me down, restraining my wrists against the bed, made him seem less like a husband and more like a predator assessing its prey.

I froze, sensing something unusual. His breathing was rougher than usual, as if he were fighting something deep within himself.

His nose brushed against my nape, and after a pause, he took in a deep breath. He lingered, as though committing my scent to memory.

Then, suddenly, I felt a wave of heat press against my thigh.

A quiet gasp escaped my lips. Even through the thin fabric of my sleepwear, I could clearly sense the warmth and tension radiating from him.

Danel slowly straightened, shifting his weight onto me in the process. His firm grip remained on my wrists as he looked down at me.

For a brief moment, a languid smile crossed his face—one filled with drowsy longing, yet undeniably intense.

I recognized that expression.

“…Laurea…”

The moment I heard his drowsy voice murmur my name, my vague suspicion turned into certainty.

‘He thinks this is a dream…’

I swallowed dryly.

As someone who had suffered from chronic sleep deprivation my entire life, I wasn’t unfamiliar with this kind of confusion. I, too, had moments where I woke up but still felt like I was dreaming.

‘Of course, I never acted like this because of it…’

Danel’s movements were slow, almost unthinking, as if he were chasing the remnants of a dream. His touch lingered against my skin, his breath warm and steady. Somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, he seemed to be seeking comfort, drawn to me by instinct alone.

I watched him quietly. The scene unfolding before me was intimate in a way that made my heart race, yet I couldn’t bring myself to pull away.

‘Is this what he wanted all along?’

The thought left me momentarily speechless. Danel had always been intense, his emotions running deeper than he let on. Even now, lost in a dreamlike haze, that same desire was evident in the way he held onto me.

A shiver ran down my spine, though I wasn’t sure if it was from surprise or something else entirely.

I took a slow, steady breath, willing myself to stay calm.

A warmth was building deep inside me, unfamiliar yet not unwelcome.