Chapter 174 - You Are My Queen

After Damien and Katherine's delicious and eventful morning, he let her sleep while he cleared out the table. He was all smiles the entire day as he went around the city to do some errands. It was a beautiful Saturday – sunny yet not too hot despite the summertime. Taking her out to dinner to celebrate another month with her that day was his original plan, but because of their new milestone, the day had become even more special.

By the time Damien came back home, it was already almost three in the afternoon. The house was still quiet, so he figured that Katherine must still be asleep. Setting down the grocery bags in the kitchen, he quickly put all the groceries away before climbing up the stairs and into their bedroom.

A few rays of sunlight escaped through the curtains hitting the bed where Katherine slept on peacefully. He marveled at the sight of his future wife and his face instantly brightened up. He would have stood there longer to admire her but a brown fluffy ball of fur was pawing at his legs, asking for his attention.

"Hey, Bear… let's go wake up Mommy," he softly said as he gave Bear a quick pet.

He laid next to Katherine and as if it was choreographed, she instantly rolled towards him, nuzzling her face on his chest, like a clingy cat. Damien slowly raised the corners of his mouth into a charming smile as he placed his arms around her, one hand slipping under her shirt to stroke her smooth back gently. This was one of the ways that he found was effective to wake her up without causing her to be cranky.

Feeling the heat of his palm brushing her back, her eyes sleepily opened and she inhaled the delicious scent of Damien. "Mmmm…" 

He pressed a kiss on her nose and coaxed her to get up with a gentle voice. They needed to leave for dinner in two hours and he wanted her to have ample time to prepare instead of rushing at the last minute.

…

The night was already dark at six in the evening and Damien entered the living room after making sure that Bear had enough water in his bowl.

The white shirt that he wore with two top buttons undone hugged his muscular frame in a tasty fashion. He paired it with white pants and he looked absolutely gorgeous. Grabbing the steel blue suit coat on the sofa, he put it on, completing his look for their date that night.

His head turned to the side when he heard the bedroom door open and in a few seconds, he saw Katherine descending down the stairs, looking regal in the clothing that she chose to wear for their special evening.

Katherine carefully took each step as she alighted the stairs. She was wearing a blush pink short cocktail dress with an off-the-shoulder neckline. It had a tea-length pleated balloon skirt with a slightly longer back. She strutted towards him, her tan suede ankle-strap stilettos clicking on the floor as she did. She looked regal and very ladylike.

She could feel the intense gaze that Damien was giving her as he scanned her body up and down, causing her cheeks to faintly blush. She could only return her stare at the man who was gaping at her — he was looking edible in his ensemble.

"Wow… just wow..." he muttered when she arrived in front of him.

She softly chuckled at his reaction, fascinated that his usual self where he always knew what to say was nowhere to be found until she heard him speak, "You look breathtaking."

"Thank you. And you look stunning," she returned the compliment.

Damien reached for her hand and raised it to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss on the back of it before saying, "Shall we?"

…

L'Empereur Brûlent carried a three Michelin Stars and Damien Park happened to know the chef which was why he was able to pull off a last-minute plan.

The couple was seated privately in the garden. Under the stars with a delectable meal and fancy ambiance, everything was perfect. 

Enjoying a glass of wine at the end of the meal, they stood at a gazebo and appreciated the amazing view of the flowers and fountains. 

Katherine particularly loved the feeling of her back pressed against his warm chest while he had his arms around her waist. She held her left hand up and the engagement ring sparkled under the light. 

It was a dainty crown ring that had tiny diamonds all around the white gold band and small swirls with three oval diamonds making points at the center — it definitely looked like a crown, only it was a ring and it was resting beautifully on her finger.

A contented smile drew on her lips as she took in the beauty of the jewelry that was now her favorite. She loved it because it was a reminder of Damien's love for her.

"I'm so happy you like it," he whispered to her ear.

"Yes, I do…" she replied and the words he told her earlier while he placed the ring on her finger echoed in her mind:

"Katherine Miller, you are my queen. I will always make sure that you will be pampered and live your life in bliss in the empire that I will build for you. As your knight, your shield, and your sword, I will stand by you until my last breath."

Her smile became brighter at the memory. She turned in his arms until she was facing him and placed her hands on his chest. "I love it very much. I'm happy, Damien."

Leaning forward, he claimed her lips and kissed her softly. He was also happy that his chest felt like it would explode anytime. The woman in his arms agreed to live the rest of their life together and he couldn't wait.

They stayed longer and talked about how they were going to tell their friends about the news. Just like he expected, Katherine didn't want a big wedding. She only wanted very close friends to witness their union and counting the people that they could invite, the number didn't exceed ten. Despite wanting to give her the grandest wedding of the century and inviting elites, he compromised and reminded himself that he would go for whatever she wanted.

Later, Katherine stood by the door waiting for Damien as he bid farewell to his friend. She inhaled the cold air and gazed at the sky, a small smile lingering on her lips.

She noticed a presence on the side and saw a man who was staring at her. She raised a brow to question and he blinked as if he was waking up in his trance.

"I'm sorry, I was wondering if you could tell me the time? My watch died on me," he chuckled.

"Ah…" Katherine lifted her wrist to check on her watch, the ring sparkling as she moved. "It's twenty minutes past eight."

"Thank you." The man quirked a corner of his mouth into a crooked smile and nodded, "Nice ring."

She glanced at her hand and heard the man walk away just as Damien arrived next to her.

He shrugged off his coat and draped it on her shoulders before taking her hand. "Let's go home," he said as he started taking long strides towards the car.

"Why… you seem to be in a hurry…" Katherine softly chuckled while she stole a glance at him.

Damien opened the door to the passenger's seat for her and grinned flirtatiously. "I just can't wait to take you home." He winked.