CH 20.6

“What is it?”

Honey dripped from the mint-coloured eyes gazing at her. Normally, he would have given her whatever she wanted, but right now, Lucas was in quite the mood.

Even if he was asking for a lot, she was more than willing to oblige.

Staring at the wide-open mint-coloured eyes in amazement, Lila explained.

“I don’t just want to give gifts to the guests at the wedding, I want to give gifts to the commoners as well, because in the future, as Duchess, I want to help improve the lives of the northerners, and I think it would be a good idea to start with our wedding.”

“What kind of gift do you want to give?”

“I’ve been thinking about it. The winters in the north are snowy and very cold, and I’m afraid they’ll damage their skin. It’s fine for the nobles, but I’m worried about the commoners.”

“I see.”

“Skin, even if it’s just a little raw, can get in the way of work, so I’d like to give a gift of hand creams, oils, and moisturisers to every single person in the North, according to the number of people.”

Lucas waited for Lila to finish. He already agreed with her, but it was good to see her voicing her opinion.

“What was I saying?”

Lucas asked with a smile on his face. Lila smiled shyly as she remembered his consistent response.

“You told me to do as I pleased.”

Her mauve hair cascaded over her shoulders like soft silk. Lucas casually grabbed a handful of her hair and pressed his lips together.

“Exactly. As you wish.”

The playful touch was gentle and warm. The sight of Lucas smiling at her seemed like a vision.

‘How could he be so perfect?’

In her previous life, she thought her luck had run out, but in this one, it was about to turn around.

Lila was staring at Lucas, her perfect husband, in ecstasy. He loved the look in her eyes.

They brought their faces close together in familiarity. Their breaths entwined, Lucas brought his hand to the nape of Lila’s neck.

The slow strokes made Lila’s fur stand on end. Maybe it was the anticipation of what happened next.

Lucas’s lips parted slightly, and Lila closed her eyes as she saw it.

A strong hand gripped her waist and she stretched out her arms. Thinking the kiss was about to begin, tender and rough, she screamed at the sudden sensation of being turned inside out.

“Kyaaah”

THUD-!

At the same time as her scream, a large boulder flew out and smashed into the balcony floor. As a bonus, it also smashed the chair Lila was sitting on.

“Whoa… what a….”

Lucas was still troubled by the heroine’s ordeal or something that was following her.

He’d been busy moving with her, trying to keep her from moving on her own as much as possible, but to have an accident on the balcony like this, it was frustrating.

“Lu, Lucas….”

Hugging him, Lila looked at the rocks on the floor. Staring in amazement at the large chunk of rock, which she didn’t know where it had come from or if it had fallen from the roof, she hugged Lucas tightly around the nape of his neck.

“I think…”

Stunned, Lucas spoke up.

“Wife, would you like to go in the subspace pocket?”

It was a random thought, but it seemed like a good one.

‘You’d be so cute in my pocket when you were small….’

His mint-coloured eyes lit up. He looked down at Lila, his eyes glowing.

“What… nonsense….”

Annoyed, Lila tried to slide out of his arms.

“Why, doesn’t it make sense? I’ll order it from the magic engineer. Do you really think I’ll get to do my job if I’m this anxious?”

“No, that’s nonsense. It’s called the barking sound.”

“Barking sound?”

Yeah, bullshit.

Lila ignored Lucas’ remark and tried to step down by struggling her feet.

“Put me down.”

“I don’t want to.”

Lucas only tightened his grip on her arm, forcing her closer to him. Stepping back into the room, Lucas ordered Vincent.

“Have it repaired by the end of the day.”

“Yes, Duke.”

“And you, fetch some cool water.”

With a word to Jessie, Lucas headed for the bedroom.

“I still have work to do.”

Lila, who had been busy preparing for the wedding and learning the duchess’s job, was desperate.

“You frightened me. I can feel your heart beating from up here. Why don’t you take a break?”

“I don’t want to.”

“Pfft…”

Recently, Lila often spoke informally to Lucas. Lucas looked at her lovingly.

“It comes from the strangest places. My husband.”

Hearing the whisper in her voice, Lucas lowered her onto the bed.

“If I told you I got a thrill every time you talk informally, would you think it’s weird?”

At his words, Lila gave him a look of disbelief. Seriously, he was a bit of a pervert.

“I should have been suspicious from the first time you counted my freckles….”

“What suspicions?”

“About my husband’s perversity?”

“Haha.”

Lucas rolled over to sit next to her. He couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of Lila’s words.

Even in the midst of this trivial conversation, Lucas was amused. It was refreshing to have a conversation like this with someone without any suspicions or machinations.

It was also the first time he felt comfortable talking to someone who wasn’t his superior.

Lucas tugged on Lila’s arm, wrapping one arm around the slender body that collapsed into his side.

A sweet scent wafted from his embrace. Her scent, more intoxicating than any other, made Lucas languid.

A woman born with a scent.

That was how Lupus had once described his mate.

Lucas agreed. It was like holding a huge bouquet of flowers in his arms.

Lucas remembered the crown prince’s words. How he had so familiarly referred to her as ‘my flower.’

The more he thought about it, the hotter he felt. He didn’t know exactly why, but he didn’t appreciate the crown prince turning back time.

To turn back time would mean that the Lila of the past, already gone, had been unhappy.

An unpleasant feeling began to waft through his scent, and Lila, who had been pressing her face against his chest, lifted her head sharply.

“It’s nothing.”

Basking in his instantly soothing scent, Lila grew sluggish. Lucas gently patted her shoulder.

‘He would have treated you like a flower in an imperial garden, plucked and drunk.’

He didn’t have to look to know it. Theobald, who had risen through the ranks to become crown prince with no rivals, had no sense of consideration.

The world revolved around him, and he didn’t want to say anything more about it.

‘I’m not like you.’

Lucas muttered to himself as he turned to face Theobald.

‘Rather than pluck a flower and put it in a vase, I will make the biggest pot in the world and plant it in my heart. I will protect it, so that it may take root in peace.’

Unlike outside the mansion, where a cold wind was beginning to blow, the room was warm.

The late autumn sunlight streaming in through the window stung my eyes.

She had already closed her eyelids, so all he could see was a white blur inside her eyelids.

Even that was only beautiful. Lucas liked this time, this moment, with no distractions.