Chapter 59: 59 — Night at an Inn (1) [18+]

"Are you asleep?"

Cynthia heard Lucian’s voice, muffled by the wooden door.

She rose from the bed and with a creaky voice spoke, "Come in."

She quickly sat straight and coughed to clear her voice. She didn’t expect her voice to turn this way because of the cold on the terrace.

How long have I been there?

She wondered, unable to find an answer. Whenever she recalled a fragment of her past, she would space out and lose track of time and place. She felt sucked into that moment once again and her body froze each time.

"I should have worn warmer clothes," Cynthia thought.

"You should wear warm clothes. It gets colder in the capital compared to Erion," Lucian spoke, slowly approaching the young woman seated on the bed.

"I’m fine."

"If you say so. There’s only one bed. So... I will sleep on the floor."

Hearing Lucian’s suggestion, Cynthia scoffed.

"Your Highness, I think as husband and wife, we can sleep on the same bed. And I believe we can trust each other enough that the other person will not slit our throats while the other is asleep," Cynthia flashed a smile, although her eyes were not twinkling like it would if her smile was genuine.

"About that..."

"We don’t need to discuss this further. Please turn off the lights and lay on the bed," Cynthia walked his way.

Lucian flinched, backstepping as she approached him.

"Why are you coming this way?"

"To change. You don’t expect me to sleep in this attire, right? They have arranged some night robes for us, so let’s wash up quickly and get ready for bed. You don’t need the assistance of maids, right?"

Having said so, Cynthia entered the bathroom.

Lucian went to sit on the bed, confused about the situation in which he was in. The woman who kept wanting to spend the night with him, sleeping with him, was behaving as if she was not interested in doing anything at all.

We are alone. Isn’t it the best chance for her to try her—

Lucian shook his head.

I’m thinking nonsense because of her. She always wants to do... what am I thinking, damn it?!

After another few minutes, Cynthia walked out of the washroom, her long silver hair still wet although she had a towel around her hair. She rubbed the cloth on it, drying up the remaining water. The white robe she wore stuck to her skin. Her pale pink peaks were nearly visible through the thin cloth.

Lucian quickly averted his gaze. He felt bewitched for a second by the sight of her. He nearly believed she looked beautiful like an angel— just as he first thought when he saw her beautiful face on their wedding day.

She is no angel. Don’t forget that she is an Eldorian!

Lucian told himself, clenching his fist as he rushed inside the bathroom.

"He is hard to please," Cynthia sighed, sitting on the bed. "He gets upset no matter what I do it seems," she mumbled, noticing the frown on his face when he headed into the bathroom.

Inside the washroom, Lucian looked at himself in the mirror, his emerald eyes shifting to golden.

"Not now," he gritted between his teeth. "I can’t let her see this."

After taking a quick shower, Lucian walked out, wrapping his dark robe around his waist, and wearing dark pants he found beside the night robe.

He noticed Cynthia lying on the bed, her eyes closed. He sat at the corner of the bed, looking at her closely. He slowly reached for her cheek, his cold hand brushing against her warm skin as he contemplated her face.

He didn’t want to wake her, but the sight of her peaceful expression, the only real complexion she couldn’t fake, made him want to touch her.

"You’ve arrived?" Cynthia asked, opening her eyes to the sight of Lucian’s silhouette. She was surprised when she felt a hand touching her skin tenderly. For a second, she assumed it might be an assassin; however, it was impossible for anyone to know where she was staying tonight. Then, although she didn’t want to believe it, her mind wandered to Lucian, and she was right. He was seated stiffly at the edge of the bed, and turned away from her.

"You still won’t look at me?" she murmured, dejected, her voice carrying a tinge of vulnerability that startled even her. She was too overwhelmed by the memories of her life which she remembered earlier. The death of the princess was a tragedy for the whole kingdom and seeing her smiling so brightly made Cynthia’s heartache momentarily even though she was never close to her in her past life nor this life. It was merely their first encounter in this timeline.

She sat on the bed and reached out slowly, her fingers brushing against his hand that still rested on her cheek. When he didn’t pull away as he usually would, she let her touch linger, guiding his palm against her cheek. She needed comfort but she didn’t know how to do it herself. At least, not tonight. In the books she read, they said sleeping with someone could comfort a person.

But is that true?

Cynthia wanted to test it out.

Lucian’s body tensed at the unexpected contact, his gaze still fixed somewhere beyond her.

"Why?" she asked softly, almost to herself. "Why do you refuse to look at me? Am I... not pretty enough?"

Silence hung in the air for a moment before he finally turned his gaze to her, causing her to gulp nervously. The fierce intensity in his eyes made her throat tighten as if he would snap at any moment even if he weren’t like that.

"What is it that you want, Your Highness?" His voice was low, controlled—but there was a dangerous edge to it as if he were daring her to cross a line as if he was daring her to play with fire.

A line she wanted to destroy if she could.

"I want... to know what you see when you look at me," she whispered, keeping her eyes locked into his. "We’re husband and wife, yet we’re practically strangers. We’ve never shared anything... barely a conversation, let alone—" She hesitated for an instant, searching for a reaction. "—let alone a future."

A sudden shiver ran down her spine as she thought about their future. It was no different from a desert—void of blooming flowers, with only thorny cactuses that would hurt them at every step if they didn’t watch their steps.

"A future?" Lucian repeated, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "And what do you think that future should look like? Children? A home?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "With someone like you? You’d destroy—"

"Do you think I’d destroy a child too?"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read