Chapter 23

Gesualdo swallowed hard as he sat on his bed, facing Lillith, who was sitting there with a smile.

It wasn’t because of any lewd thoughts, but simply due to his nervousness.

Gesualdo had never been this nervous in front of a woman in bed.

He considered leaving the room but then thought better of it.

Even if she was an odd one, he didn’t want to hurt her.

He believed they should talk, even if it meant going in circles, and so he sat down on the bed.

“Um... Princess Amaryllis...”

“It’s Lillith. Close friends call me Lillith, and it’s no longer appropriate to call me Princess. After all, I am now the prince’s wife.”

Lillith said this without any sign of fear, and even with a hint of pride at the end, which left Gesualdo taken aback.

He wondered if she was truly happy to be his wife, and before he knew it, he had opened his mouth to speak.

“My name is Gesualdo. My friends call me Ges...”

“Then call me Jed!”

“Huh?”

“I don’t want to be the same as everyone else. Can I call you Jed? After all, I am your wife.”

“...Do as you please.”

Though surprised, Gesualdo agreed, but he wondered if it was okay for him to call her Lillith.

He realized he had already fallen into Lillith’s rhythm.

Still, he tried to resist.

“Lillith...”

“Yes!”

“...Even if it’s a waste of time, I want to talk.”

“I understand.”

Seeing her face light up just by being called Lillith made him feel cruel.

Still, he wanted her to understand his position as her husband.

“I think I mentioned this last night... If we have a child and that child has red eyes, what would you do? It might be seen as a curse—”

“That would mean the child takes after the father!”

“No, that’s the problem. It would be a curse—”

“Is there a curse? But Your Highness—Jed, you seem perfectly fine. Is there something wrong with you?”

“No, I’m perfectly fine, but—”

“Oh, I’m relieved. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, as long as they are healthy, that’s all that matters. When my mother gave birth to Lino, everyone was worried. It was her fifth child, but it had been fourteen years since Dalia, and she was quite old to be giving birth. When both mother and child were safe, everyone cried with joy.”

“That’s good. ...But my mother passed away when I was young. People say it was a curse.”

“...I’m sorry to hear that the Empress passed away so early. I’m sure it was very sad for you, Jed. But I’m angry at those rumors! It’s cruel to say such things to someone who is grieving!”

“No, that’s why I’m saying, there’s a possibility that you might—”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Huh?”

“Even if there is a curse in this world, I’ve heard it’s from those who died in the wars you’ve fought. But if that’s the case, why aren’t you cursed? Wouldn’t that be more direct? But this morning, you seemed very healthy.”

“Of course, I don’t believe in curses—”

“Oh, I see! I’m relieved. I thought you believed in them because you seemed so concerned. Then, let’s consider this matter resolved. Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“Um, as I said yesterday, I’m completely new to this, so can I leave it to you, Jed? My mother and the Empress’s maid said it’s best to do so.”

“...”

Before he knew it, the conversation had ended.

This was strange. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Though not for the first time, Gesualdo felt this way while talking to Lillith, and he wanted to hold his head in his hands.

But he noticed that Lillith, sitting on the bed with her knees bent, had her hands tightly clenched.

He realized it was more from nervousness about what was to come rather than fear of him.

Wanting to reassure her, Gesualdo gently took her hands and lightly kissed her trembling lips.

Lillith’s face turned red all the way to her ears.

Seeing her innocent reaction, Gesualdo couldn’t help but smile.

Just that made Lillith’s tension ease, and she smiled back.

For Lillith, her first kiss was surprisingly natural and just as she had dreamed.

Seeing Lillith’s shy smile, Gesualdo’s resolve and everything else flew out the window.

He kissed her again, gently testing her reaction, and then deepened the kiss.

From there, everything was a surprise for Lillith.

Amidst the mix of embarrassment and comfort, she was suddenly hit with a shock.

Still, she managed to endure it, and when it was all over, she let out a relieved sigh.

Though her body felt strange, her heart was satisfied.

“...Lillith, are you okay?”

Worried about Lillith’s unusual silence, Gesualdo asked softly.

Seeing his face, Lillith felt the tension leave her body.

She had always thought he was expressionless, but that wasn’t the case at all.

Gesualdo must be very awkward.

“I was surprised, but I’m okay. It was completely different from Lino...”

Lillith answered, blushing, but honestly.

“...Lino, your younger brother, right?”

“Yes. He just turned one. He’s so cute. I’ve changed his diapers many times, so I thought I’d be fine...”

“...”

Gesualdo felt a mix of emotions, realizing she had compared him to a one-year-old boy.

But thinking about it, it was absurd, and he almost laughed, quickly covering it with a cough.

Lillith misunderstood his reaction.

(Certainly, that cough means I should leave the room now.)

Understanding that he found it hard to say it directly, Lillith quietly put on her nightgown and got off the bed.

“Um, thank you...”

“—Lillith?”

“Goodnight!”

Before Gesualdo could understand what was happening, Lillith ran to the door.

She turned and waved at him, still sitting on the bed in a daze.

“Have sweet dreams. See you tomorrow.”

With that, she disappeared through the door, leaving Gesualdo speechless.

The door closed with a light click.

“...See you tomorrow?”

Despite his firm resolve at the time of their marriage, he had been swept along, and he never expected to be thanked.

Moreover, he never expected Lillith to leave like this.

Of course, he hadn’t planned to spend the whole night with her—rather, he hadn’t thought about it at all—but Gesualdo was troubled by Lillith’s strange behavior and spent a restless night, unable to sleep.