Chapter 89

As Gesualdo entered the living room, he immediately sensed someone in the bedroom.

However, he was not yet close enough to Lilith to recognize her presence right away.

Despite a slight hesitation, he noticed himself quickly finishing what needed to be done, and Gesualdo couldn't help but smile.

On that day, Gesualdo heard Lilith's anguished cry from the carriage and realized how foolish he had been to be so elated.

He had completely forgotten, due to Lilith's recent attitude, that this was a political marriage.

Lilith had told him from the beginning, "I don't need love. I just want a child."

While riding, Gesualdo couldn't help but mock himself and flipped through the mental directory of the people of the Kingdom of Freud.

The name of a man named Arnaud Bott immediately came to mind.

He was the eldest son of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Freud and was now engaged to Princess Daria.

However, this engagement was only made public when the Emperor, his father, demanded an unreasonable condition for the alliance—marrying one of the princesses to the Crown Prince.

Moreover, he heard that Arnaud was originally the engagement candidate for the First Princess, Amaryllis—Lilith's sister.

This raised a question in Gesualdo's mind.

If Lilith liked Arnaud, why didn't she get engaged—married—earlier?

According to the investigation he had conducted after it was decided that Lilith would officially marry, the talks of her engagement to Arnaud had been ongoing for several years.

He had thoroughly investigated, suspecting that there was a reason why Lilith, who was frail, was sent abroad to marry, and a hasty engagement was arranged for Princess Daria.

In the end, he ended up marrying Lilith without finding a clear reason.

The old doubts resurfaced, and before he knew it, he was avoiding Lilith as she approached.

Each time, Lilith's face would briefly show sadness before she resumed her role as the Crown Princess.

Seeing Lilith like that, he couldn't help but feel his heart constrict.

Even at night, his suspicions about Lilith and the Kingdom of Freud, and his anger towards Arnaud, whom he had never met, did not fade.

Lilith was in love with Arnaud, yet something had happened, and he ended up being engaged to the younger princess.

Thinking about how painful that must have been, Lilith's sad expression came to mind.

Now, the one making Lilith sad was not Arnaud, but himself.

On the second morning, he spent the day skillfully avoiding Lilith while observing her.

He knew it was cowardly and unmanly, but he couldn't control himself.

Lilith was looking for him—Gesualdo—every time she got off the carriage for a break before boarding again.

When he realized this, his heart lifted again.

Lilith might indeed like Arnaud, but as her husband, Gesualdo believed she must have some feelings for him.

For now, that was enough.

He decided to gradually remove Arnaud from Lilith's heart and take his place.

With this conclusion, Gesualdo felt a rare sense of relief.

He decided to court Lilith that night.

Of course, it wouldn't work in one night.

But if he continued, it might eventually come true.

Gesualdo had never been this optimistic in his life.

He always gave up quickly, especially when it came to matters of the heart.

So, how happy he was when Lilith came to the bedroom.

Suppressing his excitement, he finished getting ready for bed with Dennis's help and noticed that Lilith had left the bedroom.

Although confused, he waited in the bedroom, thinking she would return soon.

But Lilith didn't come back.

He almost gave up, thinking she had changed her mind, but then remembered his resolve from the day and decided to take the initiative.

If Lilith was already asleep, he would just look at her sleeping face.

If possible, he wanted to talk a little.

If she allowed it, he wanted to sleep with her until morning.

He had hesitated many times before opening the door to Lilith's bedroom, but this time he was more nervous than ever.

He forgot to knock and silently opened the door to find Lilith looking out the window with the curtains open.

It was a dark night without a moon, but the stars were beautifully twinkling.

Lilith, in a thin, white, flowing nightgown, looked ethereal and as if she might disappear at any moment.

"---Lilith"

He called out tentatively, and Lilith jumped and turned around, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Jed...?"

Her voice, calling his name, had a hint of fear, which was enough for Gesualdo to realize his visit was a mistake.

He would talk to her again tomorrow.

Perhaps riding in the carriage together would be a good idea.

With this thought, he slowly began to speak.

"Lilith, I'm sorry for startling you. I won't disturb you, so please rest—"

"Jed!"

Before he could finish his apologetic words, Lilith jumped on him.

Before he knew it, she was tightly hugging him.

"Jed! Jed! It's real! It's real!"

"Li, Lilith...?"

He was used to her strange behavior, but the contrast with a moment ago was too much.

Ignoring his confusion, Lilith refused to let go of her small body.

To Gesualdo, it didn't matter anymore.

He picked her up forcefully and sat down on the bed, placing her on his lap.

Then he hugged her.

"Jed?"

"I love you."

"Huh?"

"I love you, Lilith."

It was a mistake.

He had intended to take more time to gradually win Lilith's heart before confessing, but his emotions got the better of him.

Since he had said it, he decided to be clear and repeated his feelings firmly, almost out of frustration.

However, there was no response from Lilith in his arms.

Perhaps he had been a nuisance, he thought, and hesitantly loosened his embrace to look at her face.

"Lilith?"

"..."

The strange sound she made was probably because he had hugged her too tightly, he thought, and tried to let go, but Lilith tightened her arms around him and buried her face in his broad shoulder.

"Lilith, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to confuse you by saying this suddenly."

"Kyaa! Why are you apologizing! No, it's a lie, right..."

Not knowing what to do, Gesualdo could only apologize, but Lilith interrupted him, raising her head forcefully.

Her face, which was glaring at him, was wet with tears—rather, it was a mess.

But to Gesualdo, only her green eyes, which were shining with tears, were visible.

Feeling guilty for causing her tears, he was finally able to understand the words she was saying through her sobs.

"Uu... Uu, I'm so... so happy..."

"..."

"Uu, I'm so... so happy... I, I'm so... so happy too..."

"..."

"Lilith, I don't understand why you're crying or what you're saying. What should I do? How can I take away your sadness?"

"It's... it's okay. I'm... I'm so happy."

"Happy?"

"...Yes."

Lilith took several deep breaths to calm herself and wiped her tears with the bed cover.

Noticing that she had also wet Gesualdo's nightgown, she tried to wipe it with the bed cover.

Gesualdo grabbed her hand and smiled, looking troubled.

"I'm fine. If you stop crying, that's enough. As long as you're not sad, that's enough."

"I'm... not sad. I cried because... I was so happy to hear your words. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for. I startled you by suddenly pushing my feelings on you. If you... feel happy, then I'm happy too."

With that, Gesualdo hugged Lilith again.

Lilith, enveloped in his warm embrace, rested her head on his wet shoulder.

"Jed is a fool."

"..."

In the gentle, warm moment, Gesualdo responded with a puzzled voice to Lilith's sudden words.

Lilith raised her head and glared at him.

"Jed is a fool. Why do you think I'm sad? Why do you think I'm not happy? I really, really, really like Jed."

"..."

"Why are you surprised? If I didn't like Jed, I would just be a pervert!"

"Are you a pervert?"

"I'm not a pervert! Probably. Sure, I was a bit forceful at first, and I was more bound by duty and pride than by feelings, but... I wouldn't repeatedly force myself on someone I don't like!"

Realizing that she had always liked him, Lilith realized she had liked him for longer than she could remember.

She was aware that she was a bit different from a normal princess, but she wouldn't forcefully enter the bedroom of someone she didn't like.

She wouldn't care so much about Empress Corina.

Thinking about this, Lilith was startled.

"Jed... do you really like me?"

"Why do you doubt it? I wouldn't repeatedly force myself on someone I don't like, nor would I obediently undress for them."

"Oh, that..."

Lilith's face turned red as she realized he was referring to the morning they left from the town of Cornats.

She thought she was a good morning person, but she must have been half-asleep then. She wanted to leave it at that.

With her face buried in Gesualdo's slightly cool, strong shoulder, he leaned in close.

"Lilith, I love you."

"Ah!?"

Startled by the sweet words whispered in her ear, Lilith jumped slightly.

If not for Gesualdo's embrace, she would have fallen backward.

Gesualdo pulled her even closer.

In the dim room lit only by starlight, Lilith could see only Gesualdo's red eyes shining.

"Say it again."

"Huh?"

"Tell me your feelings again."

"Um... I... I..."

"Hmm?"

"Ugh! I really, really like Jed!"

Unable to resist the unusually sweet and gentle Gesualdo, Lilith, embarrassed, pushed him away in anger and quickly dove into the bed.

The wet bed cover was crumpled on the floor.

Gesualdo, slightly surprised, smiled and looked at the round lump in the bed, then took off his wet nightgown and pulled up the blanket, hugging the lump.

The time that followed was incredibly sweet and tender.