Curtis left after saying only shocking words. Cecilia sat alone in the living room, spending time in a daze. In the meantime, countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
'I wanted to kill you too.'
What was it that she was trying to protect? She never had the right or qualification to seek revenge. Instead, he was the one who saved the life of the daughter who defended the criminal.
"Ah..."
Cecilia swallowed back her sobs, her emotions welling up. She twisted the hem of her skirt over her thighs and held it in her hands.
“Ahh...”
But the pain that she couldn't swallow finally leaked out of her mouth. Tears fell so hard that she couldn't see ahead.
“Her Majesty?”
“She is in the reception room.”
She heard a voice calling for Cecilia from beyond the door. She had to stop crying. She knew he would think it was strange, but she couldn't stop crying. Cecilia buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
“Your Majesty the Empress, Your Majesty the Emperor...”
“Cecilia.”
Madame Monte and Eden, who had opened the door and come in, were both surprised and stopped talking at the same time. It had been a long time since they had seen Cecilia sobbing with such emotion.
“Why are you crying?”
Eden hurried over. He even knelt down on one knee to make eye contact with Cecilia, who was sitting on the sofa.
“You go out.”
Eden hurriedly sent Madame Monte out. No matter how close Madame Monte was to her, he was reluctant to show her master's private tears.
“Cecilia. Lift your head.”
Eden called out to Cecilia in a voice as soft as a feather. Her eyes, asking why she was crying so sadly, were just sweet.
“Eden...”
The moment Cecilia met those beautiful blue eyes, she didn't know what to do and tears started to flow again. Her vision became painfully distorted.
It was you, not me, who always suffered because of this love. It was I who caused you pain.
Because that fact is painful.
Eden carefully tucked Cecilia's hair behind her ear. She had barely fallen asleep from crying herself to sleep, so he didn't want to wake her up.
“What on earth is going on?”
It was the first time she saw Cecilia crying so hard that she couldn't control her emotions. When she asked her what was going on, she didn't even give him a proper answer. After Cecilia fell asleep from crying, he asked Madame Monte, but she said that nothing happened except Diego and Curtis had come by.
“Cecilia.”
Eden quietly turned his head towards her and placed his forehead against Cecilia's forehead as she slept. Her smooth skin and warm body temperature were transmitted to him, warming his heart.
“What could have made you so sad?”
To Eden, Cecilia was just precious. She was the person he wanted to give everything to and do everything he wanted. So he wished those pretty eyes would never shed tears so painfully.
But since he had no way of knowing what was going on, he couldn't just say he would help.
“Anything I can do, I will do for you.”
So don't cry. I can't stand it when you cry. That's what I wanted to say.
"...Your majesty."
It was then that he heard Cecilia's voice, whom he thought was sound asleep. Eden, who had been watching Cecilia with a frustrated expression, was startled.
“Did I wake you up?”
He guessed it must have been annoying because he kept nagging at her. Eden sat up in bed in surprise.
“Sleep well. I’ll go back to my bedroom and sleep tonight.”
And then, as if he was about to leave, he looked for his slippers under the bed and tried to put them on.
"No."
But Cecilia was quicker to grab Eden's wrist.
“We are together.”
Her eyes were still moist, red from crying. The words of a frail and delicate woman lying on the bed moved him, even if she didn't mean to.
“No, I think it would be better for you to rest comfortably on your own.”
He didn't want to become a man worse than that beast. He didn't want to do it even more if it meant tormenting his wife who was suffering for no reason.
“I wish you were here with me.”
But there was no way to win against Cecilia's clouded face as she spoke again as if she were about to cry. In the end, Eden lay down next to Cecilia again.
“Aren’t you going to tell me what’s going on?”
The two of them lay face to face. The two pairs of eyes were simply beautiful. It seemed as if they were indescribably fond of each other.
"Just."
“..."
“I realized I was stupid.”
Cecilia answered in a small voice. It was an answer that did not help much in solving her curiosity.
“Why are you so stupid?”
Eden spoke, giving Cecilia a brief kiss on the forehead.
“You saved the Isle of Laner from war and created a new source of income for the Imperial Family. You also saved the Duke of Rain from the plots of the Counts of Nova.”
“As an Empress, aren’t you doing this well?” Eden said as he comforted Cecilia. It seemed that he thought Cecilia had suddenly become tired from the sense of responsibility and weight of being an Empress.
“If you hadn’t taken my side, I wouldn’t have been able to do it alone.”
Eden smiled quietly at Cecilia's words.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“...”
“I am your companion, and we are one body. What is wrong with receiving my help?”
At Eden's words, Cecilia forced a smile and nodded. Her hair rustled against the bedding.
Their eyes met each other in different colors. In Eden's eyes, only Cecilia was present, and in Cecilia's eyes, only Eden was present. Without any resentment, not even the slightest hesitation or fear.
“Please kiss me.”
Cecilia was the first to kiss him.
"Are you okay?"
Eden carefully observed Cecilia's expression. She had cried so sadly just before, so he wondered if she was acting without any sense.
“I want to do that.”
As Cecilia spoke, she reached out to Eden first. Eden carefully kissed Cecilia, who was hugging his neck, while covering her face with his large hand.
“...”
Their soft lips touched and they quietly shared their body temperature. That alone made her heart feel warm.
“More, more.”
But it seemed that wasn't what Cecilia wanted. Eden looked at Cecilia biting her lower lip and hanging on with a strange look.
"Please..."
Something was strange. Even though he felt that way, he couldn't overcome Cecilia's urge. Eden dug deep into Cecilia.
At one point, the two were entangled like primordial beasts. They kissed as if it were the last time in the world, desperately feeling each other's body temperature.
"Ah."
Cecilia groaned as if sighing. Eden looked up at Cecilia as if possessed. He had nothing to say in response to her comment that she was like a fool, but his companion was like a beautiful statue of a goddess.
“The heart.”
“...”
“You run really fast.”
Cecilia grabbed Eden’s large hand and pulled him towards her soft upper body. As Cecilia said, her heartbeat, which was beating like crazy, was transmitted through his palm. As if comforting him, who had been hurt by the heartbeat that had been indifferent even when she was held in his arms.
“You too?”
Cecilia asked. Without saying a word, Eden took the hand that was holding his thigh and placed it on his left chest.
“Me too...”
Cecilia laughed in renewed admiration.
“I always say this when I see you, Cecilia.”
“...”
“You are so beautiful, and I love you so much.”
Eden confessed honestly. It was a confession of love that he had never said directly since Cecilia pushed him away. He knew that Cecilia would feel burdened. But he couldn't help but say it because his heart was full.
“Me too.”
It's okay if you don't accept it. It's okay if I can just confess my feelings to you. It was when I was thinking like that that Cecilia said something unexpected.
“...What did you just say?”
Eden stopped moving and stared at Cecilia with a blank expression. Cecilia let out a small laugh.
“I love you too.”
And she confessed. It wasn't like she was lying on the first night. She whispered her love to Eden without a single lie, without any impurities in her heart.
“Actually, it’s been like that all along.”
Cecilia whispered, holding Eden's head in her arms.
“I loved you even in the moments when I didn’t want to admit it.”
Eden moved Cecilia's body away from him with a hasty hand. Then, he tried to read Cecilia's true feelings by tracing her expression with his eyes.
“...”
And finally, it was the moment when he realized that what Cecilia had said was true and unvarnished. Eden's eyes were filled with intense emotion and joy. Cecilia hugged the man who was desperately kissing her with her whole body.
I thought.
I have to protect this love and your trust, even at the cost of myself.
'I wanted to kill you too.'
What was it that she was trying to protect? She never had the right or qualification to seek revenge. Instead, he was the one who saved the life of the daughter who defended the criminal.
"Ah..."
Cecilia swallowed back her sobs, her emotions welling up. She twisted the hem of her skirt over her thighs and held it in her hands.
“Ahh...”
But the pain that she couldn't swallow finally leaked out of her mouth. Tears fell so hard that she couldn't see ahead.
“Her Majesty?”
“She is in the reception room.”
She heard a voice calling for Cecilia from beyond the door. She had to stop crying. She knew he would think it was strange, but she couldn't stop crying. Cecilia buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
“Your Majesty the Empress, Your Majesty the Emperor...”
“Cecilia.”
Madame Monte and Eden, who had opened the door and come in, were both surprised and stopped talking at the same time. It had been a long time since they had seen Cecilia sobbing with such emotion.
“Why are you crying?”
Eden hurried over. He even knelt down on one knee to make eye contact with Cecilia, who was sitting on the sofa.
“You go out.”
Eden hurriedly sent Madame Monte out. No matter how close Madame Monte was to her, he was reluctant to show her master's private tears.
“Cecilia. Lift your head.”
Eden called out to Cecilia in a voice as soft as a feather. Her eyes, asking why she was crying so sadly, were just sweet.
“Eden...”
The moment Cecilia met those beautiful blue eyes, she didn't know what to do and tears started to flow again. Her vision became painfully distorted.
It was you, not me, who always suffered because of this love. It was I who caused you pain.
Because that fact is painful.
***
Eden carefully tucked Cecilia's hair behind her ear. She had barely fallen asleep from crying herself to sleep, so he didn't want to wake her up.
“What on earth is going on?”
It was the first time she saw Cecilia crying so hard that she couldn't control her emotions. When she asked her what was going on, she didn't even give him a proper answer. After Cecilia fell asleep from crying, he asked Madame Monte, but she said that nothing happened except Diego and Curtis had come by.
“Cecilia.”
Eden quietly turned his head towards her and placed his forehead against Cecilia's forehead as she slept. Her smooth skin and warm body temperature were transmitted to him, warming his heart.
“What could have made you so sad?”
To Eden, Cecilia was just precious. She was the person he wanted to give everything to and do everything he wanted. So he wished those pretty eyes would never shed tears so painfully.
But since he had no way of knowing what was going on, he couldn't just say he would help.
“Anything I can do, I will do for you.”
So don't cry. I can't stand it when you cry. That's what I wanted to say.
"...Your majesty."
It was then that he heard Cecilia's voice, whom he thought was sound asleep. Eden, who had been watching Cecilia with a frustrated expression, was startled.
“Did I wake you up?”
He guessed it must have been annoying because he kept nagging at her. Eden sat up in bed in surprise.
“Sleep well. I’ll go back to my bedroom and sleep tonight.”
And then, as if he was about to leave, he looked for his slippers under the bed and tried to put them on.
"No."
But Cecilia was quicker to grab Eden's wrist.
“We are together.”
Her eyes were still moist, red from crying. The words of a frail and delicate woman lying on the bed moved him, even if she didn't mean to.
“No, I think it would be better for you to rest comfortably on your own.”
He didn't want to become a man worse than that beast. He didn't want to do it even more if it meant tormenting his wife who was suffering for no reason.
“I wish you were here with me.”
But there was no way to win against Cecilia's clouded face as she spoke again as if she were about to cry. In the end, Eden lay down next to Cecilia again.
“Aren’t you going to tell me what’s going on?”
The two of them lay face to face. The two pairs of eyes were simply beautiful. It seemed as if they were indescribably fond of each other.
"Just."
“..."
“I realized I was stupid.”
Cecilia answered in a small voice. It was an answer that did not help much in solving her curiosity.
“Why are you so stupid?”
Eden spoke, giving Cecilia a brief kiss on the forehead.
“You saved the Isle of Laner from war and created a new source of income for the Imperial Family. You also saved the Duke of Rain from the plots of the Counts of Nova.”
“As an Empress, aren’t you doing this well?” Eden said as he comforted Cecilia. It seemed that he thought Cecilia had suddenly become tired from the sense of responsibility and weight of being an Empress.
“If you hadn’t taken my side, I wouldn’t have been able to do it alone.”
Eden smiled quietly at Cecilia's words.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“...”
“I am your companion, and we are one body. What is wrong with receiving my help?”
At Eden's words, Cecilia forced a smile and nodded. Her hair rustled against the bedding.
Their eyes met each other in different colors. In Eden's eyes, only Cecilia was present, and in Cecilia's eyes, only Eden was present. Without any resentment, not even the slightest hesitation or fear.
“Please kiss me.”
Cecilia was the first to kiss him.
"Are you okay?"
Eden carefully observed Cecilia's expression. She had cried so sadly just before, so he wondered if she was acting without any sense.
“I want to do that.”
As Cecilia spoke, she reached out to Eden first. Eden carefully kissed Cecilia, who was hugging his neck, while covering her face with his large hand.
“...”
Their soft lips touched and they quietly shared their body temperature. That alone made her heart feel warm.
“More, more.”
But it seemed that wasn't what Cecilia wanted. Eden looked at Cecilia biting her lower lip and hanging on with a strange look.
"Please..."
Something was strange. Even though he felt that way, he couldn't overcome Cecilia's urge. Eden dug deep into Cecilia.
At one point, the two were entangled like primordial beasts. They kissed as if it were the last time in the world, desperately feeling each other's body temperature.
"Ah."
Cecilia groaned as if sighing. Eden looked up at Cecilia as if possessed. He had nothing to say in response to her comment that she was like a fool, but his companion was like a beautiful statue of a goddess.
“The heart.”
“...”
“You run really fast.”
Cecilia grabbed Eden’s large hand and pulled him towards her soft upper body. As Cecilia said, her heartbeat, which was beating like crazy, was transmitted through his palm. As if comforting him, who had been hurt by the heartbeat that had been indifferent even when she was held in his arms.
“You too?”
Cecilia asked. Without saying a word, Eden took the hand that was holding his thigh and placed it on his left chest.
“Me too...”
Cecilia laughed in renewed admiration.
“I always say this when I see you, Cecilia.”
“...”
“You are so beautiful, and I love you so much.”
Eden confessed honestly. It was a confession of love that he had never said directly since Cecilia pushed him away. He knew that Cecilia would feel burdened. But he couldn't help but say it because his heart was full.
“Me too.”
It's okay if you don't accept it. It's okay if I can just confess my feelings to you. It was when I was thinking like that that Cecilia said something unexpected.
“...What did you just say?”
Eden stopped moving and stared at Cecilia with a blank expression. Cecilia let out a small laugh.
“I love you too.”
And she confessed. It wasn't like she was lying on the first night. She whispered her love to Eden without a single lie, without any impurities in her heart.
“Actually, it’s been like that all along.”
Cecilia whispered, holding Eden's head in her arms.
“I loved you even in the moments when I didn’t want to admit it.”
Eden moved Cecilia's body away from him with a hasty hand. Then, he tried to read Cecilia's true feelings by tracing her expression with his eyes.
“...”
And finally, it was the moment when he realized that what Cecilia had said was true and unvarnished. Eden's eyes were filled with intense emotion and joy. Cecilia hugged the man who was desperately kissing her with her whole body.
I thought.
I have to protect this love and your trust, even at the cost of myself.
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