Side Story Episode 2. It's Okay to Go Backwards (2)
I couldn't figure out what my husband found so irritating. I'd always thought we should have a serious conversation someday, but I kept forgetting.
Anyway, if he said so, then so be it. Isn't it purely a matter of heart and mind?
As the carriage turned and the pristine white Zebron Hotel came into view, I forcibly pulled Prince Kydel away from me and raised my head.
"Look, Prince!"
"You like it that much?"
I said, tugging at the hem of his robe, which had fallen down to his shoulders.
"Of course! I've always wanted to come back. It's a place... protected by you."
"Lorisha..."
"The mere fact that this place still exists, as before, felt like a gift from you... I'm a witness to that day."
I turned and hugged him tightly. It was a different expression of gratitude and respect than before.
I still vividly remember the smell and sounds of the sea that day.
The strange noise of the flaming arrows flying. The terrible roar that followed. The smell of a burning pirate ship mixed with the scent of the sea.
The mere memory of the screams and shouts of the Kydel soldiers still brought mild goosebumps.
I vividly witnessed his victory that day. And it was entirely thanks to him that I survived that day.
As a result, he had opened the doors to this place, which still remains a secret imperial retreat, to me.
He kissed my neck and said,
"If you hadn't been with me that day, I don't know what would have happened. I didn't expect my men to be so seasick. They're so enthusiastic on land."
"You don't have to say that. I just... thank you, Your Excellency."
"Next time, I'll try to bring my father-in-law."
My eyes moistened without me realizing it.
"That would be wonderful."
In the meantime, the carriage arrived in front of the Zebron Hotel. The envoy's carriage stopped first, and we also disembarked.
But the messenger looked at me, avoided eye contact, and went into the hotel.
“...?”
I saw Prince Kydel turn to me, equally flustered, and I almost screamed. I quickly pushed him back into the carriage.
“Lorisha?”
“Hair, fix your hair.”
“Ugh.”
We looked a mess. We were so caught up in the carriage, hugging each other, that not only our clothes but our hair was a mess. We were so caught up in the atmosphere and the memories of the past that we forgot that we weren’t alone here. As we fixed our hair, we looked at each other and burst out laughing without saying a word. Prince Kydel narrowed his eyes as if he thought I was dying of beauty and kissed my forehead.
“Shall we go in now?”
“Yes, Prince. Let’s go in.”
I smiled happily and kissed his cheek.
We walked into the hotel, hand in hand, but when I saw the special envoy, I couldn’t raise my head. I followed the servant up to my room as if I were running away.
When Prince Kydel helped the special envoy with the formalities and came back to the room, I asked, almost in tears.
“How pathetic must the envoy have thought of me!”
“He’s going to Smilean.”
His chuckling words didn’t help at all. When I tried to pull away from his embrace, he tightened his grip on me.
“The envoy said that Princess Shanla hopes to enjoy a honeymoon like ours. He asked me to help her make that happen.”
“Oh my...”
I relaxed in relief and rested my head on his chest.
His familiar scent mixed with the sea breeze coming in through the large balcony, making me feel slightly dizzy.
“Thank you,”
He whispered, stroking my back with his palm.
“What is it?”
“For making me happy. Every single day.”
“...”
When I looked up, he was silent, just looking down at me. Seeing the sparkle of agitation in his eyes made my heart race.
“Did I do that?”
"Yes. That's right. If I hadn't met you, I would have lived like a hedgehog with its thorns raised, growing old and dying alone."
He laughed heartily.
"Brightly?"
"Yes. That was all I knew how to do back then."
"And you now?"
“Now, I know what it feels like to breathe every day next to someone I love. I know that smelling your scent like this makes me as happy as a baby.”
“Wow. I might cry.”
He whispered, holding me tightly as if I were a prisoner.
“How do you think I am?”
“How am I?”
“I’m so anxious. I feel uneasy every day.”
“...Your Excellency?”
I forced myself out of his embrace, my smile fading, and looked at his face. The faint sound of the waves now sounded eerie.
“Even if I did something wrong...”
Prince Kydel pressed his lips against mine, as if to stop me from saying anything unnecessary.
His kiss felt even more passionate than usual in the cool sea breeze.
After a long, persistent kiss, he held me as I panted lightly and said,
“I’m afraid that if you’re not happy even for a single day, you’ll think I’m a liar. And you’ll think, ‘Life is better without him.’”
“...Your Excellency!”
I hugged him tightly around the waist, as if saving someone from falling off a cliff.
I whispered softly, but my whole heart was in it.
“You idiot!”
“...”
Prince Kydel, who had been holding his breath for a moment, let out a small laugh.
Only when I heard that did I finally let out the breath I had been holding.
I rubbed my forehead against his chest and said,
“If you’re so tense, how can I ever be happy? Like an idiot...”
He gently stroked my back.
“Yes. I was such a fool. To make you happy, I have to be happy too.”
“Ah, now you’re like my husband.”
I giggled, trying to match my breathing with his. He held me still.
We breathed together, and the sensation stirred my emotions to the very core.
A thought suddenly occurred to me:
“Isn’t this moment truly a miracle?”
He carried me to the bedroom. When he threw open the bedroom door, I was speechless at the sight inside.
Rose petals were strewn throughout the room and on the bed. A delicate fragrance wafted from a fragrant incense burner, and a small candle spilled dazzling shards of light through its crystal shade.
He carefully placed me on the bed.
“Your Excellency... Your Excellency?”
“We didn’t even get to go on our honeymoon. That competition drove us to the limit.”
“Hmph...”
I sobbed in response, and Prince Kydel was at a loss.
“This place, where we first met, seemed like the perfect place to celebrate our marriage... No, we met in the city, but we didn’t even know each other back then, so... oh, I should have known you hated this kind of thing...”
“Hmph.”
I shook my head violently. Finally, I burst into tears.
“It’s because I’m so happy. So happy! I didn’t know honeymoons could be this wonderful!”
Hoo. He climbed onto the bed with an absurd sigh of relief, shaking with excitement.
I chuckled, recalling the color of the emerald ring he had once shown me at Etrang.
The color of the Zebron beach spread out before my eyes seemed as if the color of the ring had been shaken and dissolved in water.
No. Historically, this sea must have come first, so the ring must have stolen its color.
Zebron Beach was creating regular waves with a very gentle and soft sound.
“Phew. It tickles.”
When a wave rolled in and fled, pushing sand between my toes, I said as if the wave were alive.
I wiggled my toes, and the warm sand tickled the thin skin between my toes, tickling them.
I laughed, ran away from the wave, and ran under a beach umbrella.
Prince Kydel was sitting under it. He had told the hotel servants to bring him a chaise lounge, but I stopped him.
Sitting on the sand on the beach is the rule. When I sat down next to him, he asked curiously,
“Do you like it that much?”
"Yes! Good, Your Excellency!"
"That's annoying."
"Yes?"
I quickly grew frightened, my eyes widening. He, as I knew him, wasn't the type to say such things easily, especially not to me.
He stared at the sea with a weary gaze and said,
"Those waves seem to make my wife laugh more than I do. I think I'll kill them."
“Hahaha, Master, I don’t know!”
I laughed out loud and kicked my feet in the sand.
“Master?”
“Why?”
“Please give me a sand bath.”
Master Kydel’s face contorted at my words. I shook my body wildly and threw a tantrum.
“Why!”
“Then the sand will surround you more than me. That’s unforgivable. I wish I had five arms at night, two to hold down your wrists and the other two...”
“Ah! Master!”
I covered his mouth, my face turning red.
Shame! If there was one thing my perfect husband lacked, it was shame.
As if he had read my thoughts, he pulled my hand away and said sternly,
“I am proud of my love.”
I couldn't figure out what my husband found so irritating. I'd always thought we should have a serious conversation someday, but I kept forgetting.
Anyway, if he said so, then so be it. Isn't it purely a matter of heart and mind?
As the carriage turned and the pristine white Zebron Hotel came into view, I forcibly pulled Prince Kydel away from me and raised my head.
"Look, Prince!"
"You like it that much?"
I said, tugging at the hem of his robe, which had fallen down to his shoulders.
"Of course! I've always wanted to come back. It's a place... protected by you."
"Lorisha..."
"The mere fact that this place still exists, as before, felt like a gift from you... I'm a witness to that day."
I turned and hugged him tightly. It was a different expression of gratitude and respect than before.
I still vividly remember the smell and sounds of the sea that day.
The strange noise of the flaming arrows flying. The terrible roar that followed. The smell of a burning pirate ship mixed with the scent of the sea.
The mere memory of the screams and shouts of the Kydel soldiers still brought mild goosebumps.
I vividly witnessed his victory that day. And it was entirely thanks to him that I survived that day.
As a result, he had opened the doors to this place, which still remains a secret imperial retreat, to me.
He kissed my neck and said,
"If you hadn't been with me that day, I don't know what would have happened. I didn't expect my men to be so seasick. They're so enthusiastic on land."
"You don't have to say that. I just... thank you, Your Excellency."
"Next time, I'll try to bring my father-in-law."
My eyes moistened without me realizing it.
"That would be wonderful."
In the meantime, the carriage arrived in front of the Zebron Hotel. The envoy's carriage stopped first, and we also disembarked.
But the messenger looked at me, avoided eye contact, and went into the hotel.
“...?”
I saw Prince Kydel turn to me, equally flustered, and I almost screamed. I quickly pushed him back into the carriage.
“Lorisha?”
“Hair, fix your hair.”
“Ugh.”
We looked a mess. We were so caught up in the carriage, hugging each other, that not only our clothes but our hair was a mess. We were so caught up in the atmosphere and the memories of the past that we forgot that we weren’t alone here. As we fixed our hair, we looked at each other and burst out laughing without saying a word. Prince Kydel narrowed his eyes as if he thought I was dying of beauty and kissed my forehead.
“Shall we go in now?”
“Yes, Prince. Let’s go in.”
I smiled happily and kissed his cheek.
We walked into the hotel, hand in hand, but when I saw the special envoy, I couldn’t raise my head. I followed the servant up to my room as if I were running away.
When Prince Kydel helped the special envoy with the formalities and came back to the room, I asked, almost in tears.
“How pathetic must the envoy have thought of me!”
“He’s going to Smilean.”
His chuckling words didn’t help at all. When I tried to pull away from his embrace, he tightened his grip on me.
“The envoy said that Princess Shanla hopes to enjoy a honeymoon like ours. He asked me to help her make that happen.”
“Oh my...”
I relaxed in relief and rested my head on his chest.
His familiar scent mixed with the sea breeze coming in through the large balcony, making me feel slightly dizzy.
“Thank you,”
He whispered, stroking my back with his palm.
“What is it?”
“For making me happy. Every single day.”
“...”
When I looked up, he was silent, just looking down at me. Seeing the sparkle of agitation in his eyes made my heart race.
“Did I do that?”
"Yes. That's right. If I hadn't met you, I would have lived like a hedgehog with its thorns raised, growing old and dying alone."
He laughed heartily.
"Brightly?"
"Yes. That was all I knew how to do back then."
"And you now?"
“Now, I know what it feels like to breathe every day next to someone I love. I know that smelling your scent like this makes me as happy as a baby.”
“Wow. I might cry.”
He whispered, holding me tightly as if I were a prisoner.
“How do you think I am?”
“How am I?”
“I’m so anxious. I feel uneasy every day.”
“...Your Excellency?”
I forced myself out of his embrace, my smile fading, and looked at his face. The faint sound of the waves now sounded eerie.
“Even if I did something wrong...”
Prince Kydel pressed his lips against mine, as if to stop me from saying anything unnecessary.
His kiss felt even more passionate than usual in the cool sea breeze.
After a long, persistent kiss, he held me as I panted lightly and said,
“I’m afraid that if you’re not happy even for a single day, you’ll think I’m a liar. And you’ll think, ‘Life is better without him.’”
“...Your Excellency!”
I hugged him tightly around the waist, as if saving someone from falling off a cliff.
I whispered softly, but my whole heart was in it.
“You idiot!”
“...”
Prince Kydel, who had been holding his breath for a moment, let out a small laugh.
Only when I heard that did I finally let out the breath I had been holding.
I rubbed my forehead against his chest and said,
“If you’re so tense, how can I ever be happy? Like an idiot...”
He gently stroked my back.
“Yes. I was such a fool. To make you happy, I have to be happy too.”
“Ah, now you’re like my husband.”
I giggled, trying to match my breathing with his. He held me still.
We breathed together, and the sensation stirred my emotions to the very core.
A thought suddenly occurred to me:
“Isn’t this moment truly a miracle?”
He carried me to the bedroom. When he threw open the bedroom door, I was speechless at the sight inside.
Rose petals were strewn throughout the room and on the bed. A delicate fragrance wafted from a fragrant incense burner, and a small candle spilled dazzling shards of light through its crystal shade.
He carefully placed me on the bed.
“Your Excellency... Your Excellency?”
“We didn’t even get to go on our honeymoon. That competition drove us to the limit.”
“Hmph...”
I sobbed in response, and Prince Kydel was at a loss.
“This place, where we first met, seemed like the perfect place to celebrate our marriage... No, we met in the city, but we didn’t even know each other back then, so... oh, I should have known you hated this kind of thing...”
“Hmph.”
I shook my head violently. Finally, I burst into tears.
“It’s because I’m so happy. So happy! I didn’t know honeymoons could be this wonderful!”
Hoo. He climbed onto the bed with an absurd sigh of relief, shaking with excitement.
***
I chuckled, recalling the color of the emerald ring he had once shown me at Etrang.
The color of the Zebron beach spread out before my eyes seemed as if the color of the ring had been shaken and dissolved in water.
No. Historically, this sea must have come first, so the ring must have stolen its color.
Zebron Beach was creating regular waves with a very gentle and soft sound.
“Phew. It tickles.”
When a wave rolled in and fled, pushing sand between my toes, I said as if the wave were alive.
I wiggled my toes, and the warm sand tickled the thin skin between my toes, tickling them.
I laughed, ran away from the wave, and ran under a beach umbrella.
Prince Kydel was sitting under it. He had told the hotel servants to bring him a chaise lounge, but I stopped him.
Sitting on the sand on the beach is the rule. When I sat down next to him, he asked curiously,
“Do you like it that much?”
"Yes! Good, Your Excellency!"
"That's annoying."
"Yes?"
I quickly grew frightened, my eyes widening. He, as I knew him, wasn't the type to say such things easily, especially not to me.
He stared at the sea with a weary gaze and said,
"Those waves seem to make my wife laugh more than I do. I think I'll kill them."
“Hahaha, Master, I don’t know!”
I laughed out loud and kicked my feet in the sand.
“Master?”
“Why?”
“Please give me a sand bath.”
Master Kydel’s face contorted at my words. I shook my body wildly and threw a tantrum.
“Why!”
“Then the sand will surround you more than me. That’s unforgivable. I wish I had five arms at night, two to hold down your wrists and the other two...”
“Ah! Master!”
I covered his mouth, my face turning red.
Shame! If there was one thing my perfect husband lacked, it was shame.
As if he had read my thoughts, he pulled my hand away and said sternly,
“I am proud of my love.”
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