IRGS 27

Chapter 27

The next day.

My eyes were terribly swollen from crying so much. Arne had been so overwhelmed with emotion that I ended up crying along with him.

“Sophia, can you actually see in front of you?”

“Do you want me to grab you by the collar so you’ll believe me?”

At my reply, Owen shyly offered the cravat wrapped around his neck.

“If you’d like, you may hold onto this while walking.”

I should never have said anything. And honestly, it was true that I could barely open my eyes.

Owen and I arrived in front of Arne’s room. We were there to bring him to the dining room for breakfast together.

Ah, speaking of surprises from yesterday.

My bedroom had already been perfectly prepared!

It was spacious and comfortable, at least three times larger than the room I had in the marquis’s estate. Even at a glance, the furniture was obviously top quality, and the ivory-toned wood interior was absolutely beautiful. Most of all, there was even a space prepared for Popo!

“When in the world did you prepare all this?”

“My mother vacated the room early, which gave us enough time for renovations.”

His mother… meaning the former duchess, now the dowager grand duchess.

Which meant this was the grand duchess’s bedroom.

I wandered inside as if spellbound. One door clearly connected to the bathroom, but the other door caught my attention. When I silently pointed at it, Owen answered proudly.

“The master bedroom. It’s connected to my room as well.”

I quickly lowered my hand again. Maybe I didn’t need to be curious about that yet.

Still, no matter how I looked at it, the grand duchess’s room had clearly been prepared for me. And it was already completely furnished? I had only accepted the marriage proposal that very morning…!

…Should I call this confidence? Or preparedness?

“What would you have done if I’d refused to marry you until the very end?”

“What choice would I have had? I’d probably stand in front of the imperial palace holding a public proposal sign.”

That sounded terrifyingly believable.

Anyway, I had spent an incredibly comfortable night yesterday.

And actually, I hadn’t been alone.

Before going to sleep, Arne had come up to my room.

I had just been straightening the bedding when I heard a knock. After I answered, a little boy with chestnut-brown hair timidly peeked through the crack in the door.

“Oh my, Arne. What is it?”

“I’m sorry if I woke you… It just feels like a dream that Mom came to this house…”

Goodness. Who could possibly turn away a child saying something like that? Besides, the bed in my room was large enough for both of us, so I decided we would sleep together.

Then another knock sounded.

This time, it came from the very door Owen had said connected to the master bedroom.

“W-Who is it?”

What a ridiculous question! I bit my tongue in irritation at myself, and just as expected, Owen peeked his face through the door.

“I’m sorry if I woke you, Sophia. It just feels like a dream that you came to this house.”

“This is a dream, so go back and sleep.”

At my cold response, Owen pretended to look hurt before closing the door and striding inside anyway.

“You treat Arne so warmly, yet why am I the one being neglected?”

I knew you were listening, you copycat.

“I’m sleeping with Arne tonight.”

“Ha, Sophia.”

Though he answered as if dumbfounded, Owen was already smiling from ear to ear. He clearly found my prickly reaction amusing.

The man, dressed in a soft-looking dark gray nightgown, lazily walked over to the bed. And I definitely saw it—Owen casually loosening the tie of his robe.

The kind of man who knew exactly how attractive he was knelt in front of me with an easy, confident expression.

Since I was sitting on the bed, our eye levels nearly matched. Actually, I was looking down at him slightly.

Which only made the inside of his loosened robe even more visible. Did he plan that too?

Without changing that posture, the man spoke in a voice soft as foam.

“If you aren’t here, I’ll have to spend lonely nights by myself now.”

Oh, please. A man who had probably slept alone perfectly well his entire life talking about loneliness—

…Wait a second.

Something about the way he said that sounded strange.

Did that mean he’d had other women comforting him in his bedroom until now?!

Ha. Right. I realized something.

People really do live according to their looks.

How could a man who had everything, and looked like this, possibly have gone twenty-five years without even dating once?

Why had I assumed he was inexperienced? What was my basis for that?!

It’s unfair!

If we get married and share a bed someday, then I’ll be… doing it for the first time!

When I turned my head, a woman glaring at me like an enraged Cerberus was staring back. Startled, I looked more carefully and realized I was looking at my own reflection in the mirror.

Oh. My angry face was pretty scary. I should use it as a secret weapon sometime.

Unfortunately, I already had. Owen was looking at me with genuine unease.

“Sophia, why do you look like you want to boil me alive? Sometimes I’m frightened by the things you imagine on your own.”

After hesitating for a moment, I firmly covered Arne’s ears with both hands first.

“Mom?”

Once I was certain he couldn’t hear, I finally spoke.

“So you normally didn’t spend lonely nights alone? Owen, who exactly comforted you?”

At my accusation, Owen’s eyes widened briefly.

And then… he started laughing. Completely unable to hold it in, he even stuffed his fist into his mouth while wheezing with laughter.

Why. Why was he laughing?

My face suddenly felt burning hot.

“Think about it carefully, Owen. I don’t know anything about your past. I told you everything about mine.”

“I’m truly delighted that you’re curious about me. Far happier than I expected.”

Unable to hide his broad smile, the man took my hand and held it tightly.

Then he spoke.

“What comforted my long nights was…”

Right. What was it?

I was completely focused.

After pulling me closer, Owen whispered into my ear.

“The expectation that one day you would walk into this room and sleep in the same space as me.”

What?

So did he have experience or not?

But I had no chance to ask again, because the man suddenly kissed me.

“!”

Don’t forgive him yet, Sophia! Even if a man with that face smiles at you like he’s melting, don’t let him off so easily! He still hasn’t answered properly!

Meanwhile, Owen naturally climbed onto the bed.

“As I told you before, you are my first as well. In every sense.”

“…Every sense?”

“Yes. And you always will be. So surely it’s fine if I sleep here too? Aren’t we family?”

Well, when he put it like that…

The man had disarmed me so thoroughly it was almost ridiculous. Without realizing it, I answered in a grumbling tone.

“The bed’s too small for three people.”

“Yes, I’m glad I had it made slightly smaller.”

“What?”

Still dressed in his loosely tied nightgown, the man smiled brightly and settled himself on one side of the bed. Then he patted the spot beside him.

“Arne, come here. You can sleep in the middle.”

“Okay!”

Arne hurried over and pressed himself tightly against Owen’s side. Lying perfectly straight, the little boy looked up at me expectantly.

Putting the two of them together, they really did resemble father and son—or brothers with a large age gap. And honestly, it looked nice.

I lost. Completely.

In the end, I lay down in the remaining space.

And immediately, I was startled.

A bed like this felt so comfortable I could probably lie in it all day without my back hurting. It enveloped my body softly, like lying on a cloud.

With a soft puff, Owen blew out the final candle, and the room instantly went dark.

I lay stiffly on my back.

After blinking a few times, my eyes adjusted to the darkness. The ceiling looked black now, but I still remembered the painting above us—Themis, goddess of the heavens, wrapped in clouds, surrounded by angels. Lying beneath it somehow felt like receiving a blessing.

In the darkness came the soft rustling of sheets and blankets.

A small body rolled toward me.

Arne.

He seemed to want to cuddle against me, so I leaned over and embraced him.

“Mom…”

“Yes, Arne. Sleep well.”

“Mom too… good night…”

How much time passed?

The little boy’s breathing became soft and steady.

He had fallen asleep.

Right. Children should sleep a lot when they’re young.

The moment I slightly lifted my head, my eyes met someone else’s immediately in the darkness.

Owen.

I silently inhaled in surprise. I had forgotten there was another person in this bed.

The man had completely turned onto his side, facing me.

“……”

Even though our eyes met, he said nothing.

I hadn’t expected him to be watching me like this.

In the darkness, I couldn’t see his face clearly. But his gray eyes seemed to shine even brighter.

For some reason, I felt the urge to swallow nervously. But if I made a gulping sound now, it would only be more embarrassing.

What should I do?

Looking away suddenly now would feel even stranger. But making a fuss and saying, “Well, I should sleep now too. Good night, Owen,” would feel awkward when Arne was sleeping so peacefully between us.

Normally he was so shamelessly smooth, so why wasn’t he saying anything now?

Neither of us looked away, and neither of us spoke as time quietly passed.

Just as I felt the urge to blink, the man’s low, husky voice finally broke the silence.