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Chapter 60
“Didn’t you know? He always fell asleep on the sofa.”
Sarah looked genuinely more surprised that Elaina hadn’t realized it. The two were talking in the hallway outside the room.
“You knew? Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s your private life, madam.”
She might have been allowed to share a room, but interfering in whether the two shared a bed would’ve been overstepping. Since there’d never been any complaints, Sarah had assumed the arrangement was mutual. But judging by Elaina’s reaction, she’d clearly had no idea.
“Still, you’re quite oblivious sometimes, madam. You notice everything else so quickly, yet you never realized half the bed was always untouched. Didn’t you ever think that was strange?”
Now that Sarah mentioned it, Elaina could see it perfectly in her mind—the sheets on one side always smooth and unwrinkled. She grimaced, and Sarah whispered curiously,
“But why do you think His Grace suddenly slept in bed last night?”
She blinked, eyes sparkling with interest. “He’s been so stubborn about it all this time—why the sudden change?”
Elaina feigned ignorance and shook her head. “How should I know? Maybe he was tired.”
“That’s good, though. I always felt bad seeing him sleep so uncomfortably.”
Sarah added that it was one of the reasons the butler had rushed to finish the renovations in Elaina’s room.
Elaina stared blankly at her. “So everyone knew except me?”
“Probably? Though I think only the butler and I noticed he did it every night. Still, I bet everyone would be more shocked that you didn’t know.”
At last, Elaina began to understand Lyle’s behavior—the way he’d always suggested taking a “night walk” whenever she was slow to fall asleep.
No wonder he’d seemed awkward—her instincts hadn’t been wrong after all.
“All right, I get it. Sarah, go downstairs and help with breakfast.”
“What about cleaning?”
“Let’s leave it for now so Lyle can rest properly.”
After making sure Sarah had gone, Elaina quietly opened the door and stepped back inside.
How could she have missed it for so long? Now that she was looking, the signs were everywhere.
At the sound of the door, Lyle’s eyelids fluttered. He opened his eyes.
“…What time is it?”
Realizing he’d overslept, he looked faintly alarmed.
“It’s past nine. But shouldn’t you have something to say to me?”
Elaina crossed her arms and glared.
“I told you before—the bed’s big enough for both of us. So why have you been sleeping on the sofa all this time? I had no idea!”
“I said it wouldn’t be uncomfortable as long as you didn’t cross the middle line.”
“What?”
“As long as you didn’t cross the middle line, it wouldn’t be uncomfortable.”
He arched an eyebrow. Elaina’s face immediately went crimson—remembering how she’d woken up that morning, practically glued to his side.
“Th-that’s…!”
She stammered, flustered. “But we talked about this! I told you to sleep in bed, and you said you would!”
So what if she’d rolled a little close in her sleep? It wasn’t such a big deal!
Elaina puffed up indignantly. Lyle only looked at her quietly.
“What?”
“I just don’t see why it’s so necessary for us to share a bed.”
He looked genuinely puzzled.
“What?”
“I’m fine with it. So I don’t understand why you’re getting worked up first thing in the morning.”
He wasn’t wrong—it was strange to insist on sharing a bed when the other person said they were fine.
But Lyle had a talent for saying reasonable things in the most infuriating way possible. Elaina felt her temper spark.
“Then do you have some reason you shouldn’t share a bed with me?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Come on! We’ve lived in the same room for over two months now—it’s not like you’re shy or anything!”
He gave a short, incredulous laugh.
“I have no idea why you’re being so stubborn about this.”
“You’re the stubborn one.”
Elaina tried to sound composed. “Or… are you afraid you won’t be able to keep your wedding vow?”
“What?”
“The one where you said you’d never fall for me.”
His expression shifted subtly, unreadably. He said nothing for a long time—so long that Elaina couldn’t backpedal now.
She had no choice but to double down.
“If that’s not it, then there’s no problem sharing a bed, right? I don’t mind at all.”
“If you insist that much…”
He raised an eyebrow.
Elaina had a knack for provoking his pride. Somehow, with them, even the smallest things turned into a contest of wills.
“From now on, I’ll make sure to share my wife’s bed. Faithfully and diligently.”
The exaggerated politeness sent shivers down her spine. Wife. Faithfully. Diligently. He’d chosen those words on purpose.
“Hmph.”
“Let’s stop here. We’re running late thanks to our oversleeping.”
Lyle chuckled softly and stood up—then began unbuttoning his shirt right in front of her.
“W-what are you doing?!”
“I thought you said I didn’t need to be careful anymore? That’s what I heard.”
He chuckled again, clearly amused at how flustered she got. The woman who’d insisted they share a bed now couldn’t even watch him change.
Too embarrassed to stay, Elaina quickly turned and fled the room.
“I’ll be downstairs. Come eat when you’re ready—Sarah should have everything set by now.”
“As you wish, my lady. But if you’d rather not watch, perhaps you should go—I do need to change my trousers.”
His teasing tone made her cheeks burn red. She hid her face behind her hair and hurried out.
That night
The decision to share the bed had been a terrible one.
Elaina lay perfectly still, pretending to be asleep. Her eyelids were squeezed so tightly shut that it was obvious—even though she didn’t realize that Lyle had already noticed.
A click. The lights went out. The bed dipped. She could feel the warmth of him lying down beside her.
How had she ever shared a room with him so casually before?
Feigning sleep, she inched little by little toward the edge of the bed. Once she started noticing, even the sound of his breathing seemed deafening.
A little more… just a little more—
Then suddenly, a strong arm caught her waist. She gasped, eyes flying open. She’d almost rolled right off the bed.
“Now you’re falling even in your sleep?”
The arm released her gently.
“For someone who boasted so boldly, you seem rather nervous. Maybe I should take back what I said.”
“What are you talking about?”
There was no use pretending anymore. She coughed awkwardly and shuffled a bit closer.
“That thing you said earlier—about not being sure you could keep your promise not to fall for me.”
“Wha—! Oh my god… that was just… I was talking in my sleep—”
“My wife has the remarkable ability to talk in her sleep while wide awake.”
Lyle’s teasing made her clamp her lips shut.
“I’m going to sleep. Don’t talk to me.”
Only one week remained before Lyle would leave for the monster subjugation campaign. If she could just get through that week, this strange feeling would pass.
Elaina sat up suddenly, grabbed some sofa cushions, and built a barrier down the middle of the bed—like a demilitarized zone.
“Don’t cross this line, okay?”
Her voice was firm and deadly serious.
“…Unbelievable.”
Before sleeping, she’d squeezed herself to the very edge. Now she’d even built a wall of cushions.
But later that night, Elaina rolled in her sleep—straight across her self-made border—curling up snugly between Lyle and the cushion like a contented cat.
Her peaceful, smiling face left Lyle with no room to move.
Her lashes brushed his chin when she breathed.
A floral scent—same bath oil, but somehow sweeter when it came from her.
He closed his eyes. She always fell asleep first. He was the one left restless.
“…This is going to kill me,” he muttered.
Lyle mentally counted the days until the monster campaign.
A whole week of this? He could already feel the despair setting in.
