Translator: Khan
Editor Group: Liber Reverie
The birth of the new Crown Princess and the Crown Prince’s wedding were a celebration not only of the royal family but also of all the people of the empire. It also meant that the next Emperor was ready to replace the current Emperor, who had not taken any action under the pressure of the influence of the Aristocratic Party.
After the ceremony, the commoners, who gathered in front of the Imperial Palace, went out to the streets, rejoicing that they entered a new era, accompanied by alcohol, singing and dancing, and the nobles also stayed on the Imperial Palace to discuss the future of the empire.
“Where are His Highness and Her Highness?”
“Well, I’ve been looking for them for a while, but I can’t see them.”
“Where the hell have they been?”
“What’s clear is that they are not in the garden.”
“They didn’t go back to their room, did they?”
“Well, if they did, someone would have seen it.”
Of course, the greatest purpose of the nobles was to meet today’s main characters, Asher and Aria. Despite the fact that they had already been in the same boat, there were a lot of people who wanted to meet them face to face and talk to them to build friendship.
Even if they were the party of the Crown Prince, who were against the Aristocratic Party, the nobles were the nobles. Unable to completely rule out self-interest, they found Asher and Aria.
Of course, unlike them, there were also Sarah and Marquis Vincent, who waited for Aria with pure intentions, but somehow they could not meet Aria, either.
“I don’t think we can meet her.”
“It’s the first day of the ceremony, so it’s worth it. They’ve broken down the great wall and managed to get married, so why didn’t they run away just because they wanted to be alone?” At Sarah’s very sad voice, the Marquis replied with a tone of voice that he understood. He looked as if he was sad, too.
It was none other than the Crown Prince and Princess of the empire who ran away. Even if they disappeared without meeting the waiting people, who would dare to criticize them?
Perhaps as if he had expected this, Lohan left the empire early, leaving only a short letter. In the first place, he could not leave Croa for a long time.
After a brief face-to-face talk with Aria’s kinsman, the people of the Marquis family of Piast, they returned to Carin’s mansion without wasting their time in the Imperial Castle. They said they knew it would be difficult to meet Aria from now on, so they would take a break at the mansion and return to Croa.
It was unexpectedly the Imperial Castle’s garden where Asher, who had left everyone and even his servant out, fled with Aria. It was a place where Aria had also visited before.
“It was a busy day.”
“… Yes.”
As he said, Aria answered, looking at the calm pond.
As he said, it was a very busy and hectic day. It was also a busy day where they might have collapsed if they had stayed in the garden and worked on all their schedules. In consideration of her, he brought her to the garden of the Imperial Castle, where people could not enter except if their part of the royal family.
“You’ll be busy in the future, will you be okay?”
“I’ve been more busy than this. Enough to turn back the time.”
Although using the hourglass required a full day’s sleep, she had used the time she had turned more preciously. Besides, since no one had been willing to hurt herself for trivial reasons anymore, even though she had been busy and tired, she hadn’t been very tired mentally. That was enough.
“I must have dared to underestimate my princess.”
“Yes, so don’t worry too much. I think you’re more tired than I am, so why don’t we go back to our bedroom?”
When Aria asked if they would go back to their bedroom, Asher furrowed his forehead. He had a face that reminded him of something he hated very much. ‘Why are you reacting like that when I say, “Let’s go back to the bedroom?”‘ As she could not understand, she blinked and waited for his answer.
“Our bedroom… must have been crowded by people now.”
“…. Crowded by people?”
‘In someone else’s bedroom? Why?’ Aria waited for a reply again.
He hesitated for a moment but slowly replied as if he could not help it.
“… It’s the first night of the royal family. It’s a custom for them to watch us.”
“They will watch us, won’t they?”
Aria raised her voice and asked back, shouting. ‘Why are they going to watch the first night? Is that what it’s like to get married?’ Aria was so shocked that she became speechless. Her eyelids trembled, and her eyes wandered from place to place. She looked more embarrassed than ever.
“The royal wedding is mostly a political marriage, so they want to make sure they really spend the night together. They have to have a baby for the future generation… I think it’s good to be here, because you are so upset.”
“… That was an excellent choice. It’s a terrible thing. Why is there such a strange custom…?”
‘What could be worse than having our first night in the presence of someone? It would be embarrassing to remember, and that shame won’t subside until I go to the grave. But what I hate is what I hate, and I can’t stay here forever. The bride who held the ceremony would not spend the night in front of the pond. What could be more unfortunate than that?’
“Well, what now?”
Asher carefully suggested an alternative to Aria’s question. He seemed to have something in mind. “Would you like to go to my villa which you’ve been to before?”
‘The villa of Asher?’ At the words of Asher, Aria could conjure up his villa, which had been placed in the woods in a single stroke. It was obvious that no one would come there.
Aria was about to nod her head, but Asher quickly added the following words, “But we have a problem.”
“A problem…? What problem?”
‘I think there is no one there. Surely, no one is waiting for this kind of situation.’ She urged him to answer quickly, as she thought so, and he slowly answered her question after staring at her with his dark blue eyes for a moment.
“You know, there’s nobody there except us.”
“… What? Why is that a problem…?”
Aria, who asked so, could not finish her speech and became stiff. It was because she realized that his words did not just imply that there would be no one to see them.
It could be seen through Asher’s sunken eyes. He married the woman he had hoped for and would spend the night alone in a place where no one could come, so it was clear that he had only one thought.
“… Then let’s go quickly.”
That was also what Aria wanted. As soon as Aria’s answer fell, Asher opened his eyes wide. It seemed like an unexpected answer.
“Don’t you want to go?” This time Aria asked Asher.
‘No way.’ Asher soon took Aria’s hand in a hurry, and the two of them disappeared from the garden without a trace.
* * *
As he said, the villa was empty, not even a butler was there. No, maybe they didn’t have time to check it out. Asher, who had always moved into the woods near the mansion, somehow moved into the mansion, inside the bedroom.
It was a palace garden with no one in it, but when he moved from an open field of view to a blocked room, it was quick to change his eyes and behavior. She didn’t even prepare anything, but Asher’s hand was wrapped around Aria’s waist. The other hand swept Aria’s fluffy, soft cheeks. It was a touch asking for permission.
‘I can’t believe you ask for permission even in this situation.’ Aria soon closed her eyes with her arms around his neck, thinking that he was a really kind and generous man.
Then their lips were overlapped in a flash. The polite asking of her will was nowhere to be seen. ‘Now you don’t have to look at anyone’s interruptions or notice.’ His behavior was so impatient.
It was because he had been patient for a long time, ignoring Aria, who had repeatedly provoked him playfully several times so far. When she felt like she was going to be eaten by Asher without even leaving her bones behind, she shivered. She felt all the more so because she felt power in the hand of Asher, who had wrapped her waist.
“Aaah…”
When their lips moved apart for a moment, there was an inexplicable burst of breath. Somehow she was a little shy, but she put her hand on his shoulder then she wrapped it around his neck, but suddenly her view changed and a fluffy quilt touched her back.
