I’ve Become a S*ave Bride - Chapter 22
As soon as he opened the door, Kazen stood awkwardly in front of the tea space. He looked down with incredulous eyes at Lenette, who was sleeping with her mouth wide open at the table inside the tea space.
“You said you weren’t tired.”
He had asked her that a few days ago after she had been dozing off at her desk for almost half a month.
“Are you planning to sleep like that again today?”
“Yes.”
“You must be tired.”
“I find it comfortable to sleep sitting up.”
Her audaciously ridiculous excuse was so absurd that he just let it go.
But right now she was so deeply asleep that she wouldn’t even notice if someone carried her away.
“What a funny woman.”
A short laugh escaped Kazen’s lips. He crouched down and asked Kus, who was nearby,
“How long has she been like this?”
Kus blinked his eyes pitifully, as if he were uncomfortable being unable to move, indicating that he had maintained the same position for quite
some time.
“I told you not to act as a pillow carelessly.”
In truth, he had never said such a thing, but Kus lowered her face and rested her chin on her own feet as if in reflection.
Kazen patted Kus’s forehead a few times before turning his gaze back to Lenette.
“Isn’t it time for her to wake up?”
There was no response.
Not even a flinch could be seen, so it seemed she had truly fallen into a deep sleep.
“This is unbelievable.”
He chuckled as he stood up from his spot.
Kazen briefly looked around the room. Although it was nominally his bride’s room, it was his first time entering like this.
“It’s empty.”
The bed, a few storage pieces, and this tea space. That was all.
“Well,”
Considering the brides who had disappeared without even having a chance to adapt to this place, how could they have decorated this place?
Kazen approached Lenette and swiftly lifted her by placing his arms behind her knees and around her back.
Then he paused.
“…She’s heavier than I thought?”
If Lenette had been awake, this would have been shocking, but she remained blissfully asleep.
“My arms are sore.”
Of course, she wasn’t heavy enough to be a burden for Kazen. However, for some reason, he felt it would be more comfortable to carry her over one shoulder rather than with both arms.
As he contemplated changing his position for a moment, Kazen eventually started to walk.
It was better that she was asleep and unaware of the situation. Waking her up only to have her blush and get flustered would be tiring.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
Mya.
By the way, this woman really doesn’t wake up. Even though he lifted her carelessly with a clumsy touch, she still slept soundly.
Kus, who had been lying under her as a pillow, stood up and stretched like a cat.
“What a really strange woman. Don’t you think?”
Kus rubbed his forehead against Kazen’s leg as if to say not to speak like that. Kazen chuckled again.
“You can’t be so easily swayed.”
Myaaa.
Kazen shook his head at Kus’s protest and turned on his toes to head out the open door.
However, it wasn’t long before his feet stopped again.
Alternating his gaze between the woman in his arms and the neatly arranged bed, Kazen tilted his head.
“Hmm.”
Kus, who understood the meaning, approached the bed first and used his front paw to pull back the blanket.
“Thank you.”
Kazen carefully laid Lenette down on the bed. Concerned that she might catch a cold again, he covered her up to her neck with the blanket.
The desert was hot, but the humidity was so low that it felt quite cool once you stepped into the shade.
“What am I doing now?”
He hadn’t come to take care of her like a nanny, after all.
“I guess it’s too late to talk today.”
Kazen, straightening his back, looked at Kus, who was naturally climbing onto the bed.
“I told you not to be so easily swayed.”
The black panther tilted its head as if it didn’t understand what he meant, then settled at Lenette’s feet, curling up and preparing to sleep again.
Kazen shook his head at the sight.
“I guess you plan to stay here all night.”
Kus, who had been half-asleep with one eye open as if to say he should leave, finally closed his eyes completely.
“Well, it’s not bad.”
When he was alone in the room like this, having Kus nearby was better. After all, neither Nazan nor he could protect her every hour.
“Then keep a good watch.”
With that brief request, Kazen left the room.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
“It’s been a while, sister-in-law. Oh, I suppose you’re not my sister-in-law anymore.”
It was obvious that Acel had made the slip on purpose, but Lenette didn’t point it out. After all, who would dare correct him when he had the queen at his back?
“I came to check on you because I thought you might be feeling down.”
Lenette, sitting in the chair opposite Acel, wore her characteristic smile.
“Your Highness’s kind concern eases my wounded heart.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
He lifted the teacup and took a sip.
“Oh, right.”
As if recalling something, he suddenly turned his head. This revealed Acel’s sharp jawline in full.
‘At least that’s a relief.’
It was the fact that Acel had a significantly different appearance from the crown prince. The only thing they had in common was the color of their hair.
“If you stare at me like that, it’s quite embarrassing.”
With a mischievous glint in his sharp eyes, Acel handed the bouquet he received from the attendant directly to Renette.
“I saw some beautiful blue hydrangeas on my way here.”
Lenette quietly looked down at the pastel-toned blue petals. The language of hydrangeas has various meanings: sincerity, fickleness, and a maiden’s dream.
And among them, the meaning of blue hydrangeas is…
“Coldness and indifference. Your Highness is truly unchangingly mischievous to gift such flowers to a woman who has been rejected.”
“Haha, Lenette, you’re still as straightforward as ever.”
At his playful response, Lenette set the bouquet down and murmured softly.
“How can a person change so easily?”
“I used to think the same, but my thoughts have changed a bit lately. There are indeed those who change quite easily.”
That brazen remark must be directed at the crown prince and Ophelia.
“Is that so?”
Though those words might have been comforting, Lenette could only manage a bitter smile.
Acel crossed his legs and leaned back on the sofa.
Holding the teacup in one hand and the saucer in the other, he spoke naturally, as if exhaling a breath.
“To be honest, I find their change of heart quite delightful.”
When she remained silent and simply stared at him, he set down the cup that had covered his mouth and smiled brightly.
“Because I’ve had my eye on Renette for a long time.”
“I didn’t know that.”
Despite the blunt statement, Renette remained calm.
“Of course. It shouldn’t have been known. You were my brother’s partner, after all.”
I can confidently say that only Acel would dare to bring up her wounds that have yet to heal.
‘Is it a lack of consideration, or is it rather overflowing with consideration…?’
Ultimately, Lenette threw off the mask she had been wearing due to his unrestrained words and actions.
“To be honest, I wasn’t completely unaware. I knew you liked me.”
As Lenette suddenly shifted the atmosphere and sank into the sofa, Acel chuckled.
He gestured to the attendant, and the people inside quickly exited.
“I thought you’d be crying and making a fuss, but you seem surprisingly composed, Lenette.”
Acel’s tone had also become much more relaxed. Lenette tilted her head slightly as she looked at him.
“Seems the royal physician isn’t doing too well?”
“Why the sudden question?”
“If you think I look fine, then there must be something wrong with your eyesight.”
He paused for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“Hahaha, your sarcasm is still as sharp as ever.”
“I don’t change, you know.”
Lenette leaned her head back against the sofa.
This was the mansion given by the king where Lenette and the crown prince had their engagement ten years ago, and true to its name, even the ceiling was extravagant.
Looking at the intricately patterned ceiling, Lenette suddenly spoke up.
“Are you serious?”
“Proposal?”
“Yeah.”
“You know I’m serious.”
As mentioned earlier, Lenette had known Acel’s feelings for a long time.
Unlike the audacious crown prince and Ophelia, he didn’t know how to hide his emotions.
But still…
“I didn’t expect you to come right after those two got married.”
At her words, Acel laughed.
“So you knew I would come?”
“Halfway?”
“What would you have done if I hadn’t come?”
“Then I would have gone to see you.”
When Lenette raised her head and looked him in the eye, he lifted his eyebrows in surprise.
“That’s a good idea.”
“You know I can’t just let things happen without taking action. Obviously, if you hadn’t proposed, I would have done it first.”
At that, Acel pouted his lips, which didn’t quite match his cold appearance.
“Do you really have to be so honest?”
“So, do you dislike it?”
At her bold question, he rested his chin on his hand and grinned.
“Dislike it? Not at all. Everything you do is good.”
Though it was a line mixed with a bit of sweetness, Lenette was unfazed. She straightened up and sat up properly.
“You’ve checked with your physician, right? Have you persuaded the messenger?”
“Not yet. But there shouldn’t be any issues. My mother is quite proactive.”
Acel’s mother refers to the current queen.
She was a princess from a small kingdom and had actively participated in the unification of the Ecaron Kingdom in the past.
As a result, she currently wields considerable influence within the kingdom, which is quite different from that of the late queen, Dawes, who was her biological mother.
“Acel, the moment you accept me as your partner, the war for the throne will begin in earnest.”
“My mother will actually welcome that. She has coveted you more than anyone else.”
