Chapter 43: The Wedding Night

“…W-What are you saying?”  

My neck felt hot. I couldn’t bear to look at Maya and Rosetta.  

Rosetta covered her mouth with her hand, throwing me a sly glance, while Maya blinked her wide eyes like a startled bull, her face flushed red.  

“Ahem. Or… is it so bad that I can’t even look?”  

Of course.  

After a few more awkward coughs, the door, which hadn’t budged despite Maya’s efforts, finally opened.  

Standing there was Xavier, dressed in a black formal suit.  

The crisp, white cravat suited him perfectly. His towering height, easily over 190 cm, his broad, firm shoulders, and his long, lean limbs made the fit look nothing short of artistic.  

‘Wow.’  

His skin, neither too pale nor too dark, was perfectly sun-kissed. His smooth, slightly rounded forehead, deep and captivating teal eyes, high nose bridge, and sensual red lips harmonized flawlessly with his sharp jawline.  

Oh, dear heavens, did you grant me sight just so I could die after seeing this?  

‘How is this fair? The groom looks better than the bride!’  

I couldn’t help but pout in frustration.  

The sound of his polished shoes echoed in the room as Xavier walked toward me.  

“This… I can’t bear to look.”  

A straightforward confession.  

The man standing before me was more breathtaking than I was, despite all the effort I had put in since dawn.  

Facts were facts, after all.  

I couldn’t find it in me to say anything nice, feeling a little miffed.  

“Yeah, yeah. Of course, you’d say that.”  

“It’s because you’re so dazzling.”  

“!”  

Xavier gestured to his eyes as he spoke.  

The pout that had been sticking out like a mile-long plank instantly disappeared.  

“What do you mean by that?”  

“I mean that my bride is the most beautiful woman in the world, and I don’t know where to rest my eyes.”  

Placing his hand over his heart, Xavier furrowed his brows slightly.  

“Can’t you see? My heart’s been going thump and falling ever since I saw you.”  

“Eek!”  

Unable to hold it in any longer, Rosetta let out a squeal. Although she quickly apologized and bowed in embarrassment, she soon grabbed Maya and started jumping up and down.  

Amidst the commotion, Xavier kept his gaze fixed on me, his smile warm and unwavering.  

“You’re beautiful.”  

“T-Thank you.”  

My face burned, and my eyes stung slightly. I told myself it was just wedding-day flattery, but deep inside, something in my heart tingled.  

“Shall we go?”  

“Yes.”  

I took Xavier’s outstretched hand, and we headed toward the grand banquet hall of the ducal residence. From the bride’s waiting room, it was a short walk down the corridor and a left turn to the hall. The murmurs of the guests reached us even from the hallway.  

At the entrance to the hall, standing by the wedding aisle, was my father, dressed to the nines. His black suit, paired with his slicked-back hair, made him look quite dashing.  

“My daughter! Isn’t she lovely? Have you ever seen such a beautiful bride?”  

He was enthusiastically chatting with the people around him.  

“Oh my, doesn’t our Yuria look like a goddess? And our Duke looks like a god himself!”  

My beautiful mother, overwhelmed with emotion, was on the verge of tears.  

I was so nervous that all the sounds around me blurred into a muffled hum, and my gaze remained fixed straight ahead.  

But I couldn’t ignore the feeling of Xavier’s eyes on me. It was so persistent that I had to ask.  

“What is it?”  

“Are you ready?”  

“Oh, yes. It’s just a wedding. We walk in, listen to the officiant, bow, and walk out. Simple.”  

Yes, it was simple. Just listen to the speech, bow politely, and march down the aisle. I’d seen it plenty of times in dramas.  

All I had to do was walk in and out on my own two feet.  

I was desperately trying to calm my wildly beating heart with some questionable self-talk.  

“No, not that.”  

“Not that? Then what?”  

“The first night.”  

I stiffened mid-step, my head snapping toward him.  

Maya’s earlier warning about ‘that’! The very thing that had been making me anxious!  

My already racing heart now felt like it was slipping into a coma.  

“T-The first night wasn’t in the contract, was it?”  

“True. There’s no clause about the first night in the contract.”  

“……”  

As my pupils darted around in panic, Xavier’s teal eyes wrinkled with amusement.  

“So, I’m looking forward to seeing how far you’ll allow me to go.”  

“You said you’d wait until I was ready! You said you were a gentleman!”  

I couldn’t hide my flustered state and protested vehemently. But Xavier Auguste was a formidable opponent.  

“The first night… is an exception. Isn’t it?”  

With that, Xavier turned his gaze away and looked straight ahead. The corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly.  

‘I take back the tiny bit of admiration I felt earlier!’  

＊  

The wedding ended more quickly than I had expected.  

After the reception, I now found myself sitting on the bed.  

In the grandest and most beautiful room of the Duke’s mansion, wearing nothing but a single layer of a nightgown.  

The king-sized bed, draped with lace curtains on all sides, was enormous, beautiful, and…  

“Overwhelming!”  

I wanted to cry.  

The newlywed room, with its red carpet contrasting against the white sheets and lace, was so stunning and seductive that I knew I’d faint before the Duke even touched me.  

“Would you like a drink?”  

Xavier entered, holding a bottle of wine in one hand and two crystal glasses in the other. He was wearing a nightgown of the same design and color as mine. Fresh out of the shower, his damp black hair glistened.  

‘Oh no, why does that look so refreshing? I must be losing it.’  

My eyes involuntarily fixated on the deep collarbone peeking through his slightly open gown.  

His well-defined chest, and below that…  

‘Save me.’  

My cheeks burned fiercely.  

“Yuria?”  

“Yes? Yes, I’d like some.”  

Xavier placed the glasses on the table. A variety of cheeses, likely prepared by the butler, were laid out.  

With practiced ease, he uncorked the wine and poured it slowly into the glasses. A sweet and slightly bitter aroma wafted through the air. I was drawn to the table, picking up a glass to take a sip.  

“Wait.”  

Xavier, seated across from me, raised his own glass.  

“To tonight.”  

“To tonight.”  

The sound of clinking glasses echoed, and I took a sip.  

For a moment, our eyes locked midair. I caught a flicker of desire in his gaze.  

‘Wow, what kind of look is that?’  

I swallowed the wine, along with a lump in my throat.  

Emptying my glass in one go, I popped a piece of Gouda cheese into my mouth and chewed.  

“Slurp.”  

I shouldn’t drink more, but for some reason, the wine went down so smoothly tonight.  

As I sipped, the atmosphere—or perhaps Xavier’s intense gaze—quickly made me tipsy.  

“Drink more.”  

Why was this man encouraging me to drink?  

“No, thank you. You know I can’t handle much.”  

Two glasses were my limit, and I was already halfway through the third.  

“Then shall we head to the bed as is?”  

The bed.  

B-E-D.  

Was he suggesting we film a scene right there?  

Unlike me, who felt like a burning sweet potato, his face remained smooth, white, and calm.  

‘Ugh, so unfair.’  

He must have a high alcohol tolerance. If he’s strong with alcohol, then… Oh no, where is my mind going?  

I must be drunk. I’m thinking things I’d usually suppress.  

“Ah, maybe one more glass would be good.”  

“As the bride wishes.”  

I held out my empty glass, but Xavier didn’t refill it. Instead, he set his glass down.  

“You’re not pouring more?”  

He didn’t answer.  

Instead, his deep, captivating gaze drifted somewhere. Following his line of sight, I realized…  

‘My lips!’  

The moment I understood, Xavier stood up. The sound of the chair scraping against the floor seemed unnaturally loud.  

He approached me, slid his hands under my arms, and lifted me effortlessly, placing me in front of him.  

I looked up at him, wide-eyed like a startled child.  

The Xavier I always looked up at was now below me. Seeing him from above felt unfamiliar, but the way he looked up at me was strangely… sensual.  

His gaze seemed to study my face intently, as if searching for something. Wherever his eyes roamed—my eyes, nose, lips, or neck—I felt a flush of heat rise.  

For a long moment, he said nothing, just stood there with me in front of him.  

Finally, unable to bear it, I asked.  

“Xavier, what is it?”  

“You’re too beautiful.”  

“Oh.”  

I instinctively touched my cheek, feeling the heat radiating from it.  

Xavier’s hand covered mine.  

“Yuria, you’re stunning tonight.”  

“…Thank you.”  

Now even my eyes felt hot.  

Xavier’s gaze, which had been so intense, softened as he looked at me.  

“And me? What do you think of me?”  

“Xavier, you’re…”  

What more could I say?  

Honestly, I’d never seen a man as beautiful as him.  

His expectant gaze held a touch of vulnerability.  

In that moment, he seemed so breathtaking that I felt he was too much for my small heart to handle.  

“You’re beautiful, Xavier. So much that I can hardly bear it.”  

His once-neutral lips curved into a soft smile. His teal eyes shimmered with a tender passion.  

My own gaze must have mirrored his.  

The fear of the wedding night was gone. This moment belonged to just the two of us.  

‘Yes, it’s our wedding night.’  

Without realizing it, my hand reached up, gently caressing his face. My fingers traced his smooth forehead and temple before brushing against his cheek. When they touched his freshly shaved jawline, the slight roughness sent a strange thrill through me.  

Xavier’s hands cupped my face. Looking down at him with hazy eyes, I leaned down and kissed him without hesitation.  

Keeping his gaze locked on mine, Xavier reached out with a long arm and picked up his glass. He took a sip of the remaining wine.  

Then, our lips met again. Between our parted lips, the sweet and bitter wine flowed like a tide into my mouth.  

The wine carried a part of Xavier into me, swirling through me. Swallowing the rich red liquid, I felt my breath hitch.  

Pulling back slightly, he asked, 

“Did you like it?”  

Embarrassed, I gave a quick nod, unable to speak. My body refused to obey me.  

With a hearty laugh, Xavier scooped me up and gently laid me on the bed.  

“Now, let’s rest.”  

Clinging to his neck like a child, I shook my head vigorously.  

A deep sigh escaped him, resonating like a low rumble beside me.  

Looking down at me with heated eyes, he clenched and unclenched his fists.  

And then—  

“Hah.”  

He buried his face in the crook of my neck, exhaling a hot breath.  

“Xavier…”  

His breath, warm and ragged, lingered on my neck before moving to my ear, my forehead, my nose, and finally back to my lips.  

“Yuria.”  

“Ah…”  

His long, elegant fingers interlaced with mine, locking us together.  

“We’ve only kissed so far, haven’t we?”  

“Yes. But… I think I’m tired. Maybe it’s the wine.”  

At that, Xavier let out a soft chuckle. Was he amused that his bride had passed out after just three glasses of wine on their wedding night?  

“Well, this is fun.”  

But then, his expression suddenly darkened. He sat up abruptly, turning his back to me.  

What’s wrong?  

I struggled to lift my heavy upper body slightly.  

“Xavier?”  

Placing a cautious hand on his back, I gasped in shock. His body was trembling.  

“Ugh. It’s starting.”  

My drowsiness vanished instantly.  

Xavier was suppressing a painful groan, cold sweat dripping down his face.