“Oh my!”
“How beautiful!”
The court ladies, who had been showing off the Virgin Road to Leticia, burst into exclamations.
Leticia’s eyes welled up with emotion.
Looking back, it was the third wedding.
She had never imagined that she would have such a happy wedding at her first one.
She had grasped perfect happiness.
Leticia walked the Virgin Road, filled with the blessings of the spirits and the sincerity of the principality’s people, to the ceremony hall.
Carefully watching the floor to avoid tripping, she saw the tips of black shoes.
“Dietrian?”
Leticia looked up in surprise.
“Why are you here? Were you not supposed to be waiting at the entrance of the hall?”
The court ladies giggled and stepped back as if they understood.
Dietrian, dressed in formal attire, smiled and reached out his hand.
“In Zenos, the groom comes out to meet the bride in advance. It’s an expression of his eagerness to greet the bride as soon as possible.”
“We met this morning too.”
“I hadn’t seen the wedding dress before. Seeing you walking from afar, I thought I was going to go crazy. Can you hear my heartbeat?”
“Heh. I wore a wedding dress in the Empire too.”
“To confess now, I felt like I was going to go mad then as well. You can’t even imagine how hard I tried to restrain myself from kissing you.”
“Ha ha.”
Dietrian pulled her into a tight embrace around her waist.
“May I kiss you?”
“Now?”
Leticia looked at Dietrian in surprise.
“Everyone is watching us.”
“In Zenos, we do as we please whether people are watching or not.”
His large hand gently lifted her chin.
His hot lips devoured hers with a softness yet intensity.
Leticia’s face turned red with the cheers around them.
“Mmm.”
As if he had decided to make a statement, his lips explored hers for quite a while.
It felt almost as if it was too intense to kiss like this in front of others.
Their lips intertwined, and his tongue gently invaded. The sensation of his tongue brushing the inside of her lips sent a shiver down her spine.
The attention from others was embarrassing, but it also made her heart race even more.
After a while, Leticia finally managed to pull away from him, clutching his sleeve and exhaling deeply.
Her eyes red, she looked up at Dietrian and said with a trembling voice.
“I understand now why weddings in Zenos are like this.”
“Why is that?”
She whispered very softly, her lips barely moving.
“Desire for the wedding night…”
“I agree.”
Dietrian quickly embraced her and began to stride forward with a serious expression.
“And I suppose we should finish quickly?”
Leticia wrapped her arms around his neck and burst into a bright smile.
Bang! Bang!
Fireworks exploded. Colorful flower petals scattered. The ceremony hall was filled with cheers and congratulatory words. Accompanied by lively music, the couple walked together on the red carpet as one.
* * *
After the ceremony, a tour of the capital was still left.
Having changed out of her dress, Leticia went to where the carriage was prepared.
“Wow!”
Leticia flinched as she tried to get into the open carriage with Dietrian’s help.
A roar that seemed to shake the very earth erupted beyond the city gates.
Leticia, who had been momentarily frozen, looked at Dietrian in surprise.
“Could it be that everyone is gathered because of us?”
“Of course.”
“The noise is enormous! It seems like everyone in the capital has come out!”
Dietrian smiled and pulled her closer.
“Not just the capital. Everyone has been eagerly waiting for this moment.”
As Dietrian had said, as soon as the gates opened, Leticia was welcomed by so many people it was almost overwhelming.
Not only from the capital but from all over the provinces, people had gathered to celebrate the wedding.
“Long live His Majesty the King!”
“Long live Her Highness!”
“Eternal blessings to the two royal heirs!”
Emotions are contagious. Seeing the people celebrating them, the excitement spread to Leticia.
Leticia asked with a trembling voice.
“Are all those people here just to see our wedding?”
“Indeed.”
“We need to show them our happy side.”
She looked up at him with a determined expression.
“Dietrian. We walked the Virgin Road together earlier. So, can we say this is also a Virgin Road?”
“Well, you could say it’s similar.”
“Then we should do what you did on the Virgin Road earlier.”
With those words, she pressed her lips against his. Dietrian, who had briefly widened his eyes, smiled more deeply. Embracing her tightly around the waist, he heard the tremendous cheers around them.
Dietrian had always thought.
His wife was the most perfect in the world.
There couldn’t be anything more perfect.
But it could be even more perfect.
As always, Leticia had once again surpassed his expectations.
* * *
The capital tour ended around sunset.
Originally, it was supposed to finish much earlier, but the people wouldn’t let the couple go.
The couple couldn’t easily part from those who had come from afar.
It wasn’t until the aides had urged them several times that it finally concluded.
In the living room bathed in crimson twilight, Leticia inhaled the fragrance of a bouquet given to her by an unknown woman.
“Thanks to Your Highness, we all have been able to start new lives! Thank you, truly thank you!”
The woman’s tone was very familiar.
Heden.
It was the border city she had always had to deal with. The very place where Banessa had taken flight and where Valenos had been defeated.
The woman had come all that way to congratulate Leticia.
Dietrian, having hung up his formal jacket, approached and sat next to her, undoing his cufflinks.
“Is it the flowers you received earlier?”
“Should we visit Heden?”
“Are you worried?”
“Of course.”
Her nose tingled. She didn’t know how many times her eyes had welled up today. It happened every time she felt the love poured out towards her.
“They say everyone is waiting for us.”
“Good. Whenever you want, we’ll go.”
“Not just Heden, could we visit other cities too?”
“It would be nice for a honeymoon.”
“After the children are born… it would be good to move around together.”
Dietrian, rolling up his sleeves, hugged Leticia from behind.
Even after spending the whole day together, he wanted to be even closer.
After kissing her repeatedly, he gently bit her earlobe, causing Leticia to try to pull away, saying.
“You haven’t washed yet.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I do.”
“Let’s look at the presents first. Then I’ll let you go.”
“Huh?”
“You mentioned you had something prepared. What is it? I’ve been waiting all day.”
He smiled with an eager expression.
Leticia, feeling somewhat embarrassed, avoided his gaze.
It had been fun preparing it, but now that she was about to reveal it, she wondered if it was too much.
But there was no way to back out now.
“Shall we wash up first?”
“I don’t mind. Show me the present first. Give me a hint.”
“It does matter… Let’s at least loosen up your sleeves first.”
“No. Present first.”
“Seriously. You’re acting like a child.”
“Today, I’m going to be a child.”
Dietrian did not let her go. Leticia ended up moving with him clinging like a snail.
He showered her with kisses as she wriggled with effort. Finally, reaching the intended place, Leticia stretched out her hand.
“It’s a present.”
“Hmm? What’s this?”
A small basket with colorful flower petals on a white cloth. It looked very fresh at a glance. A strong floral fragrance wafted through.
“I’ll put it in the bathtub.”
“Hmm?”
“Because I want to get in with you…”
Dietrian stared at Leticia blankly. His eyes widened as he belatedly understood her words.
“Actually, it’s been a dream of mine for a long time. Probably since Heden…”
Dietrian slumped into a chair. Leticia, who had been awkwardly watching him, set the basket down.
“Is it less impressive than you expected? I told you not to expect too much.”
“…This is unfair. This isn’t really a gift, is it?”
“Is it really?”
“It’s not a gift; it’s torture. If only you had listened to the doctor’s warnings, haah.”
He suddenly hugged her tightly.
“Come out quickly. Please come out healthily and quickly, you little ones. Daddy’s about to faint.”
As he said this, he subtly began to undo the straps of Leticia’s dress.
“…Dietrian?”
“Anyway, I must accept the gift. It will be the sweetest torture in the world, though.”
Dietrian smiled. As he pulled the waist straps tightly and loosened them, Leticia’s body spun halfway around.
“Eek!”
Dietrian let out a startled cry and lightly caught Leticia’s swaying body.
“Dietrian, you surprised me!”
“Do you think you only surprised me?”
Dietrian mischievously laughed and picked Leticia up. Anticipating this, Leticia quickly embraced his neck and pretended to complain.
“Hmph. Didn’t the doctor just warn us?”
“Oh, dear. I’m sorry.”
Dietrian, who had stopped in place, smiled sheepishly and wiped his face.
“You’re so lovable that I momentarily forgot. You weren’t too startled, were you?”
Leticia’s cheeks flushed red at the unexpected and affectionate confession. Despite hearing “I love you” countless times, there were still moments when her heart raced with excitement.
“I’m fine.”
“If necessary, I’ll call the doctor…”
Leticia quickly interrupted Dietrian’s words.
“Absolutely not. It’s our wedding night. No overprotectiveness allowed.”
“Overprotectiveness? When have I ever overprotected you? If anything, I’ve been lacking.”
“Kailas is taking care of me, and I’ve already entered a stable phase. Why are you so worried, Your Highness?”
“My concern for you is never enough…”
Dietrian chuckled.
“As you said, I’ll put my worries aside for today. I plan to do a very secretive prank as a thank you for your gift.”
“What’s that?”
“You’ll find out when we get there.”
Dietrian gave her a peck on the lips and started walking. Leticia, feeling a bit shy to ask more, gently rested her face on his neck.
At the same time, her heart raced.
‘What is Dietrian planning to do?’
After the wedding night, until their departure for the empire, the couple had been intimate multiple times. As their love deepened, the nature of their encounters also changed subtly.
When she first clung to him, it had been quite overwhelming.
Even though they had engaged in intimate skin contact several times before, penetration had been difficult.
‘I even cried from the pain when he first entered me.’
Fortunately, the pain didn’t last long. Dietrian treated Leticia as if she were the most precious treasure in the world. The pain gradually transformed into sweet pleasure.
Finally, as the sensation of being one with him added to the mix, every moment spent in his arms was enchanting and radiant.
Once she became accustomed to the overwhelming emotional impact, new pleasures began to emerge.
‘There isn’t just one way to share love…’
The secret and naughty games that made her face flush just by thinking about them. Things she would never have imagined before, things she could never have spoken of to others, were now done without hesitation.
For instance, there was the time she had leaned against the door and received his affection, fully aware that the maids were waiting outside.
‘Back then, I must have really… lost my mind.’
Remembering that day, Leticia’s cheeks turned bright red.
* * *
It was just a few days after the wedding night.
At that time, Leticia was being made up for her official schedule. Suddenly, Dietrian, who was supposed to meet her outside the inner palace, came to find her. He stared at Leticia, who was dressed more splendidly than usual, with a very serious expression.
“Leticia. I have something urgent to tell you. The matter is very serious.”
Leticia looked at Dietrian with surprise. He cleared his throat and then sent all the palace attendants away.
“Everyone, leave.”
Dietrian’s expression was so grave that the attendants also left the room with tense expressions. Leticia felt her heart sink.
What could be happening all of a sudden? Was there some bad news from the Holy Empire? Just as she was about to worry, Dietrian came closer and pressed his lips to the tip of her hair.
“I want to kiss you.”
“What?”
“I wanted to kiss you, Leticia.”
Dietrian, who was staring at the bewildered Leticia, smiled gently.
“Seeing you all dressed up reminded me of our wedding. At that time, it was so hard to resist the urge to kiss you. So, may I kiss you now?”
Leticia’s face turned bright red as she looked up at Dietrian in shock. She had thought that something very important was going on when he had hurriedly sent the attendants away. But it turned out that he just wanted to kiss her a few more times since the morning?
“Of course not! The makeup will be ruined.”
“Makeup can be redone.”
“How… how can you say that? Do you know how hard everyone worked to make me look this way?”
“A touch-up on the lips can be done quickly.”
“That may be true… but still, no! It’s not just about quickly doing the makeup or not!”
“Then what’s important?”
“Do you really not know? If you send everyone away under the pretense of something serious and then do that, what will everyone think?”
“They would think that we are close, wouldn’t they?”
“Of course… but still! It’s embarrassing!”
The source of her embarrassment was the wedding night that had taken place in the office right after arriving at the principality.
Though being held by him had been happy…
Doing it right in the office, in broad daylight, right after arriving at the principality was too embarrassing once she regained her composure.
Well, she had been too clingy to Dietrian in front of the delegation, but that was because she had been desperate to be close to him and had no capacity to care about anything else. Now that she had some leeway, the thoughts of others were on her mind.
For the sake of Dietrian’s dignity, she felt she should hold back, but his expressions of affection only grew more intense day by day.
Hugging, kissing, whispering affection.
He didn’t care at all about others’ gazes. Leticia would often get swept up in his affection and respond in kind, but…
In any case, the embarrassment was Leticia’s to bear.
Dietrian, having heard Leticia’s explanation, feigned a melancholic expression.
“So, Leticia, what you’re saying is that, having confirmed our feelings for each other, we no longer need to kiss, is that it?”
“No, why does it sound like that?”
“That’s how it sounds to me. We’ve just confirmed our feelings for each other… and now you want to hold back just because of a little gaze from others.”
“That’s not what I meant…”
This was really an impenetrable defense.
Or rather, a bomb.
Dietrian’s downcast face was incredibly powerful. His sorrowful eyes were as pitiful as a drenched puppy.
Leticia, not knowing what to do, finally said with a resigned heart.
“Fine. Then just a light kiss.”
Dietrian, as if he hadn’t been gloomy at all, smiled.
“Understood.”
“It’s a promise.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll really only give a light kiss.”
Of course, the promise was not kept.
“Hmm…”
What started as a light kiss gradually became more passionate. The sensual, sticky sound invaded her ears. Without the mental space to scold him for not keeping his promise, Leticia was eventually swept away by the overwhelming affection.
“Ah, Dietrian…”
Leticia moaned with a flushed voice as Dietrian’s hands caressed her body. Thanks to their recent experiences, Dietrian knew exactly where Leticia was feeling pleasure.
The heat rising from below made it hard for Leticia to even stand. She could only lean against the door, clutching at the hem of her dress and moaning softly, doing her best to keep her sounds from escaping.
“Please… ah.”
Even as she was helplessly succumbing to his touch, Leticia couldn’t believe what she was doing.
People were waiting outside, and in an hour, she had to attend an official event. Even if it was just a brief appearance.
To be making such lewd sounds while intoxicated with pleasure.
“Leticia. Just a little more. Please, just a little more. Okay?”
“But…”
“Your expression when you’re feeling this way is so beautiful that I can’t stop. I’m going mad not being able to hold you, so let me do at least this much.”
His voice, filled with desperate heat, was almost pleading. Even though Leticia knew she should be stopping Dietrian with her mind, her lips wouldn’t move. His gaze, filled with intense passion, was both unfamiliar and thrilling.
“Don’t worry about what others might think. I’ll take care of everything. We’re married. This is okay, especially considering our positions.”
The king was said to be without shame, and who would criticize the king for loving his wife?
Especially here in Zenos.
Just a short while ago, everyone had been concerned about Dietrian’s unhappy marriage.
If Leticia and Dietrian had a good relationship, there were plenty of people who would say that any official schedule could be postponed.
Leticia trembled as she squirmed below. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she shook her head.
“Ah, but, I don’t want to be late…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure we keep our schedule.”
Dietrian held Leticia, who was collapsing under the weight of her pleasure, close and whispered. He kissed her flushed cheeks, licked away the tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, and then began to overwhelm her once more.
* * *
After that, there were several similar instances.
Secret moments that only lovers could share.
At first, it was purely embarrassing and awkward. But at some point, those moments became precious to Leticia. They were times when she could love him freely.
“What are you thinking about?”
Dietrian asked as he embraced her from behind. Leticia, who had been splashing in the bathwater, leaned back against him.
“I was thinking about you.”
“While being with me, you were thinking about me?”
“I was thinking about how mischievous you are.”
Leticia laughed playfully. Dietrian tilted his head, then smiled gently. He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder.
“I do want to be mischievous even now.”
They were sitting together in the bath. Surrounding them were petals that Leticia had prepared. The red petals scattered through the white foam created a very beautiful sight.
“I know I should hold back, but it’s really hard…”
Though he wanted to hold her immediately, he held back for the sake of the children. Dietrian sighed deeply as he pulled her close. The softness of her wet skin against his made him anxious.
“They said it’s only a little longer. They said it’s okay during the stable period.”
“Ah, that little while feels so long.”
He had managed to wait so far, but seeing the gift Leticia had prepared today, his longing grew. To soothe his desire to be closer, he kissed her fingertips. Though it was far from enough, tasting her wet skin eased his thirst somewhat.
“Actually, I feel the same… I miss the time when I could hold you.”
“Don’t tease me. Why do you keep torturing me since our wedding night?”
“We got married months ago, so why do you keep mentioning the wedding night?”
“Have you forgotten what we did today? We made our wedding vows in front of countless people and even had a vow kiss.”
Leticia chuckled at Dietrian’s playful remarks. After a moment’s hesitation, she pulled away from his embrace and turned her body with the sound of splashing water. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered.
“Then how about this?”
Dietrian raised one eyebrow in response instead of answering. Leticia smiled brightly and adjusted her position. She slowly lowered her head, pressed her lips to his, and kissed him very gently. Understanding her intent, Dietrian smiled slightly.
“Are you sure this is okay?”
“Actually, you could do even more than this.”
“Huh?”
“I have the healing power that Kailas gave me…”
“…Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that. I’m really going to lose my patience.”
Their kiss resumed. His wet hands caressed her white body, wiping away the foam. The tender yet sensual touch made Leticia’s eyes grow hazy. As she felt his hand probing deeper, she slowly closed her eyes, exhaling heated breaths and kissing him once more.
“Dietrian…”
Though it was a gentle caress, it wasn’t as intense as their night together. Still, it was enough. It felt like proof that she could love him.
* * *
Time had flown by in the blink of an eye.
With everyone’s blessings and hopes, the children grew up healthily.
Despite being pregnant with twins, Leticia was comfortable every day.
She felt her appetite increasing rather than suffering from morning sickness. Eating good food made her feel healthier.
On a fall day about a month before her due date.
Leticia and Dietrian were walking through the garden together.
“Ah.”
Leticia, walking slowly, stopped with a short exclamation.
“Leticia?”
Instead of answering, Leticia quickly placed his hand on her belly.
“It just moved. It’s moving again. Can you feel it?”
Fetal movement.
The signal her children were sending to the world.
Even though months had passed since she first felt the movement, it still filled her with excitement.
It was even more so because she had missed the movements frequently in the early stages.
For some reason, the babies were calm when their dad was around.
But recently, even with Dietrian present, she occasionally felt the movements. It was quite different from the times when the babies would quiet down just by Dietrian’s touch.
They were actively showing their presence as the due date approached.
The young couple sat on a bench and felt the movements for quite a while.
Seeing Dietrian unable to take his eyes and hands off the round belly, Leticia burst into laughter.
“Twins move together.”
“It seems so. These little guys. Be gentle. If you kick too hard, mommy will have a hard time.”
“How will we wait for a month?”
“Indeed. A month feels like a whole year.”
Dietrian whispered with a sigh.
“May you be born healthy. I will wait well for a month.”
He placed a gentle kiss on Leticia’s belly.
The babies, who had calmed down for a moment, began to move again.
Early the next morning, after they had blessed each other wishing for the month ahead,
Labor began.
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