Chapter 20 Part 2: The Wedding, and Elchen

‘The first night..? Me?’

Rosa couldn’t believe it.

It wasn’t a lie to say she had never thought about it.

But it was also true that she hadn’t thought about it recently.

So many things had happened in the past few days. She was so preoccupied with the kiss at the wedding.

She hadn’t thought of it. The first night.

!!!

Gasping for air, Rosa suddenly realized this fact.

‘Right. Why am I nervous..?’

The first night is spent only between the bride and groom.

“I probably don’t need to act.”

Rosa recalled the kiss with Caron earlier.

His lips touching hers. His breath entering her. Her face flushed for no reason.

‘What was he thinking.’

She had agreed to act. But did he have to imitate it so realistically?

It was a position where both families’ parents were present.

She understood Caron’s intentions, but it felt strange to just let it go.

“Ugh..”

In the end, Rosa frowned.

In fact, the reason she was most flustered was because of her own feelings.

It wasn’t disgusting or repulsive.

Rather, there was less resistance than she expected.

‘..It must be because it’s my first time.’

Yes. It’s the first night.

But if it was Caron, he would probably just let it go.

There was no need to act when it was just the two of them.

‘We’ll just sleep.’

Thinking that made her feel much more at ease.

‘Hmm.. Caron should probably sleep on the bed, right?’

Since he was the original owner of this palace. Rosa was thinking of sleeping on the sofa.

More than that, if Caron came, she was planning to firmly talk to him.

Well, it wasn’t like she was going to question him about her being his first or anything.

Other women would be in big trouble if he did this to them. Only Rosa would understand.

As is the case with many romance fantasy novels, the original work that she had transmigrated into also had conflicts between the two protagonists. Of course, it was Caron’s fault for not expressing his true feelings.

So, it wouldn’t be bad to give him a passing reminder.

The reason why Caron was late.

He said he had to leave for Elchen tomorrow.

Just then.

Grumble-

‘..Right.’

She hadn’t eaten anything today. Naturally, Rosa headed for the round table where snacks were laid out.

“This is delicious..”

The bread was quite good. Seeing that it was as white as snow, it must have been made with the finest flour. The cream cheese was so soft that it melted in her mouth.

After filling her hungry stomach with dessert and fruit.

Suddenly, Rosa wanted a palate cleanser.

“What’s this..? It looks like wine.”

A glass bottle with a bright red liquid caught Rosa’s eye.

Of course, that was before her transmigration.

Rosa poured it into a glass without much thought. She couldn’t drink alcohol at the Count’s estate because of the Count’s concerns.

“-“

So, it had been a long time since she had a drink.

“Wow, this is delicious!”

The wine was quite sweet.

‘I didn’t really like sweet alcohol before..’

Had her taste changed? This was quite nice in its own way.

“Should I.. have one more glass?”

As if addicted to the flavor, Rosa kept refilling her glass.

The night sky settled over the entire palace like a curtain.

Under the scarlet lanterns, Caron’s steps gradually quickened.

‘I’m late.’

More than expected.

Caron thought of Rosa, who must be waiting for him.

And.

The kiss at the wedding earlier.

‘It’s her first time.’

He was sure of it.

Her body stiffened in surprise, her face flushed.

Her eyes, filled with confusion, were the final nail in the coffin of Caron’s doubts.

Moreover, when he had invaded her mouth, she had literally frozen.

‘Come to think of it, she was quite awkward holding hands, too.’

For years, he had seen many women on the battlefield.

Of course, he hadn’t mingled with those women himself, but he had seen and heard a lot.

And in fact, when he calmly thought about Rosa’s personality again.

It seemed unlikely that she would have had the chance to meet another man besides him.

He had been mistaken. Just about the unfamiliar situation at the time.

He was well aware that this was a contract marriage.

But everything was his first with Rosa.

The wedding, holding hands, and the kiss.

It was the same for him.

The white walls of the detached palace came into his view.

The detached palace, Etwal. The place where he stayed before leaving for Elchen.

Passing the saluting guards, Caron entered his old abode.

Naturally, it was a place he was very familiar with, but Caron paused for a moment in front of a door.

Beyond this door.

Rosa was waiting for him.

Taking a small deep breath, Caron opened the door.

Click-

The scarlet light illuminating the room. At a glance, it felt like a newlywed’s room.

But Rosa was nowhere to be seen.

Caron looked around the room.

In the corner was a bathtub with pink petals floating in it, and there was a classic white round table and a large bed.

Next to the faintly burning fireplace was an empty red velvet sofa.

But Rosa was nowhere to be seen.

Caron’s heart seemed to drop.

But only for a moment.

He noticed that the terrace door was slightly open.

He went out through the gap.

“Rosa.”

Hearing his voice, she, who was sitting on a rocking chair, turned her head.

“You’re here?”

A bright smile.

Smiling under the moonlight, Rosa was beautiful. She was wearing a thin evening dress and hugging her small knees with both hands.

“Why. Are you here alone?”

Caron approached and asked.

“..I don’t know?”

“I was just. A little hot.”

Only then did Caron notice something strange.

Thud-

He sat next to Rosa and checked her cheeks, which were definitely flushed.

“Did you, by any chance, drink?”

Rosa burst into laughter.

“Yes. After a long time. It was sweet and nice. You should have had some too.”

An undeniable sweetness mixed in Rosa’s exhaled breath.

“Caron. Why are you so late? I had something to say to you.”

She didn’t slur her words.

Seeing Rosa’s strangely flushed face, Caron answered in a low voice.

“Sorry. I had a lot to prepare.”

“..Prepare?”

Rosa clicked her tongue.

Then she said this.

“Are you going to do this at your real wedding too?”

There was probably a scene like that in the original work too.

Caron, a workaholic, was the type to immerse himself in one thing and not look around.

Because of that, he had disappointed the female lead many times.

“Yes. You shouldn’t leave the bride alone. Especially this late.”

She was saying this after thinking it through.

“And. You’re not very considerate of your partner.”

Caron, who had been listening quietly, asked.

“I told you.”

Thump-

Rosa hit his shoulder with her small fist.

As if angry. And as if expressing her frustration.

“I told you. To tell me in advance..!”

Caron grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.

He understood.

What she was trying to say.

Rosa’s body drew closer.

“So. You’re angry that I kissed you without telling you? To the point where you drank alone like this?”

“Wh, what..!”

Rosa was flustered.

Not just because of the close proximity.

How could he say such words without any hesitation.

“That’s not it, Rosa.”

But Caron’s words weren’t over yet.

“That wasn’t even a kiss.”

At those definitive words, Rosa was at a loss for words.

It was nonsense.

But she should take her wrist out first.

“What are you talking about. Let go.”

Like a child, Caron didn’t accept her tantrum.

Squeeze-

But he definitely apologized.

“Sorry. Rosa. If you were concerned about that.”

At his serious expression, Rosa stopped moving.

“Concerned..? What concern?”

“If you had such a fantasy, I apologize for my arbitrary judgment.”

“Fantasy..?”

Caron whispered to Rosa in a low voice, staring into her eyes as she pondered what that was.

“The first kiss is with someone you like.”

Soon, Rosa’s face turned as red as a ripe tomato when she realized the meaning of the words.

“It’s not like that-!”

It was absurd. Her hands and feet were curling.

Caron was looking at her with his usual expression.

It felt like he was saying he didn’t care, but she did.

‘Could it be..’

Could it be that everything she had been saying had been reflected in that way? As if she were a woman with such a fantasy.

Seeing Rosa’s horrified expression, Caron smiled inwardly.

‘What does it matter.’

She was a little drunk and cute, hitting his shoulder and pouting, so he just said it.

Somehow, her reaction was more intense than usual.

“It doesn’t feel like anything even if I do that.. to you.”

“I know it’s acting.”

Caron asked.

“Really. You don’t feel anything?”

Rosa nodded. There was no need to even consider it.

“That’s a little, disappointing.”

It really was.

Caron frowned for no reason.

“..Shall we practice.”

“What practice?”

“Kissing.”

His expression was far from a joke. It was inappropriately serious.

Rosa laughed.

“What is that.”

But that was it.

The chair swayed slightly.

Under the pouring night sky.

Caron kissed Rosa.

He lingered on her unyielding lips. Then he parted his lips and whispered lowly to Rosa.

“We decided. To practice.”

At those words, Rosa was startled.

Something didn’t seem right.

Did she say that?

She did hear that they needed to practice kissing.

‘Or else..’

Was he talking about a different practice?

Meanwhile, Caron gently pulled her towards him.

One arm was around her waist, and the other was behind her neck.

Their foreheads touched, and each other’s breath touched the other’s lips.

“You don’t care. And neither do I. Then there’s no problem if we practice with each other.”

But there was a strange persuasiveness in those words.

If she denied it, it would be like admitting that she cared.

“..Yes.”

In the end, she nodded.

Anyway, Caron had told her in advance this time. That should be fine, right? Rosa thought so.

Still, Caron carefully lowered his head to the still hesitant Rosa.

The height difference between the two was not small. Rosa was rather short for her age, and Caron was quite tall even among his peers.

“…”

Caron’s lips were very dry. And hot.

‘It’s going to burn.’

She didn’t have time to think that for more than a few seconds.

Their clumsy kiss began.

In fact, this was the first time for both of them to do it properly.

Their upper lips, and their lower lips. Lightly biting or licking each other.

Exploring each other in such a clumsy way.

Of course, the one leading was naturally Caron, and he looked down at Rosa’s tightly closed eyes with a fervent gaze.

Rosa was pretty, even her closed double eyelids.

Every time their lips touched, a wet sound spread.

Caron gently stroked Rosa’s nape with a soft touch, like soothing a child.

She was too frozen.

She wouldn’t allow his invasion.

Fortunately, at the ticklish feeling that spread from her nape, Rosa unknowingly parted her lips for a moment.

“Hmph..”

Caron didn’t miss that gap.

Only then did their clumsy breaths begin to truly mix.

“Haah..”

At the unfamiliar sensation, she instinctively tried to escape.

But that powerless movement only led to the opposite result.

Now they were completely close. Caron held Rosa, who had entered his embrace, as if he wouldn’t let her go.

Their kiss deepened.

Now one of Caron’s hands was behind Rosa’s head.

He firmly pulled her small head towards him at that time.

Rosa’s head was already tilted back quite a bit, as if she were standing on tiptoe and hanging on to Caron.

Chuu-

The sound of wet lips continued.

The feeling of their tongues intertwining.

The hot breath that couldn’t escape.

“Haa-“

In her daze, Rosa let out a sigh-like moan.

She felt awkward about herself for a moment, and her mind cleared.

‘What..? Why am I with Caron?’

But she couldn’t continue her thoughts.

Her narrow, narrow palate, the soft flesh between her gums.

Honestly, because it felt good.

That she was like this herself.

‘..Yes. This was practice.’

Rosa gave up thinking.