Chapter 93 : Side Story (Episode 13)

Splash!

The wave coming toward me broke with a rather convincing sound.

Thanks to that, my dress—already heavy with seawater—was now completely soaked.

I felt the dampness as I slumped down onto the ground. Gentle waves tickled my waist.

Half-submerged in the seawater, I looked around.

Perhaps because it was a famous tourist spot, several small white boats floated on the sea.

Given the time, not many people were swimming, but a few children were diving and racing in the shallows.

It was quite different in many ways from the stereotypical sea I had imagined.

Soon, hurried footsteps splashing through the water approached from behind.

Splish, splash—Riorem had entered the sea, cutting through the water to follow me.

I slowly turned to look at him. As expected, his beautiful forehead was furrowed.

“Why are you looking at me like that, Riorem? I went into the sea, just like you said.”

“…Haah.”

Riorem let out a short sigh and draped his coat over my shoulders.

Still half-submerged, I smiled.

“You’re not very surprised. I was hoping to fluster you.”

“You always start with the one thing I wish you’d never do.”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”

And hearing that only made me want to meet his expectations.

I reached out and tugged on the arm he had draped over my shoulder.

It must have felt as light as a feather to him, yet Riorem willingly let himself fall into the water beside me.

Splash.

A somewhat larger wave hit me and broke apart.

Watching this, Riorem pulled me into his arms, enclosing me within his embrace.

From then on, every wave was blocked by his broad back and never reached me.

I suddenly spoke.

“You’re not going to let me walk back to the mansion like this, are you?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Riorem answered in a low voice.

His blue eyes looked down at the dress, now made nearly transparent by the water.

My bare skin showed faintly through the pale fabric.

“Then what are we going to do? Did you bring a towel or something?”

“Do you think you’re the only one who’s ever jumped into the sea here?

Of course, any shop nearby will be selling towels.”

“So you’re saying, in that uniquely ‘imperial’ way of yours, that you’ll go buy one?”

At my words, Riorem’s eyebrow twitched.

I kissed his cheek and whispered,

“Did you say I always start with the things you wish I wouldn’t do?”

“Maybe I did. I like making things difficult for you.”

“…Why would you do that?”

His voice was low and cracked, like it had been submerged.

I answered with the same gentle tone I always tried to maintain,

“Probably because it makes me happy when you accept it.”

Riorem furrowed his brow at my words.

He soon brushed back his wet hair.

Saltwater dripped down the back of his hand, sparkling like gemstones under the strong sun.

“…Haah…”

A soft groan escaped Riorem’s lips.

His arms, shielding me from the crashing waves, tightened around my waist.

Slowly, Riorem buried his face into the nape of my neck.

His breath was hot and damp.

With the shining sea and the people behind us completely shut out,

Riorem let his lips glide over my skin.

His hot lips trailed down from the nape of my neck to my shoulder.

His even teeth gently nipped at my skin, making me shiver involuntarily.

“Riorem.”

I whispered to soothe him.

But Riorem was already biting down on my back after my neck.

Firm, yet cautious touches continued, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“We’re outside, you know.”

“…Do you actually care about that sort of thing?”

“To be honest, not really… but it’s a bit too noticeable, ah…”

He brushed aside my long, braided hair and sucked lightly on my skin.

His hand, now heated with desire, softly caressed my shoulder.

“I won’t. There’s no way I could do anything with you here.”

Even as he said that, Riorem pulled me closer.

His chest pressed against my back.

Thump, thump, thump.

The strong rhythm of his heartbeat transmitted through our contact.

Feeling those fast beats, I laughed without meaning to.

“Your words and actions don’t match, Riorem.”

However, as I had declared, Riorem didn’t go any further.

He tried to quell his desire to hold me deeper in his arms using only his hands and lips.

I turned my head and looked at him. His blue eyes were, as always, burning intensely.

It suddenly occurred to me that his eyes resembled the color of this bright, clear sky.

And that it had been a long time since I last gazed into them like this.

“Now that I think about it, it’s been a while since you’ve held yourself back like this.”

At my words, Riorem clenched his teeth.

Since we had reunited, Riorem had rarely restrained his desires.

If he wanted to suck my feet, he did. If he wanted to bite my lips, he did.

And after our first union, he never hesitated to thrust himself into me.

So it felt oddly unfamiliar to see him holding back so desperately despite his burning desire.

There had been a time when restraint like this had been more common.

I gently caressed his cheek.

A long time ago, I hadn’t been able to do this for the slave who had longed to touch me but couldn’t even express it—only shedding tears.

And this was also something I could never have said back then:

“Keep holding yourself back, won’t you?”

“…Ah.”

Riorem’s face contorted.

Back when he was just my foot-washing slave, I used to coax him to stop holding back.

I’d tell him to stop pleasuring himself while staring at me with burning eyes,
and instead climb onto the bed and thrust his slick member into me.

Back then, I thought that was all our relationship would ever be.

That made me crave him more, so I tempted him further.

But now, he was my husband.

He no longer had any reason to restrain his desires.

He knew I accepted all of him—so much so that he would sometimes push me to my limits, embracing me with everything he had.

So now, teasing him through denial was simply too tempting.

Riorem lowered his forehead onto my shoulder, seemingly trying to suppress the heat boiling inside him.

As I looked down at him, I whispered in his ear,

“Want me to help? If it’s just with my hand, no one will notice.”

“Don’t even think about it.”

Riorem replied, practically spitting the words.

Then, with a long sigh, he muttered,

“You really do say the one thing I wish you wouldn’t…”

From Riorem’s trousers, something stirred roughly.

I ended up bursting out laughing.

We didn’t leave the beach until lunchtime.

Though our clothes had nearly dried, Riorem still insisted on stopping by a shop to buy two large towels.

‘His accent really is peculiar.’

I quietly watched Riorem as he ordered food, wrapped in towels.

I must not have been the only one who thought that, as the shop owner was also staring at Riorem with a strange expression.

Imperial dialects vary greatly, but a well-dressed, handsome young man—looking like someone from the capital—speaking in such an unfamiliar accent was bound to attract attention.

Eventually, I couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke up.

“Biscuits with strawberry jam, lemon cake, and two of the bread you’re baking right now, please.”

Now the owner’s gaze shifted to me.
Though my hat was pulled low enough to hide not just my eyes but most of my features,
he must have known.

Despite my flawless Imperial pronunciation, my word choice was oddly classical and refined—clearly not that of an ordinary vacationer.

The shop owner looked between us.

A strangely accented but good-looking man who couldn’t even read the menu,
and a woman speaking like nobility while hiding her face.

He must have pieced together a perfect story in his head, as he stepped away with a knowing smile.

As a bonus, he hung a vine-woven screen to block others’ view of our table from outside.

“Another situation just like usual,”

Riorem said, looking toward the back of the shop with a cool expression.

Still, as if there was something he had to say, he opened his mouth quietly.

“I was going to order the grilled fish this area is famous for.”

“Was that one of the things you wanted to do for me?”

“Yes.”

Riorem answered plainly.

The old Riorem would have reacted first with insecurity about not being able to read or about his strange accent.

But he was different now.

What mattered most to him now wasn’t hiding his shortcomings—
but giving me special memories, even if it meant asking for help from the very person who had once made him feel so inferior.

I found that change deeply endearing.

So I gladly placed the additional order with the owner, just as he had wanted.