Special Honeymoon (6)
The fragile voice of the wounded daughter trembled faintly in the air, causing her parents’ shoulders to flinch.
“I’m sorry, Duchess. Duke.”
Feeling ashamed and embarrassed before the two who had earnestly helped her, Violet stood and bowed deeply.
At the sight of her heartbreaking figure, neither Aracila nor Damian could find words. Wiping her tears roughly, Violet swiftly masked her face with an expressionless facade and spoke to her parents.
“Don’t worry anymore. I’ll go back to being the good daughter you want, living quietly and properly.”
“Violet, we…!”
The moment the Queen reached out urgently to stop her coldly turning daughter, a sharp sound rang out.
Crash.
The Queen looked up, her eyes widening in shock. The hook holding the heavy chandelier, laden with excessive decorations, had snapped.
“Kyaa!”
As a dark shadow loomed overhead, the Queen screamed and squeezed her eyes shut. The King stretched out his hand to save his spouse, but it was of little use.
Faster than anyone was none other than Violet.
Before she could even think, her body sprang into action. She drew the sword at her waist and struck the chandelier with a single motion.
Thud! The massive chandelier flew and crashed against the wall.
“Mother! Are you alright?!”
“V-Violet…”
Saved from the brink of disaster by her daughter, the Queen, overcome with emotion, pulled Violet into a tight embrace. The King hurried to his wife’s side, wrapping his arms around her trembling shoulders.
Confirming she was unscathed, the King turned to Violet and spoke with solemn gratitude.
“You saved your mother, Violet.”
“I just… saw Mother in danger and acted without thinking…”
Violet was just as shaken. She’d heard from Damian how much her skills had grown, but she hadn’t realized she’d become strong enough to knock something so massive aside in one blow.
“Well done. To instinctively use your sword to save a life—could there be a finer knight in this world?”
“…Pardon?”
Violet, who had inwardly worried she might be scolded for using her sword, widened her eyes at the unexpected praise.
Sensing the shift in the atmosphere surrounding the family, Aracila discreetly dispelled the transparent barrier she’d formed around the Queen.
It seemed best to let this moment remain entirely Violet’s achievement.
“Indeed, the Duke and Duchess were right. You have the talent of a knight. This foolish father has only now come to see it.”
“Father… Do you truly mean that?”
“Of course. Even if you wield a sword, you’re still my daughter. I’ve always been proud of your maturity and intelligence, but that’s never been why I loved you.”
The King’s voice softened with affection as he revealed his true feelings. As the ruler of a nation, he hadn’t always been able to be a tender father to his daughters.
At times, he had to suppress his heartache and discipline his children sternly to lay a strong foundation for the Roshan Kingdom’s future.
But in doing so, he’d completely forgotten his essence as a father. He’d just realized he’d been oppressing his daughters by lording over them as a king.
And the Queen felt the same.
“Violet.”
“…Mother.”
“Thank you for saving me. You were truly magnificent just now.”
Having calmed her trembling body, the Queen gave a faint smile and tightly grasped Violet’s hand.
Burdened by her failure to produce a male heir to the throne, she had felt a sense of indebtedness. This had driven her to obsess over her daughters’ marriages, hoping to raise them well to compensate.
But realizing this had only hurt Violet filled her with guilt. Her voice quivering, the Queen said,
“Even though I spoke that way, I’ve never once thought of you as an inadequate daughter.”
“Really…?”
“How could we, when we were so overjoyed when you were born? How could we ever see you as a daughter to be used?”
What pained them most as parents was that Violet had come to undervalue herself so deeply.
While it remained true that, as princesses, their three daughters had duties to fulfill, the royal couple had never intended to raise their children as mere tools.
Having lived as domineering parents and obedient children, the three finally laid bare their hidden truths, their eyes glistening with tears.
Not wanting to intrude on the family’s moment, Aracila and Damian quietly rose to leave.
Their steps felt remarkably light as they left the palace.
The royal couple formally permitted their eldest princess to pursue knight training.
Declaring they had no need for a son-in-law who couldn’t handle their exceptional daughter—a skilled knight and brilliant princess—they wholeheartedly supported Violet.
Thanks to Aracila and Damian, Violet, who had fulfilled her lifelong dream, came in person to express her gratitude.
“This is a set of chocolates, a specialty of our kingdom. They’re from a high-end chocolatier that’s been in business for five generations.”
“Thank you. We’ll enjoy them.”
“No, I’m the one who’s grateful—this feels so inadequate compared to the help you gave me.”
Violet gave a shy smile. But Aracila, who had no intention of receiving grand gifts from someone six years her junior, was perfectly content.
“I hope you become a splendid knight, Princess.”
“Thank you, Duchess. I’m sorry your honeymoon was disrupted because of me. I hope you spend the rest of your days here in happiness.”
“Yes, take care on your way back.”
After seeing off Violet, who bowed repeatedly, Aracila carried the box of chocolates back to their room.
Damian, sitting cross-legged on the sofa with a sulky expression, raised an eyebrow curiously.
“What’s that, my dear?”
“The Princess gave us some chocolates as a gift.”
“I see. I hope we won’t have any more visitors from now on.”
He’d even refused the King’s reward, not wanting their honeymoon to be interrupted further. He just wanted the royal family to leave them alone.
Watching Damian finally vent the emotions he’d suppressed while Violet stayed at their estate, Aracila spoke with amusement.
“You had a lot of complaints while the Princess was here, didn’t you?”
“Quite a lot. Honestly, I was jealous too.”
“Jealous of what?”
What could he possibly be jealous of regarding a princess, not a prince? Tilting her head, Aracila listened as Damian answered in a slightly petulant tone.
“The way you fed her food at meals, and how you always tended to her first during training. I felt like I was pushed down your priority list, and it made me jealous.”
Aracila’s eyes widened. She hadn’t even dreamed he’d been harboring such feelings.
Letting out a small laugh, she asked in a playful tone,
“Which part made you the most jealous?”
“…The feeding her food.”
He was used to her checking on the Crimson Hawk Knights during training visits, so that was fine. But sitting side by side and being fed by her was something even Damian hadn’t experienced yet.
Seeing someone else receive that from Aracila made his stomach twist just watching.
Realizing how embarrassed he felt after saying it, Damian turned his head, his ears turning red. Smiling at his adorable reaction, Aracila opened the chocolate box.
“Then let’s do it now.”
“…?”
Biting into a chocolate coated with smooth white cream, Aracila sat on Damian’s lap and tugged at his collar.
Their lips met seamlessly. The chocolate passed between their mouths, soon melting away without a trace. Only its sticky sweetness lingered on their tongues before fading entirely.
Aracila pulled back her glistening lips, locking eyes with Damian.
Damian’s expression grew faintly hazy as his large hands encircled Aracila’s slender waist and the nape of her neck. His golden eyes, gleaming with intensity, seemed to crave her.
At a distance where their breaths mingled vividly, Aracila whispered.
“Damian, I was actually jealous too.”
“…Of what?”
“You look so striking with a sword in your hand. I didn’t want anyone else—especially not another woman—seeing you like that when I’m not around.”
Though she had been the one to bring the princess into Damian’s presence, Aracila had no desire for the two of them to be alone together.
I can’t let my husband be stolen during our honeymoon.
Her fingers traced the firm, sharp line of Damian’s jaw as she confessed honestly.
“That’s why I kept showing up at your training sessions and made sure to claim the seat next to the princess.”
“Ah.”
“You’re too handsome in front of other women. Got it?”
Unable to suppress a soft chuckle, Damian pulled her closer by the waist. The places where their bodies met grew steadily warmer.
Aracila flinched at the heat radiating through the thin fabric. Damian’s hands gently caressed her shoulders and back, his voice rougher as he sought permission.
“Does our first night… have to be at night?”
“You’re right. Sometimes the daytime feels longer than the night.”
Aracila snapped her fingers. A breeze conjured by her wind magic drew the curtains across the window. The room, now shielded from the midday light, dimmed to a soft twilight.
“And sometimes, this can make it feel like night.”
Damian couldn’t resist the impish smile on his wife’s lips and claimed them with his own. Aracila wrapped her arms around his neck, yielding to the moment.
As his grip tightened around her waist, her body was lifted effortlessly.
Holding her securely, Damian carried her to the bed. He laid her down gently, his lips brushing against the pale lavender strands of her hair splayed across the white sheets, each kiss laced with longing.
“If anything feels uncomfortable, tell me.”
Aracila nodded, a faint flush blooming on her cheeks. Damian leaned closer, his hands framing her face.
The rustle of fabric and soft, uneven breaths tangled in the air for a long while.
A tear, born of overwhelming emotion, slipped from the corner of Aracila’s eye. Damian kissed her cheeks, her lips, her body—again and again, ceaselessly.
When they became one, breathing as one, they truly became husband and wife.
It was a day longer than any night.
The ten-day honeymoon came to an end.
After sending Violet back, Aracila spent the remaining time in the mansion, rushing on the final day to buy gifts for those around her.
Damian quietly assisted, attentively watching over her.
Thankfully, they returned home on a weekend, granting an extra day of rest before returning to work. Though, of course, “rest” at home wasn’t exactly idle.
When Aracila distributed the chocolates she’d bought in bulk, Sally was overjoyed.
“I’ve always wanted to try Roshan Kingdom’s chocolates—they’re so famous! Thank you, Aracila! I’ll savor every bite!”
“You’re welcome, Sally.”
Aracila patted her adorable junior’s head.
While she’d been away, her two juniors seemed to have gotten along as usual—bickering good-naturedly. The moment they saw her, they competed to complain about how tiresome it was to be stuck together, how they didn’t mesh, and so on.
“I’ll take some to the other labs too.”
“Good job.”
Aracila waved at Rudy, who was diligently navigating office life, then sank into her chair. As Sally popped chocolates into her mouth, she suddenly asked, curious.
“You didn’t get much of a tan, did you? How’d you manage that? I heard the sun by the Roshan coast is brutal.”
“Oh, we didn’t go to the beach.”
“Really? Where did you go then?”
Sally tilted her head, puzzled that they hadn’t visited Roshan’s famous tourist spots.
Aracila sifted through her memories of the trip. Aside from the early days, they’d barely spent time outdoors.
But she couldn’t exactly explain that, so she brushed it off.
“We just wandered around nearby.”
“Oh, I see. How was the honeymoon? Did you have fun?”
At Sally’s bright-eyed question, Aracila’s lips curved into a smooth smile.
“Well, it was a very special honeymoon.”
Sally, noting her senior’s slightly slimmer but vibrant appearance, simply assumed she’d had a joyful time.
