What Remains in the Damaged Place - Side Story 1 (5)

The air between them had grown tense and brittle, like dried leaves crackling underfoot. It felt like sharp thorns were pricking at her skin, although nothing physical had touched her. It was an internal discomfort, an emotional shift.

Unease.

She realized she no longer wanted to argue with him. The idea of confrontation made her uncomfortable—she hated the thought of facing such tension again.

‘But still… just letting it go like that?’

What bothered her more than her own unease was how Valderion had been so quick to end the situation without any lingering feelings. His calm, almost detached attitude annoyed her.

Fine, you’re always so composed and perfect, aren’t you?

Unable to smooth over her jagged emotions, Lirette arrived at the dining room. She tried to mask her feelings around Roziela—after all, this wasn’t her issue. But despite her efforts, deep sighs escaped during their meal, and when Roziela brought up Valderion, Lirette couldn’t hide her dissatisfaction. As sharp as ever, Roziela picked up on her mood within ten minutes.

Roziela, ever the sly talker, coaxed Lirette into sharing what was on her mind. Before Lirette knew it, a bottle of wine and two glasses had appeared on the table.

“Hmm. Do you really think Valderion got upset because you were off having fun without him? He’s not that childish,” Roziela teased.

“I know, but that’s what I don’t understand.”

The wine Roziela poured tasted surprisingly good. It was a sweet, fruity wine from a foreign land, light enough for Lirette to sip easily. Before long, Roziela was refilling her glass as she propped her chin on her hand.

“Maybe he saw you riding?”

“What?”

“The office near your shared bedroom has big windows, right? He might have had a clear view of the garden.”

“What are you getting at…?”

Roziela sighed, crossing her legs in mild exasperation, a slow smile tugging at her lips.

“What I’m saying is—maybe he’s jealous.”

“…”

“The riding instructor was a man, wasn’t he?”

“…Ah?”

Lirette blinked, confused.

The wine she’d been drinking seemed to finally take effect, and her thoughts scattered, failing to connect properly.

“Jealous? That doesn’t sound like him.”

Valderion, jealous? That seemed absurd.

Words began to leap around in her mind like small kernels popping.

Jealousy…? Could Valderion even feel such a thing?

From what Lirette knew of his restrained and disciplined nature, she had always assumed he’d dismiss such feelings as beneath him, an emotion too petty to even consider.

‘Ever since I met you, I feel like I’ve been changing,’ he had once said.

Then again… hadn’t he said something like that before?

Jealousy… The more Lirette thought about it, the more she felt like she was sinking into a deep, confusing pit. In the end, she just clamped her mouth shut and, out of habit, kept sipping from her glass. Yet, no matter how much she drank, her thirst wouldn’t go away.

Actually, it seemed like her throat was only getting drier.

***

By the time Valderion finally finished the task that had been weighing on him, it was already late at night. It had been a problem he could have resolved before dinner, but his mind had been tangled in knots, and that tension had slowed him down, causing the work to take far longer than expected.

The real issue, though, was that even after all that time, Lirette still hadn’t returned to the bedroom.

Valderion pressed his hand to his throbbing head. Now that he was alone, he felt a mix of regret and embarrassment. He had thought he could hide his feelings, maintain composure, but perhaps he had overestimated himself. When Lirette started talking about the riding instructor earlier, smiling and chatting away, he couldn’t help but feel…

“Ugh.”

Rubbing his stiff neck, he stood up, making up his mind to go find his wife. But before he could take a step, the door suddenly swung open.

Lirette stood there, swaying slightly in the doorway. Normally, she would turn the doorknob carefully to avoid making noise, but tonight, she had thrown the door open without a care. Her eyes were dazed, and her cheeks were flushed like ripe peaches.

“Lirette.”

Sensing something off, Valderion called out, but before he could say anything else, Lirette wobbled toward him. Her steps were bold at first, but just as she reached him, she stumbled as if she might collapse.

Instinctively, Valderion caught her before she fell.

“Were you jealous?”

“What?”

Just a little while ago, her hair had been tied up neatly, but now it was a mess, her silver locks spilling loosely around her face. Valderion gently swept her hair back, tucking it behind her ears so he could see her face clearly.

“Were you jealous because I was with another man?”

His hand paused mid-motion, hesitating as he pushed her hair behind her ear.

“Who told you that?”

“Roziela…”

“…”

“She said you might have been jealous.”

As if trying to hide her flushed face, Lirette pressed it against his chest. Valderion couldn’t help but let out a soft, low chuckle. What exactly had gotten through to him? Lirette, who had been breathing shallowly, bit her lip and released it again.

“Why would I be jealous?”

“…”

“And even if I were, why would I get angry at you…?”

Her voice, tinged with both confusion and hurt, trailed off. It wasn’t just the alcohol talking—Valderion’s coldness earlier had clearly wounded her. Noticing how she struggled to keep her balance, Valderion slipped his arm under her legs and lifted her easily into his arms.

Lirette instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her to the bed. He kissed her forehead as he laid her down, and her skin felt as warm as it looked.

“It was just a lesson, that’s all,” she murmured.

“So, because it’s a lesson, it’s perfectly fine for him to touch you?” Valderion asked, his voice sharp.

He knelt on the bed, positioning himself between her legs. Whether Lirette realized how his presence loomed over her or not, she melted into the bed beneath him, her body languid and pliant.

“Where did he touch you?”

His hand slipped under her skirt, pushing the fabric up as it grazed her ankle and traveled along her thigh. The cool touch of his fingers, likely intensified by the heat in her body, made her shiver slightly.

“Mmm.”

Lirette blinked slowly, her long lashes fluttering as she looked up at him. Then, with a mischievous glint in her eye, she guided his hand, tracing it over her shoulder and down to her waist.

“Here. And here,” she said softly, leading his hand over her body as she spoke.

Valderion’s brow twitched, as if he found the situation absurd.

Lirette chuckled weakly, catching the look on his face.

“You’ve touched places far more intimate than that…”

“I’m your husband,” he growled in response.

“….”

“He’s just a stranger.”

“…I understand.”

Lirette’s voice carried a hint of exasperation, as though she couldn’t believe they were both getting so worked up over something so trivial. But there was also a soothing note in her tone, as if she was trying to calm him down. She pulled him closer, whispering as she pressed her lips to his.

Lirette might have initiated the kiss, but it was Valderion who deepened it. He parted her lips with his tongue, tasting her, sharing in her rapid breaths. Their mouths moved in unison, feverishly exploring each other, their movements both hungry and tender.

Valderion’s hand gripped her knee, spreading her legs open, while at the same time his teeth grazed her tongue lightly, as if to keep her from pulling away, to keep her from regaining her composure.

“You taste like alcohol.”

“…”

“Who would let you drink so recklessly?”

“Roziela gave it to me… It was so good, I just kept drinking.”

Valderion didn’t need to ask more questions. Lirette’s usually pale cheeks were flushed, their rosy hue tempting him from the moment he saw her standing at the door, making him want to touch them with his tongue.

He didn’t hesitate.

His tongue traced a long line up her cheek, savoring the warmth of her flushed skin. Though he knew it didn’t actually have any taste, his brain played tricks on him, making him imagine a sweet flavor lingering on his taste buds.

When he closed his lips around her skin and sucked gently, Lirette let out a soft, airy moan, like a bubble bursting.

As he pulled away, her eyes, dazed and hazy, gazed back at him. Normally, those eyes were focused with an intensity that sometimes felt stiff, but now they were relaxed, unfocused, and the contrast stirred something deep within him.

“Are you drunk?” he asked.

“No.”

Her quick response was suspicious.

Actually, the fact that she answered so quickly made him doubt her. And the way her words seemed to cut off just before a full explanation didn’t help either.

“You seem drunk.”

“I’m not…”

He slid his hand over her thigh, squeezing the soft skin near her inner thigh. It was a sensitive spot, and she twisted her hips in response, still lying down.

Valderion leaned his forehead against hers, their lower bodies pressing together.

“Are you feverish?”

“I’m not… sick,” she muttered, her voice catching slightly.

“Then you’re definitely drunk.”

“…Maybe.”

Her sudden, gentle admission brought a smile to his face. As he lazily undid the buttons on her dress, he continued their conversation.

“Do you always let your guard down like this when you’re drunk?”

Lirette was still shy and uncertain when it came to physical intimacy, often flinching at the start of their encounters. It wasn’t that she disliked it, but she was still adjusting to the unfamiliarity of it all—caught between nerves, anticipation, and excitement.

“I don’t know,” she murmured.

“How could you not know?”

“I’ve never been this drunk before…”

That was true. He had seen her take a sip or two of alcohol on occasion, but she was always in control, never letting herself get to this point. Her current flushed and relaxed state was a first.

“I don’t mind it.”

Meanwhile, Valderion’s hands continued their work, efficiently slipping her dress off her body like shedding a second skin. It fell to the floor beside the bed, leaving her bare as he lifted her slightly, seating her on his lap.

“Hold yourself steady,” he said.

“Huh?”

Not understanding what he meant, Lirette let out a confused sound. But soon enough, she tilted her head back as his fingers slowly traced a path down to her most sensitive areas, slipping inside her.

“Ah… ha…”

A heated breath escaped her lips, the sensation building within her as his fingers moved deliberately, leaving their mark inside her.

“Maybe it’s the alcohol, but you’re so warm inside.”

Lirette’s hands gripped his shoulders, her fingers tightening in response. Valderion gently eased her legs apart, his tongue grazing her flushed cheek once more.

There was a sweetness there. He was sure of it now.

They exchanged soft kisses, playful and teasing, each one lingering a little longer than the last. Every now and then, one of them would laugh, infecting the other with their shared amusement, lips curling as they kissed.