Ch. 149 Good Night, My Wife (2)
After a quick shower, Elena carefully stepped back into the bedroom. The lights were turned down, and Carlisle was already dressed in comfortable sleeping attire.
‘I washed as fast as I could, yet he’s already ready for bed.’
The room was luxuriously furnished with not one bathroom, but two, each for separate use, as well as a powder room. Elena noticed that Carlisle’s hair was damp, as if he had come out of the shower as well. She couldn’t see his face, however, as his arm was still covering his forehead.
‘This is isn’t as uncomfortable as I thought.’
Perhaps it was because Carlisle fell asleep first, but this was far less nerve-wracking than she had imagined. She climbed into bed. Traces of Carlisle’s blood were still on the sheets, but fortunately the bed was large enough for her to lie down away from it.
‘…It’s strange.’
From now on, she would live here instead of Blaise mansion. She became so lost in thought that she drifted off to sleep without realizing it. From wedding to reception, her body had been worked to the bone.
She vaguely registered someone stroking her hair very gently. The hand touched her somewhat hesitantly, as if it were the first time it had done so.
“Mmm.”
Elena turned in her sleep, and the hand stopped moving. Eventually, her breath turned steady again as she relaxed, and a familiar voice whispered in her ear.
“Good night, my wife.”
Her whole body felt like cotton, and instead of opening her eyes to see who it was, she finally succumbed to slumber.
*
*
*
Flash!
When Elena woke up, she opened her eyes wide. She dimly recalled being disturbed in her sleep last night.
‘…What was that?’
She pushed herself out of bed, when her jaw dropped when she saw the scene before her.
“Ah…!”
There were five large boxes overflowing with jewels that had not been there the night before. It was as if a wealthy aristocratic family had been plundered in overnight.
“What on earth is this…?”
She shook the remnants of drowsiness from the head, but the incredible vision did not disappear. Elena looked around the room, but there was no sign of Carlisle. She immediately rang the bell at her bedside, and a maidservant entered the room.
“Did you sleep well, Your Highness?”
Elena opened her mouth awkwardly at the unfamiliar title.
“What are these jewels here?”
“Oh, this is your return gift. I believe this is the most ever given in Ruford history. Congratulations!”
“Return gift…!”
A wedding tradition that had escaped her memory returned to her. Typically, women married into the Imperial Family usually had a large dowry, so it was custom that the groom returned some of the money after the wedding night. It was more of a courtesy than a requirement, and the value differed depending on how much he loved the bride. As such, the majority of people evaluated the love royal men had for their wife based on the jewels given. Not only did Carlisle not accept a dowry from Elena, but he had given her the largest return gift in the Ruford Empire.
The maid continued on in amazement.
“Rumors about the jewels have already spread, and there are countless nobles envious of you.”
“…I see.”
Elena nodded slightly, slowly pressing on her temples.
‘This man…!’
She sighed secretly, remembering Carlisle she had seen last night.
“Where is His Highness now?”