#51. Even Though It’s Not the First Time
The following procedures were simple. Idren slipped a ring onto her finger—one she might have seen once before—and then kissed her fingertips. Ophelia let the man do this unnecessary act without stopping him.
According to the custom that the bride must be in the bridal chamber before sunset, she was led there immediately after the meal ended.
The room that was to be used as their marital bedroom was decorated more lavishly than usual, likely because it was meant for their first night together.
The servants tidied up the room briefly, helped her change into clothes meant for the first night, then left.
Sitting on the bed covered with a silky, rustling duvet, Ophelia anxiously waited for Idren. He was supposed to return with news regarding the Brinwell fleet.
Though Idren had said it was okay even if the plan didn’t go well, Ophelia wanted to show him she could do something too.
She had no particular intention—he kept treating her like a child, and she couldn’t help but feel that way.
If Starrett failed, she would have him hanged. Ophelia bit her lower lip as she imagined how he would have laughed it off if he had heard that.
Then, the door to the bridal chamber opened.
Ophelia instantly recognized the long shadow as the person she had been waiting for and jumped to her feet.
With a sharp thud, the door closed, and Idren strode toward her.
He seemed quite excited judging by his stride, but the light behind him hid his expression. Ophelia frowned. It was then that his strong arms wrapped around her.
A large, firm hand held her back and head. The unexpected sensation froze Ophelia in place.
Idren seemed to come to his senses then. He quickly withdrew his arms and stepped back.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to…” he apologized.
“No, it’s okay.”
That didn’t matter.
Ophelia stepped closer to him.
“So, it was successful, right?”
Her voice was unintentionally excited, but she didn’t care.
Idren nodded silently. Ophelia saw a smile form on his lips.
She believed it would definitely succeed, and even if it failed, there was nothing to blame her for, yet joy surged within her. The intense emotion made her unconsciously embrace the man before her.
“What did I say? I told you it would work.”
Strictly speaking, she never said that, but Ophelia didn’t bother to take back her words.
Idren seemed a bit taken aback by the hug but soon returned it. Holding her felt more like holding a friend now, and Ophelia muttered softly.
“See? I told you I have skills.”
Though it was almost a forced claim, Idren just accepted it with a simple, “I see.”
Holding the firm, warm man a little longer, Ophelia finally let go. She almost forgot — tonight was their first night together.
Taking a step back, she looked up at him.
“Well, now you can do whatever you want.”
Though meant kindly, Idren looked quite embarrassed. He stepped back hesitantly and stammered.
“Wh-what did you say?”
Ophelia saw his gentle smile quickly replaced by confusion. She was just as embarrassed.
But since today was a day of first success, Ophelia patiently explained.
“It’s the first night, you know.”
“I know that…!”
Idren covered his face with both hands. Even in the dim light of the room, Ophelia could see his ears flush red. Bowing his head, he murmured in disbelief. “What on earth is a woman like you…”
Ophelia frowned at the man who treated her like a terrible human being despite her consideration.
“It’s not even the first time, so why act like this?”
Idren had said before in the Reden garden that he had been considerate of her.
So this time, she had done the same, but why this reaction?
Unable to bear it, Idren wiped his face and suddenly looked up, shouting with a sense of injustice.
“That’s not the important thing!”
In that brief moment, his hair became messy and his face was flushed deep red like a summer plum. Surprised, Ophelia blinked.
That was when Idren grabbed her hand. As he pulled her toward the bed, Ophelia opened her mouth but found no words to say.
Idren laid her down on the silk-covered bed and wrapped the duvet around her. He quickly removed her shoes, which she hadn’t taken off yet, and said:
“Please, sleep.”
His words were spoken slowly as if tasting each syllable with frustration.
Then Idren turned his back and sat down. Ophelia reached out to remove the duvet covering her body.
“Why are you acting like this?”
Her voice rose slightly out of frustration. Idren, who was brushing his face up and down, turned around abruptly and yelled:
“Are you really asking that because you don’t know?”
Would anyone ask if they already knew? Ophelia blinked at the man acting so incomprehensibly.
“Why are you angry?”
“I’m not angry.”
Idren realized that whatever he said in this situation would only make him look ridiculous.
Having wrapped her in the duvet, she got out and sat on the bed, avoiding his gaze. At first, she hadn’t been conscious of it, but now, she couldn’t bear to look at the man dressed so scantily.
Holding his still-heated face in his hands, Idren thought of the Kirios Mountains stretching north of Edgren. He whispered to himself, I’m burying my face in the snow right now. In the snow…
“Are you really going to do nothing?”
“…Please, sleep.”
Since he said it like that, there was no reason not to. Ophelia adjusted her disheveled clothes after getting out of the duvet he had wrapped her in.
“Then help me take off this hair ornament.”
She couldn’t remove the ornament she wore for the first night herself.
Turning around to make it easier for him to reach, Idren finally looked back.
His clumsy fingers slowly untied the golden and silver jewelry. Ophelia heard him quietly complaining, I don’t know why such complicated decorations exist. Don’t make me do this next time…
“Are you already thinking about remarriage?”
Idren coughed as if he had swallowed something wrong. Hearing the unusual sound, Ophelia looked back, and the man, still covering his mouth, grabbed her shoulder and made her face forward again.
Once the coughing subsided somewhat, Idren spoke in a hoarse voice.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know. I was just joking.”
Since Idren was acting so strangely, she tried to lighten the mood with a joke.
Then the hand loosening the hair ornaments suddenly stopped. Feeling the sharp gaze on the back of her head, Ophelia muttered in a smaller voice.
“It’s because of you.”
“Then why do you do things that don’t suit you, making me joke like that?”
“I don’t know what unbefitting thing I did.”
Idren asked, unaware of his own actions. Ophelia spoke with a hint of grievance.
“You said in your past life that we had to have the first night.”
“I also said then that if you didn’t want it, you didn’t have to.”
“I don’t care.”
Ophelia threw her head back quickly. Idren froze, probably surprised to meet her eyes unexpectedly.
She frowned at the hair drawn tightly down. The embarrassed man hurriedly removed the ornament.
“Then why do you look back like that?”
He blamed himself, but Ophelia was the one puzzled. She said to the man who tightly shut his eyes and spoke:
“I don’t understand why you’re like this.”
Idren didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he gathered the scattered ornaments on the bed and placed them on the bedside table. Ophelia lay back on the bed and looked at the broad back of the man.
That was when he murmured with his back turned:
“…Your ‘I don’t care’ doesn’t mean you actually like it.”
Before she could ask what that meant, Idren added:
“I won’t like it until you say you do.”
But if they argued that way, they would never do anything their entire lives.
Ophelia was about to tell him the truth—that she was still indifferent to that kind of thing—when Idren turned off the lamp faster.
He covered the only light source in the room and climbed onto the bed.
In the sudden darkness, Ophelia lay down immediately. Idren covered her with the duvet, lay facing her, and held her hand firmly. It was clear he wanted to prevent her from moving.
Feeling the warmth of his tight grip, Ophelia wiggled her hand. For the third time, Idren made his request.
“You must be tired today, so please sleep. I plan to sleep late tomorrow, so you can rest well.”
Taking the easy way out while the man was going far around it, Ophelia said one last thing.
“If you ever change your mind, tell me.”
She waited for Idren’s reply until she fell asleep, but he said nothing.
