If I Can’t Be Your Wife - Chapter 111

‘I keep having this dream these days…’

Kathleen laid on the bed and thought, fully awake from her sleep. The sun shone through the slightly opened curtains and the birds chirped, but she still vividly remembered her dream from last night.

Two children were happily playing in a fresh lawn garden. One was a child with dark hair and the other was a child with shiny hair.

Their faces and clothes were blurry and hard to see, so at first she had thought that the child with shiny hair was Luci. But as she pondered over the dream that kept repeating for several days, it seemed that that was not the case.

‘Was it Alec and I from childhood?’

After deeply pondering, Kathleen found the most convincing answer and turned around. Then, in front of her, she saw her husband, Alexis Walten, lying asleep facing her.

Even though she had seen his face for several years now, watching him from a close distance made her heart race anew.

Although he was asleep, his strong and sharp impression was still there. And as if she was possessed, Kathleen reached out her hand and touched her husband’s face that was as perfect as a work of art.

A tall nose bridge, striking eyebrows, and moderately thick lips that were neither too thin nor too thick.

Kathleen was no longer afraid of whatever expression he had as she now knew well that there was a warm person underneath his cold exterior.

‘So handsome.’

She didn’t know why she was so proud of the fact that a man who looked just like her lovely son was lying next to her. Still, she felt kind of embarrassed to openly touch her husband’s face when he was awake, so she touched his face while he was asleep.

‘Ah, today is the day I have to go pick up Luci.”

She was suddenly awoken from her thoughts. Luci, who was seven years old this year, tagged along with Peter quite often, so he stayed in the Imperial Palace for about ten days a month. Today was the tenth day so she decided to enter the palace in the afternoon.

Since she was going, she also had to hurry so that she could have tea time with Peter.

But just as Kathleen pulled her hand away and was about to sit up.

Alexis, who she thought was asleep, grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer.

“Aah!”

As a result, Kathleen stumbled and fell back to his side.

Alexis then asked, calmly looking at Kathleen while lying down.

“Where are you going?”

“Oh, I was about to get up.”

“Continue with what you were doing.

“…You were awake?”

“Yes.”

“You should’ve said something. I thought you were still sleeping.”

“Then I don’t think you would’ve touched me.”

Kathleen’s face heated up. It was like she was Luci who had been caught while playing a naughty prank.

“Why are you so shy? You touched everything except my face last night.”

“Alec!”

Kathleen, now blushing as if her face was on fire, screamed and covered his mouth with her hands. It was because she remembered the embarrassing events of last night.

“Please. Stop…….”

She couldn’t win over Alexis, who had been making such persistent requests lately that she didn’t even know what she was doing, but eventually let it be. He had promised not to talk about the events from the night before once the sun came up, but he broke it right away!

“Okay. I’ll stop.”

Alexis, who had burst into laughter as if delighted with her reaction, solemnly promised, then grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up over him.

“So, look at my face and tell me what you were thinking.”

Kathleen answered coldly.

“I was thinking of picking up Luci.”

“That’s a long time to think about something like that.”

“I’m telling you it is.”

“If you keep making things up like that, I won’t let you go.”

Alexis’ strong arms wrapped around her waist. He was trying to make her come back to bed. With a face that looked like she was about to cry, Kathleen tried to get away from him, but Alexis was firm.

At this rate, she might have to give up tea time.

“Fine. I’ll tell you.”

In the end, Kathleen lost to Alexis again, just like last night. Taking advantage of the slack in his arms, Kathleen placed her hands on his chest and raised her upper body.

“I had a dream last night. It’s blurry, but I still remember, so I thought it would become a little clearer if I look at your face.”

“What kind of dream was it?”

Alexis asked with interest. Kathleen said as she traced her memory.

“Two children were playing in the grassy garden. One had black hair, and the other… I don’t know for sure, but they had shiny hair.”

“You said there were two?”

“Yes. Maybe it was you and me when we were young. They say dreams are fiction that reflect reality.”

When they were young, they never actually met face-to-face, but it would be nice if they had. She wondered if that regret remained subconsciously and made her dream of running around like friends.

But Alexis seemed to have a different idea.

“I think one of them is Luci.”

There was a deep smile on his lips.

“The shiny hair color must have been silver.”

“Then the dark-haired kid… what are you doing?”

His slender hand was loosening the straps on the front of Kathleen’s pajamas.

“The dark-haired child might be Luci’s younger brother.”

She was stunned every time he said nonsense with a serious face. She was already tired because she slept late last night. Besides, she had plans, so she had to move quickly, what a carefree joke.

“I don’t have time for this, Alec.”

“Why don’t you have time?”

“I have to go pick up Luci. I have to prepare…”

“You’re not going to a party so I don’t think you would take too long.”

Kathleen tried to shake off his sneaky hand. She’ll really be late if she lets him get his way. Today was finally the day to bring Luci, who had left his mother behind, back, so she couldn’t.

She tried to pull away and go down, but felt a touch and panicked.

‘No way, again?’

You didn’t let me go all night, how can you be like this again?

While Kathleen was shocked at his tireless stamina, Alexis slowly raised his upper body and sat up. She was still sitting on his thighs.

“How can you think of abandoning your husband after talking about such a dream?”

“Abandon? You will go to the Imperial Palace with me.”

“If you get out of bed now, you’re going to be a wife who teases and abandons her husband.”

He slowly began to pull her pajamas down. Kathleen looked into his dark gold eyes and gulped involuntarily.

“It seems I have a mild fever and my body feels heavy. If I don’t leave now, I might not be able to get up again.”

“I think I know why you have a fever.”

“What?”

“The same reason as me. Don’t you think?”

Kathleen felt a chill in her spine and tried to quickly counter him, but it was too late. Alexis whispered softly, slightly biting her earlobe.

“Luci doesn’t care when we come anyway.”

“Hng, but…”

“Shh. It’s okay.”

Alexis leaned down and kissed her neck. Kathleen wrapped her arms around his neck as if she was possessed. Then a victorious smile formed on Alexis’ lips.

“You won’t be late.”

Again, making a promise he won’t keep, Alexis hurriedly pressed his hot lips on his wife’s bare skin.

***

She ended up getting entangled again.

‘The tea time…’

Kathleen was speechless as she stared at Alexis who was sitting next to her at the dinner table with a brazen look on his face.

It was her who couldn’t resist the temptation until the end, but it was his fault for pretending clueless halfway through when he promised they would not be late for tea.

Despite getting up early, he barely let go until lunchtime was near. She was already tired from spending last night, but since they also did the same in the morning, Kathleen fell asleep again. Had he not washed her as she slept, she wouldn’t have even dared to come pick up Luci before the sun went down.

‘It must be a lie when he said he wanted to see his son.’

He seemed disappointed every time Luci went with Peter, but she couldn’t help but doubt it because he took his time picking him up.

Kathleen sighed and took a sip of water.

“If you’re tired, should we go home?

Alexis asked with a look of hope.

“No. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a family dinner, we can’t.”

“We can eat at the Grand Duke’s residence.”

“You know that we were late for tea time because of what you said, right?”

Kathleen said bluntly and refused. These days, Alexis was anxious when not around her and she wondered if he was the same person who had always left the mansion when he was still Duke Walten.

‘You look more like a child than Luci.’

It was absurd seeing him sit here in the Imperial Palace with a somber face. She wondered if there was anyone else in the world who knew that Grand Duke Walten was this type of person.

“His Majesty is entering.”

Just then, the grand chamberlain opened the door to the dining hall and came in. As soon as Kathleen quickly got up from her seat, Luci, who was holding hands with Peter, smiled broadly.

“I see you, Your Majesty.”

As soon as she raised herself, Luci shouted, bearing the same smile as his father.

“Mom!”

Kathleen spread her arms wide, delighted to see her child after ten days. Luci let go of Peter’s hand and ran to hug her.

“Luci, did you miss your mother?”

“Yes! I missed you every day.”

Seeing him indulge her which was different than usual, the corners of her mouth raised.

“I guess you didn’t miss your dad.”

When Alexis intervened beside her, Luci pulled out of Kathleen’s arms and went to hug him.

“I missed Daddy too!”

“Whoever sees this would think we sent you to the Imperial Palace by force.”

Alexis patted his son’s head in satisfaction as he said so. While she felt proud of the father and son, Kathleen was a little puzzled by Luci acting sweetly.

‘Didn’t you say you wanted to play in the Imperial Palace for the rest of your life?’

Last month, he didn’t want to return to the Grand Duke’s residence, so he threw a tantrum.

Thinking that there was something, Kathleen turned to Peter. Peter winked and smiled ambiguously.

***