Chapter 130
"...If you think it's alright, I believe it might be good to set a date."
Count Hexter's words were sudden, yet not entirely unexpected.
It was a topic I had been putting off, buried beneath a busy schedule.
Maybe, subconsciously, I had always assud the wedding would happen after graduation.
But, when I really thought about it, there was no reason to delay. The ti for marriage had co.
After all, the announcent of my marriage to Daisy had been made long ago, and neither of our feelings had changed.
The ls family had stabilized, backed by the powerful forces of Preister and Ice. Cri in the territory was being eradicated, and life had returned to the land.
In fact, a grand event like a wedding could even further boost the spirit of the region.
Since his proposal felt so positive, I continued the conversation without rejecting it.
"Is there a particular reason you're eager to set the date soon?"
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"It's just that I see no reason for Daisy and Lord Cayden to grow distant. Plus, my daughter has left her hotown and settled in the ls territory... I believe solidifying the marriage would provide her with psychological stability."
I could tell that Count Hexter's strong push for this marriage had motives beyond just Daisy's well-being. He surely wanted to align his family with the powerful ls family, backed by Preister and Ice.
But that didn't bother . It was a natural reaction, and I understood his reasoning.
Besides, it didn't feel like he was lying about doing this for Daisy. Every decision cos from a mix of complex reasons.
And... I also didn't dislike Daisy.
I turned my head slightly to glance behind .
Asena, Keirsey, and Judy were all looking at with subtle expressions.
None of them raised their voices in opposition.
It seed they were accepting it.
Though no one had explicitly made a decision, Daisy being the first to marry felt inevitable, and everyone simply acknowledged it.
I had briefly wondered if Asena or Keirsey, with their occasional bouts of adorable jealousy, might raise their voices in this situation. But it seed I was wrong.
After all, soone had to be the first to start the chain of marriages. And Daisy being that person felt the most natural.
There was no reason to refuse, so I nodded.
"...Alright. Let's set a date."
I heard a sharp intake of breath behind and glanced back to see Daisy, her face flushed, trying to hide her expression.
I smiled at her before continuing my conversation with Count Hexter.
****
After sending the twins and Judy away, I sat down with Daisy and Count Hexter to finalize the schedule.
Though I still needed to discuss it with my grandmother, we tentatively settled on holding the wedding three months from now.
It might seem rushed, but I believe we could manage the preparations without much trouble. Besides, it seed better to have the ceremony before the new term began.
"Daisy, are you alright with this?"
It felt odd to ask after the date had already been set, but I wanted to confirm with her. I turned to her, sitting quietly by my side.
Daisy nodded.
"...As long as we can get married, I don't mind."
"Is there anything you really want for the wedding? Sothing you've dread of for a long ti?"
"...No. Just being able to marry the person I love is enough to make happy."
She kept her head down, hiding her expression, then slowly raised her arms to embrace .
I returned her hug, holding her close.
Count Hexter watched us with a contented smile.
"...Cayden, I'll do my best. Let's live happily together."
Her voice, warm and filled with emotion, reached .
There's no one who embodies the term "lady" more than her. She's always lived with such integrity, strength, and unwavering conviction, yet for , she offers a tender warmth.
"...I'll cherish you for the rest of my life," I whispered softly.
Life is full of surprises, after all.
Daisy, my favorite character in the novel... I had grown up in the Hexter orphanage, receiving its grace, and it was at the academy where we t. During my darkest monts, she had been my greatest support, and now, we were finally getting married.
After that, the conversation wrapped up quickly.
Count Hexter ntioned that he planned to visit the Preister estate to et with my grandmother.
Having taken care of his business, he hurriedly made plans to leave, and the mbers of the ls family ca out to the plaza to see him off.
He waved us away, insisting we return to rest instead of escorting him further. I gave Daisy ti to say goodbye to her father, watching from a distance as they embraced warmly and exchanged their farewells.
While waiting for their goodbyes to end, Keirsey quietly appeared beside , giving my arm a light tap.
"...What?"
"Did you set a date?"
I couldn't read Keirsey's intent. But since setting a date with Daisy was neither a secret nor sothing to be ashad of, I answered.
"Yeah. We're getting married in three months."
"...Hmm."
Keirsey humd softly and slowly nodded, but I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that arose. I asked first.
"Why?"
"Huh?"
"Is sothing wrong?"
"No?"
Even though I was marrying all four won, it was my responsibility to manage any feelings of dissatisfaction or unease they might have. Keirsey, in particular, was easily upset and prone to jealousy. If she was unhappy about sothing, I needed to address it before it beca a bigger issue.
But even I couldn't figure out what Keirsey was thinking at that mont.
She didn't seem to be upset, at least not in the usual way when she had a complaint. Yet, there was clearly sothing on her mind.
Then, Keirsey spoke.
"It was always a given that Oppa and Daisy would get married. And that Oppa will marry too."
"...That's right."
"So, I'm not bothered. In fact, I'm happy for you."
"That's a relief."
Whatever thoughts she had settled on, her words made believe the situation would pass smoothly. Just as I started to feel at ease, she spoke again.
"And..."
"...Hm?"
"Oppa, we need to talk later."
Without even looking at , she set the eting. All I could do was nod.
Is this what marriage is like? I suddenly felt trapped, unable to say or do anything in front of her, for reasons I couldn't quite grasp.
I was already starting to worry if I'd end up being completely under her control.
*****
After calming Daisy, who was on the verge of tears having said farewell to Count Hexter, I headed to my room as Keirsey had requested.
As always, when we were alone, Keirsey maintained her favorite position-sitting on my lap, pressing her belly against mine.
"...So?" I asked once we settled in.
"What did you want to say-mmph!"
Without warning, Keirsey leaned in and kissed .
It had almost beco our new form of greeting lately. Despite how often we kissed now, you'd think I'd have gotten used to it, but it wasn't as easy as that. Keirsey, too, seed to never
tire of it, savoring every mont.
It wasn't a deep kiss, just a brief touch of lips, but as she pulled back, she looked at and spoke.
"Oppa, let's set a wedding date too."
The kiss left a faint, teasing tension in the air.
"What?"
"How about two months from now?"
I knew exactly why she was proposing such a specific ti fra.
She was jealous, even though she'd acted otherwise.
In truth, this was more like the Keirsey I knew. I was certain Asena had her own form of jealousy too, given how alike the twins were in many ways.
I didn't respond imdiately, just gazed at Keirsey for a mont.
Thinking my silence was a signal of so sort, she moved in for another kiss.
But I gently held her cheeks, stopping her. Her lips puffed in a cute, exaggerated pout as I did so, but she knew I wasn't stopping her out of rejection - it was because I needed to speak.
"Keirsey," I said, and she waited, her eyes watching intently.
Reading into her intentions, I spoke gently.
"This isn't a competition, Keirsey. The decision to marry Daisy was made earlier, that's all."
"I know... I do, but..."
She scrunched her face in a cute pout.
"...I keep wanting more."
"I'm not going anywhere, and I'll always be by your side. What is there to be greedy about?"
"...There are things I don't want to lose."
"Lose?" I asked, confused.
She shifted on my lap, pressing her body closer, her silver hair brushing against my arm as it fell. Though her expression remained cute with her face cradled in my hands, her sharp gaze
was unmistakable. Even though she was destined to beco part of the ls family, the sharpness of her Preister blood still showed.
"... Your firsts. I feel like I'm losing too many of them."
At her cryptic words, I raised an eyebrow.
"...Firsts?"
Keirsey swallowed, her voice turning soft, almost sultry, as her breath brushed against .
"...First kiss, first marriage... first ti... things like that."
"W-What?" I stamred, caught off guard.
"Your first kiss went to unnie... and thinking that Daisy will have your first ti after your first wedding... it's driving crazy."
Her words were so unexpected that my mind went blank for a mont. The fact that Keirsey had brought up sothing so intimate- and was fixated on it - was sothing I hadn't
anticipated.
I quickly tried to gather my thoughts, realizing I needed to calm her down.
"Keirsey, rushing things because of jealousy can damage our relationship," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
"But aren't we moving too slow?"
"...What?"
My body tensed without realizing it, and I could feel my grip on her cheeks tightening slightly. Keirsey, in turn, gently caressed my hands and arms, her eyes glistening with a mix of vulnerability and sothing deeper. Each of her touches seed to stir sothing inside .
"...Daisy and Judy, sure, it might be too soon for them. You haven't even known them for two years, and it's not like you kiss them all the ti. But I've known you for over 10 years. We're already planning to marry, and we've been kissing every day for almost half a year now... isn't it okay to go faster?"
I didn't know what to say. I couldn't find any fault in her reasoning. I thought I was moving at the right pace, but perhaps it stemd from the fact that I still treated the twins with extra care, subconsciously seeing them as my younger siblings, and being overly cautious as a result.
Keirsey wasn't one to back down.
"...If it's with you, Oppa... I don't want to wait until marriage."
I shook my head quickly, disbelief flooding my thoughts. Keirsey couldn't possibly be saying this. Maybe she didn't fully understand what she was asking for.
In my mind, she was still fragile and innocent, soone I had to protect.
"...Do you even understand what you're saying?"
"I do. We had full sex education at the academy."
"No, that's not what I an. What you're asking for is very different from what they teach in sex ed. 'The flower's stan and pistil' analogy doesn't even begin to explain —'
Before I could finish, Keirsey suddenly pulled away from my hands and closed the distance between us, her face inches from mine.
And then, she whispered directly into my ear, her breath hot against my skin.
"-I know."
For a mont, the world fell silent. All I could hear was her voice, leaving frozen as her words echoed in the stillness.
Her breath tickled my ear.
"...I'm not as pure as you think I am."
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"I just acted that way because I thought you'd like it."
"......What?"
Her shocking confession sank into my mind, one word at a ti.
She stayed silent for a mont, then spoke slowly, as if she had resolved to tell .
"...I've touched myself while thinking about you."
- Thump.
The sound echoed in my head, and it felt like my heart dropped as blood rushed through my entire body.
'Ugh...!'
Heat surged in my face, and my body reacted instinctively. With her sitting so closely, pressed against , I prayed she didn't notice as I gently pushed her.
Though Keirsey resisted at first, when she noticed I wasn't getting her off my lap and I beca firm, it wasn't hard to create so distance between our lower bodies.
As her face moved away, we made eye contact, and the contrast between her earlier sultry deanor and now was striking. Despite claiming she wasn't pure, her face was flushed deep
red, and she couldn't et my gaze, covering her face with her hands.
Still, as if trying to hide how flustered she was, she stamred out her words.
"R-Really... I'm not lying."
Seeing her so flustered cald down a bit.
Keirsey was pushing herself, blinded by the thought of competing with Daisy. She was clearly overwheld by her emotions.
But still, I could tell that much of what she said was genuine. Her jealousy, her desire to deepen our relationship - it was all real.
But no, not now.
It was ti to cool down.
My head was spinning with too much heat.
"Whoa..."
Keirsey wasn't much better off. She suddenly tilted to the left, almost losing her balance and falling off my lap.
That adorable sight made laugh before I could stop myself.
"Pfft."
Keirsey tried to act like nothing had happened, biting her lip, but I could tell just how nervous she was. Being so close to her, I could feel her body trembling slightly.
My laughter broke the tension between us, and the mood shifted.
Keirsey only beca more embarrassed.
As I cald down, I looked up at her.
She was still hiding her face with her arms and hands.
Gently, I took her hands and pulled them away, making her look in the eyes.
Her flushed face, full of both shyness and vulnerability, t mine. "Keirsey, it's okay," I said softly, trying to reassure her.
"...But, Keirsey."
"...Yeah?"
"These things will happen naturally, so don't rush."
"...Ugh."
Her body trembled slightly as she forced out her words.
"I-I know, but... I still want to leave my mark on your life... Unnie left hers with your first kiss..."
"My first kiss, the one I rember, is with you."
"...What?"
"No matter how much Asena might have stolen my lips before, the first kiss I was fully aware of, the one I wanted, was with you."
"...Oh."
"So, calm down for now, alright? There's no need to rush."
I gently brushed her silver hair aside.
"Go back to your room. It's late."
Keirsey hesitated for a long mont.
But when I pinched her cheek playfully and lifted her off my lap, removing the tension between us, she stumbled to her feet. Slowly, she made her way to the door, lingering for just a
second before opening it and disappearing.
Once I was alone, I let out a long sigh.
"...Phew..."
I had tried to stay calm, but my own thoughts were swirling too.
Whether I liked it or not, I could feel it — an unspoken competition had begun.
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