101st Confession

“You’re really going…….”

“You’ll stop by the capital after the trip, right?”

After waking up their sleepy friends and having a meal together, Herwin and Lucia prepared to set off on their honeymoon.

They couldn’t stay in a place without the owner, so their friends were about to call in a carriage and leave.

It would be hard to see them again. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.It was a fact that everyone knew without having to say it.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

Henry, Lucas, and their friends greeted Herwin and Lucia with a hug.

“Lucia, you have to stop by the capital, okay? You never know when you’ll be back down here!”

“……Yes, I’ll try to find the time.”

Lucia glanced at Lucas, who had said something to her earlier in the day, and then out of the corner of her eye, she looked at Lucas and Arista.

Their relationship seemed colder than usual. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Arista had held Lucas back, but she wasn’t sure if they’d even talked.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

Still, neither of them was willing to admit that their relationship had deteriorated in public.

“Lucia, are you going to stop by your parents before you go?”

Lucas stepped forward and looked at her with a hint of disappointment. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Lucia pulled herself together and nodded.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“Yes, we have to say hello to them, and Mom and Dad are there.”

Yesterday, the Duke and Duchess of Phoenaeus, anticipating the arrival of their friends at Phoenaeus Mansion, had offered to stay at Agneses.

“You really should be on your way.”

Jerome checked the time and urged, already well behind schedule. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.They had to hurry if they want to make it on time.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

Herwin and Lucia waved goodbye to their disappointed friends once more and climbed into the carriage.

“See you later.”

“You have to let us know when the wedding date is set! Okay?”

Herwin and Lucia clung to the window and told their friends what they should not miss. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Their friends smiled and waved.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“Of course! We’ll be the first to write to you!”

“Don’t forget our gifts when you come!”

“Let’s write often!”

“Sister, if ever brother makes you sad, tell me!”

The carriage moved and the faces of their friends, Henry and Lucas, slowly drifted away. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.An indescribable feeling washed over them.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“A little…”

“It’s refreshing and sad.”

Lucia’s expression was a little subtle, perhaps the same for Herwin. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.The two, who were looking at each other, soon smiled and held each other’s hands tightly.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

They went straight to Agnes’ mansion to greet their parents.

They wished them well on their honeymoon and gave them pocket money to go out and buy something delicious.

When Lucia later found the money in the carriage, she was stunned.

Around 2 p.m., the carriage carrying the newlyweds left the capital. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Their honeymoon destination was an island in the south of the country that had recently become a popular tourist destination.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

They had installed a teleport just a few months earlier, so they could get there in a short time without a long carriage ride, and they could enjoy the warm climate year-round.

Not long after they arrived at the teleport, they were transported to the island.

Immediately after stepping into the teleport, Lucia’s eyes lit up at the sight before her.

“Oh, my God…! Herwin, look at that! That’s the ocean!”

The ocean was a mystery to Lucia, who had only ever been to the north and the capital.

Herwin was just as excited as she was to see the white sandy beach outside.

After unpacking their bags at their pre-booked accommodation, they set out to explore.

Compared to the capital, where they had to bundle up, it was relatively warm there, so they could dress as lightly as in summer.

Shoot.

“Wow, it’s so cold, ouch, it’s coming! It’s coming!”

Seeing the blue sea, Lucia waded in and out of the water with her bare feet with the excitement of a child. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Herwin, who was watching the scene with delight, did the same, taking off his shoes and dipping his feet into the water with her.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“Yeah, it’s so cool.”

“I love the ocean. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.It would be so nice to wake up to a view like this.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“Yeah? Maybe we should build a cottage here?”

“Huh?”

“It’s not fully developed yet, so there must be some nice land out there. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Even if there isn’t, we can put some extra money on it and it’ll be enough…….”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“No, no, no! I didn’t say that because I want a vacation home! It costs a lot of money just to maintain a vacation home…….”

“Why worry about money? Who are we?”

Lucia was at a loss for words for a moment. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Yes, with the wealth of the Phoenaeus family, building a villa here would be no big deal.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

Still, Lucia shook her head and grabbed Herwin’s arm.

“Let’s go over there! Jerome says there’s a famous cliff.”

Lucia deflected as much as she could, thinking that if she stayed there much longer, he might actually start building a cottage. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.There was no way Herwin didn’t know that, but he decided to let her get away with it this time.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

They hadn’t been around long and it was already starting to get dark. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.It was only 4:00 p.m. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.when they unpacked their things at the hostel.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

They’d be staying for another three days, so they decided to make up for it tomorrow and walked around the nighttime streets, which have a different charm than the daytime.

It’s no lie that the city has been focusing on tourism lately, and the streets were as bright as daylight with all kinds of shops.

There were also food stalls everywhere, so there was plenty to do and eat. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.There were even the occasional street performers.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“Wow!”

Eating a skewer with a special hot sauce, Lucia marveled at the magic show in front of her.

People breathed fire in front of her, and pigeons appeared out of nothing but hats.

It was a trick she’d seen many times in the capital, but it felt special in a different place.

“Herwin, this is fun, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s an amateur.”

Herwin watched the magic show with an amused expression on his face. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Just then, a man with polka dots and stars painted on his face approached Lucia with a comical gait.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

He stared at Lucia and Herwin without saying a word, then pointed at both of them and drew a heart shape.

Lucia laughed as if it was asking if they were lovers.

“Yes, we got married yesterday.”

Surprise flashed across the clown’s face, and then he started clapping, leading the audience to applaud.

“Huh?”

The clown grabbed Herwin. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Herwin wondered at first but turned to Lucia at the gesture to follow him.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“Go.”

“……What the hell are you trying to do?”

Herwin didn’t seem to want to, but he obediently followed the clown. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.The clown squirmed in front of him and whispered in his ear.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

Herwin obediently listened. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Then the clown, along with another clown, stood in front of and behind him.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

They held up a black cloth as long as he was tall and covered him.

They didn’t say a word, just acted, and the people couldn’t take their eyes off them for a moment. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.As they watched in fascination, one of the clowns suddenly drew a knife and plunged it through the cloth before Herwin could react.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“Herwin!”

Lucia cried out in alarm, but the clown gestured for her to stop. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Then, just as the other clown had done, he drew his knife and plunged it deep into the fabric.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

Lucia’s face paled. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.She glanced at Herwin’s feet beneath the cloth, hoping his reflexes would allow him to dodge.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

He was still. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.The position of the knife made it impossible to squat or dodge.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

Even if it was magic, she couldn’t take it anymore.

“What are you doing with my husband now……!”

Lucia was about to argue when a firecracker exploded, and the cloth around Herwin turned into a pure white veil, scattering pollen.

Lucia froze in surprise, and then Herwin emerged, unharmed and clean, with a single rose in his hand.

“Lucia.”

Herwin beamed, and the women around him sighed.

“Thank you for marrying me. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Let us live happily ever after.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

As Herwin placed the rose in Lucia’s trembling hand and pulled her into a tight embrace, whistles and cheers erupted around them.

Lucia regained her composure and looked around. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.The clowns who had performed the trick were gesturing apologetically and throwing all sorts of candy into her arms.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“It was all a trick?”

“Yeah, they said they wanted to see what my wife would do when I was in danger.”

“You, really……!”

“My husband, that’s what I like to hear, honey.”

Before she could get angry, Herwin kissed Lucia on the cheek, making her laugh so affectionately that she couldn’t even get angry.

* * *

“The food was delicious, and we had a lot of fun today.”

“Your feet don’t hurt?”

“Yeah, I wore comfortable shoes, so they’re fine.”

As soon as they reached their quarters, Lucia staggered in and went straight to bed. 

With her face buried in her hands, Herwin laughed and took her shoes off.

It was so strange to see him do what she wanted without being asked.

“Now, let’s get you cleaned up.”

“What? I washed this morning.”

Herwin smiled meaningfully at Lucia, who shook her head in disbelief.

“Are you going to stay like this? Well, it doesn’t matter to me.”

Lucia noticed that Herwin’s voice was more sneering than usual. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Raising her head, she could see his face, which was now almost in front of her.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

Lucia swallowed hard at the sight of his wide-open red eyes.

“What, what are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

Herwin’s red eyes slowly lowered as he slid Lucia’s dress off her shoulders.

“I’m going to do what I didn’t get to do yesterday.”

For a moment, Lucia was mesmerized, but then she blushed and jumped to her feet.

“Oh, no, I’m going to wash up first!”

As Lucia rushed into the bathroom, she heard laughter behind her. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Lucia realized that her reflection in the mirror was as red as a burnt potato.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

It looked eerily similar to the flower on her neck. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Yesterday, she was relieved that they didn’t spend the first night, but now that they were about to, she felt disoriented.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

As much as she wanted to run away somewhere else, the anticipation was overwhelming because she had been waiting so long for this.

Lucia stripped off her clothes and wrapped herself roughly in a towel. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.She checked the temperature of the water in the tub, rolled her eyes, and stared at the door, which was firmly closed.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

She swallowed hard and moved to the doorway.

“Herwin.”

There was a rustling sound, followed by a friendly voice.

“What? Did you forget something?”

“Not that…….”

Her jaw dropped, but Lucia took a breath and gathered her courage.

“Do you want to… wash up with me?”

Suddenly, she didn’t feel any support from the outside world. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.When she didn’t hear a response, she felt embarrassed.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“Tss, you don’t have to, I was just saying……!”

As she closed the door and turned to leave, the hand on the doorknob lurched forward. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Lucia staggered, bumping her nose against something solid.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

Lifting her head, she saw Herwin, his face as red as hers.

And in his red eyes, the dark desire began to flicker.

“Are you serious?”

“……I shouldn’t have said that?”

Lucia slipped down the towel that was covering her body. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Herwin’s eyes scanned her.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

Tsk.

The bathroom was so silent that they could hear the water dripping. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.But then, with a scratching sound, Herwin threw off his top and swept Lucia into a quick hug.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.

“I may not be able to stand it.”

“That’s okay, I’m not-“

It’s the same.

At Lucia’s affirmative reply, Herwin’s eyes flashed, swallowing her whole.

For the first time, Lucia realized that such a sound could come out of her mouth.

Her hands and toes tingled, and she wanted to grab onto something, anything, but the only thing she could grab onto was Herwin.

“Lucia……!”

“……Herwin!”

They moved from the bathroom to the bed, tangled together, and continued to call each other’s names in ecstasy through the long night.