The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 216

‘What a relief.’

From nearly ruining Ian’s party with her mistake.

And from nearly tarnishing House Bayern’s reputation.

She had only meant to make up for her mistake, yet she realized she had achieved not just her intended goal, but even more than that.

Marchioness Lambert and the other noblewomen, who had still harbored faint traces of resentment, were now exchanging gentle smiles and polite farewells.

Relieved, Nina exhaled slowly, pressing a hand to her chest.

Ash approached her.

“It’s about time we turned in as well.”

“Alright.”

They entered the mansion together. Nina was just about to head toward her own room when—

“Wait.”

Ash caught her wrist.

She flinched, eyes widening in surprise at the sudden touch.

“…There are many guests tonight,” he said slowly, his voice low and calm.

“Yes, but what about it…?”

“If the guests were to learn that we sleep in separate rooms, wouldn’t that be rather troublesome for both of us?”

“Ah…”

Right. She should have thought of that.

They had slept in separate rooms for so long that it had become second nature, and she had been so busy preparing for the barbecue all day that the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind.

There were dozens of guests tonight.

Not just one or two. Dozens. And any one of them might notice if she and Ash didn’t share a room.

* * *

After washing up and changing into her nightclothes, Nina swallowed dryly as she sat on the edge of the bed.

It was the first time her husband had come to her room since that day.

Because of the confession she had received from him not long ago, the thought of being alone with him in a closed space made her heart pound wildly, her throat dry.

Tension.

It wasn’t even about her feelings. Anyone would feel tense, sharing a room with a man who had just confessed to them.

‘But why does he look so completely unfazed?’

It seemed she was the only one nervous.

In the soft lamplight, his expression and complexion were utterly normal, just as calm as always.

Suspicious of how composed he seemed, Nina narrowed her eyes and studied his face.

Then Ash began to move toward her, slowly.

Startled, Nina jerked back slightly. His robe had come slightly open, revealing the firm lines of his chest.

When he started unbuttoning his shirt down to his chest, she couldn’t bear to look and turned her head away.

He gave a low laugh, clearly amused by her reaction.

“Are you not going to tell me to get on the bed now?”

“N-No, that’s…”

That was before you confessed to me!

Back then, she hadn’t thought he would ever try to touch her, not even once.

But now? Now she had no idea what might happen. How could she possibly share a bed with him?

“A-Anyway, not tonight. Let’s settle this with rock-paper-scissors. The winner gets the bed.”

And the loser sleeps on the floor.

She raised her fist and tilted her chin in challenge.

In the dim light, Ash looked down at her in silence.

Then—

“Ah!”

He suddenly lifted her into his arms and laid her down on the bed.

“…It’s a large bed. There’s no reason we have to sleep separately.”

He braced his arms on either side of her, trapping her beneath him.

His gaze was dark and deep, like the late-night sky.

In his ash-grey eyes, a strange light flickered.

With his tall frame casting a heavy shadow over her and that faint, masculine scent surrounding her, Nina’s toes curled instinctively.

“…That still doesn’t mean we have to sleep together.”

For a moment, she almost lost herself in that gaze, but she quickly regained her senses, pushing weakly at his chest and turning her head away.

Ash was silent for a while, then sat up.

“I won’t do anything. Not until you give me permission.”

“……”

Nina stared at his profile in the faint moonlight, then slipped wordlessly under the covers.

She had meant to settle it with a game, but seeing the faint, bittersweet smile on his face, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

Because she couldn’t give him the answer he wanted.

For a while, there was only silence—

Then, tap, tap, tap.

Nina peeked her head out from under the blanket.

Ash was drawing a line down the center of the bed using an extra quilt and pillow.

“If I cross this line, you have my permission to hit me or push me off the bed. I’ll accept it as self-defense.”

“……”

Is this what they call karma?

He was repeating her own words back to her, the ones she had used when convincing him to share a bed separately before.

Suppressing a sigh, Nina muttered inwardly.

Damn it…

To think she had to share a bed with the man who’d confessed to her.

It was going to be a long, sleepless night.

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