Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 205

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“Was being late such a grave sin…?”

Adeline muttered bitterly, clutching her head as regret weighed heavily on her.

Shane walked in with a glass of water, a sheepish smile on his face as he perched on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight, tilting her body slightly. Adeline yanked the blanket higher to cover herself and glared at him.

“Don’t come any closer.”

“Sorry. I might’ve overdone it.”

Shane smiled smoothly. Though his expression was as gentle as a saint’s, there wasn’t an ounce of real remorse in his voice.

“It was my first time too, so I didn’t know how to pace myself.”

He acted like he would’ve died if she asked him to, and now she felt utterly betrayed and resentful.

“I’m a patient who just got out of bed! You’re a heartless devil!”

“Weren’t you the one who said you were perfectly fine and just needed sleep?”

“That was just an expression! I cried and begged, but you didn’t even pretend to listen…”

“Oh, but you were so cute.”

“Shane Blanchard.”

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“I don’t mean just hearing the words! How could you act like that when I was on the verge of passing out?”

“Sorry. I was so excited I couldn’t hear properly. I wanted to listen, really.”

No matter how much she snapped at him, his face remained as bright and unbothered as ever.

All night, it had been like this. Every time Adeline had insisted she couldn’t take any more, Shane would gently console her, whispering that she could keep going.

‘Even the military wouldn’t push someone this hard.’

The night had felt less like a wedding night and more like an endless march. Her head still tingled from the overwhelming sensations, and there were gaps in her memory from when she’d reached her limit and Shane had refused to let up.

“Stop, I can’t, I’ll die if we keep going.”

“You won’t die. You can do this. Just a little more.”

“No, I hate this. I hate—”

“If you say you hate it, I’ll be hurt.”

“Good! Be hurt, you bastard!”

“Yeah, I’m the bad guy. Sorry. But don’t leave me, Adeline.”

“Go away.”

“You promised you’d hold me, didn’t you?”

Every time she was on the verge of passing out, Shane would nibble and bite her earlobe until she cried again. Even as she flailed in protest, he would comfort her, licking away her tears while his hands stayed firm on her waist.

And through it all, he kept that insufferable smile.

“You should’ve considered the difference in our stamina…”

Not just stamina—weight class, gender, everything was stacked against her.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“Think harder. I feel like a sheet of paper right now. Mishandle me, and I’ll tear. My durability is trash…”

“Let’s work out together.”

“I’ll do it alone. Let’s respect each other’s personal space.”

“No. If you leave me alone, I’ll die of loneliness.”

“What are you, a rabbit?!”

Shane widened his eyes innocently.

“You mean I’m cute like a rabbit, right?”

“No, I know perfectly well you’re not a rabbit. And stop creeping closer!”

“You said you wanted water.”

But Shane didn’t hand over the glass. When Adeline glared at him, wondering what he was waiting for, he gave a playful smile and brought the glass to his own lips.

“You sneaky little—”

Before she could finish, Shane tilted her chin up and poured a stream of lukewarm water into her mouth through his.

Adeline swallowed the water with a string of inaudible curses. As much as she hated it, her parched throat desperately needed the relief. And if she resisted too much, the blanket might slip.

This is a strategic retreat, she told herself. Take the water now, then push him away.

But even after she’d drained the glass, their lips remained locked. When the kiss began to deepen naturally, Adeline bit down hard on his lip.

“Mmph… alright, alright.”

Though Shane didn’t seem hurt, he obediently pulled away, as if sensing she was truly on the verge of losing her temper.

Still, he stole several quick pecks, making exaggerated smooching sounds before finally letting her go.

“I understand now how an emperor could neglect his duties for love.”

“Oh, really?”

“I don’t want to be apart from you for a week or even ten days.”

“Just kill me already…”

“If you’re prepared to die, building stamina isn’t so hard.”

Shane’s mischievous grin made him look like a drill sergeant. Adeline swallowed back tears.

Who goes into marriage prepared to die…?

Still, she couldn’t entirely dislike seeing Shane so excited. His giddy enthusiasm over their long-awaited wedding night was almost endearing. Even from behind, his excitement was obvious.

Lying facedown, Adeline buried her face in her pillow. At this point, everything about him seemed cute.

‘There’s no bigger fool for love than me.’

She turned her head to peek at Shane’s broad shoulders, muscular back, and well-sculpted waist. Even from behind, the mix of maturity and childish excitement was both sexy and ridiculous.

‘How can someone be so mature and yet so childlike at the same time?’

It was a curious contradiction.

‘Oh well.’

But so what? If they were happy, wasn’t that enough?