Extra Story 2 - A Dream Of The Sea And Good Morning

Light streaming down from the surface made the depths of the blue sea shimmer. Strange, moss-like creatures stretching out tendrils, and schools of fish swimming between them in groups.

Their vividly colored scales sparkled. Before long, that sparkle turned into a gentle smile.

‘Mother—…’

On their mother’s lap as she read them a picture book, young Marguerite and Isabella competed for space. Reaching out toward that nostalgic scene of family warmth, Marguerite extended her hand.

Her hand brushed softly against something.

‘?’

At the same time she tilted her head in confusion, Marguerite opened her eyes.

The dream world ended, and reality returned before her—Lucien, her husband, with an arm wrapped around her body, breathing peacefully in his sleep.

Marguerite’s outstretched left hand was resting against Lucien’s chest.

With each breath, the rise and fall and his warmth were conveyed to her.

‘…! …!’

Even though she thought she was used to it, unexpected contact still made her shy. Even more so with his sleeping face right up close.

Clamping both hands over her mouth to stop herself from crying out, Marguerite timidly looked at Lucien with a bright red face.

His glossy black hair was tousled, the slightly unruly tips scattered over his cheeks and ears. A straight nose and pale lips. Beyond eyelids framed by lashes the same color as his hair slept deep-sea-colored eyes that never let Marguerite go.

Having only just married into the family, Marguerite gazed at Lucien with awe, thinking him more beautiful than herself.

‘But when he’s asleep, he looks just a little boyish.’

She almost let out a soft laugh, then quickly covered her mouth again.

The door connecting their two bedrooms was no longer locked. After finishing her bedtime preparations, Marguerite would wait until the maid Anna, who had bid her good night, left, and then move to Lucien’s room.

She would be found in Lucien’s bed the next morning anyway, so there was no need to see Anna off—but her sense of embarrassment still lingered. All the more so because Anna, apparently sensing something, had involved the butler Richard and replaced the bed in Lucien’s room with a slightly larger one.

‘When we returned from the de Broy territory, the furniture layout had changed…!’

She would never forget the shock of that moment.

‘…I should hurry back to my own room.’

It was almost time for Anna to come. As Marguerite tried to sit up to cool her cheeks, which had begun to heat again, her body moved back toward the bed against her will.

Lucien’s arm was firmly around her shoulders.

“Lucien-sama!”

“Good morning, Marguerite.”

“Good morning…”

Smiled at gently, Marguerite’s eyes darted away.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No…”

“But you’re warm. And your eyes look moist. Shall I call Anna?”

“No, um—”

With his palm resting against her heated cheek, Marguerite looked back at Lucien, wondering how to answer—only to see that the lips that had spoken such concerned words were curled into a mischievous smile.

A small chuckle escaped them.

“Lucien-sama! You were teasing me, weren’t you?!”

“My apologies.”

Following Marguerite as she sat up, Lucien also sat on the bed. He tried to hold back his laughter by curling in on himself, but his shoulders still shook.

“On mornings when you wake up before me, you leave the bed before I even get to see your face.”

This morning, her hand had touched Lucien’s chest, waking him. He said he had pretended to sleep and watched her after that.

“You saw everything…?”

“You blushed, looked at me, smiled—and then hurried to get up.”

“You don’t have to say it!”

Marguerite glared resentfully at Lucien as he finally burst out laughing.

Just as Marguerite now showed many expressions, Lucien too had begun to show feelings he once kept hidden. It was proof that the distance between them had grown closer, and it made her happy.

As she was thinking that, an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. A soft touch landed on her cheek.

“I’m happy to see all of your expressions, Marguerite.”

Hearing the very words she had been thinking, Marguerite laughed as well, tickled by happiness.