NOVEL NEXT Chapter 170 - Side Story (4)
“…”
“If I compromise now, I’ll surely want to return to the battlefield later. I want to quit completely this time.”
“But…”
“I hate to trouble you with conspicuous actions, Lady Fanora.” He stubbornly spoke, biting his thumbnail.
After all, he had been contemplating this since his older brother’s death. Until now, he had been making excuses to continue his bad habits due to a lack of self-control.
As Carl expressed his determination to shed the detestable traits of the marquis’s descendant, Fanora’s face showed complex emotions. She would still love him if he didn’t force himself to change like that.
“…I wish I could have been more helpful so you wouldn’t have to struggle like this.”
Fanora stopped him from biting his nails. Holding his hands desperately with her cold ones, she sadly looked at the spot where his teeth had bitten.
“What are you saying? You’ve been a great help!”
“!”
Then, at that moment. Carl lifted his remaining left arm to wrap around her shoulder and pulled her close into a tight embrace. Despite the lit fireplace, the drafty structure of the cabin made the bed quite cold. Consequently, their body heat felt more noticeable.
“Did you know? This is… the longest I’ve ever gone without hitting someone.”
Just 10 days…?
“Being close to you, Lady Fanora, makes me forget the hardship……”
“…”
“…Can we just stay like this for an hour today?”
Carl, embracing her, buried his face in her shoulder, almost whimpering. She always compared himself to a dog, and such behavior made him seem no different from a pet animal.
“An hour?”
Fanora chuckled lightly. Carl didn’t reply but kept nodding his head.
Is this really the same Andras who used to pop off enemies’ heads like cork stoppers…?
Who would have thought the pride of Kasius would become so gentle?
While embracing him tightly, Fanora thought briefly. She has changed him this way, so she must take responsibility.
Let’s face the hardships together.
“This is actually quite nice. I read in a book that children of farmers sleep close together to use body heat since they can’t afford enough heating…”
As the embrace lingered, the awkwardness of the affectionate gesture faded. Fanora soon felt more at ease, casually chatting near Carl’s ear.
“Why? You don’t find this story interesting?”
However, as soon as she spoke, Carl released the embrace. Straightening his back, he looked intently at Fanora’s face and shook his head.
“No, it’s just… you’re talking so close, it tickles my ears.”
“
Ah
, sorry.”
“No need to apologize…”
The warmth of their bodies dispersed, replaced by the cold air inside the house. Fanora thought about lighting a small stove but couldn’t proceed with what she had planned. It was because Carl then gently intertwined their fingers.
“…”
When Fanora, who was holding his hand, didn’t say anything, Carl naturally did the next thing.
Thieves who learn thievery late don’t realize sunrises
is really scary. He had recently taken a liking to kissing Fanora.
His warm lips now gently touched her cold cheek. It was a shallow touch, akin to birds lightly pecking each other.
I used to wonder why people did this.
Fanora glanced at him as he delicately treasured her like a precious gem.
Carl continued to kiss her forehead and cheeks, gradually turning her face red.
Now, I can’t go a day without it.
Carl was unhesitant in his physical affection, unlike some sly fox-like gentleman. He always displayed affection as if he couldn’t help expressing his feelings for her.
“Will you keep kissing me like this forever?”
“Didn’t you say it’s okay for an hour?”
“An hour is just a saying…”
Initially, she found his actions burdensome. But over time, Fanora also warmed up to his affection. Receiving love from such an honest person, she realized that affirming affection was uplifting and pleasant.
When I was young, I wished to be embraced by my mother. Never thought I’d get to hold someone this much.
Suddenly, Fanora stopped in the midst of their loving moment and stood still. She stiffened awkwardly, and Carl, sensing something, partially pulled away before she spoke.
“…Hold on a minute.”
“Did I annoy you too much? Should I stop now?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Fanora rolled her eyes thoughtfully.
Months had passed since they left their homeland. Seasons changed from summer to fall, and now it was winter. Despite spending so much time together, their relationship had little progress.
“Carl, listen.”
Carl had never asked for anything beyond kisses. He clearly enjoyed physical closeness but always stopped at polite kisses. Fanora wondered if he was refraining for her sake, so she cautiously asked.
“…Is there a reason you’re not moving to the next step?”
“Yes?”
“Like, wanting to cherish me or something similar…”
Her next words were something she was embarrassed to say out of her own mouth, and her voice gradually became quieter.
“It’s okay if you don’t be so considerate.”
Renowned for her clear diction, she now mumbled, lowering her head. Perhaps that’s why. Carl looked puzzled, not fully grasping her words.
“…”
After pondering alone, the obedient-looking man finally spoke. “What’s the next step?”
“
Huh
?”
“Yes?”
His curiosity was genuine, untainted by a hint of deceit.
Facing his earnest red eyes, Fanora suddenly realized.
Right. Not everyone knows what I know. Just because I’m aware of something doesn’t mean others are, too.
“…You mean you don’t know what the next step is?”
“Could you start by explaining the subject? What’s the next step you’re talking about?”
Fanora’s complexion began to turn pale. Carl was worried when he saw Fanora like that, but she couldn’t hear her lover’s voice right now.
“No, I mean…”
Could it be he avoided that next step simply because he didn’t know? In this day and age, how could someone still be ignorant of such matters?
She clutched her throbbing head and barely uttered a sentence. “Then how did you know that lovers kiss each other…?”
“I saw my brother and sister-in-law do it when I was young.”
“You learned by watching?”
Carl still seemed intrigued by this ‘next step’ Fanora had mentioned. Like a student seeking guidance from a teacher, his eyes sparkled, and Fanora reluctantly explained.
“So, what is this next step?”
“…It involves more intimate biological contact using the oral structure.”
Her embarrassment made the explanation sound overly complicated. Despite her embarrassment, Fanora continued her explanation. They were living together under the premise of marriage, so it was necessary to educate Carl about what a typical married couple is like.
“Anyway, the next step you’re skipping is important. A scholar said that affectionate acts involving the exchange of saliva are a measure for choosing a healthy spouse.”
“Wow.”
“The ultimate physical intimacy results in having offspring, so naturally, the intermediate steps have also evolved, right?”
Carl didn’t understand half of the words she said, but he could grasp the story’s gist and clapped, saying, “You know so much!”
Smart. Impressive. As Carl praised her for using these adjectives, Fanora relaxed her stiff shoulders. The tension seemed to lessen.
“After all, you’re young. But you didn’t even know such things. Did you only focus on military training and miss out on education?”
“I did hate lessons like that.”
“But even without formal education, usually siblings inform each other about such matters. You had two siblings, yet how come?”
Fanora shrugged her shoulders with a slightly smug attitude. Until now, she hadn’t considered the mental age difference due to regression, but seeing Carl’s surprisingly naïve approach to relationships made her feel slightly superior. Facing such an innocent person, she thought her own awkwardness wouldn’t stand out much.
“Carl, don’t worry. If you don’t know, you can learn from now on.” Saying this confidently, she was met with Carl’s question, which turned the situation upside down.
“Then, I’m curious. You just mentioned ultimately having offspring.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know how that’s done?”
“Of course,” the woman with black hair said with a chuckle and a confident attitude. But her confidence faded within seconds.
After reliving her life twice, she had managed to shed the name Celsius. In other words, until then, she had lived her entire life as a daughter of a count. Before starting her revenge, she had never spoken a harsh word.
“That…”
When asked about the method of continuing a lineage, Fanora unconsciously thought of an image. A diagram of pollination, where pollen from a stamen fertilizes a red flower’s pistil. It was a type of reproductive process. And while she knew about human reproduction too…
“That is…”
Ultimately, she couldn’t bring herself to speak due to embarrassment. Not just now, but she felt she wouldn’t want to explain it directly even years later.
Fanora belatedly realized the severity of the situation.
How should I convey this information?
She had been prepared for this since fleeing her home, but she never expected the Celsius family’s nine-generation lineage to end for such an absurd reason.
* * *
The nobility being noble and pure is a thing of the past. The high society of Kasius had shed its conservative nature with changing times, and recently, the nobles’ immorality had been problematic. Naturally, the absurd practice of an inexperienced couple having their first night under an educator’s supervision had disappeared.
“…”
In such a world, she never expected to face this problem…
At that moment, Fanora had a fleeting thought that she might have chosen the wrong husband. On the other hand, she wondered if it was necessary to take the next step.
“Should we just live like this, not knowing? Do we have to have offspring?”
“Yes?”
“We’re not farmers. As for the labor force…”
She hesitated, then adjusted her posture. This topic couldn’t be casually mentioned, so she sat facing Carl, looked him straight in the eye, and continued.
“I’m not confident, actually.”
“Is it that hard to explain?”
“Not that kind of confidence. I’m not sure if I can be a good parent.”
Fanora shared a thought she had pondered for a long time. “As a child, seeing my terrible mother, I thought, ‘When I have a child, I won’t be like that. I’ll provide a wise and warm education.’ But…”
“…”
“My body carries the blood of the Celsius. My eyes resemble my mother’s. My height resembles my father’s. What if one day I suddenly realize I’m doing the exact same things they did?”