(Next Morning)
Kyel stood in front of the bathroom door, staring at it as if it might suddenly open on its own.
He let out a slow sigh and rubbed his face with both hands, exhaustion and restlessness clinging to him in equal measure.
He knocked on the bathroom door.
No answer.
“…Princess,” he called, his voice carrying a mix of concern and quiet frustration. “How long are you planning on staying locked in there? Come out already.”
Only silence greeted him.
Eva had been inside the bathroom since early morning—long before he had even woken up. The realization made his chest feel heavier.
Kyel knocked again, this time slower, more deliberate.
“Eva,” he said softly. “Open the door, please.”
Nothing.
He drew in a deep breath, steadying himself.
“Princess… I have to go to work,” he said, lowering his voice, almost pleading now. “Please come out. I didn’t even get to see your face this morning.”
His hand rested against the door, fingers curling slightly. “I want to see your face before I go.”
Still no answer.
Kyel closed his eyes for a moment, then stepped back, defeat settling into his shoulders. “…Fine,” he murmured. “If you don’t want to come out, I won’t force you.”
He turned away from the door and walked toward the bed. Picking up the medicine bottle he had prepared earlier, he placed it carefully on the bedside table.
“I left the medicine here,” he said gently. “Take it if you’re in pain. Don’t ignore it.”
A pause.
“Then… I’m going,” he added, voice quiet. “Take care of yourself.”
With one last glance toward the bathroom door—hope flickering and dying in his eyes—Kyel walked out of the room. The bedroom door shut behind him with a soft click.
His footsteps echoed down the stairs, each one sounding heavier than the last, until the sharp sound of the front door closing rang through the house.
__________________________________
(Inside the Bathroom)
Eva stood pressed against the bathroom door, her ear still resting against the cool wood as if she half-expected to hear his footsteps return.
When the silence finally settled, she let out the breath she had been holding for far too long.
“…Oh,” she whispered softly, her shoulders sagging. “I can finally breathe.”
Yet even in the quiet, his voice lingered—clear, warm, and impossible to ignore.
Kyel’s words echoed in her mind, wrapping tightly around her heart.
Eva’s hand rose to her chest, fingers curling into the fabric of her robe as guilt spread through her like a slow ache.
“I’m sorry, honey,” she murmured, eyes lowering. “I didn’t mean to hide from you…”
Her reflection in the mirror looked flustered, cheeks still faintly pink, eyes uncertain.
“But how could I face you?” she continued, voice barely above a whisper. “After how I behaved last night…”
Her lips parted as the memories returned unbidden. The way she had lost herself. The way she had clung to him without restraint. The warmth of his breath against her skin… the desperate, unfiltered words she had spoken, begging him not to stop, begging him to love her.
Eva’s face burned. “Oh goddess…” she breathed, covering her cheeks with both hands. “I acted so shamelessly in front of him…”
Her heart pounded just thinking about it.
And yet—
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“It was wonderful,” she admitted softly, peeking at herself through her fingers. “Last night was wonderful.”
Her hand slid down to her chest as a shy smile curved her lips. “After being married for so long… we finally had our wedding night.”
The realization made her chest tighten with warmth and emotion all over again.
“But facing him now…” Eva groaned quietly, leaning her forehead against the door. “How am I supposed to look at him without dying of embarrassment?”
She let out a long, helpless sigh. “What do I even do now…”
The tension finally eased as she straightened, glancing around the bathroom she had been trapped in since morning.
“…I guess I should be grateful he’s gone,” she muttered, half-laughing at herself. “I’ve been stuck in here forever.”
Eva pushed the bathroom door open and stepped out, eyes squeezed shut. She lifted one hand into the air as if greeting freedom itself and drew in a deep breath.
“Final—”
A hand suddenly wrapped around her waist.
Eva gasped.
THUD—!
Her head slammed backward on instinct.
CRACK—!
A sharp, unmistakable impact.
Kyel staggered back with a strangled sound and collapsed onto the floor, both hands flying to his nose.
“—NGH—!”
“Ow—! Princess—!”
Eva’s eyes flew open in horror.
“Honey!” She rushed to him, dropping to her knees. “Are you alright? I’m so sorry—I got startled!”
Kyel rolled on the floor, groaning dramatically, one hand still clutching his face while the other shielded himself from her view as if mortally wounded.
“Ahhh—my nose—my poor nose—”
“I really thought you left,” Eva said frantically. “I didn’t know you were still here—I'm sorry..”
Suddenly, Kyel turned.
Before she could react, his hand caught her wrist, and he pulled her forward—
MMPH—
His lips crashed against hers in a deep, stealing kiss, warm and unhesitating. Eva froze for half a heartbeat before the shock melted into heat.
Kyel kissed her slowly, deliberately, as if grounding himself in the simple truth of her being there. He pulled back just enough to breathe. Eva’s face was burning red.
Kyel smiled, eyes soft and satisfied. “Now,” he murmured, “I can finally see your face.”
Eva shoved him square in the chest.
THUMP—!
“You liar!” she snapped, cheeks aflame. “You were acting!”
She turned away, marching off in embarrassment.
But Kyel was faster.
He caught her from behind, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and pulling her back against his chest.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered near her ear, voice gentle now. “But I really wanted to see your face.”
Eva went still.
Kyel turned her carefully, lifting her chin. She immediately covered her face with her hands.
“Eva…” he said softly. “Why were you hiding from me? Did I do something wrong?”
He hesitated, then cupped her cheeks through her fingers.
“Are you upset because I crossed a line last night? If I did, I’m sorry—I should have stopped—”
“No,” Eva blurted out.
She pulled her hands away, eyes shy but honest. “Don’t apologize. I’m not upset.”
Kyel blinked. “Then… did I lack something last night—”
“No!” Eva shouted, mortified. “It was great! I loved it!”
Silence.
Kyel stared at her, stunned.
Eva immediately lowered her head, biting her lip as embarrassment swallowed her whole.
“…I can’t believe I said that out loud,” she muttered.
Kyel watched her for a long moment, lips twitching as if he were holding back laughter.
“…You it?” he repeated slowly.
Eva froze. Her ears burned.
Kyel stepped closer, leaning down until his lips brushed her ear.
“So that wasn’t just the chocolate talking?” he whispered innocently. “That was really my wife?”
“No!” she blurted out. “It was the chocolate!”
Kyel tilted his head, studying her flushed face far too seriously for someone who was clearly enjoying himself.
“So,” he said slowly, voice innocent to the point of cruelty, “it was the chocolate?”
Eva nodded quickly, refusing to meet his eyes. “Yes. It was the chocolate.”
Kyel let out a quiet and looked away, shoulders drooping just a little.
“I see…” he murmured. “So it was the chocolate that made you jump on me without any warning.”
His gaze returned to her, softer now. "And the chocolate that made you say you wanted me.”
Eva froze.
Kyel sighed, the teasing slipping into something almost sad. “I guess I was wrong,” he said quietly. “I thought… you were still there. That it was really .”
Her heart skipped.
“That means,” he continued, lowering his eyes, “I touched you when you weren’t yourself.”
“No!” Eva blurted out before she could stop herself.
She grabbed the front of his shirt, words tumbling out in a rush.
“It was . I said those things. I jumped on you. I wanted you—so stop blaming yourself!”
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized what she’d confessed.
Silence.
Then—Kyel’s shoulders shook.
Eva felt it before she heard it: the laughter he was desperately trying to hold back.
“…Kyel,” she whimpered, face burning as she buried it against his chest. “I’m going crazy. Please stop teasing me.”
Kyel wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her close.
“Okay,” he murmured, pressing a kiss into her hair. “I’ll stop teasing.”
His fingers moved gently through her hair, slow and soothing, as if grounding both of them.
Then his expression shifted.
“Eva,” he asked quietly, concern slipping into his voice, “are you sore? Is your body hurting?”
She hesitated, then gave a small nod. “A little. But it’s not too bad. I can handle it.”
Kyel frowned. He leaned back just enough to look at her face.
“Even if it’s not much, take the medicine. And rest at home today. Don’t go anywhere.”
Eva suddenly pulled out of his embrace.
“No,” she said firmly.
Kyel blinked. “No?”
“I can’t stay at home,” she replied, a strange glint flashing in her eyes. “I have somewhere to go. There’s something I need to do.”
Kyel’s brows knit together. “Do what?”
Slowly, Eva’s lips curved into a wicked, almost dangerous smile—one that made Kyel’s spine tingle.
“I have to kill someone,” she said sweetly, “with my own hands.”
Kyel froze. “…Kill?” he repeated faintly. “Who?”
She tilted her head, eyes sparkling with mischief.
“You don’t need to know,” she said cheerfully. “You’ll understand once you see the body.”
Kyel took an unconscious step back. “Eva,” he said carefully, “are you… alright?”
She smiled wider—far too wide for his comfort. “I’m perfectly fine, honey,” she said in a gentle, singsong voice. “You can go to work now. Don’t worry about me.”
Kyel swallowed hard, still staring at her as if she’d grown horns.
“O… okay,” he said slowly. “Then I’m going.”
After a pause, he added softly, “I love you.”
“Love you too,” Eva replied, her smile still devilishly sweet.
As the door closed behind him, her smile finally cracked.
“…Aranel,” Eva muttered under her breath, eyes narrowing.
“Just you wait.”
