Spring in My Grasp - Chapter 36

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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(36) Failed Escape from Bed

‘Wow….’
Lying in bed, I couldn’t help but marvel.
‘A bed this soft and comfortable actually exists.’
It was incomparably superior to the bedroom at the Glister Estate in both texture and size.
‘But then again….’
I pondered.
‘This place is far too large.’
How on earth would I manage it? The Butler and Head Maid had offered their assistance, but….
I swallowed a sigh. I had thought myself fortunate to live in such a fine home as the East Annex, yet this was utterly overwhelming. The sheer scale and majesty of the Castle pressed down upon me, threatening to crush my spirit.
‘In any case, I haven’t decided where I’m going next….’
What troubled me most was how Alexis seemed to have nothing but me. How absurd. I let out a quiet laugh. He, born with such beautiful features as the heir of the Glister Family, sometimes seemed to possess nothing compared to me. Now that life was becoming bearable, even meddlesome thoughts were creeping in.
As I curled up on one side of the bed, lost in these musings, I felt like a single seashell cast upon the sandy shore of a beach. My eyes were blinking drowsily when a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
“My lady.”
The Head Maid’s voice came from outside. The door opened carefully, and she entered alongside a neatly dressed Maid. After offering a respectful bow, she spoke.
“Should you have any questions or require further guidance, I shall station this girl at your door. You need only call whenever you wish. As you seemed fatigued today, I provided only a brief orientation, but you may summon this girl for service whenever you desire.”
As the Head Maid made the introduction, the Maid beside her bowed her head demurely. I nodded with a bewildered expression. The Head Maid approached and pointed to a golden cord draped beside the bed.
“Should you pull this cord, a Maid will come to attend you. Please use it freely at any time. Maids and Attendants are stationed at all hours, so simply call whenever you have need.”
“At all… hours?”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“Yes.”
As the Head Maid answered, my eyes blinked rapidly.
“Then when do the Maids rest?”
The Head Maid lowered her head and replied.
“We adjust our schedules in rotation to ensure coverage, so please do not worry. Whether it be meals, bathing, outings, or anything else—regardless of the hour—simply pull this cord if you have need. We shall attend to you at once.”
“…Even when I want a late-night snack?”
As I murmured this, the Head Maid paused briefly before answering gently.
“Yes, that is correct.”
“….”
Breathless, I said nothing.
‘Ugh… I’ll just sneak out and make something myself.’
After the Head Maid withdrew and the door closed, silence once again filled the room. I collapsed back onto the bed. The sudden shift in my circumstances and treatment made my head spin. It had been dizzying when I first opened my eyes in this body, but now my mind simply refused to function.
‘For now, I should rest.’
My eyes closed.
‘I’ll just slip into the Adjacent Room and sleep there before Alexis returns.’
Since a Maid was now stationed outside the bedroom, it felt far too awkward to venture out.
I wonder if Lea managed to pack everything properly.
Buried deep within the massive quilt, my consciousness gradually slipped away. The events of this single day had left me utterly exhausted in both body and spirit. I fell into a deep sleep, snoring softly as though I had never done such a thing before.
***
Alexis had spent hours organizing documents in the Castle’s office before finally rising from his desk late into the night. The attendant waiting at the door guided him to the bedroom. No matter how prestigious the Glister Estate’s heir might be, even Alexis had not yet mastered the labyrinthine corridors of this castle. His violet eyes were slightly clouded with fatigue, yet an odd tension hung about him.
In any case, my first night in this castle would be spent in the same bedroom as Rowan. When I inquired of the Head Maid, she informed me that no separate bedroom had been prepared for Rowan. My throat felt inexplicably parched, and my expression hardened into rigid composure.
“Then please rest comfortably, my lord.”
The attendant withdrew, and I slowly opened the bedroom door. The room lay submerged in deep darkness.
‘What is this?’
I froze momentarily.
‘What is that sound?’
A peculiar vibrating noise reached my ears. As I drew closer to the bed, the sound grew louder. It was Rowan.
Sprawled across the center of the enormous bed, Rowan lay utterly splayed out. Both arms were spread wide, and one leg had kicked the blanket aside. Her mouth hung half-open, and the snoring emanating from her small nose was surprisingly rhythmic.
“Huff… snore… grr…”
More peaceful than any sacred relic of the High Priest, more precious than jewels bestowed by the King, the Holy Knight’s wife now slumbered in the most serene sleep imaginable. I gazed down at her with narrowed eyes for a moment.
‘So this is how she sleeps normally.’
My violet eyes flickered with subtle emotion.
‘There is not a shred of dignity to be found in this.’
I exhaled a low sigh and settled onto the edge of the bed. Yet why did this sight feel so endearing to me?
Just then, Rowan snored and kicked the blanket aside once more with her other leg. At the sight of her sleeping so utterly without restraint, the corner of my mouth twitched slightly.
“This is certainly not a sight fit to show another soul.”
Even as I spoke, I instinctively pulled the blanket up to cover her legs again. Her dress had ridden up, leaving both her legs exposed.
‘Yes, this is not a sight for anyone else to see.’
My eyes, fixed upon Rowan, grew darker.
“….”
Soon Rowan’s snoring ceased, and the room fell completely silent. The soft sound of her sleeping breath soothed my restless heart.
I unfastened a few buttons of my shirt and lay down beside Rowan. When I heard her gentle breathing, I found myself smiling.
After gazing at her sleeping face for some time, my eyes naturally closed. It was a profoundly peaceful moment. Something within me became certain: this marriage had to be real.
***
Morning sunlight filtered through the castle windows, spilling between the silver curtains to gently envelop the two figures on the bed.
“Oh my…”
Rowan slowly opened her eyes.
‘I didn’t even dream.’
Despite waking early, I felt remarkably refreshed and stretched my arms with a satisfied yawn.
“Huh?”
As I twisted to the side while stretching, my hand suddenly collided with something hard.
“Ugh!”
I opened my eyes and turned to look, then gasped and scrambled backward.
‘What the—!’
My mouth fell open. Alexis lay beside me, his shirt unbuttoned and loose.
‘Why is he here!’
Staring at Alexis’s sleeping face, my complexion drained of color.
‘Did we really sleep together here all night?’
I pressed a hand to my chest and moved as quietly as possible, intending to slip into the adjacent bedroom before he woke. But then…
‘What’s wrong with me…’
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his sleeping face. Defenseless in slumber, Alexis looked utterly unreal.
The morning light caught his features, making them seem to glow. His silver hair scattered across the pillow shimmered like fragments of starlight, and his eyelashes cast delicate shadows over his violet eyes.
His sharp nose and defined jawline revealed striking features. His unbuttoned shirt hung carelessly across his broad shoulders and firm chest, making it impossible to know where to look. Yet my gaze refused to leave him.
‘Good grief.’
I swallowed hard, my throat dry.
‘I feel like some kind of deviant.’
This won’t do. If I keep looking, I’ll be in real trouble. I shook my head vigorously and tried to move with bated breath. But my mind was so scattered that my feet tangled beneath me.
“Ahhh!”
With a yelp, I tumbled straight off the bed and hit the floor.
“….”
Did I wake him? I lay there frozen in an undignified heap, my head pressed against the floor. But after lying there for a while, I heard nothing from the bed.
‘Thank goodness.’
Relieved, I carefully pushed myself up again.
‘While he’s still asleep, I need to get out of here.’
I turned my back and crept silently toward the door, moving like a mouse.
“Where are you going?”
“Mother of—!”
I froze mid-tiptoe and sank to the floor, my face flushed with embarrassment. Slowly, I turned my head. Alexis was already sitting up on the bed, watching me intently.
‘Look at him—just woke up and he’s still so immaculate.’
Despite everything, I found myself gazing at Alexis as if enchanted.
‘The gods are terribly unfair.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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