Ripples

After all, no one truly dislikes sincere praise, especially when it comes from a beautiful Princess.

He was silent for a moment before whispering, "Thank you."

Louise felt much more relaxed after hearing the "thank you".

She hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "I hope... I can help you in the future, and do something for Carnford."

"Okay," Karl replied simply, without saying anything more.

The conversation seemed to end naturally. Karl turned around again, his back to Louise, and closed his eyes, as if preparing to fall asleep.

Louise slowly turned around to face the other side.

Silence fell over the room again, broken only by the occasional crackling of the fireplace. Louise stared at the flickering light on the wall, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

Lady Eileen was right; Karl had indeed not done anything inappropriate to her.

This finally put her mind at ease, and she even felt a sense of gratitude.

On this cold and unfamiliar wedding night, this respect is all the more precious.

A thought quietly began to take root in her mind: perhaps... this seemingly cold and hard Lord, who actually possessed his own principles and gentleness, would, at some opportune moment in the future, be able to understand and accept the unspeakable secret she held about Henry?

This idea gave her a glimmer of hope; in any case, this first night was much better than she had expected.

She gently closed her eyes and, feeling both tired and strangely at peace, gradually drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Karl struggled to wake up from his drowsy state, a dull headache and a dry throat.

Not fully conscious, the discomfort from the hangover made him instinctively furrow his brow, turn over, and try to avoid the glaring sunlight streaming in through the window cracks, wanting to stay in bed a little longer.

However, just as he turned over, his arm seemed to touch something soft and warm, and a warm, faint floral scent, different from his usual fragrance, lingered around his nose. He could also clearly hear another person's steady and gentle breathing.

This unfamiliar touch, scent, and sound cleaved through his chaotic consciousness like a bolt of lightning.

Karl suddenly snapped awake, his eyes snapping open as memories of the previous night flooded back: the wedding, the banquet, the drinking, and... he was already married.

And lying beside him at that moment was his newlywed wife, Princess Louise.

Almost at the same moment he awoke, the soft body his arm touched trembled slightly, her breathing faltered, and Louise instantly woke up from her sleep.

She turned around somewhat flusteredly, her long eyelashes trembling, and opened her still sleepy, azure eyes.

Karl quickly and somewhat awkwardly withdrew his arm, which had inadvertently been resting on the Princess.

In an instant, their eyes met.

Their eyes held a bewilderment and disorientation, as if they had just woken from a deep sleep, but more than that, there was an indescribable embarrassment, helplessness, and a hint of... novelty about this completely new situation.

After all, this was the first time they had truly woken up after sharing a bed, and the change in their identities was presented to each other in the most direct way.

The silence lingered for a few seconds in the morning air, carrying a subtle tension.

Louise finally spoke first, breaking the silence. Her voice, still tinged with sleepiness, was low and hoarse, but she tried her best to keep it steady. "Good... good morning, Lord Karl."

Karl snapped out of his reverie, cleared his slightly dry and hoarse throat, and replied, "Good morning."

He paused, then added apologetically, "I'm sorry, I just..." He pointed to his arm, realizing he had accidentally touched her arm, unsure how to explain this unintentional act.

Having lived in the shadow of her stepmother in the palace for many years, Louise had long since developed the ability to keenly observe other people's emotions and carefully guess their thoughts.

Seeing Karl's slightly furrowed brow, pale complexion, and hoarse voice, she immediately realized he was still hungover and desperately needed rest.

She quickly shook her head gently, expressing her understanding in a soft tone. "It's alright, you don't need to worry about it."

As she spoke, she quietly sat up and saw a kettle and cups, kept warm by a thick cotton cover, that the servant had brought earlier that morning, on the low table beside the bed.

She got out of bed, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to Karl was still lying in bed. "Have some water, it will make you feel better."

Karl was somewhat surprised, but he still took the cup, thanked him, and drank the warm water in one gulp.

The cool water flowed over my parched throat, which did relieve the discomfort, and my headache seemed to lessen a bit as well.

Seeing that his complexion had eased slightly, Louise said considerately, "You look like you need more rest. Sleep a little longer. I... I'll go and get someone to prepare breakfast."

She seemed to want to find something to do on this awkward morning, and also to avoid the two of them continuing to stand in silence.

Karl instinctively wanted to say "No need to trouble yourself," but Louise had already gently and quickly straightened her robe, walked to the door, and soon opened it and left.

The room was instantly left with only Karl and the lingering, faint fragrance of the Princess in the air.

He stared at the empty room and the cold pillow beside him, speechless for a moment.

The words of refusal stuck in his throat, eventually turning into a barely audible sigh.

Exhaustion and headache struck again; he definitely needed rest.

He lay back down on the bed, turned over, and buried his face in the pillow next to him.

On the pillow, the indentation where Louise had lain and a trace of her lingering warmth remained clearly visible, while a clearer, warm scent, a blend of a young girl's fragrance and a faint floral aroma, lingered around his nose.

This unfamiliar yet soft touch and scent made Karl's heart skip a beat.

Since Charlotte left, he hadn't felt the presence and warmth of another person at such close range for a long time.

It was a sense of intimacy he had once possessed, yet had lost, and thought he would never easily recapture it again.

Reason warned him that the lingering warmth and fragrance on the pillow did not belong to the unforgettable figure deep in his heart. He should not indulge in it, or even touch this tenderness that did not belong to him.

However, the body's instincts and the deep-seated longing for warmth and companionship are as irresistible as parched land thirsting for rain.

That unfamiliar scent, belonging to another woman, strangely brought him a sense of comfort, a feeling of security he hadn't experienced in a long time—the presence of someone by his side.