Chapter 72 We’ll just hold hands and sleep. You trust me, right? (10)

When the mattress shook loudly, the two of them came to their senses like they were breaking out of an illusion.

“Hey, this position is a little wrong, don’t you think?”

Aristine asked with an awkward smile.

It was only then that Tarkan realized how they were lying down on the bed.

Her soft bosom was touching his chest and he could feel her chest rising and falling with her breath. Because of the rough movement, Aristine’s night-dress has risen to thighs. Her legs were so pale that they stung his eyes.

The gentle curve of her calf was visible along with the curve that ran along her round knee.

And there, his thick thigh was positioned between her two legs…

With a jolt, Tarkan turned bright red and violently moved himself away.

The mattress rocked heavily at his ferocity.

Aristine watched him turn around and run a hand through his hair then she slowly sat up.

‘…What is this?’

She frowned slightly.

She was struck with an unfamiliar feeling earlier, but she didn’t know what it was. She thought about it for a while but still couldn’t figure it out, so she cleanly gave up.

There was a bigger issue than that right now.

‘How can I fix this.’

She looked at the remains of the bed which could no longer function as a place to sleep.

Right then, Tarkan picked up the mattress and put it down in a clear area on the floor.

The mattress itself was fine; it was only out of shape because the frame that was supporting the bottom had broken. The durability was truly a miracle that mankind had created.

‘I wonder how the court ladies got this kind of mattress.’

She recalled the sight of them thumping their chests and asking her to just trust them.

‘As expected, they are a competent bunch. They must be scouted…’

Aristine’s desire to scout the court ladies was once again, reignited.

Tarkan threw the scattered bed sheet neatly over the mattress and even spread it athe blanket over it tidily.

Then he stood in front of it and hesitated.

He rubbed the back of his neck for no particular reason, then he fixed his gaze at a corner of the room and spat out.

“Sleep here if you want.”

Aristine’s eyes turned to him.

Tarkan didn’t meet her gaze and added.

“You said you like a soft bed.”

Perhaps the blazing scarlet candlelight was to blame. Because the back of his ear which was peeking through his hair seemed to be red.

Aristine stared at him for a moment then she lifted the blanket. She tucked her legs inside and sat on the bed he had made, then she quietly opened her mouth.

“Tarkan.”

“What.”
Tarkan still didn’t look at Aristine.

“Where are you going to sleep?”

“Thought you said I should sleep on the floor.”

Aristine shut her mouth.

She certainly thought that.

However, she couldn’t possibly do that after Tarkan made a bed for her and conceded it to her.

They had even agreed on holding hands to sleep earlier because Tarkan didn’t like sleeping on the floor.

“Don’t worry.”

Aristine looked up at Tarkan’s back and said.

The moonlight seeping through the window acted as a backlight. Because of it, the tips of Tarkan’s dark hair looked like they were glowing.

“Like I said, we’re just going to hold hands and sleep.”

Tarkan slowly turned back to look at her.

Like his back, his expression was hard to see due to the backlight.

Aristine stretched out her hand to him while her lips drew a soft arc. It was a pretty natural smile.

“You trust me, right?”

Tarkan quietly stared at Aristine.

Under the direct light of the moon, her face seemed to be dyed a different hue than usual. She looked delicate, yet vague but shined the brightest like the unshakeable moon in the night sky.

‘What a really strange woman.’

Even as he thought so, there was a smile on his face that he didn’t even realize.

‘I wonder where exactly she even learned those words.’

He didn’t know why but she seemed to think those words were very persuasive.

And in reality, that was true.

Because after hearing Aristine say that, Tarkan changed his mind about sleeping on the floor and lay down next to Aristine.

The width was still too small for two people lying down so their bodies were touching each other.

There was a fragrance in the air.

The scent of flowers from the hallway where he had walked with Aristine.

Tarkan felt inexplicably uncomfortable and tried to turn to the side.

“…!”

But something soft and warm touched Tarkan’s hand.

It was a sensation he was familiar with.

Aristine’s hand.

Tarkan held his breath.

His mind seemed to have gone blank because he couldn’t think of anything.

He couldn’t even lift a finger, as though his entire body had frozen.

He stayed like that for a while, his breath caught in his chest.

When Tarkan finally managed to turn his head—.

Zzzzz.

Aristine was already fast asleep and breathing gently.

With her eyes closed, her face looked like a fairy from a fairytale.
Her long, silver eyelashes were dyed scarlet from the light, taking on a shade of marigold.

As the candle flickered, the shadows on her face also flickered. Her delicate and elaborate face didn’t have any incongruity at all.

It was hard to imagine that there was an unusual and bizarre loose cannon of a soul sleeping within.

Their hands holding each other grew hotter over time, perhaps because of their shared body heat.

Somehow, Tarkan found it hard to sleep.

* * *

The sound of birds chirping flowed pleasantly into her ears.

Aristine slowly opened her eyes to the sunlight gently poking at the corner of her eyes.

The bright morning sun stretched out its arms towards her as if it was welcoming her to the beginning of a new day.

Aristine stretched and sat up, feeling refreshed. She had a good dream and slept very well.

‘I knew it; a fluffy bed is the best.’

Although the real bed lay wrecked in the middle of the room, Aristine was satisfied.

She had been worried since this was the first time that she slept with anyone, plus the bed was quite narrow, but that was apparently not necessary.

Aristine, who had slept well and felt refreshed, turned her head to greet the person next to her.

“Good morning.”

However, the reaction of the other party was strange.

Tarkan was glaring at her with dead eyes while tightly clutching the collar of his nightrobe.

His eyes were as if he was looking at a shameless person.

Like he was a maiden whose chastity was stolen.