The Villainess Lives Twice: Butterfly's Dream (IF Story) - Chapter 106
Cedric pressed a gentle kiss to Artizea’s cheek. She, still half-asleep, simply turned her head away in protest.
“Tia, if you’re tired, you should get some proper sleep in bed.”
There was no reply. Cedric chuckled under his breath, then slid his arms under her and lifted her up.
When she was fully awake, she always protested being carried like a child, insisting she was a grown woman now. But in her drowsy state, Artizea simply nestled closer, rubbing her cheek against his neck.
“Mmm…”
She mumbled sleepily. Cedric carried her into the bedroom. As he laid her down on the bed, Artizea opened her eyes halfway for a moment, glancing up at his face before her eyelids drooped again.
“That’s a lie…”
“What is?”
Cedric asked, but no answer came. She had already drifted off again.
For some reason, her words stuck in his mind. Maybe she’d been dreaming, but calling his face a lie in her sleep left him feeling oddly unsettled.
“Um…”
He debated waking her to ask, but in the end decided against it.
He started to untie the belt of her dressing gown, thinking she’d be more comfortable without it. But as he slipped the sleeve from her arm, she stirred, so he let her be.
Instead, Cedric sat at the edge of the bed and gently stroked her hair. Her steady, soft breathing filled the quiet room.
It was late afternoon. The sun was already setting, casting a rosy glow through the windows. It was the season when the days were short and the house was quiet in a way the vast Grand Duke Evron’s residence could never be.
He’d thought moving bedrooms because of renovations would be a hassle, but this quieter, smaller home life had its own appeal.
Everything felt peaceful both his body, his heart.
It wasn’t as though every problem in the world had been solved, or he’d even begun to tackle the lifelong goals he’d set for himself. He’d have to start from scratch on some things. But he no longer felt weighed down by worry.
The stillness was sweet, the peace was happiness, and love was there before him, whole and real.
How could anyone not savor such a moment?
He watched the sunset tint Artizea’s sleeping face red, and then, feeling it might be too bright for her, got up to draw the curtains.
When he returned, Artizea was blinking sleepily up at him.
“Ced…?”
“Oh, you’re awake?”
Cedric replied, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb her. She blinked a few more times, then reached her arms toward him.
He understood immediately and gladly leaned over to embrace her.
“Uung…”
Artizea made a small, dissatisfied sound, as if that wasn’t right. Cedric hesitated for a moment, he was still in his shirt and trousers, having not yet changed after returning home. But he slipped off his slippers and climbed into bed with her.
Artizea snuggled into his arms, then, bothered by the dressing gown bunched beneath her, began to wiggle out of the sleeves. Cedric helped, slipping his hand under her back to pull the gown off and tossing it aside.
He pulled the light quilt up over both of them. It was a little warm for him, but in her nightclothes, Artizea might get cold.
She yawned, pressing her lips to his neck. Cedric squirmed at the ticklish sensation.
“I had a dream…”
“What kind of dream?”
“…”
Instead of replying, Artizea simply burrowed closer into his chest. He figured she’d drifted back to sleep and closed his own eyes.
He wasn’t actually sleepy, but there was nothing urgent to be done. He was content to just lie there with her.
“I’m glad it was just a dream…”
Artizea whispered softly. Her breathing, now calm and steady against his chest, made Cedric wonder if she was fully awake.
“What did you dream about?”
He asked again. This time, she said nothing for a long while.
The two of them just lay there in silence, holding each other, feeling each breath as their chests and stomachs rose and fell together. Cedric ran a gentle hand through her hair.
Finally, now wide awake, Artizea looked up at him.
“I want a kiss.”
“Not ‘Give me a kiss?’”
“I don’t want it if it’s just because you have to.”
She pouted. Cedric wanted to hear her ask him so he smiled and leaned down to press his lips to hers.
Artizea wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him closer, her hand at the back of his head.
“Uung…”
A soft sigh escaped her lips. Cedric nipped her lower lip before letting go, and her cheeks blushed a deep pink. He found the ribbon at the back of her dress and untied it. The loose, comfortable gown slipped easily from her shoulders.
He kissed her collarbone, slowly pulling her dress down. Artizea trembled. Her body was warm and soft.
***
When spring arrived, all the flowers Ansgar had planted last autumn bloomed together in the gardens of Grand Duke Evron’s residence. Newly installed arches were now heavy with clusters of wisteria blossoms.
As soon as guests passed through the main gates, they were greeted by a mix of fragrances from all the flowers in bloom. The gardeners had worked tirelessly to prepare the grounds for the wedding, so everyone entering the residence walked down a path lined with roses.
Since so many guests were expected, it wasn’t possible to provide every attendee with a seat at a table. Ansgar had arranged for the wedding ceremony itself to be more like a chapel service, setting out rows of chairs in long lines, and planned to hold the reception separately.
As soon as the weather warmed, the Evron family retainers who had traveled to attend the ceremony gathered in small groups in the garden, enjoying cheerful conversations. Count Jordyn and his wife, who hadn’t visited the capital in a long time, were no exception.
“To think he’s grown up so wonderfully and is now getting married… The late Duke and Duchess would finally be at peace.”
Margaret said with deep emotion and Aaron gave a bright smile.
“All we need now is some good news. Honestly, I was half-expecting to hear they’d be having a baby by this summer.”
“Darling, what are you saying? That’s not proper.”
“Oh, what’s so wrong with it? They’ve been living together in the same house, and when the renovations started, they moved to the same place together.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“I even heard they’ve got bedrooms right across from each other.”
“Still, that doesn’t make it right. They’re both still young, there’s no need to rush. They should at least enjoy their honeymoon first!”
Margaret insisted with a serious face.
“It would be perfect if we got good news by winter, though.”
“True enough.”
The other retainers, overhearing the couple’s conversation, chimed in and laughed. The Grand Duchy had been short on children for so long that everyone welcomed the prospect of new heirs.
Meanwhile, chaos reigned in the room that used to be Artizea’s dressing room. Emily’s staff were rushing about, their voices raised in a frenzy.
“Flowers! Ribbons! Jewels!”
“Hold still, Lady Lysia! We need to pin this now!”
“My apologies, Young Marquis Camellia, I’ll fix it right away…”
Because the bridesmaids’ dresses weren’t finished until the last minute, several important ladies had to get changed in this room. To make matters worse, Skyla’s dress turned out wrong, leaving the staff member in charge sweating buckets.
“It’s fine, take your time.”
Skyla said calmly, letting them work on her.
At last, Emily hurried in and took over, deftly adjusting the neckline of Skyla’s dress.
“That’s odd, did you lose a bit of weight?”
“Hm, I haven’t been eating much lately because of some indigestion… but my other dresses fit fine.”
“This dress is just very fitted at the shoulders, so even a slight change is noticeable. There, all done.”
With Emily’s expert touch, Skyla’s ensemble was finally complete.
Lysia, Skyla, Hazel, and Miel, the four bridesmaids, hurried out of the dressing room and toward the bridal waiting room. On the way, Garnet joined them.
“Aunt, you’re here already?”
Skyla exclaimed in surprise. Garnet looked delighted.
“Of course! I came to get a look at the bride!”
“And Uncle?”
“Oh, I left him behind! You can’t bring your husband when you’re going to help the bride!”
She said playfully.