After helping her bathe, Aiden wrapped Arwen in the bathrobe and gently brought her out of the bathroom.
Heading straight to the dresser, he sat her down before moving behind her to dry her hair.
Arwen let him care for her in silence, watching his reflection in the mirror.
Depending on him had always been comforting. But to what extent … she had finally known today.
It didn't make her feel like a burden —rather, it made her feel cherished.
He dipped down again, ready to lift her, when she stopped him.
"My legs aren't sprained," she said with a soft laugh, catching his over-caring gesture. "They are working fine. I can walk."
However, Aiden's expression remained serious.
"It's fine. Let me do this today. You aren't at your best yet."
"I am better now, husband," she said, grabbing his hand with a smile.
"You made me feel better with your warmth and care. So, it's okay if, for some time, instead of catering to me … you cater to yourself."
Then her gaze swept over him.
"You are soaked. If you stay like this a moment longer, you will catch a cold."
She stood and slowly raised her hand to unbutton his shirt. The fabric, wet from earlier, clung tightly to his frame —defining every muscle, every contour.
Her fingers brushed against his chest as she undid the first button, then the next.
"You were looking very handsome tonight," she murmured. "But I didn't get a proper look."
Her voice was not intentionally seductive, but it carried a warmth … a softness laced with quiet desire. Especially when paired with her lingering gaze.
"It's quite regretful, you know?"
Aiden's jaw tensed slightly, his muscles flexing with restraint.
Noticing it, her lips curled into an unintentional smile. She hadn't meant to tease … but now that she had, she couldn't help but enjoy it.
"Is it affecting you?" she asked, her fingers trailing lower across his abs. "Is it—"
Before she could finish, her hands were gently but firmly caught.
He didn't pull them away. He didn't push her back.
Instead, he simply pressed her hand flat against him, letting her feel it.
"Moon, you are playing with fire," he said, his voice low and dangerously calm. "And tonight … you might now be able to handle it."
He knew it. And that's why he was holding back.
That quiet restraint, his selfless care … it melted something in her.
It was nothing new. He was always like that.
Always putting her comfort above his desire.
Arwen stared at him before nodding. "I wanted to apologize for what happened tonight. You didn't deserve to witness what you did. My mother —her rudeness, those rude remarks —you did nothing to deserve it."
"I deserved every bit of it," he said, settling beside her.
She didn't understand and glanced at him with eyes full of questions.
To which, he nodded more firmly. "Yes, I deserved it —for leaving you alone to face all that," he said, and Arwen realized from where that was coming.
While she was grieving her pain, he was blaming himself for everything.
How did she not notice?
Shaking her head, she quickly said, "No, you aren't responsible for it, husband." She turned to him, desperate in need to make him understand. "You are not. You were not there —not because you wanted me to leave me to deal with it alone. But rather because you had no choice. Your work was important, otherwise you wouldn't ever do it."
Aiden shook his head. "Nothing is more important than you."
"No," she sighed softly, cupping his face. She hadn't noticed it before, but his eyes were looking sad with pain and regret. "I know that you put me above everything. But it's not necessary to be like that always. Although you blame yourself now, it's not like I don't know that you did it for me."
Arwen continued, looking into his eyes. "You could have walked with me today and made everyone talk about our marriage. But with purpose, you chose to appear later so that the charm of my achievement gets enough time to be recognized. Things simply didn't go the way we thought. It wasn't your fault. You didn't mean it. So don't blame yourself."
"It was not you," she shook her head at him, urging him to understand. "It was my mother."
Aiden knew it as well, but he still blamed himself.
Arwen scooted closer to her, leaning into his embrace. She just stayed there for a while, not saying anything, just thinking about something deeply.
Silence stayed between them for a good while before she finally spoke, "Aiden, can we have kids together?" frёewebηovel.cѳm
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