The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go Chapter 124 - Side Story 8

 

A transparent diamond ring surrounded by small ruby fragments that perfectly matched Cedric’s eyes.  

 

The diamond was of the same kind I had gifted him on his birthday.  

 

As he slipped the beautiful ring, shimmering under the summer sunlight, onto my finger, Cedric murmured softly,  

 

“At last, you’ve truly become mine.”  

 

Smiling quietly at his words, I took out the ring I had prepared for him in return.  

 

This time, it was a diamond ring encircled by sapphire fragments that mirrored the color of my own eyes.  

 

And the diamond itself—it was the very same one I had once given to Cedric.  

 

Though we had discussed whether it might be better to purchase new rings for the wedding, Cedric had insisted that he wanted this one to be his wedding band.  

 

In the end, my ring was newly crafted using a diamond of the same kind as his, while his was adorned with sapphires resembling my eye color.  

 

“‘At last’? That stings a little,” I said as I slid the ring onto his finger.  

 

Cedric, who had been gazing at the ring now resting on his left ring finger, looked up at me with slight surprise.  

 

“I’ve been yours since the very first day we met.”  

 

For a moment, his crimson eyes flickered.  

 

And in that instant, I understood— why so many called red the color of love.  

 

“Now, finally, the vow’s kiss.”  

 

At the officiant’s words, Cedric stepped forward without hesitation, his hand cradling my shoulder.  

 

As I closed my eyes, I felt his breath drawing nearer—until at last, our fevered lips met.  

 

Only after a long moment did he pull away, his face, visible through the veil, radiant with joy.  

 

“I love you, Ciel.”  

 

To that beloved voice, I answered in kind.  

 

“I love you too, Your Majesty.”

 

💫

 

“U-Your Majesty, I haven’t even washed yet…”  

 

“It’s fine. You can wash later.”  

 

Cedric laid me down on the bed, still in my unworn dress, and spoke casually.  

 

“I’ll wash you myself. Then it’s fine, right?”  

 

With a relaxed smile, Cedric climbed onto the bed.  

 

Contrary to that smile, one of his hands was hastily discarding his outer garments.  

 

“W-Wait, it’s only 8 p.m., isn’t it a bit too early to be coming to bed?”  

 

“So what? Besides, you already expected this.”  

 

Cedric smirked and playfully poked my cheek.  

 

“What else would a bride and groom do on their wedding night?”  

 

“Well, that’s true, but—ah, wait, just a moment!”  

 

Startled by the hot breath against my nape, I tried to turn my head, but Cedric paid no heed and continued kissing me.  

 

“Your Majesty, just a second—”  

 

“Not that.”  

 

Before I knew it, his hand was on my back. His fingers trailed slowly over my exposed nape and back, sending heat spreading throughout my body.  

 

“Not that. Something else. You know, don’t you?”  

 

His low voice clung to my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin. I wrapped one arm around Cedric’s neck and pulled him close.  

 

“C-Cedric…”  

 

Perhaps from nervousness, my words stumbled slightly.  

 

But Cedric seemed more than satisfied with just that.  

 

“Good girl.”  

 

And finally, his hands undid the laces holding my dress together.  

 

The moment the dress loosened, Cedric immediately buried his face in the nape of my neck.  

 

Taking a deep breath, he began pressing kisses against my exposed skin.  

 

Over my neck, chilled by the cold air, warmth bloomed like fiery flowers.  

 

“Ciel, show me your face now.”  

 

Cedric finally pulled his lips away from my neck, gently cupping my head as he spoke.  

 

Even after kissing me for so long, his eyes still held a hint of hunger. Instinctively, I closed my eyes, and soon, breath carrying scorching heat drew near.  

 

The moment our lips met, Cedric untied the ribbon holding my hair and cradled my face with both hands, deepening the kiss.  

 

Even during the briefest moments when our lips parted, Cedric never stopped chasing after them, as if unable to bear the separation.

 

His eyes, drenched yet filled with longing, continued to gaze at me.  

 

“Just a little more…”  

 

I pressed a brief kiss to Cedric’s lips as he spoke, then wrapped my arms around his neck.  

 

“Of course.”  

 

“Hmm.”

  

A soft voice echoed in my ear.  

 

“I really love you, Ciel.”  

 

The moment I heard those words, something in my head seemed to snap.  

 

My already pounding heart began racing wildly, as if it might explode.  

 

“I—I also—”  

 

My arms around Cedric tightened instinctively.  

 

And before I knew it, my true feelings spilled out.  

 

“I love you so much, Cedric…”  

 

At that, Cedric froze.  

 

“Cedric?”  

 

But there was no response.  

 

“Cedric?”  

 

Only after calling his name twice did he let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his hair.  

 

“Ciel, you really…”  

 

The moment I saw his crimson eyes peering through his fingers, I knew I’d made a mistake.  

 

“W-Wait, what I just said—”  

 

“You can’t say something like that here and expect me to hold back.”  

 

Ah. I’d poked the beast.  

 

‘Will I be able to walk tomorrow?’  

 

Just as I half-resigned myself, Cedric captured my lips with terrifying intensity.  

 

It seemed tonight would be very, very long.  

 

💫

 

A space filled with stars and the Milky Way.  

 

There, floating midair as usual, Caliberne lay on her back, scratching her head in thought.  

 

‘Are they asleep by now?’  

 

She had watched Ciel and Cedric’s wedding and even seen them enter the bedroom. What followed was private—not something she should witness.  

 

‘They’re already crazy about each other, and now it’s their first night. They’ll be even more intense.’  

 

So, with the usual wish for them to have a good time, she’d left just before they entered the bedroom.  

 

‘Still, I hope they don’t go too wild.’

  

There had been times before when Ciel couldn’t move a finger the day after being with Cedric.  

 

‘I mean, come on. At least let the person function the next day.’

  

Caliberne clicked her tongue in silent complaint.  

 

‘Especially when a knight’s body is their greatest asset.’

 

For Ciel, who normally had better stamina than the average person, to end up like this…  

 

So Caliberne thought Cedric’s love might be a bit too intense, even excessively so.  

 

“Sigh, that emperor, really. No matter how much he loves her, this is just…”  

 

Muttering to herself, Caliberne raised a finger and drew a circle in the air. Then, a glowing blue ring appeared in the star-filled space.  

 

“Let’s see…”  

 

But as she peered through the circle, Caliberne froze like a statue, her finger still raised.  

 

“Ah.”  

 

Ciel, who she had assumed would be asleep by now, was still awake.  

 

Meaning, the two were still in the middle of their night.  

 

After about three seconds of silence, Caliberne frantically waved her hand to close the circle, cutting off the visual connection with Ciel.  

 

“Why aren’t you asleep yet, you two…?”  

 

She clutched her head, regretting her impulsive decision to check on Ciel just moments ago.  

 

‘Ah, I should’ve just waited until Ciel called me…’  

 

In the end, she resolved not to intervene unless Ciel reached out first.  

 

‘If I go first again, I’d be a real fool, an absolute fool.’  

 

She figured that after resting for a while, Ciel would call her once things had settled down.  

 

Since Ciel usually reached out at least once or twice a day, she didn’t think the silence would last too long.  

 

But Caliberne’s resolve didn’t even hold for a few hours.  

 

‘No way. Surely they’re asleep by now.’  

 

Unable to resist, she opened Pandora’s box again—only to quietly close the circle at the sight of the… lively scene before her.  

 

‘When on earth do these two sleep…?’  

 

At this point, she was genuinely starting to worry that Ciel might collapse from exhaustion.  

 

Eventually, she abandoned her earlier resolve to wait for Ciel’s call.  

 

‘Forget the visual link. I’ll just talk to her directly.’  

 

And after several more hours of waiting, she finally heard Ciel’s voice.  

 

“Huh?”