LUCIA

Chapter 9 First Night (3)

Hugo, who was still lying in bed, slightly furrowed his brows and opened his eyes. His eyes were clear, as if he had been awake all along. He was sensitive to his surroundings and had been awake from the moment Lucia began struggling in bed.

'What in the world is she doing?'

After she had fallen off the bed with a thump, only silence followed. He threw off the blanket and got up. He moved his body lightly, unlike a person who had been asleep till recently. Getting up from bed, he walked around to her side.

She was sitting there in daze as she started frantically shaking her head from side to side. She grasped onto the mattress and struggled to stand up. Though not accustomed to personally helping others, he couldn't sit quietly and do nothing. He walked toward her with a slow pace, being careful not to scare her.

"Oh..."

Her pumpkin orange eyes opened wide as she viewed the empty bed and his upright figure.

"You have bad sleeping habits. How could you fall off such a wide bed?"

He had woken up just now, so his voice was lower than usual. Even so, he was handsome. Lucia, who was staring at him with dazed eyes, quickly snapped back to reality.

"That's... not it!"

His arms, that held her up, made her body heat rise, so Lucia tried to push him away with embarrassment. However, his body was as solid as a rock and wouldn't budge. She decided to quit fighting against him when she saw that any further efforts would be futile.

"Then do you sleepwalk?" (Hugo)

"I woke up to drink water and..." (Lucia)

Lucia felt a little shy for some reason, and looked at the floor while muttering the rest of her words in a low voice.

"Walking is... a bit difficult right now..."

He let out a soft sigh. Putting on the slippers that were under the bed, he moved his feet with light steps. When they reached the end of the rug, the sound of glass shattering under his feet could be heard.

'Ah... I broke a glass cup yesterday...'

She had forgotten all about it. If it weren't for him, she would have walked right into the floor strewn with glass pieces with her bare feet.

He easily carried Lucia up with one arm and stopped in front of the table. Pouring a glass of water, he handed her the cup.

"Don't break it this time."

"...Yes."

He never stopped teasing her. Tsk, she mumbled silent complaints to herself and obediently accepted the cup.

He wasn't just tall, he was also very strong. He was handling her easily as if she were a small child. He was supporting her buttocks and hips with only one arm, but she felt very well-balanced and at ease.

"Thank...you."

He took her empty cup and placed it on the table.

"Anything else?"

"...Huh?"

"Shall I take you to the bathroom?"

"No!!"

Lucia yelled while her face glowed red. Her gaze met his, and it felt like his red eyes were laughing at her. His black hair was usually styled neatly, but currently his hair was tossed in its natural form and it seemed amazing to her. Lucia raised her hand and combed his hair out of his face. His brows twitched slightly.

She was embarrassed of her impulsive action and his fierce stare felt burdensome. She followed his line of sight down and was startled with shock. Half her breasts were out in the open with her nipples peeking out a little. She had tied her robe carelessly before, but it had come undone. Her ears felt hot.