A Marriage of Convenience /The Marriage Business

Ch 94

Bianca blinked. And it didn't take long for her to remember what Zachary meant.

It was Bianca who told Zachary that she couldn't call him "Darling" because they hadn't consummated their marriage.

"Or my name is fine too."

Zachary's rough fingertips caressed Bianca's lips. As if he expected his name to come out of those lips.

Zachary's words couldn't be misunderstood anymore. So, he really...

Bianca's face flushed.

What should she do in a moment like this? She was afraid of being disappointed if she anticipated it, but when reality came, she was stunned because she wasn't ready.

Bianca, needing some time to think, stammered and tried to hold back Zachary.

"W-wait."

"I apologize for ignoring your request for a successor until now. I had no doubts that I could bear it, but..."

Despite Bianca's attempt to keep her distance, Zachary continued insisting on his words without hesitation. He admitted that it might seem a little coercive, but he felt compelled to say it now. Until now, he tried to pretend to be calm in front of Bianca, but in reality, Zachary's heart was about to burst. The excitement of the blood-spattered battlefield would have been gentler than this.

Winning the tournament, which everyone else called an honor, was just a means for Zachary to hand the golden rose to Bianca. He hoped Bianca would be happy. Zachary would be satisfied even if the woman receiving the golden rose smiled softly.

However, contrary to his expectations, Bianca's face filled with worry when Zachary approached her to give her the golden rose. The moment Zachary faced the concern dripping from her pale green eyes, he felt the patience he had been holding onto to be courteous to Bianca shatter.

"She might also like me a little."

As he thought about it, a pain worse than the pain of a knife stabbed him in the heart. It felt as if he was holding his heart with a piece of hot iron. It was a sweet tribulation beyond pain.

Amidst the muted cheers, Bianca alone shone. The moment Bianca asked for a kiss, Zachary realized he couldn't bear it any longer. The heat that didn't ignite even during the jousting ignited and enveloped him.

He couldn't wait for Bianca to turn 18. No, it was difficult to endure this moment right now.

Freedom, responsibility, respect... Everything he had reasoned until now turned into ashes and disappeared like a moth in a bonfire.

What had been discarded as the whispers of the devil to confuse him now sounded like the trumpet of an ecstatic angel.

Zachary decided to stop arguing that he could bear it.

And he admitted it. His own arrogant miscalculation.

"It was all arrogance."

With a low sigh, he lifted Bianca, holding her.

Bianca was so light that he could easily lift her. The desire, which once lost its reins, ran without hesitation. It wasn't easy to regain the reins of a loose stallion. Especially when the reason for whom the reins had to be held was flying in the air.

Bianca, in Zachary's arms, was stiff, unable to move.

It wasn't the first time she hugged Zachary like this, but it didn't feel familiar.

Zachary carefully laid Bianca down on the bed. The cushions wrapped gently around her back. She was aware of the situation, but still didn't know what to do. While Bianca tried to unravel the complexities in her mind, things moved step by step.