Underwater

Chapter 10: The Surrender

"Here we are," Sylvia said in a sing-song tone, swinging around to face her lover.

He smiled at her, but the expression didn't touch his eyes. Before, when they parted after their lunch dates, they would split off when their routes differed. However, that day, Sylvia had managed to convince him to walk her to her parlor. She'd cited the fact that she found it difficult to sleep at night, thinking about how her beloved's first child wouldn't come from her womb. With sorrow etched into her comely features, she talked about how she accepted that there was nothing they could do to change this, but she still grieved about it to the point of insomnia.

Delwyn, of course, submitted to her whims.

"I'll take my leave, dearest." He had a mountain of paperwork waiting for him and he expected that the Social Services Minister, Marquess Kaerius would drop by later. He tried to extricate his hands from Sylvia's, but she wouldn't let him.

She leaned her head forward slightly, then closed her eyes and pursed her lips.

Confused, Delwyn stared at her for a long moment.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Her eyes flew open and her nose wrinkled with irritation. "I'm waiting for you to kiss me, Del." She looked upset to have to spell that out.

"Sylvia, I can't." He pulled his hands from her grasp. "I'm still married, remember?"

"She's already pregnant! She's basically out of our lives now. We won't have to see that woman until you divorce her. What does it matter?"

Delwyn's expression became strained. "Sylvia, please. Just be patient for a little longer."

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away angrily. He'd truly upset her this time. She wasn't even trying to be cute by pouting.

"...I'll see you tomorrow." It was horrible timing, but Delwyn needed to notify her that he wouldn't be able to make it to dinner.

She turned to him sharply. "You're not coming to dinner?"

"I can't. There are too many issues that require my attention. There's issues with the social services department and-"

Sylvia narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, really. The 'Social Services' department." Her tone was calm, but suspiciously so.

He stared at her. "Yes. Marquess Kaerius has been having some issues with orphanage funding-"

"Del. You don't have to make up lies to cover up the fact that you're still sleeping with that woman."

He looked taken aback. Where had that come from?

"I'm not that naïve. Look at the bags under your eyes. You look like you're getting even less sleep than before you met that woman," she pointed out. "If you are, just say it. I'd rather that than you lying to me."

He felt a stab of guilt. Not because he was sleeping with Reina, but because the lack of sleep was correlated to it.

"Sylvia. I promise you. I haven't touched her at all, not since her pregnancy was confirmed. I've just been busy with work. It's been stressful."

Her green eyes peered carefully at his face, taking in the puppy-dog expression there.

"...Really?" she asked, her conviction shaken.

"You can come and look at the evidence, if you want," he said wryly. "There's so much paperwork that I barely have enough space on my desk to work."