CHAPTER 35 - THAT WAS TOO FUCKING CHEESYSniff, sniff.
Nom.
Liam stifled a laugh as Harriet looked pale with red eyes. The young woman was still sobbing with a few erratic breaths, but when Liam fed her, she would open her mouth and eat.
"Sobs," Harriet saddened again at the thought of Liam's deteriorating body, but she didn't hide her sadness anymore.
Liam fed her again, stopping her sobs that were about to break out once more.
Nom.
And thanks to that, Harriet was able to brace herself.
Harriet opened her eyes and saw Liam trying his best to hold back his laughter. Seeing how adorable Harriet was when she tried not to cry anymore, Liam almost burst out laughing, and it made her feel annoyed.
"You don't seem to be suffering too much, do you?" asked Harriet hoarsely.
“Hmm,” Liam nodded, then cleared his throat. He raised his fork again and fed Harriet a piece of boiled potato.
Nom.
“Pfffttt…” Liam clutched his stomach at how annoyed his young wife was who complied to being fed, with red eyes and a tired face, but also with puffy cheeks, full of food. “Ahem, ahem.”
Liam reached for the glass of water and took a few sips.
Harriet was annoyed. How had this man before her recovered from everything that had happened a few minutes ago?
–
"It's useless if only I am happy," Liam said softly. "So let me love you too, okay?"
Harriet blinked.
"Let me push myself for you, and allow me to suffer for the rest of my life to love you the correct way," Liam explained then. The man realized why he didn't want Harriet to suffer. Liam realized why he was so afraid of Harriet loving him, and he realized why he won't admit that he had fallen in love with her until now.
Harriet raised her eyebrows high. The longer it went on, the less she knew how to deal with Liam. Harriet stared at him with a wavered look.
“You… really are crazy…” she mumbled.
There would be no future for their love.
And the pain they would feel applied not only to Harriet who would be left behind but also to Liam who would leave.
So…
"Let's suffer together, Harriet," the man's smile widened before Harriet's face was on the verge of crying again. He continued, "So that we can be happy together.”.
"Let's suffer and gather happiness together, so that when I leave, not only the pain that remains. It is so that when I leave later, there will be no regrets left, okay?”
–
Crazy man.
Harriet let out a low sigh between her still sobbing breaths.
Suffer together? Let him love her too? This was not what Harriet thought it would be.
Why did Liam insist on suffering and enduring the pain, when he was already dying?
"Has Madam's business finished in the capital?" Liam asked softly, finally getting his laugh under control.
Harriet shook her head.
"We'll be receiving guests from the Hyacinth Kingdom soon," replied Harriet.
“The kingdom whose the prince…” Liam raised an eyebrow.
Harriet nodded, confirming Liam's guess. Harriet briefly explained what had happened so far, and Liam quickly understood everything. They discussed casually for a bit about the arrival of Crown Prince Heinrich Hyacinth with the culprit, his younger brother, to the Euclase Continent. And then, Liam's opinion about all the events so far, and his predictions for the future amazed Harriet.
Liam only woke up intermittently, and that too was filled with time with her. He didn't meddle in anything about Heath or the empire's matters at all, but he knew everything and could predict what was going to happen just from Harriet's story.
While looking straight at Liam, Harriet wondered what would happen if Liam was a healthy Alpha. How great would it be if he was to lead the Duchy of Almandine with his own two hands?
"Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that, Madam? Did my Madam just fall in love with me again because of my genius?” asked the golden-eyed man looking at her mischievously.
Harriet narrowed her eyes in annoyance, but it was true that this man before her made her heart flutter again. A slight blush ran down Harriet's cheeks, and she looked away.
"If you already know, why did you ask?" asked Harriet, annoyed.
Liam choked on his breath seeing Harriet act like this. Slowly, a blush began to appear at the tips of the man's ears. Harriet's reaction to his teasing had turned even more interesting than before. Interesting? No. Liam sensed something else. What was the term? Thrilling?
But he didn't have a heart, right?
"Ahem," Liam felt ashamed for the first time after teasing Harriet.
Awkward.
"Umm, uhh, I-I-I'll bring the plates back down first," said Harriet, unable to stand the awkwardness and wanting to run away.
Hurriedly, Harriet tidied up all the plates on the tray. Liam also helped her calmly while avoiding her gaze. Harriet finished and prepared to take the empty plates away.
"Be careful when descending the stairs," said Liam.
Harriet glanced at Liam and quickly looked away again. At a glance, Harriet caught a glimpse of Liam's flushed face which the man hid by looking the other way. It also made Harriet’s heart palpitate even more.
Hey, they had been married for over two months, and they had been doing this and that and…
Harriet's face grew hotter as she emerged from the highest room of the tower. Why was she like this now? Why did her heart feel like it was going to explode now?
Harriet furrowed her brows, trying to get rid of the lewd thoughts and everything they'd done up until now. She stepped down the tower in a hurry.
Meanwhile, Liam let out a small sigh. The man's face was no better than Harriet's, he was blushing too.
"Fuck."
Liam cursed himself.
He wasn't a teenager who had just fallen in love, but a Lycan nearly a hundred years old.
Why was he so shy just now?
"Harriet..."
The man whispered the woman's name softly, and an uncontrollable smile appeared on his face.
Harriet Goldlane…
He really had gone mad.
Suffer together, he said?
Liam opened his golden eyes and focused his vision. He blushed and thought he had outdone himself, in a bad way. “Why the hell did I say that? That was too fucking cheesy–”