Side Story 2
<Newlywed Life>

After the enormous wedding where jewel dust piled thickly across the floor, the long awaited first night finally arrived.

There had been endless debate over where to spend that first night.

Should it be Lilanibel, where the newlywed household would be set up? Or the Winterwald family townhouse? Or the royal palace?

But the former king insisted strongly.

“So you plan to get married and not even come pay your respects the next day? Huh? Are you planning to just snatch her away like a bandit?”

One option was crossed off.

Then someone suggested that since the wedding was held at the royal palace, maybe the Winterwald townhouse could be used for the first night.

Of course, the former king objected to that as well.

“What’s wrong with the palace? The royal villa of the Rumgart palace is famous even abroad for its beauty. Just prepare the bridal chamber there.”

The former king accused Ruediger of being shameless, insisting he had already made countless concessions.

Ruediger didn’t care in the slightest, but I did. No matter what, it’s better for a husband to be favored by his in laws than disliked.

In short, the conclusion was obvious.

‘I get why honeymoons were invented.’

In the end, we headed to the villa the former king was so proud of, spending our first night within the royal castle.

The white marble pillars shimmered faintly under the moonlight, and a rich floral scent teased my nose despite it being winter.

‘That bed is way too big.’

I glanced at the bed in the room with narrow eyes. It looked large enough not only to sleep on but to roll around and do just about anything. I clicked my tongue softly.

The lighting was so gentle it felt almost deliberate, like the room was openly inviting trouble.

While I was looking around the bridal chamber, Ruediger stood hesitantly in one corner.

He looked like he had no idea what to do in a situation like this. On top of that, he seemed tense, his usually stoic face looking oddly pale.

Seeing how skilled he was at choosing clothes or jewelry, yet so clumsy at moments like this, only made him more appealing to me.

Hiding my inner agitation, I walked toward the bed as naturally as possible.

Sitting down on it, I smiled softly at Ruediger.

“Come to think of it… you said you worked out to show me.”

“…Yes.”

Ruediger nodded blankly as if enchanted. His obedient response made my heart pound. I tried to sound calm as I spoke.

“If you prepared, you should show me.”

“R right now?”

“Then when else?”

“No. I’ll show you immediately.”

Before my eyebrow could even lift, Ruediger hurriedly removed his epaulettes and undid the buttons of his jacket.

The jacket slipped off, then the shirt followed…

In the dim atmosphere, Ruediger’s well built physique was revealed.

Maybe because his features were already sharp, the shadows on his face only made him look more striking.

He looked like a model from a black and white photograph, and I found myself momentarily staring.

No. Focus.

I quickly pulled myself together and urged him on in a stern voice.

“Is it too dark… I can’t see very well. Could you come a bit closer?”

“A bit closer…?”

“Yes. A bit closer.”

Step by step, Ruediger approached until he was right in front of me.

I was still fully dressed while he alone stood bare above the waist, and for a moment I wondered if I was being too shameless.

‘But so what. In situations like this, the bold ones win.’

Making that ridiculous excuse to myself, I pulled him by the waist.

Ruediger stood towering right in front of me. His hollow navel lined up perfectly with the bridge of my nose.

‘From this angle… his chest is really wide.’

I stared blankly at him. From his firm chest muscles to his clearly defined abs, everything exceeded what I had imagined from being held in his arms before.

I muttered without thinking.

“Can I… touch?”

“You’re Judith’s, so of course.”

Ruediger looked a little proud as he answered. That was understandable. A body like this didn’t come easily.

In my past life, people even used steroids and endured side effects to get a physique like this. And this world didn’t even have such drugs.

‘Right. Naturally built muscle with no side effects is the best.’

Admiring him again and again, I carefully reached toward his abs.

My hand passed over his navel, traced the line between his abs, and finally rested on his chest. It was so firm that even when I pressed my fingers in, they barely sank.

While I was busy exploring his chest in awe, Ruediger let out a low sound and turned his head aside.

“…Mm.”

“Is it strange?”

“I’m embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed?”

Embarrassed. With this body. What on earth was there to be embarrassed about?

When I reacted in surprise, Ruediger lowered his lashes shyly and murmured.

“I keep worrying you might be dissatisfied…”

Dissatisfied with this body? No. Completely satisfied. Extremely satisfied.

I decided to express that satisfaction more clearly.

“Ruediger, your body is really amazing.”

“Is it acceptable?”

“Yes. It’s the best I’ve ever seen.”

“That’s a relief.”

Ruediger smiled brightly. It was a smile full of genuine satisfaction.

I wondered what pleased him so much. I’d worried he might dislike being compared to other men, but he seemed unconcerned, probably because he was confident in himself.

In that case… maybe it was time to get to the main point.

I smiled slyly and slowly traced my fingers down from his chest. Resting them at his waist, I looked up at him and smiled.

“The body is fine… but now I’d like to check something else.”

With that, I pulled him toward the bed.

Normally, it would have been nearly impossible for me to throw him onto the bed. But Ruediger, who would gladly play dead at my slightest gesture, followed my lead and collapsed onto it.

The bed bounced heavily under the weight of his large frame.

If it had been my own bed, I might’ve worried about the mattress. But this was a bed meant for just one night. Besides, wasn’t it made big and wide for exactly this reason?

I leaned over Ruediger as he lay there. Looking up at me, he answered with the determination of someone ready to give his life.

“I’ll do everything I can to meet your expectations, Judith.”

Seeing that, I smiled brightly. It was a night full of promise in every sense.

* * *

As expected. No, beyond expectations. To be precise, it was a night that brought me right to the edge of death.

At first, he didn’t really know what to do and his reactions were innocent enough to be fun to devour. But that freshness didn’t last long.

Later on, it felt like I was the one being devoured.

He learned frighteningly fast, and his stamina was unbelievable.

I thought my own endurance was decent, but I’d underestimated a career soldier.

Even when I begged him for a long while to stop, he looked up at me with watery eyes, and honestly…

They say someone who learns late doesn’t realize how long the night is. That fit him perfectly.

It was like he grabbed the wheel for the first time and decided to test his limits by flooring it.

The tank was full, the engine powerful. All that was left was a road long enough to keep going until the fuel ran out…

‘At this rate I’m going to die. Seriously.’

After being tormented until dawn, I woke from a light sleep to the sound of birds.

Maybe it was a leftover habit from my athletic days, but no matter how exhausted I was, I always woke up quickly.

I gauged the time by the slanted sunlight streaming in. It felt like I’d slept about two hours past my usual time.

Judging by how Ruediger was holding me from behind, he seemed to have woken up long ago.

If he was awake, he could’ve gotten up or gone back to sleep. I had no idea why he was just staying like this. I urged him.

“We should get up now, Ruediger.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Hey.”

“I want to stay like this with you, Judith.”

Ruediger clung to me, whining softly. A naked giant clinging like that under bright morning light was honestly overwhelming.

“I still can’t believe it.”

“You kept saying that all night, that you couldn’t believe it and needed to check again and again. Isn’t that enough?”

I let out a small sigh. Thinking about everything he put me through last night, it was hard not to wonder if this man had any conscience at all.

But Ruediger Winterwald was a man far removed from the concept of conscience.

Tightening his arms around me, he said even more shamelessly.

“People won’t think it’s strange if newlyweds wake up a bit late.”

“They won’t think it’s strange, but they’ll interrupt.”

“Wake up! It’s morning!”

“…Like this.”

Right on cue, Luca’s shout came from beyond the door, and Ruediger’s face twisted into a rare frown.

“Surely Luca isn’t going to come every morning like this.”

“This is exactly why it’s hard to have a second child when there’s already a first. It’s not easy to block the first one who barges in anytime.”

I shrugged.

It’s not like I expected Luca to burst in first thing in the morning, but based on his past behavior, wasn’t it obvious?

While we whispered to each other, Luca, unable to wait any longer, shouted again at the top of his lungs.

“Are you still not up? Just when are you going to wake up!”