Chapter 128: THEIR LOVELY MOMENT
Ashen stepped back toward his desk, forcing himself to breathe. His self-control was fraying by the second, and the last thing he wanted was to scare her off with how much he wanted her.
Lumina stayed where she was, standing still for a moment, before her fingers brushed the edge of the table. She followed the faint scrape of wood until she found the chair, pulling it out with a quiet dignity and sitting down.
Stella had already set the breakfast neatly. The room fell silent, broken only by the faint crackle of the fire in the corner.
Ashen sat opposite her, picking up the jug to pour tea into her cup, and she snorted with her hands folded against her chest.
"You don’t haven’t...."
"I want to," he cut in.
He set the cup gently in front of her, his fingers brushing hers just long enough to make her breath catch.
She took a sip in silence, trying to calm the pounding of her heart. She had come here angry, ready to argue, but now she found herself disarmed by his care.
"Eat something," Ashen said.
"I am not hungry."
"You weren’t hungry yesterday either," he said pointedly.
Her lips pressed into a line. "You weren’t home yesterday," she countered.
His eyes softened, even as a muscle in his jaw ticked. "I didn’t stay away to get you mad though," he said after a pause. "I stayed away because I needed to calm down. If I had come home last night, we would have fought worse."
Her throat tightened. She hated that he was right.
For a long moment, neither moved. Then Ashen leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his gaze fixed on her.
"Lumina," he called, "I understand the fact that I am hated and cursed to my bloodline but weirdly I can’t face you pushing me away."
His voice broke something inside her. She set down the cup with shaking hands.
"I am not trying to push you away," she whispered. "I just... don’t know how to do this. To let someone in. I have been fighting on my own for so long that I don’t know how to share that fight with you."
Ashen’s expression softened completely. He stood and came around the table, kneeling in front of her so he could hold her hands.
"Then let me learn with you," he said. "Let me stand with you, even when it’s messy and hard."
Her breath stopped as his thumb brushed across her knuckles.
"I am still mad at you," she stated and he snickered.
"Let’s eat."
She hesitated, then nodded. He helped her take a few bites, feeding her small pieces as if she were too precious to touch anything herself.
When she was done, he brushed his fingers over her lips, wiping away a crumb, before leaning in to press a kiss there.
When he finally drew back, his forehead rested against hers.
"We will talk tonight," he said softly. "Properly... please."
She nodded wordlessly, her fingers curling into his arm.
"Do you want to go back to the chambers?" he asked gently.
Lumina’s brows furrowed, and she turned her face slightly toward him. "Are you already chasing me away?"
His lips twitched at this. "No," he answered.
"I just wanted to know if you would rather rest. But if you want to stay..." His voice trailed off, and a glint of something teasing flashed in his golden eyes. "Then stay."
She tilted her head, curious. "And what am I supposed to do while you sit here with scrolls and papers?"
"You could read," he said, a little too casually.
Her lips parted. "Read? You forget..."
"I didn’t forget," Ashen interrupted gently. "That’s why I had this brought here."
He crossed the office and opened one of the carved chests near his desk, pulling out a long cylindrical case sealed with bronze clasps.
He returned to her and placed it carefully into her hands.
"What is this?" she asked, running her fingers over the smooth surface.
"A medical scroll," he said. "But not just any scroll. It’s written in a way that doesn’t need sight to be understood. The symbols are raised; you can feel them with your fingers and read them that way. "
She smiled at this, she had always wanted her scrolls this way, the smile on her face made him satisfied.
It’s old, from the Eastern Temples, and had taken him weeks to get one of these, a month was spent convincing the archivists."
Lumina’s breath caught. "You went through all of that... for me?"
He shrugged, almost dismissive, but she could feel the flicker of pride he tried to hide.
"Guess you love spending too much time in the physician chambers. I thought you would want to keep learning even when you can’t go there."
She smiled softly, running her fingers over the clasp before unrolling it. "I love it," she admitted.
Something bright and unguarded lit his face for a brief moment before he turned away and returned to his desk, as if pretending it didn’t matter whether she liked it or not.
For a while, the room was filled only with the sound of the fire and the soft rustle of the scroll as Lumina traced the raised letters with her fingertips. Ashen buried himself in his paperwork, though every so often his eyes drifted toward her.
Eventually, he noticed her movements slow, her head drooping slightly until she finally stilled.
A faint smile curved his lips. He stood, walking quietly to her chair, and found her completely asleep, one hand still resting on the scroll as if she didn’t want to let it go.
Ashen bent down and gently slid one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, lifting her with ease. She stirred faintly against his chest but didn’t open her eyes.
He glanced at the smaller couch tucked near the bookshelves and carefully placed her there, adjusting her head so she would be comfortable.
Then he straightened and called softly, "Ero."
Ero appeared within moments, bowing.
"Have a proper couch brought here," Ashen said. "Something softer, so she will be able to lie down properly if she comes again."
Ero’s lips twitched, barely suppressing a smile. "As you wish, my lord."
Ashen caught the look but didn’t comment, returning to his desk.
Ero lingered for a moment, glancing at Lumina sleeping so peacefully. "So the storm has passed?" he asked carefully.
Ashen’s gaze softened "For now."
Ero nodded, clearly pleased, and went to carry out his order.
What neither of them knew was that Lumina was awake the entire time.
She had felt the moment Ashen’s arms had wrapped around her, the steady beat of his heart against her cheek as he carried her across the room and she had wanted to stay here so they could go home together.