#149. Husband and Wife (2)
“Olga.”
Sasha quietly called out to Olga, who was avoiding her gaze.
“Where is Nina?”
“Nina is…”
Olga sighed softly, looking troubled. She glanced around and answered carefully.
“Today, I thought it would be better if I personally attended to you, my lady. So I gave Nina other work.”
“Huh?”
Sasha tilted her head at the unexpected answer.
Olga covered her mouth and laughed softly as she explained.
“Nina is very shy, and she doesn’t know anything about… private matters between husband and wife. If she saw things different from usual, she would be flustered. And if Nina panicked, it would make you uncomfortable too. That’s why I came instead.”
Only then did Sasha realize how messy the room still was, and how the way they were dressed was not appropriate for a still-young, unmarried girl like Nina to see.
If Nina had come in to serve them this morning, it would have been awkward for both of them.
Understanding Olga’s consideration, Sasha nodded slowly.
“…That makes sense. Thank you, Olga.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll go prepare the meal.”
As Sasha watched Olga leave in a hurry, a thought crossed her mind.
Is that really all?
She still felt uneasy, as if there was something more.
Just then—
Wham!
Strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her thoughts away.
“Pavel?”
“…Yeah.”
Holding her waist, Pavel pulled Sasha back between his legs. Only after her back was pressed firmly against his chest did he let out a satisfied breath.
But soon, the hands that had only been holding her waist began to move, kneading different parts of her body.
Sasha blinked. His touch wasn’t impure, but it still made her uncomfortable.
“What are you doing right now?”
“A massage. You said you were hurting yesterday.”
Sasha froze as memories of last night came back.
Yes… she had said it hurt. Or rather, it had been closer to a moan.
“Well… yes, but I’m fine now. You don’t need to massage me.”
Her body still ached here and there, but it wasn’t unbearable. And she had no desire to complain to Pavel.
But even after her refusal, Pavel didn’t stop.
Holding onto Sasha’s hands as if to stop her from pushing him away, his large hand moved down past her waist.
On Sasha’s slim body, her thighs were one of the few places with some flesh. Marks from last night—where he had gripped and even bitten—were still clearly visible.
“Ah!”
When Pavel rubbed over the bite marks, Sasha sharply sucked in a breath without meaning to.
“Pavel, stop!”
“Didn’t you say your legs hurt too?”
“I said I’m fine…!”
While they were lightly struggling, Olga came back in, pushing a tray.
“Oh my. You two really get along so well.”
Hearing Olga laugh warmly, Sasha finally stopped resisting.
It was embarrassing to be seen acting so childish—something she hadn’t even done when she was young.
It seemed Olga thought the same.
“I’ve served you for a long time, miss, but this is the first time I’ve seen you like this.”
After last night, it felt as if one of the tight screws holding Sasha together had come loose.
Like a shackle had been removed.
She didn’t even know exactly what that shackle was, but her heart felt lighter, and she was acting differently than usual.
She hadn’t done it on purpose, yet even Olga noticed, which made it more embarrassing.
Seeing Sasha shy, Olga murmured honestly,
“It’s nice to see. This relaxed, innocent side of you.”
Even as she placed the dishes from the tray, Olga continued speaking.
“The Count and Countess were always worried. They said you grew up too quickly, unlike a child. I worried too.”
“…”
Sasha quietly looked at Olga.
She could feel Olga’s warm feelings toward her without any filter, and her chest felt tight.
When their eyes met, Olga smiled gently.
“Oh dear, I’ve talked too much. Please eat before it gets cold.”
The meal Olga brought was light, easy on the stomach even in the morning.
It wasn’t hard to eat, but being pressed so closely together made it awkward, so Sasha tried to move away.
But Pavel wouldn’t let her go.
“Are you going to stay like this?”
Sasha slightly turned her head and glanced at him.
“Yes.”
Pavel smiled brightly, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Is that not okay?”
Each time Pavel breathed out, his breath tickled Sasha’s ear.
She instinctively shrank her shoulders and tried to reason with him.
“It’s not that it’s not okay, but I can’t eat like this.”
Only then did Pavel loosen his arms from her waist. He picked up a plate and spooned some soup, then carefully brought it to Sasha’s lips.
“…Huh?”
The spoon tapped her lips lightly. Without thinking, Sasha opened her mouth, and the spoon went in.
As soon as she swallowed, Pavel brought a peeled grape to her mouth.
When she swallowed that, another dish tapped her lips.
Fresh ginger bread, warm from the oven. Cream soup with clams. Salad with fresh fruit.
Pavel made sure Sasha ate first—and more than anyone else.
She couldn’t bring herself to refuse being fed, but soon her cheeks were puffed as she chewed, growing tired.
“Pavel…”
After barely swallowing the bread he had just given her, Sasha raised a hand to cover her mouth.
Pavel paused, and Sasha quickly said,
“I can eat by myself.”
“But I heard the day after your first time is hard. Even things you normally find easy can feel difficult, so you should be cared for, like a patient.”
She had no idea where he learned something like that. Still, knowing he was thinking of her made her grateful… even if it was embarrassing.
Feeling awkward, Sasha replied,
“It’s really not that bad. Honestly. So let go now. You should eat too.”
“I don’t really want to. I like watching you eat more.”
Sasha looked up at him quietly, then picked up some bread he had already cut.
“Open your mouth.”
Just like Pavel had done, she brought the bread to his lips.
“Come on.”
After hesitating, Pavel obediently opened his mouth.
“Is it good? How about this?”
Just like him, Sasha began feeding him without giving him a break.
Of course, Pavel didn’t stay still either. He picked up the foods Sasha had reacted to the most and fed them back to her.
They kept feeding each other like it was a competition, until Sasha finally complained that she was truly full.
Only then did they put the dishes down.
But Pavel’s care didn’t stop there.
As Sasha washed her face with the water Olga brought, Pavel stood beside her holding a towel, gently and carefully wiping away every drop.
He even tried to follow her when she went to change clothes.
She barely managed to stop him, insisting that this was really fine.
Even then, she could hear Pavel’s dissatisfied sigh from behind the partition.
Sasha laughed softly, feeling both baffled and fond of his childlike behavior.
Up until yesterday, he was so reliable and handsome…
Just like Sasha, Pavel also seemed to have thrown off something he’d been holding inside. He felt more open, more casual.
She didn’t dislike it. In fact, she welcomed it, and at least when they were alone, she didn’t want to stop him.
No—wait. This part needs to be stopped.
Sasha frowned at her reflection in the mirror.
Because she was wearing a thin slip, her body wasn’t properly covered. Marks from last night were everywhere.
Especially on her pale neck, dark red bruises stood out clearly.
They looked so bad that someone who didn’t know might think she was sick.
Sasha pressed a hand to her forehead and said,
“…I need to wear something that covers my neck.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Olga replied.
“Please, Olga.”
Olga quickly brought several dresses.
Sasha chose one with calm colors. It was modest, covering her skin from neck to wrists.
With Olga’s help, Sasha changed quickly.
Her whole body felt sore, and even small movements were uncomfortable. Thankfully, the dress didn’t have many tight parts or decorations.
When she came out after fixing her clothes, Pavel—who had been waiting blankly on the sofa—said,
“I wanted to dress you.”
“It’s okay, Pavel.”
“Really?”
Pavel quietly looked at Sasha, who was standing with a hand on her waist.
“Isn’t it hard just standing?”
Seeing his worried eyes, Sasha felt embarrassed again and lowered her hand.
“…It’s not that bad.”
As she said that, she unconsciously tapped her lower back with her fist.
Pavel stared at that, then suddenly stepped forward and lifted her up into his arms.
