Free Web NovelChapter 375: Cozy Corner Over Graduation
Note that it’s a long Chapter!
Day of Graduation...
Back in the grand library of the academy, tucked behind the isolated yet cosy shelves, a couple, utterly lost to the world, were wrapped tightly in each other’s embrace. Eve was pressed against the rack, her fingers gliding through Ivan’s soft raven hair as their lips moved against one another with unrestrained hunger.
There had been several moments when Eve tried to speak, to persuade the little devil pressed against her to head towards the ceremony, but Ivan was in no mood to let her go.
Savouring the sweetness of her lips, he finally pulled away, only to trail his tongue down her neck before sucking at her skin, drawing a soft, involuntary moan from her. She bit down on her lower lip to stifle the sound, hard enough to draw blood.
The scent of her divine blood reached him instantly and Ivan stilled.
Slowly, he pulled back, his darkened gaze fixing on her wounded lip.
Leaning closer, his voice dropped into a low whisper. "How many times have I told you not to do that, baby?"
Though his tone carried a hint of reprimand, his actions betrayed him. The very next moment, he captured her lower lip between his own, sucking gently before deepening the motion, drawing another soft whimper from her as his tongue swept across, tasting what she had unknowingly offered him.
He pulled back after the small wound on her lip had closed, resting his forehead against hers as they both struggled to catch their breath.
"And whose fault is that?" Eve breathed, her eyes fluttering closed as she tried to douse the fire he had ignited throughout her body.
She felt a small smile playing against her skin. Ivan dragged his lips from her mouth across her cheek, moving all the way to her ear before nipping it softly. She gasped again. "Ivan!"
At the sound of her voice, he tightened his hold around her waist and hummed in delight.
Eve tried to regain her composure. "We need to stop, alright? The ceremony begins in ten minutes, I think. I can already hear Cece scolding me for being late, and you will be no exception." She slid one hand from his hair to his jaw, firmly forcing him to look at her.
For a moment, she faltered.
That sexy smirk, it stole every coherent thought from her mind, making her heart pound wildly in her chest.
Letting out a small sigh, she leaned her head lightly against the rack behind her and murmured, "You really do not play fair, do you?"
The next moment, she tugged at his tie, pulling him closer, only to hear him purr, "And you love that... do you not, my naughty little wife?"
Her heart somersaulted at the word "wife."
She could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks, but she still managed to find her voice. "Not yet."
He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her nose. "In my eyes and in my heart, you are already my wife. After all, you have claimed my mind, body, and soul without mercy. All that remains is a ceremony in name."
Eve let out a sharp breath, her pulse quickening at his words.
She wrapped her hands lovingly around his neck to pull him closer, only to hear him whisper, "Say it, baby."
"Say what?" she blinked, her thick lashes lowering slowly, teasing him further.
"I want to hear you call me husband," Ivan said in a low, intimate voice, sending a faint shiver through her before her lips curved into a dazzling smile.
"Not. Yet." freewebnøvel.com
A quiet growl rumbled from his chest in disapproval, but she only smiled, her hands moving to cradle his cheeks as she continued, "You have to earn it, darling. I am leaving for Luminear today, and you will have to come and get me properly, with all the customs. Only then will I reward you with that title."
Though her lips denied him the word he sought, her eyes sparkled with playful mischief.
And Ivan could feel it... the immense outpouring of love and the giddiness of an excited bride-to-be. His gaze softened as he watched her. She was practically glowing with a happiness so infectious that he could not help but smile back.
His heart hummed with delight to see her like this. Even though she had not given him the word he asked for, he was more than content just witnessing her happiness.
Releasing a sigh, he rested his forehead against hers.
"Fine... but after tomorrow, I will make you say it every day, Eve." His eyes were filled with promises that made Eve melt.
She moved to kiss the tip of his nose. "I promise."
They smiled lovingly at each other, gazing silently into one another’s eyes.
But then, the thought of her leaving for Luminear caused his brows to pull together, and his mood darkened. "Is someone coming to escort you?"
Eve nodded. "Septimus sent a letter saying he would be here for the ceremony."
"And... what of that woman and her ingrate son? I have heard the Kingdom of Roseville is not happy after King Solan declared you the Crown Princess. Will you be able to deal with them? Because otherwise, I am more than happy to..."
She placed a finger on his lips, silencing him. "I will handle them. Remember, it was I who told King Solan not to banish them yet. Getting banished is not nearly enough for what I endured at their hands."
Her eyes hardened as she added, "I have the perfect punishment for them. Even after being banished, they would remain a danger to others because of the wickedness that resides in their hearts."
"And what might that be?" Ivan asked, intrigue colouring his voice.
Eve only smiled. "You will just have to wait and find out."
"Are you really going to do this to me?" Ivan narrowed his eyes at her.
Eve parted her lips to reply, but both of them flinched at the sudden, familiar voice that cut through the quiet.
"Evelyn and Ivan! You both better stop whatever you are doing and come out right now!"
Eve pressed a hand to her chest, steadying her startled heartbeat, before shooting Ivan a look that clearly said, ’I told you she would come for us.’
Ivan let out a resigned sigh, knowing full well his sister would march in herself and drag them out if they delayed any further.
With great reluctance, they finally pulled away from each other. They quickly straightened their clothes, smoothing out any signs of their earlier distraction before stepping out of their cosy corner.
Cece stood not too far away, arms crossed, her sharp gaze fixed on them.
Nearby, Damien leaned casually against one of the shelves, a knowing grin playing on his lips.
"Ah, finally," Cece remarked, her tone edged with impatience as she took in Eve’s flushed appearance, while Ivan, as always, looked completely unbothered.
"You do realise I was about to come in there and drag you both out myself if you had taken another minute?"
Edward stood beside her, wearing a slightly guilty expression that practically said, ’I tried to stop her.’
Eve, still blushing from head to toe, cleared her throat and tried to salvage what little dignity she had left. "We were just about to come out and join you-"
"Save it, Eve. We all know this little dragon would have happily kept you imprisoned if we had not intervened," Cece cut in, rolling her eyes dramatically.
"Ah, sister, I do not think the damsel in distress was particularly interested in being rescued," Damien added, leaning back with a grin as he sent a wink towards the pair.
Ivan, who had achieved new heights of shamelessness, nodded in agreement. "No, she wasn’t." He casually wrapped an arm around Eve’s waist and pulled her closer, as if to prove his point.
Eve very nearly melted into the floor.
Cece’s eyes twitched as she stared at them for a long second before pinching the bridge of her nose. Damien and Edward, on the other hand, chuckled, looking very much like they were thoroughly enjoying the show.
"Oh, for the love of God," Cece groaned, "you two are getting married tomorrow. Tomorrow. Is it truly impossible for you to behave like civilised beings for one ceremony?"
She then sent a pointed look at her best friend, "And you, Miss ’I have responsibilities’, are on an extremely tight schedule. We have to leave for Luminear immediately after this."
Her gaze shifted between them, before adding, "You can disappear, lock doors, and scandalise the entire palace for days after tomorrow. Until then, kindly pretend you have some self-control."
Cece and Edward were also travelling with Eve to Luminear. Although Cece, being Ivan’s sister, was meant to arrive with him in the formal procession, she was Eve’s closest friend and wanted to be by her side, especially as Eve would be returning to that palace after three years.
Knowing that the place did not hold pleasant memories for her, Cece refused to let Eve spend even a single night there alone with lingering shadows of the past. So she chose to accompany her instead.
Edward, on the other hand, had already planned to return to the kingdom. Having been engaged to Cece since the previous year, they both saw this as the perfect opportunity for her to visit his parents again, who had been eager to welcome her.
They had once expected resistance from their families regarding their engagement, but to their surprise, none came.
And they both knew why.
Evelyn and Ivan’s union had changed everything.
It was not just an alliance between two kingdoms, but between two races, and it had made acceptance come far more easily. For that, they could not have been happier.
Eve shot Ivan a light glare before immediately feigning innocence. "Ahem... I told him. Ah! What time is it? We should hurry, or we will be late for the ceremony."
Saying that, she quickly disentangled herself from Ivan’s grip and rushed out of the library as if her life depended on it.
They watched her retreating figure with amused expressions before slowly turning back to Ivan.
"Not going to run after her, brother?" Damien asked, mischief dancing in his eyes.
"She’ll come back," Ivan replied with quiet confidence.
"Come back?" Cece raised a brow at him. "I highly doubt-"
She stopped mid-sentence at the sound of hurried footsteps.
A moment later, Eve reappeared on the very same narrow path she had just escaped from, slightly breathless as she looked straight at Ivan.
"Are you coming?"
A devastating smile spread across Ivan’s face as he briefly glanced towards the Silver siblings before walking towards the love of his life.
Slipping his arm around her waist, he guided her forward towards their graduation ceremony, leaving the others behind to shake their heads in disbelief before following after them, all with bright, knowing smiles.
