"Noah," I said, stretching luxuriously across his lap like I was reclining on a throne. "I feel like I should be getting paid for all this advice."
"If they had a shred of decency, they'd be paying tuition," he said, clearly enjoying the show as much as I was.
"I mean, seriously," gesturing towards their stunned expressions. "It's like teaching a fish how to swim after they fell into the water for the first time. But instead of moving forward, they flapped one fin and spun around in circles like idiots."
Noah burst out laughing, sending the three girls spiraling into a whirlwind of emotion as they watched everything unfold.
He showed no restraint whatsoever. This wasn't a polite chuckle but a full, unguarded laugh that shook his shoulders.
Something I'm sure these girls thought they would never see come out of such a man.
"That's… why I love you so much, Sera." He said, wheezing slightly.
Then he cupped my cheeks and pulled me in for a kiss, soft and full of affection. I turned back to the girls, who looked as if their brains were trying to reboot from an overload.
I couldn't help but smirk. "You really thought you could take him from me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Like… really?"
Fate was never something I believed in, at least not in my last life, where everything kept going horribly wrong. Then I arrived in this world and had to deal with the same kind of chaos from the very beginning. But… now, I'm starting to wonder if fate might actually exist.
I ended up in this body, crossed paths with Noah, and now the soul that once owned this life is returning as my daughter. It's as if some unseen force is guiding everything, but to what end?
It feels like Noah and I were meant to be, and now Lyra is the next piece of our story coming into place.
All I can do is hope the threat waiting in our future is something we're strong enough to survive. I can feel it coming, though its shape remains unknown.
"Look at us," my gaze burning. "Can't you see it? We're two halves of the same coin, perfectly in sync, yin and yang, opposite yet inseparable. Honestly, I could keep this up all day."
Noah hummed in agreement beside me, still smirking.
"He loves me because I'm not like the rest," I said plainly. "I don't follow their rules, especially when they're built on backwards thinking."
I let my eyes drift across them, one by one.
"You three… You're just carbon copies of whatever your parents told you to be. Polished dolls with wind-up smiles, built for obedience. This whole society is broken, molding you into something forgettable, especially as women."
I shook my head and leaned back against Noah's chest, letting out a sigh.
"Noah!" I called, feeling slightly annoyed. "Didn't I say I should be getting paid for this advice? Look at how much wisdom I'm dropping on them. This is like premium-tier coaching, and I don't even see a single coin on the floor."
Noah didn't miss a beat.
"Should I have my steward draft up a bill? He asked playfully, not fully understanding yet that I was serious.
"Let's call it the Enlightenment Tax." I huffed.
When I looked back at the girls, they were all in a daze. They sat there slack-jawed and glassy-eyed, frozen like they'd just been hit by a freight train of reality.
"I wonder," I said with mild curiosity, "if any of its actually sinking in."
Noah leaned in close, lips brushing my ear. "If not, I'm sure your next lesson will drive it home."
I grinned. "Oh, darling… I haven't even gotten started."
I rolled my neck and stretched, smiling like a performer savoring the final moment before taking a bow.
"Now, I think it's time we put a cherry on top of all this."
The girls looked up, hopeful for a reprieve. They weren't going to be getting one.
"You three were coveting a man," I began, slowly rising from Noah's lap and smoothing my clothes, "who not only loves me beyond reason, but whose wife is already…"
I paused for dramatic effect and then gently lifted the layers of my outer coat, revealing the curve of my growing belly.
"Four months pregnant."
Their mouths fell open, and a quiet gasp echoed from one of them. I placed a hand delicately atop my bump and gave them the coldest smile I had ever shown, "So shameful."
In a society where more than one wife is something not that rare, I'm sure they don't truly understand the gravity of their actions. But where I'm from, it's disgusting.
They were staring at my stomach as if it had just declared war on them.
"Kellan, Bors!" I called, not even needing to raise my voice.
The door opened instantly.
They stepped into the room, towering in armor and utterly terrifying. Two living mountains with the discipline of knights and the energy of wolves ready to strike.
It didn't take long for all three of them to overreact to their presence. Whatever color remained in their faces was fading fast.
"I'm done preaching at them," I said casually, dusting my hands off metaphorically. "Just throw them out."
"Yes, Your Grace," Kellan rumbled with an eerie calm.
Bors cracks his knuckles.
"But before you do," I added with a grin, "make sure to get their names again; I still can't remember them fully." Of course I actually did, but I just wanted to annoy them one last time before they were thrown out.
They all looked at me like they were about to protest, but I held up a hand.
"Oh… and have someone send a formal invoice to their parents, three copies each."
Kellan blinked. "Forgive me, Your Grace, but… for what exactly?"
My smile deepened. "Let's call it an enlightenment charge, a poor parenting penalty, and the ever-important time-waster's toll."
I tapped my chin, contemplating the price tag for each.
"Call it a thousand gold apiece. Seems like a fair price for the headache they caused."
Bors grinned, and Kellan nodded.
I turned back to Noah, who had been watching in relaxed amusement.
He met my eyes and gave a nod, "sounds perfectly reasonable to me."
The girls looked like they wanted to sink into the floor.
Good…
"Escort them out gently," I added. "But… if they won't budge, dragging works too."
As the doors opened, the terrified noble girls were herded out by my personal muscle. I released a long sigh of satisfaction, sinking into Noah's waiting embrace.
"Well," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. "That was fun."
I nestled a little deeper into Noah's lap, my fingers absentmindedly tracing circles along the embroidery of his coat.
Then a thought I was having sort of just slipped out.
"Oh, by the way, Noah…" I tilted my head up to meet his eyes, my expression turning serious. "In case you're wondering, I've never felt even the slightest attraction toward any other man."
Of course my intention in saying this should've been obvious to him.
He blinked in surprise.
I grinned. "Weird, isn't it?"
Noah didn't answer right away, so I kept going…
"I mean, I've been to those noble parties. I've seen the sons of dukes, generals, advisors, and every eligible bachelor this kingdom has to offer." I waved a hand vaguely. "Not one man had ever made my heart move, even an inch. No flutter or twitch, just silence."
Noah's eyes were intensely focused on mine as his embrace became tighter.
"You," I said, giving him a mischievous smile. "You're just a rare breed, I guess. Something carved exactly for me. Soul-deep… like it was fate leading us together by forces we don't understand."
We sat there for a little while after my words. Noah was still surprisingly quiet, but at the same time I could tell he was thinking deeply about something.
I laughed softly to break the silence.
"Just thought I'd make it clear," I whispered, "you will never have any competition for my affection, well… until Lyra is born." I giggled.
Then Noah spoke. "I never thought I needed to hear that," he said, voice curling like warm velvet, "until I did."
He then started making his move to seduce me for another hot and heavy night until I stopped him.
"If I didn't make it clear, I was also implying you better feel the same." Noah's eyes widened. "I don't think I could ever handle someone taking you away from me.
Noah instantly blurted out. "I would rather die than do such a thing to you."
"Funny you say that, because I was thinking the same thing. If you ever betrayed me like that… I don't know if I could stop myself from wanting to kill you." I might've said it playfully, but there was a sharp truth buried underneath those words.
He suddenly adjusted himself so he was sitting up straight, flipping me around so I looked him right in the eyes.
"If I ever betrayed you like that, I'd offer up my life without hesitation. You're the only one I love, and nothing in this world could ever change that."
"I really hope that's true, Noah, because I've only ever known disappointment until the day I met you. Please never let me down." These were sincere words because I never want anything to happen to our harmonious relationship.
Right now I felt loved and safe. If something ever tried to break that apart, I would have a hard time not wanting to rip it to pieces.
"Sera… we both know I'm your Cold Northern Duke, and he only ever loves one woman." He gave a smirk. "Other women don't even cross my mind."
My serious demeanor instantly broke, replaced by a big smile. He truly does know me so well and how to improve my mood.
"Hehe… Noah, you've got me all figured out, huh?" I couldn't deny that was a great response.
"You're my entire world, Sera."
Noah grabbed a nearby blanket and wrapped it around us both as we nestled into each other's arms. In the chill of the northern air, our love offered just as much warmth as the blanket itself.
I happened to glance over my shoulder, and there she was, Livia.
Still standing in the corner like a shadow stitched into the wall.
My eyes widened, and then I smirked. "Livia," I said, dragging out her name. "You could've at least made a sound instead of just standing there while we were having a moment."
She merely shrugged, her usual composed expression unchanged, as if everything we had just done had no effect on her at all.
"Well," she murmured, her cheeks tinged with pink, "after everything I just saw… I guess I got a little caught up watching."
I couldn't help but chuckle, and Noah had the same reaction.
"So… you saw everything?"
She gave a nod.
I groaned and plopped my head onto Noah's shoulder dramatically.
"Great… Our quiet moment just turned into a performance piece."
Livia… to her credit offered something that almost resembled a guilty smile. "I just… can't believe you admitted all that."
She let out a laugh, probably the most emotion I had seen out of her in a while, and I couldn't help but join in. There was no way I would be upset with her over something like this. My feelings for Livia were different from what I felt for Noah. She was like a long-lost sister. At least, that's how I've started to view her recently.
After the moment passed, I turned back to Livia with narrowed eyes and a smirk tugging at my lips.
"You really need to get yourself a man." I said pointedly.
Her face was deadpan; she didn't even want to hear it.
It only made my grin even wider.
"I'm serious!" I said, wagging a finger at her. "All this loyalty, beauty, and perfect posture… someone's going to fall for that eventually. You deserve a little fun."
"My excitement is already reaching high levels while serving you, Archduchess." She said coolly.
Leaning in slightly with a grin, "Oh, come on. You're stunning, fiercely loyal, and terrifying when you need to be. Some poor guy's going to be incredibly lucky."
Livia blinked slowly at my words. "I'll keep that in mind."
Noah snorted, clearly amused by our interaction.
"When that fateful day does arrive, I expect a full report."
She just rolled her eyes.