Truthfully, she was a bit exhausted after using her stamina, evident by how she had no strength left in her body, especially her legs. It was unclear if it was because they had gotten tired, or for some other reason, but nonetheless, Yelena needed some time to rest.

Kaywhin looked down at Yelena as he gave her some time to replenish her stamina without a word. Reveling in his silent gaze, Yelena reached out her hand to stroke Kaywhin’s lips.

“…Tomorrow, your lips will be quite swollen, darling.”

“…”

“Of course, mine will be too.”

“…Is that so?”

Kaywhin took hold of the hand that was teasing his lips and kissed it.

“Ah, wait…”

Yelena had thought that Kaywhin was only going to kiss her fingers, but his lips branded her wrist, palm, and then the back of her hand.

Kaywhin stopped moving at Yelena’s request. Yelena looked at him with her face on fire and opened her mouth.

“Wait a moment, now that I think about it… why are you so good at this?”

“Pardon?”

“Why are you so good at kissing?”

Kaywhin blinked in response to Yelena’s question, which sounded skeptical.

“…Am I good at it?”

Yelena was rendered speechless by his question.

‘Is he… not?’

Truthfully, Yelena couldn’t be too sure herself, since she had no one to compare him to.

This was her first time kissing a man, how was she supposed to distinguish if he was good at it or not?

‘Yeah, I think he is,’ Yelena decided.

“You are good at it.”

“…”

“Because it felt good.”

Kaywhin’s eyes shook as if he was flustered by the sudden review of his kissing skills. Yelena thought she could see the tips of his ears turn red.

“Anyhow, tell me. Why are you so good at it?”

“That’s…”

“You haven’t kissed anyone else in the past that wasn’t me, have you?”

Yelena’s eyes widened, hurt by her own assumption. Kaywhin shook his head hastily.

“No, I haven’t. I’ve never, ever done such a thing.”

“Is that so? What is it, then?”

“Well, I just learned how to kiss…”

Kaywhin hesitated momentarily and then continued.

“In the past, when we would camp out during monster subjugations, the knights on nightwatch would have lewd conversations…”

“…Lewd conversations?”

“I swear I never meant to overhear, but…”

“Aha.”

So Kaywhin was saying that he unintentionally remembered what the knights had said, and he had put the techniques they had discussed to use today.

Yelena stared at Kaywhin with wide eyes. Strangely, whenever her husband was flustered or embarrassed, Yelena felt a strong urge to tease him. Now was one of those times.

“So, is kissing the only thing you learned how to do?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Did the knights’ lewd conversations only serve as kissing tutorials? I wouldn’t think so. I think they would have talked about various things.”

“W-well…”

“Will you slowly,  but surely practice everything with me?”

“Yelena.”

“I’m just kidding.”

Yelena opened her arms and pulled her helpless husband in for a hug. The sudden embrace made his body freeze up.

Yelena stroked her hand down her tense husband’s back. She meant for him to relax, but for some reason, he seemed to grow more tense the more she touched him. So, she stopped. Then, she opened her mouth.

“I feel good.”

“…”

“I’m happy.”

“…”

“How about you, darling?”

“…I feel the same.”

Yelena pulled away from the hug and looked into Kaywhin’s eyes. Her eyes crinkled into crescent moons. The feeling that was about to spill out of her heart burst forth from her lips of its own accord.

“I love you, Kaywhin.”

Kaywhin’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

“…I love you too, Yelena.”

Yelena closed her eyes. The couple’s lips met once more.

***

The ducal couple laid next to each other on the bed. They were in Kaywhin’s bedroom.

Yelena was lying on her side, facing her husband. She blinked.

‘Is this a dream?’

Of course, the numb tingling of her lips, a result of the passionate kissing she had been partaking in just moments ago, was proof that this wasn’t a dream. But for some reason, none of it felt real. Yelena gazed at Kaywhin without a word. Kaywhin spoke.

“…What are you thinking about?”

“About how different dreams are from reality?”

“Huh?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Yelena found another piece of evidence that this was reality and not a dream.

The kisses in her dream were far too different from the kisses she had shared today. The imagination of her subconscious was scanty and worthless compared to real life.

‘This is what a real kiss is.’

And an adult kiss… at that.