Chapter 222 This man has indeed been married several times...
It snowed for two days in a row, and Desen's cough became more severe. He could barely speak, and even a few words would trigger a violent coughing fit.
I stayed by his side for two nights in a row, and my head became dizzy and I was forced to go back to my room to rest.
I slept for two hours in a daze when I suddenly heard a commotion outside the door. People were saying that Desen was dying. I jolted awake, practically rolling out of bed, grabbed my coat, and scrambled out of the room. Desen's room was in complete disarray. Several elderly doctors were circling around the bed, while several female doctors were busy writing prescriptions, bringing hot water basins, or standing by with acupuncture kits.
I couldn't help, so I could only stand at the doorway, anxiously tiptoeing and watching.
“I don’t want him to die either,” Daio’s voice suddenly appeared beside me. “If he dies, my uncle will immediately sign the marriage certificate with you. Maybe the certificate is already in the room, just waiting to be delivered to you as soon as he takes his last breath.”
I wasn't in the mood to talk to him, so I stood on my tiptoes even higher.
Daio seemed to be laughing, "If I didn't know that your marriage to him was also for mutual benefit, I would have almost thought that you two had a deep affection for each other."
Hearing this, I put my toes down and turned to look at him. "Derson and I do have some feelings for each other."
"Oh, how many points?"
“There’s more than just romantic love between men and women,” I said. “There’s also friendship, camaraderie, family ties, and so on.”
Daio laughed, "Tell my uncle what you said and see if he agrees. I've never seen him develop friendship or kinship with any woman. Of course, neither have I."
He approached me with a grin, saying, "Every woman who comes near us is thinking about how to sleep with us or seduce us."
“They’re not seducing you, but power, status, money, and beautiful bodies.”
"That's great, people can't live without desires."
As soon as he finished speaking, a violent coughing fit came from inside the room. I ignored him and rushed into the room... but he didn't follow me in; he had left sometime earlier.
Desen coughed all night. Although he survived, the doctor told me to be prepared that he could leave at any time.
I sighed deeply, there was nothing I could do.
Two days later, the snow fell even heavier, and the island palace was suddenly brightly decorated. Maids and servants busied themselves inside and out, laying new red carpets on the corridors, repairing and painting the damaged walls, renovating the roof, and carefully cleaning and tidying the courtyards, pruning the flowers, and replacing all the paper palace lanterns in the corridors with new ones.
A bad feeling welled up inside me, and I found Artis. "My husband is still alive. Are you going to marry me?"
"It's fine to have the wedding first and then sign the marriage certificate," he said to me with a smile.
I stared at him coldly, then turned and left. "I don't want to talk to a scoundrel."
He stopped me and said gently, "I just want to confirm our relationship."
"Are you afraid I'll run away?" I said coldly.
“Yes.” He actually nodded, and seeing my disdainful look, he explained, “The longer it drags on, the more things can go wrong. The longer it drags on, the more variables there will be.”
He almost said, "It's because your husband is still alive that I had no choice but to do this."
I looked at him with disdain. "I didn't expect you to be so insecure."
He nodded again, "I've never felt safe around you."
I just left.
The next day, the snow fell especially heavily, a thick layer that reportedly blocked the doorways of houses without eaves. Perhaps because the snow was so heavy and no one could do much, the wedding was scheduled for that day.
I had no choice but to obediently put on the snow-white elven wedding dress and drape a long, exquisite red veil over my head, which covered the hem of my skirt, forming a long train.
This is my second marriage to Artis, and the clothes, jewelry, and makeup are much more elaborate than the last time.
Just getting dressed took half an hour. Afterwards, I was dressed in a dazzling diamond forehead ornament, a ruby necklace, an emerald brooch, sapphire teardrop earrings, a jade bracelet, an amethyst bracelet, and a gold anklet. I didn't want to wear an anklet, but the maids said it was a must-have for weddings, symbolizing that it would bind me to the groom so he wouldn't worry about me running away. I was both amused and exasperated, but in the end, I wore it anyway.
The makeup process took a long time, from shaping and drawing eyebrows to applying foundation, eyeshadow, and lipstick. It took two or three hours, and I was just getting impatient when it was finally finished.
It was already evening, supposedly an auspicious time for their tribe. As I was being escorted out of the room by the maids, the head maid was still smiling and saying that the timing was perfect and everything was going smoothly.
I was so hungry that my stomach was practically sticking to my back, and I had no energy to pay any attention to her. I walked forward expressionlessly.
I really wanted to eat lunch while I was getting my makeup done, but the maids wouldn't let me, saying it would make my belly bulge and I wouldn't look good in my wedding dress. At my insistence, they only allowed me to eat two slices of bread and drink half a glass of juice; now I'm starving. My steps are unsteady, and I can only walk unsteadily with the maids' help.
The wedding was held in the courtyard. I stood next to Artis, who was dressed in a dazzling red groom's suit, and listened to the old priest's incessant chatter, suppressing the urge to yawn.
Fifteen minutes later, the old priest finally finished speaking, and I finally yawned, of course, behind everyone's back.
"Are you hungry?" Attis asked me with a smile, then handed me over to a maid, "Take the lady to her room to rest for a while."
"yes."
I was led to a makeshift rest room, where a long table was laden with food and a comfortable chair with a backrest.
After eating and drinking my fill, I lay back in the chair and closed my eyes.
I don't know when, perhaps it was the middle of the night, I was woken up and told that I had to complete one last procedure: drinking the nuptial wine with the groom. I was surprised, "Why wasn't this part done last time?"
“Last time we just arrived on the island, so we kept everything simple and only completed the key ceremonies.”
And so, I was led to the courtyard to drink the nuptial wine with the groom. After that, I was finally led to the bridal chamber. The bridal chamber was large, and everything was brand new—the sheets, the canopy, the carpet, the curtains—everything exuded a festive atmosphere.
After taking off my cumbersome dress and fiery red veil, and washing off the thick foundation, I finally felt relaxed in my pajamas. Ignoring the maids' advice, I went straight to bed and slept until dawn.
I woke up in the soft morning light, and as I moved slightly, a hand tightened around my waist. I was startled, and then I saw Artis, shirtless and wearing only loose pajama bottoms.
You know what, Artis's muscles are really impressive, I can only use the word "impressive". I don't know how else to describe it, his chest muscles are bulging, his abdominal muscles are slightly bulging, and they are extremely firm, with a line extending to his strong waist, forming a sexy butt crack. This physique is simply amazing. Come to think of it, I never noticed how good his physique was when he was dressed.
Of course, other men I've met have also had great physiques, but honestly, none of them have muscles as beautiful as his. They're bulging, incredibly robust, yet not exaggerated. His chest, abdomen, and waist proportions are ridiculously good. He's sexy, alluring, and full of power and beauty. He's simply a masterpiece of creation.
It has to be admitted that this man certainly has the qualities to get married several times.
He wanted to admire the scenery a little longer, but a rapid knocking interrupted everything. "Madam, no, Your Excellency, Prince Desen is critically ill."
All the beauty vanished abruptly. I forcefully pushed away the hands that were wrapped around my waist, jumped out of bed as fast as I could, and rushed out the door.
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