Chapter 14
It's late at night.
In the bedroom of the Minamino family, only the soft rustling of the curtains being blown by the night wind could be heard.
The soft, warm light from the bedside nightlight enveloped the room in a tranquil, orange-gold ambiance.
Shuichi Minamino sat on the edge of the bed, holding the sleeping Sakura Minamino in his arms.
Her breathing was long and even, her golden hair shimmered softly in the moonlight, and the scent of milk and dessert lingered where she was against his chest.
He looked down at her.
She was sleeping soundly.
She curled her arms around him, instinctively pressing them against his warm chest.
Like a well-behaved cat.
His hand gently stroked her back, as if afraid of waking her.
But his heart was already in turmoil.
—It's time to hurry up with the wedding.
He stared at the ceiling, his gaze distant.
We can't delay any longer.
If Sakura gets too pregnant, she definitely won't be able to fit into the wedding dresses she picked out in advance, and then... she might not say it, but she'll definitely feel disappointed.
She loved beauty so much and cared so much about wearing high heels, dresses, and makeup details.
How could he bear to let her feel down because of her pregnancy?
"...The wedding must be completed before she becomes round and chubby."
He murmured softly, his voice steady yet filled with urgency.
But when his gaze fell on her, it was filled with helplessness and heartache.
She is too thin.
Even now that she's pregnant, she's still so light that he could easily lift her up in one arm.
He went to great lengths to provide her with nutritious meals, desserts, snacks, and low-sugar cakes, even cooking and creating recipes himself.
Yet her figure remained so slender.
She doesn't deliberately diet; she genuinely can't gain weight no matter what she eats.
He frowned, gently pulled the blanket up to cover her waist, and stroked her flat stomach with his fingertips.
Their child is being conceived there.
His thoughts drifted back to the night several months earlier, the night that changed his life.
He attended that banquet only as a formality.
But then, by the dance floor, he spotted her at a glance.
—Her long, golden hair flowed like waves in the light.
—The smile on her face when she turned around was a little charming and a little mischievous, like the eyes of a fox under the moonlight.
In that instant, he sank.
Kurama, the fox spirit who had never been moved by humans, felt a burning desire deep within his demon core in that instant.
He knew what it was.
The millennium-old demon core had never stirred, but at that moment—it awoke.
That's not lustful greed, it's a preordained possessiveness.
"I want her."
He didn't rush over impulsively; instead, he rationally suppressed that desire.
But a few hours later, he spotted her again in the crowd.
She leaned against the railing, her cheeks flushed, her eyes somewhat unfocused, as if she had been given something.
He immediately sensed something was wrong.
He was the first to approach her, and he was the one who led her away from the chaotic banquet.
It was him... who ultimately couldn't hold back.
She looked at him dazedly and murmured the wrong name.
He lowered his head and kissed her, his eyes bloodshot.
Even if you don't know me, I... will not let you go.
That night, he lost control.
I took her more than once.
He didn't use contraception, not out of negligence, but out of instinct.
The instinct of demons—once they have chosen a mate, any behavior that would hinder their offspring will be rejected.
He understands.
But he doesn't regret it.
Even if she fled the next day when he woke up, even if she didn't answer the phone, even if he searched for her for months.
He has no regrets.
"If fate can only allow us to cross paths once, I would rather that time be the beginning of a bond."
He lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead.
Sakura stirred in his arms, as if in a dream, and mumbled:
"...Dessert...I want the strawberry kind..."
He chuckled softly, a gentle curve to his lips, his voice husky: "Okay, I'll buy you ten tomorrow."
She seemed to sense a familiar presence, nuzzling her cheek against his chest, her voice muffled: "Shuichi... don't be mean to me..."
"...I didn't mean you any harm." He cupped her face and gently kissed her lips.
"I'm just too afraid of losing you."
"You are the first wish I've wanted to protect in a thousand years."
He gently laid her down, then lay down next to her, his hand still protecting her lower abdomen.
Moonlight shone through the curtains onto them.
The night was still, and the wind had ceased.
And he was finally... no longer the lonely fox spirit who had lived for a thousand years.
He is now a man with a "family".
In his arms was the lover he was destined to protect with all his tenderness.
The morning sunlight streamed into the living room of the Minami family home through the large floor-to-ceiling windows.
On the oak-textured floor, the butler is quietly spreading out a brand-new wedding program booklet, while several neatly dressed staff members are methodically setting up the meeting room.
On the main sofa, Shuichi Minamino, dressed in a black shirt, was focused on his phone call with his assistant.
"For the wedding dress, please contact a private custom designer in France to readjust the size. Remember to add support to the skirt, but keep the original butterfly back cut."
"Hmm? The reason? She's pregnant."
"Yes, do as I say. Don't let it affect her dressing experience. She has to be the most beautiful woman in the room."
After he finished speaking, he paused slightly and looked up at the window.
—In the garden outside the window, a slender, familiar figure is pacing back and forth.
Sakura Minamino wore a beige knitted cardigan. Her belly was not yet obvious, her waist was still slender, and her soft blonde hair was gently blown by the morning breeze.
Holding a cup of hot tea with the scent of orange blossoms in one hand and the other in her pocket, she strolled to the fountain.
The autumn sun was warm and gentle. She looked down at the water, and not far away, the rose trellis was covered with red and pink flowers.
She never expected to live here for so long.
From initially running away because of her pregnancy to now accepting the relationship, she always felt that time had passed too quickly. It was as if she had just agreed to get married and in the blink of an eye, she had moved into this manor-like villa and... gradually become the "mistress" here.
She was lost in thought when she suddenly heard the maid talking not far away.
"Madam's dress today has such a gentle color, just like the lady of the house."
"I think she's already the mistress of the house, right? The young master is personally preparing the wedding arrangements, and he even had a late-night snack with her last night."
"To be honest, your wife has a really good temperament, and she's carrying the Minamino family's child."
"Most importantly, the way the young master looked at me... he was spoiling me rotten."
"Don't say that, she'll be embarrassed if she hears it..."
"Hey—is Madam not around?"
"Keep your voice down!"
Sakura Minamino was stunned for a moment, and her ears suddenly burned.
She quickly lowered her head, pretending to look at the flowers, trying to quietly bypass this side of the corridor—
As soon as he turned around, he bumped into a familiar and solid chest.
"...!!"
A pair of warm hands firmly supported her shoulders, and a deep, amused voice sounded in her ear:
"Where are you going to escape to?"
She looked up and saw Nanno Shuichi looking down at her, his green eyes filled with laughter, and a familiar mischievous smile playing on his lips.
When will you—
"I've been watching you ever since you stood there by the fountain, lost in thought."
He spoke without any hesitation, his arm naturally wrapping around her waist from behind, gently pulling her into his embrace.
She struggled slightly, her cheeks burning: "No, don't hug me like this in the garden, the servants will laugh if they see us..."
"What are you laughing at?" he whispered in her ear. "You are my future wife, the mistress of this place. They shouldn't laugh, they should get used to it."
"...Who, who said I'm the mistress?" she protested softly.
"You're not?" He raised an eyebrow, his tone playful. "You're carrying my Nanye family's child, living in my Nanye family's villa, wearing clothes I chose, eating meals I arranged... If you're not the mistress, what do you want to be?"
"I...I..."
She tried to argue, but he hugged her even tighter from behind.
"I've arranged the wedding."
She was taken aback: "...So fast?"
"Didn't you say you were afraid you wouldn't be able to fit into the wedding dress?" he said softly. "I won't let you not be able to wear it."
“I chose a new design and asked the designer to re-cut one, leaving the back as it was… because I love your butterfly-shaped shoulder blades the most.”
She stared at him blankly, her face as red as an apple.
"You...you've already peeked."
"I've already kissed her, I want to see her a few more times." He smiled and kissed the tip of her ear.
"Don't be so blunt..."
"I'm only straightforward with you."
Her cheeks flushed, and she looked down: "...Why are you talking so much today?"
"Because I'm pursuing my wife."
"Didn't you already win her over...?"
“But you haven’t put on your wedding dress and married me yet.” He smiled meaningfully.
"So I can't stop yet."
She was speechless for a moment, and finally could only gently tug at the hem of his shirt and whisper:
"Then... you're not allowed to stop liking me halfway through."
"I've only ever liked you."
"You are not allowed to think that I became stupid, fat, or ugly after I got pregnant."
He took her hand, intertwined his fingers, and looked at her intently.
You are always the most beautiful.
"I want it all, as long as it's you."
The garden breeze gently caressed their embracing figures.
Sunlight shone on the point where their fingers were clasped, like the future quietly unfolding.
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