For My Birthday, I Was Gifted Five Husbands - Chapter 16
But cruelly, the explanation ended with the next line:
[At least one of them should match your taste, right? I hope you have a wonderful first night.]
Eugenie quietly folded the letter and closed her eyes.
“Cassius.”
“Yes, Lady!”
“Please take out the drawing lots again.”
* * *
The bride and her five husbands set off for their honeymoon at a lakeside near the capital. Though it was called a lake, its horizon met the sky, making it seem almost like the sea. On the opposite shore, a forest filled with wild strawberries and a villa awaited.
Whose villa was it? It belonged to the Livingston family, a place they used during the summer.
‘Not even a commoner, and this is so small? It’s not even a proper resort!’
Magnus furrowed his brow (just as Eugenie had expected) at the perceived lack of elegance. Of course, he was the only one criticizing such a quaint summer villa as ‘not a proper resort.’
However, due to the sudden wedding, everyone had things to handle, and Eugenie didn’t want to stray too far from the capital, even for a short time. She wanted to leave room to return quickly in case anything went wrong.
“Sigh…”
Eugenie stood on the balcony and exhaled the burden that had settled deep in her abdomen.
A cool night breeze blew by the lakeshore, and the night sky sparkled with countless tiny white dots. Trying to calm herself with the thought that the beautiful starlight was likely the remnants of stars that had exploded centuries ago was not so easy.
“Eugenie, you’ll catch a cold if you stay out here too long.”
“Oh.”
When she turned her head, she found herself staring at a vast, muscular chest right in front of her. This time, it was a real muscular torso, not covered by a shirt.
Having just washed, hot droplets trickled down his collarbone toward the center of his chest. Eugenie stared, momentarily entranced, as the droplets slowly flowed down toward his abdomen.
Droplets meandered down the defined muscles, following the shadows of his trained physique and the pronounced lines of his hips that peeked out over the loose white pants he wore…
Suddenly, she heard a slightly embarrassed chuckle from above.
“Eugenie, I’m about to burst into flames here.”
“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry, Brother!”
Only then did Eugenie suddenly lift her head and apologize. The first partner drawn for their first night was Alfred Wilberforce.
Alfred held champagne glasses in both hands. With his large hands, the long glasses looked almost like children’s toys. His friendly, cheerful face was full of warmth, and his slightly tanned skin made his green eyes shimmer even more brightly.
“Care for a drink? It might help ease the tension.”
“Um, sure.”
She had to make sure not to show any more tension than this. Eugenie took the glass, trying to maintain a neutral expression.
‘This is my first experience, but I’ve learned the theory well enough, right?’
She didn’t expect it to feel amazing, but it was better to relax to avoid pain.
And sipping champagne together at a small table on the balcony felt quite charming in its own right.
Eugenie watched as Alfred’s thick Adam’s apple bobbed while he drank. If the noble ladies who admired the ‘hero of the South’ could see this, they would likely pay a fortune to take her place.
Clink. Alfred gently set his glass down on the table. He slowly wiped his lips with his thumb and smiled.
“Eugenie, you look like you have a lot of questions.”
“Who wouldn’t be curious in a situation like this.”
“Haha. Then go ahead and ask.”
His large, sun-kissed hand lightly wrapped around Eugenie’s. The calluses from naval training brushed against her skin, sending an oddly tingling sensation through her lower abdomen.
“I’ll answer anything I can right now.”
“Isn’t it awkward for you, Brother? Marrying a girl who used to challenge you every day when we were kids?”
Back then, she hadn’t realized how prestigious the Wilberforce family was in the South. The boy who took care of her while they played at the beach resort was like an older brother to her.
‘Eugenie, don’t cry.’
He had comforted her like a true brother, shielding her eyes when she was seven and shocked into tears. But despite her gratitude, that was still something she wanted to forget, even if it wasn’t as heavy as that situation with Carter.
But Eugenie shrugged intentionally, teasingly.
“If it were me, I would have slapped a kid three years younger than me if they were that annoying. What a little brat without a degree.”
“…Haha! Right, you’ve always been good with words.”
“But do you really want to be doing this with me?”
At that question, Alfred stifled his laughter. Instead, his grip on Eugenie’s hand tightened slightly.
“First of all, Eugenie, I’ve never thought you were annoying.”
His thick, strong thumb slowly traced her white hand.
Had the champagne, which she thought was sweet and light, turned out to be stronger than she expected? This seemingly trivial touch made her skin from her nape to her shoulders feel uncomfortably warm.
When Eugenie closed her mouth and looked away, Alfred murmured softly.
“…And I’m not great at proving things with words.”
“Hmm? I didn’t think that—, ah.”
She almost gasped in surprise, nearly letting out a loud sound. She had forgotten that other men were somewhere in this massive villa.
‘But wait!’
Suddenly, Alfred guided her hand down toward his waistband, and she felt her heart nearly stop.
