I don't wish to trouble you, husband.

She was peeking at him while her hands held a tea tray with difficulty. Her heart thumped as she bashfully watched his handsome self reading a book.

He seemed a bit different from what she had imagined him to be, not entirely but he was more good looking than a handsome prince.

Liang Yang was a young and good looking man indeed but his features were sharp and majestic which made him look unapproachable. Instead of a prince, the man was more like a king who rules.

A shy smile lit up on her face, seeing him so engrossed in the reading. Did he like reading? She liked reading too.

Biting her lips, she contemplated whether to go inside and disrupt his reading, feeling troubled at the thought of getting him displeased.

Her other hand slowly rose up to knock on the door and then she timidly knocked twice on the door.

Knock!

Her face instantly blushed when the man looked up which made her shyly lower her gaze.

For a moment, there was a deep and long silence. She gulped, feeling his burning stare. Is he upset? She didn't dare meet his eyes.

Yang gazed at the little grown girl who has seemed to capture his thoughts since the time he arrived here. Even reading a book wasn't helping his thoughts as he kept remembering her bewitching beauty.

The man slowly closed the book in his hand and leaned on the sofa before resting his arm on the armrest in a relaxed manner.

"Come in."

His masculine voice was calm and patient as he watched her struggling to come inside whilst bowing her head, hiding most of her face while doing so.

Seeing her standing stiff with a tray in her hand, he raised his eyebrows. He'd been wondering why he didn't get the tea he asked for.

Well, the maids of this manor can be sly at setting things up.

Yang watched as his wife stayed unmoving as if she wasn't planning to sit unless he allowed it.

Sighing, he said to her. "You can sit, sweetheart." His tone of speaking caused Fei's heart to flutter and she shyly nodded in a response before timidly walking toward him and then sat on the floor beside his legs.

"Not here." He touched her arm lightly, causing her to jolt at the sudden closeness when he made her sit on the sofa beside him.

His cool and steady breath fanned against her cheek, turning them red because of shyness.

Yang was helpless, watching her so shy and flustered in his presence but there was no such matter that he couldn't handle calmly.

"You're not supposed to sit on the floor, you're the lady of this house."

"But mother-" She instantly stopped herself from saying anything further, remembering that she wasn't supposed to speak about her previous home and timidly looked up at him before asking permission for her to speak.

"M-May I?"

Yang was calmly looking at her, bemused.

She has been taught and raised well, he could tell but that didn't mean he actually wanted her to follow those strict rules of a wife their household have been carrying since ages.

"My dear, you don't have to ask for my permission to speak, that is your right." He firmly said to her with a pointed look on his mature face while gazing down at her expressive deer-like eyes.

The little shy thing was as beautiful as they said and no part of her beauty was marked by imperfections which made her look alluring to the eyes of a beholder.

With his eyes losing their focus as though he was charmed, Yang reminisced about how he used to scoff at those well-said words of her beauty by the priests who had blessed their bond.

However, now that the man has seen her beauty for himself, he cannot deny any of that even if he wanted to.

"Speak." Watching her dazed self, he couldn't hold back a tug at the corner of his lips as he remembered. "You were about to say something."

"I.." She shook her head in denial, swallowing her words and replacing them instantly by casting her eyes on the tea-tray

"Tea?" Gulping, she peeked through her lashes to see his reaction, hoping that her actions did not displease him.

Knowing everything by the look on her expressive face, Yang nodded and changed the subject if that would help her relax in his presence.

"Tea."

She smiled, causing her dimples to appear. She had every kind of beauty trait on her face. A small mole beside her ear and those beautiful glossy eyes which would capture anyone's feelings just by a mere glimpse.

No wonder why she was kept hidden. Yang finally realized that his hidden wife was born irresistible, a beautiful being that every man on earth would want to possess.

Fei served him tea, her hands working on the brewing pot with patience and ease. Eyes fluttering now and then in shyness while feeling his heated gaze on her.

Did she have something on her face?

At the thought, she touched her cheek, feeling them burn. Her chest heaved up and down when she felt him get closer to her.

What? She subconsciously gulped, feeling her heart skip a beat.

Yang's arm rested behind her on the seat while the other hand made its way towards her hand before stopping her from pouring the tea.

Huh?

"Careful," he said. "You'll burn yourself, sweetheart."

Burn?

Confused, she blinked and looked down, instantly getting embarrassed seeing all the mess she had created.

She has poured the tea in the cup more than required that now it is bulging from the surface, on the verge of pouring out.

"Oh!" She looked up at him, confused. "I-"

"It's alright." He picked up the cup and poured a bit of the tea down on the tray before placing it in front of his mouth, sipping it slowly.

"It's good." He generously complimented.

All this while, she watched him absentmindedly, feeling her heartbeat in a fast-paced rhythm.

He liked her tea?

She shyly bit her lip to stop herself from smiling like a fool.

...

"How have you been?" He asked as they strolled side by side in the garden of the manor. Trees of Japanese maple she had never seen made her look at them in awe.

Can she come here more often?

Is she allowed?

Hearing his question, she shyly looked down and played with her hand. "I..have been good."

He hummed as he looked around. The rain has made the air feel more pleasant and dewy. The sunlight is back as if the rain earlier didn't happen.

"You've nothing to ask me?" He asked, expecting a bit of questioning after his negligence and absence.

Noticing her pause in her steps, he stopped too with his hands molded behind his back as he turned toward her, ready to be honest with her.

"I had questions," she said while looking down, not meeting his gaze."But not since you're back."

At her last sentence, she paused and looked up at him."I don't wish to trouble you, husband."

Yang was surprised by her obedience and sensibility. And somewhere in his heart, he did wish her to be open about her feelings but maybe it's too early for him to decide that.

"I won't be a good husband, wife," he said without looking at her. "Do you still wish to wait for me?"

Fei was taken aback by the sudden question. Absent-mindedly, she looked at his face, sensing his upfront honesty.

Her eyes fluttered lower and she looked away, letting the light breeze pass her body and sway her short hair in a motion.

A long and comforting silence enveloped the pleasant atmosphere.

Fei knew that her husband was unhappy about their marriage since the day he called her.

She started to learn things as the time passed and her obliviousness turned into sensibilities that her husband didn't wish to be with her.

However, that didn't stop her heart from yearning for his love. If she was being foolish then it was reasonable but the ache in her heart seemed unreasonable.

Why would she feel pain in her heart at the simple thought of him?

Why did he treat her so nice only to let her know that he won't be letting her have his love at the end?

A smile took over her lovely face and she nodded. "I will be waiting even if it takes forever, husband."

Yang silently gazed at her for a while, and then unmolded his hands behind his back before cupping her beautiful face.

He gently caressed her smooth ripe cheeks, feeling his heart soften for her obedient self.

"Then I'll be taking away your rights to regret this later, my wife," he said as he bowed down to capture her lips in a short chaste kiss and soon his nice masculine smell filled her senses.

The kiss was short as he pulled back and took her in his arms before hugging her petite form securingly.

Feeling the warmth of his protective embrace, Fei blinked in surprise, instantly turning red in his arms.

Her heart thumped and she naturally leaned onto his chest before shyly closing her eyes to cherish his gentleness.

Will she regret this?

No, her heart responded.

...