That night, Celestine walked calmly into the house. Jamie followed behind, trying to lighten the mood with a bit of playful energy. They shared a brief chuckle—until they reached the staircase.
Just as Celestine stepped onto the first stair, a voice echoed from the living room. Calm, yet firm.
"Where have you been?"
Celestine stopped and turned slowly. There stood Yeager, watching her from across the room, his gaze sharp and unreadable.
"I just needed some fresh air," she said flatly. "After being locked up in this house for so long, I think I deserve at least that."
Jamie, sensing the tension, jumped in quickly with a grin.
"Mind if I crash here tonight? I mean, you've got a spare room, right?"
Celestine didn't respond. She simply turned and continued up the stairs, her footsteps tapping softly against the wood.
One of the house staff approached Jamie politely.
"Please follow me, sir. The guest room is this way."
Jamie nodded, following along, but not before glancing back toward the stairs where Celestine had disappeared.
"Man… this house feels like a whole soap opera," he muttered before the guest room door closed behind him.
amie stepped into the guest room, looking around, a bit surprised at how well-furnished it was.
"Whoa, there's a PS?" Jamie remarked, noticing the PlayStation console set up on a large rack.
The housekeeper who had guided him inside smiled lightly. "Yes, sir. It's often used by Yeager's nephew when he comes over to play."
Jamie nodded, eyeing the DVD rack filled with a collection of games and movies. "Wow, this place really has everything... I might play some PS, but I don't know which game is good here."
The housekeeper smiled awkwardly but spoke politely, "If you'd like to play, I can set everything up for you. Please rest, and if you need anything, just let me know."
Jamie chuckled under his breath, his mischievous side taking over. "Must be nice to live here... but, well, guess I'll just play PS. No need to get too serious about it."
The housekeeper smiled again, nodded, and quietly left the room, giving Jamie some space.
Jamie sat down on the couch, grabbed the PS controller, and began scrolling through the games. But his mind wandered for a moment, thinking about the scene outside—the mysterious presence of Yeager and Celestine.
Celestine's Room – Night
Celestine sat against the pillows, her gaze distant as she stared out the window, lost in her thoughts. The silence in the room felt heavy, almost suffocating. But that stillness was broken when the door slowly creaked open.
Yeager stood in the doorway, his figure tall and imposing. His sharp eyes immediately found Celestine, who sat there, seemingly indifferent.
"Celestine," Yeager's voice was deep, almost commanding, though it wasn't harsh. "I married you to avoid the arranged marriage. But... I do like you."
Celestine froze, her eyes shifting to Yeager. His words caught her off guard, stirring emotions she didn't want to face. She remained silent, confused, her feelings swirling inside her.
"But it's dangerous out there," Yeager continued, his tone softening slightly. "You're my wife now. And I will protect you, no matter what."
Celestine didn't speak at first, her mind racing with his words. Part of her felt trapped, but another part of her felt something stirring within her. She lowered her gaze, still silent.
"Why?" Celestine finally spoke, her voice cold, filled with curiosity and doubt. "Why me? Why marry me and not someone else?"
Yeager's lips curled into a small, almost imperceptible smile as he took a step closer. "Because I know you're different. Maybe we don't fully understand what we want right now, but at least I want to protect you."
Celestine paused, absorbing his words. There was something unsettlingly genuine in his voice, and it made her question everything she thought she knew about him. The tension between them lingered in the air, thick and unresolved.
Yeager had just finished speaking with Celestine when his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the screen, then quickly got up from his seat and walked out of the room.
"Sorry, I need to go downstairs for a moment," he said briefly, closing the door behind him.
Celestine, still sitting in place, listened as Yeager's footsteps faded away. Her mind was spinning, trying to make sense of everything—the sudden marriage decision, Yeager's words—it all felt so confusing.
But she was caught off guard when her eyes landed on the window. From there, she saw Yeager talking to several of his subordinates down below. They looked serious, and Celestine began to feel a rising sense of unease. Realizing that Yeager must have noticed her spying, she quickly stood up and rushed to the bathroom. "Oh no..." she muttered under her breath. She locked the bathroom door behind her and leaned against the wall.
From the other side of the bathroom door, Celestine could hear Yeager's conversation downstairs. Though she couldn't make out the words clearly, she could sense the tension in the air. After a few moments, Celestine decided to take a shower, hoping the action would clear her mind and ease the growing confusion she felt.
The water from the shower flowed steadily, but her thoughts remained tangled in what had just happened. What was really going on behind Yeager's mysterious persona? What did all of this mean for the two of them?
Bathroom – Morning
The air felt warmer and softer that morning. Celestine, soaking in the bath, was startled when the bathroom door suddenly opened, and Yeager walked in without any warning. She looked up in surprise, her eyes widening as she saw him, seemingly with no intention of leaving.
"Yeager!" Celestine cried out, quickly trying to cover herself, her face flushing with embarrassment.
However, Yeager simply walked calmly toward the towel rack and, with a very calm tone, said, "I'll join you in the bath."
Celestine froze, her confusion growing. "What?!" she exclaimed, completely caught off guard. "Are you serious?"
Yeager shrugged casually, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "Why not? I need to relax too," he answered, his tone unbothered as he started unbuttoning his shirt.
Celestine just stared at him in disbelief. "You... you can't be serious!" she stammered, her face burning. "This is my bathroom!"
Yeager, still calm, smiled slightly. "Relax, Celestine. I won't bother you," he said quietly, and then proceeded to undress and step into the bathtub, right beside her.
Celestine was in complete shock. Her eyes were wide, and she didn't know what to do. She opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out. Yeager, however, seemed completely unfazed by the situation. He simply settled into the water beside her, making no move to acknowledge the awkwardness of the moment.
"Oh my God, this is insane," Celestine whispered, trying to turn away to give herself some space. "What are you doing?"
Yeager smiled faintly again, not looking at her but instead staring ahead. "I just want to make you feel comfortable, Celestine. Don't worry, I won't bother you."
With that, the atmosphere became even more uncomfortable. Celestine could only stay silent, feeling trapped in the strange tension between them in such a confined space.
Celestine lowered her gaze, the warm water wrapping around her tense body. She glanced at Yeager, who now had his eyes closed, leaning back calmly on the other side of the bathtub.
"I'm still not used to this..." she murmured quietly.
Yeager didn't open his eyes. He just took a slow breath and said in a low voice, "We're already married. So this... isn't a big deal."
Celestine didn't respond. Amidst the gentle steam and soft ripples of water, the silence felt awkward, yet oddly calm. Suddenly, she froze as she felt Yeager's hand lightly move behind her. Her heartbeat skipped.
But Yeager spoke immediately, his tone quiet, eyes still shut. "Relax. I'm not doing anything. I'm not ready yet either."
His voice was honest—neither teasing nor forceful—just calm and real. Celestine turned her face away, unsure whether to feel relieved, annoyed, or even... slightly comforted.
She muttered under her breath, "Don't think I'll get used to this just because we're married."
Yeager slowly opened his eyes, turning his head slightly toward her. "I never expected you to get used to it right away. But I'll stay. Until you are."
Celestine let out a small huff, but something strange stirred inside her. Was it anger? Calmness? Or that annoying hint of safety? Still, she didn't show anything—just stared back down at the water, letting the silence speak for them both.
After changing her clothes, Celestine sat on the edge of the bed. Her cheeks were slightly flushed—maybe from the hot bath... or maybe not.
A moment later, Yeager stepped out of the bathroom, buttoning up his white shirt. His hair was still damp, and the clean, masculine scent of his soap filled the room.
He glanced at Celestine, who was pretending to be busy on her phone.
With a calm yet teasing tone, Yeager asked, "Are you flustered about earlier?"
Celestine turned to him, eyes wide. "Huh?! Who's flustered? Don't be ridiculous!" she snapped, quickly turning her face away to hide the growing blush on her cheeks.
Yeager smirked subtly. He walked to the dresser and picked up his watch. "Your face is red, Celestine."
Celestine quickly grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it. "Ugh, shut up… Don't act like you know everything!"
Yeager chuckled quietly—a rare, warm sound from someone usually so composed. "Relax. I was a little awkward too," he admitted honestly.
Celestine peeked out from behind the pillow. "You… were?"
He nodded, then walked toward the bedroom door. Before stepping out, he glanced back at her and said calmly, "But it was nice. Starting the morning with you."
Celestine sat there, frozen. This time, the small smile that appeared on her lips wasn't something she could hide.