Chapter 261: You Don’t Want To Say My Name?

An hour had passed since the door locked behind them.

Arabella lay against Luca, her body damp with sweat and a few loose strands of hair clinging to her forehead. Her eyes were hazy, and her lips remained slightly parted as she breathed softly.

Luca wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind and lowered his head to kiss her earlobe.

"Why is your skin so red?" he asked, his voice relaxed and teasing.

Arabella had the fairest skin he had ever seen. Under sunlight, it almost seemed to glow.

He had never expected her entire body to turn such a delicate shade of pink.

She looked like a freshly ripened peach.

What surprised him even more was how expressive she had been tonight.

In ordinary conversations, Arabella rarely revealed much emotion. But now, her face had shifted through embarrassment, discomfort, satisfaction, and pleading.

Luca felt deeply satisfied, both physically and emotionally.

Exhausted, Arabella had no interest in answering his question.

She took a slow breath and remained quiet for a while.

Finally, a hoarse word escaped her throat.

"Water..."

"Wait a moment. I’ll get you some."

Luca put on his pajamas and left the bedroom.

He crossed the corridor and entered the living room. Just as he was about to walk around the sofa to get some water, he heard footsteps approaching.

"Luca?"

"Ahem. Auntie, you’re still awake?"

He turned around and found Victoria standing behind him with a small box of fruit.

"Mmm." She nodded. "I was taking care of a few things, and I got a little hungry."

As she spoke, she held out the box.

"Would you like some?"

"Thank you, Auntie, but I’m not hungry. I just came out to get a glass of water."

Victoria had already noticed that Luca was holding Arabella’s water glass.

His hair was also still slightly damp.

She didn’t need to ask what the two of them had been doing.

"Luca, Arabella is still in school. It would be best if you avoided getting her pregnant for now."

If they had not already reached this stage, Victoria would never have brought up the subject.

But they had clearly become intimate, and as someone who had experienced pregnancy while studying, she felt the need to warn them.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a disaster if Arabella became pregnant now. At worst, she could take a year off from school and give birth. The Windsor family had more than enough resources to raise a child.

Still, Victoria had become pregnant with Arabella while she was in college.

At first, she had refused to suspend her studies and continued attending classes.

As her belly grew, however, concentrating became increasingly difficult.

Pregnancy also required constant care and caution. After nearly tripping over someone one day, Victoria finally decided to take a leave of absence.

She did not return to the classroom until after Arabella was born.

As a result, she had been unable to graduate alongside her original classmates, a regret that had stayed with her ever since.

That was why she hoped Arabella could finish school without interruption.

There was no need to rush. They were both young and had plenty of time to have children in the future.

Luca’s cheeks warmed under his mother-in-law’s direct warning.

He could only nod awkwardly.

After filling the glass with water, he was about to return to the bedroom when Victoria spoke again from the corridor entrance.

"I know young people can be impulsive, so don’t panic if you accidentally get pregnant. But you must not hide it from us. Apply for a leave of absence immediately."

Her expression became serious.

"If something unexpected happens, waiting too long could make things much more difficult."

Even now, remembering her own college years and the time she had nearly fallen while pregnant with Arabella still left Victoria shaken.

From her tone, Luca understood how seriously she took the matter.

He immediately put away his careless expression and nodded solemnly.

"Don’t worry. I’ll be careful."

"Good. Go get some rest."

Victoria smiled with satisfaction, picked up a piece of fruit, and returned to her room.

Once her door closed, Luca went back into Arabella’s bedroom.

He placed the glass on the bedside table, then helped her sit up and lean against him.

"I brought you lukewarm water. It isn’t hot, so drink some first."

He picked up the glass and held it to her lips.

By the time he returned with the water, Arabella had already recovered much of her energy. Aside from some body aches and lingering discomfort, her main problem was her throat.

She didn’t really need him to feed her.

Still, since Luca had taken the initiative to care for her, she decided to accept it.

Being looked after by the man she loved made her feel strangely happy.

After drinking the water, Arabella became noticeably more energetic.

The flush on her face remained, however, and a faint pink tint still colored her exposed arms and collarbones.

"Luc..."

She paused, then quickly corrected herself.

"Dear, can you carry me to the bathroom?"

She had almost called him by his name, just as she had earlier, when she had been moaning beneath him.

Back then, the word had slipped out without a second thought. Now, with the memory of how loudly she had called his name while pleading with him, she suddenly found herself too embarrassed to say it.

Luca noticed her hesitation and decided to make things worse.

"What happened? You were so eager to call me that earlier. Why can’t you say it now?"

Arabella buried herself deeper in his arms, pulling the blanket up until it covered the tip of her nose.

Only her eyes remained visible above the covers.

She shook her head, unable to explain why the word suddenly seemed stuck in her throat.

"Dear, carry me to the bathroom," she repeated, hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Not so fast. Say something nice first."

"Please..."

She turned in his arms, tilted her head back, and pressed a soft kiss against his lips.