Chapter 222 - 0222

Lorelei POV

My smile stretched even wider as I reached the end of the letter.

I’d been feeling a little down about having no friends left, and somehow, the universe had decided to bring Emily right back into my life.

Since Kaelen had already read the letter and hadn’t objected to me receiving it, I figured it was perfectly safe for me to call her later. Knowing Emily, she’d probably talk my ear off the second she heard my voice anyway.

I carefully folded the letter, slipped it back into the envelope, and placed it gently on the table.

And just like that, my appetite came rushing back.

I finally picked up my fork and dug into the meal Paul had so thoughtfully arranged for me. The food tasted absolutely divine, warm, rich, and exactly what I needed after spending the entire morning moving furniture around and obsessing over every tiny detail of my new room.

Combined with the cool afternoon breeze, the peaceful surroundings, and the unexpected happiness Emily’s letter had brought me, I suddenly felt lighter.

For once, everything felt right.

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Later that afternoon, I had another lesson with Mrs. Whitmore. I’d decided to take on extra lessons simply to make the days go by faster, filling every spare hour with something to do so my mind wouldn’t have enough room to wander back into places I didn’t want it to go.

By evening, I was finally back in Kaelen’s chambers.

After, unfortunately, having dinner alone once again, I started getting ready for a warm bath. I was just beginning to undress when the door clicked open behind me.

I turned around to find Kaelen stepping inside, looking completely exhausted after what had clearly been a long day. But the second his amber eyes landed on me, that exhaustion seemed to disappear beneath a lazy, breathtaking smile.

Especially when he noticed I was standing there in nothing but my underwear, my top still caught halfway over my head.

"Look at that," he drawled, already reaching for the top buttons of his shirt as he closed the distance between us. "Seems like I came back just in time."

I rolled my eyes at his playful tone, letting my shirt fall back into place as I slowly walked toward him. "Too bad..."

I stopped directly in front of him, and his arms immediately slipped around my waist, pulling me flush against his body. My fingers instinctively found the opening of his shirt, slipping inside as I traced the hard, warm muscle of his bare chest.

"You’ve been working so hard today. You must be completely exhausted," I whispered softly.

"How could I ever be tired when it comes to you?" he murmured, his lips curling into a lazy smile. "You’re practically dessert. I don’t care how full I am, I’ll always want a taste."

A soft chuckle escaped me before he leaned down and captured my lips in a slow, warm kiss. Between kisses, he murmured almost casually, "I heard you spent your afternoon at the North Pavilion."

The second those words left his mouth, my entire body stiffened, and my mind immediately went back to Seraphina.

To the beautiful, secluded terrace and, most annoyingly, to the thought that Kaelen might have built that place for her.

Before he could notice the sudden change in my expression, I forced myself to smile lightly and nodded. But Kaelen’s eyes lingered on my face, the playful warmth in them fading as he studied me like he was trying to figure out what had just changed.

Thankfully, a sharp knock at the door interrupted us.

"Ah..." Kaelen muttered, seeming to remember something. He glanced toward the door before calling out, "Come in."

Seconds later, a maid stepped inside with her head bowed, carrying a tray with the exact glass of milk I’d grown to hate so much.

Stepping away from me, Kaelen took the glass from her and dismissed her with a brief gesture. The moment the door clicked shut behind her, I reached for the glass in his hand.

Before he could say anything, I tipped it back and swallowed the entire thing in one go, immediately wincing at the bitter taste that lingered on my tongue.

I wiped the corner of my mouth as Kaelen let out a pained groan, dragging a hand through his red hair.

"Fuck... I feel like such a jerk."

I sighed softly, a little annoyed as I looked at him. "I’m not complaining, really. You need to stop beating yourself up over it."

"But still..." he muttered, reaching for the empty glass beside him before setting it back down on the nightstand. His hands then slid slowly up my arms until they settled on my shoulders, giving them a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "It just feels like it’s taking forever."

"Tell me about it," I shot back with a faint laugh, although I’d be lying if I said his impatience didn’t sting a little. I knew he wanted this just as badly as I did, but hearing him talk about how long it was taking still made something twist quietly inside me.

I looked up into his eyes, and almost without thinking, a question suddenly popped into my head.

"A boy or a girl?"

Kaelen’s brows immediately furrowed, confusion flashing across his face. "What?"

I rested my hands against his chest, looking up at him as I searched his expression. "Which would you prefer... a boy or a girl?"

The question seemed to catch him completely off guard. He let out an awkward little sound and cleared his throat, his dark eyes moving between mine as though he genuinely hadn’t expected me to ask him that.

"Honestly... I’ve never really thought about it," he admitted after a moment, his voice softening as he pulled me a little closer. "I just want a child. Our child. Someone who belongs to both of us."

He paused, seeming to think about it for a few seconds before a tender warmth slowly settled into his gaze. "But if I really had to pick... I think I’d want a girl, to be honest."

"Why?" I asked softly, my heart fluttering at this rare, vulnerable side of him.

"Because I want a little girl who looks exactly like you,"