CHAPTER 171: SETTLING THEIR DIFFERENCES

Ashen was still lying in the same position, his chest rising and falling softly in deep sleep. The room was quiet, lit only by the faint glow of a candle flickering by the table.

Just then, the door creaked open and Ero stepped inside. "My Lord is being called..." he began, but Lumina quickly lifted a finger to her lips, silencing him. Her soft gesture was enough to make him freeze mid-sentence.

Ero’s gaze fell on Ashen who was asleep, his head resting slightly on her chest. For a brief moment, he was shocked. Then a small, relieved smile touched his lips.

He had hated seeing the two of them distant these past few days, their silence sharp enough to cut through the entire castle. Now, seeing them close again filled him with relief.

He bowed and silently stepped back, closing the door behind him.

Moments later, Ashen stirred. His lashes fluttered, and he blinked awake, confusion flickering in his eyes. "Did I... just fall asleep?" he muttered, sitting up a little.

Lumina let out a soft chuckle, brushing her fingers through his hair. "Of course you did. You have been avoiding home for days. Now that you are finally beside me, you fall asleep like a child."

Ashen sighed and rubbed his neck, his lips curving faintly. "Maybe your presence is... relaxing."

"Oh, so now I am your sleeping potion?" she teased, tilting her head.

He tried to sit up fully, motioning for her to move from his lap, but she shook her head, refusing.

"You wanted me here all along, and now you want to push me away?" she said mockingly.

"I am not pushing you away," he said, exasperated. "But my thigh is sore from you sitting there for so long."

She smirked. "My chest is sore too."

Ashen paused, staring at her, and a reluctant smile tugged at his mouth. "Mmm... allow me... the it for you" his lips softly grazed the hollow of her cleavage with soft kisses.

"Don’t you think you are becoming a perv?" she shot back. Her tone laced with playfulness between them felt like the calm after a storm.

"You are my wife... I have the right to you in every single part of your body... I wouldn’t like to know someone else touching you... I am possessive." Lumina smirked in return.

Then Lumina’s smile slowly faded. "Ashen, we need to talk."

The humor vanished from his face. "I knew that was coming," he said quietly. "Fine. Let’s start with you going to Adam and not telling me he touched you wrongfully."

She looked away immediately, "I didn’t want to tell you because... It’s a memory I would rather not relive. He crossed a line, and I stopped him, but you don’t know what it felt like. It’s not easy to speak about."

His expression softened, though anger still flickered in his eyes. "Was that why you were like that after he abducted you?"

"Yes," she whispered. "That was the reason. I knew if I told you, you would react this way."

Ashen took a slow breath and leaned back, forcing himself to calm. "Alright," he said, his voice low as he grabbed her chin making her face him.

"Then what about the ledger?"

Lumina swallowed, her hands twisting together nervously. "I am sorry. I took it without your permission... and gave it to Adam."

Ashen stared at her, disbelief crossing his face. "You gave him the same ledger that almost got me executed today?"

Her head lifted sharply. "I didn’t give him the real one."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I gave him a fake ledger," she said carefully. "I thought it would protect you. I wanted to fool him, but he played the game right back at me."

Ashen blinked. "Wait... you made a fake ledger?"

Lumina nodded, a mischievous spark glinting in her eyes. "You didn’t think you were the only one who could plan, did you?"

He leaned closer. "How did you even get the fake one? ,"

She smiled softly. "Watch." She extended her hand toward the table. "Pass me something."

He frowned but obeyed, handing a cup to her. Lumina took it carefully, closing her eyes as a faint glow of light surrounded her fingers. Slowly, she lifted her other hand and before Ashen’s astonished eyes, an identical cup shimmered into existence in her second palm.

Ashen’s mouth fell open. "You... you can clone objects?"

Lumina’s lips curved into a knowing smile. She placed a finger against his lips. "Shh. You don’t want the whole castle to know, do you?" Ashen collected the cups and he could only stare at her in disbelief.

"I have done this for your sake," she continued softly. "But you didn’t give me the time to explain before refusing to sleep at home."

He let out a low, incredulous laugh. "So, I had given you a fake ledger in the first place and you didn’t even realize it.. And you gave him another fake one too."

Lumina blinked, then chuckled. "So we are both real pairs? How lovely."

He rubbed a hand over his face. "I was angry because you didn’t confide in me, Lumina. You didn’t trust me. If we keep doing this, hiding things... we will lose ourselves."

She reached for him then, her voice gentle. "You are right. And I am sorry. I truly am."

He looked away, refusing at first to meet her eyes. "You always say that."

Lumina leaned forward, both hands resting on his chest as she slowly tilted her head to his face, her face just inches from his. "I said I am sorry," she whispered, her tone soft but insistent. "What do you want me to do for you to forgive me?"

Ashen’s heartbeat quickened. Her closeness, her warmth, made his walls falter. But he still shook his head slightly. "You should rest. The poison hasn’t fully subsided yet."

"Well, I won’t be going back to Adam anymore because Serena would be the one to help me with that," she murmured, her fingers tracing a line along his jaw.

Ashen groaned. "Here we go again. You have already made another plan without me, haven’t you?"

Lumina smiled with a teasing curve of her lips. "Maybe."

"Lumina..." he began warningly.

But before he could finish, she leaned in and kissed him.

It started soft, hesitant, but then deepened her lips pressing firmly against his, her fingers sliding up his neck.

When she finally pulled away, her breath lingered against his lips.

"We really are a pair, aren’t we?" she whispered.

"Promise not to hide anything from you again." she let out and Ashen stared at her for some seconds.

"I will place my bet on that then... but for now.." he locked his lips with hers.