Chapter 2000
Alaric stood rooted to the spot, digesting Hertha's words before the penny dropped. He hurried after her, "Hertha, they're newlyweds, basking in their honeymoon bliss. Is it really right for me to intrude and expect thanks?"
"There's nothing wrong with it," Hertha said.
"Every moment of a honeymoon is precious, don't you know?" Alaric said.This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - ©.
"I wouldn't know; I've never had one," Hertha replied nonchalantly, not slowing her pace.
"How can you say you've never had one? Three years ago, we had our moment, and that night gave us two beautiful kids," Alaric whispered, edging closer to Hertha with a mischievous grin, his words laced with an intimacy only they could understand.
Just thinking about that night made Alaric's throat tighten and warmth spread through his abdomen.
In all these years, only Hertha could make him feel this way. Just the thought of her was enough to stir him.
Other women were fleeting affairs, strangers passing by, with whom he never wanted a second encounter, let alone to reminisce.
But Hertha was different. Though they'd been together just once, she had lingered in his heart, impossible to shake off.
Even the mere memory of that night, its sweet intoxication, would swirl in his heart, impossible to dismiss.
The more he thought of Hertha, the more his heart yearned for her, craving even a glimpse to soothe his restless spirit.
After years of flitting from flower to flower, Alaric realized, this must be love.
Yes, he had fallen into the quagmire of love, unable to extricate himself.
Alaric's heartfelt words, coupled with his roguishly charming demeanor, seemed somewhat frivolous.
The heat of his breath on Hertha's ear made her skin tingle, and she instinctively recoiled, stopping in her tracks to turn and glare at Alafic, her wide eyes shimmering with @mix of alarm and irritation.
"Alaric, are you mocking me?" Hertha hissed, bristling like a cornered cat.
Alaric was taken aback, "How could I be mocking you? I was just..."
"Three years ago, it was your grandmother who served us that spiked punch and locked us up together, leading to what happened. We never got married, so what` honeymoon are we talking about? Alaric, if this isn't mockery, what is?"
Hertha was straightforward, always speaking her mind unless bound by secrets. If something bothered her, she wouldn't wait till the next day to say it.
Understanding her anger, Alaric
quickly tried to make amends, "That wasn't my intention... If you want to get married, let's do it. We can go get the license now, and I'll throw you a grand wedding tomorrow, how about that?"
Alaric leaned in, gently holding Hertha's shoulders, his eyes earnest and anxious, the deep affection and regard he had for Hertha brimming in his gaze.
His feelings for Hertha were overflowing, beyond concealment, and indeed, he had no intention of hiding them.