About Your Pride and My Prejudice

Side Story Chapter 18: I Love You

Side Story Episode 18: I Love You

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The white owl and the black cat watched for a long time as the red sun seemed to sink beneath the surface, sipping champagne. They could not count how many words of love were exchanged beneath the crimson glow.

As darkness fell, the deck was illuminated with sumptuous columns of fire. The atmosphere aboard, filled with excited commotion, was so heated that it seemed to make the outdoor dance party feel out of place. When the orchestra, having finished tuning their instruments, began their performance, the romantic ambiance intensified.

Alan’s straight shoulders slowly lowered. Melissa watched him extend his hand with a sense of dreamlike reverence.

If life were a movie, the best scenes would undoubtedly be those moments spent with him.

As she thought that everything she had endured through the long and arduous introduction was only to witness this moment, she felt a lump in her throat. It was an indescribably overwhelming feeling.

“Melissa?”

At that moment, Alan’s worried voice pulled her out of her reverie.

Even behind his mask, his gaze remained steady and unwavering. His cold, moon-like eyes solely desired her. The torches swaying in the sea breeze cast golden waves over his jet-black hair and chiseled shoulders.

“No.”

With a bright smile, Melissa followed his lead and performed her courtesy. As soon as her hand, encased in elegant opera gloves, was gently placed on his black-gloved palm, a lively dance tune began.

Alan was impeccably elegant as he danced. Even with the same movements, there was something distinctly different when he performed them.

‘Is it strange to think this way? Since he excels at everything physical…’

Yet, despite this, was it really so thrilling to dance with the husband she fell asleep and woke up next to every day?

The passion hidden behind those ice-cold eyes was hotter than fire. Melissa’s heart raced so much at his flawless gaze that she stumbled through the steps several times. It felt as though she had become a young girl just starting to learn how to dance.

If not for Alan’s skilled leading, she might have been dancing off in the wrong direction instead of being pulled back into his arms.

Thinking about it made her smile helplessly. Sometimes he could be mischievous, but as he tenderly circled the pretty cat who loved him more than himself, Melissa struggled to hold back the smile that kept slipping from her lips. Her heart felt as though it had swallowed a balloon and was floating with excitement.

Meanwhile, the music shifted to a slower tempo. The once-blooming dresses of the women, which had looked like bright flowers, now seemed calm and serene like delicate buds.

Even though everyone at the ball wore masks, the lovers filling the hall all appeared blissfully happy. While each person had their own story, the way they tenderly embraced and softly conversed with one another sparkled like moonlight reflected on a calm lake. Time seemed to pass like a dream.

“Melissa.”

With one hand holding hers and the other resting on his chest, Alan drew her waist a little closer while softly whispering.

“If my life were a play…”

His deep voice seeped into her skin, like a touch.

“The best scene would surely be you.”

The enchanting low tone felt like a performance just for her. As she clung to him and took slow steps, Melissa thought it was amazing. She had been reminded of the same thing when she saw him asking to dance.

“I had a similar thought…”

Alan laughed like the wind at that answer and added in a slightly softer voice,

“It’s okay if everything else is boring. I’ll buy a ticket just for the scene you’re in.”

“……”

Melissa swallowed silently. Even though Alan’s life wouldn’t be boring without her, her heart was filled entirely with love because of that strange confession.

“No, the theater.”

“……I can’t be stopped.”

Eventually, Melissa burst into laughter. Alan, who hoped that his sincerity wouldn’t sound like a joke, gently detached her from him. Everything around them was moving slowly, while only the two of them were still.

It was truly a magical moment.

“I mean it, Melissa.”

“……Alan.”

“If I have to watch it for the rest of my life, I would, gladly.”

At that moment, a huge firework shot up behind Alan and exploded with a bang in the middle of the distant night sky.

“Oh…….”

Soon, dozens of fireworks soared one after another, creating a grand and brilliant display. Melissa, as if enchanted, removed her mask.

Her transparent eyes and pale cheeks were now dyed in vivid colors. Melissa gazed up at the night sky with her lips slightly parted, lost in thought, while Alan watched her.

“Jack, over here!”

The first-class and even third-class passengers gathered with cheers, making the area crowded. It was no surprise that the dance was temporarily halted.

“Wow! This is the best view!”

“Come up here! Can’t you hear?”

The excited crowd surged like a tide around them. Alan, who hadn’t been this irritable in a long time, quickly wrapped his arms around her to protect Melissa from being pushed by the crowd.

However, perhaps because tonight’s fireworks were particularly magnificent and splendid, the deck was gradually becoming overcrowded, as everyone from the crew to the passengers had come out.

Amid the clamor of the pressing crowd, Alan could no longer maintain a space for her. Melissa, gradually pushed toward him by the immense force, ended up nestled in his arms. As she unconsciously held her breath and looked up at him, their gazes finally met.

The beautiful gray-blue eyes, which had been following only him, sparkled like blue jewels.

“……”

Melissa, as if spellbound, removed his mask. As his desperate face was dyed with the same light as hers, the two of them urgently breathed together, without anyone saying who should start. Amid the chaotic crowd moving like waves, their time alone stood still.

It felt as if the entire world was submerged in water, all noise silenced at once, while the fireworks continued to blaze in the night sky, seemingly blessing their love.

If life were a play, the highlight would undoubtedly be a moment like this.

When their slowly overlapping and merging lips finally parted, they silently gazed at each other for a brief time. In the profound silence, Alan slowly brushed his slightly flushed round cheek with his thumb.

He couldn’t believe this moment. The time he spent without her felt like meaningless lies.

Then Melissa, with moist eyes, whispered,

“I love you.”

“……”

Alan murmured softly. He wanted to respond, but he wasn’t confident that any words could capture this feeling.

In the end, he pressed his lips to hers again. This time, it wasn’t a hot and passionate kiss. Instead, he dedicated the slowest and most sacred kiss of his life to his one true love.

At that moment, Melissa burst into a ticklish laugh. Naturally, their hands touched and then tightly clasped.

They were soon pushing through the crowd and running energetically toward their cabin. Despite being out of breath, Melissa couldn’t stop laughing. She seemed to be experiencing a pure and perfect form of happiness.

Alan’s chest gradually grew tight. He found it hard to maintain his composure. The faint warmth of their joined hands and the innocent sound of her laughter all began to feel sensually overwhelming.

At the moment when he cursed the unnecessarily large Moonlight ship, Melissa, finally out of breath, pulled Alan’s hand and stopped.

He felt a sincere relief then. He just smiled neatly, trying to hide his feelings.

“Darling.”

When Melissa looked up at him with a flushed face, he lightly patted his chest twice.

“Come here.”

Instead of being flustered by his words, Melissa jumped into his arms like an excited puppy. Her slender ankles crossed firmly behind Alan’s back. Feeling his heart tighten, he gently adjusted his embrace of his wife. Finally, they could run freely with full speed.

As the masquerade ball seemed to be about to resume, the orchestra began to play again. It seemed the noisy fireworks had ended.

And the fireworks for the two of them were just beginning.

* * *

On the day they arrived in Sorne, fine snowflakes drifted down gently. The Flynn couple settled by the window of a restaurant overlooking the sea.

Since it was well past lunchtime, the interior was quiet. It was a moment when the fact that they had set off on a journey alone, without even a secretary, butler, or servant, felt particularly real.

However, Melissa, who was supposed to reflect on various thoughts while looking out the window, had been feeling unwell since the morning and was still in a daze.

Alan, feeling sorry, quickly poured more wine and asked with concern,

“Are you okay?”

He knew she should have been careful since it was their last night on the Moonlight. Despite knowing how difficult it was for her, he couldn’t stop himself…

While Alan continued to torment himself with guilt and reflection, Melissa took a sip of wine and replied with a subdued voice,

“……I’m okay. I usually get quite seasick.”

“…….”

“Still, it’s been less severe this time. Surprisingly so.”

Can he believe this? Alan, with a troubled heart, began cutting the rough sandwich in front of her into manageable pieces.

As she silently watched her husband, Melissa thought about how fortunate she was to be his only love. Even though it was just the two of them, their small family, his affection never left her feeling lonely or sad, providing a warm and comforting presence.

Turning her gaze to the rolling sea outside the window, or more precisely, the long railing in front of it, Melissa muttered softly,

“I talked to you from there once.”

Alan, who had been focused on neatly slicing the sandwich, looked up with a smile.

“Hmm?”

“Before I came back to you, when I was alone in Sourne.”

My quirky and lovable wife. Alan’s eyes, as he pushed the sandwich plate toward her, gradually softened.

“Yes, I love you too.”

“What’s this, all of a sudden?”

“The answer I couldn’t give back then.”

As soon as they finished their meal and got into the carriage, Melissa quickly fell into a deep sleep. Her peacefully sleeping face was so precious that Alan’s throat tightened. There was nothing he wouldn’t give up to preserve this peace.

For now, gently stroking the back of her hand was the best he could do. He would need to be careful to avoid disturbing her as they traveled for a while, but he could endure this minor discomfort without complaint.

After all, the one resting softly against him, breathing quietly, was Melissa Flynn. There could be no greater miracle.

It was only after the whole world had sunk into the depths of the night that he woke Melissa.

“Melissa.”

Alan, who had kissed her sleep-warmed cheek affectionately, whispered softly in her ear,

“We’ve arrived at Whitewood, Melissa.”

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