Rebirth: The unfavored Princess is the Tyrant King's favorite-Chapter 77: Did you miss me?

Luciana’s thoughts were too turbulent by now to even realize how gentle he was staring down at her in his arms.

"It’s okay; you don’t have to tell me," he cooed, his voice gentle and warm. Seeing her like this tugged at his heartstrings. Especially since guilt washed over him as his thoughts went to the day he massacred her family.

He thought Luciana might have dreamt of her late parents’ death.

That was the only stumbling block between them, her parents causing his mother’s situation and him taking their lives. But he was going to make sure that soon there would be no stumbling block between them.

He raised his large, calloused hands, roughened due to years of wielding the sword and countless bloodshed, and gently rubbed her cheeks.

Luciana felt her heart calming down and regaining control of her emotions under his gentle touch. Seeing how she leaned on him like a defenseless bunny, his movements became even more deliberate and gentle.

When she didn’t push him away like she usually did, his heart swelled, and he gently carried her petite frame onto his lap, her head comfortably resting on his shoulders.

His hands tightened around her, and for a few moments, they both enjoyed each other’s company in silence.

"You stayed long in the palace today; did something happen?" She asked gently, her voice calm now as she put that experience in the back of her mind.

Today, because she had slept in and had woken up quite late, and also due to the fact that he wanted to help her get a hot bath to soothe her soreness and give her some pain relief medicines personally, he had reached the palace around noon.

He already knew he had a lot of work from the previous day, but upon his arrival, he received an impromptu order from the emperor to be the one to listen in on the complaints of the commoners during the commoner’s court and also be the one to resolve all their issues.

The commoner’s court was a court session where anyone, whether slave or noble, had the opportunity to air their problems and grievances to the emperor and receive his wise advice and solutions.

Thanks to that, after he finished, it was already past 3 pm, and if he wanted to complete all his remaining tasks, he would even have to spend the night in the palace, but because he wanted to be with her, he had divided his work into halves and had completed half, causing it that he could only return now.

Sometimes he couldn’t help but think his new tasks were preventing him from being with her and spending time with her. But he couldn’t deny he loved helping the people in his country and putting measures in place so that the people of Gloryland had the best in everything was something he was very passionate about.

"Did you miss me?" he finally answered her question, trying to mess with her and take her mind off whatever she dreamt of.

"I didn’t," she said and tried to wiggle out of his embrace, but he held her in place.

He was already getting warm due to her being in his arms, and his brain had started being influenced by her feminine scent and how her constant moving about caused their bodies to rub together.

"It seems like you did; your answer sounds too defensive," he taunted.

"I didn’t miss you," she insisted.

"Not even a little?"

"No."

"Maybe I should rectify that tonight. I’ll make sure to feed you and satisfy you so much that I leave a lasting impression this time around so that you don’t forget about me so easily," he promised.

"No... I can’t; if we do it again, I’ll be too tired and sore again," she protested.

Nicholas feigned a look of confusion before he grinned down at her and said in a low whisper,.

"Why do I feel as if the both of us are talking about different things? You are not thinking about anything dirty in that head of yours, are you? I’m talking about food; I heard from the maids you’ve still not eaten."

Luciana’s cheeks became hot at his words.

’Could it be that she had misunderstood his words? Oh, how embarrassing?! No, he was tricking her; that is what he meant.’

"I didn’t think anything dirty; it’s your fault that’s exactly what you meant; you are messing with me," she scoffed, trying not to fall into his trap.

Nicholas laughed at how cute she looked as her expressions kept changing. His fingers poked her cheeks, which had become puffy due to her anger, and she hit his hands away.

"Don’t poke my cheeks," she hissed.

"You’re too adorable for your own good, Wildflower," he said and chuckled.

"Don’t call me Wildflower," she said, wiggling about on his lap.

’Did she know rubbing her bottom on his lap like that and grazing that part was arousing him?’ he thought. He wondered if she could feel his hardening member beneath her.

"But it suits you; you are my wildflower," he said, only for her to glare at him and pout her lips.

"It’s because it’s a lame name," she retorted, not realizing how she was acting so comfortably in his arms, and her face that was lying in between his chest and the crook of his neck kept rubbing his skin anytime she lifted her gaze to look at him.

Nicholas forced himself not to focus on what her actions were doing to him. Since all his senses were going haywire. ’This little seductress...She was seducing him without doing anything.’

"You don’t know why I call you wildflower?" He asked, his voice coming out hoarse.

"Why do you call me Wildflower?" She asked.

"Why don’t you guess?" He teased her, and his hand began to move on her back and neck, gently caressing and massaging her skin and causing her to relax against him without realizing it.

"I don’t like guessing," she admitted.

"It’s because of your free spirit, Luciana; when I met you, you made me realize what it is like to be a part of the earth and sky. You are a breathing embodiment of life’s mystery... My wildflower, found in the deepest part of the woods, hidden from view," he said.

"Such a smooth talker," Luciana said and wrinkled her nose, licking her lips that suddenly felt parched. She didn’t notice the hungry gaze following all her movements.

"Thanks to you. You bring out a side of me I didn’t know I possessed," he mused. His gaze fixed on her wet lips.

Suddenly, even though he knew she might be hungry since the maids told him she had still not eaten and his initial thoughts had been to come and fetch her to feed her some food, he was tempted to do something entirely different.

She was his poison, breaking down all his defenses, slowly moving through his veins, and leaving him at her mercy.

Luciana thought she could hear the thumping of his heart and comfortably leaned her head on his chest to listen. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, realizing her heart was beating in a similar rhythm.

’Was this what love felt like?’ she inwardly asked herself. For the first time in both lives, she felt she wanted to stay in his arms this way... forever... always...

It felt natural, no feeling of obligation, no feeling of hatred, just peace. Nicholas saw her closed eyes and couldn’t resist any longer. He leaned in and captured her lips, taking her by surprise, and her previously shut eyes flew open.

"Close your eyes, Luciana," he whispered against her lips when he saw her widened eyes staring at him.

Like a little bunny, she obediently followed his instructions, and both of their lips began to entangle in a familiar dance as old as time.