"I'll head downstairs to rest now," said Eloise.
"Okay." Steven did not even bother to look up. Only after Eloise left did he slide his hands into his pockets, his dark eyes shining brightly in the night.
He stood by the window, gazing out at the desolate view with his brows slightly furrowed. It had been so many years since he last returned, and it seemed that much had changed, including the people.
After drinking too much alcohol that evening, Charles, though appearing to behave himself, ended up being quite a challenge for Noelle.
Both of them disliked having outsiders in their homes, so even after getting married, they maintained their habit of not having any household staff around.
Noelle usually did not mind, but tonight, taking care of a drunk Charles by herself was proving exhausting.
She finally managed to get Charles out of his clothes, but then came the dilemma of how to drag him to the bathroom.
After weighing her options, Noelle decided to fetch a basin and water to wipe him down instead. It was not until the latter part of the night that she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Charles was calm when drunk. He did not get loud or cause a mess. Otherwise, Noelle felt she might have lost her mind.
She eventually drifted off into a hazy sleep in the middle of the night. She was not sure how long she had slept when she began to feel warm, noticing something on her lips and someone pressing down on her.
"Mmm..." Noelle let out a soft murmur, her eyes slowly fluttering open to find Charles propped up on one hand, leaning over her. His lips roamed freely across her face, and his expression showed no hint of inebriation.
Sensing Noelle was awake, Charles placed both hands on either side of the bed, lifting his head to look at her. "You're awake?"
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