Ever since she arrived in this world, all of that had vanished. Only now, as she thought it) over, did Freya realize how much she’d changed. She was still herself, still normal–but it felt like she’d lost the spark she used to have. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized all those changes had one thing in common, Louis.
Louis watched the woman in his arms fall into silent contemplation. He didn’t interrupt her. He’d been trying to wait, but Freya had never noticed this problem, and he was reaching his limit.
Back in the day, he never would’ve believed he could care so much about something like this -whether a woman was being truly open with him or not.
But he couldn’t help it; he just cared.
The longer Freya reflected, the more she saw how deeply she’d been influenced by Louis.
Before all this, she was just a regular person. Louis, on the other hand, was someone who should’ve always existed on a completely different plane. Even though fate had thrown them together in this new world, she still felt a kind of inferiority.
Maybe it was subconscious, but the difference in manners, upbringing, and life experience had put a weight on her without her even realizing it. It was like an invisible leash keeping her from showing her full, unfiltered self.
In other words, she had an image to maintain.
Especially since everything Louis did exuded that noble, untouchable aura, Freya figured that if she hadn’t had a strong enough core, she would’ve been exposed the moment she crossed over–would’ve had no idea what to do with herself in front of someone like him.
But this was a problem. Couples weren’t supposed to keep up a façade around each other forever. If Louis hadn’t brought it up, she probably wouldn’t have realized it on her own.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Freya nodded as she finally understood, completely agreeing with Louis. She didn’t hide anything, either.
“It’s just that most people would feel self–conscious around you. Of course, I’ve got an image to maintain, so yeah, I act a little reserved. But are you sure you can handle it if I drop the
act?”
The hand Louis had been running through her hair paused. It was as if he’d sensed that the thing he’d been waiting for might finally be about to happen. His voice held the slightest note of anticipation.
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Chapter 363
“I can handle it.”
Freya figured she might as well start being her full, honest self. Even if things didn’t work out in the end, she knew Louis would never treat her badly. But if she kept pretending forever, that would basically be emotional fraud.
Once she’d thought it through, a big, bright smile lit up her face. She smacked a loud kiss on Louis‘ cheek.
“There, you said it first.”
Joy bubbled
up
inside Louis; a rare smile softened his striking features. “I did.”
Freya threw her arms around him. “I like you. In this life and the last–you’re the only one I’ve ever liked.”
Maybe before, she’d held back because she thought being too direct about her feelings made her vulnerable. Or maybe it was just her pride. Either way, she’d always been reserved. But when she thought about it now, none of that mattered. Was openly showing affection really something to be afraid of?
Louis couldn’t stop himself from holding her tighter–and then kissing her again.
When he finally let her go, Freya’s face was flushed a deep red, her cheeks soft and pink, absolutely adorable. He leaned in for another kiss, but she quickly blocked him, voice tinged with the kind of flustered outrage only girls could manage.
“No more kissing! I’m going to suffocate. You promised to let me make money and support the family. You can’t get distracted by beauty!”
“If it’s beauty, why shouldn’t I be distracted?” Louis asked with a smile that looked far too serious. “Money’s easy. Beauty that makes your heart race–that’s rare.”
Louis was normally so aloof and dignified–saying something like that with a straight face and a slight smile, nearly gave Freya a heart attack. She clutched her chest dramatically.
“Stop! You know you’re good–looking and you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? I admit I like you, but you can’t keep seducing me like this! I may be shallow, but even shallow girls have dignity!”
What she didn’t know was that Louis had just made up his mind—he was absolutely going to keep seducing her from now on.
“Let go already! I have to write. I promised my readers I’d post an extra update today. I can’t break my word. I’m scared of getting fat.”
“What’s breaking a promise got to do with gaining weight?”
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Chapter 363
“Because if you break your word, you gain weight!” she said, tossing a punny one–liner out of nowhere.
Louis stared at her as she blinked up at him, clearly proud of her own dumb joke. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her again, but she stood firm in her refusal, leaving him no choice but to give up–for now.
Freya helped him straighten his clothes, her cheeks still pink and her big, bright eyes blinking innocently. In a serious tone, she said, “Dude, you’ve got to stick to your character. You’re supposed to be the cold, aloof type. You can’t just go around kissing me all the time. That’s not how you started out.”
“When a cold, aloof man meets his adorable wife, doesn’t he always break character?” Louis said smoothly.
