Transmigrated Into The Body Of The Cursed Prince Wife-Chapter 246: "Kiss me."

The moment Lucian left the courtroom, he went in search of his wife’s brother to discuss with him other alternatives if the king decided to fight against him instead of standing by him. He couldn’t take the risk of not having another way when he’d given them no choice in there.

Lucian went to the room given to Rylan, but the man wasn’t in there. He found two maids cleaning the room and asked them about his whereabouts. They told him the redheaded man was in the courtyard with his wife.

He made his way to the courtyard, but even before he rounded the corner, he could hear Ave and his sisters’ loud cheering voices and the clanging of swords. He couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in the courtyard until he walked there and saw it.

Rylan was sparring with one of Nazia’s men on the training grounds, and his men, who obviously seemed to have bet on a winner, stood to one side, grunting encouragement to Rylan while his wife and sisters were calling out his name. Even from the looks of it, the Nazia soldier, despite his size, was no match for his brother-in-law. He moved with swift, effortless speed and seemed skilled in handling his heavy sword with ease.

Lucian walked up to his wife from behind and circled his arm around her waist to get her attention. Though she turned her head to the side as she seemed to know it was him, her full attention was on her brother as she cheered for him at the top of her lungs. He tried to get her attention again by whispering her name, but she completely ignored him. He frowned in displeasure.

"Aveline, is he really your brother? Where did he come from? You two look so much alike," Celeste, who stood beside Ave, leaned to whisper to her without even realizing Lucian was standing behind them, as they all had their attention on the men fighting.

Ave blushed with pride as she whispered back to Celeste, "Yes, he is my brother. He was taken as a slave in Nazia when we were brought to the imperial palace as kids. He just realized I was here and came to see me." She told the lie Rylan had told Lucian’s men when he came to join them to train. She had been with him earlier when Prince Kale had come to call her into the courtroom, and he’d waited outside for her before they came out here together. Lucian’s men had been filled with worry as they all trained without spirit, worried about their families’ fate now that the Empress was in charge and had taken over the Empire. She would do anything to get to kill Lucian and have her hands on Ave.

The men were always energetic in their daily training since the day they’d arrived in this kingdom, but today they all looked worried until Rylan lightened up their mood by suggesting a spar against the Nazia men who had been training with energy at the other side of the yard. Lucian’s men had, in no time, placed their bet on Rylan as he was her brother. Celeste and Isolde had been watching from their rooms’ windows, but upon seeing her here, they’d come to watch as well. And for a moment, while she watched and cheered, she’d almost forgotten about their biggest problems and worries.

When Rylan knocked the other man’s sword away and pressed his blade against his throat, Ave clapped excitedly and then finally turned to her husband, who had been tapping her from behind. "Did you see how skilled Rylan is with his blade? I’ve always loved men who know how to handle swords with such ease, and who would have thought the Heavens would grant me a brother with not only good looks but skills!"

She beamed with pure pride that Lucian couldn’t help but get a bit jealous against his will. He could feel her excitement because of his mark, and it so happened that he’d never known his wife was into men who were skilled with swords. He would have impressed her way better than her brother had. Did she think Rylan’s skills were extraordinary?

"He’s not that steady with his aim," Lucian snorted as he watched his brother-in-law bask in the praises he raised from his men, including Zane, who was giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder because they’d earned a few pouches of gold coins from the other Nazia soldiers who’d bet with them. Did Zane know Rylan was the same as Aaron, who he despised? Even Orion was now hanging on Rylan like he did with Lucian. His little brother had not come running to him and getting on his nerves to give him his horse or his sword to practice. He was now holding Rylan’s sword and asking him if he had a mighty horse like Lucian because he’d told them he was an elite guard in a noble house in Nazia.

Even his twin sisters were rushing to meet Rylan, with Celeste handing him her handkerchief to wipe his sweat. He took it and gave her a brotherly pat on the head that made her blush and step back from him.

Lucian didn’t realize he was scowling in jealousy until he felt his wife’s hands cup his face and bring it down to her. She was smiling up at him with those mesmerizing blue eyes of hers that always set his heart and loins on fire.

"I know that look anywhere," she said with a teasing grin, her voice light and playful. "You’re jealous. Not of Rylan, of course—you’re above all that. No, this is about your siblings, isn’t it? You’re so used to them idolizing you, and now they’ve found someone else to fawn over. Poor Lucian, dethroned as their favorite." Her grin widened as she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "But don’t worry, darling. You’ll always be my favorite. No one else even comes close."

Lucian raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a small smirk despite himself. "Dethroned? Hardly. Let them have their fun. Rylan’s charm will wear off soon enough." He leaned in slightly, his voice low and smooth, with a hint of a challenge. "And as for being your favorite, I don’t need your reassurance. I know I am. After all," he added with a sly smile, "I’m the one who holds your attention so completely now that you’re still cupping my face like I might disappear if you let go."

Ave didn’t even realize she was still holding onto his face until he said it. She blushed earnestly. However, when she was about to release his face, his hands came over hers to keep them there before his eyes trailed down from her eyes to her nose, then fell on her lips. "Kiss me," he whispered thickly as he gazed at her eyes.

"You’re kidding, right? We’re outside, in the courtyard with your siblings and my brother and your men." She chuckled as she couldn’t believe he’d say that when they were in public. She could do more than kiss him in private because she knew kissing those sinful, bewitching lips of his didn’t end only with a kiss—it always led to touching and then all. She couldn’t imagine losing control outside where everyone was. She’d never experienced the embarrassment of having her sibling know what she did with her husband the night before until when Rylan met her earlier and saw the hickey her husband had left on her skin despite her efforts to try to cover it up, but due to the exposing cultural dresses of the Nazias, it had been useless.

He didn’t ask her where she got the hickey and bruises from, but the light blush on his earlobe made her realize immediately that he certainly knew what she’d done with her husband last night. It had been awkward and weird that they’d stared at each other until Prince Kale had come to call her. Now this husband of hers wanted a kiss in public when they’d spent the night making love and basking in each other’s warmth.

"Nobody is watching us. They’re busy being the fans of your brother," he whispered softly as he leaned down to capture her inviting lips with his. Believing that nobody was watching, she closed her eyes and leaned forward. However, before their lips touched, someone cleared their throat beside them.

Ave jolted and moved away from her enticing, delicious husband, who she couldn’t get enough of no matter how much time they’d spent in bed, and turned to see Rylan, his arms crossed against his chest as he scowled at her husband with everyone else watching them with flushed faces.

"You should have some respect for my sister in public, Your Highness. Do whatever you must when you’re alone with her, but keep your hands to yourself when she’s outside," Rylan warned through gritted teeth as he pulled Ave away from Lucian and to his side.

In this day and age, no couple showed public affection despite the love they had for each other, but to Lucian, may the heavens and rules be damned, he didn’t care about it. Any husband who couldn’t shower his wife with all the affection he showered her with in private, in public, were nothing but lunatics to him. He’d always seen married couples doing no more than holding hands in public, but now that he knew the beauty of having a wife and loving her, he didn’t want to be one of the many husbands of their era to his wife, who had lived the future before. He would do as he well damned pleased for as long as she was comfortable with it.

Smirking at Rylan, Lucian reached out his hand and grabbed his wife by the waist. Right before Rylan’s eyes, he crushed his lips against hers in a brief, breathtaking kiss before he released her and looked at his brother-in-law. "She is my wife, if you are forgetting. If anyone feels uncomfortable watching us kiss, they can look away. Nobody’s keeping their head in our direction, right, love?" He turned to his wife, who looked like a cute red-faced kitten beside him.

Since when did her husband become this bold? It almost seemed like they’d exchanged beliefs, and he was the one from the future. Ave turned to Rylan and noticed the concern on his lips twitching as if he was holding back a smile.

"What did you discuss with the king?" Rylan questioned, all of a sudden changing the topic at hand, and Ave found herself sighing in relief at the fact that the two men she cared about weren’t about to fight again. She also became curious about what Lucian had discussed with the royal court members.

Still holding his wife to him, Lucian replied, "I gave them until evening to decide on a course of action. It’s either they stand by me or against me."

"What if they choose to go against you? I mean, what if they tell the Empress about us being here?" Ave questioned worriedly as she looked up to meet her husband’s calm eyes.

"They wouldn’t," Rylan said, his tone steady and assured. "The were-people and the night creatures have been sworn enemies for centuries. It is a hatred rooted in survival—long ago, the night creatures sought to destroy the last of the wolf-blooded, believing their extinction would solidify their claim as the most powerful beings on earth. That rivalry has never faded, not even now. No matter how much the Nazia may dislike Lucian, they would never align themselves with the night creatures. To betray one of their own to such an enemy would go against everything their kind stands for."

"So now we just have to wait and hear what they decide," Ave muttered, slightly assured that no matter what, the people here wouldn’t join forces with the Empress to get to her husband. "What if they choose to go against you?" she asked Lucian.

"They wouldn’t," he said with certainty and assurance in his voice. "Don’t let yourself worry too much about what they decide. Let them be the ones to be uneasy, not you, my love." He caressed her cheeks tenderly, and when the worry lines didn’t fall away from her brows, he grinned as his eyes brightened.

"I heard from Zane you are good in archery. I’d like you to show me how good you are!" Lucian said as he turned to order someone to bring him a bow and arrow.

Ave knew he was trying to distract her thoughts from worrying about the unknown. She would have told him to let her worry, but then she would also like him to see her skills with an arrow. She had never had anyone she loved cheering her on for the big and small achievements she made in the modern world, and now that she had her husband and brother with her and in-laws, she felt she’d like to show them just how good she was and see if they’d be proud of a skill she mastered through hard work and sweat.

"Get the bow and arrow!" she said cheerfully, unable to hide her excitement.