TILLY WOKE up when she felt Kiho's body shake.

She opened her eyes and found Kiho on the other side of the bed with his back turned on her. He was crouching, his body shivering probably from the cold. He was wearing a shirt but obviously, that wasn't enough to keep him warm. And instead of wrapping himself in the thick blanket, he let her monopolize it instead.

Ah, right. It's already winter.

She remembered that Kiho wasn't good at handling the cold during winter. His body was already cold and so during this season, he would feel even colder. And thus, the shaking.

My poor baby.

She scooted next to him and wrapped her arms around his waist while making her body warmer than usual. Yes, she served as a human heater for him but she didn't mind. A few moments later, Kiho's body finally stopped from shivering.

"Tilly?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for keeping me warm," Kiho said softly. "I appreciate it."

"You��re welcome," she said. "You didn't have to scoot away from me, hon."

"I didn't want to wake you up with my shivering."

Gosh, he was always this selfless and thoughtful when it came to her. He would rather endure than inconvenience her.

"I don't mind," she told him. "Also, I won't mind if you snagged the blanket from me. I don't feel cold even if it's winter."

"Just because you don't feel cold doesn't mean you won't get sick from it," he scolded her lightly. "You should always bundle up with warm clothes for yourself and for our baby, Tilly."

"Okay," she said with a pout. "Then, the next time you shiver from cold, just hug me. I'm warm. And I can increase my warmth for you. You can be greedy, you know?"

"I'll remember that," he said. "Thank you, honey."

"Why aren't you turning around to face me, Kiho?" she lightly complained. "Don't you want to see my just-woke-up face? Do you find me ugly now?���

"You'll always be beautiful to me, Tilly. Even your "just-woke-up face" is enough to leave me breathless," Kiho said in a sincere tone. "But I'm enjoying the feel of your breasts pressed nicely against my back."

Tilly's cheeks burned, then she laughed heartily. "Kiho, you pervert!"

She said that, but her hand reached down to cup his erection.

He groaned, his manhood getting rock-hard now.

"Touch me," he said under his breath. "Please touch me, Tilly."

Instead of answering verbally, she just slid her hand inside his trousers. When her fingers found his cock, he inhaled sharply. She teasingly slid her hand up and down his length.

Pleasuring him turned her on as well. Her nipples strained against the thin fabric of her nightgown. Using her other hand, she pulled down her neckline until her nipples were directly touching his wide expanse of back.

She loved the tingling sensation it caused her.

Moaning, she rubbed her breasts against his warm and solid back as she pumped his cock faster. Gosh, she almost came when her nipples brushed against the tight muscles of his back.

"Tilly," Kiho whispered, his breath uneven. "I'm close…"

As a response, she licked his shoulder blade.

That seemed to "end" him.

His cock spasmed in her hand and then, her skin felt the warm liquid coming out of him. And his release took longer than usual.

Wow, it's a lot this time.

Kiho finally turned around to face her. Then, he leaned down to give her a deep, passionate, and long good morning kiss.

Good morning, too, honey.

And her morning got even better when his kiss started to trail down her neck, collarbone, breasts, navel…

… and even further.

Just like that, Kiho's head was now placed comfortably between her legs.

Hot.

Kiho, without breaking eye contact with her, kissed her inner thigh.

Gosh!

Tilly grabbed the bed sheet under, bracing herself for the pleasure that her husband could and would definitely give her.

What a way to start the day right.

***

"DO YOU usually wake up this late?"

Tilly almost spilled her tea literally because of Luna's question.

In the corner of her eyes, she could see Kiho blushing.

Gosh, what a question.

As embarrassing as it was, they let Luna, their valued guest, to have breakfast by herself instead of joining her because they "woke up" late.

Lies.

They woke up early but their uh, "intimate activities" ended a little bit too late. They finished taking a bath together around ten in the morning.

"Wait, don't answer my question," Luna said while looking at her and Kiho from side to side. It was obvious that the witch noticed their reddening cheeks. "I don't want to throw up the breakfast I just had."

Tilly almost laughed at that.

Anyway, right now, they were in the tea room. The garden was being renovated so instead of having tea outside, she decided to use that room instead. They shared a round table. Aside from tea, a variety of snacks and pastries were also prepared.

Kiho cleared his throat and when Tilly and Luna turned to him, only then did he speak. "Miss Luna, do you have a spell that will somehow protect Tilly while she's in the temple? Unfortunately, she's not allowed to bring her own servants and knights while fulfilling her duties as the Beast Priestess. I can't also visit her during the three days that she'd be serving in the church. I want to make sure that she'd be capable of protecting herself."

Last night, she told Kiho that Luna already know who and what she was.

Her husband wasn't really comfortable with the idea that another person knew her real identity. But she managed to convince him that they could trust Luna.

"You don't have to worry too much, Your Grace," Luna said to Kiho. "Lady Nystrom wouldn't get hurt in the temple. After all, she is the heart of the Red Phoenix."

"What do you mean by that, Miss Luna?" Kiho asked. "Why is the heart of the Red Phoenix safe in the temple?"

"Kids these days don't know that the temple was built in honor of the Four Beast Gods," Luna said.

""Beast Gods?"" Tilly asked curiously. "You mean the Four Ancient Beasts?"

"That's what they are called now," the witch said in a bitter voice. "But until a century ago, they are known and feared as the Beast Gods. They aren't just living weapons for the Moonchesters– they are gods, you know?"

She let out a soft gasp. "That's so cool."

"Tilly, you're really amazing," Kiho said in a cheerful voice. When she turned to him, she saw that his yellowish eyes were glowing as if he was so proud of her. "You have the heart of a god. Your existence is really special."

"You're more special, dummy," Luna whispered to no one before she sipped her tea.

"What was that?" Tilly asked Luna curiously. "Sorry, I didn't catch what you said, Miss Luna."

"I said there's a special room in the temple," the witch said, then put down her cup on the table. "Lady Nystrom, when you get to the temple, I want you to find the room for the Red Phoenix. Unlike the room for the Blue Dragon, Golden Tiger, and Black Serpent, the room for the Red Phoenix is hidden and locked. I've been there once but as far as I know, they change the location of the room every year."

She blinked in surprise. "Miss Luna, you've been to the temple before?"

"Before Stella and I were found by Lahara, we used to be high-profile thieves," the witch said proudly. "I tried to steal a statue from the temple. That was how I got into the room for the Red Phoenix. When I touched the red bird's statue, I was able to hear its voice. That's why I want you to find it as well. If you touch the statue, I'm hoping that your connection to the Red Phoenix would return."

"Oh, okay."

"I'm sure you'll find it easily because you're the Red Phoenix Priestess."

""Red Phoenix Priestess?""

"According to the Red Phoenix, that's the other name for the Supreme," the witch explained. "When the Fire Mages were hunted, they started to call the Supreme as the 'Priestess' to hide her identity from the enemies."

"I like the sound of it," she said honestly. "Now I'm excited to go to the temple and do a treasure hunt by myself."

"Tilly, don't wander too much," Kiho scolded her lightly. "Remember, you're not alone. Winter is with you."

"Oh, that's right," she said, then she placed her hands on her tummy. "Let's go on an adventure together, my little cinnamon roll."

Her husband sighed. "I wish I could go with you."

"Like I said, the temple is a safe place for the heart," Luna said to Kiho. "But since you're worrying too much, let me give you a gift." She extended her hands to them. "Give me your wedding rings."

Tilly and Kiho looked at each other, and then they both nodded before taking off their wedding rings. Then, they gave the rings to Luna."

"Any jewelry or accessory except for the wedding ring will be confiscated from you once you enter the temple, Lady Nystrom. So let me put a spell on your ring," the witch said, then she closed her eyes and muttered an incantation in a language that she didn't understand.

A few moments later, she noticed a strange black mark on the band of the rings.

What's that?

"Done," Luna declared. Then, she returned the rings to her and Kiho. "I've put a strong spell on your rings." The witch turned to her. "Lady Nystrom, if you find yourself in danger when you're in the temple, just kiss the mark on the band of the ring." After saying that, she turned to Kiho. "Duke Nystrom, once the mark on the band of your ring lights up, I want you to hide yourself if you can. Once the mark disappeared, you'd literally vanish and be teleported to where Lady Nystrom is."

"Teleportation?" Kiho asked in disbelief. "That's a high-level magic, Miss Luna."

"Well, I'm a high-level witch," Luna declared, then flipped her hair before she sipped her tea. "But even if I am that powerful, breaking the temple's holy barrier wouldn't be easy. So unfortunately, you can only use that once."

"I hope Tilly wouldn't need a reason to use this spell," Kiho said worriedly, then he turned to her. "Honey, please be extra careful."

"I will," Tilly promised him. "I'll protect Winter."

They were about to kiss when Luna put down the tea cup on the table with a little bit of force.

"Don't. I've been single now for one hundred years so don't you dare kiss in front of me," Luna warned them. "I'll seriously throw up if you do."

"Hundred years?" Tilly asked in surprise. "I thought you were in adolescence when Lahara found you."

"I'm a witch," she reminded her. "We age differently from humans."

"Oh, I see."

"Miss Luna, can we excuse ourselves now?" Kiho asked eagerly. "I want to kiss my wife."

Tilly blushed, then giggled and playfully hit her husband on the arm. "Oh, Kiho."

"This is why I hate couples," Luna declared in an irritated voice, then she shooed them away in a playful voice. "Get out of my sight, you clingy lovers."

***

LUNA sighed when Lady Nystrom and the new duke finally left the tea room.

Then, she gently slapped her mouth.

"You stupid mouth," Luna scolded herself. "You almost revealed Kiho Nystrom's identity."

Kiho Nystrom's identity as an ancient god was the only thing she couldn't revel to Lady Nystrom yet.

The relationship between the Red Phoenix and the Black Serpent was very, very complicated. If the Black Serpent consciousness returned at this moment, that would be a catalyst for a disaster.

Unfortunately, even though she liked calling the emperor dumb, he wasn't stupid. She knew that the emperor was aware of Kiho's identity, too. But he was smart enough not to wake up the Black Serpent yet. But still, she couldn't trust that dumb ruler.

"Why did he marry Kiho off to Lady Nystrom?" Luna wondered to herself. "Doesn't he know that the son of the heart and the Black Serpent could either make the empire prosperous or destroy it?"

***

"MADAM, you received a box of letters from Captain Denver, the master of the Fire Wielder Guild," Butler David told Tilly. "The captain also sent a separate gift for you."

Tilly smiled but soon felt cold because of Kiho's aura.

Gosh, someone is jealous again.

Right now, they were in the library of their house because her husband asked him to teach him about business. They were supposed to go out and buy stocks from huge corporations. But since they "woke up" late, they decided to just stay home and study.

To be precise, they were now sitting side-by-side in the study table in front of the biggest shelf in the library.

"Thank you, David," Tilly said with a smile. "Please leave the letters and the gift on the table."

David bowed to her. "As you wish, Your Grace."

The head butler carefully placed the small box on the table. On top of that box is a rectangular velvet box with a ribbon. It wasn't hard to guess that the latter contained a piece of jewelry. And thus, Kiho was jealous again.

When the butler left, she turned to her husband.

"Kiho, shall we open Captain Denver's gift together?" Tilly asked Kiho who was sitting beside her. "Don't be upset. It's just probably a token of gratitude for the gifts we sent to his foundation."

Kiho nodded, but he was still frowning. "Even though it's a token of gratitude, I hope he didn���t choose a piece of jewelry for you."

Her smile froze.

Captain Denver's gift is obviously a piece of jewelry.

She didn't want to say it aloud so she just opened the rectangular velvet box.

And wow, she was greeted by a beautiful gold bracelet with rubies and diamond studs. It was obviously expensive, not a gift that a man would usually give a married woman.

God, is he waging war on my husband?!

She was surprised when the velvet box and the bracelet inside was suddenly enveloped with ice. Because she was startled, she accidentally dropped the box.

"I'll destroy that piece of jewelry," Kiho said, his golden eyes glaring at the innocent bracelet. "A captain has no business gifting you a piece of jewelry as beautiful as that."

She was about to scold Kiho but suddenly, the bracelet produced a red flame that melted the ice around the box and the jewelry itself.

That was when she realized what the gift was.

"Kiho, I don't think it's an ordinary jewelry," Tilly declared confidently. "I believe it's a tool I can use to conceal my ability as a Fire Mage."

***

PS: You may send gifts if you can. Thank you~

***

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