Chapter 106 Chapter 106
Nicholas sat on the edge of the bed, his robe open, his hair messy, and an expression of disbelief on his face.
He looked at the closed bathroom door, then at the empty space on the bed, and let out a low, frustrated laugh, running his hand over his face.
“She ran away again...” he muttered, shaking his head, but with an inevitable smile on his lips.
Nicholas, who moments before had been immersed in a fog of desire, stood frozen on the edge of the bed.
The shock hit him like a bucket of cold water.
He looked at the empty space where she had been seconds ago, then at his own body, still painfully awake and in “standby mode.”
He could hardly believe it. He was one step away from paradise... and he was pushed away?
Had his wife physically rejected him at the height of passion?
A dark shadow crossed Nicholas's eyes.
Was I too aggressive? he thought, insecurity piercing his inflated ego. Did I scare her? Or... does she just not want me?
The idea that Caroline might be repulsed by him made his blood run cold. The atmosphere in the room, once warm, became stifling and icy.
(...)
Inside the bathroom.
Caroline threw the comforter aside and checked the situation.
The embarrassment hit her with full force.
Her emotions were a chaotic mix of relief and mortification. Her period had indeed come.
It happened at exactly the crucial moment.
Should she consider this a blessing or a curse? On the one hand, she was saved from having to “consummate” the marriage that night. On the other... the timing was disastrous.
She remembered the look of disbelief and shock on Nicholas's face when she jumped out of bed.
Hmm... what is he thinking now? she wondered, biting her fingernail.
Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't anything good. For a proud man like him, being pushed away and left alone in bed must have been a terrible blow.
But she didn't mean any harm! How could she have known? Her cycle was irregular due to stress.
At that moment, she felt the familiar warm flow and instinctive panic took over.
Caroline sat on the toilet, frowning helplessly.
Now what?
She looked around. The bathroom was luxurious, filled with expensive beauty products, but there wasn't a single sanitary pad in sight. She hadn't brought her personal items.
It seemed she had no choice but to ask Nicholas for help.
Her face burned just imagining the scene. Ask the great President Wolf, the man who ruled empires, to get her a sanitary napkin?
It was humiliating.
But staying stuck in the bathroom forever was not an option.
Caroline took a deep breath, gathered what was left of her courage, and walked with short, halting steps (clenching her thighs) toward the door.
She opened the door just a crack and poked her head out.
The man was still sitting on the bed.
He didn't look well. He was motionless, his robe open, enveloped in a dark and depressing aura that seemed to suck the light out of the room. He looked like a deposed king.
Caroline felt a pang of guilt.
She bit her lip, hesitating, before calling out in a thin voice: “Uh... Nicholas...”
The man slowly turned his face. His eyes were expressionless, cold.
Caroline froze.
She coughed lightly to clear her dry throat. Her cheeks were already red as peppers before she even started.
“C-Can you... help me with something?”
Nicholas's eyes narrowed, intrigued by her extreme shyness. “What do you want me to help you with?” His voice was still low and hoarse, laden with unresolved frustration.
Caroline stammered, unable to say the word directly. “It's just... she's here!”
“What?”
Nicholas frowned, confused. He looked at the bedroom door, then back at her. “Who's here? What is it?”
Caroline wanted to dig a hole in the floor.
Did he hear her right? Why were men so slow to understand these things?
She endured the embarrassment and tried again, more specifically. “My... monthly visitor.”
This time, Nicholas heard her clearly, but his male brain was still processing the previous rejection. “Visitor?” He seemed genuinely lost. “Did a relative of yours come to visit us at this time of night?”
Caroline groaned internally.
“It's not a relative, Nicholas!” She covered her face with her hands, desperate. “You know? That thing that happens to women every month! Menstruation! You can't not know!”
She took a deep breath and blurted it all out at once: “I didn't bring my pads and... well, it just happened. Can you help me get some? I need them urgently...”
As she said “I need them urgently,” her face looked like it was going to explode, it was so red.
Even a monk would understand now.
Finally, it dawned on Nicholas.
He was silent for a few seconds, processing the information. The rejection. The push. The escape to the bathroom.
His expression changed. The ice in his eyes melted, replaced by sudden understanding and... relief.
“So...” He stared at her, a smile beginning to form at the corners of his lips. “You pushed me and ran away because of that?”
Caroline nodded, miserable. “Um.”
It was obvious. The dark cloud hanging over Nicholas's head dissipated instantly.
He hadn't been rejected. She didn't feel disgusted by him. It was just biology getting in the way.
The Wolf's wounded ego was healed in a second.
Nicholas let out a low laugh, got up from the bed, and walked toward her, his posture relaxed again. “I understand. Poor little bunny.” He stopped at the door. “I'll have someone take care of it. Get out of there, come wait on the bed, it's more comfortable.”
“No!”
Caroline shook her head frantically, clinging to the doorframe. “I'll wait here!”
“Why?”
“Because... I might stain the bed!” she confessed, looking down. “It's the first day... the flow is heavy. If I sit there, I'll stain your silk sheets.”
Nicholas looked at her small, embarrassed figure, and his heart softened. She was worried about the sheets while he was worried about her pleasure.
“You...” He shook his head, amused by her concern. “Forget the sheets. But if you'd rather stay there...”
He noticed her discomfort. She was standing awkwardly.
“All right, I won't argue.” Nicholas took charge, his voice becoming efficient. “I'll take care of this right now. Wait here, I'll be back in a minute.”
He turned on his heel and left the room quickly, leaving Caroline to sigh with relief (and embarrassment) in the safety of the bathroom.