Chapter 127 Untie the Belt Yourself
Cordelia's eyes froze for a moment, and she felt her own hand burning hot as well.
She paused, then awkwardly withdrew her hand.
"You can unbuckle your belt yourself."
Her voice was soft and low, carrying a hint of shyness as she spoke, and she couldn't even bring herself to meet Alaric's eyes.
Alaric just watched her quietly without any movement, occasionally frowning due to the pain in his stomach.
Cordelia looked at his reaction, a flash of confusion in her eyes.
Just as she was about to speak again, Alaric, lying on the bed, made a move. He tried to prop himself up, but because he was drunk, he couldn't find a point to support himself.
Remembering that Robert said he'd had quite a bit to drink tonight, Cordelia sighed and walked over, reaching out to help him.
The moment she got close, Alaric suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her forcefully into his arms.
His sudden force caught Cordelia completely off guard, and she was pulled into his embrace.
His arms immediately locked tightly around Cordelia, and with a turn of his body and a lift of his leg, he pinned her down.
Everything happened so fast that Cordelia didn't even have time to react.
After pinning her down, Alaric brought his lips close to her ear.
"Cordelia, you're finally back."
His voice was low and hoarse, and as he spoke, his warm breath sprayed on Cordelia's ear. Cordelia froze, her body stiffening slightly, her whole body feeling like it had been electrified, goosebumps rising on her skin.
She looked at Alaric with her body rigid, her jewel-like eyes carrying a hint of sadness.
But soon, she calmed down and pressed her hand against Alaric's chest. "Alaric, sober up."
Her voice was heavy, carrying some displeasure.
She pushed hard against Alaric, but his arms were wrapped tightly around her. Even using all her strength, she couldn't push Alaric away.
As the two struggled silently, Cordelia's brow furrowed slightly.
"Alaric, if you don't let go of me, I'm going to get angry."
Her tone already carried displeasure.
Only then did Alaric open his eyes and look at her seriously.
The strength in his hands loosened slightly, but then he hugged her tightly again.
He kissed her lightly on the cheek.
"Cordelia, be good. Don't be angry in my dream."
His kiss was very light, as if he was worried she would suddenly disappear.
Cordelia's brow furrowed slightly as she quietly watched Alaric, who had closed his eyes again.
His face was full of exhaustion, yet the strength in his hands remained heavy, and the leg draped over her was heavy, as if afraid she would run away.
She took a deep breath, gave up struggling, and just lay quietly in his arms.
During those three years in Astoria, Cordelia often dreamed of him too.
In her dreams, they hadn't divorced, he was incredibly gentle with her, there was no Janet standing between them—it was her ideal married life.
But all of that was just a dream. When she woke up, she was still in Astoria.
Only Cordelia herself understood the loss and sadness of those countless midnight awakenings.
Cordelia reached up to touch Alaric's face, softly calling his name.
"Alaric."
Alaric opened his eyes slightly, bloodshot, clearly having not slept well for some time.
He stared at her blankly. "Yes."
He responded softly, confusion and bewilderment in his eyes, as if he couldn't tell for a moment whether this was a dream or reality.
Suddenly, his stomach cramped, and the pain was severe. His whole body curled slightly, but he refused to let go of Cordelia.
His brow furrowed tightly, and he let out a low, muffled groan.
Cordelia sighed. "Unbuckle your belt yourself."
With the belt fastened, Alaric's stomach pain wouldn't ease.
Hearing Cordelia's commanding tone, Alaric paused.
He opened his eyes to look at Cordelia, his deep eyes much clearer than before.
The pain had sobered him up a bit.
Cordelia didn't notice, thinking that usually in his dreams she had never been so bold, so he was momentarily confused.
But soon, he endured the pain and obediently unbuckled his belt.
The crisp sound of the belt buckle opening was unusually loud in the air.
He looked at her, hesitating for a few seconds before carefully and restrainedly asking.
"Cordelia, do you want to?"
Cordelia froze, her expression stiffening slightly.
As a normal woman, it wasn't that she didn't have needs in that area, but she could control them.
She looked at Alaric with a heavy gaze, her eyes slightly cold.
"If you can still think about sex, you must not be in that much pain."
A rare look of bewilderment appeared on Alaric's face.
"I'm in a lot of pain, but if you want to, I can still manage."
Cordelia frowned and directly covered his mouth with her hand. "Shut up."
Alaric truly stopped talking, but the pain in his stomach didn't ease, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Seeing this, Cordelia's brow furrowed slightly. She reached her hand inside his shirt to massage and relieve the pain.
He'd had quite a bit to drink tonight, so he definitely couldn't take medicine, or his stomach would suffer even more.
His body was burning hot, while Cordelia's hand was cool.
When her hand went in, Alaric's furrowed brow relaxed slightly, but his body became even more tense than before.
He looked at her with deep eyes that gradually melted into tenderness.
Cordelia's position while lying down made it a bit difficult to work, and all her attention was on finding the right spot. She didn't notice at all that Alaric's eyes above her were gradually becoming clear.
She yawned while massaging, feeling sleepy.
The faint fragrance on Cordelia made Alaric feel very secure.
He hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.
Now, under Cordelia's massage, he gradually fell asleep, his breathing becoming even.
Hearing Alaric's breathing, Cordelia lifted her head to look at him.
His long, thick eyelashes were like fans, making even women jealous.
His appearance was no different from three years ago—still handsome and attractive, and his demeanor was even more composed than three years ago.
Cordelia's heart stirred, followed by endless melancholy and sadness.
Looking at his gradually sleeping face, she sighed quietly to herself, then withdrew her hand. After massaging for so long, Cordelia's hand was a bit sore.
Seeing his brow relaxed and his face peaceful, clearly the pain had been relieved, she gently lifted his arm, planning to leave.
However, just as she lifted his arm to a height where she could slip out, Alaric suddenly tightened his grip again.
Cordelia turned her head to see that Alaric had opened his eyes at some point and was looking at her with a frown, his eyes carrying some nervousness.
He looked confused and at a loss, but tightened his grip and hugged her close again.
"Cordelia, don't go. Stay with me a little longer."
His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a hint of pleading.