The Tale Continues (Saiunkoku Monogatari Fanfiction: Ryuuki x Shuurei lemon)

Chapter 98: Under the Sakura Tree

Shuurei dried her tears before someone would see her. She did not know that it was too late. There are two people who had seen everything that happened. One is Seiran who is standing a pillar and the other is Shuuei who is hiding behind a tree. They are the two personal guards of the emperor.

Shuurei looked up and saw Seiran who is about to leave. ''S – Seiran?!'' she suddenly felt flustered and ashamed of what she just did to the sleeping Ryuuki. ''H-how long have you been there?'' She asked Seiran in a shaky voice.

''I just arrived oujo-sama (milady),'' Seiran lied and Shuuei who is still hiding snickered. ''I was looking for His Majesty and thought that he must have come here when I cannot find him anywhere,'' he explained to divert the topic.

Shuurei blushed when Seiran glanced at Ryuuki who is soundly sleeping with his head on her lap. ''We we're having tea when he suddenly fell asleep. He seemed really tired.''

''He had been working straight without rest this two months. The projects had just been approved last morning. He is supposed to be sleeping in his chambers since he is really exhausted. We were alarmed when he was not seen in the palace,'' Seiran narrated.

''So he escaped the guards again didn't he,'' Shuurei sweat-dropped. Ryuuki had gotten better at escaping his guards that he can even escape Seiran and Shuuei. Once those two would leave for a while, Ryuuki would not waste that opportunity to sneak out if he wanted to do something alone.

Seiran then let the two be together and left them reasoning that he has something to do in the military. He and Shuuei met outside the Kou residence and discussed how they would take shifts in following Ryuuki wherever he goes once he goes out of the palace.

Shuurei sighed in relief when Seiran left. She was glad that he did not see her kiss Ryuuki. She had kept on rejecting Ryuuki and anyone seeing her kiss him would see that her resolve in declining him wavered.

''Shuurei,'' Ryuuki whispered in his sleep. She looked at his face. He must be dreaming since he is reaching out in the air. ''Shuurei,'' he said again and Shuurei held the hand that reached out.

''I'm here Ryuuki,'' she said in a gentle voice and intertwined their hands. She let the back of his hand touch her cheek and let it stay there for a while. His hand is cold, as if saying that he had been so lonely. She sighed and kissed his hand. 'This person would never forget me would he?' she thought with a smile. Then she realized what she just did and blushed.

Shuurei spent two hours staring at Ryuuki's face and looking up at the sakura blossoms. She had been stroking his hair with her left hand while her right was twined with his left. She is relieved when Ryuuki's skin color is no longer as pale as when he just arrived. Even the rhythm of his breathing sounded delightful to her.

She gazed at him again and felt fortunate to have a man as good and handsome as he is to be madly in love with her. If the situation had been different, she would have married him with no qualms. Her eyes darted to her lips and she swallowed. She was not able to resist kissing him again.

Ryuuki woke up feeling warm lips on his. Someone is kissing him. It's just a peck. But then he was kissed again and longer this time. The lips lingered on his. He knew this feeling. He knew whose lips those are. The sweet scent is familiar to him. His favorite scent. He opened his eyes and saw Shuurei's shut eyes while her lips are still on his. She is savoring him.

He felt her hand twined with his. He watched as Shuurei slowly opened her eyes and was surprised when she saw his golden yes watching her. She quickly leaned back when he smiled at her and was about to withdraw her hand from his but he held it tight.

''It's not what you're thinking,'' Shuurei denied in a panicked voice and it only made him smile even more.

''Kiss me again,'' he demanded with a smile.

''What are you talking about? I was just looking at you closely,'' Shuurei denied. She looked cute.

''It's not like I would get angry. I allow Shuurei to kiss me as much as she likes when I'm sleeping,'' Ryuuki said and kissed the back of her hand which is twined to his. ''I also allow Shuurei to do all naughty things she wanted to do to me while I sleep,'' he added with a meaningful smile.

''You got it wrong. I was just . . .''

''You we're just?'' Ryuuki said with a lifted brow. He smiled when she cannot say anything. ''Kiss me again,'' he demanded. ''Or else I will kiss something else,'' he continued as he looked from her eyes, to her lips, down to her chest, and bellow her belly – to the thing between her legs which is just beside his head which is settled on her lap.

Shuurei turned red and Ryuuki watched with amused eyes. ''Why you pervert!'' she accused to turn the attention to him. Ryuuki inclined his head to the direction of 'that' thing and pretended to really do what he said. Shuurei quickly kissed him to prevent what she thought he was about to do.

She intended to give him just a peck but Ryuuki held the back of her head to prolong the kiss. Shuurei cannot help but respond to the lips invading hers. To Seiran and Shuuei who are watching this from the second floor of the house, it looked like Shuurei is giving a long kiss to Ryuuki who had just woke up.

That's how it looked too to the curious servants who secretly watched the two. They were all happy to know that their lady is romantically involved to someone. They all think that she should get married soon.

When they broke apart, Ryuuki contentedly smiled. He stretched his arms which was rested. ''I feel like had several nights of peaceful sleep. My aching body is well now,'' he mused.

''You slept for two hours. Don't tell me that was your only rest?'' Shuurei chided.

''Well yes,'' Ryuuki scratched his head. ''There were too much things to do that I forgot to rest,'' he said with a yawn. ''Maybe I'll just sleep again. It feels so good to sleep here,'' he said as he lightly touched her lap.

''Why not go in one of the rooms if you need more sleep? Stop using my lap like pillow.''

Ryuuki smiled. ''I guess I'm fine with the two hours' sleep I just had. You have slept on my lap before too,'' he reminded her.

''Eh? When was that? Don't invent things.''

''In the archives years ago, when you were still my consort. You fell asleep reading a fairy tale and nearly had your head hit the floor. I settled you on my lap then,'' he reminisced.

Shuurei blushed. ''That was long ago. Forget it.''

Ryuuki slowly sat up close beside her. He sat facing her and wrapped an arm around her waist. ''I'm glad you missed me too,'' he said with his face so close to hers as he caressed her cheek. Her blush made him smile.

''I did not say anything like that,'' Shuurei denied.

''Your lips just told me so,'' he said and gave her a peck on the lips. ''These eyes are saying the same too,'' he continued and Shuurei was forced to close her eyes and he gently kissed her closed eyes. ''I love you Shuurei,'' he reminded her when eyes fluttered open again.

Shuurei's heart skipped a beat at the words he just said. She had been wanting to hear those words from this man. Two months of not seeing each other felt like years. And not hearing him say 'I love you' to her made her lonely. Deep in her heart she had been hoping that he would visit her and kiss her lovingly again as he wrap her in his safe arms.

Ryuuki knew all those. He could read Shuurei. He wrapped her in his arms and Shuurei snuggled close to him. He kissed her with all his love and she cannot resist responding. She missed him.

Ryuuki could feel the eyes watching them but he ignored them all. All that matters right now is Shuurei, and so he would only think of Shuurei. They stayed in under the Sakura blossoms, hugging and kissing each other – making up for the time they are not able to meet.

Next Chapter: In the Kou Residence