Moonlight Serenade
His confession

She could feel Gideon squeezing her hand. Smiling softly, she inhaled the evening breeze. Jewel looked up at the sky and stared at the full moon. The evening breeze passed them slowly, caressing her bare cheek. "The moon shines bright tonight," Gideon whispered.

Jewel looked at Gideon standing beside her. He was also looking up at the moon and had a small smile on hiss lips. Jewel just gaze at him, breathless.

"A perfect night for a moonlight serenade, isn't it?" he said. Gideon looked down at her and then smiled softly. "Do you mind if I sing a song?"

She shook her head. "No." Raising a brow, she smirked. "Just make sure that song isn't for other women like Elise."

"Silly." Gideon chuckled. "Still jealous? I told you, I'm not seeing Elise."

Jewel averted her gaze. "I don't believe you." Then she withdrew her hand from his hold and folded her arms in her chest, looking at the ocean glowing under the moonlight. 'The place is just magnificent,' she thought.

She was surprised when Gideon stood behind her and hugged her. Her heart beat quickened again and it's making her lose her breathe. Everytime Gideon cling on her, her heart always skip a beat... then it will pump faster. Faster and faster. "Breathe, Jewel," Gideon whispered in her ear.

Jewel did what he said. Taking a deep breath, she tapped his arm wrapped around her waist. "Do you want to kill your wife? Don't do that again, okay? You always make me breathless, Gideon!"

He laughed. "I didn't do anything to make you fall hard, Jewel." He brought his lips close to her ear. "But don't be sad, you always steal my breath too, wife."

Blood rushed to her face and her cheeks burned red, embarrassed. Jewel bit her lips to keep herself from giggling. She didn't expect Gideon to have this sweet side of him.

Gideon kissed the side of her temple. She was surprised by what he did and took a step forward and was stopped by the balcony's railings. Gideon laughed and pulled her back again in her arms. Jewel closed her eyes, biting her lip, and leaning her back against Gideon's chest.

She wished for the night to pass by slowly, with her and Gideon both standing on the balcony. Gideon hugging her from behind and both staring at the full moon in the night sky.

Gideon's arms around her tightened and he whispered to her ear again. "I've fallen in love with you, my wife..."

There was a sweet pain in her heart. Jewel bit her lip as she felt electrified from the bottom of her heart down to her core.

"Are you telling the truth?" she asked in a whisper.

Gideon turned her around, facing her to him. He smiled at her. There was a glow of happiness in his eyes that she have never seen before. "I don't remember being this happy while confessing to someone." Gideon tucked the strand of hair behind her ear. "The first time I've seen your face in that portrait, there's this hint of familiarity deep within me, Jewel. And I vowed from that day forward that I will replace the girl in the portrait." Jewel blinked. "You truly found me."

He nodded, a soft smile playing in his lips. "I will never regret being bounded to you in this lifetime, Jewel Laine."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and casted her eyes down. "About earlier... I'm sorry."

"Don't mention it. I understand why you've said those things."

"But..." She closed her fist tight. "I was too harsh. I mean, I'm being impulsive and that was so stupid of me. I didn't mean to ---"

"Jewel."

She came back to her senses and looked up at Gideon. He smiled at her. There was a little playful smile on his lips that made Jewel blushed in embarrassment. She just admitted that she's stupid.

"I mean I was overwhelmed by your words and that ---"

"You don't need to defend yourself, Jewel. I don't need your reasons."

She sighed, giving up. If Gideon don't want her explanation, then she will not force her excuses. But there is something that she should open up to him.

"To be honest, I'm not really allowed to visit Cansanit. I just reasoned out the seed project so Papa would agree. But I was allowed to visit in one condition... I must go back before my curfew." She bit her lip again. "But it was past eight in the evening. Papa will get angry ---"

"I already ordered Tang to let your father know, Jewel. I already sent the driver home."

"Huh? When?"

"After we ate our dinner."

She was stunned. So that's the reason why the driver didn't interrupt them when she was invited to go up with Gideon.

Jewel watched the moon in the distance. It was bright that it stars paled in comparison of its brightness.

"Papa agreed?" she asked suddenly.

"He should. I'm your husband."

She chuckled. "Oh. He sees things the way he wants. He's unlikely to just agree without any benefits. You know his character."

"Don't overthink."

"So... will you take me again? Can I stay here for good?" she asked.

She wanted to stay at Gideon's house not because she wanted to run away from her parents again, but because the mansion's too silent and she was just feeling lonely staying there without her x-rated books. Also, Dalya and Pedro were no longer there so she was left with no one else she could talk about her passion for erotica.

She also ended her friendship with the three girls and now she's left with her servants only. But she does not regret it because she knows that Dalya and Peter are true to her. She would never experience betrayal from the two of them. "I'll ask your father tomorrow."

She gasped. "So I'll sleep in my room tonight?"

"That should be the case."

She sighed in relief. But there's no certainty of what will await her tomorrow.

Jewel did not want to get separated from Gideon so she preferred them to stay on the balcony, with only the two of them. She was afraid that when she woke up tomorrow, she would realize that all of this were just a dream. "Can we stay here all night?" she asked.

Gideon chuckled. "Aren't you feeling cold?"

"No." She smiled. "You keep me warm."

"We can't stay awake until dawn, Jewel."

Jewel pursed her lips. Of course, she knew it. Even if she deny it, she was getting sleepy while standing on the balcony. But she fought it. Then, a sudden thought appeared in her mind. "I want to sleep beside you," Jewel said.

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Gideon laughed again. "We can't sleep in the same bed."

Jewel raised a brow. "Are you afraid of doing what a married couple should do at night?" she teased.

"Hmm?" Gideon brought his lips close to her ear. "What should a married couple do at night, Jewel?"

It was Jewel's turn to be speechless as her mind imagine the scene. Gideon laughed when he noticed her burning cheeks.

"Stop laughing!" she hissed and rolled her eyes.

Gideon stared at her, smirking. "I thought you want to talk about it?"

Jewel turned her face away. She could feel her ears burned red. It was shameful for her, as a girl, to just simply talk about sex with a man even though Gideon is her husband. It was a norm in her hometown that a girl should maintain her elegant and pure mind. And talking about that thing, Jewel could not stand the embarrassment any longer.

"We just sleep. N-Not that thing you're thinking!" she said.

Gideon just laughed. "Don't ask anyone to sleep with you other than me, Jewel."

"It's just your pervert thoughts! There's no malice in my question. You're making things up! Hmmp!"

"Oh? Didn't you ask me if I'm too coward to do that 'thing' with my wife?" Gideon asked, lips curving into a smile.

"Y-You!" Jewel turned her face away again.

Of course, she was the one who started the topic but she didn't want to admit it!

Seeing that she won't admit it, Gideon just shook his head. "Alright." Chuckling, he started to sing an unfamiliar song.

Jewel was surprised that Gideon still had the mood to sing a song after she's having a little tantrum. She sighed and leaned comfortably against Gideon's chest. She listened carefully to his song.

Her husband's voice is deep with coldness yet sharp. But the emotion is faintly there, and it makes her heart skip a beat.

But she's not too dumb to not notice the changes in his emotion. There's a hint of hurt, disappointment, and apology in his voice.

When Gideon ended the song, both of them fell silent. The crashing of the sea waves on the shore and the crickets in the woodland nearby broke the deafening silence.

There was no doubt that Gideon was singing out pain and loneliness, and Jewel couldn't understand the reason why. When she asked him, he just smiled and kissed her forehead.