The night is quiet, and the silver moon hangs high in the ink-black sky.
Clara stands by the edge of the bed, gazing at the handsome man lying there. Even though his noble face is pale and colorless, it does not diminish his distinguished aura. Yet, evidently, the purple aura around him is so thin it's almost gone.
It seems to have been absorbed by some wraith.
Since her rebirth, she has been able to clearly see the aura flowing around everyone, whether white, red, black, yellow...
Each color represents different fates, but only the purple is the most special, with very few people possessing it. She and Sebastian are among them.
Suddenly, the man lightly flutters his eyelashes, opens his dim and obscure eyes, and deftly lifts the quilt to sit up, only to find a graceful figure standing not far away, a beauty in the slightly dim light.
He furrows his brow and speaks warily, "Who are you?"
Perhaps due to a long period of unconsciousness, his voice is hoarse and deep.
"Sebastian, you've finally woken up, finally woken up." Mrs. Astor, supported by Ada Brooks, approaches with a quivering tone, combining sobs with joy in her old eyes, as she clasps his hand with surprise and delight, "Is there any discomfort in your body?"
"Grandma, Mom, I'm fine." The man lightly opens his thin lips, already accustomed to this state of unconsciousness, "How long was I out this time?"
"Half a month. You used to be out for just a few hours or a day or two at most, but this time, it frightened both me and your grandmother." Ada Brooks silently breathed a sigh of relief.
The gaze then fell upon the serene silhouette, softly explaining, "Sebastian, you were out for so long this time, your grandmother and I were terribly worried, fearing... so we sought the advice of Master Benedict Sku to divine your fate, saying there was no time to waste. The best solution now was to find a girl whose destiny aligns with yours and have her marry into the family."
"Now it seems like Master Benedict was right. Barely finished the wedding, and you woke, Clara, you truly are the Lucky Star of the Astor Family, our precious Lucky Star." Mrs. Astor smiled broadly, gesturing to Clara.
Clara approached, and the elderly lady placed her hand over the man's long, broad one, "Though it seems inappropriate, due to special circumstances, you two are now married, and I hope you respect and love each other, hand in hand. Sebastian, you must treat Clara well and never let her suffer."
As her pale, warm hand covered his, the cold and hot collided and blended. The man's hand trembled slightly, feeling that warmth seep into his skin, his eyes concentrated, eyebrows deep, leaving emotions indistinct.
Clara gazed at his hand, her red lips lightly pressed together, almond-shaped eyes flashing slightly in black and white.
"Clara, today brought you grievances too." Ada Brooks recalled the wedding scene and those online comments, feeling a bit guilty and tender-hearted.
"Mom, don't say that. I chose the wedding myself. There's no grievance at all." Clara's voice was calm, her tone steady, with little fluctuation.
After some brief conversation, Sebastian appeared with a sullen face, shadows in his eyes, feeling somewhat incredulous and finding it difficult to accept that he awoke after half a month's coma to find himself with a wife.
His eyes lightly swept over the woman's pretty and cold features; the frown still hadn't eased.
Following Mrs. Astor's request, he got up to eat something. After saying a few more words, Mrs. Astor and Ada Brooks left the room, considering it a special newlywed night, leaving time for them.
The large room was extremely quiet, Clara picked up the kettle, poured a cup of water, and handed it to him.
The man raised his eyes, meeting her cold and steady gaze, reached out to take the water, drank a sip, and then heard her clear and melodious voice: "Let me introduce myself, Clara Sutton, news headline anchor for the television station, your new wife."
Sebastian paused his drinking, "Does Mrs. Astor need me to introduce myself?"
"If you wish to, I won't stop you."
"Sebastian Astor." The man placed the cup on the table, coldly uttered these two words, and headed to the bathroom.
Unfazed by his brief introduction, Clara already had his information deeply engrained in her mind.
Sebastian took a shower and came out to see a graceful figure lying on the bed, her white, slender legs exposed, the robe belt cinching her waist into a beautiful curve, deep collarbones, leisurely sliding her finger across a tablet.
Noticing his scorching gaze, Clara slowly lifted her eyes to see his naked upper body, only wearing shorts below.
As they locked eyes, the slightly awkward atmosphere spread freely in the air.
Sebastian feigned calmness, walked to the bed, lifted the quilt, and lay down. Suddenly, a white cat's head poked out from the corner of the quilt, startling him, making him shrink and hastily move towards Clara.
In the process of bumping into her, his hand wrapped around her slender waist.
"You… What's wrong?"
Clara was somewhat at a loss when he startled her, the tablet in her hand falling to the floor.
"Meow~"
A crisp, sweet cat meow echoed, and Sebastian's body stiffened slightly, his handsome face naturally buried in her pale neck, clutching her waist more tightly.
"...Cat."
"Afraid of cats?"
His breaths battered her neck, bringing a numbness, and half of his weight rested on her, Clara held her breath, softly patting his back, sensing his body's slight tremble, pursed her lips, gently inquired.
The answer was a blanket of silence.
Clara understood, watching the cat sitting upright, those sparkling blue eyes staring at them, softly said, "Lily White, go play."
The white cat seemed to comprehend her words, stretched lazily, obediently jumped off the bed, tail high, joyfully left the room.
"It's gone." Clara
"Hm."
A voice faintly quivering, with threads of panic, the grip on her waist tight ensuring she was closely held.
The gentle fragrance of gardenias emanated from her, seemingly with calming effects, gradually steadying his turbulent emotions, yet he inexplicably greedily did not want to let her go.
Clearly feeling his genuine fear just now, Clara did not rush to push him away but softly patted his back, slowly comforting him, though their embrace felt somewhat unnatural.
"Um... Are you okay?"
"The cat you keep?"
From the neck area, came a low magnetic male voice.
"Yes." Clara softly responded, adding, "Two cats, one black, one white."
Sebastian: "..."
"Send them away tomorrow."
Clara furrowed her brows, stopped her hand patting him, instead pushed him away, "Can't be sent away."
"Reason."
"Cannot be sent away is the reason."
Facing the man's deep, dark eyes, Clara fearlessly and calmly, "How long do you plan to hold on?"
"I married a wife for ten billion, can't I hold on for a while?" Sebastian's voice was filled with pride and righteous justification.