I Married the President-Chapter 85: Why Do You Smoke?

As if he could read her mind, Adrian added, "Let’s get some sleep. I’m tired too."

"..."

"Claire?"

"I don’t want to sleep. Why don’t we talk for a bit?" ’It seemed they’d never really communicated before; their relationship had always been rather one-sided.’

Adrian gave a small nod. "What do you want to talk about?"

Claire asked curiously, "I want to know what you’re thinking. Why were you smoking?"

Adrian was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "I’m under a lot of pressure. You wouldn’t understand these things even if I told you now. I’ll tell you about them gradually in the future. As for smoking... it’s like when you suddenly get a craving for milk tea. I’m not addicted."

"Oh?" Claire stared at him in surprise. "So you’re in a bad mood?"

Adrian shook his head. "I’m not in a bad mood, I just can’t wrap my head around a few things."

"Then tell me the simplest one. Maybe I can help you think it through."

"The simplest thing..."

"Mhm!"

Adrian dipped his head slightly, his eyes meeting hers. "Nothing in life is easy. But there is one thing that has to do with you."

"What is it?"

"I hope we can always talk like this in the future, calmly and peacefully. If there’s a problem, we bring it up and solve it right away. If we do that, I think we can get along very pleasantly."

"You make a lot of sense..." Claire wanted to say more, but when she saw the exhaustion in his eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to continue. "You should get some sleep if you’re tired."

"Are you going to stay here with me?"

As much as Claire wanted to march right back to her own room, on some strange impulse, she pushed him down onto the bed, pulled the covers over him, and finally lay down on the other side.

’She was his wife, after all. What was the point of being so dramatic?’

"Just so you know, I’m only staying because of work tomorrow. We have to host foreign dignitaries together, and if you’re not at your best, it’ll reflect poorly on Aridia’s hospitality. Our guests might think we’re rude, and that’s a very serious matter, so..."

Before she could finish, he suddenly pulled her into his arms. She could smell his masculine scent, laced with a hint of smoke, and an unprecedented sense of security washed over her.

He lowered his head and kissed her hair, his voice hoarse. "Claire, good night."

"Good... night..." Claire replied mechanically.

She wanted to say something else, but she could already hear his breathing growing steady and even.

’He fell asleep just like that?’

’He’s surprisingly easy to soothe!’

...

「The next day.」

Claire was jolted awake early in the morning by an alarm clock.

It wasn’t her alarm, but one Adrian had set himself.

Blinking her eyes open groggily, she saw his back. Several pale scars stood out starkly against his skin.

Claire was instantly wide awake. She reached out from under the covers and gently laid her fingers over the deepest scar on his lower back.

Adrian glanced back over his shoulder at her dazed, adorable face. "You can sleep a little longer."

"I’m up now. I’m getting up." With that, Claire sat up.