A Noble Marriage

PENNY www.xbiquge.cc, the fastest update on the latest chapter of Noble Marriage [Anna]!    What is it like to wake up earlier than your lover?

Anna had never imagined it before. She had had one or two chances to see it, but nothing like this moment.

She woke up in each other's arms, in a haze, surrounded by warmth before her vision cleared. Even though it was summer, it was still a little chilly at dawn.

Then she tried to stretch her arms and legs. Along with consciousness came the slow opening of her eyes.

After a little confusion, she understood her situation.

In a reassuring embrace, tilting her head slightly, she could see the person who was holding her, her husband.

From this private angle, she could see more of Karenin.

A little new scruff on his chin, his different, softer lips than when he was awake during the day.

It is often said that people with thin lips are also thinner.

Karenin's lips are not considered thick, nor can they be said to be very thin. Compared to the upper lip, the lower lip will be a little thicker, habitually pursed up, people who are not familiar with him will think he is a cold, hard and thin-hearted person, but only Anna knows that his heart is soft.

A thin-hearted person would not see the tears of women and children, a thin-hearted person would not make her feel that she was being deeply loved.

Anna smiled silently at the thought.

She lifted her head and kissed her partner on the lips.

Like a kiss waking up a sleeping beauty, she saw her husband's eyes move. The long eyelashes, which are different from those of ordinary men, fluttered gently in the air a few times, and then opened.

The blue eyes, misty with a haze that obscured a little of the light of reason, were soon replaced by some vivid emotion. Like a long river crossing the sun and moon, they looked straight into Anna's heart.

"Good morning." Anna said, and then snuggled back into each other's arms, looking for a place where she felt most at ease, rubbing, pampering, there is no better moment than this.

"Good morning." The man said.

Unlike before, he did not get up immediately after waking up.

The loving love still seems to have a lingering warmth, which makes the rational officer a little lazy.

His fingers stroked gently on his wife's hair, and his silk nightgown rubbed against the other's polished and tender skin, as if to leave a red mark, in a silent sigh.

Anna hugged her husband tightly, like a fledgling opening her eyes to someone for the first time, with the strongest sense of dependence in her life, wanting to be closer to him.

"I always used to think this would be more imaginative." She laughed softly.

"What?"

Hearing Karenin's question, Anna lifted her head, looked at her with a look up, and said, "Like, when I would wake up at the windowsill and you would hold me and watch the sun rise together. Or maybe I'll prepare a delicious breakfast for you before you wake up."

"It will be cold then, and I don't think we'll wake up. The cook will prepare breakfast for us." Karenin pointed out, and then he thought for a moment before continuing, "As well, I really don't see the point of doing that. Perhaps you could tell me?"

Hearing the man's serious inquiry, Anna couldn't resist kissing the other woman before smiling, "It's okay, those really don't mean anything too important."

"It was just," she blushed, "a fantasy before it happened. Fantasies about how the situation could make everything better and happier. But I found out that happiness was never meant to be those aids, it was just that you were still with me."

"So, I want to ask you, why are you still with me?" She asked with a smile, knowing in her heart that although she might know the answer, she desperately wanted to know it clearly from the other man at this time.

The man did not answer immediately, his eyes still resting on his wife's body, and only after a moment did he whisper, "Before you asked me, to be honest, Anna, I had not thought about it."

"But since you want to know, I will tell you."

"I'm only here because I want to stay, and I guess that's special for you, but for me, even though I never thought it would happen to me before this, it is."

"You," he paused, but finally decided to say it, his voice low, but with a clear flow of loving emotion.

"You make everything in my life special."

Like the morning sun, the air, the sound of the wind ...... everything becomes more meaningful because of you.

They were clearly confessions, and although they weren't fervent, and they also seemed like some kind of words that had only been learned through guidance, Anna found them really incredibly moving.

She married a man who really wasn't very good at saying sweet things, but every word, like a diamond, stayed in Anna's heart and never faded in the years to come ......

Time always comes quickly.

After that night, life did not change much for Anna and Karenin.

Karenin was still the same high-ranking gentleman who liked to plan his time in an orderly manner, and Anna was preparing for the party.

The day should have gone on like this, but the calm in Petersburg was broken on June 13.

Anna was informed that Karenin would not be returning tonight.

"Madam, I think it must be that." Annuschka said softly, and almost the whole of Petersburg was talking about it.

Anna answered, she had heard about the incident - the kidnapping of the Duke Yusupov's only son.

"In fact, it was rumored some time ago." Annuschka said, she shouldn't have said these words to add to Madame's worries, but Mr. Duke of Yuspof's only son had also been kidnapped, and sir they would indeed become tricky there.

"I know." Anna said.

Karenin was supposed to be a civilian, and the kidnapping would not come directly to them, but who could say that this windfall did not have someone riding on it to stir things up, just at a time when he wanted to actively contribute to the implementation of positive policies.

She knew better than to panic herself at a time like this, so when the butlers asked her for instructions, Anna simply told them four words indifferently - "business as usual".

After Anna finished speaking, the servants, despite some sincere fear, obeyed the instruction and went on with their own business, except for Mr. Seeling who did not move.

"Do you have anything else?" Anna asked.

Mr. Sirin was originally holding his arms in a listening posture, but now he has put down his hands, but both eyebrows slightly frowned, handsome face looks a little serious.

"Madam, do you need me to go and find out some information?"

Anna raised her eyes to the other man, then said, "I think it best not to, Mr. Silliman."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Anna said seriously, "In view of your status, I think it is better for you not to make any additional moves in the meantime."

"Are you suspecting me?" Mr. Cillin asked in a low voice.

Anna looked at the other man and smiled slightly: "I don't know, to say that I am suspecting you, I can tell you that there is not. But the next second I'm not sure I'll be suspecting you. After all, this is about my husband."

Mr. Seeling looked like he was relieved to hear that. He smiled a little: "I'll leave you then, madam, if you have anything to say."

Anna watched the man's departing back until after he disappeared, Annuschka asked softly, "Madam, do you need me to watch him?"

"Yes, I do." Anna said carelessly, she was not entirely sure if this Mr. Celine was trustworthy, but at least one thing could prove that the latter was an intelligent man.

Having Annuschka to watch him, even though it didn't mean much, was always better than nothing.

She sat for a while longer, but really couldn't look into anything again, so she called Annuschka into the bedroom.

"You understand what's going on these days, don't you?" She asked Annuschka, who looked at her for a moment, then nodded.

"Annushka, now tell me everything you know. Don't limit yourself to Duke Yuspov and the others."

"Yes, ma'am." Annuschka answered.

During this hour of narration, Anna learned about what had happened in Petersburg in the past few days. Before the young master was kidnapped, the Petersburg Police Department had received several reports of lost children.

Anna thought about it after listening and said, "Call Sasha for me."

Annuschka answered, and in a short time, Sasha, the cook, came over. Anna told Sasha to sit down and then asked her the same thing.

Unlike Annushka, Sasha was a native of Petersburg, and her words might not be as clear and coherent, sometimes inevitably bringing more personal feelings***, such as sympathy for the poor children and contempt for the police department, but Anna also learned enough.

"There haven't been such intensive cases of lost children before?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Anna let the cook leave, and she stayed inside her bedroom alone to consider it carefully.

From what she could learn now, it seemed that this was not a simple case. The more intensive number of lost children cases was obviously premeditated, and the planner could not be a single person.

The children were all poor and came from different families. It would not be a targeted crime, but due to interest. Child abduction cases still exist in the new age, let alone this old age where people are not too valuable.

But, strangely enough, why was a child of the Count added in the middle of this alone?

"Is it a target? Or, a cover-up." Thinking of this, Anna lowered her eyes. She originally didn't know much about politics either, and wasn't even interested. She also basically did not talk about it in front of Karenin, but he was her husband after all, and she always hoped to help him more or less, even if she did not have much talent.

"But for now, it's best to wait." She thought, just inside, with a slight pain.

The moon was shining brightly outside the window, and inside the office, Karenin was extinguishing his first cigarette, the flame was lit again, and the smell of the second cigarette was spreading slowly through the air.

Outside the office there was a bit of muted noise, and inside his own office was like a small fortress, but he knew it wouldn't last long.

It wasn't the toughest thing he'd ever encountered, and as he grew older, there was nothing that could cause even the slightest bit of panic in the man's heart. Although, in the eyes of those outside, he should be worried, but Karenin's heart is actually very calm.

He knew what to do next, he just needed some time.

His eyes passed over the document, his blue eyes were a little dark, but in a moment they moved away carelessly.

Vorobiev's figure was slowly rattling through his mind, and Karenin exhaled a smoke ring, thinking.

The average person who saw his current appearance would have been a little alarmed, after all, the actual power of this government official is a little more than his position. If he is pondering, I think there must be a great movement to get up.

Literally, yes. However, Karenin these thoughts were considered a long time ago, this moment is only to adjust some edges, but he did think about one thing, to be precise, in this always discouraging office, he was thinking about his wife.

The nicotine taste in cigarettes is addictive, but this tough man is not firmly in the grip of nicotine, and if he had to admit to something that would addict him, that something could only be his wife.

Politics was fun and sophomoric, something he had long been accustomed to.

Although that matter of Duke Yuspov's only son was not part of the plan, Karenin was not forced to be unable to return home. He just, at this time, didn't want her to be tainted by these things.

He wanted to protect her, to protect it all, so he decided he couldn't go back tonight.

If this were a drama, there would be thunder and lightning outside the window, but in fact, the moonlight was good.

The summer moonlight was like a spring in a stream, clear and bright, and the sight of it was as if the stickiness in the air would slowly subside. It was as if it was his wife's big, bright eyes.

The man's eyes softened from a certain calmness at the thought, and a light smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

When the second cigarette had reached its end, Karenin rose and carefully smoothed out the folds of the hem. As the expression on his face when he entered, the right hand gripping the doorknob went down, and the parts of the lock cylinder flicked in the air.

The door opened and Karenin ran to the battlefield where he belonged.

The next day, early in the morning, the light of the morning sun is neither stingy nor flattering, fair to spill on the doors of government departments.

At the promenade, Karenin had some tired shadows under his eyes, but the whole person was still like a sword, with sharpness and composure.

He just came out from inside the conference room, Vorobev followed him, the latter's look looked weary and green shadow under his eyes. The clever secretary gentleman had nothing more to say at this moment, exhaustion had made even this clever man silent.

"Come back here in three hours." Karenin said to Vorobiev.

Despite the reluctance in his heart, Vorobev would never say it. He was not really so keen on work as Karenin was; it was never the work he enjoyed, but the rights that were attached to it.

"Do I need to book flowers for you?" Vorobiev asked with a smile, "After all, you did not return last night."

Karenin thought for a moment and then left Vorobiev to do the job.

He looked at Vorobiev's departing back, pondered for a moment and then walked toward his carriage.

"Good day, sir." Peter the coachman said at him. Karenin nodded, and he was about to get into the carriage when the former whispered next to him.

Karenin's eyes twitched.

He opened the carriage door, bent down and entered, and after the door closed he sat down while gently holding his wife's small hand.

"You, how long have you been waiting?" Karenin asked with some hesitation.

Anna looked at her husband, who at first, somewhat perversely, did not immediately putty to his side, but also did not show any angry expression. In fact, her expression had been somewhere between a strange tenderness.

It was only after Karenin had taken her hand that she realized that her own hand was a little cool in the summer morning, and it was no wonder that even a man as intelligent as he was hesitated.

"About forty minutes. I'm not that stupid, Alexei." Anna replied with a smile.

"You should stay home until I get back." Karenin said, his eyes glancing carefully over his wife's body until he was sure she was all right, and those blue eyes showed a little fatigue.

Karenin is not a young man in his early twenties, after all, all the calmness is just a disguise, but he could not let those people see it.

He had planned to spend those few hours resting himself on his way home, but upon meeting his wife, he found that his tense muscles had chosen to relax against his plan.

"You're tired, aren't you?"

His wife's words were soft, as if they were a gentle touch on Karenin's heart, and he couldn't help but nod slightly.

"You need to rest, Alexei." The wife said in an affirmative tone. She rarely actually said that.

He wanted to retort, to say in other words that he could still hold out, to tell her not to worry, but the pained look in Anna's eyes made all those words stick in his throat.

"It'll only take twenty minutes, I'll wake you up when we get home." Anna said. As she said that, she took his hand and let him lean on her not so strong shoulder.

Karenin was really too tall, but fortunately Anna was prepared.

She sat on the cushion, slightly comically, but she didn't care.

"It's just a little lean, no one will see, but it will help you regain at least a little of your spirits. You have to go back later, don't you?" Anna looked over at her husband and patted herself on the shoulder again while doing so.

After a while, just when Anna felt she had to come up with a second reason, the man who was her husband had chosen to lean on her somewhat thin shoulder, as she had intended.

"I did not say I was going back later, Anna." Karenin whispered, closing his eyes.

Anna allowed herself to do the right thing; she didn't complain or discourage. If she hadn't known she had to fulfill the accusation of being a cushion, she might have shrugged her shoulders. But for the moment she could only remain with her shoulders knocked open and flat, just to make the man leaning on her shoulder feel more comfortable.

"I know you're going back. And I know you want to protect me." She said calmly, without even a hint of a tremor.

"You see, I just wanted to tell you that I accept your protection, but that you need to accept mine as well." She paused for a moment, feeling her husband's hand tighten around her small, folded one, and smiled softly.

"Just like now, Alexei. Make me feel needed, accept a little help from me in a small way."

"It's not."

"What?"

"Your help, not insignificant ......," Kalenin murmured.

Anna tilted her head slightly; she couldn't see Karenin's full expression, but she knew her words had reached her.

"Go to sleep, Alexei." She whispered.

In this moment, Anna felt herself become very brave. Despite being somewhat insignificant, despite being weak in power, inside his world, she had just been told by him that she was indeed needed. Besides those tender aspects, there was a place for her on the other side, in the more calm world.

Back at home, Anna had already prepared everything.

While Karenin went to wash up, she went to check on the kitchen, and when she came back into the bedroom, Karenin came out just in time.

He wore a blue bathrobe, a rare bare foot, and his hair was still dripping with water. Kalenin looked more awake after his bath.

"Will you sleep a little longer and then leave everything to me?" Anna asked, leaning against the bedpost.

Karenin said nothing, but came over to her, handed her the towel, and wordlessly agreed to her proposal.

Because of his height, in order not to tire Anna on tiptoe, Karenin sat on top of a small round stool, and the latter was able to wipe his hair with relative ease.

When his hair was half dry, Anna sat on the edge of the bed, then patted her knees, then looked up and asked with a smile, "Pillow, or here?"

Karenin lay back on the bed and once again let himself go and chose the most comfortable spot.

"Go to sleep, I'll wake you up when it's time." Anna said softly, her eyes meeting Karenin's.

The man looked at her, his eyes all quiet in his blue eyes. He was indeed tired, not even talking much, but at the moment he looked the happiest to Anna, because, it also showed that she was indeed a very important presence to him.

Anna can accept Karenin's protection, but as a wife, she also wants to be able to protect him, even if she can't provide much help, but at this moment can make him trust himself, in front of himself to show his tired state, is enough.

"Last night, what I did, made you sad?" Karenin suddenly asked in a low voice, his voice all with the huskiness of exhaustion, but still insisted.

He had not been aware of this before, after he returned home, his brain, which should have been well rested, was still acutely aware of it.

This is Karenin, anything he does not like to tell himself a little time before saying it, especially when it has to do with his wife.

Anna smiled up.

"A little, only a little oh."

"And why?" Karenin asked.

He moved so that he was lying in a comfortable and relaxed position on his wife's lap, and his eyes were closed. It showed that he didn't really don't know, and just as Anna sometimes needed Karenin to show the emotions they both knew, at the moment the reserved officer wanted to try this way to be able to understand his wife's feelings better.

Anna lifted her hand and gently brushed it across the man's cheek, then cherished a kiss on the other man's forehead, and half-heartedly, in a soft voice, replied.

"Do you remember those vows?"

She recited them as if it was the same day, and that solemnity never changed.

"The two of us will get married, and in the future the two of us will care for each other whether we are healthy or sick, whether we are happy or in distress, not one, but two, but one, we will work hard, we will be happy, and we will go to the end of the world like this."

"En ......"

A soft answer sounded along with a shallow snore, and Anna lowered her eyes as she looked to her husband as if he were still a child.

She had never enjoyed the affection of her parents, and Karenin hardly ever did.

All those years, in Anna's world, it was her own stumbling and growing, figuring things out little by little. So no temper, so mild, because there is no back way, no protector, not strong enough to fight the cold hardness of the world, so the way to make yourself happy living is to try to discover the beauty of the world.

Those shortcomings she never said, but in fact there are some regrets in her heart. But now, after marrying this man, there are some shortcomings she did not say, and Karenin is even less likely to know, but his unconscious words and actions, but gradually for her to fill those gaps.

No one knows better than Anna how valuable those little changes are.

People and people originally exist independently in this world, without enough deep love, how can you tolerate another person's shortcomings?

She is used to confession, because there is no blood tie, trying to let others to understand you, to explore your emotions carefully will only make yourself hurt.

Because of these experiences, when she decided to marry this man, she always wanted to treat him better, as if through Karenin, she saw her small self, longing for love, longing for someone to listen, longing for someone to teach you little by little to understand the world.

This empathy gives the best foundation for this somewhat rushed marriage - tolerance.

So, Anna understood something long ago. The man she married wasn't handsome enough, he was smart, but he couldn't read minds either, and he sometimes protected her in what he thought was a good way, not realizing that this protection might make her feel pushed away somehow. But fortunately, neither of them is that naive young man.

In both of their worlds with each other, there may be places where they can never fully merge into a whole circle, but as long as they always have each other in their hearts, think, listen, understand, and make a difference, that's all that matters.

After all, marriage is never the end, and they have many, many more years to love each other during these mutually supportive years.

The author has something to say: The story of Queen Victoria and King Albert's husband will be serialized soon:

Little Bambi's Wish" mini-theater

Little Bambi, five years old, solemnly hangs the wish card on the Christmas tree.

Bambi: [determined face] I want to be a man like my dad this year!

Anna: So are you still eating cupcakes?

Bambi: [Continues with firm face] Not so much anymore!

Anna: He seems to be very serious!

Bambi Sr: [not really convinced] Maybe!

Bambi: Buster, I'm serious!

Later the family went to the street to enjoy the festive atmosphere, and Bambi insisted on taking the biggest box with all his might

Bambi: [hypnotizes himself] I'm a man I'm a man I'm a man I'm a man ......

Little Bambi: [stops and sees a small child sitting on his father's neck in front of him, very envious]

Old Bambi: [also saw, stopping] want to hug?

Little Bambi: [bites his lips] but the wish card

Old Bambi: Then let's make it next year

Little Bambi: [blushing, whispering] want to hug

Twenty seconds later, Bambi looked at the street with a new face and a mouthful of cupcakes.

Old Bambi: [looking at his wife] Apparently, maybe next year he'll have a little more credibility when he says that

Anna: [laughs]