It was an afternoon with abundant early summer sunlight. The sky was immensely high, and a gentle breeze softly swept across the pasture. Livestock cries echoed lazily across the field, and a man in dusty boots worked busily before a barn. Ethan Liberon. That was his name, the owner of this vast ranch, a long walk from the village. A man who persevered through each day with sheer diligence. Carrying an armful of straw in his large hands, he recalled that today was a somewhat special day. Because it was the day he had decided to confess to a woman he had known for a long time. A childhood friend, one of the village's few unmarried women. They often met and talked, and he thought she might have some affection for him. At least, he believed so. But when Ethan went down to the village, filled with anticipation and nervousness—. A feast was taking place there. People were gathered in front of the plaza, and she was at the center. In front of her, with her hair beautifully styled and a pleasant smile on her face, a man was kneeling and offering a ring. "Ella, will you be my wife from now on?" He was a merchant from a neighboring village. A capable man, reportedly trading with the capital. Smiling brightly, she nodded as cheers erupted from the surroundings. Wine cups clinked and applause resounded. Ethan watched all of this from a distance. He couldn't open his mouth, nor could he take a step forward. Ella was already becoming another man's bride. He stood there blankly for a moment, but then the villagers noticed him. Friendly greetings reached his ears, but he couldn't stay there any longer. He quietly turned and walked away. For the next few hours, he was holed up in his shabby hut. Helplessness enveloped his whole body. A cool breeze seeped through the window, but his mood only sank. Was this what he had worked so hard for? He had spent his youth toiling to feed his family, and in the end, all that remained was hard labor and fleeting emotions. He laughed wryly. What was the point of all this? It was then. "Ethan?" He heard an unfamiliar voice. There was no one who would call him. He slowly raised his head. A woman was standing at the door of the hut. The wind gently swayed the hem of her clothing as an elegant robe, untouched by even a speck of dust, shimmered in the sunlight, looking utterly out of place in this humble hut. Shining, translucent blonde hair flowed down to her waist, and with every brush of the wind, a subtle floral scent spread. A being that belonged neither in his hut nor in this village. The unfamiliar woman's eyes, gazing intently at him, were as clear and mysterious as a deep lake, creating an inexplicable, strange incongruity. Ethan stopped as he was about to get up, suddenly halting his hand. His instinct warned him. This woman was not a simple traveler. But the woman, wearing a relaxed smile, took a step inside the hut without the owner's permission. "It's been a long time, Ethan." An unfamiliar yet familiar voice stirred something deep within his heart, a memory trying to awaken. Meanwhile, she spoke again. "I've returned." At that, Ethan's forehead furrowed slightly. Was she someone he knew? But he couldn't recall at all. The woman's eyes gazed straight at him, forming a gentle curve. "To become your bride." A word mixed with shyness and overwhelming emotion. She curled the corners of her lips slightly and took another step closer. The robe, flowing like water along her path, billowed as if it were a pure white dress worn by a bride. Ethan inhaled sharply, unable to say a word. He couldn't figure out who she was, but more than that, such a beauty, what was she talking about? The moment he was about to stop his busy, unanswered thoughts and simply lose himself in the woman's beauty, a long-ago memory strongly flashed through his mind. Platinum blonde hair, blue eyes, smiling just like that—. Lynette. The small hand he remembered from his childhood home, always chasing after him and clutching the hem of his clothes. The face that always smiled softly just for him. But the woman standing before him now was completely different from the girl of that time. As he swallowed his breath, her voice quietly echoed in his ears. "Do you recognize me?" At that question, Ethan's mind went blank. But subconsciously, he spoke the name of the girl from that time. "......Lynette?" She took another step closer without hesitation. As if she had been waiting for the moment he would recognize her. "Yes." Lynette smiled brightly and lightly bowed. And without hesitation, she knelt before him. The transparent white robe, an extravagance beyond his yearly income, swept across the old, rough floor of the hut and gathered dust. But she didn't seem to mind at all and immediately embraced him. Ethan immediately stiffened and froze. "Mnnnn...!" Her arms quietly wrapped around his back. Leaning her body against his, she buried her face near his chest, exhaling a quiet, warm breath. The moment that breath touched his skin, his heart dropped. "Ethan." A clear voice, A clear and sweet tone, like a bell, resonated right next to his ear, and her scent completely enveloped him. The faint floral scent of her long, flowing hair, and even the familiar vanilla scent. Meanwhile, Ethan instinctively raised his hands in the air. He didn't know where to touch, or how to react. Her body, which had embraced him so naturally, was softer and warmer than he had imagined. And... Her ample breasts were pressed directly against his abdomen, separated only by a single layer of smooth cloth. He was on the verge of an erection. "...Wait, just wait a moment." Ethan gritted his teeth and swallowed his breath. He had to reach out and push her away. But she pressed closer and wrapped her arms tightly around him, making it impossible for him to move properly. "Lynette, get up." "Mmm." She shook her head, pouting slightly, and lifted her face. Clear, blue eyes were looking up at him. Her eyes were filled with affectionate emotion. Seeing her eyes slightly reddened, Ethan was momentarily speechless. "I missed you." She smiled like she did in her childhood, but in a completely different way. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment..." Burying her face in his broad chest again, she whispered. Ethan exhaled deeply. At that moment, his mind was in turmoil. Fifteen years, fifteen years had passed. Too much time had passed. During that time, he hadn't thought of her. No, he had tried not to think of her. "Ugh..." After she suddenly appeared and was taken to the royal palace like a little sister he had cared for, he heard the adults say that an orphan child with no connections was a magician and would receive treatment like a noble that everyone would envy. He believed she would never return here. But, she had returned. And, just as they said, as if she had really lived like a noble, she had become such an elegant lady. The problem was, her body, more excessively mature than any woman he had seen, was now naturally burrowing into his arms. Ethan knew she was no longer a child, but he couldn't push her away, nor could he treat her like a child. "Ah... I'm so happy." Her voice from below was so gentle. So much so that he felt guilty even saying "get up now" again. No, in the first place, who would have imagined such a picture of an incredibly beautiful lady embracing him? His heart was beating far too fast. This was truly too harsh for a man who had kept his virginity for 30 years. And that it had to be Lynette of all people. Lynette, with her head leaning against his chest, could clearly hear his pounding heart and inferred that he felt the same overwhelming emotions as her. Lynette slowly lifted her face. A slightly flushed cheek, a softly raised corner of her mouth. She whispered, looking at him with expectant eyes. "Ethan, ...hold me." His mouth shut like a mute, and in his mind reason, morality, and great desire collided for a moment. His adult self, reasoning and upholding morality, was against the instinct and longing to accept the feast laid out before him, a bride who had come seeking him. Of course, two desires clashed: to welcome Lynette's embrace and to explode because such an incredible beauty had come to him, a man likely to live his life as an old bachelor until today. Ethan tried to turn his head away. The soft touch of Lynette's hands wrapped around his arms felt increasingly clear. Her body temperature and the sensation of her skin brushing against his were too intense. He had to resolve this situation somehow. Lynette waited for his touch with an eager expression. Seeing this, Ethan swallowed a lump. After much deliberation, Ethan raised his hand and lightly patted her near her shoulder. Appropriate distance. The victory of reason. "Ahem, it must have been a long journey... You must be tired from coming here." But as Ethan ended the embrace and tried to put some distance between them, his hand unintentionally slid along her waistline. It was because of the unusual texture of the finest quality robe he had ever touched in his life. The sensation transmitted through the thin robe, due to his lack of strength control, was felt remarkably clearly at his fingertips. His hand, sliding down her slender waistline, finally brushed against the lower part of her back. His hand stopped, resting on the dimples of her lower back, between her wide hips and waist. "Mmm..." Lynette's body flinched at the sudden sensation, and a soft, alluring sound escaped her lips. Ethan momentarily couldn't close his mouth. This... No. He internally cursed himself and firmly shut his mouth. But Lynette, unaware of his agitation, smiled while leaning against him. She firmly misunderstood that his hand on her body meant they were sharing sincere feelings of longing, embracing and comforting each other after time apart. After all, as she had stated from the beginning, she had come as his bride. Lynette grasped Ethan's clothes a little tighter and whispered to him. "Please, touch me much as you like..." Their faces drew closer. The air in the summer hut was hot, and their intertwined bodies were scorching hot.

The Bride Returned