Married to The Ice King: Pampered Princess' Survival Guide-Chapter 176: Another First Kiss?

Theo carefully lowered Daisy onto the bed, his movements slow and cautious, as though she were made of glass. But Daisy wasn’t having it—her arms stayed looped stubbornly around his neck, clinging tight like a child refusing to be put down.

"Daisy..." Theo whispered, trying to gently pry her hands away.

"Nooo," she whined, burying her face against his collarbone, her voice muffled but dramatic. "If I let go, you’ll run away again... you will forget about me too..."

Theo froze, the word hitting deeper than she probably realized in her drunken haze. His chest tightened, but he forced a soft smile as he stroked her hair. "I’m not going anywhere this time... I will surely carve yourself inside my mind."

Daisy sniffled against him, her grip refusing to loosen. "Promise?" she mumbled, tilting her head just enough for him to see her big, bleary eyes.

Theo chuckled softly, brushing his thumb across her cheek. "Promise. Even if I forget everything else, I’ll still remember you."

Her pout softened into a lazy smile, and she poked his chest with her finger. "You better. Or else... I’ll haunt you forever as the prettiest ghost you’ve ever seen."

Theo laughed, the sound low and warm. "Then I guess I’ll be the happiest man haunted in history." He tucked the blanket around her carefully, but she caught his hand again, pressing it clumsily against her cheek.

"You’re warm..." she whispered. "Don’t go."

"I won’t," he said without hesitation, leaning down until their foreheads touched. "Sleep, my wife."

Her lips curled up into a tiny, satisfied grin before her eyes fluttered shut, still holding onto him like he was the only thing tethering her to the world. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Theo stayed there for a long moment, smiling quietly at the sight, before finally shifting just enough to sit beside her on the bed, letting her hand remain wrapped around his.

Theo’s eyes softened as he studied her sleeping face. Even in the haze of alcohol, she looked so much like the girl he remembered... barely changed at all in ten years. Back then, she had been fifteen, too young, and for him it had been nothing more than a boy’s secret crush. A kid’s love. That’s why he’d kept his distance, only watching her from afar.

But now... here she was. Lying right in front of him, clinging to him like she’d always belonged there. His chest tightened with a strange mixture of wonder and unease.

’So was it fate that she came back to me ten years later?’ he wondered. ’Or... did the twenty-nine-year-old me really forget her, just like Liam said?’

The thought unsettled him. His fingers brushed gently over the back of her hand, tracing the lines as if they could hold an answer.

"But..." he suddenly muttered, his voice low, almost as though he was speaking to himself, "considering my mind, I don’t think I would forget her... even after so many things happening..."

He paused, staring at her face, the soft pout on her lips as she clung tighter to him in her sleep. A faint smile tugged at his mouth despite the heaviness in his chest.

’Maybe...’ he thought, ’the future me buried her away, but never truly let her go.’

Daisy’s lashes fluttered, and she cracked her eyes open just enough to catch him staring at her. In her drunken haze, her lips curved into a sly pout. "...Pay me..."

Theo blinked, startled. "Huh? Pay you? Why?"

"You stared at me..." she mumbled, words slurring together. "So... pay me..."

For a beat, he just stared back, confusion melting into a soft laugh. "Alright then... how much?"

Daisy’s pout deepened. She didn’t answer with words, just jutted her lips forward, exaggerated and clumsy, making her meaning clear.

Theo blinked, stunned by her pouty lips so close to his. His heart thumped loudly in his chest, and for a second he froze, unsure what to do.

"H-how much...?" he whispered again, almost stalling for time.

Her only reply was to jut her lips out further, eyes half-closed in expectation.

Theo swallowed hard, his ears burning red. Although he was nervous, he finally leaned in and pressed the lightest kiss against her mouth. He pulled back instantly, startled by the rush of warmth in his chest.

But Daisy hummed in protest, still clinging to him. "Mm... not enough..."

Theo’s breath caught and he blinked hard. "Are you sure?"

Daisy frowned, squinting her eyes that were already struggling to stay open. "Of course... I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t... dummy..."

Her slurred words made his lips twitch into a nervous smile. He hesitated, his heart hammering louder than ever. Slowly, carefully, as if every movement might shatter the fragile moment, he leaned in again.

This time, when their lips met, it wasn’t just a quick brush. Theo let it linger, soft and uncertain, his trembling hand cupping the side of her face. She relaxed into him, sighing dreamily, and the sound made his pulse race faster.

Her lips moved faintly against his, warm and insistent, urging him not to stop. His hesitation melted away as he leaned in deeper, kissing her again, still gentle and unsure, but longer this time.

Daisy’s arms tightened around his neck, pulling him closer. The sweetness of her breath, the warmth of her body clinging to him, it was dizzying. For the first time in years, Theo didn’t think, didn’t hold back. He simply kissed her, letting the moment carry him.

But one sudden move from Daisy made him freeze. She shifted and climbed onto his body.

"Woah—woah, honey..." He quickly cupped her face, his voice gentle but firm. "We can go as far as kissing today, but listen... you’re drunk, and I don’t want to take advantage of you in this state..."

Daisy frowned and pinched his lips together. "Nonsense... taking advantage of your wife..." Her head flopped down onto his chest as she mumbled, barely audible, "Then let me take advantage of you... instead..."

Theo’s heart thumped wildly at her words, his lips still caught between her fingers. He let out a breathless laugh, half exasperated, half charmed. "You really don’t fight fair, do you?"

Her only reply was a muffled hum against his chest, her lashes fluttering closed as if she’d already drifted somewhere between sleep and stubbornness.

He sighed, pressing a lingering kiss to the crown of her head while brushing her hair back. "Alright... take advantage of me tomorrow, when you’re sober," he whispered with a smile.

But his words only received a soft hum of her uneven breathing. He peeked carefully at her face and noticed she was already back to her dreamland.