My Vampire Beloved Husband
Chapter 129: Aqua

Chapter 129: Aqua

The night arrived faster than expected as Naomi and Rose finished their evening meal. The warm glow of candlelight flickered softly in the dining hall, casting long shadows against the walls. The air smelled faintly of spices from their meal, a lingering reminder of the peaceful moment before the night truly began.

After freshening up, Naomi slipped into a simple baggy shirt and a long skirt, mirroring Rose’s choice of clothing. The fabric was soft against her skin, providing a sense of comfort she rarely felt in the grand mansion. Despite its luxury, the place still felt unfamiliar, almost too large for her to claim as home.

As she adjusted her sleeves, there was a knock at the door. When she opened it, she found Rhea standing just outside, her gaze unreadable.

For a moment, Naomi hesitated. Then, deciding to test the waters, she casually asked, "Does this place have a bar?"

Rhea gave a small nod.

Naomi’s eyebrows lifted slightly. She hadn’t been entirely sure if the mansion had one, but she had assumed that, at the very least, alcohol had to be stocked somewhere. If not, she could have simply asked Rhea to fetch some. Still, she had taken the chance to ask—and surprisingly, the answer was yes.

After a brief pause, Rhea turned, motioning for them to follow. Naomi exchanged a glance with Rose before stepping forward.

As they walked through the long corridors, Rose finally broke the silence.

"I won’t be drinking," she stated firmly, her voice quiet yet resolute. "I’d rather watch you."

Naomi immediately understood the unspoken meaning behind her words. She nodded in response. "At least take a sip," she suggested, offering Rose an encouraging smile.

Rose hesitated, her fingers tightening around the hem of her skirt. After a moment, she gave a small nod. Naomi didn’t miss the cautious way she carried herself—understandable, given what had happened before. After all, who wouldn’t learn from their mistakes?

They finally arrived at the mansion’s bar. The room was smaller than Naomi had expected, but it was well-organized. Shelves lined the walls, filled with neatly arranged bottles of various wines and spirits. The lack of a bartender made it clear that this was a self-serve space, intended for guests who preferred to pour their own drinks.

Rose suddenly stopped in front of a glass cabinet, her expression unreadable. She reached forward and opened it, then spoke a single word.

"Aqua."

Naomi frowned in confusion. "Aqua?"

Rose turned to her, a small, almost nostalgic smile playing at her lips. "This is the alcohol we used back in college."

Naomi still didn’t quite understand.

Rose chuckled. "Back then, whenever I went to parties, we always drank this. We called it ’Aqua’ because it looked just like water. No one could tell it was alcohol since we poured it into water bottles."

Realization dawned in Naomi’s eyes. She had never been part of that experience. While Rose had gone to parties, Naomi had always stayed home, preferring the quiet to the chaos.

Rose grinned, holding up the bottle. "I want you to try it. It’s my favorite."

Naomi narrowed her eyes at her.

Rose quickly reassured her. "Don’t worry, just one gulp, as promised."

After a brief pause, Naomi nodded.

Alcohol had been strictly forbidden in their college, which was why Rose and her friends had come up with that trick. Naomi had never paid much attention to their antics, but now that she thought about it, she found herself curious.

Rose carefully poured the drink into a glass before handing it to Naomi, her eyes watching closely.

"Are you sure you want this?" she asked. "You could say no now. This is your last warning."

Naomi shook her head. "Did I mean to do this? Yes, I did."

Rose exhaled in surrender. "Fine, then. Go ahead."

Naomi lifted the cup to her lips and took a single gulp. The moment the liquid touched her tongue, her eyes widened. A strong bitterness burned down her throat, but moments later, a surprising sweetness followed.

Rose burst into laughter. "Wow, smart move," she teased.

Naomi coughed slightly, blinking. "That was...unexpected."

Rose smirked. "See, that’s why I love it." She poured herself a small amount and took a sip.

Naomi shook her head, already feeling a strange warmth spreading through her limbs.

Rose arched an eyebrow. "Damn, Naomi, you’re already—Shit, I haven’t even given you more than one! Fine, then. Take five cups. That’s the least."

Naomi pouted. "But I want to try it properly."

Rose shrugged. "I don’t know what ’properly’ means, but if one cup is already making you act like this, imagine what five would do. Oh, goodness."

She paused, then added, "In fact, I won’t take any more. You’re on your own with this one. That way, I can take care of you if something happens."

Naomi smiled faintly. "I trust you."

Rose nodded and passed her the cup again. Naomi took another sip, slower this time.

"How does it taste?" Rose asked.

Naomi smiled. "It’s nice. Very nice."

To Rose’s surprise, Naomi asked for another.

Rose hesitated but poured her another cup. Naomi gulped it down, letting the warmth spread through her body.

After a while, Naomi asked for another.

Rose sighed. "Naomi, that’s enough."

She noticed Naomi’s eyes starting to grow heavy, the effects of the alcohol becoming more evident.

Naomi pouted, practically begging, "Pretty please."

Rose looked at her for a long moment before giving in. "One last one."

Naomi’s voice softened, almost slurring as she spoke. "I’m beginning to love this too."

Rose exhaled in disbelief. "You’re really something, Naomi. People usually have all kinds of reasons for drinking, but here you are, drinking just to have an experience. Whoa."

Naomi pouted and held out her cup toward Rose again. "Please, just the second-to-last one."

Rose shook her head. "No, this is the last one, I promise."

Naomi gave her a pleading look. "Please, just the second-to-last one."

Reluctantly, Rose filled the cup but with a much smaller amount this time. Naomi smiled as she raised it to her lips, but before she could drink, Rose stopped her.

"That’s enough, Naomi," she said firmly. "Let’s get you to your room. It’s getting late."

Naomi shook her head, her voice lazy. "But I want extra... I want extra."

Rose sighed. She decided not to be too hard on Naomi—after all, this was new for her. Instead, she gently took the glass from her hand.

"No, Naomi, you don’t want it," she said softly.

With a sigh, Rose picked Naomi up, supporting her as they began to walk. Naomi leaned against her, her balance unsteady.

The truth was, Naomi had wanted to try alcohol purely for the experience. But something inside her had shifted. A thought she had buried deep within herself surfaced—one she had pushed away when Zylan had promised to show her his room upon his return.

Her voice was barely above a murmur as she asked, "Do you think Zylan is hiding something from me in his room?"

Rose glanced at her, taken aback by the question.

Naomi’s eyes held a curious glint. "Do you think that’s why he doesn’t want me to enter his room?"

Rose hesitated. Then, recalling something, she finally spoke. "I heard from Ryland that the one place everyone is prohibited from is your husband’s room."

She paused as if debating whether to say more. In the end, she remained silent, simply observing Naomi’s reaction.

Naomi’s eyes suddenly brightened, a mischievous glint flickering in them.

"Do you think we should check? Let’s go check!" she said, her voice filled with excitement, followed by a soft laugh.

Rose immediately shook her head, panic creeping into her expression. "No, no, no! Please, no, no, no, I beg you, Naomi!"

Her face flushed with realization—she was in deep trouble.

Just as she moved toward Naomi’s room, Rylan suddenly appeared in front of her, his face filled with displeasure.

Rose laughed softly, trying to push away the awkwardness.

’Oh my God, how would she explain this to Ryland? How would she convince him to come back here?’ It seemed like she always caused problems whenever she arrived at a particular place.

Then Rylan spoke. "What did you do?"

His expression was serious—far more serious than she had ever seen before.

Naomi, in her drunken state, shook her head and pleaded, "Come, let’s go. Please? Pretty please?"

Rose didn’t know what to do. She was completely stranded, unsure of what to say or how to fix the situation.

Rylan looked at her in disbelief. At this point, he knew there was only one thing left to do—call Zylan.

"Rose," Rylan’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that made her heart stop. She slowly lifted her head, meeting his gaze.

"Take her to her room. Stay with her until I call for you," Rylan instructed, his tone firm yet laced with concern.

Rose nodded, but before she could move, his expression shifted, becoming serious. "And Rose..." His voice lowered, carrying a weight of urgency. "Don’t do anything stupid."