It would be disingenuous to say that Anna hadn't imagined what her second wedding night was like.
But she wouldn't believe it if someone told her that a couple spent the night peacefully on their wedding night in a bed that was too big to look good.
Now, she believes it.
The side belonging to Karenin was tidied up.
The owner of the bed did not leave the bedroom, but worked at his desk on a soft chair, a diligent Russian official.
Karenin noticed the movement of the bed, turned around, and saw his little wife looking at her seriously with a pair of gray eyes.
Her hair is a little messy and looks even more curly. After a good night's sleep, the skin on the face became white and tender, and the beautiful lips were slightly opened as if in awe.
Karenin allowed himself to avert his eyes from his wife's rosy lips.
"Good day, Anna."
Usually, Karenin's first daily greeting was always dedicated to his housekeeper, Kearney, but now, since his marriage, he began to feel this nuance.
"Good day, Alexey."
Anna wasn't sure if this was a part of her fantasy, a messy wife and a decent husband, but anyway, when Karenin walked up to him, it didn't matter.
"Grachev will come at nine o'clock, and we will leave for France at two o'clock in the afternoon," Karenin said.
Karenin said last night that Grachev is Karenin's family doctor. Things are almost ready.
"Okay." Anna responded, and then asked, "What time do you always get up?"
"Six o'clock."
Anna glanced at the wall clock, it was already 7:40, she usually got up at 7, she thought that the biological clock she developed was early enough, but it seemed that it was still not as good as a certain Russian official.
She lifted the quilt and was about to go to the bathroom to freshen herself up. She got up a little later than usual today, and hoped that she still had some time to do a simple stretching exercise.
When Anna came out, Karenin had left and Annushka was tidying up the room.
"Where's Alexey?"
"Sir went to the study and said breakfast would be delayed for twenty minutes."
Anna smiled and went to the closet to choose her clothes.
In an aristocratic family, the job of a personal maid included dressing her mistress, but Annushka didn't need to do this for Anna, because the latter was used to relying on herself for everything.
Annushka was almost apprehensive at first when she was told she didn't need to serve Anna, but she later found out that wasn't the case.
Since Anna recovered, her personality has become more cheerful.
Annushka is just a maid. She is not well-educated, but she sticks to her duty. She doesn't look at what she shouldn't, and doesn't think about what she shouldn't guess. Up to now, she has adjusted herself , will not go to fuss.
Anna picked out a long dress made of velvet, which was very warm. When she left the bedroom door, the butler Kearney told her that she could go to dinner.
"Thank you, Kearney." Anna smiled at the stern butler, who nodded at her.
When Anna reached the dining room, Karenin was already waiting there, reading a newspaper.
The servant took away the newspaper, and Karenin looked up at Anna and motioned for her to sit down.
Anna looked at the long dining table and said, "Do you want me to sit here, or here?" She indicated the two seats with her eyes.
Karenin got up and pulled away the chair next to him.
Anna blinked: "I like this decision."
The breakfast was very rich, and there was no problem with each other's dining etiquette, but Anna felt a little unaccustomed to being too quiet.
She didn't like silence, but she wasn't sure Karenin would like it. After hesitating for a while, she still asked, "May I ask you a question, Alexey."
"Yes." Although a little strange, Karenin stopped what he was doing.
Anna was a little shy, but decided to tell the truth.
"Can we talk during the meal?"
Anna continued: "What happened yesterday, I think we need to communicate more. I want to know you better."
"You can ask me any questions, Anna, unless it's something I can't disclose about work." Karenin completely put down the silver tableware in his hand.
"Sometimes you don't need to be too careful with me, you know, you can, relax a little bit."
Anna laughed: "You are a little serious sometimes, you know?"
Karenin was a little surprised, then shook his head: "No one has ever told me about this issue. Moreover, my job determines that it is more conducive to making decisions like this."
"Many people dare not tell you, but I can." Anna laughed again after speaking, "Looking at it this way, being your wife really has a lot of benefits."
Karenin didn't know how to respond to these words, it seemed to be a compliment, but a little less formal.
"You see, now I know you a little better," Anna said as she began to cut her own bacon, so naturally that Karenin looked at her for a while afterwards.
The morning sun shone in from the floor-to-ceiling windows and fell on his wife's hair and shoulders, as if she was dancing.
He glanced at the clock.
It was eight thirty, and breakfast was twenty minutes later than usual. The habit of not talking when eating at home has also been broken. If you spread your right hand, you can touch another person, such a close distance. All because of marriage.
"What do you want me to tell you?" asked Karenin.
Anna raised her head and said, "Anything is fine, Alexey, I think this is a couple, you can tell me anything, as long as you want."
Anything is fine, but the scope is a bit too big.
If this was the answer Karenin got at work, he would usually frown and ask his subordinates to reformulate the answer. But Anna is not his subordinate, she is his wife, a very special existence that has never been encountered before. Lacking data to analyze, we can only move cautiously step by step, and sometimes, even caution is not needed.
This is a bit scary for Karenin. There are no rules and no case studies. However, he thinks he can do well.
To this end, Karenin carefully chose a topic.
"Would you still like to go to France with me in the afternoon?"
"Of course, why do you think I will change?" Anna said happily.
"After what happened last night, I'm concerned you're going to need some personal space."
"No." Anna expressed her thoughts frankly, "I want to follow you to France."
"I see."
Then, the restaurant was silent again, but this time Anna didn't feel a little embarrassed anymore.
Grachev came over on time. He was a man in his fifties, with brown-red hair not yet gray, with a well-rounded appearance and a very kind appearance.
He was indeed a kind doctor, and gave Anna an ointment to apply.
After the doctor left, they were alone in the bedroom.
Karenin asked: "Do you need me to call Annushka?" After the words fell, the ointment was handed to him.
"This is also a compulsory course in love, increase contact, get to know each other, and then..." She didn't go on, just lowered her head and smiled.
Afterwards, after talking to the housekeeper for the last time, when he turned around and was about to board the carriage, Karenin saw the person waiting for him beside the carriage. Although it was still cold and cold in November, it seemed as if spring had already passed. Swinging over with a swaying skirt, the seeds of hope have been left on this land, just waiting for the flowers to bloom in the coming year.
He's married, and it feels good to be married.
"Yes. Mister doesn't like anyone touching his desk, no matter who it is." The butler replied calmly, his temper was exactly the same as Karenin's.
"You are a good housekeeper." Anna said, and Kearney showed her a slight smile, indicating that he accepted the compliment.
The dinner prepared by the cook was delicious, but Anna still restrained herself from eating too much for dinner. She doesn't want to gain weight. She is still not used to the clothes here, but fortunately she is relatively slender. If she had to wear that kind of waist-stretching clothes all the time like she did on her wedding day, she would really die.
After dinner, Anna read an English novel in her bedroom. It was obviously written by a female writer, and some of the sharp points of view make it almost doubtful that it was also written by a time traveler.
At about ten o'clock Karenin rang the bell and came in. Looking a little tired.
In this era, noble couples slept in separate rooms.
"How is it?" Anna put down her book and walked over to ask.
"It's stabilized." Karenin said, and after seeing Anna's appearance, he frowned slightly, "You should be ready to go to bed, Anna, going to bed late is extremely bad for your health."
"But as far as I know, you don't get ready to go to sleep until half past ten every day." Anna laughed.
Karenin understood Anna's meaning and said, "I must finish all the official documents before ten o'clock, and then keep reading for half an hour."
Anna blinked: "You can come here."
"I mean," she said, looking a little embarrassed, eyelashes fluttering, but finally said, "I want you to sleep next to me, all the time."
"I know it's inappropriate, but I still think, since we're married, why do I have to share a room with my husband?"
Because of embarrassment, Anna's speech speed at the end became very fast. She walked to the bed and patted the four-poster bed that could accommodate at least four people with one hand.
"Look, the bed is big, we don't need to waste it."
She stretched out her hands and patted it again, which was really silly.
"I don't snore when I sleep. I probably don't grind my teeth. Annushka didn't say that I have the habit of talking in my sleep. The bed is also big, so it won't disturb you..."
She repeated again and again that the bed was very big, so that finally the sound became quieter.
"So, what do you think?"
Anna raised her head and looked at the other person bravely. To be honest, in fact, she really had a kind of ferocity in raising her head suddenly. If it weren't for Karenin who already knew his wife very well, he would probably have been taken aback by fright.
"I think," said Karenin after a moment's hesitation, "that your reasons seem quite sufficient."
"Do you find it funny?" Anna asked dryly.
"No, maybe, I've gradually gotten used to it." Karenin said, with a tired look still mingled between his brows. But his eyelashes were slightly drooped, and there was a slight smile on his lips, which made his usually stern facial features look very soft at this moment.
Anna felt something screaming inside her, and then she found herself actually saying it.
"I think you're really cute right now."
Doubtful emotions gathered in Karenin's blue eyes, then became serious and serious, and he scowled.
"Anna, you can't use..."
But he didn't finish because his wife put her arms around him and kissed him on the lips.
"I won't tell others, you are mine." She said with a smile, and the laughter faded the charming sentiment.
There was some emotion tumbling in my heart, and finally it gradually dissipated with this burst of laughter.
"About," Karenin paused, as if he had to use a lot of perseverance to say the word, "'cute', I don't want you to use it to judge me, if you insist, I can't stop you, but Anna , I don't want you to judge me like that to the outside world."