Chapter 3

The dinner began with everyone acting cordial towards Ivory, or at least pretending to be. In her previous life as Sophie, she often overheard Ivory arguing with the Silver family.

"Ivory, I hope you're enjoying the meal. I specifically requested the chef to prepare your favorite dish," Amelia said with a forced smile. Ivory remained silent, playing the role of an amnesia patient who didn't trust any of them.

"It's truly unfortunate that you had to lose your memory. Well, at least the house will be quieter from now on," Diego whispered, emphasizing the last part.

Diego Silvers, the second Prince and a talented artist, was adored by many ladies. Ivory still remembered how, in her past life, she would find numerous condoms in his room whenever she went in to clean.

Seizing the opportunity, Theo couldn't help but snap at Diego's comment. "There's no need for such remarks, Diego," he remarked sternly. Irritated by his brother's response, Diego rolled his eyes, excused himself from the table, and declared he needed to go and finish a painting he was working on.

Ivory stole a glance at Tessa, who was sitting at the other end. Tessa Silvers, the illegitimate child of his Royal Highness, Fredrick Silvers, derived pleasure from tormenting the maids but acted like a well-behaved pet in front of her family.

Tessa was also the eldest, followed by her son Andrew Silvers, whom she had out of wedlock. The father's identity remained a mystery, even within the family.

Despite this, Fredrick always treated Andrew as part of the family, as he was his only grandchild. Amelia, however, despised both Tessa and her child, making no effort to hide her animosity.

Tessa caught Ivory staring at her and shot her a menacing glare. "What is wrong with this family?" Ivory wondered, quickly averting her gaze to avoid further confrontation with Tessa.

Noticing that Ivory wasn't eating, Theo understood that she was preoccupied with observing everyone at the table. Worried about her well-being, he poked a piece of meat with his fork and fed it to her, hoping to ensure she wouldn't go hungry.

"We have a child present here, Tessa. Show some decency," Amelia admonished, visibly displeased by the public display of affection. Tessa clenched the tablecloth tightly, exchanging defiant glances with Amelia. Though she would have retaliated in another circumstance, she had to respect her father's presence.

"We'll excuse ourselves," Theo declared, helping Ivory to her feet and guiding her out of the room. Ivory noticed that, despite their animosity, the family members managed to cooperate and keep the kingdom running smoothly. Although Theo was the heir to the throne, everyone played a role in the company's success.

Theo escorted Ivory back to their quarters and left her to handle some pressing matters concerning the kingdom.

Seizing the opportunity, Ivory decided to take a bath. She still felt unclean, despite the earlier assistance from the maids, and wanted to remove the lingering scent of strawberries from her body.

She spent a considerable amount of time in the bathroom, and when she finally emerged, Theo had returned. Unaware of his presence, she walked out with only a towel draped around her chest.

Embarrassment flushed her face upon seeing Theo, causing her to hastily retreat back into the bathroom. Observing her bashfulness, Theo couldn't help but chuckle, reminiscent of their initial meeting when she appeared innocent and charming—a moment that had ignited his deep affection for her.

Theo retrieved a nightgown from the closet and kindly knocked on the door, asking Ivory to come out and receive it. Ivory hesitated at first, but when Theo mentioned he had brought her clothes to wear, she cautiously opened the door and extended her hand to accept the nightgown. Another chuckle escaped Theo as he watched her reaction, and he placed the nightgown gently in her hand.

Ivory slammed the door shut after taking a closer look at the revealing nightgown. "How can you expect me to wear something so revealing?" she snapped, peeking through the partially opened doorway.

Theo was taken aback. Ivory had always enjoyed wearing revealing clothing, believing it made her look sexy. Perplexed, he rummaged through Ivory's closet in search of a non-revealing nightgown, but couldn't find any. Reluctantly, he had no choice but to offer her his pajamas instead.

Wearing the oversized pajamas, Ivory refrained from complaining, despite them being a bit too big due to Theo's larger build. In her past life, she was accustomed to wearing hand-me-down clothes from her brothers, many of which were too big for her.

She emerged from the bathroom wearing the pajamas, prompting a frown from Theo. He preferred seeing her in revealing nightgowns, which always sparked desire within him. The pajamas, in contrast, concealed her from head to toe.

"Are you certain you want to sleep in those? It's a hot night, and you'll be uncomfortable," Theo pointed out. However, Ivory remained resolute, accustomed to sleeping in oversized clothes like the ones she was wearing. She saw no issue with it.

"Let's get some rest, then," Theo suggested, climbing onto the bed. Ivory looked at the bed with a strange expression. "What do you mean? Are we going to sleep together on this bed?" she asked, perplexed.

Confused by her question, Theo responded matter-of-factly, "Of course. We're married, so we should sleep on the same bed."

Determined, Ivory refused. "There's no way I'm sleeping on the same bed as you. I want to sleep in a separate room," she demanded, standing defiantly.

"The other rooms haven't been prepared yet, and someone who is still recovering shouldn't be sleeping in an unarranged room. You have no choice but to sleep with me in this bed," Theo explained, attempting to reason with her.

"In that case, I'll sleep on the couch," she declared, settling on the couch.

"No need to sleep on the couch. Just come and sleep with me," Theo insisted, stepping out of bed.

"I said no, and if you try to force me, I'll scream," Ivory threatened.

Transfixed, Theo stood frozen, watching her until he was certain she had fallen asleep. Once convinced, he scooped her up in his arms and carefully placed her onto the bed. He then returned to the couch, allowing Ivory to rest undisturbed.