After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World - Chapter 378

Chapter 378: Anniversary (Part 1)
Aberdeen City, 1 year prior

Inside a high-end hotel room penthouse, something of a special occasion was being held.

This could be seen in how the dim candlelight lit the room in a soft glow, how the soft sound of classical music hummed in the background, and how well-decorated the room itself was.

There were even flower petals splayed all over the floor, on the cushions, and on the bed—their scent occupying the senses of the couple in the room.

All this, with the beautiful backdrop of the beautiful city below, made for an incredibly intimate ambiance.

Other than these, the couple also dressed themselves well, showing the importance of the occasion to them.

Althea wore a beautiful emerald evening gown that matched her eyes. It was a beautiful art piece of silk and lace. It was one of her more expensive dresses that her mother bought with her a few weeks back.

Her auburn hair was curled today, giving her a different look than usual, and adding a bit more softness to her.

She was also wearing some of the shiny jewelry he gave her—one beautiful necklace that framed her swan neck, a set of pretty earrings that made her face shimmer and, of course, their now-one-year-old wedding ring—combined, making her even more ethereal than usual.

Garan, on the other hand, wore a suit with an undershirt with a light shade of lime. He also wore special cufflinks that Althea gave him during an anniversary they had as girlfriend and boyfriend back then.

It was very different from the monotonous colors he usually wore and he was an incredibly handsome picture of sophistication.

They stared at each other’s eyes, warmth oozing out of their orbs.

In between them were several plates of wonderful-looking food. Garan himself cooked the meal using the built-in kitchen in the suite, and they were absolutely a feast for the eyes.

He cooked a mix of fancy dishes as well as Althea’s simpler favorites. Among others, there were Caprese salad slices of ripe tomatoes and mozzarella arranged in a beautiful platter, dressed in balsamic reduction. Althea really liked salads, and she liked to eat them in different mixes and sauces.

There was also a succulent lobster tail bathed in garlic butter. It paired perfectly with his seared fillet mignon. It was very savory and filling, each flavorful bite satisfying to consume.

Along with these, there were many viands accompanied by a medley of roasted vegetables, completing the meal.

Of course, everything was wrapped in a carefully chosen bottle of red wine. He bought the sweeter kind, as Althea liked. He also knew the velvety texture of the wine enhanced both the flavor of the food and the atmosphere.

“Time to eat~” she said, smiling, and he nodded, smiling back.

It was a wonderful dinner and they talked about various good memories. In retrospect, each one of the other’s best memories had the other there.

Soon, their dinner wrapped and they started eating their sweets.

The dessert was chocolate fondue. Next to it was a platter of fruits dipped in chocolate. They looked very succulent, each bite promising a sweet symphony of taste.

Althea loved milk chocolate the most. And although Garan wasn’t particularly fond of sweets, he didn’t mind eating them with Althea.

He particularly liked tasting them when he took them straight from her mouth.

Tonight naturally was no exception.

“Hmm…”

Some time later, the two found themselves out of the table and onto the sitting area. At this time, Garan was hungrily tasting all that dessert from his wife’s mouth, his tongue passionately exploring the inside of her mouth.

Her arms wrapped tightly around him as he rested part of his weight on her, feeling her softness as he plundered her lips.

He parted from her lips and kissed her cheeks, moving wet traces on the side of her face, her ears, and down her neck. She arched her body to give him better access to her neck, and he ate her up with more hunger every time he heard her moan.

But when she heard the rustles of clothes getting taken off, Althea immediately snapped out of it.

She patted her husband’s back to stop him from going lower, and she had to pull his hair a bit when he misunderstood the gesture as asking for more.

“Later! I want to give my gift now!”

Garan blinked, as if blinking away the lust, and remembered that he too had a gift he was looking forward to giving her.

She used this dazed moment to escape from his hold and went to her bag, cutely scooting back to his side with a smile on her face.

“Happy anniversary!!” She said, handing him a small box just larger than his hands.

Garan smiled and looked at the meticulously wrapped package tied with a satin ribbon.

He slowly unraveled it and his eyes brightened in admiration at what was inside.

His wife gave him a bespoke Swiss knife, made of platinum, alloyed with a couple of other very valuable metals.

It was expertly contoured to fit his hand, very ergonomic. He looked at her curiously, wondering how she did it, then he recalled she made him place a handprint on a plaster of Paris mold, saying it was for a project.

He never questioned her, but he should’ve known she was planning something.

His lips twitched upwards as he released the razor-sharp blade and stood up, expertly starting to manipulate it so she could admire it (note: him) at a safe distance.

The other tools in the toolset included serrated blades for cutting through tough materials and a bottle opener that could be used not only for celebration, but also in opening rations.

There was also a small saw for wood crafting and various precision tools, which would prove useful in survival situations.

Garan raised the knife and admired it from different angles, marveling at its practicality and elegance, his heart filled by its every sheen.

This tool would also save him many times, even in another world that they had yet to find.

He smiled and closed it, shifting his eyes to look at her as she watched his reaction. He extended his hand and she took it, before he pulled her flush to him again, embracing her with all his warmth. “Thank you, I love it.”

He gave her a long kiss on the cheek, and it was ticklish so she ended up giggling.

His breath turned heavier but he didn’t jump on her. He lifted her from his thigh and gently placed her back on the sofa, standing up to get her gift.

He sat down next to her, placing his warm palm on her waist as he pulled her to him. He handed her a box as well, and she blinked as she looked at its contents.

It was an intricately designed package and she opened it to reveal another beautiful gem.

It was an ultra-rare emerald diamond much bigger than the pink ones he gave before.

He really liked giving her gems, though he said it was mostly because he couldn’t beat Winona for seeds, plants, and formulations.

Garan had specifically traced this treasure and found out a foreign syndicate had it. Although the syndicate did nothing to provoke him, he proposed their hunting. Anyway, they were really an evil group.

He also almost died, but he thought it was very beautiful and was close to fitting his wife’s beauty.

Close. Just close.

“Someday I’ll find you something that could match your beauty,” he said, baritone voice full of promise. It melted Althea’s heart.

“Aww, Garan, you didn’t have to…” she said, patting his chiseled chin. She loved whatever he gave her.

“I want to,” he told her, “I wouldn’t be able to rest well if I don’t give you the most beautiful things.”

Her emerald eyes met his extremely heated gaze—one that never failed to make her face flush in embarrassment.

And without further ado, he lifted her up in the air, carrying her like a princess. The next thing she knew she was gently thrown back first on the soft bed, under a husband intent to continue where they left off.

“…”

________

Altera, present

“Ha… ah…”

In another world, familiar sounds of sensuality echoed inside a room. It had lasted for hours on end, and it reached its end when the moon was already halfway in the sky.

“Ah… husband…!” A coquettish moan sounded, closely followed by a breathless, very masculine, groan.

“Wife!”

Garan’s eyes squinted in pleasure, large drops of sweat dripping on his wife’s body.

Althea gasped as she gripped her husband’s back for dear life, her head arched back as she swallowed the sensations.

With a huff, Garan fell down beside her on the bed, and he placed his strong arms above her, enveloping her in a hug.

He tightly wrapped his muscular arms around her sweaty waist, feeling her warmth and heartbeat, engraving into his soul. It was something he’d never tire of doing, over and over.

Then he felt his wife’s breathing soften, obviously about to fall asleep.

Garan looked at the sky and made a rough calculation, deduced that it was exactly midnight.

“Wife,” he said, gently waking her up with a noisy smooch on the cheek.

“Hmmmnnn???” She mumbled, eyes half open.

She looked so cute that he smiled and smooched her other cheek.

“Whwat ish it?” She gurbled as she buried her head in his wide chest. He chuckled and guided her to a sitting position. He held her shoulder so she didn’t fall down, and it was here Althea finally woke up a bit.

She looked at him in confusion but also very patient and his heart melted.

He rubbed his palm against her cheek and grinned.

“Happy anniversary.”

“…”