Cascus, who found it difficult to sit in a chair, felt sorry for Atia, remembering the past.

If it weren’t for her, how much more pain would he have endured now? In the quiet study, alone, he would have struggled with piles of documents, clumsily scribbling with a pen.

Unspoken, she understood his suffering more than anyone else.

He doubted the words he had said for her sake, and he doubted them again.
The more Atia approached, the more he distanced himself. He constantly doubted and tested, thinking there might be another purpose.

He never made an effort to properly understand how Atia had been treated or what emotions she harbored.

Simply because she was the daughter of the Haraad family, an enemy clan.

It would have been better if he had known a bit earlier, a bit sooner.

It wasn’t until a year after marrying her that he truly looked at her.

Her small face had eyes, nose, and mouth closely spaced.

How could he not have noticed such a beautiful face until now?

He also found out about the unusual symptoms in her body too late, and perhaps, just maybe, he thought it might be to the point where he couldn’t touch her.

His wife, who hadn’t known that her own body was so damaged while caring for others’ bodies.

Since leaving the northern region, Cascus had resolved.

He would find the secret hidden in Atia’s body that even the doctors couldn’t discover.

The next morning.

Owen went to the office to receive a situation report.

His subordinate bowed his head and greeted him.

“How is the progress?”

“So far, there’s nothing unusual.”

“Is that so?”

Owen raised his eyebrows.

“Didn’t the ship number 4 that left a few days ago arrive safely?”

“There’s no news of arrival yet, so it might be better to wait a little longer. Since it’s a ship carrying a lot of goods, the speed to the destination is slow.”

“Alright. Is there anything else unusual?”

“No.”

Owen loosened the leg he had crossed and leaned his neck backward.

‘I believed in unnecessary nonsense.’

Even well-working things tend to make you nervous when someone claims they will fail.

The Duchess had undoubtedly tried to mislead him with some words she picked up somewhere.

‘How dare she…’

Owen’s fist hit the table.

Had she expected too much because she knew about Emperor Deluman’s dietary habits and recent symptoms?

“Poor Duchess under a black magic spell…”

That statement must also be false.

He couldn’t figure out what kind of trick it was.

‘Then how can I avoid it? If the title of a prophet is a lie… How can I…’

The problems she knew were things that could not be known just from the information.

Whether the rosemary tea Emperor Deluman drinks morning and night has no effect, she knew it somehow. But one thing was certain, there was nothing wrong with the ongoing route development.

But somehow, she seemed to see through his thoughts.

What worried him was the feeling that the information she knew might be necessary for him.

‘If that woman talks nonsense here and there, it could be troublesome.’

Tick, tock, tick.

Owen tapped the desk with his fingers.

Disliking wasting time on unnecessary worries, Owen decided to meet Atia in person.

The room where Cascus and Atia stayed.
Atia was examining Cascus’s posture.

“One, two.”

She held his shoulders to prevent Cascus’s upper body from rising while lying on the floor.

“Good. Put more strength into your core.”

“…….”

“Keep lifting your hips. Keep your arms closer to the floor.”

“…….”

“Yes. Your arms shouldn’t come up with the rest.”

To an observer, it might be unclear what position they were in, but it was a beneficial bridge pose for strengthening Cascus’s lower back.

While Atia pressed one hand on his shoulder and kept his forearms from lifting off the floor, she continued counting.

“Five, six, seven….”

In the past, Cascus would have refused to do something like this, saying, “What’s the point?” But circumstances had changed.

If Atia said it was good for his body, Cascus felt he could do anything, except perhaps jump off a cliff.

Moreover, following her instructions, the persistent lower back pain, which would ache even when he was still, disappeared cleanly, and his body felt lighter.

“Good. You’re following well. Very good.”

Atia praised Cascus, smiling brightly.

Looking at the novice seedling trainee with satisfaction, Atia took a sip of water and asked, “Is it difficult?”

“No, it’s actually fun.”

“Very good. That posture suits you. Good.”

Atia raised her thumb and winked at Cascus, lying on the floor.

“Next time, if you establish a center, we should advertise it as a registered academy in the northern region. Pictures before and after of the Duke… No, can we use a portrait for the advertisement?”

Answering, Cascus, who lifted one corner of his mouth, said, “Do whatever you want. You can do everything you want.”

“Even if it depletes the entire fortune? Buying equipment will cost a lot of money.”

“How much are you planning to spend?”

Atia smiled brightly, revealing her selected teeth. Seeing such Atia, Cascus involuntarily laughed.

Knock, knock, knock.

“May I come in? His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, urgently calls for you.”

The news that the Crown Prince called for her along with knocking sounds came from outside the door.

Atia wiped her forehead with a towel and opened the door.

Meanwhile, Cascus stood up from the floor, looking at the door as if nothing had happened.

“His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, has summoned you?”

Atia asked the attendant standing outside the door.

Seeing Atia dressed in active clothes instead of a dress, the attendant smirked.

“Yes. Please get ready and come when you’re called.”

“Alright. I’ll get ready quickly and go out.”

Upon hearing Owen’s urgent call, Atia went out in casual attire instead of a dress.

Although she could have asked for Kesha and Hari’s help, Atia chose not to. She didn’t want to spend much time dressing up and didn’t care to pay attention to trivial details.