Lakrahan had just returned to the empire after finishing a war, but Gerard, who had neither welcomed nor thrown a celebration party, came up with an unexpected proposal.

How about getting engaged to his younger sister?

At that time, Lakrahan was 17 years old, and Princess Kelita was 15 years old.

It was a completely inappropriate proposal for Lakrahan, who had just lost his father and brother in the war and had to face his mother’s body, who had committed suicide immediately after returning home.

Then Lakrahan realized.

How much the emperor was restraining him.

He no longer wanted to see a battlefield where blood was splattering.

He sincerely wanted to avoid internal power struggles after ending the war with foreign countries.

Lakrahan was very tired then.

He accepted a formal engagement without marriage and only postponed the timing of the ceremony.

From the emperor’s point of view, who couldn’t afford to just hand over the north to Lakrahan, who had been honored in the war, it must have been quite frustrating.

He quickly settled in the north and found stability, but the problem was Kelita.

Before he knew it, her engagement and marriage to Lakrahan had become official, and Emperor Gerard began to periodically send Kelita to the north.

Each time, Lakrahan had complied, but he never gave a definitive answer about the engagement.

He guessed that eventually she would be filled with marital spirit and meet a good man.

So this time, too, should have been one of those periodic events that went well.

Not that Kelita witnessed him kissing Bercheria.

“Lakra, han.”

Kelita called Lakrahan with a moaninglike voice.

At the sudden sound, the two lips separated.

Kelita continued to blink.

The oncehot sight had become blurry, then gradually cleared again.

She hadn’t dared to look while the two were kissing, but the appearance of the woman standing in front of Lakrahan was surprisingly beautiful.

Wavy blonde hair with golden eyes.

She had heard of people with such appearances, but this was the first time she had actually seen one.

Even if she had been a man, the appearance would have been love at first sight.

Kelita took the strength out of her tightly held hand.

And she walked towards the two as naturally as possible.

Lakrahan was looking at the approaching Kelita, his face neither surprised nor flustered.

“Your Grace the Duke.”

When their eyes met, she smiled prettily.

Then she also gracefully blinked her eyes to greet the blonde woman.

“It seems I missed the timing.”

From Lakrahan’s always tender lips, there was no response.

When Kelita reached out to him, he stood up from his seat and pulled back his sleeve.

Lakrahan moved his neck lightly to shake off the tension.

He was sorry to Kelita, but it was a relationship that was to be broken anyway.

She and he were just moving like puppets according to the emperor’s command.

The relationship between the two was a matter of who would end it first, as the end was already there.

And now that time seemed to have come.

At this moment, which could be an important turning point for Lakrahan, the existence of the princess sent by the royal family was an obstacle.

“Princess Kelita. Talk to me for a moment…….”

It wasn’t intentional, but there was no better opportunity for Lakrahan.

“Your Grace the Duke.”

Kelita cut off his words.

It was something that had never happened before, so Lakrahan looked at Kelita with a curious eye.

Kelita looked up at Lakrahan with her twinkling brown eyes and said,

“I understand.”

Lakrahan raised one eyebrow.

“What…… are you talking about?”

“Your lifestyle, Your Grace the Duke.”

“What do you mean, Princess Kelita?”

Kelita met Bercheria’s eyes, smiling prettily.

As if to say not to worry.

She was going to be a gracious hostess.

“You can see other people even after we’re married if you wish.”

Kelita believed that he would eventually return to her bed.

Because Lakrahan was the perfect prince from a fairy tale.
“I will try until Your Grace is satisfied.”

“Yes?”

“For our perfect married life.”

“…….”

Kelita bowed her knees gracefully and then left the two alone and went outside.

Startled.

Lakrahan quietly looked at the closing door and let out a snort.

She turned to look at Bercheria, and she took a step back in surprise.

“Did I make a mistake?”

Lakrahan brushed back his hair that had fallen over his straight forehead.

His eyes hidden between flowing strands of beautiful hair were suffocatingly intense.

“Does it seem like a mistake?”

Bercheria thought for a moment and then shook her head.

“No.”

Lakrahan chuckled and patted her head with a thump.

“You’re right. There’s no mistake.”

She felt the warmth from his large hand that covered her head and then it quickly fell away.

The man who always had the same hot temperature whenever he touched her left her behind and walked outside.

“Let’s eat and talk again. I’ll also look if there have been any similar cases in the meantime.”

As Lakrahan opened the door and went out, Bercheria swallowed what she wanted to say.