The ominous energy swirled in the red eyes that always gazed at her indifferently.

Sieghart’s brows furrowed together as he said this, then quickly returned to their original position. Next, his eyes briefly shot upward. He seemed to think Natasha’s request was quite bothersome.

It wasn’t an entirely unexpected reaction. As the man’s answer suggested, it was a list of demands composed of quite troublesome things, so his fierce response was understandable.

“I beg you.”

However, Natasha couldn’t back down. Having endured misfortune before doesn’t make one numb to the same misfortune.

The conditions she put forward were measures to prevent tragedy. But even this was merely a stopgap solution.

“Your Excellency may think I gain much from this marriage, but in truth, it was an unwelcome proposal to me. I want you to know that.”

“So you’ll substitute these trifling conditions for an unsatisfactory proposal?”

“Well, please think of it as supplementing.”

Natasha, who had calmly responded several times to the other’s sharp reactions, then raised her head.

“With today’s acceptance, Your Excellency will have gained many benefits.”

There was no sign of a reply coming.

Having spent a long time with him, Natasha quickly realized that this was the man’s way of demanding an explanation. Rather than asking again about words he didn’t understand, he often chose an arrogant silence, waiting for the other person to elaborate.

“For reasons unknown to me, Your Excellency proposed to me. You even found me after I had disappeared to Bale. Please don’t say it was a coincidence. I know that the meeting Your Excellency arranged was an artificial inevitability disguised as chance.”

Still, there was no reply. This was another of the man’s habits. An arrogant response meaning to continue speaking as he was listening.

“Anyway, with today’s acceptance, I’ve saved Your Excellency time and emotional expenditure, so I think these are sufficient things to receive in return.”

“Time and emotional expenditure?”

His thick eyebrows rose again with shallow wrinkles. Only then did the response he elicited come as a question.

“If Your Excellency were someone who would definitely achieve what you wanted…”

“…”

“If I were to refuse marriage, from then on, you would have created a situation where I would accept marriage. No matter how much time it took, no matter how much effort was required.”

For a moment, Sieghart’s face hardened like stone. A stern light came over his originally insensitive face, creating a fierce impression. It seemed like the struggle of someone unexpectedly hit at a vital point.

After a while, the man barely succeeded in managing his expression. As if he had understood, he relaxed his expression and read intently the paper he had placed on the table as if burying it.

“Very well, I understand the princess’s opinion. Now it’s my turn to speak my mind.”

He began in a deep, sunken voice. His red eyes lingered blankly on the surface of the paper as if reviewing the conditions again.

“First, explain the condition that we must divorce after two years.”

Although that part was annoying, I thought he would just pass over it, but I didn’t expect him to point out the first condition.

“I don’t know what Your Excellency intends to gain from marrying me, but I think two years should be enough.”

“You make it sound as if I proposed with some scheme in mind.”

“It was a sudden proposal. Are you going to claim you love someone you’ve never even met, asserting that you brushed sleeves that never even touched?”

Even in a situation where she should have hesitated, Natasha was incredibly bold. Sieghart’s lips closed at her attitude of brazenly retorting. It was rather he who was avoiding the conversation by delaying his answer.

He gestured towards the woman as if tired. It meant for her to continue her explanation.

“Two years seems sufficient for both of us. Your Excellency will have finally achieved what you wanted through marriage, and I will have found a new place to settle.”

The man nodded dryly.

Again, there was no mention of not divorcing. Natasha suddenly realized the man’s purpose. He would achieve some kind of goal through this proposal.

Anyway, it was enough if there wasn’t any pretense of loving her, such pathetic acting. The marriage life would be easier if only Sieghart’s deception was absent.

The freedom she would have in two years, Natasha decided to approach married life with hope for the future. The two-year marriage was merely a grace period for a stable future.

However, that didn’t mean she had to give up on the impending unhappiness. Even if there was a bright future, she wanted to live peacefully during her stay at the duke’s residence.

The next conditions were for that peace.

“What does the condition asking for the rights of a duchess mean?”

“It means I want to handle the duties of a duchess myself. Additionally, I would like the Asthart duchy to assist with my debut in society.”

To avoid repeating misfortune, Natasha had to succeed in standing on her own as the Duchess of Asthart. A hollow position obtained only through a husband’s love was of no use.

“Why do you want to make a debut in society?”

“The news of a member of the royal family, thought to be extinct, becoming a duchess will be quite sensational. The attention drawn by such stimulating news will naturally not be favorable.”

In her past life, she had failed to fulfill her duties as a duchess while listening to Sieghart’s words and being consumed by fear.

In this life, she intended to live differently. Rather, she planned to use that attention to stand before the public and gain their favor.

“I didn’t know you considered even that.”

“This is how the weak must live.”

“What I meant was that you’re worrying about something too obvious.”

“…Pardon?”

“After becoming the duchess, all authority will pass to you. Whether it’s duties or debut in society, it means you can lead as the princess wishes.”

The indifferent answer was so contradictory to the imminent future. Hadn’t the man personally prevented Natasha’s debut in society?

It was clearly an act to persuade Natasha. If they only made a verbal agreement without drafting a contract, it was obvious he would pretend not to know later.

Sieghart, who was reading the other clauses, stopped at one point.

“What does it mean to protect the princess from the imperial family?”

It was before the fifth clause that said to eliminate contact between Natasha and the imperial family.

“I hope that when the imperial family wishes to interact with the duchess, the duke’s family will restrain them on their own. Throughout the two years of our marriage.”

Kyle Letius, the devil who called Natasha a new toy and chased her until death. The demon who loved Natasha’s pain and felt ecstasy seeing her tear-stained face.

He was the only misfortune Natasha couldn’t stop, so she absolutely needed the help of the Asthart duchy.

“It’s been long since we cut ties with the imperial family, so there’s no need to worry about contact being made. Still, I’ll strive to protect the princess’s safety.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Although the words of the man who had ruthlessly neglected Natasha in the past weren’t trustworthy, the contract was different. If Sieghart were to violate the clauses, she intended to present the contract they had drafted together.

“That’s all for my requests. I think it’s simpler and easier than expected. If what Your Excellency wants from me is marriage and to seat me as the duchess, that is.”

The back of the paper illuminated by candlelight faintly revealed the writing. Natasha, who had been staring blankly at the reversed letters, then fixed her gaze on the edge of the paper. There was a blank space for signing.

As if reading her gaze, the man’s elegant hand followed, grasping the quill pen.

The man who was about to scribble letters hesitated for some reason. The fingers holding the pen lingered for a while, not easily detaching. It was as if he was conscious of the warmth left on the object.

「ZIGHART ASHARTE 」

Befitting his beautiful appearance, his handwriting was also elegant. With Sieghart signing in agreement to the contract, the deal between the two was established.

When handing the paper to Natasha, Sieghart deliberately applied force to control it so that she couldn’t take the object. As she gave a slight glance as if to ask what he was doing, he quickly continued speaking as if he had been waiting for that reaction.

“Since it seems the princess is misunderstanding something, I’ll say it right away. What I desire is only the princess, there are no other impure intentions in this proposal.”

The serious words ironically provoked Natasha’s laughter.

“…Is that so? Then with what intention were you earnestly desiring a marriage with nothing to gain?”

Natasha’s figure shimmered over the man’s red eyes. Conversely, Sieghart’s neat figure was reflected in Natasha’s red eyes.

“Well. Even if I tell you the truth, I don’t think the princess will believe me.”

His sharp chin lifted slightly and then lowered. It was a different kind of arrogance than shrugging one’s shoulders.

Sieghart took off his pitch-black gloves, as dark as his hair. The ring sitting on his pinky finger was particularly eye-catching.

“I’m honored that you accepted so quickly, despite it being a sudden proposal.”

“Of course, so as not to waste time…”

“Thanks to that, I can quickly be together with the princess as well.”

There was no time to react to the glib words. A ring was slipped onto her slender finger. It was the right size, as if it had always been its match.

One more thing, Natasha added the condition that they would marry half a year later. It was to match the time when she had married Sieghart in her past life.

The only thing she had, who possessed nothing, was information about the future.

Since she would be entering the Asthart duchy again, it would be more advantageous to use the future she knew.

Sieghart readily agreed to her request.

Thus, half a year later, time passed quickly and the day for her to enter the Asthart duchy approached.

As if his words to help Natasha adapt quickly were sincere, Sieghart earnestly introduced the interior of the mansion and the employees. He also held a grand dinner for the future duchess.

Well, until then, it was understandable.

It also meant that Sieghart was paying so much attention to Natasha, so it was good for show. Especially when he once again unfailingly referred to her as ‘his beloved fiancée’.

“…Why are you here?”

“Why, you ask, princess.”

However, the current situation of him boldly entering her room in the middle of the night was utterly incomprehensible.

“It’s not just natural but expected for a married couple to share a room.”