Violet asked with a light smile. Contrary to her expression, the words were weighty. However, the Empress, as if waiting for it, smiled brightly.

“Of course. From the moment you told me that the woman’s hair ornament remains with me, I decided to believe in the Grand Duchess’s words.”

The old hair ornament found in the Emperor’s office. It was the only relic left by Hertian’s mother, and since discovering that hair ornament, the Empress had kept Violet by her side.

She was unaware that she was thoroughly monitoring the Emperor herself.

Moreover, knowing that Violet had been secretly in love with Serdis for a long time, she thought it would be easier to manipulate her than Annette.

“At the moment, I’m just pretending to lose.”

Since she was an illegitimate child, the Empress did not consider Violet as a match for her son.

She was merely a pawn to be used and discarded.

“What should I do?”

The Empress, concealing her cunning, held Violet’s hand.

Violet felt a wry smile at the warmth on her hand, but she clasped it without hesitation.

“Make sure the Duke and his wife cannot leave the capital, no matter what.”

After the match, back in Star Palace.

I first examined Hertian for any injuries.

Having seen Serdis’s sword cut his arm, I first checked his arm. As expected, there were deep traces where the pungent smell of blood emanated.

“I’ll cut your clothes.”

I cut off his torn shirt and applied herbs to the wounds. Hertian slightly flinched as if feeling pain.

“Why are you going out when you’re going to get hurt?”

I started my nagging first.

Hertian knew about the trap, which was fortunate, but still, facing Serdis was not an easy task.

You could tell just by looking at the quite deep wounds.

“It’s fortunate it’s the left arm. If it had been the hand or leg holding the sword, what would you have done?”

He endured my scolding silently until the end of the wound treatment.

After tying the bandages around the wounds, when his hands were freed, he looked at me and brought my hand up to his face. I pinched his cheek with a vexed feeling.

“Why? Did you expect me to praise you for doing well?”

Hertian’s victory was more of a relief than a joy.

If he had been seriously injured…

The thrilling moment was vivid before my eyes.

“I don’t do things the lady dislikes.”

I frowned at the empty air, then chuckled, shaking my head.

“You asked me not to duel, right? Am I having strange memories?”

We fought just now. Together.

“Fight was inevitable, and if I got hurt, you would feel guilty and suffer, so I chose to be the one slightly injured.”
“Was there no way to avoid getting hurt at all?”

“That was the best option, but it didn’t work. I’m sorry.”

He quickly apologized. It was an apology, perhaps because his injury might become a burden on me.

Seemingly indifferent to his own victory.

‘Why does this person only worry about me and not about himself?’

I am a person busy worrying about myself.

I researched diseases because I wanted to live longer, and I chose a contractual marriage because I hoped that the people dear to me wouldn’t get hurt.

But why does this man’s choices not include himself?

Even when I pondered all day with my short hair, I couldn’t find an answer.

“Friends usually accept apologies, right?”

When I didn’t answer for a moment, he continued.

Suddenly, he held my hand and smiled beautifully. The thick and sharp eyebrows softened when he smiled. At the corners of his smooth skin, there was an untainted tenderness.

I silently stared at him for a moment, then turned away.

“Wife?”

Have I become strange?

The usual warm smile that I see every day looks different today. His lips look redder than usual.

‘Why is my heart pounding?’

Like someone with arrhythmia. It was pounding irregularly.

“Will you not accept the apology?”

Hertian came up from behind. Although his body didn’t touch mine, my body trembled in the warm air. So much that I wanted to bury myself in his warm body.

‘It’s scary to feel warm. Maybe I always feel that way because I always hug Hertian.’

So, this emotion is probably just a misconception.

I tried to deny that feeling.

When the sun in the sky emitted hot light.

Hertian and I, dressed in new attire, were wandering at an inappropriate time.

“But do you really need to hide?”

Hertian, hiding in the bushes of the palace, was busy removing leaves caught in my dress.

“I’m worried that my skin might get scraped by sharp branches.”

I warned him, covering his mouth with my index finger.

“Hush. Speak softly. What if we get caught like this?”

Hertian looked subtly pleased as he gazed down at my finger covering his lips.

‘So, that’s why he keeps talking?’

I removed my finger and questioned him.

“You said let’s go find the Grand Duchess together, but are you going to keep interrupting?”

“Well, I’m worried about getting scraped by branches. We can’t risk hurting your delicate skin.”

Once again, when Hertian’s loud voice resonated, I signaled him to be quiet, this time using my lips, not his.

Then Hertian’s face turned red.

Why again this time?

“It’s the finger that touched my lips……. crazy!”