“If they hear me say this, will I be charged with treason like Evan?”

“They won’t let that happen.”

“Fine, then.”

I purposefully trampled over the weeds growing all the way up to my shins as I passed by. The yard was bad enough; I could only imagine the interior.

“I think it would be uncomfortable for you to stay here, my lady. I’ll take you to our townhouse in the capital.”

“Am I going alone?”

He smirked and nodded. Hertian had to stay here. If he ran, he would forever be tagged as a fugitive. But I didn’t want that either.

“If I have to sleep, it has to be with Hertian. Either we both go, or we both stay here.”

The scandal of a newlyarrived couple spending the night apart would make me the butt of jokes. Now, I had to ride this out gracefully.

As I moved toward the entrance of the castle, I felt a void behind me and turned. Hertian was standing still, staring at me intently.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

“……”

Lately, Hertian has been a bit scary. He’s been staring at me like that more frequently, without saying a word.

“It’s not because of an irregular heartbeat affecting blood flow to the brain, right?”

It was a rational suspicion. Even when I listened to his heartbeat as he slept, it pounded as if he had run a few laps.

“I think we should see the royal physician while we’re here.”

“Hertian?”

I waved my hand above my head to get his attention. He blinked a few times before opening his mouth.

“Yes, my lady.”

“Why are you so stiff today?”

It’s like we’re in a country where everyone waves hands and feet in the same way. I grabbed the approaching Hertian and glared at him. It seemed he was swayed by memories of his past.

“Snap out of it. We’re surrounded by enemies here.”

I couldn’t blame him for not understanding.
The palace was a place where memories of his mother’s murderer, the queen, and other painful memories lingered. Not participating in the battle could have been considered treason. Even he, who was always stubborn, might have wavered.

“Stay strong. I’ll be beside you.”

I said this, gripping his firm shoulders.

He nodded stiffly, like a robot. Then, like a child, he grabbed the hem of my sleeve and asked,

“Will you stay close to me when you sleep, even though it’s not cold?”

He must have been scared to sleep alone, despite pretending otherwise.

‘He’s so childlike at times like this.’

Today, my contracted husband seemed especially humane, and I smiled in a positive way.

(This is a time separator.)

The palace interior was like a mansion visited by a burglar.

Expensive porcelain fragments littered the floor, and the curtains looked as if someone had ripped them down.

“We should probably head to the townhouse.”

“No? Isn’t it rather exciting? When else would you sleep in a place like this?”

I was a little angry but also a bit excited. I felt like I was continually looking at the worst in people.

‘Shouldn’t I bump heads with them for real if it’s to this extent?’

Each time we opened a door, a different junkyard greeted us. I heard Hertian clenched his fists each time, but my eyes gleamed as I took in the palace’s condition.

“This is… the receiving room.”

“I can’t tolerate this treatment. I’ll ask for another residence immediately.”

“No. I don’t want to cause a commotion. We have an appointment tomorrow morning, so let’s just bear it until then.”

Complaining here would make us move according to their will. So, we had to keep quiet until all our plans were finalized.

Perhaps feeling sorry for me, Hertian sighed repeatedly. Finally, we arrived at the last room, the bedroom. It was undoubtedly the largest room in the palace, but something felt off.

“This seems to be the bedroom… Is that the only bed?”

A small bed barely big enough for two adults. A small wardrobe and a dusty dressing table. The couch was half torn, and the only place to sit was a table chair stained with black spots.

“The condition is worse than I thought.”

Even the bed seemed barely usable. It appeared as if minimal cleaning was done just to make sure we could sleep here.

“This was my room.”

Hertian muttered softly. Then what about his mother’s room?

There was no room fit for a bedroom as we passed by.

As if reading my thoughts, Hertian added,

“Technically, it was the room for my mother and me.”

My thoughts halted for a moment.

‘Both of them lived in this humble room with such a small bed?’

Even I, a daytime Countess, had lived more luxuriously, occupying a larger bed all by myself. The idea that the wife and child of the Emperor lived in such conditions was unbelievable.

“Why would you…?”

I trailed off.

The reason was obvious.

The queen was against Hertian’s very existence, and the Emperor had no power to protect him and his mother. They were powerless, so they couldn’t complain about their neglected situation. It might have always been like this.

“I wanted to show you only the good side, but ever since we got married, I feel like I’ve only exposed my flaws to you.”

He said bitterly, surveying the room. As I looked at him, he swiftly turned away. His shoulders, which always seemed broad, felt small.

“You can show me everything.”

I approached and patted his back.

“I’ve also shown you my worst. Remember when I fainted, nose bleeding in front of you? You remember, right?”

He chuckled faintly when I glanced at him. Finally, he turned to face me.

“So you don’t have to hide anything from me. There should be no secrets between a married couple, right?”

Even if it’s just a contractual relationship.

“Is my lady curious about my story?”
My lips, which were about to say, “Of course,” remained closed.

In truth, I had never really thought about it. Since I, who had read the original work, knew Hertian’s past and future the best, I had no need to ask questions.

And it seemed to have appeared very strange to Hertian.

“Since the day we first met, my lady has never questioned my personal life. It’s as if you understood me, as though you knew it all.”