“Why did you save me?”

Over the familiar scent of rosemary tea, an unfamiliar question flowed.

Why is that suddenly curious?

Claude slightly raised her head to look at Kaian.

Under the disheveled black hair above his forehead, clear red eyes looked at her as if urging her to speak.

Why does that person always look angry?

Even now, isn’t his expression cold as if he has something to confront her about, while she was praising him as a ‘benefactor’?

“Just because.”

“Just because?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t save him with any particular meaning.

The worry about not recovering is something only healthy people do.

She had become indifferent to treatment and her physical condition as she was escaping the end of this life.

“I would have saved anyone in such danger.”

“…Anyone?”

It wasn’t particularly because he was the noble Duke that she saved him.

If it had been Hannah about to be bitten by the crocodile, or the gatekeeper of some unknown castle, or anyone else, she would have thought it better for herself, who was about to die soon, to be bitten rather than him who had a long life ahead.

But Kaian’s face grew colder upon hearing her answer.

“You think that way while being a Duchess. You should have avoided danger.”

Looking at the man who suddenly spoke as if reproaching her, Claude closed her mouth.

‘Then you would have been bitten.’

Somehow, it felt like she wouldn’t even break even if she said that.

“You’re the most precious lady in this territory, yet you lack awareness.”

Didn’t he come because he was grateful?

Claude couldn’t understand why she was being scolded.

“The tea tastes bad too. I’m leaving.”

Kaian abruptly stood up and left, emanating a cold air.

Claude, feeling the tension release, finally let out a sigh.

Just as her breath brushed the inside of her throat.

“Cough. Cough, cough.”

A fit of coughing burst out, and Claude quickly grabbed a napkin on the tea table to cover her mouth.

“Cough.”

After the coughing that wouldn’t stop for a while subsided, something stuffy welled up from the back of her throat as if about to vomit.

“Urgh.”

Only after spitting out a small blood clot as if throwing up could Claude finally calm down.

The final appearance of life.

Claude too had vaguely imagined an ordinary deathbed.

With loving family members by her side.

The imagination of a white-haired husband or grown children whispering that they love her and won’t forget her as they send her off.

No one is unafraid of death.

Waiting for it alone, telling herself it’s okay, it’s okay, and preparing her heart, she was too scared and lonely.

Seeing off her parents, she realized that even such an ordinary death is not allowed to just anyone.

Still.

Still…

The only thing comforting the sadness welling up in her chest was the pain that had become more familiar to endure.

[This is the timeline separator]

Kaian didn’t visit Claude for several days after that.

It was a different attitude from when he would visit her bedroom several times a day to ask after her and have tea or meals together after Claude had saved him and injured her leg.

“You’d save anyone?”

He was a man forged to be a shield to protect others, a sword to be wielded to protect others for his entire life.

He had never been protected before, so he wondered if he had attached too much meaning to her saving him.

However, the warm memory that seemed to make his heart flutter just by recalling that Claude had saved him faded into an insignificant matter.

“Your reason for saving me was just because? That’s all?”

He didn’t know why he was so irritated even though there wasn’t a set correct answer.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

The butler reported to him.

“My lord. The jeweler says the repair of the jewelry you requested is complete. He’s here, what should we do?”

“Tell him to come in.”

The jeweler entered with a face full of joy at increased sales and bowed his head.

“I’ve repaired the ring you entrusted.”

A blue-tinted jewelry box was placed on his desk. When he had carelessly handed over just the ring before, he now wondered what happened to the box Antione had that contained this ring. It should have contained a certificate from the original ring maker.

Shaking off the continuously surging thoughts, Kaian picked up the ring from the box.

“Considering how large the jewel is, the lady’s finger is very slender. So I tried to make the ring as light as possible…”

The jeweler explained earnestly, but Kaian roughly understood what he meant, and anyway, the ring had been transformed to look like new.

It even looked more sophisticated due to the thinner ring part. It didn’t feel like the same item at all.

Kaian’s mood improved briefly upon seeing the reborn blue diamond ring.

When he had retrieved it from Antione, it was damaged and he didn’t feel like giving Claude an item involved in such an unpleasant incident.

This felt like a completely different item, so he thought it would be fine to give it to her now.

As soon as the jeweler left, he returned to being a man full of discontent.

Claude was a very difficult woman.

What on earth was she thinking in that small head of hers.

The problem was that once distance was created like this, it was hard to visit again.

Other nobles must have many political marriages too, but do they all live this difficultly?

While living in the same house?

Kaian was curious, but he didn’t have many friends.

Many male nobles of the age group that went to war during the conflict had died.

Even among nobles, they invited each other to their homes and went hunting to build connections.

When his father, Duke Temnes, was alive, Kaian also received many invitations as father and son in that way, but most of the families he interacted with had lost their heads or heirs. Now there were no connections to speak of, everything had fizzled out.

So there was really no one suitable to ask how others lived.

“What’s wrong, my lord? Are you not satisfied with the item?”

The butler spoke up, seeing Kaian glaring at the blue diamond.

“No. I like it. It’s been repaired better than I expected.”

“Then why are you like this? Do you have other concerns?”

Right. An experienced butler might be of some help.

Moreover, the butler was a long-time loyal servant of Temnes with a baronet title.

Kaian didn’t want to appear as if he was concerned about Claude, so he tried to ask casually while feigning composure.

“I asked Claude why she saved me.”

“I see. What did the madam say?”

“Just because.”

The butler blinked.

“I don’t mean I just asked her, I mean she said she saved me just because.”

“Ah.”

The butler nodded, finally understanding the context.

“Does this make sense? She could have never walked again. Saving someone and getting injured instead for just that reason.”

“The madam must have a gentle nature.”

“She said she would have saved anyone.”

“How fortunate to have such a person as our madam. She will surely show compassion if the people of the territory face difficulties.”

“Well. That’s true.”

The biggest problem with political marriages was that it was difficult to know the actual personality.

“I’m sure she’ll treat the people of the territory well, if nothing else.”

Unless the people of Rowen spit at her for being a Vermonte.

“Huu.”

When he sighed uncharacteristically, the butler asked again.

“What’s the matter now?”

“I really don’t know. Is it always this hard to get close to a wife?”

Kaian had never been interested in the butler’s marital affairs before, but now he was a bit curious.

“It’s a sudden marriage, isn’t it? Usually, even with political marriages, they have an engagement period and date for about a year before holding the ceremony.”

“That’s right.”

“Isn’t it because you didn’t date?”

“Date?”

When Kaian asked back as if he really didn’t understand, the butler cleared his throat.

“Ahem. I mean, until now you’ve only been meeting the madam in the bedroom, haven’t you?”

“That’s right.”

Because there was pressure to consummate the marriage with the detestable Vermonte on their wedding night. If Kaian responded uncooperatively to the marriage ordered by the king, it would also be considered disloyal to the king’s command.

He had never even thought about seeing her elsewhere.

Her bedroom.

And his bedroom. Though only once.

“You need time to get to know each other. You don’t know much about each other, do you?”

Kaian nodded in agreement, inwardly mulling over how he really didn’t know what Claude was thinking while living.

“What do people usually do during the courtship period?”

“They do various activities or go on dates.”

“Isn’t that something only guys who cling pathetically to women do?”

The butler closed his mouth.

Kaian found it annoying when women clung to him. Perhaps having an indifferent mistress as his match was heaven-sent. Rather, it seemed Kaian was the one fretting more.

“You’ll get to know each other better if you spend time together.”

The butler decided to quietly advise on his master’s marital relationship for the sake of the Temnes family’s succession.

“How about going on a picnic?”

“A picnic?”

“Yes. The madam has difficulty walking, so a stroll would be too much, wouldn’t it? She must feel cooped up staying inside the castle all this time.”

Kaian had thought the same, which is why he wanted to show Claude his bedroom.

“Prepare that. I can give her the ring there too.”

“When will you go?”

“Now.”

Watching Kaian head off to change clothes without delay, the butler sent an errand boy to the madam’s room and headed to the kitchen.

[This is the timeline separator]

Thanks to the advice of the capable butler, an hour later, Kaian was walking along a flower path carrying Claude.

The backyard of Rowen Castle bordered a small lake and was the lord’s private property.

No one else was allowed to enter, and the gardeners only managed it so it wouldn’t become too overgrown, giving it a wild, natural feel rather than an artificial one.

When he carefully set her down under a tree shade as the butler had prepared, Claude, whose complexion had been pale and unwell today, seemed to look a bit better already.

‘I thought it was because I asked her to come out together.’

He almost got upset again because of that, but the sight of the woman sitting in a field of white flowers blooming everywhere was quite pleasing, so he plopped down beside Claude.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“Yes. I love it.”

Kaian kept trying to look for an opportunity.

When should I give her the ring?

Isn’t there something I could say to improve the mood?

But he still didn’t know what to say to a woman whose likes he didn’t know.

“If there’s anything you want, just tell me.”

Claude quietly looked at him.

“Since you’re my benefactor. As a way of repaying you.”

Oops. He should have said he’d give her this ring as repayment for being his benefactor.

If only Antione hadn’t stolen this in the hallway that day, he wouldn’t have had to worry like this.

“Will you really grant it if I ask?”

“Yeah.”

“Anything I say?”

“That’s right.”

Claude smiled faintly.

However, even that slight smile was something Kaian had never seen before, and he felt his breath catch without realizing it.

“I’ll think about it.”

Why did even those words feel so grateful?

Looking at his wife sitting there with a clear face, his heart felt complicated again.

He got up from his seat and plucked the white flowers scattered all around to make a small bouquet.

“Here. Take it.”

It was something he had done with great effort for the woman who still couldn’t walk due to her injured leg.

“Thank you.”

However, Claude’s face contorted after smelling the flower fragrance.

“Why…”

It was just as he was about to check on her in surprise.

“Cough. Cough.”

Red blood seeped through Claude’s fingers as she covered her mouth with her hand.

“Claude!”

She collapsed, sprinkling blood stains on the white flower petals she had been holding in her arms, unable to breathe properly.