‘But I won’t be able to have children.’

In arranged marriages among nobles, the health of a woman who could produce an heir was extremely important.

However, Claude was barren.

Herzol was a disease that greatly drained the body’s energy. It was an illness that dried people up to death.

When the Duke of Vermont tried to persuade her to help the domain’s people who were going to die anyway after learning she was sick, her menstruation stopped. Even before receiving the royal order from King Oberon.

The serious illness that painfully scraped the insides, causing blood to be coughed up with every breath, rarely had survivors, and even those who recovered mostly had aftereffects.

It was known that even after recovery, pain persisted with every breath, or the body’s strength did not return.

Fortunately, Claude recovered well and didn’t have a bad prognosis for her cardiopulmonary system, but as the stories passed down suggested, it seemed difficult for her to conceive. Her menstruation hadn’t resumed even after recovering from the illness.

‘If I can’t bear an heir, he should be with another woman.’

If the legal wife couldn’t have children, it was perfectly acceptable to take a concubine for that reason.

If the head of the family enjoyed entertainment and women, it would be gossip-worthy, but if it was framed as trying to have children because the wife couldn’t produce an heir, everyone would point fingers and curse at the woman who couldn’t have children, and the family who married off such a daughter to a noble house.

Calling them shameless people trying to end another family’s lineage.

Being unable to conceive for several years was also one of the legitimate grounds for divorce. After all, one couldn’t dare make the heir of a renowned family the child of a concubine.

In the end, if she couldn’t have children, even if the relationship with her husband was amicable, she would be divorced and sent to a place like a convent.

This was because a daughter returning home after being divorced for such a reason was considered an ill omen.

Once labeled as an unlucky woman, she couldn’t even return to her own family with nowhere else to go.

Then, whether the ex-husband provided some money or her family contributed, a donation would be made to a convent where she would seek refuge.

‘Is the convent where I’ll end up going in the end?’

Originally, I thought I would be coldly treated by Kaian, then ignored and driven out.

Humans are such beings who can’t see even an inch ahead.

The fact that I was going to die was so overwhelming that it robbed me of the leisure to think about and examine everything else, and Claude, fumbling to fill that void, was discouraged.

Harboring feelings for Kaian kept hitting obstacles.

The affection for him that seemed to be floating on a calm sea with a fair wind just moments ago now felt stuck on a reef, unable to move forward or backward.

The village scenery with colorful flowers growing on white walls plastered with lime mortar, the gentle breeze that passed by them pleasantly, the sentiment that it was nice to be with him – all lost their meaning in vain.

“It’s the first time you’ve asked about my parents.”

Walking slowly as if taking a stroll, he didn’t notice that Claude had become gloomy.

“You seem like you’d be a soft parent who’d spoil your children.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Just a feeling?”

Once she felt guilty and realized it, Claude felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, as if she was deceiving Kaian.

‘To want his heart.’

How full of herself she had been.

However, Kaian had saved her pitiful life, and she wanted to rely on his magnanimity that had even saved the daughter of his enemy, if only for a moment.

Because she hadn’t felt this warmth since her parents passed away.

If she had to leave his side due to her own flaws, she hoped to stay like this and feel the warmth until then, even if just for a little while.

Then, perhaps she could cherish and hold onto the warmth left in her memories like the embers remaining in a bonfire for the rest of her life.

“Why such a serious face?”

“It’s not serious. I’m just being earnest.”

“There’s no need to be that earnest about the education of a child not yet born. You’re so gullible.”

Even his words that seemed to chide her no longer felt scary, but only affectionate – this was becoming a big problem.

“Kaian.”

Claude called the name of the man who held the heat of the sun.

“What?”

“If I said I wanted to kiss you here, where it’s wide open and there are quite a few people passing by, would you think I’m an indecent woman?”

Kaian stopped at her words.

“Why think so negatively?”

“This is your domain, isn’t it? Everyone looks up to you as their lord.”

Unlike before, Claude now attributed the reason for attracting attention to Kaian. She didn’t think at all that her red hair, unseen in a land ruled by black-haired people, would be even more curious.

“From now on, get into the habit of thinking and speaking positively.”

“For example?”

“If you say you want to kiss here, it means you like me.”

His strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.

Lowering his head under the shade of the small parasol Claude was holding, Kaian murmured.

“You really have something in your head. It’ll be troublesome if you teach strange things to my child later.”

“Mmm.”

The lips that murmured as if scolding were softly interlocked, contrary to the tone. Kissing him was more and more addictive.

Under the shade of the small parasol, they created a memory of their journey.

That evening, in the inn room where they were staying, Hannah and Madame Marcel, who were attending to Claude, praised Kaian endlessly.

The reason wasn’t just because of the tender grilled beef skewers and the quail dish dripping with enough fat to soak the pie, which they had tasted at the table next to the lord’s.

“The lord really cherishes the lady.”

Hannah’s words were echoed by Madame Marcel.

“There will be such a commotion when we get to the capital. Everyone thinks the duke is still cold and finds women bothersome like before.”

The two people who saw Kaian and Claude’s relationship up close were excited.

“He finds women bothersome?”

From the rumors heard at Castle Vermont, it was said that he changed women every day.

When she thought she was going to die soon, it didn’t matter either way, and after realizing she liked Kaian, she was curious whether he met other women or not, but how could she ask him such a thing?

‘You. How many lovers do you have?’

Or, they say you play with virgins every night, so it’s been about two years since you returned from the battlefield, does that mean you’ve built relationships with about seven hundred ladies?

How could one ask such things to the person himself?

Even Claude, whom Kaian considered the epitome of oddity, wondering what on earth was in her head, knew that much couldn’t be asked.

Seeing that Claude seemed curious about Kaian’s rumors, Madame Marcel quickly answered.

“Of course. The lord doesn’t really like events like balls.”

“Really?”

“Even if His Majesty the King calls him about ten times, he might go to the capital once, if at all.”

“He must be very busy. He probably couldn’t visit the capital often because he had a lot of work in the domain.”

“What are you saying? Where there’s a will, there’s a way. How many nobles who like socializing and entertainment buy mansions in the capital and leave the management of their domains to their vassals?”

Well, Madame Marcel was right about that.

If he liked to play, he would have rushed there even without being called.

The fact that he didn’t go even when called meant he probably didn’t like it very much.

“And at balls, he doesn’t ask anyone to dance. The ladies in the capital were heartbroken.”

“Really?”

Usually in romance novels, don’t they talk while dancing and then it leads to the night?

Although Claude was from the wallflower background, she knew this theoretically.

“There are few eligible bachelors as wonderful as the duke in the kingdom now.”

“I think I’ve heard such stories.”

As the daughter of Vermont, she was a step back from such rumors since she didn’t participate in the capital’s social circles.

However, she knew the atmosphere was uneasy due to young men being dragged out to war and dying, as the Duke of Vermont had lamented ‘there’s not a single decent man’ while looking for a marriage partner for Irena.

“The nobles even asked His Majesty the King to legally allow polygamy.”

“Such a thing happened?”

The Kingdom of Oberon was legally monogamous.

Other relationships are not protected.

That was the reason for divorcing wives who couldn’t bear children.

The fact that they couldn’t make the family heir an illegitimate child.

So most would separate, bearing the consequences of a broken marriage with the woman’s family, which would lead to an uncomfortable relationship, even though it was likely a strategic marriage.

“Everyone wants to marry a wonderful husband for their once-in-a-lifetime marriage.”

Where in the world is there a young lady who thinks she’ll marry several times?

Claude didn’t have high expectations for her own marriage.

Irena would probably become the lady of Vermont Castle by bringing in a son-in-law, but since Vermont was originally a master of diplomacy based on marriage ties, she thought she would be married off to wherever her uncle told her to go, perhaps to a nobleman from a distant continent.

Her marriage to Kaian wasn’t too far from that either.

“Polygamy, really. If they did that, wouldn’t you want to be the lord’s fifteenth wife?”

When Hannah asked incredulously, Madame Marcel laughed out loud.

“That’s right. That’s why they opposed it. They fought, grabbing collars, telling them not to talk nonsense.”

“The world of nobles is fierce too.”

Hannah, who had been giggling, asked Claude.

“How do you feel about becoming the wife of such a man, my lady?”

“How? I have no thoughts.”

“Why no thoughts? This man is my husband! You can feel superior among the noble ladies.”

Claude sighed.

“He’s my husband, but not on my side.”

Here we go again.

Hannah and Madame Marcel’s eyes met above Claude’s head.

Weren’t they supporters hoping that Claude, who sighed saying it wasn’t so even though she had completely stolen her husband’s heart, would quickly accept reality?

Our lord is a man who has everything, but he hasn’t gained the lady’s trust.

He did commit many sins, though.

Madame Marcel, out of frustration, revealed to Hannah alone the compensation she had been promised at Castle Rowen. When Hannah heard the amount, she could feel Kaian’s sincerity through the numbers.

However, after hearing from Hannah about what Claude had gone through after coming to Castle Rowen, Madame Marcel opined that it probably wouldn’t be easy for the lady to open her heart to the lord.

Hannah eventually understood why the couple’s relationship wasn’t closing in more quickly, as she had even thought about running away from Rowen with Claude.

But having decided to devote her soul to Temnes, she couldn’t suppress her loyalty to the lord.

“My lady. I’ve decided on my wish.”

Hannah had won a bet earlier about whether Kaian would fall for Irena or not, but hadn’t yet stated her wish.

“What is it? Tell me. It has to be something I can do. You know that, right?”

“Of course!”

Hannah said triumphantly.

“Tell the lord that you like him.”