“To speak to another man’s wife without her husband present, when you haven’t even formally greeted her.”

Kaian’s cold tone sounded as if he was criticizing the king for disregarding etiquette as he pleased.

“Another man’s wife? Are you a stranger?”

However, Valkyrie, who retorted nonchalantly, seemed accustomed even to such an attitude from Kaian.

“Welcome to my castle.”

As Valkyrie extended his hand as if allowing Kaian to kiss the back of it, Kaian dared to brush away the king’s hand and embraced him roughly.

“Since I’ve committed the crime of ignoring etiquette, you’ll forgive this much, won’t you?”

The two sturdy men briefly embraced, flexing their arms, sharing the joy of reunion.

“It’s good to see you, Kaian.”

At Valkyrie’s words, Kaian, releasing the embrace, furrowed his brow and said coldly.

“What happened in Promhunt?”

“Strangely, when I called you and you said you’d really come, I didn’t want to go.”

“That whimsical nature of yours.”

Watching Kaian converse casually with the king, Claudel’s heart fluttered a little.

It was because he looked more relaxed than she had ever seen him before.

‘Madam Marcel and Hannah both said it wasn’t like that, but he never shows me that side of himself.’

If he really thought of her as ‘his person’ whom he could trust and be close to.

If he was content with her just being there, without expecting anything in return, there would be no need to draw such lines or build walls.

From Claudel’s perspective, the times when Kaian’s lines seemed to crumble a bit were when their bodies were in contact, and if not, even when they conversed alone, he always seemed to build an indescribable wall.

The reason why everyone around them said, ‘The lord really cherishes the lady,’ was because they, as servants, could only remain outside of Kaian’s absolute boundary.

However, as his wife, Claudel was in a much more intimate relationship, so it was upsetting and disappointing that he drew lines with her.

If she had been completely oblivious, perhaps her mind would have been more at ease.

Having grown up in Valmond Castle eating humble pie since childhood, she couldn’t help but notice that the attitude of the man she liked only lowered its walls during intimate moments, quickly returning to normal once the moment of ecstasy passed.

“It’s really good to see you like this, Kaian.”

“‘I wish we could just go up like this, have the wedding, and come back down, Duke.’ I thought you’d never call me by name again when you said that to me.”

“I tend to strictly separate public and private matters.”

Claudel watched Valkyrie, who was conversing amicably, with envious feelings.

‘Will Kaian ever treat me sincerely like that someday as time passes?’

But it felt so impossibly distant, even for something just imagined in her mind, that she felt pathetic.

“Aren’t you cold?”

Kaian turned his head towards her.

“I’m fine.”

“Your clothes seem a bit thin.”

He adjusted the shawl she had draped over her shoulders to wrap more closely around her neck.

“The meal is already in the room. Go ahead and warm yourself up first.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be there soon.”

At that, Valkyrie tried to dissuade Kaian.

“Don’t do that, let’s have breakfast together. I’ll have them bring something to wear too.”

“Go inside, Claudel.”

Claudel, glancing between the august king of the Oberon Kingdom and her husband who held power over her life and death, quietly retreated.

“Then I’ll wait for an opportunity to greet you formally, Your Majesty.”

As Valkyrie simply watched her silently without trying to stop her further, Claudel quickly left the place.

On her way back to the room, she felt a little dejected.

“Is it because I’m dressed too casually?”

She was in her bare face and the comfortable clothes she usually wore in Lowen Castle.

It was fortunate that she had at least washed her face and removed her eye discharge before changing clothes.

“I did brush my hair though.”

She wondered if her appearance was so embarrassing as to refuse the invitation of the king, who was on such close terms with her cousin.

Returning to the room and looking in the mirror, Claudel let out a small sigh.

“I guess it’s goodbye to comfortable attire from tomorrow on.”

She never thought a situation like this would arise. To unexpectedly encounter the king inside the palace!

She had only imagined the king moving about grandly with a train of attendants and maids behind him.

“I wanted to see that side of Kaian a little more.”

A face of Kaian’s that seemed gentle, with all its coldness gone, would never tire her no matter how much she looked at it.

Feeling regretful, Claudel sat down at the table where the meal was laid out, removing the shawl from her shoulders.

Kaian had fallen asleep without putting on clothes, so she had deliberately asked for the fireplace in the room to be lit.

She wondered if he had woken up from the sound of servants coming and going.

As she lifted the lid of the bowl in the room warm with heat, a rich and savory potato soup was revealed.

Even the bowl containing bread was not a basket but a warmed ceramic dish. When she picked up the soft, fluffy bread with her hand and cut it in half, the scent of butter wafted gently.

It was a warmth that made one’s heart generous.

Having been hungry since she woke up in the morning, Claudel slowly ate the bread and soup.

“Is this an aftereffect too? Why do I keep feeling so hungry?”

Compared to before she contracted Herzol, she had never suffered from such hunger pangs at mealtimes.

She felt embarrassed, wondering if it was because of her poor attire that Kaian had told her to go in, conflicting with the thought of filling her stomach with warm food as he had said.

“When we return to Lowen, I should ask the doctor.”

The aftereffects of Herzol.

She was worried about not being able to have children. Even the changed appetite bothered her unnecessarily.

After sending Claudel back to the room, Valkyrie expressed his disappointment.

“Do you think I’m a person with a lot of free time? It would be nice to chat a bit more while I have the chance.”

“Still, no.”

Seeing the duke firmly reject the king’s lunch invitation, Valkyrie questioned.

“Why?”

“Claudel has a hard time if her meals are delayed.”

“It would only take about twenty minutes for the table and meal to be brought up.”

“She can’t wait that long. She’ll collapse.”

Valkyrie frowned.

“How on earth do you know that?”

“I’m her husband, shouldn’t I know such things? Claudel tends to eat at set times.”

“Ha. To hear the word ‘husband’ come out of your mouth. It’s really chillingly unfamiliar.”

“If you have a conscience, open your eyes and look clearly. At the result of the royal command you issued.”

The married monster created by forced marriage, that is.

Kaian crossed his arms and glared at Valkyrie.

The two were indeed facing each other for the first time since rushing to the royal castle upon receiving the marriage order by telegram.

At that time, after a brief conversation, an angry Kaian had stormed out of the king’s office, so they couldn’t have any other talk.

But that was their first meeting in two years since Kaian’s triumphal return from war, so seeing each other leisurely like this was really after a long time.

“For someone who had a lot of complaints, you seem to be doing well.”

“For example?”

“Like showcasing fantastic dancing skills with the lady of Lowen Castle at the autumn festival.”

“What else?”

“However, for unclear reasons, the lord never returned to the festival square again, they say.”

“Did you have people follow me?”

“Would I have people follow you? Or could you not stop the mouths of those who attended the famous Lowen festival?”

Kaian unfolded his arms and sat down on a golden chair placed in the sky garden. Valkyrie personally pulled a chair close and sat next to him.

“Marriage to a Vermonte. I thought of the worst, but you’re trying not to live like that.”

“Trying? Kaian, it’s hard to imagine you enduring something and making an effort.”

After ordering him to marry, now look at this. Kaian was dumbfounded but responded calmly.

“Is that so? If you get married too, you’ll learn that theory and practice are different.”

“Theory and practice. What’s different?”

Kaian answered with an unconscious smile.

“People.”

People were the biggest variable.

Because of Claudel, who became his wife, Kaian often did things he would never have thought of before.

“Can you believe it? Just half a year ago, I was about to burn Valmond to the ground, but now I’m thinking of taking Claudel on a trip to the land where she was born and raised.”

“That’s surprising. Really surprising.”

Kaian put his hand on Valkyrie’s shoulder.

“You should get married soon too, Valkyrie.”

“Now I regret ordering you to marry the most. To think that even you would say what the capital nobles say every day when they see my face.”

“That’s also a good point. The proposal letters I used as kindling no longer come in.”

“Show-off.”

Valkyrie looked at Kaian seriously.

“If you know any good brides, introduce them to me.”

“Good brides? Where would I know any noble daughters to associate with?”

“If you say she’s a good woman, I think I could trust that.”

Kaian felt there was a hidden meaning in Valkyrie’s words.

‘Is it that he can’t easily get married?’

After Valkyrie became king, the Oberon Kingdom fell into turmoil and then slowly emerged from it.

As the five-year war passed, both Kaian and Valkyrie became men who had sharpened their edges to not break easily.

But Valkyrie’s marriage could also be the beginning of a new phase.

‘If I say she’s a good woman, he says he might believe it.’

Trust was important but difficult.

Even as he tried to get along well with Claudel, Kaian also felt it was like an endless homework.

“If trust is the standard, that would be really difficult indeed.”

Valkyrie showed interest in the words Kaian muttered self-deprecatingly.

“Is your bride trustworthy?”

“She’s a trustworthy person.”

However, Kaian couldn’t speak honestly.

‘No. Not yet.’

He wanted to trust her, and was trying to trust her.

But that woman could tell his business, the estate’s business, to the head of Vermonte, who was like an enemy, as much as she wanted.

‘If she sent someone to a different telegram office, I might not know.’

Like not addressing it to Valmond.

However, because she sent them without considering such things, Kaian could read all the telegrams Claudel sent to Duke Vermonte in order.

He had wondered if it might be some kind of trap, but it didn’t seem so.

Even to the point that the sender was Hannah Pebble, her maid who had now decided to become a faithful servant of Temnes.

‘I wasn’t in a position to give Valkyrie any advice.’

As he conversed with Valkyrie, Kaian only confirmed the bitter fact that he still didn’t fully trust Claudel.

When would he be able to trust Claudel?

…After the Duke of Vermonte dies?

Kaian composed his thoughts that seemed about to turn violent.

“That’s not important. This marriage was about your will being important.”

“You say my will was important in your marriage. I feel sorry for you needlessly.”

When Valkyrie said that, Kaian’s complicated feelings settled.

“There’s no need for that. If our marriage has made things easier for you, for the country, that’s enough. For your sake.”

At Kaian’s words, Valkyrie smiled and extended his arm to put it around Kaian’s shoulder.

“If I had retainers like you, I could have slept comfortably with my legs stretched out long ago.”

“Still, the notification was too much. I was truly angry about that.”

Valkyrie took out his pocket watch and looked at it.

“Oh my. It’s already this late. I should get going now.”

The busiest person at the king’s birthday celebration was the king himself.

Kaian nodded.

“I think I’ll rest a bit more and then look around the capital. I don’t know when we’ll have another chance to talk like this.”

“Make yourself comfortable in my castle. If you need anything, just say so.”

They alternately slapped each other’s hand backs and palms like when they were young, shook hands, and parted.

As Kaian disappeared from the sky garden, Valkyrie pondered over what he had just heard.

“He says that woman can be trusted?”