“This is Deos Rakmata. She’s my friend currently staying in Tessendot. Deos, this is my husband.”

And Ophelia said,

“You two probably know each other’s faces, but I don’t think I’ve formally introduced you.”

Deos was the first to greet.

“It’s an honor to meet you like this.”

Idren looked at the middle-aged woman bowing in front of him.

Before meeting her, Ophelia had warned him that this situation would arise.

“I’m thinking of arranging a meeting with Deos soon, is that alright?”

Since it was someone he already knew, Idren was about to tell Ophelia that she didn’t need to do that.

No one entered the castle without his approval.

From the moment Deos Rakmata set foot in Edegrun, Idren knew who she was.

In other words, he had known since his past life that she was the mother of Ophelia’s first betrothed.

Even without digging deeper, Ophelia had mentioned it in passing.

But Ophelia, seeming to know what he was about to say, stopped him.

“I just want to introduce you properly, so accept it quietly.”

How could he refuse when she said it like that?

When he nodded his head truly ‘quietly’ as she said, Ophelia kissed him on the cheek. Her radiant smile was a bonus.

Idren grinned, knowing it was a reward bordering on the carrot and stick strategy, but unable to help smiling back.

As he briefly recalled what happened this morning, Ophelia spoke beside him.

“Deos was a great comfort to me when I was having a hard time.”

Though a simple statement, it instantly made his mind complex.

Idren didn’t know what those words ‘having a hard time’ and ‘was a comfort’ meant.

Ophelia had never told him in detail about her past.

Of course, since she hadn’t told him, he had never asked either.

But this uneasiness was his own problem, so Idren just smiled.

“I should be grateful then.”

And he extended his hand to the woman with pale green eyes in front of him.

“If there’s anything you need, just say the word.”

“Your words are too kind. If anything, it was Her Majesty the Queen who comforted me.”

What did those words mean? What does it mean that she ‘comforted’ her?

Idren suppressed the urge to interrogate thoroughly. A jealous man is not pleasant to look at.

Think about how ugly Netepel Runtalis looked. People who are too envious tend to ruin things.

Moreover, Deos Rakmata was someone Ophelia trusted enough to entrust Reden to in her previous life.

Thinking that Ophelia’s hardships then were due to the mistakes he had made, he was also someone he should be grateful to.

But thinking that she belonged to a part of Ophelia’s past that he didn’t know, his thoughts kept multiplying.

Ophelia seated him face to face with the mother of her former betrothed.

Idren did as she instructed, despite his complex feelings.

The atmosphere was friendly, but with few topics to discuss, the conversation ended quickly.

After barely an hour had passed, Deos spoke up first, saying she should head back. Ophelia didn’t try to stop the woman.

Idren watched as his wife, who didn’t have many close friends, went to see her off almost to the door.

“Take care and stay healthy.”

“Yes. You take care too.”

If it’s alright, keep in touch sometimes.

The added voice was soft, but it was clearly audible in the quiet reception room.

Or rather, it was because all his attention was focused there, more than the room’s environment.

When Ophelia turned around after the door closed, Idren was about to get up from his seat.

“No, stay seated.”

And Ophelia sat down next to him, a little distance apart.

Just as he was about to ask about the awkward distance, Ophelia pulled him close.

Idren blinked as he suddenly found himself lying with his head on her lap.

Is this also a carrot? If so, it wouldn’t be bad to have moments like this occasionally.

Brushing his hair back to reveal his forehead, Ophelia asked,

“How was it?”

“She seems like a good person.”

It was the first time he had seen Ophelia go to see someone off, even getting up from her seat.

Ophelia nodded at his words.

“That’s right.”

And she slowly stroked his exposed forehead. The movement was so gentle that Idren was a bit surprised.

Had Ophelia always been this delicate?

“Did I tell you before about my relationship with Deos?”

“…Yes.”

After answering, Idren thought. He shouldn’t have lain down.

Mentioning a long-ended relationship likely meant she wanted to talk about related matters, but in this position with his face fully exposed, he wouldn’t be able to hide his expressions.

Once, Idren had worried about such things. Whether Ophelia, who didn’t love him, would love someone else.

He knew she had a deceased betrothed.

He hadn’t dug deeper, partly because he didn’t want to do anything that would displease Ophelia or affect her reputation.

No, in truth, he also didn’t want to know too much.

Back then, he knew well that if Ophelia had loved another man, he would have no chance.

Unaware of these complex feelings, Ophelia looked down at him with calm blue eyes and brought up the expected topic.

“When I was young, Mahanas brought a boy, saying he was my fiancé.”

At this rate, he might really show an unseemly side. Not wanting that, he tried to sit up, but Ophelia pressed down on his shoulder.

“It’s heavy.”

“That’s not why you’re trying to get up, is it?”

His body went limp at those words that hit right at the core. Finally giving up on refusing, Idren confessed.

“I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake.”

“What mistake?”

Ophelia laughed and slowly slid her hand from his shoulder to his chest.

Whether due to the ticklish touch or the tension from the topic, his heart beat rapidly.

Idren thought she must surely be feeling every beat.

If even his head, quite far from his heart, was pulsing like this, Ophelia, with her hand right above it, couldn’t not know.

Idren bit his lip at the situation where everything about him was clearly exposed.

It was okay to live as a narrow-minded man.

To be honest, he didn’t mind if she saw him as someone who got upset easily and had no backbone.

Ophelia seemed to quite like those aspects of him.

But he didn’t want to remain someone who was jealous of a man good enough for Ophelia to like.

Heat rose to his eyes involuntarily. As he blinked to dispel it, Ophelia said,

“Don’t cry.”

“I’m not crying.”

“You look like you’re about to.”

Ophelia raised her hand to cover his eyes.

“Your eyes are already red.”

And she knew the reason.

Even when no one has done wrong, there can be people who get hurt.

There are things that make you feel like you’re burning up inside not knowing, yet you don’t dare to find out.

But as long as Haslen was a part of her, Ophelia wanted to share the memories she had with Idren too.

Since he would be by her side for life, she was sure he would want to know about her before she was twenty-three someday.

Of course, as they aged, they would mature.

This sensitive man would gain experience too, and she might learn how to convey truths without hurting him.

But waiting isn’t always the answer.

Having lost him once and feeling things not going as she wished, Ophelia decided not to put off what she could do now.

Still covering his warm eyes, Ophelia said,

“Don’t cry. If you don’t want to show your face, I won’t look.”

At that, Idren’s body twitched slightly.

Was his silence really permission?

The thought suddenly occurred to her, but Ophelia didn’t ask to confirm. If she did, Idren might run away.

She slowly spoke the words she had rehearsed in her mind many times.

“The fiancé Mahanas brought was truly kind and gentle.”

Of course, not as strong as Idren. Wasn’t Idren the man who walked out of the swamp on his own even after falling in?

Ophelia knew that people who could accomplish such things were rare in the world.

But Haslen had the kindness to reach out a hand from above the swamp.

That wasn’t all.

Ophelia counted the virtues of the boy still vividly remaining in her memory.

“He was the beloved only son of a wealthy family, and the kingdom’s foremost heir who would inherit everything from his mother in the future.”

He had a smile like warm spring sunshine, and was knowledgeable about things beyond the kingdom.

“So we weren’t a good match.”

Belatedly, Ophelia admitted this fact.

Haslen and she were not compatible.

Mahanas would have constantly used her as a hostage to extort from Rakmata, and Haslen would have endured it all out of love for her.

She too would have always been wary of Mahanas, fearing the royal family might harm Rakmata.

The promise to love each other until death would have been kept, but they would have been unable to escape from Mahanas, held hostage by that love.

“I loved him even knowing this fact.”