Scatha was curious about something she couldn’t ask Emperor Attila or Agnomon Ennea under any circumstances.

Even though Lugard probably wouldn’t know the right answer, Scatha thought maybe, as a fellow man, he could offer some insight.

“If, let’s say, your lover did something like what I did, you’d probably… hate it a lot, right?”

“Huh? No.”

With a prompt and unhesitant response, when Scatha tilted her head in confusion, Lugard, flustered, reached out his hand.

“No, no! It’s not that you’re my lover…”

Huh? I didn’t even think of that…

As Scatha tilted her head even more, Lugard’s face started turning as red as a tomato. For the bewildered Lugard’s sake, Scatha internally swallowed the question she really wanted to ask.

Come to think of it, it didn’t seem suitable to ask Lugard, who had no experience in dating.

Fortunately, Scatha had someone else she could ask such questions.

Unlike Lugard, the person who readily permitted entry into Ferpalace.

Nemed, who, unlike Lugard, accepted Ferpalace entry willingly.

Seeing Scatha’s curiosity, Nemed swallowed the question he wanted to ask.

In the end, it wasn’t awkward at all…

“Sorry… I thought you were lying about being pregnant…”

Lowering the newspaper that covered his view, Nemed and Scatha chuckled together.

“Why are you laughing? What did I do well?”

From Nemed’s perspective, who didn’t know he was a princess, Scatha found it amusing how foolish he must have looked, so she just laughed.

“You even said you attended my funeral? I heard it from Sister Etin.”
“Because of you, I really… I had to beg for mercy to survive, but even then, it was really difficult.”

Scatha sincerely apologized to Nemed.

After visiting Evan Barhur’s field hospital, they exchanged several letters. During this time, Scatha and Nemed shared stories they hadn’t had a chance to discuss before.

Among them, the news that surprised Scatha the most was the death of Saive.

“After returning from the military, his reputation skyrocketed. He used to say things like, ‘Since Saive is the only one fit to inherit the Corb General Hospital,’ and honestly, it was a bit regrettable? I was going to introduce you to him before you went to the field hospital.”

Scatha recalled Saive, who seemed somewhat different. The suspicious actions, constantly surrounding a man named Gegan during the Chrom Hald Expedition.

“I’m sorry for the deceased, but even if you didn’t go to the field hospital, you wouldn’t have received an introduction.”

“But… Listen. Saive was going to the military again soon, right? I thought, ‘This is it,’ because it seemed like he might be your destined partner.”

“Hmph.”

Seeing Scatha’s sulky face, Nemed chuckled, wrinkling his nose.

“Now I know, you really make a face.”

“What are you talking about…? It’s not like that.”

Embarrassed Scatha covered her face with the newspaper this time. It was because her face heated up, thinking about Kasar for no reason. Actually, even if she heard such comments, her face remained speechless.

“Anyway, he died disgracefully. He got killed after dealing with the Crown Prince went wrong. Rephar despises the Crown Prince so much, and in the hospital, Saive’s name itself is taboo. Only then did I realize it was a good thing I didn’t introduce him to you.”

For Scatha, both the Crown Prince and Saive felt like similar humans, so she didn’t feel much enthusiasm. Still, Nemed sharing various stories was enjoyable.

Then, Scatha suddenly threw a relationship consultation at Nemed that she couldn’t do during the day with Lugard.

“Nemed, you know. Did the Duke really… hate me a lot?”

“No…? I felt that he sincerely loved you.”

This would be Nemed’s sincere opinion, separate from thinking that she was a fool for treating her as a duke.

Actually, even if he said he hated me, there would be emotions of love behind it now that I know…

“That’s right… Actually, receiving forgiveness is also a miracle…”

Scatha, with a bit more courage, decided to bring up the story in her heart.

Anyway, Nemed is a married man, so maybe he knows a little better, or so she thought.

“So… for a whole week… without sleeping… asking for physical contact… But… curious about what kind of psychology this is…”

As Scatha asked the question, her face was gradually turning into a well-ripened peach. Nemed, who received the question, blushed and scratched his temple awkwardly.

“Oh… That’s an unexpected question I never thought of.”
“Now that I’ve said it, it seems like I asked for no reason… But still, I’m curious, from a man’s perspective, why it is like that.”

Fortunately, Nemed didn’t mock Scatha and, with one hand on his chin, sincerely pondered the question.

“Should I answer honestly, or should I tell a well-intentioned lie?”

“Honestly.”

“Well… I guess it’s unavoidable since there’s already a fiancée. Even if I were to consider you as a duke, it would have to be after marriage.”

Scatha sighed deeply and leaned her body against the chair armrest.

As Nemed didn’t know that the fiancée was fake, his honest answer, in his own way, had some distance from the truth.

It’s a delicate matter as Scatha doesn’t know what Kasar is thinking. It’s not something she can hastily reveal.

“…Is that all?”

“Well, you had to make this decision because of the child, but anyway, Princess Erwin, your fiancée, won’t be pleased. From my perspective, the Duke seemed to show quite a bit of respect towards Princess Erwin.”

Come to think of it, Nemed met Kasar and the fake princess a few times.

Scatha, who was expected to be upset, found Nemed’s enthusiastic storytelling interesting, and he seemed to be chatting happily about things that didn’t need to be said.

“Really. Can you believe he already prepared a complete list of the territory and assets to leave for Princess Erwin and his successor in the will?”

“A will…?”

“Yeah. Legally effective a year later according to imperial law. I didn’t know he was sincere enough to think about his own child’s name in advance.”

“Child’s name…?”

Before hearing Nemed’s answer, Scatha felt somehow dazed.

“It was ‘Maha.’ Maha de Blachnat.”