“Did something happen with Duke Cardia?”

Count Frederick immediately asked the reason.

Jieselgrante shook her head slightly with her lips tightly closed.

“Even if you try to hide it, it’s obvious.”

Jieselgrante slightly lowered her head to hide her flushed cheeks.

“Well, I think I can guess even if you don’t tell me.”

“…You think you can guess?”

Count Frederick added with a faint sigh.

“Seeing how upset you are to the point of not being able to concentrate, I’m guessing Duke Cardia unilaterally blamed you for something trivial, didn’t he?”

Cabelased did not blame her.

He simply tried to confirm if they had any aversion to each other about having an heir.

But she couldn’t openly tell Count Frederick about kissing Cabelased.

That was not only her personal matter, but also Cabelased’s.

As Jieselgrante hesitated on how to respond, Count Frederick spoke again.

“After resolving the affairs of the territory and taking a breather, I heard news of your engagement to Duke Cardia.”

Jieselgrante silently waited for Count Frederick’s next words.

“At first, I doubted my own ears. I even suspected if false rumors had spread… What happened?”

“The engagement news is true.”

When Jieselgrante nodded, Count Frederick’s eyes widened slightly.

Count Frederick, who seemed shocked and frozen for a moment, turned his head towards Jieselgrante.

And he asked somewhat accusingly.

“There must have been valid reasons, but how did you come to make such a choice?”

He looked ready to grab Duke Cardia by the collar if there was no justifiable reason for their engagement.

Jieselgrante was a bit taken aback by his reaction.

Count Frederick and Jieselgrante had joined hands for a common purpose.

To uncover the truth behind Trinity’s death and punish those responsible.

So her personal matters like engagement were supposed to be beside the point.

‘Is this really something to be so angry about?’

While finding his reaction odd, Jieselgrante briefly explained the situation.

After hearing the full explanation, Count Frederick shook his head in disgust.

“This is truly absurd.”

Jieselgrante nodded in agreement with his words and then spoke.

“Now that your curiosity has been satisfied, are you inclined to tell me why you wanted to see me?”

“It wasn’t anything special. I just wanted to inform you that I had resolved the matters in the county and returned to the capital.”

Though he could have easily informed her by document, Count Frederick decided to meet Jieselgrante in person because he wanted to hear directly from her.

Whether the engagement news with Duke Cardia was true, and why she made such a choice.

“I see.”

But somehow Jieselgrante felt deflated.

She had been expecting to hear important news when he asked to meet and talk in person.

Something about the Empress and House Antares, or related to Trinity’s death.

‘It was just a courtesy call after all.’

Perhaps her feelings showed on her face, as Count Frederick asked.

“Are you disappointed?”

“A little.”

After staring at Jieselgrante for a while, Count Frederick soon changed the subject.

“By the way, how will you get back?”

She had come in a carriage with Cabelased, and the carriage had long since disappeared from sight.

“If it’s alright with you…”

Just as Count Frederick carefully began to speak,

A carriage bearing the insignia of House Cardia was approaching.

There was no particular reason. Yes, none at all.

He had simply followed when he heard Jieselgrante was going out.

The butler who came to Cabelased’s office where he was working informed him of Jieselgrante’s outing.

Since Cabelased had no separate plans to go out today, he just needed to arrange a carriage and a few escort knights for her to ride.

That was probably why Jieselgrante had informed him of her outing.

But his body moved before his mind could think.

The result led to him riding in the same carriage as Jieselgrante.

He intended to go with her wherever she was going. Now that he was Jieselgrante’s fiancé.

But he became quite displeased when the person who showed up at the meeting place turned out to be Count Frederick.

However, he couldn’t cut off his fiancée’s relationships just because he was in a bad mood.

So he could only watch as she got out of the carriage.

And as she walked together with Count Frederick.

“Where should we go, sir?”

To the coachman’s question, Cabelased answered offhandedly.

“Just go straight for now.”

After glaring at the carriage wall for a while, Cabelased soon changed his mind.

‘I’d better make things clear now.’

For the sake of their future married life, it seemed better to firmly establish things now.

“Turn the carriage to where my fiancée was.”

And as Jieselgrante and Count Frederick came into view through the carriage window, his unpleasant feelings doubled.

‘Aren’t they too close?’

Couldn’t they have a conversation standing a bit further apart?

While thinking that, his eyes met Jieselgrante’s looking this way.

His unpleasant mood improved somewhat seeing her blush slightly and lower her gaze, but he had no intention of letting it go at that.

Cabelased stared intently at Jieselgrante sitting beside him in the carriage after parting with Count Frederick.

Jieselgrante asked curiously.

“Didn’t you go out because you had separate business to attend to?”

Cabelased did not immediately answer Jieselgrante’s question about why he had come back.

But he eventually opened his mouth, unable to resist her gaze that seemed to be urging an answer.

“…Did you enjoy your conversation with Count Frederick?”

“Hmm…”

Cabelased felt mixed emotions seeing Jieselgrante hesitate as she chose her words.

On one hand, he was angry that she didn’t immediately deny it wasn’t enjoyable at all, but on the other hand, her slightly husky voice was very pleasant to hear.

But that didn’t make his displeasure disappear.

He didn’t know what kind of relationship she had with Count Frederick before, but he felt the need to clearly inform her that things couldn’t remain the same after marriage.

“Let me tell you in advance, I’m very possessive of what’s mine.”

“Pardon?”

Jieselgrante looked at him with an expression of complete bewilderment as to why he suddenly said such a thing.

“Especially when it comes to people.”

“I see. That’s something I didn’t know at all.”

Jieselgrante looked at him with an expression that said ‘So what?’

‘Now that I look closely, she’s quite oblivious.’

Clicking his tongue, Cabelased quickly opened his mouth.

“I won’t say anything about the past. But wrap things up as soon as possible.”

“I’m not sure what you mean by wrapping things up.”

Jieselgrante said, looking at him with wide eyes.

For a moment, the furrow between Cabelased’s brows deepened.

‘Am I going crazy?’

Cabelased began to doubt his own mental state. Even that look of hers seemed too pretty.

But he had to say what needed to be said.

“Count Frederick.”

“So you’re saying you want me to wrap things up with Count Frederick… Why should I do that?”

Cabelased was at a loss for words at the question asking for a valid reason.

And because of his fiancée who was asserting this so boldly and shamelessly.

‘Does she mean to keep meeting her old flame even after marriage?’

Yet for a moment, he almost blurted out that she could do as she pleased if that’s what she wanted.

Cabelased straightened his clouding mind and said.

“I think I’ve said this before. Let me say it one last time since you seem to have forgotten. The notion of separate marriage and love is utter nonsense.”

The butler smiled contentedly as he watched Cabelased and Jieselgrante return to the mansion side by side after going out together.

Too preoccupied with sorting through various thoughts, Jieselgrante entered the mansion without noticing the butler’s expression.

‘Surely not, right? Does he really like me?’

She didn’t forget to glance at Cabelased’s face every now and then as they walked.

Whether he was unaware of her gaze or pretending not to notice, Cabelased’s gaze remained fixed straight ahead.

It was only when they reached the bedroom door that Cabelased finally turned his head towards her.

When their eyes met, she was reminded of the kiss in the carriage.

Overwhelmed by a sudden feeling of embarrassment, Jieselgrante unconsciously avoided his gaze.

“Thank you for today.”

Regardless of the reason, Cabelased was the one who had escorted her.

She had been feeling grateful for taking up his time, knowing he was a busy person.

“How insincere.”

Cabelased’s grumpy response came abruptly.

“What do you mean insin-”

It was just as she was about to turn her gaze back to him.

His lips briefly touched hers before pulling away.

Jieselgrante flinched in surprise, her shoulders trembling.

Cabelased looked at her reaction and let out a small snort before adding.

“I’ll expect more sincerity from you next time.”

After staring at her slightly parted lips for a while, Cabelased swiftly turned around. Then he walked away with somewhat languid steps.

Jieselgrante blinked rapidly as she watched his retreating figure for a while before stepping into the bedroom.

“Really… what is this?”

Jieselgrante carefully mulled over Cabelased’s behavior throughout the day.

Kissing her whenever they were alone, being concerned about Count Frederick… No matter how she thought about it, this seemed like love.

“No way. That Cabelased, for me…?”

Words denying the thought that had suddenly risen came out through her slightly parted lips.

‘Could he have taken some strange medicine?’

Just as Jieselgrante was doubting Cabelased’s mental state, there was a sudden knock at the door.