That day, Julieta wasn’t the only one who had a good dream. Yezar fell asleep listening to the soft breathing of the deeply sleeping Julieta. And he woke up in an exceptionally good mood after a long time.

Looking out the window, he could see the morning fog.

“I should put on clothes so my wife doesn’t get surprised…”

Picking up and putting on the clothes that had somehow slipped off without him noticing, Yezar looked at Julieta’s face, sleeping so soundly that she wouldn’t notice even if someone carried her away.

“It would have been nice if you had some sleeping habits.”

He thought she had deliberately answered that she had no sleeping habits out of embarrassment. But it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Instead of going out for training, Yezar sat beside Julieta for a moment. Her round forehead, straight nose bridge, and reddened lips.

And though hidden now, her eyes that shone beautifully like a vibrant forest full of life.

As he gazed at her carefully, it felt like she might open her eyes at any moment and ask, “Why are you staring at someone else’s face! Is there something on my face?”

“Heh.”

Just thinking about it, Yezar found himself laughing at the vivid imagination. Why was it that looking at her made him keep smiling?

Clearly, even on the day of the national wedding that everyone celebrated, he had made excuses and foolishly swallowed his pain inside the mansion, unable to bring himself to go.

“You are strange. You keep occupying my thoughts, making me laugh… You knock on my heart.”

Bertisha Hermine. Now Bertisha de Cloud. Yezar had been drawn to her as if he was destined to love her. But the blind emotion he couldn’t understand himself had only brought intense pain and emptiness.

But it was different with Julieta. Yes, not just now, but back then too…

“Back then, you made me laugh too. Why don’t you recognize me?”

Julieta didn’t know, but their first meeting wasn’t at the Orbetian Count’s mansion where they exchanged the contract. When he first visited the Count’s mansion, contrary to his expectation that she might recognize him, Julieta treated Yezar like someone she was meeting for the first time.

It was disappointing. While it remained a rather intense memory for him, she seemed to know nothing of it.

“It’s a shame you can’t remember when you drink too much. You don’t seem to remember saying that love that slowly seeps into the heart is scarier than love at first sight.”

He gently stroked her rose-colored hair. Even though touching her hair wouldn’t hurt her, he caressed it as if handling fragile porcelain.

He couldn’t bring himself to touch anything else. As she had said, he wasn’t a scoundrel who would touch a woman’s body without consent.

The woman sleeping peacefully now, while unaware of their previous meeting, spoke as if she knew him better than anyone else.

Come to think of it, it was strange. His contract wife would act as if she would give him everything in the world, but then coldly state they would be strangers once the contract period ended. She was an unpredictable woman who bounced around. But he didn’t dislike that about Julieta. Rather, he was melting for her.

The smile that bloomed unconsciously made him look forward to the days ahead with her.

“I’ll be going now, wife.”

As if truly hearing that whisper, Julieta’s head moved slightly. And seeing that, Yezar smiled beautifully with his eyes.

It was the kind of eye smile that would have made Julieta close her eyes, saying it was like seeing a halo, if she had seen it.

“Mmm. I slept well.”

I woke up refreshed and stretched. Looking to the side, Yezar was gone, probably having left for training.

“My contract husband is quite diligent.”

Surely, even after training like that, he would be busy handling various tasks and overseeing the territory, not having enough even with 24 hours in a day.

“I wish I could help him a little.”

He probably wouldn’t show sensitive territory matters to a wife on a 2-year contract. I don’t expect that much either, but it would be nice if I could contribute even a cat’s paw to reduce his workload.

While I was pondering with a groan, there was a knock at the door.

“May I come in?”

“Come in.”

At my answer, the bedroom door opened and I saw a veteran maid who looked quite old, followed by young maid girls who seemed younger than me.

“Madam, did you sleep well?”

I’m sure I had seen her face before, but after the first night, I was too busy chasing after the fleeing Yezar, and then suffering from a hangover, so I hadn’t paid much attention.

“Yes, I slept well. And I’m sorry, but I’ve been preoccupied with adjusting. Could you please introduce yourselves again properly?”

I felt a bit sorry even as I asked, but the maid in front smoothly replied that there was no need to be sorry.

“Not at all. I should apologize for not being more attentive first. I am Ember, the maid in charge of serving you, Madam. And the children behind me are, in order, May, Brinny, and Chelsea.”

Then the children, who looked very nervous, introduced themselves. One child seemed to have stumbled over her words. Ember’s gaze watching them was very sharp.

It seemed certain they would be scolded later.

‘Now that I look closer, the atmosphere is stricter than at the Count’s mansion. I thought it would be gentler considering Yezar, the owner of this mansion.’

“Sorry for the late greeting, but nice to meet you all. I look forward to working with you.”

When I smiled at them, the children’s tension seemed to ease and they answered energetically with bright faces.

“Yes, Madam!”

At the children’s response, Ember finally lowered her sharp gaze and smiled.

It seemed she was strict about mistakes, but praised and guided them well for things done right. Well, not knowing what my personality would be like…

I tend to be easygoing and overlook minor mistakes, but other noble ladies… Well, some would punish even small mistakes.

“Then Madam, we will assist you with your bath.”

“Thank you. Oh, did the Duke already have breakfast?”

I asked, thinking it would be difficult to eat together since he wakes up at dawn to train, but Ember shook her head.

“No, he hasn’t eaten yet.”

“Really? I thought he would have already eaten since he trains so early.”

At my response, the young maids behind looked at each other. But Ember in front answered very firmly.

“He usually has breakfast late after finishing training, so you can eat together after you wash up, Madam.”

Something seemed off. I glanced back suspiciously at Ember’s gently smiling face as she answered.

“May, was it?”

“Y-yes, Madam!”

“Does the Duke really eat breakfast late?”

No matter how I thought about it, there should be plenty of time to eat breakfast by now, so I asked. Somehow, May’s gaze seemed to be directed at Ember rather than me.

“Um…”

May stumbled over her words for a moment before hurriedly answering.

“Yes, he tends to eat late! Isn’t it great timing? You can eat together cozily every day.”

“Isn’t it fine to eat separately for meals?”

There were only a handful of times when the whole family ate together at the mansion. Father and elder brother were busy, and although Wizlet occasionally ate with me, he often went out to eat at restaurants his fiancée liked for his love life.

But my insensitive words seemed to come as a big shock to them.

“That’s absolutely unacceptable!”

“That’s right! The Duke is already so busy that it’s hard for him to eat together except for breakfast!”

The quiet maid girls suddenly raised their voices.

“But I ate well alone on the first and second day…”

“That’s why it’s even more important! We understood because the Duke was briefly busy and you were struggling with a hangover, but not anymore!”

I couldn’t understand why they cared so much about eating together. I thought it was fine since they were quiet at first, but it seems they had been holding back out of consideration for me.

Ember chimed in to support them.

“That’s right. As the maid in charge of serving you, I will make sure to pay attention to your and the Duke’s breakfast time after this. Such… words that make my soul want to leave my body…”

Ember’s expression looked somewhat haggard as she said that.

‘Was what I said that shocking?’

I thought some of the Duke’s servants knew about our contract marriage. But it seems that’s not the case.

Seeing my personal maid momentarily lose her words from such a big shock, I thought perhaps only the two of us knew about the contract.

‘Then, does that mean we need to act like a loving couple within the Duke’s household?’

It’s good we agreed to allow skinship with mutual consent.

If rumors spread that we’re not getting along, we could just walk hand-in-hand affectionately in the Duke’s garden.

It seems marriage is marriage, even if it’s a contract. I didn’t expect there would be so many complicated and awkward moments like this.

‘Should I not have rashly stamped the seal? But there’s no better husband material than Yezar.’

Besides, we just need to live together for 2 years before divorcing. I’ll need to talk to Yezar about it later when we’re alone.

Looking at Ember, who still hadn’t regained her composure, I immediately apologized for my mistake. I had no intention of wielding my authority as the Duchess unnecessarily.

“I seem to have misspoken because I often ate alone at the Count’s mansion. I’m sorry.”

When I smiled and spoke candidly, the young maids’ eyes widened.

“Alone?”

“Huh?”