Diana took a deep breath as she felt the crumpled letter in her hand.

The fact that the family kept sending people despite hearing she was in the North meant that things had already progressed on their end.

Even though the person of interest was right here.

A political marriage. It was a phrase that had never been part of her life. Her brothers would never have allowed such a thing to happen.

To dare impersonate the head of the family. The Beatus family currently had no master to cause a commotion. The heir, Debir Beatus, was absent.

‘Someone.’

Her sharpened pink eyes darkened coldly.

‘Has taken over the family.’

She had a rough grasp of who had kidnapped and confined her. She was about to return and assess the situation, but things had changed rapidly.

She needed to return to the capital and understand the situation. She also had to find out what predicament her elder sister and elder brother were in.

“Father. There is something I would like to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

Putting aside the fact that she was a step behind in her response due to the information blockade by the duke.

“Are you already thinking of opposing the Imperial family?”

Blocking all outsiders meant blocking the Imperial family as well. This was too soon.

Even in the original story, Felice only confronted the Imperial family after Rodrick and the duke died.

Now was not the time. The North still needed to appear as if it was obediently submitting with a leash around its neck.

“I know what you’re thinking. But you don’t need to worry.”

Hmm, so he hadn’t touched the Imperial family. There would be people secretly reporting to the Imperial family, so they couldn’t show any anomalies.

She thought the duke had been too hasty in his belief that he could rid Rodrick of his madness.

After all, their relationship with the Imperial family was not good. Then, why block the outsiders?

“So if I end up marrying the young master of another family, will it all be your responsibility, Father?”

“What?”

“Pardon?”

“Excuse me?!”

The reactions of the duke, Rodrick, and Felice came out in order.

Felice. When did you come in?

“Wh-what are you talking about, Sister-in-law!”

Among the three men, Felice reacted the most intensely.

“I heard that Beatus kept sending people, but the letter only arrived now.”

What the heck. That’s why they kept sending people?! Felice’s eyes trembled like an earthquake.

It was the result of excessive loyalty.

When the notorious Beatus family secretly kept sending people, he thought they were trying to harm Diana.

Moreover, wasn’t she supposed to be at the capital’s mansion? It seemed like the perfect timing to get rid of her.

Of course, there were indeed people sent with the real intention of killing her.

However, due to Felice’s overprotectiveness, her range of activities had narrowed.

In an attempt to protect her within the confines of the North, he ended up obscuring her view.

“I-I’m sorry, Sister-in-law.”

Seeing Felice voluntarily bow his head, Diana made a dumbfounded expression. It was you? I naturally assumed it was the duke.

“Felice Schwartz.”

The duke’s heavy voice fell on the back of Felice’s bowed head.

“Yes.”

“You are dismissed from your position as the acting head of the family.”

“Father?”

That wasn’t such a big mistake though. Unlike the stunned Diana, Felice raised his head with a resolute expression.

“Yes. I will follow your orders.”

“And go to the capital to manage the mansion and assist Rodrick.”

Since they lived only in the North, they had practically abandoned the capital’s mansion.

Felice, who thought he was being punished for acting on his own without permission, nodded with a bright face. Being with his elder brother couldn’t be better.

“Yes, I will do my best!”

The duke then handed a document to Rodrick.

“These are the agenda items for the upcoming regular meeting. Attend as the acting duke.”

The duke was firm, as if he wouldn’t accept a refusal.

The acting duke changed in an instant. Rodrick took the document without much comment.

Diana was the only one confused by the rapidly unfolding situation. Hey, why is everyone so calm?

If it were any other family, they would have thought the heir’s position was in jeopardy, but Felice was excited.

“Young lady.”

Having finished speaking to his sons, the duke called Diana.

“Yes. Please speak.”

“Only the duchess can wear it. Take it.”

Diana and Rodrick’s expressions twisted strangely. Why is that there?

The ring neatly placed in the ring box in the duke’s hand was the mistress’s ring containing the ancestors.

The brilliantly shining blue sapphire seemed ominous, as if urging her to take it quickly.

The ring, placed in the duke’s bedroom by Noel the night before, had entered and left the dreams of Duke Schwartz.

The ancestor, who had left a message telling Diana to give her the heirloom, couldn’t hide his satisfaction.

[What are you doing? Hurry up and put it on.]

At the blunt voice, Diana forced a smile. Wow. I really don’t want to wear it.

The duke had dark circles under his eyes, as if he had been deprived of sleep. That’s right. You’re not supposed to keep a haunted object.

As she approached, the duke nonchalantly placed the ring box on her hand.

“Don’t forget that the Schwartz Ducal family stands behind you, Young Lady.”

It meant that no matter what happened, they would be her strength.

The heavy resonance made her nose tingle. Was this what it felt like to have a father?

Diana smiled brightly with sincerity as she took the ring box.

“Thank you. Father.”

The duke looked at her as if to say he was done talking and ordered everyone to leave.

He was truly a consistent person.

[This is the timeline separator] [You seem to be in a good mood.]

Ah, you startled me. Diana, who was walking down the corridor after leaving the office, stopped and clutched her heart.

A translucent face resembling Rodrick blocked her way.

“Excuse me. Ancestor. Do you have to be in that form?”

[Hmm, you don’t like it? I thought I looked incredibly handsome like this.]

Seeing him looking intoxicated by his own face, Diana frowned.

“Diana.”

Rodrick tightly grasped her hand with the ring. Felice just tilted his head beside them.

“Sister-in-law, is there something in front of you?”

“Ah.”

It seemed that no one but her, who was wearing the ring, could see the ancestor’s appearance. Rodrick was looking at her with worried eyes.

“No. I was just talking to myself. Let’s go. We need to prepare to leave.”

“Yes, Sister-in-law!”

As Felice took the lead with high spirits, Diana inwardly sighed.

‘Not that form. You don’t need to materialize, you know.’

[Hmm, then how about this?]

The translucent figure shrank to smaller than the palm of a hand. It was the size of a fairy that might appear in a fairy tale.

The ancestor, who had shrunk to a cute size, looked like a mini version of Rodrick.

‘Yes, it’s better to be cute instead.’

As she tried to take another step, Rodrick bound her feet.

“Diana. Are you talking to that thing?”

“What? You mean the ancestor?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. Yes.”

No matter what, I’m not sure if it’s okay to refer to the ancestor as “that thing”.

The ancestor, who had transformed into a baby fairy, was jumping up and down next to her cheek, calling him a cheeky fellow.

“Come in. I have something to say to Diana.”

Rodrick’s blue eyes were precisely aimed at the ancestor. Levant, who had been jumping around, instantly froze.

[S-scary fellow.]

Somehow, he was shooting a murderous aura at the spiritual being.

In Rodrick’s eyes, it looked like a blue fireball flying around near Diana’s face.

As he tried to grab it with his hand, Levant exclaimed in fright.

[Just go in!]

It seemed like his descendant would somehow eliminate his soul with his own power if he could. He was a scary descendant with exceptional potential.

The grumbling ancestor entered the ring again. Diana laughed helplessly.

So he can come out and go back into the ring. Fortunately, he wouldn’t always be there making noise.

“Let’s go.”

Rodrick managed to create a situation where he could be alone with her.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Diana.”

Back in the bedroom, Rodrick pulled her in and placed her on his thigh.

He rested his forehead on her shoulder. Her scent in his slowly inhaled breath calmed him.

“Rodrick. You’re tired, right?”

“……”

Instead of answering, he let out a low sigh.

There were so many obstacles. Even the assassin Hellira hiding in the ceiling couldn’t be dealt with right away, making him grit his teeth.

Should he kill her once Diana’s need was gone? A brutal murderous intent clouded his mind.

“You are mine.”

“Of course.”

“You will be my wife.”

Who dares to try to take what’s his?

He snatched the Beatus letter still held in her hand and crumpled it up miserably once more.

The paper, no longer able to serve as a letter, was thrown onto the blazing firewood.

Rodrick’s eyes, staring at the fireplace like the fiercely burning flames, glowed with heat.

“When we go to the capital, we’ll do the marriage vow first.”

Look at this man. The order is wrong, you know?

It was nice that he cared for her this much, but she had to hold the leash of a beast whose reason was half paralyzed.

If she didn’t take the reins, it seemed like the man would run wild.

“Rodrick.”

At her call, he raised his head. In the clashing gazes, Diana smiled beautifully.

“You seem to be forgetting, but my body comes before marriage right now.”

“……”

His blue eyes, shocked as if she was saying she didn’t need him, wavered.

“Ah, don’t be upset about that. I feel the same way as you.”

Diana, cupping Rodrick’s face with both hands, kissed him with a smacking sound as if stamping a seal.

She whispered through slightly parted lips.

“Let’s hurry and remove your curse, restore my body, and live together.”

The sensation of their noses brushing against each other tickled. Rodrick opened his mouth as if enchanted, unable to take his eyes off her.

“Again.”

“Hm?”

“Say it again.”

“What?”

“That we’ll live together.”

“Oh my.”

Diana smiled brightly as if overwhelmed with emotion and hugged Rodrick’s neck tightly.

He was the one who acted as if his own life didn’t matter. Yet he reacted to the words of living together. Happy about that, Diana embraced Rodrick with all her might.

“Let’s live together. Rodrick.”

Firm hands supported her back and sustained her body.

The unceasing anxiety and emptiness were tightly filled by her words. Not lust or desire, but a warm sense of peace dominated him.

It might be a long journey, but

Let’s live life, live in the same space, and live your time together.

“Yes. Let’s live together.”

A soft confession gently permeated their breaths.