Unlike what I thought would be busy, the day before the wedding was quite leisurely. Askal also left work early from the government office and came to the mansion, and I returned without incident after checking on Black Swan, which had moved next to the art museum.

“My lady, if it’s not yet tea time, would you like to have tea together in the greenhouse?”

Askal, who came to my private study, had a serious face. What could be troubling him?

“I’ll come down after looking at this.”

I said, pointing to the art museum’s accounting ledger. Askal replied that he understood and turned away.

After quickly finishing my work and coming down to the greenhouse, he was staring blankly at a tree.

“Did you wait long?”

He seemed to snap back to attention at the sound of my voice and adjusted his posture.

“Not at all.”

Askal stood up and pulled out a chair for me to sit. After expressing my gratitude with my eyes and sitting down, he personally filled my teacup.

“The wedding is tomorrow.”

“Yes, finally it is.”

I imagined the wedding in my mind. We will make the marriage declaration again at the ceremony venue in the mansion’s garden. After the very long officiating ends, we’ll attend the banquet held in the mansion’s hall and have our first dance. After dancing, we’ll enter the bridal chamber and perform the couple’s ritual.

‘Oh?’

From tomorrow, we’ll be a public couple. That means we have to consummate on the day of the wedding.

As that thought occurred to me, this moment of being alone with Askal became very embarrassing.

‘I won’t make… a mistake, right?’

I had heard from merchants in the market and older ladies. Occasionally there are new brides who faint on their first night.

Although I’m at an age where I know everything and have memories from a past life, I died in my early thirties without ever dating a man, so along with fantasies about the first night, I also had a very slight fear.

Of course, as a married couple, I have no intention of avoiding my duties. To be honest… the anticipation is enough to ignore the fear.

“My lady, what are you thinking about so intently?”

I snapped back to attention at the voice that suddenly entered my ear. Heat rushed to my face.

“No… nothing.”

I fanned myself with my hand and took a sip of tea. Askal’s eyes curved into crescent moons.

“I’ve said this before, but your true feelings show clearly on your face, my lady.”

“That’s not always the case. Ahaha.”

I laughed out loud on purpose. The embarrassment subsided a little.

“Are you worried about tomorrow’s events?”

He asked seriously. I nodded almost imperceptibly as I answered.

“Yes, I’m worried if we can finish well without any problems.”

“I will lead. You don’t have to do anything, my lady.”

“Still… we’ll have to move around a lot, and it’s also the first time…”

I sighed deeply and continued speaking.

“So I’m worried about what if it’s not satisfactory.”

Askal’s expression noticeably hardened.

“My lady, I’ve studied a lot. So you’ll surely be satisfied. However, I heard that… when doing that for the first time, one can feel pain.”

Why is he suddenly talking about pain?

“There shouldn’t be anything painful at the banquet…”

It felt like we were talking about different subjects. I carefully went over our conversation in my mind. Then my eyes met Askal’s, whose face had turned bright red.

“Were you not worried about the wedding night, my lady?”

“I was thinking about the banquet and wedding ceremony…”

My mouth fell open without me realizing. When I connected his words about leading and studying a lot to that, I was so embarrassed I didn’t know what to do with myself.

The flustered Askal repeatedly picked up and put down his teacup. He stared at me intently, then quickly turned his head away, then looked at me again and cleared his throat.

“The banquet will satisfy all the wedding guests because you prepared it so diligently. And since your feet might hurt from moving around a lot, how about changing into comfortable shoes after the main ceremony ends?”

“That’s a good idea.”

“It’s at such an excellent level that it won’t seem like the first banquet you’re hosting. So don’t worry too much in advance.”

It’s the first and last wedding celebration banquet, so I’m afraid I might ruin it.

“Alright. I won’t worry.”

He smiled brightly. I smiled along with him.

A moment of silence passed. There was no topic for pleasant conversation. So I was hesitating whether to bring up the honeymoon destination.

“My lady, about the wedding night.”

I almost dropped my teacup. I tried to appear calm.

“If you don’t want the wedding night, we can do that.”

It’s not that I don’t want it. Honestly, I’m looking forward to it.

“What about you? Do you want that night?”

“May I speak honestly?”

“Yes.”

“I’m worried you’ll think I’m a beast, but…”

His golden eyes looking at me were burning as hot as the midsummer sun.

“To be honest, since earlier, all I can think about is our wedding night.”

My heart pounded. I felt short of breath at his frank answer.

“I only hope that you desire me as much as I desire you.”

I swallowed reflexively. Suppressing the feeling that my heart might burst out of my ears, I answered quietly.

“Since it’s embarrassing… shall we talk about something else?”

Baron Deli marveled at the stamina of the 10-year-old boy as he earnestly pushed his wheelchair.

“Grandfather! What about this one?”

The two were in the luxury goods street of Luebeck, excitedly sweeping up items from the shops.

“Do you want that, young master?”

“Yes, please buy it for me, grandfather.”

The baron looked at Rublion, who was cutely acting coy with sparkling eyes, and laughed heartily.

“Alright. This old man will buy that too.”

“Wow!”

Rublion was genuinely delighted as he handed the board game to the accompanying servant. The servant looked pleadingly at the duke’s knights for help, but as they were on guard duty and couldn’t be in a situation where both hands were occupied, he had no choice but to carry the luggage alone.

After leaving the toy store, they headed to a weapons shop next. The owner glanced at the servant whose hands were full of luggage, then approached with a friendly smile to introduce the products. Rublion stared at a sword hanging on the wall for a long time before speaking.

“Grandfather, do you know? I’m actually really bad at swordsmanship.”

“Ho ho, that can happen. But you’re better at other things instead, so it’s fine.”

At the end of the display case were hunting rifles and self-defense revolvers with different shapes. Rublion stared at those for a long time too.

“Grandfather, I’m really bad at shooting too.”

“Ho ho, that can happen.”

Baron Deli just laughed as if finding it cute. Rublion looked at him blankly for a while before speaking.

“Can you perhaps teach me how to shoot too?”

“You mean teach the young master?”

“Yes.”

Rublion carefully picked up a self-defense revolver.

‘Honestly, it was cool.’

Before, when Anna was captured by Duke Lumps. I saw Schmidt go out with a revolver saying he would save her. For someone who looked like he’d collapse screaming at the sight of a bug, a revolver of all things.

“Please teach me too. Like how you taught mother.”

“Hmm…”

As Baron Deli pondered seriously, Rublion spoke with an even more serious expression while holding the revolver.

“I’ll learn hard and protect you, grandfather.”

“Ho ho, do you want to do that?”

“Yes!”

“This old man is quite a scary instructor. Will that be alright?”

“I’ll endure even if it’s scary.”

“Very well. Let’s do that then.”

At Baron Deli’s words, Rublion hugged his neck and exclaimed.

“As expected, my grandfather is the best!”

I lay in bed staring blankly at the ceiling with the covers pulled up to my neck. It was because I couldn’t sleep. I went out thinking maybe I should have a drink to help me sleep, but Anna caught me and scolded me severely, so I came back empty-handed.

‘I need to sleep a lot.’

I hoped my body would follow my intentions, but my brain, which had realized again that tomorrow was the wedding day, became alert as if I had chewed coffee beans.

Finally getting up from bed, I softly went out to the balcony. The weather had gotten quite warm, so the night breeze felt pleasantly cool. Even the cute cloud fragments floating between the bright moon looked adorable and lovely.

As I was gazing at the sky like that for a while, something small dropped with a thud next to my left foot.

‘Paper and a dart?’

It was a note tied to a practice dart with a blunt tip. Wondering what this was all about, I looked around and saw Askal waving at me from the far eastern balcony.

Seeing that he was in his nightclothes, it seems he also couldn’t sleep and came out.

I untied the note from the dart body and unfolded it carefully. Inside was Askal’s neat handwriting.

I went into the room and brought out paper and a pen. Then using the wall as a desk, I wrote a reply saying yes and tied it securely to the dart’s shaft.

The dart I threw safely landed in front of Askal’s feet. He unfolded the note, then went into the room and came out with several palm-sized pieces of paper.

I frowned trying to examine him, but it was too far and dark to see his expression properly.

Thud.

The dart flew over again.

I chuckled at the thought that he had the same idea as me.

I wrote about what happened with Anna and threw the dart. The reply that came back contained a brief complaint about not being able to do anything due to the diligence of the butler and head maid.

We exchanged a few more notes. It was quite fun, making me feel even more awake.

‘At this rate, we’ll stay up all night.’

I wrote a reply while looking at Askal, who was waiting for the dart to return with his arms resting on the balcony railing.