Like a dark night fog settling, silence passed as the carriage arrived at the front gate of the Grand Duke’s residence.

“Welcome back.”

Marlin, who was standing at the entrance, greeted the Grand Duke and his wife returning from the banquet. Usually, royal banquets lasted until dawn. Marlin was puzzled by their earlier than expected return, but soon skillfully attended to them with her usual expression.

“I have prepared the bath water. Please change your clothes and rest.”

Marlin, who was about to head to the dressing room with Aidel after greeting Caeron, stopped in her tracks at the sound of her name being called.

“Marlin.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I will be going to the Grand Duchess’s room tonight, so prepare it.”

“Understood.”

At Caeron’s words to prepare the Grand Duchess’s room, Marlin’s face lit up.

It was their first night together since the honeymoon. For the past few days, the Grand Duke had been too busy externally to come home.

Given the good relationship between the Grand Duke and Duchess, it was understandable that the Grand Duke wanted to go to the Duchess’s room as soon as they returned from the banquet. One could imagine how much the Grand Duke had missed the Duchess during that time.

On the other hand, Aidel bit the inside of her lip upon hearing his words. Her eyes shook violently.

Now she seemed to understand the meaning behind his words about going to the Grand Duchess’s room late at night. Though his words sounded like they were meant for Marlin, they were actually directed at her.

Prepare for the Grand Duchess’s duty tonight.

Thinking about the night she would spend with him, her heartbeat grew even fiercer. However, it was a different kind of pounding than before. Aidel grasped her chest tightly as it felt constricted.

Even while being attended to during her bath, Aidel was lost in deep thought.

“Did you enjoy the banquet today?”

Marlin carefully asked as she observed Aidel’s expression after she finished bathing. Her face, filled with worry like her damp hair, seemed to be shrouded in mist.

“…Yes. It was fine.”

“I’m glad. I was worried that your first royal banquet might have been uncomfortable.”

Aidel tried hard to hide her troubled mind. The Grand Duchess’s face, with a faint smile, was beautiful as always, but looked more tired than usual.

Seeing Aidel’s dark mood, Marlin grew worried. Although she said she was fine… Marlin instinctively felt that the Grand Duchess’s mood was different from usual.

Aidel spoke in a low voice, almost whispering, to Marlin who was looking at her with concerned eyes.

“…Marlin, there’s something I urgently want to ask. I’d like to talk privately.”

At Aidel’s request, Marlin dismissed the maids beside her. The maids who had dried the Grand Duchess’s wet hair and dressed her in her nightgown bowed politely and left the Grand Duchess’s room.

“Please speak freely now.”

Even though only she and Marlin remained, Aidel’s lips quivered as if hesitating to say something. Soon, Aidel opened her eyes after closing them, and spoke with a seemingly firm resolve.

“Regarding the Grand Duchess’s duties… the part about heir production.”

“Heir production…?”

“No, more precisely, the part related to heir production.”

At the words ‘heir production’, Marlin’s expression turned slightly flustered. It was an unexpected topic of conversation.

“Sharing a bed with the Grand Duke for heir production… that’s also a natural duty of the Grand Duchess, right?”

“Ah… Yes. It’s essential for producing heirs for both of you.”

Marlin answered while closely observing the Grand Duchess’s face. Aidel’s face was red as if embarrassed to be having such a conversation, but her expression was stiffly set.

It seemed somewhat unnatural for a new bride asking about marital affairs. Along with Aidel’s tense expression, tension began to creep into Marlin’s eyes as well.

“Is there a set date for sharing a bed?”

“Usually, we proceed with sharing a bed on dates when the possibility of pregnancy is high.”

“Then, except for those days, can I refuse to share a bed if I don’t want to?”

Marlin’s shoulders flinched at the word ‘refuse’ coming from the Grand Duchess’s mouth. For a moment, her heart sank. Marlin answered in a slightly trembling voice.

“…Of course. Even if it’s the Grand Duke, he cannot force the Grand Duchess to share a bed.”

“I see.”

Hearing Marlin’s answer, Aidel fell into thought again.

“Um, Your Highness… Are you perhaps uncomfortable with His Highness visiting tonight?”

Marlin carefully opened her mouth after closely observing Aidel with worried eyes.

‘What could have happened?’

I heard they had spent their honeymoon time intimately together. The attendants and servants were minimized so that the Grand Duke couple could focus solely on each other.

‘There didn’t seem to be any issues during the honeymoon… Is she upset because they haven’t seen each other for a few days?’

But Marlin soon shook her head. The Grand Duchess was not the type to be upset about the Grand Duke not coming home due to being busy with official duties.

‘Something must have happened at today’s banquet…!’

Marlin’s mind became complicated at the Grand Duchess’s sudden, inexplicable change of heart. She swallowed dryly and wore an uncharacteristically anxious expression. She was at a loss, feeling as if a red flag had been raised between the Grand Duke and Duchess.

Seeing Marlin like this, Aidel softened her hardened expression and shook her head.

“It’s not that. It’s just… I’m feeling a bit unwell today.”

Right. The Grand Duchess could be tired. She had been nervous even before going to the royal banquet… The fatigue must have hit her as the tension eased after returning.

Marlin reassured herself that it definitely wasn’t because the Grand Duke and Duchess had grown distant or anything like that.

“In that case, I will inform His Highness that Your Highness is not feeling well.”

“I will tell His Highness myself when he comes. Please let him know that I am ready and he may come to my room.”

Although Aidel’s calm expression and gentle smile were the same as usual… somehow Marlin couldn’t shake off her uneasy feeling.

“…Understood.”

As she was leaving the Grand Duchess’s room with reluctant steps, Marlin turned her head back towards Aidel.

Aidel nodded as if to reassure Marlin’s worried gaze. Marlin bowed her head in greeting and made an effort to leave the Grand Duchess’s room.

As the door to the Grand Duchess’s room closed and Marlin’s figure completely disappeared, the smile also vanished from Aidel’s face.

Aidel walked to the window and sat down at the table. She recalled in her mind the clause of the marriage contract that she had been mulling over since returning from the banquet.

‘Article 10, Clause 1 of the Marriage Contract. The Grand Duchess shall do her utmost to fulfill her duty for the production of heirs for the family.’

Although she knew that nights with him were for this duty… spending time with him with a wounded heart would undoubtedly be painful, regardless of physical pleasure.

She needed time to compose herself so that the wound that had opened would not deepen further. Although it was awkward to have such a conversation with him, she had to do it directly.

‘I need to clearly convey my intentions.’

With firm resolve, Aidel tightened the sash of her nightgown. At the same time, the door connecting to the Grand Duke’s room slowly opened.

“You’ve come.”

Aidel stood up to greet Caeron as he entered the room. She gestured to the empty seat across from her, inviting him to sit.

“I have something to tell you.”

At her words, Caeron moved towards the table. As he came closer, Aidel’s cheeks stiffened with tension.

Caeron too felt his heart rate, which had been languid, gradually quicken as he approached Aidel. As soon as he entered the Grand Duchess’s room, her scent began to envelop his entire body. His muscles tightened in response to that fragrance.

“What is it you want to say?”

Caeron sat down across the table, leaning back in his chair while feigning composure. Even now, he wanted to take Aidel to bed immediately, but he gazed at her with a deliberately gentlemanly expression.

“I want to modify a clause in the marriage contract.”

“The marriage contract?”

Caeron let out a laugh of disbelief as he looked at Aidel, who was suddenly requesting to modify the marriage contract.

“Don’t you think it’s too late to discuss contracts now? It would be better to talk about official matters after sunrise.”

“…No. We need to do it now.”

Aidel’s voice was firm. She wasn’t a woman who usually insisted on her own way. After thinking for a moment, Caeron nodded slightly as if in agreement.

His expression showed that he wanted to end the conversation quickly. Caeron’s patience was reaching its limit. He took a deep breath.

“Alright, speak. Which clause are you talking about?”

“Article 10, Clause 1. The clause related to the duty of heir production.”

Aidel lowered her eyes slightly and clasped her hands on her lap. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. Although she had prepared herself, having such a conversation with him was embarrassing.

“The duty of heir production?”

When Aidel mentioned the clause about heir production, Caeron’s eyes widened slightly. She was looking serious and not even meeting his eyes. An unfamiliar anxiety crept up his spine.

“I want to add a subsidiary clause to the duty clause regarding heir production.”

“…A subsidiary clause?”

“Please add a clause stating that besides the scheduled days for sharing a bed, we will only sleep together when there is mutual agreement.”

Caeron was momentarily speechless at Aidel’s completely unexpected request. The composed expression on his face disappeared, replaced by bewilderment. Soon after, he frowned as if displeased and questioned her.

“What’s the reason for this sudden request?”

He couldn’t understand why Aidel was making such a request out of the blue.

“That’s because…”

Aidel hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“The reason you came to see me now is because of that duty.”

She took a breath and clearly conveyed her intentions.

“I… don’t want to share a bed unwillingly.”

Caeron felt as if he had been struck on the head by her words. He pressed his throbbing temples firmly.

“You… don’t want to…?”

Caeron repeated her words as if reciting them. The more he did so, something hot rose from the pit of his stomach. His jaw clenched tightly.

He had thought he would be able to fully indulge in her scent that he hadn’t been able to smell for days. It was partly because of the presence of the prince that upset him, but… it was also the reason he had decided to return home early even before going to the royal banquet.

His mind became complicated. Had she just now realized that he was trying to get what he wanted by binding her with a contract?

In fact, the clause she mentioned was written vaguely to begin with. Basically, since it was natural for a couple to produce heirs through sharing a bed, there was no need to mention it explicitly.

Caeron had used that point to obtain what he needed from her. As a result, the innocent Grand Duchess who knew nothing of the affairs between men and women allowed him to share her bed.

Although there was a misunderstanding that she did not accurately perceive the meaning of heir production… he had thought that she ultimately agreed because she wanted him too.

But now she says she doesn’t want to… It was a setback for him who wanted to quickly resolve his inexplicable craving for her. He needed to reconfirm her intentions.

“So… are you saying you don’t want to today?”

It was a first. For him, the Chief Justice, to be so anxiously waiting for someone’s verdict.

However, there was not a hint of wavering in the resolute eyes of the judge sitting demurely before him. Aidel slowly nodded while fixing her gaze on the table.

It was an unequivocal notice of expulsion from the Grand Duchess to the Grand Duke.