The softly scattered voice was calm. The side profile looking down at the river was also serene.

However, the words uttered by lips that seemed sculpted like a statue were far from peaceful.

“It’s because I first discovered my deceased mother when I was seven years old. Everyone thought the young me had gone mad from the shock.”

There were deeper stories between the loosely woven words, but he had no intention of elaborating on them in detail.

The reason Demian reluctantly brought up his unpleasant past, even if vaguely, was solely out of consideration for Arasila, who would be frustrated not knowing anything.

“Of course, I wasn’t really mad. It was just a situation created by people who wanted me to become that way.”

A son who went mad from the shock of witnessing his dead mother. Could there be a better condition to drive someone to ruin?

“I was confined in a separate building and subjected to abuse disguised as treatment. If I resisted, they would forcibly grab me and lock me in closets or restrain my hands and feet with cloth.”

This was led by the current Duchess and her maids.

Until Demian grew up and overcame those ordeals, repetitive violence was inflicted on the young him. The sensation of those hands roughly grabbing his small body was still vivid.

“The aversion to others’ touch that I felt then still remains with me.”

Demian knows. Now, no one can carelessly touch him like when he was young. He has become strong enough that even countless assassins couldn’t lay a finger on him.

So the fear has disappeared, but not the aversion.

“Perhaps that’s why I came to reject even the touch of people who approach with goodwill, even for reasons of affection.”

Touches without malice were accompanied by disgust.

On the other hand, there were more and more people, regardless of gender, who tried to touch attractive individuals unilaterally and without reserve.

As a result, instead of the trauma being suppressed, he became sensitive even to minor contact.

Later, he even disliked handshakes. It was because there were many who deliberately held on and wouldn’t let go.

“This is why I avoid skinship. It might seem trivial and disappointing, but…”

“I don’t think it’s trivial at all.”

Arasila’s voice gently cut in.

Demian, who had unconsciously turned to the side, hesitated when he encountered a face staring directly at him.

“I’m sorry, Demian. I didn’t know you had such circumstances. I thought it was just something like mysophobia. I was too short-sighted.”

Arasila straightened her posture, placed her hand on her chest, and bowed her head politely. Indeed, at times like this, she was the daughter of a noble family from a prestigious lineage.

Demian, recalling the extremely harmonious atmosphere of the Hugo Marquis family, shrugged his shoulders lightly.

How could a woman raised in such a household imagine such a heavy story?

“If you had known about my situation, it would be an even bigger problem. It would mean rumors have spread.”

“Then does even the Duke’s family not know?”

Demian nodded briefly. It was natural since it was a weakness and a part he considered shameful. He didn’t want to see the Duchess who would be proud of leaving scars on him either.

Arasila’s face turned serious. She opened her mouth again earnestly.

“Is it okay to tell me such things?”

“Didn’t you ask me to tell you before?”

“Still, such secrets should only be shared with people you trust.”

Arasila, who had been staring at Demian for a moment, asked.

“Do you trust me now?”

“No.”

“What?”

Then why did you tell me?

At the muttering and the inner thoughts clearly shown on her face, Demian let out a chuckle and said.

“Didn’t you say you trust me? I’m just returning that trust.”

“What…?”

Arasila’s face became more serious.

“What should I do, I don’t trust knights. That was only said about my husband.”

“It’s alright. I didn’t speak as a knight either, but as a husband.”

“Ah.”

Arasila’s expression, which had been worried that she might have deceived him, relaxed considerably. She had felt uneasy about possibly leading him on, but it was a relief.

Demian, who had been quietly looking at her as she felt relieved, straightened his posture.

“But as you said, we can’t live like this forever. I’ll practice and try to fix it. It might take a long time, but please wait for me.”

This time, he politely assumed a formal posture and bowed his head to make the request. After all, as she said, they were in the same boat.

Minimum trust and effort.

That’s what was needed between the two. Only then could the loosely formed relationship become a little denser.

Arasila, who had been lost in thought with her eyes downcast, suddenly spoke up.

“Non-forced skinship seems to be okay.”

It’s not like she had never touched Demian at all.

Thinking about when she slipped on the stairs, he readily put his hands on Arasila’s body to save her.

It was an unconscious contact, and skinship without any force.

“If it’s you doing it, not someone else, and not forced when you don’t want to, but when you want to do it. Wouldn’t it be good to practice such skinship step by step?”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

When Demian readily agreed, Arasila smiled with satisfaction. She tapped just below her collarbone.

“I’m ready anytime, so practice when you feel comfortable.”

At those words, Demian hesitated. He had said he would practice, but he hadn’t thought about a specific practice partner.

“…Do I have to do it with you?”

“Demian, are you really stupid? Of course, such things should be done between spouses.”

Arasila, who had caught another thing to tease about, smiled brightly with joy. It was a smile that instantly cleared away the darkness of the street that had settled on her shoulders.

“Or who were you planning to practice with? Perhaps the butler?”

“…I’ll do it with you.”

“Why, who were you thinking of? Were you planning to try skinship alternately with the knights of the Order?”

Since there are quite a lot of knights belonging to the Order, that could be a good method too.

As Arasila was nodding to herself while muttering, Demian sighed deeply and replied.

“I didn’t think of anyone. I didn’t speak with such detailed consideration.”

“Really.”

“Yes, even if I had thought about it later…”

The golden eyes, which had the clearest light among the night view’s lights, gazed at Arasila.

“It would have been you anyway.”

“…”

“As you said, we are spouses after all.”

The two felt just a little of the power that the name ‘spouses’ holds. A word that binds together people who have lived different lives.

That was what being spouses meant.

The two came down from the bridge and walked along the riverbank. Since they failed to finish their date at the social club, they thought to end it with a riverside walk.

There were many people walking around the Nelly River even in the evening. It didn’t discriminate between commoners and nobles, men and women, adults and children.

Walking side by side among them, the two engaged in gentle conversation.

“I think it would be good if we have a meal together at least once a day from now on.”

“Is there a reason?”

“That way we’ll naturally get to know more about each other, and incidents like the Rosalyn situation won’t happen again.”

Focusing too much on their own work after marriage and excessively living separately had become the spark for discord in the mansion.

To eliminate doubts about the couple’s relationship that had leaked from the inside, it seemed better to follow Arasila’s words.

Demian, who had been looking up at the star-filled sky, suddenly spoke as if he had just remembered something.

“Isaac was really right.”

“…?”

Arasila, who naturally didn’t know what had been said between the superior and subordinate, looked puzzled.

“What did Lord Wind say?”

“He said that when a woman tells you to go away, you shouldn’t really go away.”

“Hmm.”

She, who had shown a somewhat ambiguous response, soon shook her head.

“Demian, that’s wrong.”

When she raised her eyes, her rabbit-like impression changed to that of a cat.

“When I tell you to go away, really go away.”

“…”

“And come back after some time has passed. Otherwise, I might not be able to control my anger and use magic.”

Arasila smiled brightly. Considering her performance in the Southern Monster Subjugation, her magical attack power was top-tier.

Although Demian’s skills as a Sword Master were no less impressive, he thought it would be better to avoid conflict as much as possible to prevent a catastrophe.

In that sense, Demian’s timing of appearance at the social club was quite appropriate. He appeared just when Arasila’s anger had shifted to a third party.

“But you did well to apologize again within the day. If you had done it much later, there would certainly have been things that upset each other in the meantime.”

Demian didn’t deny those words. Although the atmosphere is good now, who knows how it might change tomorrow.

So if he was going to do it, it would be better to do it now.

“Oh, it’s flower rain.”

As the branches swayed in the night breeze, flower petals fell like rain. Arasila reached out her hand to try and catch one of them.

Just as a small, soft pink petal entered her palm, a warm warmth entwined with her other hand.

She stiffened for a moment, then looked up at Demian with rabbit eyes.

“Hand…”

“Didn’t you say you were ready anytime?”

He, who had suddenly grabbed Arasila’s hand without warning, wore a mischievous smile.

It had been a very long time since he had held someone else’s hand like this, but it wasn’t as disgusting or unpleasant as he had thought.

Indeed, it was right to do it now.

“Why is your reaction like that?”

“…”

“Was it a lie, my lady?”

Looking at her husband smiling leisurely, Arasila let out a slightly exasperated breath.

She was about to use force on her hand to counterattack, but stopped. She couldn’t risk Demian giving up on skinship.

“Of course not. From now on, hold my hand like this whenever you want.”

“Understood. Now that I’ve tried it, it’s not bad. I’ll specially hold your hand whenever you want.”

“Do you perhaps not know words like humility or modesty… I’m wondering if it’s okay to become so arrogant right away.”

“You don’t know either, do you?”

Demian, who had shut Arasila up in one go, laughed. It was a splendid and annoying smile that matched well with the spring night scenery.

“It’s okay for me, but not for Demian.”

“Why?”

“Because that way only you will get cocky.”

“This is really absurd.”

The conversation between the two as they bickered floated around the Nelly River for quite a while.

It was the end of a very ordinary weekend evening and a not-so-bad first date.

The next day, Monday morning’s newspaper carried a detailed article about the Vandermir couple’s romantic date.

It described how the couple, after finishing their busy schedules, held hands tightly while enjoying the night view of the Nelly River.

It was sweet enough to easily withstand anyone disparaging the couple’s relationship for the time being, but it wasn’t exactly like that.

It was because of an unwelcome guest who had invaded the Vandermir mansion.