“Damn it―!”

The duchess could no longer hold back and raised her hand. However, Arasila grabbed her wrist, preventing her from striking her cheek.

The duchess struggled violently and burst out in anger.

“Let go! Won’t you let go?!”

“I’ll let go.”

As she spoke, Arasila abruptly released her hand. The duchess, struggling with all her might, staggered for a moment and stepped on the hem of her dress.

“Kyaak!”

Screaming as she fell ungracefully, the duchess glared at Arasila with wide eyes.

“Have you lost your mind? Do you think you’ll be safe after doing this to me?!”

“What did I do? And that’s what I should be saying to you, Duchess.”

Arasila retorted as if amused, bending down to look at her.

“Right now, there’s only the two of us around, and the person in front of you is a magician. One who’s so powerful, she might accidentally harm someone.”

“……!”

The duchess was startled. After two failed assassination attempts, she had come to know that Arasila was a skilled magician capable of dealing with mercenaries and assassins.

With her face turning pale, she stuttered and pointed at Arasila.

“You, you! Are you threatening me?! How dare you try to touch me―!”

“Duchess, raising your voice isn’t the answer in this situation.”

Arasila interrupted her with a gentle voice.

“You should either apologize obediently or keep your mouth shut. Frankly speaking, if I were to break one of your bones with magic, who would know?”

Arasila smiled sweetly and swiftly raised her foot towards the duchess’s ankle.

“Huk!”

For a moment, the frightened duchess inhaled sharply and squeezed her eyes shut.

However, what Arasila actually broke was not the duchess’s ankle, but the thin heel of her shoe.

“We can just say you got hurt because your heel broke like this.”

“……Ha.”

The duchess, suddenly relieved of tension, clutched her chest and breathed heavily.

Arasila looked at her with an expressionless face. It was pathetic how she viciously tore into others’ pain but couldn’t bear any pain herself.

“You’re quite cowardly. Hurting others without hesitation, yet not prepared to be hurt yourself. Do you think you can be happy living like that?”

As Arasila honestly expressed her thoughts, the duchess’s face contorted. In her eyes, brimming with anger, there was a hint of shame.

“What do you know to say such things? Who are you to interfere in the first place!”

She snapped fiercely. Arasila calmly replied.

“Who am I? I’m Demian’s wife. Demian’s ally. He’s no longer alone, you see. So let me warn you―.”

Arasila spoke deliberately, making eye contact with the duchess.

“Don’t touch my husband. As you can see, I’m a bad-tempered lady who can’t stand it well.”

“……”

“Oh, and don’t touch me either, of course.”

Arasila added brightly with a sweet smile. The duchess just glared at her without saying a word.

Arasila slowly took a couple of steps back, covering her mouth with both hands and speaking in a pretend worried voice.

“Oh my, what should we do? It must be hard for you to walk with a broken heel.”

“Ha, you’re the one who made it like this―!”

“Please sit for a moment. I’ll tell them you accidentally fell and broke your heel, and can’t move, then I’ll call someone.”

Arasila cut off the duchess who was about to shout angrily and nodded nonchalantly.

The duchess gaped in disbelief but had nothing else to say. She couldn’t make a fuss about reporting a broken heel, not even a bone.

She could only watch Arasila return to the party hall, leaving her behind.

Arasila walked gracefully down the corridor. She planned to grab any maid and tell her to take care of the duchess.

At that moment, someone appeared in front of her as she turned the corner of the corridor.

Arasila looked up at the handsome face above her with slightly surprised eyes.

“……Demian?”

“Let’s go, my lady.”

Despite his sudden appearance, Demian naturally placed Arasila’s hand on his arm and escorted her.

It was a smooth action without any awkwardness, as if they had agreed to do this from the beginning.

Arasila followed him in a daze and then said with a somewhat embarrassed face.

“Um, Demian. I just met the duchess……”

“I know.”

“What?”

“I’ve already called someone, so we can just go.”

How did you know?

Arasila looked at him with a face demanding an explanation, but Demian just kept walking silently.

It was no coincidence that he had witnessed the duchess following Arasila. He had been watching from afar since Arasila was conversing with Yona.

Sensing something unusual in the heated face of the duchess, he followed as well.

Thanks to that, he was able to hear the entire conversation between Arasila and the duchess.

Every single word.

Demian recalled what Arasila had said while threatening the duchess.

‘I’m Demian’s wife. Demian’s ally. He’s no longer alone, you see.’

It was the first time.

The first time someone had declared themselves as wholly on his side and said he was no longer alone.

He clenched his fist tightly. Somehow his palm was itching. As if that tingling sensation would climb all the way up to his heart.

“Demian, did you drink? Your ears are red.”

Arasila asked after raising her head and noticing Demian’s ears were flushed as if about to burst. He turned his face slightly to the side as he answered.

“……I didn’t drink.”

“Then why are they so red? Did something happen to make you feel hot?”

“Stop asking and let’s go quietly.”

Demian naturally took Arasila’s hand, which was linked through his arm, and quickened his pace.

His ears were still red enough to burst.

The day after the duchess’s birthday party, the duchy was as quiet as a mouse.

Usually, after a joyous event, the festive mood would continue for a few days, but it was surprisingly calm and quiet.

Arasila and Demian prepared to return to the capital immediately. The ten days they had initially proposed ended with the duchess’s birthday, and there was no reason to stay here any longer.

Even until they packed their luggage and came out to ride the carriage, the ducal family did not show themselves. They had already guessed that they wouldn’t come out to see them off.

Even the butler and head maid didn’t appear, using the excuse of post-party cleanup, but it wasn’t surprising. They were the duke’s people after all.

From their current perspective, the two must be an eyesore, so they tactfully kept their distance.

Only a few servants bowed their heads to the departing couple. Arasila and Demian boarded the carriage without delay.

“It feels like we’re being chased out as uninvited guests. Even though they invited us on their own.”

“None of their intentions worked out, so they must be quite upset. They might be lying in bed sick right now.”

Although it was Arasila and Demian who didn’t receive proper hospitality, it was the ducal family who were bedridden with anger sickness.

The faces of the two riding in the carriage leaving the duchy were refreshed and bright.

Arasila, who had been watching the scenery of the duchy gradually disappear, closed the curtain and asked the question she had been curious about.

“So, did you find the former duke’s will?”

“I couldn’t find it. I even searched my father’s study, but it wasn’t there.”

Throughout their stay at the duchy, Demian had been secretly searching the castle. But the grandfather’s will was nowhere to be seen.

Could it be hidden somewhere other than the duchy? Or perhaps they carry it on their person every day?

After considering various hypotheses, Demian reached a certain conclusion.

“Perhaps they don’t have grandfather’s will either.”

“What do you mean?”

“The moment you and I got married, grandfather’s will became the biggest obstacle for them. It’s better to just get rid of it.”

Anyway, the former duke had been dead for a long time. Even if they secretly got rid of the will pretending it was a mistake, there was no one to question it.

Yet, seeing how they tried to drive a wedge between us, it meant the will still existed.

Which meant they were also in a state where they couldn’t do anything about the will.

“But seeing how they’re struggling with grandfather’s will, it might be stored somewhere they can’t touch.”

“Hmm, that makes sense.”

Arasila, nodding her head, suddenly remembered something and picked up the bag placed under the seat. Audrey had put it in the carriage they were to ride in advance.

Inside was Monica’s jewelry box that they had secretly taken.

“Remember, Demian? I told you I took your mother’s jewelry box.”

“Ah, yes.”

“This is it, have you seen it before?”

Although she had told Demian about taking the jewelry box, this was the first time she was showing it to him directly.

Arasila carefully took out the jewelry box and handed it to him. After observing it closely, Demian recognized the eagle emblem on the jewelry box and nodded.

“Yes, it’s the spare jewelry box my mother often took out.”

“Is there a possibility that the will is inside? It seems quite important since it was hidden under the bed.”

Demian thought for a moment and then shook his head. How would the former duke know about the existence of that jewelry box and secretly put the will in it?

Moreover, since his mother passed away before his grandfather, there was no one to give a hint separately.

“It was really my mother’s personal item, so the probability that grandfather knew about it is low.”

“Ah……”

Arasila, who had secretly suspected the jewelry box, was disappointed but still curious about what might be inside.

After some hesitation, she opened her mouth towards Demian.

“Actually, I tried to open the jewelry box, but there was a strong locking spell on it. If it’s not rude, may I very carefully examine this jewelry box……”

“Do as you please.”

Demian gave permission more readily than expected. Arasila’s eyes widened.

After learning how much he valued his mother’s belongings from the dress incident, she had become cautious. That’s why she had left it untouched until now, waiting for his permission.

But Demian didn’t show the same sensitive reaction as before. It was the same at the birthday party when he told her to wear Monica’s dress without hesitation.

Even though the effects of the Markas herb had disappeared, his response was too casual, making Arasila a bit puzzled.

“Is it okay to give permission so easily? Don’t you dislike others touching your mother’s belongings?”

“That’s right. But you’re fine.”

Demian, who replied calmly, glanced at Arasila and corrected his words.

“Only you are fine.”

“……”

Arasila felt a bit strange. Being the only one who was fine was a kind of special treatment, wasn’t it?

Becoming someone’s only exception, and that someone being her contract husband……

She wasn’t sure if it was okay to like it, even though she didn’t dislike it, so she just stroked the jewelry box with her palm and said.

“I promise I won’t break it at all.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Demian showed firm trust with a relaxed face. As if he knew she would never handle his mother’s belongings carelessly.

It wasn’t the first time she had been trusted by others, but Arasila felt overwhelmed and proud. A faint smile appeared on her lips.

The carriage carrying the two headed peacefully towards the capital in a gentle atmosphere.