She had thought that she had simply forgotten that day until now.

But if the memory had disappeared entirely.

There had to be a reason.

‘It was the day Letia first used Spinel’s power.’

It might have been related to Spinel being sealed.

As his thoughts reached that point, the corners of Kallion’s mouth relaxed uncontrollably as he lowered his gaze slightly.

‘She didn’t forget me.’

It wasn’t that she had simply forgotten about that day without any concern.

Meanwhile, Letia was confused by Kallion’s words.

‘He was also trapped in the Winter Tower? But I was always alone there……’

Suddenly, one memory flashed by.

When she talked with Asiz, she had unconsciously recalled the warmth of being with someone in the Winter Tower.

‘Was I really not alone? Was someone there? Was it him? But why don’t I remember……’

At that moment, her mind suddenly became hazy and a stabbing headache arose.

“Ugh!”

As Letia let out a low groan unable to hold it in, Kallion’s expression changed frighteningly.

“What’s wrong?”

“My, my head suddenly hurts……”

As Kallion immediately placed his hand on her forehead, Letia swallowed hard at the sudden heat.

“You don’t have a fever. But your face is pale.”

‘No fever? But it’s so hot?’

Letia moved slightly away from Kallion and said awkwardly.

“I think it’s because I’m tired. A lot happened today, after all.”

But Kallion didn’t believe Letia’s words.

If her memories were sealed, it might have affected her when she tried to forcibly recall them.

“Forget what I said earlier.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s true that we first met in the Red Forest. Start from there.”

‘I remember everything else. Every single detail.’

As Kallion’s eyes curved while looking at Letia, he finally admitted.

‘Right. I’ve never forgotten.’

Though he said it was an insignificant memory, she was still a warm spring day to him.

It was the one lingering attachment, the one desire he couldn’t give up, even as he cut off all unnecessary memories and emotions besides revenge.

‘We’ve met again, and I have her. That’s enough.’

Kallion gently caressed Letia’s wound.

“Don’t let anyone hurt you again. Cherish yourself. From now on, you have a duty to maintain dignity as the Grand Duchess.”

“I understand. But……”

“What is it?”

Letia hesitated, then carefully asked.

“Aren’t you going to ask why I wanted to ruin the engagement ceremony?”

“Isn’t it because you dislike Lady Serina?”

“It’s not that I dislike her.”

For a moment, a killing intent that didn’t suit her showed in her eyes.

“I hate her.”

Kallion nodded as he looked at her revealing her anger with darkened eyes.

“I see.”

Letia wondered at his appearance of not asking further.

“Aren’t you going to ask for the reason?”

“Do I need to hear it?”

Letia was taken aback by his question that seemed rather puzzled.

“Ah, no, it’s not that……”

“If you dislike her, that’s the reason. I only need to know it’s not one particular reason.”

“What one reason?”

“It doesn’t seem to be that, so it’s fine. Didn’t I tell you? Use me too.”

Kallion, who had been holding Letia’s hand, now made her grasp his hand tightly.

As if his hand were a sword hilt.

“I said I’d be wielded by you. That I’d get dirty.”

His unwavering voice and gaze kept washing away her anxiety and raising faint expectations.

“We’re in the same boat now, so we must go to the end together. I’m on your side now.”

“On my side……”

As soon as she uttered the words she had only hoped for, her mouth became hot and Letia swallowed her excited breath.

Although it was just a contract, for now at least.

‘This person is my husband, and on my side.’

So she shouldn’t hide the reason for her revenge.

Because he could be in danger.

“It wasn’t just Serina who tried to kill me in the Red Forest. Her Majesty Empress Terisia also wanted me dead.”

“……”

“But if they only wanted me dead, I could have just died.”

“What do you mean?”

Letia gritted her teeth at the rising anger and murmured.

“The people who fabricated my mother’s death as a jewel going berserk were Empress Terisia and Serina. They killed my mother.”

Kallion’s eyes shook coldly at the unexpected secret.

“So I can’t just run away blindly. Because I have to repay them one by one, exactly the same.”

“How did you find out about this?”

Letia told Kallion everything that happened at the villa and the Grand Temple.

With each word she spoke, Kallion’s face was stained with blue anger.

“……So you almost died.”

“But fortunately, I was able to break free from Peridot’s suggestion.”

The pain of being stabbed alone couldn’t have broken Peridot’s suggestion.

It was just incredibly fortunate that Spinel’s power protected her.

Kallion felt his blood run cold.

He had given her time so that she could accept the contract marriage, intending for her to only find out about the real culprit behind the Red Forest.

‘To think Empress Terisia would go this far to try to kill her.’

Especially, to harm even the Marchioness by joining hands with the person closest to Letia.

“I regret telling you to confirm the truth.”

“What? Oh! It’s not your fault, Grand Duke. If it weren’t for this incident, I wouldn’t have known anything until the end, and then I would have been too…”

Letia forcefully suppressed the rising sadness.

“…too sorry to my mother.”

“I won’t stand back in such dangerous situations again. From now on, I’ll do those things. It’s the promise of our deal.”

“That’s true. But……”

At that moment, Letia caressed Kallion’s hard and rough hand that she was holding.

Kallion’s body tensed involuntarily at the sudden touch.

“At first, you asked if I found this hand horrible, didn’t you? But I didn’t mind at all. It wasn’t unfamiliar. Because I have the same wounds.”

Kallion bit his lip hard at Letia’s calm words that followed.

In fact, she had more wounds hidden under her sleeves today than just the one on her palm.

“Don’t get hurt.”

“……”

“No matter how great the Grand Duke is, pain is still pain.”

“Are you worried?”

“Of course I’m worried. Neither of us should fall until we achieve what we want.”

“Well, not exactly a romantic answer, but decent enough.”

At the word ‘romantic’, Letia suddenly remembered something and her earlobes turned red.

“What’s wrong?”

“Wh-what! I wasn’t thinking anything!”

“Thinking? What were you thinking about?”

Letia quickly changed the subject under Kallion’s persistent gaze.

“A-anyway. I took your hand for revenge. Did you really marry me because of the imperial order?”

Kallion hesitated for a moment, but controlled his expression not to show it.

“Why do you ask that?”

One thing kept bothering Letia.

The look in his eyes when he first said he wanted something more than an heir and when he faced Emperor Kalua, those eyes full of malice were exactly the same.

So she wondered if there might be another purpose to this contract marriage.

“I’m just making sure.”

“It’s not because of the imperial order. Raising House Harenclord to perfection. That’s the most important thing.”

“Is that all?”

“That’s all. Although my father lost the decisive war, House Harenclord built honor through numerous achievements. I must restore that glory. And this marriage is absolutely necessary for that.”

There was a contradiction in his words.

If so, he would need an heir even more, and he could have a real Grand Duchess.

But Letia pretended not to notice.

It seemed right not to ask, just as he hadn’t asked for her reasons.

‘If what you’ve told me is everything, then I should believe that.’

“I understand. Although I’m a Nebula, I’ll do my best as the Grand Duchess.”

Kallion swallowed a bitter breath and nodded.

“Lastly, are there any other conditions to this contract?”

“It seems like you who brought it up have something you want?”

Letia said one thing in a more determined tone than expected.

“Don’t deceive me.”

“……”

“I’ve been abandoned and used countless times. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. That’s why I chose revenge. So in our relationship with clear purposes. I’d like there to be at least trust.”

“……I promise. I will never deceive you.”

He had already broken the promise from the beginning.

Because he too had revenge as his purpose, and for that purpose, he had to secretly awaken Letia’s Spinel and use it.

But Kallion remained silent and raised the corners of his mouth.

‘I’ll hide it until the end. You don’t need to know about my revenge. Just think about your own revenge.’

Because Spinel was a family that was annihilated for rebellion in Elmorte, the fact that she was Spinel had to be hidden until the end.

Moreover, even without that, his revenge was of a different weight than her revenge.

‘Touching the Empress and bringing down the Emperor are different matters.’

If things go wrong in the future……

Kallion had no intention of involving Letia in his revenge. And he wouldn’t let her handle the revenge against the Empress either.

‘I alone will get dirty. All of it, just me.’

So she must not know anything.

“So you don’t have any conditions, Grand Duke?”

Just then, the carriage stopped.

“We’ve arrived.”

At those words, Letia swallowed a heavy breath.

‘Now it’s really irreversible.’

Kallion got out of the carriage first and held out his hand to her as if escorting her.

Letia, not used to being treated this way, took his hand a bit shyly.

“You don’t need to do this when there are no eyes watching……”

“Get used to it from now on. But don’t just grab any hand. It would be troublesome if someone falls for you because you’re pretty.”

“What?”

Every time Letia’s short hair swayed in the wind, the moonlight-drenched gray color sparkled white like diamonds.

Captivated by that light, Kallion whispered softly.

“I think the color of your hair is pretty.”

At the unexpected words, Letia’s face heated up so much her tongue felt numb.

“Ye-yes, even though you know I’m a Nebula……”

“It’s the only silver shining in this night. Like the moon.”

“Are you saying this to appear affectionate? You’re surprisingly good at such words.”

“That’s not it, but since we’re on the topic.”

Kallion said in a serious tone.

“Most of those working at the Grand Duke’s mansion now are people sent by the imperial family.”

At those words, Letia immediately grasped the situation.

“You mean there are many watching eyes.”

After House Harenclord fell, the imperial family drove out most of those who had worked for the family and filled the Grand Duke’s mansion with people from their side to manage it until now.

That’s how strong their will was to uproot Harenclord completely.

“It’s too late to drive them out now, they’ve all worked at the Grand Duke’s mansion for quite some time. Moreover, there’s the added courtesy of helping the still unstable House Harenclord.”

This wasn’t courtesy, but mere surveillance.

“I’ll have to be always tense and careful from now on.”

“That’s why there’s something we must do today.”

“Something we must do?”

“What did we do today?”

“We got married, right?”

“Yes. It’s the wedding night for a newly married couple.”

“Wedding night?”

“We have to sleep together tonight.”

Only then did Letia understand Kallion’s words and abruptly let go of his hand.

“Bu-but we’re not really married!”

“But we can’t let that be discovered either. A newlywed couple not spending their wedding night. It’s too suspicious.”

Kallion stared at her and closed the distance.

“You asked about conditions earlier? I have one condition I want. We can’t have a relationship like a politically married couple.”

“Then……”

Letia was trapped in his dangerously lowered gaze.

“Of course we have to share a room. And spend the wedding night.”