As the dazzling sunlight that disrupted sleep touched Delia’s eyelids, she wrinkled her delicate brow. Delia used the back of her hand to shield her face from the sunlight.

“No, Princess.”

With Aaron’s loud exclamation, Delia’s hand was firmly held. Unable to grasp the situation, Delia blinked her large eyes, looking up at Aaron. As the hazy vision gradually became clear, Aaron’s face came into focus.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Don’t wipe your eyes with the hand wearing the ring. You might injure your face.”

“Ring?”

Delia, held by Aaron, slowly turned her gaze with the hand restraining her. An unexpected light awakened her from her sleep. The once blurry blue eyes regained their brilliance.

“What’s this?”

Delia, leaning on Aaron’s shoulder, looked at her own finger with a slow turn. Something that wasn’t there until she fell asleep now glittered on her finger.

“A ring.”

“So, why?”

“It lets everyone know, ‘I have an owner.'”

At Aaron’s absurd words, Delia stifled a chuckle.

“How many people dare to surpass the princess.”

Aaron muttered, winding the golden locks around his thick finger. As the hair was pulled and released, a precarious tension spread all the way to the heart.

Is he jealous?

Delia burst into laughter at the tingling sensation conveyed by his persistent possessiveness.

“Who? Who dares to surpass me?”

“The Royal Guard, the Council, even Marend. Everyone in this world looks like thieves.”

Completely surprised by his words, Delia widened her eyes. Jealous of the Royal Guard and the Council while being loyal to the royal family.

Delia, while drumming on Aaron’s chest with her fists, woke him up.

The light reflected by the ring also vibrated, creating an adult-like sound.

“They are just subjects. Male subjects. And Marend is just a kid.”

“Only you, Princess. Others won’t think like that.”

“Get a hold of yourself, Commander. It’s only cute jealousy if it’s moderate; otherwise, it becomes an obsession.”

“I’m already obsessed.”

In the end, Delia extended her hand, lightly striking Aaron’s solid chest. The pleasant sound echoed in the cabin.

“And the ring should be worn by the Commander. To declare, ‘I have an owner.'”

“I’m fierce, so no one would dare to approach anyway. So, it’s unnecessary.”

“Then, I don’t need it either. Because the fierce Commander is by my side.”
Eventually, Delia extended her hand and lightly struck Aaron’s firm chest. A crisp sound of bare skin colliding reverberated in the cabin.

“And the ring should be worn by the Commander. It declares, ‘I have an owner.'”

“I’m fierce, so no one would dare to approach anyway. So, it’s unnecessary.”

“Then, I don’t need it either. Because the fierce Commander is by my side.”

“Being by your side. I can’t even get near because of the Queen.”

Listening to Aaron’s grumbling, Delia raised her hand, and in the sunlight streaming through the porthole, she examined the ring.

The rainbow-like colors sparkled brilliantly. Amid the bright light reflected by the ring, the figure of her mother, who prayed every night, was etched.

Her mother, who had struggled to allow the marriage, came to her mind, and Delia’s throat choked up.

“Commander.”

“Yeah?”

“Our parents approved the marriage.”

“That’s right. Princess, you should know how much I suffered to get approval.”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

As Aaron’s touch gradually became more explicit, Delia, feeling the change, asked a question straightforwardly.

“But Commander, don’t you need approval from your parents too?”

Delia’s question brought a silent stillness to the cabin.

Thanks to it, the sound of Aaron’s heartbeat, present in his ears, became even louder.

Aaron couldn’t easily answer a simple question and stared at the dust floating in the air.

Even his hand, flowing down her body, froze.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere of Aaron, Delia slowly sat up.

Supporting herself with one arm, she leaned diagonally, and her soft hair flowed down her smooth body.

Between those, a slender arm emerged and gently caressed Aaron’s chest.

“Perhaps they won’t approve of me?”

Only then did the ash-colored eyes stare directly at Delia.

There was a faint anxiety in Aaron’s sky-blue eyes.

Aaron spoke firmly.

“No. That’s not it.”

Aaron, who had been pushing forward with the marriage without hesitation, had never brought up the topic.

About his family.

What does Aaron’s family think of me?

The former Emperor Sturaitz had died a long time ago, so his opinion didn’t matter.

But not asking the opinion of his mother, Queen Carolina, or his brother, the current Emperor, was strange.

“Did you not tell me because your family might object?”

The shocking assumption made Delia clench her fist tightly.

Is this marriage too much for Aaron?

He’s already doing enough for Io Rentis.

If he has to endure family opposition as well, what should I do?

Despite the morning being full of light, a dark gloom settled in Delia’s mind.

“Do you have a pre-arranged fiancée from a noble family in the Empire?”