After sending Kaius back and staying for a while longer, when Ariel came out of the greenhouse, Anna was waiting. Anna had been wearing knight’s attire instead of dresses since yesterday. Saying she would protect her from Ludvian until departing for the empire. Anna looked quite dashing in her uniform with her sword at her side.

“The Queen is urgently looking for you.”

Ariel had a good idea why her mother was calling for her. She quickly changed clothes and headed to the west palace where her mother resided.

“This is too much. How can there be such a sudden marriage? I haven’t even had time to prepare my heart to send Ariel away.”

As she stood in front of the bedroom door, her mother’s raised voice could be heard. It was as expected.

“I’m sorry, my queen. But I’ve already finished discussing everything with the Duke, and they were going to get married anyway. So please understand.”

“Can’t it be postponed even for a month? Your Majesty, no, Leon. The northern part of the empire is so far from here. If you can’t say it, I’ll meet the Duke myself.”

“My queen. Please calm down.”

Ariel hurriedly opened the door and entered, immediately running to embrace her mother.

“Mother.”

“Ariel, you’ve come at a good time. Tell your father too. Let’s postpone the wedding for a few months.”

“……”

Mother, I can’t. If I go with him now, we can meet again in a year. Ariel bit her lip and lowered her eyes. She understood her mother’s feelings, but this parting was unavoidable.

“Ariel?”

Sensing something odd in Ariel’s quiet demeanor, the Queen’s eyes began to waver.

“Mother, I agreed to get married right away. I’ll go with him this time. I’ll keep in touch often, so please don’t worry too much.”

“Are you… serious? You’re not just agreeing because of your father?”

Ariel nodded firmly and quickly added:

“No. It’s a decision I made after thinking it through myself. I can do well, so please believe in me.”

“This mother is just so sad to part so suddenly. Ariel.”

Ariel hugged her mother tightly again.

“I’ll contact you often. I love you, Mother.”

Until dinner was over, the Queen wouldn’t let go of Ariel, and her words of concern flowed endlessly.

She said to be careful with her conduct until marriage. After marriage, respect her husband and fulfill her duties as a wife well, but never tolerate unreasonable things. Especially, if her husband cheats, divorce him immediately and come back, she warned sternly. Also, to keep hiding her healing ability as she had been doing. It had been that way ever since Ariel’s kidnapping incident as a child.

Just as Ariel was about to open her mouth, fearing she might not be able to keep her promise with Kaius if she kept listening to her mother, her father moved first.

“My queen. I want to rest alone with you. So let’s send her off now. Ariel, you may go.”

Her father winked at her secretly without her mother noticing. Ariel was able to leave the west palace only after kissing her mother and father’s cheeks in turn. The evening sun was turning the western horizon red.

“Lady Ariel, while you were inside, Lord Edward came by. He said it was about Elia Company business, and asked you to contact him when you came out. Should I send someone?”

“No, I’m too tired today. I’ll meet him tomorrow.”

There wasn’t time, as she was planning to go to the annex after resting a bit.

“Anna, I looked it up, and it’s autumn in the northern part of the empire right now. So we’ll be able to see snow soon too.”

“Snow? Wow……”

“Let’s make sure to build a snowman.”

Exchanging talk about snow, which they had only seen in books, with Anna, they entered the north palace.

There, eyes the color of the red sunset were staring intently at her. Only then did she recall the message the maid had delivered earlier saying he would come again today.

Although she felt a bit afraid, even he couldn’t act recklessly openly inside the palace. Moreover, Ludvian was the one who first broke the rule between them. Swallowing dryly, Ariel walked boldly towards him. Anna followed behind Ariel, gripping her sword handle tightly.

“I see your cold has gotten better.”

She wanted to snap at him to skip the unnecessary talk and just state his business, but she wouldn’t have to see him often after a few days anyway. So she just needed to endure a little longer.

“There’s no need to worry about me.”

“That day I……”

Judging it would be better to speak first before his question came out, Ariel cut off his words and spoke:

“After getting out of the water that day, someone chased me in the forest. It was dark and there was no one around, so I was very scared and while running away I happened to meet Duke Elbartan. And he safely brought me back to the palace. I was sick for a day, but as you can see, I’m fine now.”

“……”

Staring intently at Ariel, he pulled up one corner of his mouth crookedly. There was no way now to naturally get her out of the palace before the delegation left. Rather, he had only raised her guard, so it was a complete failure.

Should he just quietly let her go to Duke Elbartan like this? Or forcibly keep her here?

Calculating, it was advantageous for him becoming the Demon King to let her go. Even though that was the clear answer, Ludvian couldn’t make up his mind readily.

Why?

It was oddly irritating and unpleasant. The fact that he couldn’t have his way with one young human woman was humiliating. Even now, this woman who had no strength and whose neck he could strangle with just one hand was glaring fiercely at him.

Without realizing it, Ludvian’s hand moved towards Ariel’s slender neck. At that moment, a blade sprang out from behind Ariel and pointed at his neck.

Ha. How dare you.

Would killing that maid relieve this base feeling? In an instant, Ludvian covered his hand with demonic energy and began fighting with Anna. The color of the demonic energy was red, looking almost like an aura.

“Stop! Stop it!”

She knew too well that Anna would get hurt if they exchanged a few more blows. Ludvian was the strongest in the demon world. Even if his power was restricted in the human world, Anna was in danger.

Fortunately, as nearby knights rushed over hearing the commotion, Ludvian withdrew his hand.

“Anna, are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Meanwhile, the knights who had rushed over surrounded them in an orderly manner. With narrowed eyes, Ludvian looked at Ariel leisurely with his arms crossed, as if telling her to handle it well.

“Princess, what’s going on?”

Creating a problem would only lead to bigger problems. Ariel relaxed her stiffened expression and put on a smile.

“It’s nothing. Marquis Beloas seems to have been curious seeing Anna in uniform. It’s fine, so please go back now.”

When Ariel turned to Ludvian after sending the knights away, that smile had completely disappeared.

“If you have nothing more to say, please leave now.”

At Ariel’s glaring eyes and cold voice, the corners of Ludvian’s lips twisted crookedly.

“Don’t get too close to Duke Elbartan. You’ll regret it later.”

You’ll be the one to regret it.

This was the words lingering in her mouth, but she couldn’t spit them out as is.

“I absolutely won’t regret it.”

She would bring him down, hatch the dragon’s egg obtained from him, and stop the demon race. She had failed before because she didn’t know demons were sensitive to dragon energy, but this time was different. She had already asked Edward to make a magic artifact to hide the dragon’s energy.

“I hear you’re leaving with the Duke.”

“That’s right. If you keep our rules well, I won’t forget what I need to do either. As I said before, send someone on the day you take the oil and I’ll hand it over.”

She had to maintain the rules with him until she got the antidote.

“When are you leaving?”

“In two days.”

Since it wasn’t something to hide, Ariel answered lightly.

“Ludvian, if you’re done, please go back now.”

Ariel left quickly without waiting for his reply. By then, the red sunset had disappeared, and the time of night with the moon had arrived.

Fortunately, Ludvian did not follow.

Ariel, having caught her breath, sent Anna to her quarters and headed to the annex. It was to organize the contents of the contract before Kaius arrived.

Instead of turning on the lights, she tried opening the curtains, but the moon wasn’t as bright as expected. In the end, she sat at the table with the bedside lamp on and scribbled down the contract terms.

“Divorce after 1 year, treat him if he’s injured, greenhouse entry prohibited, freedom guaranteed, and……”

As Ariel tapped her head with the pen while deep in thought, a yawn escaped her lips. Without realizing it, Ariel fell asleep slumped over the table.

Ariel’s words that she would leave in two days wouldn’t leave Ludvian’s mind. When he realized he was secretly following her, he felt annoyed and even pathetic at himself. Nevertheless, to know the reason, he hid his body by the window and watched her.

Meanwhile, Kaius’s face was as calm as the night as he leisurely headed to the annex.

As he neared the annex, his senses picked up a presence. As he got closer, the other also noticed Kaius and turned around.

Ludvian’s eyes, hidden in the darkness, met Kaius’s.

Why is that guy here again.

Kaius’s eyes gradually narrowed. He didn’t need to check to know who was inside the annex.

Paying no mind, Kaius moved forward and quietly opened the door to the room where she would be waiting. He saw Ariel slumped over the table. Kaius approached, wondering what she was doing, and a laugh escaped his lips.

She’s sleeping.

Even now, Ludvian was watching this place from outside the annex. Kaius quietly lifted Ariel into his arms so as not to wake her and laid her on the bed, taking off her shoes.

Sitting beside her, Kaius slowly brushed back Ariel’s fallen hair. The small lamp would be enough to reveal the sight of the two to the outside through the window.

Yet he did not leave. Then.

Kaius leaned over and turned off the lamp beside the bed. Darkness seeped into the quiet room.