“My lady, I apologize, but it is a principle not to install locks on that door. Do you still wish to have one installed?”

In the past, it was an open space without a door. The principle of not installing locks was established when the door was created at the request of the Duchess three generations ago.

“Yes, if possible, I’d like that.”

It was a request, not an order. It was clear that this request was not something the Duke had approved. After pondering for a moment, Raymond decided to grant the request. He judged that if the relationship between the two was good, there would be no need to lock the door anyway.

“Then, in the near future…”

It was then that the door connecting to the Duke’s bedroom quietly opened. As Kaius appeared through it, Ariel, who was standing right in front of that door, flinched.

Feeling as if she had been caught secretly plotting something, Ariel could only blink, unable to even think of greeting him. His hair was wet, as if he had just come out of the shower, covering his forehead.

Kaius’s gaze slowly swept around the room, passing over Butler Raymond before stopping on Ariel’s face.

“What’s the matter?”

Ariel, swallowing dryly, spoke first with a slightly reddened face.

“One doesn’t need a reason to enter his wife’s room, does one?”

“Shouldn’t you at least knock?”

“Knock?”

He frowned slightly.

“That door requires knocking, this door doesn’t. Do you need further explanation?”

With just a nod, he indicated the entrance door and the one he had come through, succinctly explaining the difference.

“…”

Surely he doesn’t mean he’ll enter my room this freely?

From now on, continuously?

As the silent gaze continued, Butler Raymond offered to show Anna to her room and led her out. At that movement, Ariel’s eyes cleared as she came to her senses.

“I want to put a lock on this door.”

“…?”

A laugh that sounded like a chuckle escaped from between his lips as he raised his eyebrows as if hearing something absurd.

“That won’t do.”

At his voice tinged with a faint smile, Ariel’s wariness grew.

“But this door is too… uncomfortable.”

I can’t live with the anxiety of not knowing when you might come in. For a whole year at that.

“If the door is uncomfortable, we’ll remove it. It was originally one space anyway.”

“No!”

Ariel’s face wrinkled at his preposterous solution.

“That’s absolutely not acceptable.”

Kaius’s gaze, as he slowly brushed back his wet hair, moved from the door back to Ariel’s face.

“The moment a lock is installed, our story will be circulating in social circles. That would violate the fifth clause.”

“Ah…”

The penalty fee was the first thing that came to mind. Along with all the things that could be done with that penalty fee. Clearly, there was a limit to keeping secrets, and if Kaius were to terminate the contract over such a trivial matter?

That absolutely must not happen.

As he watched Ariel pondering intensely, Kaius leisurely leaned against the door he had come through. So that such words would never come out again. In other words, waiting for her to realize on her own how unreasonable her request was. Kaius waited through that time, which was even boring. As if she had realized that his intention was correct, a light of resignation appeared in Ariel’s eyes as she looked at him.

Ariel slowly nodded, agreeing with his words.

“It would be better to use this door rather than that one to come treat me.”

No expression was visible on Kaius’s face, from which the smile had disappeared.

“Then rest.”

With those final words, Kaius returned. A deep sigh escaped from between Ariel’s lips as she stared at the firmly closed door.

She had taken the contents of the contract he had written too lightly.

Feeling stifled, Ariel headed for the terrace. As she opened the door and went out, the cool evening air of autumn improved her mood considerably.

It was a beautiful place no matter when you looked at it.

A pretty garden surrounded by tall cypresses. Rose vines climbing the stone walls within. The walking path that wound between them led to the lakeside.

That lake would be tinged red at this time. Just like now, when the sun was about to set, he often walked the path leading from the mansion to the lake. As her gaze, which had been directed towards the lake, turned back to the garden, a short exclamation escaped from between Ariel’s lips.

Her eyes met those of Kaius, standing in the red glow of sunset.

She was a woman he couldn’t quite figure out.

As soon as their eyes met, Ariel fled inside in an instant. Bewildered, Kaius’s gaze lingered on the terrace where she had been standing for a long time.

Only after curtains were drawn on the terrace door and the light was turned on did Kaius turn around and set out on a lakeside walk he hadn’t taken in a long time.

He had come to her room intending to ask if she would like to take a walk together. But to put a lock on the door connecting the couple’s bedrooms?

What an absurd idea she had come up with.

Brushing back his fallen hair, Kaius turned his gaze to the familiar walking path. It had turned quite pretty with autumn colors.

Red like his woman Ariel’s lips.

The fact that she was a woman he could embrace kept stirring up a thirst like hunger. Although he was trying to calm his impatience with the thought that he would have her soon, moments when the heat building up inside him couldn’t be controlled were starting to occur.

Like now.

Kaius, who had unknowingly clenched his fists, felt hot even in the cool autumn breeze.

“Your Majesty, I hear that Duke Elbartan returned today with the Letiana princess.”

As he received the report from Chamberlain Count Calvin, Emperor Hart stroked his chin while reading the report.

Unexpected news of marriage.

The matter he thought would be good enough if they just got engaged and returned had gone even better than expected. But there was also a part that was a bit unsatisfactory. The magic stone mine of Lebard. It was something he had been eyeing covetously, wanting to snatch it. To think he would hand it over to a failing kingdom.

“Does the princess have some talent for bewitching men? For Kaius to give up such a thing.”

“Rumors say the Duke has fallen for the princess. Though it’s hard to believe.”

“It’s really strange. Honestly, I thought he’d break off the engagement or barely manage to get engaged and return. Anyway, it’s become interesting.”

He had handed him a woman who could only be described as a burden, and it was a journey that had been postponed for months as if he would refuse.

Yet to accept that woman at once.

This move of Kaius’s was quite radical, and that fact pleased Emperor Hart. Thanks to that, he became curious about the Letiana princess who was the protagonist of this affair.

As Emperor Hart’s mind filled with curiosity about Ariel, a chamberlain’s voice was heard from outside the door.

“Your Majesty, a person called Marquis Beloas from Letiana has contacted us saying he’d like to have an audience tomorrow. What should we do?”

“Letiana?”

A marquis from Princess Ariel’s country. It piqued his interest quite a bit.

“Tell him the audience is granted.”

Tired in body and mind, Ariel went to bed a little early. She tried to close her eyes and fall asleep, but her mind filled with things she needed to do right away.

Building a greenhouse. Planting the plants and seeds she had brought. Preparing for the cooking competition. It seemed natural and good to stop by the Brandt Library while participating in the competition. Also, she needed to send a letter to her parents saying she had arrived safely, and learn how to use carrier pigeons.

And marriage to Kaius.

As the image of Kaius standing in the sunset light looking at her came to mind, Ariel’s eyes slowly opened.

As Ariel sat up, turning on the bedside lamp, her gray hair flowed down softly. Her hair was still gray because she hadn’t removed the artifact. Ariel looked anxiously at the door leading to his bedroom.

Surely he wouldn’t come over.

After pondering for a moment, Ariel slowly shook her head, thinking it was too much worry.

The sound of knocking came just as she was about to close her eyes and try to sleep again. Thinking she might have misheard because of the late hour, she didn’t answer, but it came again. If it was Anna, she wouldn’t just knock like this?

Suddenly, the ominous thought that it might be Kaius crossed her mind. No. Through the door that doesn’t need knocking? He wouldn’t stop using it just because she said it was uncomfortable. Kaius wasn’t a considerate person.

Whatever it was. A late-night visit was not welcome at all.

Let’s pretend to be asleep.

When there was no answer, the knocking sound stopped. This time she turned off the lamp and closed her eyes, but her mind was still full of various thoughts.

Surely not.

Suddenly she worried that Kaius might be hurt. As her thoughts turned in that direction, she couldn’t just stay still.

Ariel quickly turned the lamp back on and got out of bed. As she picked up the robe she had draped over the screen, the knocking sound came again.

“It’s me.”

Ariel, who had quickly tied her robe, opened the door slightly.

“Are you hurt?”

She asked him in a whisper through the barely opened door. When there was no answer, she opened the door a little more and looked him over from chest to legs, but there were no wounds. Relieved, Ariel asked him.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

“I have something to show you, so let’s go out for a moment.”

“What?”

She was in her nightclothes, where could they go at this hour?

“If it’s not urgent, let’s do it tomorrow when it’s light.”

Ariel closed the door without waiting for his answer, but the door slowly began to open in the opposite direction.

As the door opened wide enough for a person to enter, Kaius stepped into the bedroom without hesitation. As he came closer, his cool scent tickled Ariel’s nose as usual.

Now she knew for sure. The fact that this scent belonged to this man.

Kaius passed by Ariel, who stood motionless at the door, and headed for her dressing room. The lights came on, and sounds of searching for something were heard.

Why in a woman’s dressing room…

There’s underwear in there too! Belatedly realizing this fact, Ariel, her face and even her neck reddening, hurriedly followed him in.

“Please leave!”

By the time Ariel entered, he already had a black cloak in his hand. In the blink of an eye, he approached right in front of Ariel and the cloak wrapped around her back.

Blinking in bewilderment at what was happening, a large, firm hand reached out to her. Ariel instinctively jumped back, avoiding that hand. He chuckled and spoke in a soft voice.

“Then follow me.”