Kaius, who had left the mansion, slowed his pace enough for Ariel to follow without difficulty. As light but fairly brisk footsteps followed, a slight smile unconsciously crossed his face.

As they entered the rear garden, it became a bit darker.

“Come to my side.”

After hesitating briefly, Ariel went to his side and they started walking again. As they walked, a narrow path barely wide enough for two people appeared. Tall trees were densely lined up on both sides.

Was there such a path?

Feeling puzzled, Ariel paused for a moment.

“Where are we going?”

Kaius silently took Ariel’s hand and pulled her along. As she helplessly followed his lead down the path, a greenhouse-like structure came into view. Having been thinking about it all along, she blinked several times wondering if she was seeing things, but it was unmistakably a greenhouse.

As Ariel’s eyes slowly widened, Kaius opened the greenhouse door, went inside, and flipped a switch, brightly illuminating the interior.

“Wow…”

Entering almost at a run with wide eyes, exclamations of admiration kept escaping Ariel’s lips. The interior structure of the greenhouse was similar to that of the royal greenhouse. It even had electric lights that weren’t in her greenhouse.

After closing the greenhouse door, Kaius followed at a leisurely pace, watching Ariel who had started examining the greenhouse with quick steps.

Ariel walked carefully along the evenly divided sections, lifting both her cloak and nightgown underneath. She would stop occasionally, nodding her head and muttering quietly to herself. From the plant-like names she was saying, it seemed she was gauging where they would be planted. She even smiled softly when she reached the changing room and pool.

For him, it was utterly incomprehensible how she could make such an expression over mere soil and water.

“Are you pleased?”

“Yes, I’m very pleased. Truly. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

Kaius nodded at Ariel’s words of thanks, spoken with a pretty smile. He walked leisurely towards the changing room and sat on a large bench big enough to lie down on. As he gazed at the pool right in front of the bench, Ariel fell into serious contemplation. Though she was grateful for the greenhouse he had built, she couldn’t simply be happy about it.

This is deceiving him.

This place is for growing hellflowers that will hurt him and make him die.

That he would use his own money to directly build such a place? It absolutely cannot be.

So she shouldn’t just accept this greenhouse.

It might upset him, but considering the moment when all truths would be faced, this much would be nothing.

She had to say it.

“Um…”

She approached him sitting there and struggled to get out the first word. Due to words that wouldn’t easily come out, Ariel involuntarily swallowed dryly.

“I’m truly grateful that you built the greenhouse. But…”

Ariel paused briefly to get out the rest of her words. As the quiet gaze continued, the greenhouse door opened and a flow of cold air was felt.

“Who is it?”

Startled, Ariel turned around to see what looked like a knight on patrol. She sensed Kaius standing up behind her.

“Ah! Your Excellency is here as well. Then this person must be… the Princess. It’s an honor to greet you for the first time.”

Ariel slightly nodded her head towards the knight who had greeted her.

“So this huge greenhouse was for the Princess. Everyone was wondering why a greenhouse was suddenly being built.”

The knight, who had been looking at the two for a moment, seemed to have some tact and bowed his head again.

“Then I’ll take my leave first. Your Excellency.”

As the knight left the greenhouse, Ariel turned towards Kaius. As the door closed, the chilly breeze that had been felt subsided.

“But?”

No longer able to speak while facing him, Ariel’s gaze turned to the soil on the floor. As she unconsciously poked at the soil with her foot, she opened her mouth as if whispering.

“I’ll pay for the cost of building the greenhouse.”

“…What?”

She had blurted out the words she’d been hesitating over. Thinking she needed to express her intentions clearly, Ariel gathered her courage and raised her head. But when she met Kaius’s cold, seemingly indifferent gaze, the words she was about to say got stuck in her throat as if choking. In the ensuing awkward silence, Ariel felt her breathing gradually quicken.

“Say that again.”

Kaius was the first to break the silence. At his soft voice that was almost a whisper, Ariel gathered her courage once more.

“I said I’m grateful you built the greenhouse… but I’ll pay for the cost.”

Thinking he might have misheard, Kaius asked again, but the words that came from this woman’s lips were surprisingly insulting. His gaze turned cold as he brushed back the hair covering his forehead.

“If you feel burdened, there’s no need. This is nothing to me.”

“No! I’ll say it once more, I’ll pay for the cost of building the greenhouse. Please allow me to do so.”

Though she looked quite tense with her chest visibly rising and falling, her words were quite bold.

He wondered if it was an inferiority complex from being a princess of a poor country, but there was no trace of shame or anger in her eyes.

“What’s the reason?”

“There’s no particular reason. I just don’t want to cause you any loss for my personal matters.”

“Loss?”

A chuckle escaped Kaius’s lips again at Ariel speaking as if she was considering him.

“If that’s the reason, just accept it.”

But Ariel stubbornly pressed her lips together and shook her head in the end. Her eyes even looked determined, as if she absolutely could not do so. At Ariel’s appearance, Kaius’s gaze grew calm.

He had watched and understood how important the greenhouse was to this woman, so he had built it. He did it because he had the ability to do so, that was all.

But she says she’ll pay for it?

He recalled receiving the greenhouse key from Raymond late at night, and himself heading towards her when she might have been sleeping. A bitter laugh escaped involuntarily.

He didn’t know what he had expected. He just wanted to show her the completed greenhouse.

Kaius’s face hardened at the sight of Ariel stubbornly meeting his gaze without avoiding it.

If she wouldn’t simply accept what he gave.

“Then I’d like to receive what I want, not money.”

“…Pardon?”

While Ariel was bewildered, Kaius closed the distance in one breath. Contrary to his slowly spoken words, his movements were quick.

“If you want to pay a proper price for the greenhouse, isn’t it right to give what the receiver wants?”

By the time Ariel belatedly realized the situation and tried to avoid him, she was already grabbed by both arms. Realizing what he wanted, Ariel’s face flushed red with rising indignation.

“No. I’ll pay the cost that went into building the greenhouse. That’s the proper price.”

Speaking in a firmer tone, Ariel did not avoid Kaius’s gaze despite her reddened face. The clear eyes that usually hurried to avoid his gaze at the slightest blush were now staring directly at him.

Kaius smiled slightly and his hand moved towards her face.

“The clear fact is that you want a give-and-take relationship.”

“That’s a misunderstanding!”

Even while speaking boldly, Ariel turned her face to avoid his touch.

“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding. That you ignored my goodwill?”

“I never did that! I’m truly grateful.”

Her voice grew a bit louder as if asserting her innocence, and her eyes were bright.

“If not that, then the fact that you treated me like a construction worker? I don’t know what’s being misunderstood.”

“It’s not like that. I never treated you that way. The greenhouse is…”

Ariel’s voice, which had started out boldly, grew quieter towards the end. If you’re going to lie, at least do it properly to the end. Her inability to even meet his eyes now was starting to irritate him.

“Then say it. That you’ll gratefully accept it. Politely.”

Kaius commanded in a whisper-like voice. At his insulting words, Ariel’s face began to flush red.

“Why. Is that so impossible for you?”

At Kaius’s mocking words, Ariel tightly shut her eyes.

If she quietly accepted the greenhouse as he said now, they could probably get along well for a while. But it would all come to light in a few months anyway. She had to go find the antidote in the demon realm, and make him take it for a long time.

How painful it had been when she was deceived and used by Ludvian. How could she do the same when she knew that pain so well herself.

She absolutely could not do it.

Ariel’s face scrunched up as if in intense deliberation, then shook her head firmly. Kaius’s gaze as he watched her seemed almost gentle for a moment.

Perhaps it was because he thought she was a woman who would ultimately move according to his will. Just like all the other people who had entered his life so far.

After what felt like a boringly long time, Ariel’s eyelashes fluttered and her eyes opened. Kaius, who was looking at her, was fully reflected in her large, clear eyes.

“Let me go.”

Her quiet voice carried quite a bit of dignity, and grace could be felt in her composed demeanor. Kaius obediently released her arms and crossed his arms as he watched Ariel. She was a woman who would be back in his hands whenever he wanted anyway.

“So what’s the conclusion?”

“…Please send the bill when it’s ready. I’ll pay it back as soon as possible.”

Ariel’s gaze was resolute as she spoke in a small but clear tone. Kaius’s gaze, which had been leisurely watching her, sank deeply.

As Ariel politely bowed to him as if the conversation was over and turned to leave, Kaius’s breath was no longer calm.

“If that’s how you want it.”

His lowered voice was intimidating. Though her shoulders hunched, Ariel walked a bit faster without minding.