By the time Kaius finished preparing for bed, the night had deepened.

He had secretly hoped that Ariel would be waiting for him in his bedroom again today, but she lightly dashed those expectations. Pressing his temples gently, he headed towards the door leading to his wife’s bedroom.

The door opened without a hitch, and the corners of his mouth curved up softly. As he entered the bedroom, the warmth of the fireplace greeted him along with a gentle fragrance. Approaching Ariel’s bed in the soft firelight, Kaius let out a chuckle.

It seemed the effect of the cake didn’t extend to the bed, as she had fallen asleep without waiting for him again today.

As he casually looked around, his eyes fell on the letters on the tea table. Upon closer inspection, they were letters that hadn’t yet been sealed with wax.

He pushed the envelopes aside one by one with his fingertips. Leon von Letiana, Erina von Letiana. Writing separate letters to her parents? He smirked and moved his fingertips again. That’s when Kaius’s face furrowed. It was after confirming the recipient of the last letter.

Edward Camellon.

Seeing that name clearly written on the envelope, he unconsciously picked it up. He hadn’t intended to check the contents of the letter. After all, it was only natural to correspond when running a company together. But the different feeling transmitted through his fingers made him tilt his head. Kaius opened the letter without hesitation.

A bracelet?

What came out was a bracelet made of woven red thread. Kaius’s slightly furrowed gaze turned back to the table. Judging by the bulging shape of the letters to her parents, they all seemed to contain something as well.

After returning the letter to its place, Kaius’s gaze slowly wandered over the table. A pen, wax, a ring engraved with the Letiana crest, that was all.

Chuckling, Kaius sat on the edge of the bed and stroked his wife’s hair. While Edward Camellon would be pleased with that bracelet, he himself would have this woman. That was enough.

“Ariel.”

At the low voice, Ariel stirred briefly and her eyes slowly opened. She blinked several times, but they soon drooped closed again. It was due to not having slept properly for the past few days because of anxiety.

“Ariel.”

At the voice calling again, her eyes opened with difficulty and his face came into view.

Kaius.

Perhaps due to being drunk with sleep, she tried to call his name but no sound came out. Ariel stared blankly at him looking at her for a long time. Without realizing it, Ariel’s hand reached out to touch the soft hair that had fallen over his forehead. Then she smiled slightly. Kaius smiled too.

Ah… It’s a dream.

As her eyes began to close again, he kissed her eyes. The sensation of those lips was felt in turn on her forehead, nose, cheeks, and lips. They were soft and tender. When she opened her eyes again, Kaius stroked her head as if praising a good child. His cool, refreshing scent reached her.

Can you smell scents in dreams?

By the time such doubts arose, Kaius’s hands had begun to undo the buttons of Ariel’s nightgown. It was too vivid to be just a dream.

“If you’re curious about what kind of article will be written when newlywed duke and duchess ride separate carriages to the capital, go ahead. I’ll respect your wishes.”

Kaius spoke softly in response to Ariel’s statement that she would go separately. His gentle tone made it seem as if he truly respected her.

In the end, Ariel boarded the carriage escorted by dozens of knights along with Kaius, sitting as far away from him as possible. Fortunately, the carriage was quite large, allowing her to sit far enough away to feel at ease.

Her gaze was directed towards the autumn forest outside the window. Seeing the colorful forest that resembled her own body, a deep sigh escaped her involuntarily.

Was marriage the only way to save him?

That was the first thought that came to Ariel’s mind when she faced the mirror in the bathroom that morning, dragging her tired body.

Even with a dress whose lace came up to the middle of her neck, Ariel couldn’t hide all the red marks and had to wrap a scarf as well. She brushed it off with a slight smile to Anna, who was sighing heavily. Ariel glared briefly at Kaius, who was looking out the opposite window of the carriage.

She hated this man who was shameless, humiliating, and only cared for his own desires.

Tomorrow was the day she would make her first official appearance as the Duchess of Elbartan. It was that important, and it meant all eyes would be on her. It seemed she wouldn’t be able to wear the elegant and dignified dress that Madame Bella had spent five days making for the occasion. Ariel turned her gaze back to Kaius and stared at him blankly.

Sensing Ariel’s gaze, Kaius slowly turned his head. He looked at Ariel with a detached gaze, as if he had forgotten everything he had done last night.

“What?”

At his nonchalant words, Ariel swallowed the many words that were welling up inside her and silently turned her gaze back to the window. She felt like spewing out any words, but Ariel was not in a position to do so.

She remembered his calm response when she had asked if he had been hurt while away. If he had needed to use a potion, it meant he had been hurt more than expected.

Ariel’s golden eyes lost their light like the sun on a cloudy day as she felt self-loathing. It was because the guilt she had deeply suppressed was slowly surfacing. It was then that a cool autumn breeze blew in. She glanced over to see that he had opened the window.

Was it because the cool wind carried away the heat? Perhaps all of this was a happy worry. Such a thought suddenly occurred to her. She was now by Kaius’s side, and she knew well how to ensure his survival going forward.

So she had to stay strong.

Instead of curling up and hiding, she had to move forward.

But tomorrow’s banquet was important too…

Lost in thought for a moment, Ariel shook her head and brought her hand to the scarf around her neck. As tomorrow’s banquet came to mind, she was overcome with a worried feeling. Her determination to absolutely not accept him tonight was also deeply embedded in that sigh.

It was then that Ariel’s body tilted. It was because Kaius had reached out and pulled her to his side as she kept sighing and glaring at him.

“Ah.”

Ariel, who had been trying to remove his touch, gave up. This was inside a carriage, and his hand gripping her arm was too large and firm.

“Let go of me.”

Ariel was startled when his other hand came to wrap around her neck just as she had spoken in a whisper. As his hand moved slowly, Ariel began to struggle desperately. She suddenly felt afraid, wondering why he was doing this inside the carriage.

“Stay still.”

Kaius’s face hardened at the sight of Ariel rejecting him with her whole body. Frowning, Kaius laid her down on the carriage seat in one swift motion. It happened before she could do anything.

“Your Grace, is something wrong?”

It was then that the coachman’s voice was heard. Ariel, startled, held her breath and stopped struggling. She couldn’t let anyone see her in such a humiliating state.

“It’s nothing. Keep going.”

Ariel let out a bitter laugh at his excessively calm voice.

“Don’t do this.”

A wry smile escaped at the sight of her eyes raised boldly despite her anxiety.

I’m just trying to check why you keep sighing.

The woman who always spoke her mind so well was being frustratingly evasive today. So he had no choice but to take direct action. Kaius untied the scarf she kept touching in one swift motion.

As her slender neck was revealed, Kaius’s eyes slowly narrowed. Ha, letting out a low sigh, his fingers gently caressed the red marks on her neck. Even he hadn’t expected the marks to last this long. Most likely, the parts hidden by the dress would be even worse.

“Don’t touch me.”

Kaius’s gaze deepened at the sight of Ariel showing such obvious wariness.

“Is this why you’ve been like this the whole time?”

“…”

His calm tone of questioning made Ariel feel upset once again.

“Please, move your hand.”

He was well aware of how important tomorrow’s banquet was to her. It was clear that if she went out looking like this, she would be plagued by all sorts of rumors. It would be impossible to get a new dress from the boutiques in the capital. That was because her body was considerably smaller than the women of the empire.

When Kaius released her, Ariel quickly returned to her original seat. Watching Ariel wrap the scarf around her neck again, Kaius leaned back deeply and closed his eyes.

After being lost in thought for a while, Kaius opened his eyes. He knocked twice on the carriage wall, and the carriage’s speed slowly began to decrease. Sir Carsen, who had been escorting on horseback nearby, approached.

“Bring Madame Bella to the mansion in the capital by tomorrow morning. Be sure to tell her there’s a problem with the Duchess’s dress.”

His whispered order was heard only by Sir Carsen’s ears.

“Understood.”

Soon the sound of horse hooves leaving was heard as one knight departed, and the long carriage procession heading to the capital began to pick up speed again.

After closing the window, his gaze slowly turned towards Ariel. At that moment, her swaying silver hair was reflected in his eyes, which were like the surface of a calm lake.

He waited for a long time for her to look back at him, but she remained cold. He clenched his fist tightly to resist the urge to reach out and pull her close.

Kaius, who was about to tell her not to worry, changed his mind and turned his gaze to the window. Around that time, Ariel turned her now calmer gaze towards him. The corners of Kaius’s lips lifted slightly at the sight of his wife’s golden eyes floating over the autumn landscape.

They were beautiful eyes, like the warm sunlight embracing the autumn forest.