“Kaius, I’m going up first.”

As soon as Ariel returned to the Tris mansion, she rushed to Kaius’s bedroom. To retrieve the letter she had left for him.

After briefly hugging Anna, who was tearing up saying she knew they would return safely, and exchanging quick greetings with Sir Carsen, Hearn, and Butler Raymond who expressed their concerns. She had no time to mind their puzzled stares.

But the letter was gone.

Ariel was certain she had put the letter in his tie box in the dressing room. Thinking her memory might be mistaken, she thoroughly searched the area but it wasn’t there. Fearing she might run into Kaius if she lingered any longer, she crossed over to her bedroom through the connecting door between their rooms.

“Why are you coming from that side?”

Startled by Kaius’s sudden voice, Ariel nearly fainted in shock. Why on earth was he in her bedroom?

“I… I needed to find something. Sorry for entering without saying anything.”

In this highly suspicious situation, Kaius examined Ariel with narrowed eyes. Her flushed cheeks, as if caught doing something wrong, what was that all about?

“But why did you come to my bedroom?”

In response to her question, he held out a beautifully ribbon-tied gift box. Ariel stared blankly at it for a while after receiving it. But soon remembering she had something to check, she placed the box on the table.

“Open it.”

“Now?”

Kaius tilted his chin and quietly observed Ariel with his hands behind his back. Under his watchful gaze, Ariel carefully opened the box. It was a pair of white gloves. Surprised by the unexpected gift, Ariel picked up the gloves in a daze.

“…Thank you. I was actually planning to buy a pair.”

Seeing her hand in the glove, a satisfied smile formed on his lips.

“They fit well. Thank you so much. Um… but I have something urgent to do right now.”

“Go ahead.”

After carefully taking off the gloves, Kaius calmly watched Ariel leave the bedroom. Then he took out a letter from his coat pocket. It was the letter Butler Raymond had just handed to him.

Surely she was rushing about looking for this.

Chuckling, Kaius leisurely crossed over to his study.

***

Seated in the study chair, he pulled a cord to summon Lemon.

“Thoroughly investigate what my wife did and where she was on the day she left the mansion, and contact Dvian to send a few bottles of spices to Emperor Hart. Within limits that don’t affect the hotel.”

“Understood.”

After giving the brief order, Kaius removed the wax seal from the letter Ariel had been searching for and unfolded it with a calm expression.

[To Duke Kaius von Elbartan,

I am leaving to take responsibility. Now that I cannot raise Zaparos. My disappearance is the only way to save you.

I’m sorry, but I have two favors to ask.

First, please take care of the dragons. They will become the future of the continent.

The dragons are sleeping in the greenhouse changing room, with artifacts to conceal their aura attached to their ankles. However, demons can sense dragon aura very well, so please protect them from the hands of demons.

The red dragon is female and named “El”, the blue dragon is male and named “Kai”. I named them since you didn’t.

The second favor is to cherish your own life.

Ludvian Beloas. He is a duke of the demon realm, and his goal is to kill you. Once you die, the demon realm plans to break the armistice and invade the human realm.

The human realm without you will be subjugated by the demon realm. You may not believe it, but that’s the truth I know.

Anyway, please stay alive and protect the continent.

And…

If I may explain, I wanted to live too. Ordinary and happy like others. So I hope you won’t hate me too much. Though it was brief, there were times I enjoyed with you. Ah, don’t worry about the spices, Edward will fulfill the contract well even without me.

Always take care of yourself.

With regret and an apologetic heart, Ariel.]

As Kaius read the letter, his eyes gradually narrowed. He recalled the situation when ending the demon realm war. Kaius’s long pursuit and capture of Lucifer Tanakh, who had come out as the demon realm’s commander-in-chief, was a major factor in the victory.

The prince of demons. A demon with purple hair and eyes in the form of a child. After capturing him, they lured and wiped out the disorganized demons. Afterwards, the demons agreed to a ceasefire negotiation to get Lucifer back, and he thought they had been getting along well until now. Not knowing such behind-the-scenes machinations were taking place.

As a result, Ariel was used to kill him. Because of her abilities.

It was men like him with power who should rightfully bear the responsibility of thinking about the country and the continent, not her. The thought of a fragile woman who should be protected living alone, groaning under such a heavy burden, made his anger rise.

How foolish.

When she learned the truth, she should have at least come to him. No, if it were him, he would have sneered at unbelievable words. Dismissing it as an ulterior motive to gain his favor.

Then when it was discovered, she should have properly explained…

“Hah…”

Feeling self-loathing, Kaius sighed deeply. She had been trying to tell him all along, but it was he who made it humiliating and instilled a sense of disgrace, preventing her from speaking.

Of course, if she had said such things at that time, he would have trampled on her even more, saying she was trying to deceive him again. In the end, Kaius realized that no matter what was done, the situation would not have improved from what it is now.

And.

That Ariel had been making her own best efforts. Kaius let out a sigh full of anger, not knowing towards whom, and slowly closed his eyes.

[About this accident. Between Rosalyn who ordered to harm me and those who actually committed the crime, who do you think is worse?] [They’re both bad, but if I had to choose, it’s Rosalyn. But I don’t think there’s much difference. If there weren’t people to do such things, Rosalyn wouldn’t have been able to carry out the deed.] [But what if it wasn’t Rosalyn, but someone more powerful who threatened them to do it?] [That doesn’t erase their guilt.]

The sudden memory made Kaius feel deep disillusionment. It was because he could imagine her anxious and fearful heart. Now he understands well that everything was an unavoidable situation.

But.

Kaius’s eyes, slowly opening, were heartless as if all emotions had been erased.

Nevertheless, nothing has changed.

The probability of his survival was still slim, and the easiest path was not what he wanted. Also, while he hoped to see an heir from his wife, Ariel ultimately wished to leave him.

[I will definitely save you, Duke.] [Fine, have it your way.] [So, as you said, nothing has changed between us.]

Last night, Kaius properly understood the words Ariel uttered as her ragged breath subsided. In the end, at her words to keep the contract, Kaius once again devoured his wife’s lips. After another moment of passion passed, it seemed Ariel had realized something too, as she no longer spoke words to provoke him and fell silent.

Should I be thankful that at least in bed, I won’t hear those words anymore?

As Kaius was self-deprecating, he reached out to open the cigar case placed on the corner of the table.

Knock knock knock.

It was then that a cautious knocking sound echoed.

“Kaius, it’s me. May I come in?”

Kaius lowered his gaze to the letter between his fingers, looking at it with calm eyes. What was the best he could do for his wife who had rushed to find this letter? After a brief deliberation, he put the letter back in the envelope and placed it in front of him.

Leisurely rising from his seat, Kaius opened the door and Ariel stepped inside. She must have been running around so much, her chest was rising and falling rapidly and her cheeks were flushed red.

Her eyes wandering around the study stopped on the letter placed on the desk. Even with him behind her, Ariel strode forward and picked up the letter. But when she saw the broken wax seal, her heart sank.

What if he questions again? It was all things she absolutely couldn’t answer.

“No matter how much you’re my wife, it’s not right to steal and read your husband’s letter. I heard it was in the bedroom, by any chance did you leave it for me?”

Deeply relieved by Kaius’s glib lie, Ariel looked at him with a bright smile.

“That’s right. It seems you haven’t read it yet, but there’s no need to read it now, so I’ll take it back. Is that okay?”

For what reason he volunteered for such a pathetic act, even he couldn’t understand.

Well, if it puts his wife’s mind at ease.

As he tilted his chin, her golden eyes shone clearly without fail. It was the expected gaze.

“Then, you must be busy. I’ll be going now. Ah, and as I said yesterday, I’ll be very busy for a while so I can’t have meals with you. I’ll be eating simply.”

To shorten the time even by a day, she had to practically live in the greenhouse.

“I thought you said nothing had changed.”

At his firm refusal, Ariel glared at him without realizing it herself. Of course, she quickly hid it before he could notice.

“I don’t have time. …Please understand.”

Though her words seemed to ask for permission, Kaius clearly felt it. The effort to suppress the rising emotions. Chuckling, he suddenly approached, startling Ariel who stepped back. Her body reacted instinctively from the memory of last night. Kaius firmly trapped Ariel between the wall and his body, grasping and lifting her chin.

“You’ve gotten too thin.”

“I’ll make sure to eat well.”

Displeased by her articulate retort, he silently stared at her. Ariel briefly rolled her eyes to avoid his gaze, but soon seemed to recall something and looked at him with a straight gaze.

“Would you… like to see the baby dragons?”

Ha. Trying to change the subject?

“They’re still very small. About this big, up to my knee, and they’re so cute…”

As he narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on her chin, Ariel stopped speaking.

“Have your meals as you wish.”

Recalling her words about not having time, he readily granted permission. There was no reason he couldn’t wait a few days. At his words, Ariel twisted her face to escape his grasp and rushed to the door.

“Then come see them when you have time.”

As Ariel, who had been chattering, disappeared like the wind, silence returned to the study. The change in his wife’s attitude in just a day was strangely irritating and something felt off, but it was better than her dying from guilt, so he should let it go.

Chuckling softly, Kaius moved to sit at his desk. As he looked through the pile of reports, documents, and mail for the work he had instructed before leaving the mansion, his gaze stopped at one place.

It was a letter with the initials L. T.