When did Cedar come home?

Startled by Cedar’s ghostly appearance beside me, I called out to him loudly.

“Husband!”

Grisha’s face crumpled at my words.

“What’s with that strange title?”

“Huh? Well, he is my husband after all…”

“Didn’t you say it was an unwanted marriage? Then why do you need to call him husband?”

“Um…”

When he put it that way, I suppose he had a point.

His sharp observation momentarily left me at a loss for words.

Cedar lightly pressed on my shoulder. Bewildered, I sank back into the chair I had half risen from.

Cedar sat down beside me with slow, weighty movements like a black panther, as if it were only natural.

Then he answered Grisha in a cold tone.

“Whether wanted or unwanted, it doesn’t seem like others have the right to interfere in our relationship.”

Since it was different from Cedar’s usual manner of speaking, I blinked and glanced sidelong at his profile.

‘Is he angry?’

But why?

It didn’t seem like Grisha had said anything particularly rude, yet Cedar appeared to be on guard preemptively.

And Cedar wasn’t the only one on edge. Grisha spoke to me with a bright smile.

“I’m not just anyone. Right, Nelly?”

“W-well, that’s true.”

But Grisha, why are you so angry too?

‘You still have that habit of smiling more brightly the angrier you get.’

That’s why Grisha’s smile was always in full bloom at the academy.

The professors never left him alone, constantly grating on his nerves.

‘But this seems like an exceptionally bright smile.’

I cautiously observed Grisha’s expression. However, my caution proved futile as Cedar added fuel to the fire.

“That’s nonsense. Everyone who’s not family is an outsider.”

“…”

The smile on Grisha’s lips grew increasingly deeper.

Naturally, I became uneasy.

‘What’s going to happen if he keeps smiling like that!’

Though I had never seen it myself, there were many rumors at the academy about Grisha’s smile.

They ranged from a professor who constantly angered Grisha falling into a river and losing his wig, to someone who saw the final stage of his angry smile and decided to quit being a magician to become a priest instead.

‘Is Cedar going to unleash that smile today?’

As I trembled, treating Grisha like some kind of monster, Cedar poked my side with a displeased pout.

“And you, is it okay to meet guests like this when you’re supposed to be in a coma?”

With that question, I could understand why Cedar was so irritated.

It was an expression of dissatisfaction that I had received a guest first, even though I had asked him to keep my awakening from the coma a secret.

But I could answer that confidently.

“Grisha can be trusted.”

If it were anyone else, maybe not, but Grisha? There was nothing in this world I needed to keep secret from him.

At my brief answer, Cedar’s face crumpled while Grisha smiled warmly, looking quite pleased.

Then he pressed on, picking a fight with Cedar.

“Isn’t it the same for you? Since you’re a contract couple. You’re not a husband, but a contractor.”

That observation wasn’t wrong. But I couldn’t nod in agreement either.

I pointed out the flaw in his logic in a clear tone.

“Cedar isn’t just a simple contractor either.”

“…Nelly?”

Grisha wore a stunned expression, seemingly quite surprised that I had taken Cedar’s side.

The funny thing was that Cedar was also looking at me with a surprised expression.

I tilted my head and asked Cedar again.

“Right?”

“That’s right! Why are you asking again after answering so well?”

“Because relationships aren’t determined by what one person thinks alone.”

“It’s not just a contract. I explained my feelings clearly enough for you to understand.”

What on earth did he explain?

I stared at Cedar with an expression demanding further explanation, but he slightly blushed and turned his head away, avoiding an answer.

‘Could it be when he suddenly shouted that he had no intention of divorcing?’

I naturally recalled the chaotic morning conversation. I tilted my head and asked again.

“Come to think of it, why are you here when you said you’d give me three days to think?”

“I said I’d give you time to think, not that I wouldn’t show my face for three days.”

“It sounded like the same thing to me.”

“Anyway! We’ll talk about us when we’re alone.”

After cutting off my attempt to argue further like that, Cedar faced Grisha.

“It’s been a while, Grisha. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

“It has been a while.”

Though it seemed like proper greetings were being exchanged, the atmosphere quickly turned sharp.

Surprisingly, it was Grisha who spoke first in a cold voice.

“Now that we’ve greeted each other, please step aside. I want to talk to Nelly, not you.”

“Even if you want to talk to Nelly, you’ll have to face me. You haven’t forgotten where this is, have you?”

“I see. Then I’ll have to take Nelly away first.”

“Nelly is sick and can’t go out. Talk here.”

“Then please step aside.”

The exchange didn’t suit either Cedar or Grisha.

Yet if it felt strangely familiar to me, was I the strange one? I tilted my head and asked.

“Do you two know each other?”

“…”

“…”

At that, both of them closed their mouths as if on cue.

You’re in sync at times like this. Feeling displeased, I pouted.

‘What’s this, neither of them will answer.’

As I sulked and turned my head, I saw Hail standing there awkwardly like a sack of barley, holding a tea tray.

I quickly grabbed one of the teacups on it.

“Has the tea cooled?”

“Huh? Yes. Probably?”

I might as well have some tea since I’m in a bad mood. I drained the teacup in one go.

Hail, who had been glancing at me as I huffed, bent down and whispered softly, bringing his head close.

“My lady, do you perhaps not know what relationship the two of them have?”

Ah, does Hail know? My ears perked up. I stretched my neck towards Hail and asked.

“What kind of relationship?”

The answer that came back was something I could never have imagined.

“They’re brothers. Half-brothers.”

“What did you say?”

Half-brothers? So that means they have different mothers? But the same father!

‘They don’t look alike at all!’

Early marriages often lead to widowhood or divorce, and remarriage is just as common.

Having half-siblings isn’t particularly special.

Still.

‘I guess it’s so surprising because I know Cedar and Grisha well? But what is their real relationship? Cedar’s mother seemed to be alive and well.’

Besides, if they’re brothers, why do they seem to get along so poorly? No, Grisha. Didn’t you say you didn’t have any family? You never told me about having a brother either.

My eyes spun at the suddenly close relationship between the two.

While I was confused, Grisha, who had been having a staring contest with Cedar, finally stood up first.

“Since an intruder has arrived, I’ll take my leave for today. And.”

Grisha reached out his hand to me.

I reflexively held out both hands, and a small orb about the size of a baby’s fist was placed on my palm with a soft thud.

“Ah!”

“I think you lost this. It’s a new crystal ball.”

It was a crystal ball I could use to communicate with Grisha!

I had been wondering how to contact Grisha since I didn’t have a crystal ball.

“Thank you! I actually wanted to bring it, but I didn’t want to let Diana know I had regained consciousness. So I was worried about what to do.”

“Well, since you were moved here while asleep, all your belongings must still be at the original mansion.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about, Nelly.”

Those words strangely sounded like they were criticizing Cedar.

As I held the crystal ball tightly with a sour expression, Grisha kissed my forehead.

“I’ll contact you again, Nelly.”

“Okay! You get some rest too.”

Though it was a farewell greeting we used to exchange daily at the academy, it felt awkward doing it with the grown-up Grisha.

Cedar, displeased about something, frowned and crossed his arms as he glared at Grisha’s retreating back.

Then he suddenly turned to Hail and said in a gruff voice.

“You go back to the knight order too, Hail.”

“What? But this morning you told me not to leave the lady’s side for even a moment.”

“That was this morning’s story. I took time off. So you need to be my substitute.”

“What?”

Even from that brief exchange, I could tell that Cedar was bullying Hail again.

I looked at Hail with sympathetic eyes.

Hail looked back at me with an expression that seemed to have a lot to say.

“My lady.”

I understood right away. So he wanted me to keep the promise I made earlier to scold Cedar?

“I’ll talk to him later. Later.”

“I trust in you, my lady.”

Hail looked at me with truly desperate eyes before slowly backing away.

With Hail gone too, finally only Cedar and I were left in the mansion.

‘It’s been quite a long day.’

Meeting people really consumes a lot of energy.

As the tension drained away, so did my strength.

As I lightly pounded my somehow aching shoulders with my fists, Cedar asked in a gruff tone.

“What does that guy trust?”

“There’s something.”

I can’t exactly say he asked me to scold you.

When I evaded the question, Cedar’s eyebrow rose sharply.

“Are you keeping secrets even with Hail now?”

“What?”

It wasn’t even a secret, just a trivial joke-like conversation.