Cedar’s eyes widened at my rebuttal.

After fluttering his lips as if dumbfounded for a moment, he messed up my roughly arranged hair again.

“What nonsense is this! Are you really determined to turn my mood upside down?”

“Th-that’s how it sounds! Then what other reason is there to rush my decision?”

“What rush? I clearly conveyed my feelings! I said I don’t want a divorce! Then logically, if there’s any rushing, wouldn’t it be urging you to decide to stay by my side?”

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why do you want me to stay? You can just find a nice woman. One that Lady Briar won’t be anxious about.”

“It has to be you.”

“But why?”

“…”

Cedar’s silver-gray eyes wavered back and forth.

As if he hadn’t expected me to ask such a question, Cedar hesitated for a moment and then answered uncharacteristically vaguely.

“B-because I think it would be hard to find a better wife than you.”

You just wanted to feed grass to a good wife. I crossed my arms and grumbled with a sulky voice.

“Always getting angry.”

“I’m not getting angry, I tell you. You need to know how flustered you make others. If the roles were reversed, wouldn’t you raise your voice too?”

“Then you can just make a contract with a quick-witted and pleasant woman. Why maintain a marriage with a troublesome person?”

As I kept sharply pressing him, Cedar’s face grew redder and redder.

With his neck turning red, he turned around abruptly and answered in a loud voice.

“I-I don’t know! Anyway, you’re my only wife! Know that!”

“Phew.”

If you turned your back, you should just walk away somewhere else.

He just turned his back and pretended not to care. Looking at his solid, broad back, I pouted my lips.

‘Does he know what he’s saying right now?’

Saying I’m his only wife. How can he say such ambiguous things so casually?

‘It’s fine because it’s me, but if it were someone else, they would have misunderstood.’

Doesn’t it sound like a love confession?

‘My wife, he says. Only you, he says. Really, these are expressions perfect for misunderstanding.’

Does he always scatter such unconsciously seductive expressions? Most people would develop feelings if such a tall, handsome man with high status said things like that.

‘But I’m definitely not like that. I know from the start that Cedar isn’t very interested in dating or love! Of course, I’m not very interested either!’

Still, don’t scatter them unconsciously.

I was grumbling inwardly, thinking if I said what I thought to Cedar, he’d start nagging again, when he turned to me like a ghost.

“Why are you glaring?”

Does he have eyes on his back too! How did he know I was glaring at him?

I pouted my lips and answered with a mumble.

“I just thought you’re really a man with many sins.”

“Me? What?”

“Never mind if you don’t know.”

Cedar’s head tilted in confusion. Seeing his expression of not understanding why I said this, I giggled inwardly.

‘Seems like it’s difficult for him to guess my feelings too.’

Cedar, who had been pondering for a moment, suddenly grabbed my hand tightly. His hand was so large that my hand, which was held, was almost invisible.

“So what’s your answer?”

Startled, I quickly lowered my head at his gentle gaze that seemed to be pleading.

‘That’s why I said such appearances cause misunderstandings!’

Why is he holding a young lady’s hand so firmly? And why is his palm so warm?

Feeling awkward with another person’s body heat, I fidgeted with the hand held by Cedar. Then Cedar promised in a solemn tone.

“Don’t worry about my mother. I will definitely protect you.”

I didn’t have the courage to look up at his face, which was surely serious. I deliberately pouted my lips and answered in an annoyed tone.

“You were late that day, weren’t you?”

“Th-that day! I was too absorbed in digging with the pickaxe! I admit that was my fault. I won’t let my guard down again even if it’s my house. No, I will never be far from your side. I swear on my name.”

Why is it so funny to see this large man with a languid expression like a leopard at a loss for what to do at my single remark?

As I giggled and laughed, naturally, like looking into clear water, my heart became clear too.

I didn’t particularly want to leave his side enough to break the contract marriage.

“You don’t need to swear so grandly for me to believe you.”

“Then does that mean you won’t divorce?”

Cedar’s face brightened at my answer. I shrugged my shoulders.

“The Swordmaster personally planted herbs for me, so I should see how they grow. I’ll stay by your side until you no longer need a wife.”

Now that I’ve answered, I can take my hand back, right? I pulled my hand out of Cedar’s palm and slowly walked towards my room, saying,

“But you’re quite impatient. You said you’d give me three days to think.”

“That’s right. I’m impatient. That’s why I’m always the youngest in everything.”

“Now that we’re done talking, I’m going to rest.”

“See you at mealtime.”

Ugh, how much grass is he going to pile up again?

Holding the banister, I made a disgusted expression. Cedar faced me and chuckled.

It was a rare bright smile from him, who usually only smiled with a frown as if always displeased or uncomfortable about something.

He greeted me and turned around. Watching him disappear towards the kitchen, I sighed through my nose.

‘I eat very slowly.’

That’s why our meals were always like that. Cedar, having finished his meal, resting his chin and gazing at me intently.

That attentive gaze, sometimes counting if I really chew thirty times, sometimes observing which vegetables I push aside.

‘…He really is a harmful man with no self-awareness.’

I shook my head as I climbed the stairs. My face was flushed and my heart was pounding.

So this is because there are too many stairs.

[This is the timeline separator]

The person Diana had assigned followed Grisha carefully so as not to be detected. And reported the findings to Diana.

“The magician has taken a room at a hotel in the city.”

“Did you find out which room too?”

“Yes.”

Diana nodded with satisfaction.

She had just ordered someone to find out who the magician with black hair and blue eyes was at the academy.

‘Even if he’s not from a great family, just being a magician itself has value. But who knows? He might unexpectedly be from an outstanding family?’

He’s good-looking and has the profession of a magician.

Diana had already half marked Grisha as her potential spouse.

‘Still, if he turned out to be a pauper, I was going to turn my back without a second glance. But hearing the name of the hotel he’s staying at, it seems he’s not from a poor family either.’

Since there’s a cafe and bar on the first floor of that hotel where nobles often gather, it wouldn’t be difficult to arrange a “chance” encounter.

‘Once I find out about his family, I should make contact right away.’

Thinking this to herself, Diana asked her informant various questions.

“Did he go straight to his lodgings?”

“He stopped by a shabby mansion near the Dragon Knight Order before going to his lodgings.”

“A shabby mansion?”

“Yes. A two-story building with only about five rooms, a small mansion. When I asked around the neighborhood, they said it’s an auxiliary building of the Dragon Knight Order.”

“Why would a magician go there?”

It’s not strange for a magician to go to places related to magic, but the Dragon Knight Order is a completely unrelated place.

Diana furrowed her brow.

“He met two people there, a woman and a man.”

“A woman? What did she look like?”

“I couldn’t see well from a distance. She was so small in stature that she was completely hidden behind the magician’s back. If it weren’t for her voice, I wouldn’t have known she was there.”

“Small in stature…”

For ordinary people, it would be right to infer family or lover, but what came to Diana’s mind was her conversation with Grisha.

[Has my sister woken up?]

To Diana’s question, Grisha had answered curtly like this:

[I don’t know. I want to know too.]

Grisha, who had always been expressionless, looked painfully distorted only when giving that answer.

Diana rested her chin on her hand and made a “hmm” sound.

‘It didn’t seem like a lie.’

A magician looking for his sister happened to visit the Dragon Knight Order where Cedar Granite is the captain? And there was a small-statured woman in that building?

Could it all really be coincidence?

‘But it was also an academy magician who diagnosed that my sister would likely never wake up. There’s no reason for them to have lied to me, so that must have been true too.’

Although it felt unsettling, she still thought there was no way Nelly could have woken up. After pondering this and that, Diana ordered like this:

“Keep watching that mansion. If you keep observing, people will come out eventually.”

Once they find out what that small-statured woman looks like, the answer will come naturally.

[This is the timeline separator]

The day after I and Cedar agreed to continue our contract marriage.

I had used up all my social interaction words for three days, so I didn’t want to face any guests.

But a guest came to the mansion, and there was no way to refuse this particular person.

It was Jack who came to receive treatment from Grisha.

‘Our Grisha, so diligent.’

He could have rested a bit and met slowly since it’s been a while since he came to the capital.

He quickly asked me to set up an appointment right away, saying he wanted to see the elf soon.

Having felt Jack’s agony firsthand, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse that request.

‘I can’t postpone someone’s hope just because I’m tired. Sigh.’

But I’m still tired.

I went out to greet Jack and Grisha, drooping like wet seaweed.