***

“It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Andre Pollux.”

Calix had made it clear that he would keep his promise.

Given everything that had happened, Lianna knew he wouldn’t take his promises lightly.

Nevertheless, she had never expected the issue to be resolved so quickly.

Unable to hide her astonishment, she stared at the middle-aged physician standing before her, who was holding a large medical bag.

The renowned doctor, said to be the world’s leading authority on Joel’s lung disease, was standing right in front of her.

Without Count Chester’s letter of introduction, she would never have had the opportunity to meet him.

Yet with just a word from Calix, the doctor had come to her willingly.

Once again, Lianna was reminded of just how much power Calix truly possessed.

The moment the doctor saw the boy, whose fragile condition was obvious at a glance, he immediately understood that Joel was the patient in need of treatment.

He quickly approached the child, who continued to cough dryly into his sleeve.

Using instruments that Lianna had never seen before, the doctor carefully examined Joel.

They exchanged a few words, and the doctor furrowed his brow as he scribbled notes rapidly in a small notebook.

Watching him with eyes filled with fear and desperate anxiety, Lianna finally gathered the courage to ask a question.

“Doctor… can my brother’s illness be cured?”

“To speak honestly, the situation is not particularly good.”

The physician stroked his short beard as he answered.

Upon hearing his words, Lianna’s large eyes trembled violently.

Was it already too late?

What if Joel’s condition had worsened beyond saving?

Just as panic began to surge through her chest, the doctor took off his glasses, put them in his pocket, and continued.

“If you had arrived any later, it would have been impossible to save him. Fortunately, luck was on your side. This is not an illness that can be easily treated, but if he takes his medicine consistently, I believe his condition will gradually improve.”

Hearing the doctor’s reassurances, Lianna finally released the breath she had been holding for what felt like forever.

It felt as though rain had finally fallen on a heart that had long been left dry and cracked by fear and anxiety.

So Joel could recover.

That was what the diagnosis meant.

All this time, she had believed she was going to lose her brother.

Now, almost miraculously, hope had been placed back into her hands.

All the days she had spent trembling in terror at the thought of losing him came rushing back at once, causing a painful ache in her chest.

At the same time, she felt such overwhelming relief that she wanted to fall to her knees and pray.

But the one who had truly created this miracle was not the heavens.

It was the man standing nearby with his usual indifferent expression: Calix.

Perhaps because Joel was present, Calix was not smoking the cigar that was usually perpetually between his lips.

Instead, he leaned lazily against the window, his posture slightly crooked and relaxed.

Lianna still could not forget how he had toyed with her so mercilessly in bed.

And yet, at that moment, gratitude overwhelmed all other emotions.

“Joel,” she said softly, her voice trembling faintly with relief. “You don’t have to worry anymore. From now on, everything is going to get better.”

Even Joel, who had been lacking in energy these past few days, finally looked brighter than he had in a while.

Seeing her younger brother smile again warmed Lianna’s heart.

Gently stroking his hair, she turned towards Calix.

“That’s right, you should thank His Highness too.”

A great many things had happened, but in the end, Calix was practically their benefactor.

“……”

For some reason, however, Joel lowered his gaze and kept his lips tightly shut.

Seeing him act so strangely uncomfortable around Calix made Lianna slightly puzzled.

Was it because Calix naturally exuded an intimidating air? Or was Joel simply shy around strangers?

“Joel, what are you doing?”

When Joel continued staring downward in silence, Lianna urged him softly.

Joel hesitated before finally speaking with obvious reluctance.

“…Thank you, Your Grace. I am deeply indebted to you.”

Lianna was slightly taken aback by her brother’s unexpected attitude.

However, Calix did not seem particularly bothered by it.

Leaning casually against the wall of the inn, he merely tilted his head in acknowledgement.

Watching the two men standing together looking painfully awkward, Lianna could not hide her troubled expression.

Even if they had only joined forces for their own individual goals, they would soon become family nonetheless.

Shouldn’t they at least try to grow closer?

The thought crossed her mind briefly, but Lianna quietly shook her head.

It would certainly be nice if their relationship improved, but she had far more urgent matters to worry about.

If she was truly going to become the Grand Duke’s wife, the first thing she needed to learn was how to carry herself with the dignity and grace that position demanded.

***

Beyond the carriage window, the city’s waterways were blanketed in a thick layer of ice.

Children wrapped up in thick winter coats were playing happily, pulling sleds across the ice.

Their innocent laughter echoed through the air like birdsong.

“So your brother knows nothing?”

Lianna had been quietly watching the children laughing and riding their sleds, their cheeks flushed bright red from the cold.

Slowly, she turned her head.

Sitting opposite her in the carriage was Calix, arms folded calmly over his chest.

She understood perfectly well what he meant.

How was she supposed to tell Joel about her marriage to Calix?

Lianna still had no idea how to answer that question.

“To Joel, I’m not only his sister—I’m practically his mother too. If I suddenly tell him I’m getting married, he’ll definitely be shocked… so I’ve been thinking about how I should explain it.”

Although Joel had grown older, Lianna still saw him as a child.

She had raised him from a young age, and the significant age difference between them only served to reinforce that perception.

What could she say to stop Joel from getting hurt?

That she had fallen in love with another man?

It was the best excuse she could think of.

At the same time, however, it was the furthest thing from the truth.

But she could not tell Joel the real reason either.

If she did, he would undoubtedly be deeply wounded by it.

As Lianna sank deeper into her troubled thoughts, the man suddenly spoke.

“Your brother is your brother. Your life is your life.”

To Lianna, this was an incredibly serious matter, yet Calix spoke as casually as though he were deciding what to eat for lunch.

She already knew he was an indifferent man by nature, but honestly…

“Why are you so protective of your brother?”

Just as Lianna was about to shake her head in response, Calix asked the question suddenly.

Sacrificing oneself for a sick sibling was no easy feat.

Having grown up in an environment where blood relatives frequently turned blades against one another, Calix genuinely could not understand why Lianna would go to such lengths.

Lianna’s violet eyes darkened slightly.

“My parents asked me to take care of him before they died. Those were the last words they left behind.”

A dying wish from her parents…

So she had been bound by something like a chain all this time.

For the first time, Calix felt a small trace of pity for her circumstances.

“How did your parents die?”

Perhaps it was not a particularly considerate question. But it was hardly something he could not ask the woman he was about to marry.

“Other than that they died during the war… I don’t really know. Joel was too young back then to even remember their faces.”

Lianna trailed off, hesitating.

Calix quietly studied her face.

He didn’t trust her, but at least he knew she was telling the truth.

Nothing she had told him contradicted the results of his investigation into her.

Apparently, there had once been orphaned children who lost their parents during the war and eventually wandered into Chester Castle. There, the Countess of Chester had taken pity on them and cared for them for a time.

She was a young girl with no proper guardian, struggling to survive while raising her sick younger brother on her own.

Not that Calix particularly pitied her, though.

Still, he could easily imagine that her life had been far from easy.

As he let these thoughts drift away with the passing scenery outside the carriage window—Lianna, who had been quietly watching him with caution for some time, finally spoke up carefully.

“Since Your Highness asked me something as well… may I ask something I’m curious about too?”

Calix slowly shifted his gaze towards her.

Whenever a conversation arose, she always found a way to ask one more question. Despite being naturally timid, she certainly spoke her mind.

It was rather interesting.

Taking his silence as permission, perhaps, Lianna carefully continued.

“The markings on Your Highness’s body… what do they mean?”

He had overlooked it without much thought, but this woman was one of the few people ever to have seen the curse carved across his body.

Fortunately, to someone unfamiliar with magic or curses, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary tattoo.

If she had recognized what it truly was…

Well.

He would never have considered marrying her in the first place.

If she spoke carelessly about it to others, his life could be in danger. If that happened, he would simply lock her away and use her to break the curse.

In that sense, perhaps Lianna had been fortunate.

Looking at the woman waiting quietly for his answer, Calix finally spoke.

“It would be better for you not to indulge in useless curiosity.”

“But we’re about to become husband and wife. If you’re saying it’s wrong for me to be curious about the man I’m going to marry…”

“Have you forgotten? This marriage is merely a form of transaction. So don’t expect an ordinary marital relationship.”

Calix’s voice was cold and distant.

Lianna could clearly feel the firm line he had drawn between them.

His refusal to let her get any closer caused a quiet sense of disappointment to rise in her chest.

She already knew he was hiding things from her, yet it hurt far more than she had expected.

They had agreed to a loveless marriage, but at least she had been open with him.

Meanwhile, this man was keeping far too many secrets.

Nevertheless, they would soon be living together as husband and wife and seeing each other every day.

She had wanted to get to know him a little better.

Perhaps…

It might have been all right for them to grow closer.

But it seemed that wish belonged to her alone.

A strange loneliness settled heavily over her, yet Lianna quietly clenched the fabric of her skirt, reminding herself that this, too, was something she needed to endure.

After all, she had never expected much from him.

She still had Joel, and that was enough for her.

She would never stoop to beg for the attention of someone as arrogant as Calix.

“If it’s difficult for you to tell me, then I won’t ask anymore. It wasn’t something I was that curious about anyway.”

Once she had finished speaking, Lianna turned her head away.

Calix’s eyes narrowed slightly.

For some reason, the woman’s profile as she gazed out of the carriage window appeared slightly sullen.

Silence quickly settled inside the carriage.

Just moments ago, she had been talking so much.

Now, with her lips pressed tightly together, she sat looking unmistakably upset.

Watching her, Calix let out a quiet laugh.

“Are you angry with me right now?”

Lianna still refused to meet Calix’s eyes as she answered.

“How could I possibly dare to do that?”

“You’re clearly angry.”

“No, I’m not.”

Calix let out a quiet, amused laugh as he watched the woman stubbornly deny it.

In a way, her attempt at petty rebellion was almost comical.

The reason for her displeasure was obvious enough.

But he could not tell her about the curse.

Setting aside the fact that he did not fully trust her, revealing his vulnerability to more people would be dangerous.

Even though she had surely noticed his lingering gaze, Lianna stubbornly refused to react.

If she was dissatisfied, she should simply say so.

Instead, she shut herself away like a clam. For some reason, he found this more irritating.

Not that her feelings particularly mattered to him.

Nevertheless, he needed to keep her by his side until the curse was completely broken.

With her sick younger brother depending on her entirely, she was unlikely to leave of her own accord — but unforeseen circumstances could always arise.

This meant that, from time to time, he would have to indulge her a little.

“Fine. Let’s hear what you’re so curious about.”

Calix crossed his arms as he spoke.

Only then did Lianna finally look at him.

Her neatly shaped eyes narrowed slightly.

“But earlier, you told me not to take interest in it.”

“I’ll correct myself. Ask me anything you want. Just not about the markings.”

Lianna didn’t know why Calix had changed his mind so suddenly, but she wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip away.

Now he had told her she could ask anything, however, she felt overwhelmed by the possibilities.

What should she ask first?

Knowing that his patience was limited, she couldn’t afford to spend too much time thinking.

As she turned countless thoughts over in her mind, her eyes drifted towards the carriage window.

At that moment, the signboard of a tavern passed outside.

Before she could stop herself, the words slipped from her lips.

“Then… what kind of alcohol do you like the most?”

Calix raised an eyebrow slightly.

His expression clearly said, ‘Is that what you were curious about?’

Lianna instantly wished she could take back what she had said.

“Are you interested in alcohol?”

“Ah… maybe?”

Although Lianna rarely drank alcohol, there had been a few occasions when she had a little brandy in winter to warm up.

After all, she could not work if she got drunk.

If she could not work, she could not earn money.

If she could not earn money, she could not afford her brother’s medicine.

For this reason, alcohol was naturally absent from her life.

And yet, for some reason, she had suddenly asked him about it.

Embarrassed by her impulsiveness, Lianna quietly lowered her gaze.

Then Calix answered in a casual voice.

“1650 Saint-Émilion. And a 1503 Lafleur. If I had to choose, those would be the finest.”

Unexpectedly, Calix did not ignore her question.

He answered her seriously.

However, Lianna had no idea just how extraordinary the wines he mentioned actually were.

So, instead, she asked a slightly different question.

“Are they expensive?”

“One bottle would be enough to buy a commoner’s house and still leave money to spare.”

“T-That expensive…?”

She had expected a man with refined tastes to avoid cheap liquor, but she had never imagined it would be that expensive.

Lianna instinctively began calculating in her head.

“Then if you added together all the alcohol Your Highness has ever drunk… you could probably build an entire castle.”

After finishing her calculations, Lianna looked at him as though seeking agreement.

At that, Calix let out a short, breathless laugh.

So that was what her little head had been busy thinking about.

“Even I’m not extravagant enough to go that far.”

“R-Really?”

“But well… perhaps not a castle. A village, maybe.”

His calm response left Lianna momentarily speechless.

A castle or a village—how was that any better?!