Chapter 12.8

After the audience ended and they were on their way back, Livie tugged on Boris’s arm.  

“Hey, Boris.”  

“Hmm?”  

“Why did you refuse? Staying in the capital might have been a good opportunity.”  

“Because you didn’t want it.”  

“…….”  

“Am I wrong?”  

Boris looked down at Livie as if asking whether his judgment was mistaken.  

“Your eyes were saying so. That you didn’t want it.”  

“Really? You could tell?”  

Livie asked in surprise, and Boris, wearing a mischievous smile, leaned down to tap his forehead against hers.  

“Of course I could.”  

“…….”  

“Actually, I was worried.”  

“About what?”  

Livie looked at him with a puzzled expression.  

“That you might want to stay in the palace.”  

“Why would I?”  

Livie, completely caught off guard by his response, asked in disbelief. 

How could he even think that?  

“This place… it’s far more developed than Edrach. You can get anything you want, enjoy a glamorous court life… And you’re the daughter of a Princess, the King’s niece……”  

Livie hastily raised her hand to cover Boris’s mouth.  

“Stop. No, Boris.”  

“…….”  

Without removing her hand, Boris stared intently at her face.  

“I hate it here.”  

Her voice grew quieter as she spoke. Livie, glancing around to check for anyone nearby, quickly grabbed Boris’s hand and led him to a more secluded spot.  

“Hate it?”  

At Boris’s question, Livie nodded vigorously.  

“Of course. How could I like it here? Why would you even think that?”  

“This place is spacious, luxurious, full of people……”  

“I hate crowds. I hate the court etiquette that requires constant attention……”  

Livie cautiously looked around as if wary of eavesdroppers.  

“And this is the King’s domain. No matter how comfortable or luxurious it is, you always have to watch your words and actions.”  

“…….”  

“How is it any different from a gilded cage? And besides……”  

“And besides?”  

“The King will undoubtedly try to control you. Letting you stay in the capital, inviting you to live in the palace—it’s all about monitoring you and using you whenever it’s convenient. I hate it.”  

Livie’s rapid, hushed words brought a smile to Boris’s eyes.  

“Why are you looking at me like that again?”  

Boris’s gaze was one she had grown all too familiar with—one that screamed, ‘You’re so lovely, I’m losing my mind.’ She could even predict his next actions with certainty.  

“Mm!”  

Before she could react, her body was pressed against the wall, enveloped by his warmth. His lips parted hers, and a thick tongue invaded her mouth.  

Caught off guard at first, Livie quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, responding passionately.  

Her body still carried the lingering embers of their wedding night.  

When their lips finally parted, ragged breaths filled the air. His heated gaze bore down on her, capturing her flushed face. Livie’s cheeks were as red as freshly forged horseshoes.  

“S-stop looking at me.”  

At her protest, his gaze deepened further. His eyes now gleamed like those of a predator savoring its prey.  

“What comes next……”  

“Huh?”  

Next? What next? 

Livie, her mind foggy, panted as she tried to process his words.  

“The ball won’t start for a while.”  

“Huh……?”  

Before she could fully grasp his meaning, her body was lifted off the ground. Boris strode purposefully down the corridor toward their room.  

“Boris!”  

“Hmm?”  

His innocent expression as he looked down at her made Livie quickly close her mouth. Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she mumbled softly.  

“……Hurry up.”  

At those words, Boris quickened his pace as if wings had sprouted on his shoes.  

***

The wedding celebration ball for the Duke and Duchess of Edrach lasted an entire week. This was due to King Andros skillfully delaying Boris’s departure by a few more days.  

Since he wasn’t asking them to stay permanently, Boris couldn’t outright refuse the King’s request to remain for a few more days. Thus, Boris and Livie decided to extend their stay.  

From then on, they were dragged to every official event hosted by the King, required to show their faces without fail.  

The King seemed eager to announce the marriage of his niece Livie and the war hero to everyone. In his tireless efforts to boast about the couple, the nobles grew even more fond of the two, who clearly enjoyed the King’s favor.  

“Duchess of Edrach, I heard His Majesty suggested you stay at the palace……”  

“Managing the fief is important, after all.”  

Livie repeated the same line she had memorized over the past few days like a parrot.  

The interest in the Edrach couple, or specifically from the court nobles, was overwhelming.  

The endless cycle of drinking, eating, and dancing left her exhausted. Banquets that began in the evening lasted until dawn, and by the end of it, Livie and Boris could recite the congratulatory greetings they received by heart.  

At first, the royal balls that Livie had only heard about from traveling bards seemed fascinating. The tales of the glamorous court life had been the envy of all the village children.  

Even as she witnessed it firsthand, it felt surreal. More than that, it was tedious—something she found hard to believe about her own reaction.  

She wondered when they would finally return to Edrach Castle. The thought of that day seemed impossibly far away. Having already declined the King’s offer to live in the palace, it was difficult to rush their departure.  

‘Could it be that he’s planning to keep us here indefinitely?’  

This suspicion lingered in Livie’s mind constantly, including during today’s banquet.  

The royal chef’s ambitious dishes, such as roasted turkey and meat pies, were so rich that merely looking at them made her stomach churn. The silver goblets filled with wine, the laughter of people, the endless congratulations…  

Upon entering the banquet hall, the couple rarely stayed together.  

Livie was drawn to groups of noblewomen, while Boris mingled among titled nobles. Despite being husband and wife, they barely had any opportunities to converse during the event.  

This was largely due to the King, who was busy parading Boris around and introducing him to everyone.  

“You must be so fortunate to have such an extraordinary man as your husband.”  

The voice belonged to the Marchioness of Hermus, who whispered slyly while her sparkling eyes followed Boris wherever he went.  

“Your husband, the Marquis, is quite remarkable as well. I heard the Hermus Knight Order made significant contributions during the war.”  

Livie quickly tried to divert the Marchioness’s attention by mentioning her husband.  

“……Well, yes.”  

The Marchioness glanced at her husband, whose protruding belly and receding hairline brought a bitter smile to her lips.  

“He is indeed remarkable.”  

Her smile carried a hint of sarcasm.  

Just as Livie was growing weary of being the subject of the King’s pride and receiving endless congratulations, her face turned red from the wine she had been forced to drink repeatedly.  

Touching the back of her hand to her cheek, she felt the heat radiating from her skin. She wanted to step outside for some fresh air.  

When she glanced across the room, Boris was still surrounded by nobles. Among them were young knights who gazed at him with admiration.  

It was only natural. Boris had earned countless accolades during the war.  

It was rare, almost unheard of, for noble lords to personally lead their knights into battle. Most, like the Marquis of Hermus, preferred to send their knight orders adorned with their family’s crest to the battlefield, focusing on elevating their family’s prestige.  

Of course, they spared no expense in supporting their knight orders with resources and supplies.  

However, they relied on their knights to achieve glory rather than seeking it themselves.  

The Kalini Knight Order, however, was different from the start. Initially composed of mercenaries from across the Kingdom and even the continent, it could hardly be called a proper knight order.  

Through frequent battles and significant achievements, they gradually earned the title of knights. Eventually, their victory in the war against Duke Resette solidified their recognition as an official knight order.  

Boris’s glory was synonymous with the glory of the Kalini Knight Order.  

All of it was the result of blood and sweat. Without any external support, Boris had achieved everything on his own.  

“He truly is an extraordinary husband.”  

Livie murmured softly, prompting the noblewomen to look at her with envious eyes, as if to say, ‘Now you realize?’ 

“He has such a handsome face, but his body is even more impressive. You must be delighted, Duchess of Edrach.”  

“His swordsmanship is unmatched.”  

“And probably in the bedroom as well?”  

“Pardon?”  

“In the bedroom, his ‘swordsmanship.’”  

The sly remark caused the noblewomen to burst into laughter.  

Livie, who had already grown tired of their suggestive jokes over the past few days, still found herself unable to adapt.  

Though she believed she understood what went on between men and women in the bedroom, she was still too inexperienced to respond boldly to such jokes.  

“Look, you’ve made the Duchess blush. Stop teasing her.”  

Someone laughingly intervened, but Livie’s face turned even redder.  

“It’s inappropriate to make such jokes. She’s just entered her honeymoon phase.”  

“Soon, we’ll hear news of an heir. Whether the child takes after the Duke or the Duchess, they’ll surely be beautiful.”  

At this, Livie looked at the noblewomen with a mix of surprise and confusion.  

“An heir……?”  

Unconsciously, she placed her hand on her abdomen.