The territory of the Kuth tribe—at its center stood the capital.

They called this city Alkutar.

Rising from an endless expanse of ochre-colored grasslands, the city thrived on nomadism and trade. It pulsated like the heart of the kingdom, the center from which every road stretched outwards.

Nearly three months had passed since Seria started living there.

After accepting Kashan’s proposal, she had steadily progressed through the stages of their engagement, earnestly devoting herself to learning the Kuth language.

The citizens of the Empire still dismissed this place as a wild and untamed land.

But within Alkutar’s bustling streets, vitality abounded: leather and metal, silk and spices passed endlessly from hand to hand.

Rumor had it that Kuth spices had recently found their way into the circles of the imperial nobility and had become fashionable.

Not that any of this had much to do with Seria now.

Or so she believed.

“Have you come back?”

“Yeah. Nothing happened while I was gone?”

Kashan returned from the royal palace looking slightly tired.

Since moving there, Seria had gained a much clearer understanding of his role.

He was the commander of the knights responsible for protecting the royal family of Kuth. He had recently been promoted to captain of the royal guard, a position that came with increased responsibilities.

One advantage of this promotion was that he was no longer required to carry out reconnaissance missions along the border.

Contrary to Seria’s concerns, upper-class society here was not so different from that of the Empire.

The only real distinction was that, unlike in the Empire where the political sphere was almost entirely dominated by men, women here could head their own households and engage in politics freely.

“A troublesome matter came up.”

The moment he saw Seria welcoming him, Kashan pulled her into a tight embrace and muttered the words.

“What? Something troublesome?”

“…Yes.”

He paused, saying nothing more. Instead, he pressed his face into the nape of Seria’s neck—so much smaller than his—and brushed slow, restless kisses across her skin.

“H-hey, what’s wrong? What happened?”

Ignoring the servants, Kashan picked Seria up and walked quickly down the long hallway towards their bedroom.

She landed on the bed in an instant and blinked slowly as she assessed his expression.

But Kashan still didn’t speak.

Instead, he ran his calloused hand over her bare, silky skin.

“Kashan?”

“…D*mn it.”

After what seemed like a brief moment of hesitation, Kashan let out a long sigh. With a deeply creased expression, he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her roughly.

Her soft lips were pulled towards him at once. With slick friction, his wet, hot, unruly tongue pushed past her parted teeth.

The damp tickle of his tongue against the inside of her mouth made Seria’s eyelids tremble faintly.

“Hh….”

After spending a long time devouring her full lips greedily, he finally pulled back reluctantly, as if he disliked stopping. He forced himself to speak.

“An imperial delegation is coming.”

The moment the low voice left him, Seria’s expression hardened.

“…What?”

“And among the delegates… the House of Count Luzent is included.”

A cold sensation swept through Seria’s mind.

In a way, it was inevitable. Count Luzent had originally been a merchant. He had amassed a fortune through trade and bought his title, but he was a noble only in name.

“Th-that’s…”

Confusion washed over Seria’s face. Her hands, suspended awkwardly in the air, trembled with nowhere to rest. Watching her lips part wordlessly, Kashan let out a long sigh.

“Do you wish to see your family?”

His low voice, edged with bitterness, echoed beside her ear.

Seria couldn’t give any answer. She neither agreed nor refused, she simply lowered her gaze.

“If you want it, I’ll arrange it. You don’t have to worry about what I think. If it’s what you want, I can do anything for you…”

“I just… I need a little time to think.”

“All right, Seria.”

His large hand gently cupped her cheek, stroking softly.

Then the hand slipping beneath her clothes moved naturally toward her full br*ast.

“It’s filled again.”

“Haa….”

As if accustomed to it, he squeezed from the base of her plump br*ast. Milk welled up at once—pale and thin—spurting from the flushed tip.

“Hah… nn…”

Kashan’s lips closed over her stiffened n*pple. Drawing in not only the peak, but also the surrounding flesh, he swallowed it into his mouth and began to s*ck greedily at the milk running down her skin.

“I haven’t been helping you drain properly lately.”

He murmured an apology into her neck.

If she didn’t drain it, the swelling always returned.

Despite calling in every skilled Kut tribe physician to examine her, there was no change.

All the physicians could do was voice their discomfort, saying this was the first time they had seen such a case.

“Mm… I-it’s fine.”

“What do you mean, fine? Your br*asts are swollen this much.”

The once-soft flesh had grown firm. Each time he squeezed, milk streamed freely from the tip.

“It doesn’t hurt?”

Seria nodded faintly, her face flushing with embarrassment.

She should have grown used to this by now, yet baring her br*asts, beaded with milk, so openly and surrendering her body completely still felt unfamiliar.

Kashan’s hand, wrapped around her br*ast, was gentler than usual.

Instead of his usual rough eagerness, he focused solely on relieving her today, draining the milk as it flowed and burying his face in her br*ast, swallowing the liquid noisily as it spilled out.

Only when nothing came out, no matter how hard he pressed, did he finally lift his head and pull away.

“The official delegation is expected to arrive next month.”

The schedule was rather sudden and rushed. Rumors had circulated that spices from this region had become popular in the Empire, causing shortages — and it seems they were true.

“And the merchant caravans are expected to arrive even earlier. Illegal trade crackdowns have intensified lately.”

“I see…”

As Seria straightened her clothes, her expression darkened once more.

She remembered their last meeting: her father had arrived with escorts from the imperial knights and other noble houses, overwhelmed with worry for her.

She remembered his voice and his expression. Beyond that, she remembered the way his face had turned cold and rigid the moment he saw her.

It all lingered in Seria’s memory as vividly as if it had happened yesterday.

Noticing the shadow that crossed her face, Kashan spoke at once.

“Don’t worry too much. If you don’t want to see them, I’ll make sure you never have to.”

His calm, low voice eased her heart, if only a little.