“No…”

While Heath waved in greeting, Rohana’s face instantly hardened.

“No, why on earth are you here at this time…!”

Just from that one sentence, Heath could tell how comfortable Rohana was with Kaiden. It was quite different from before.

“Please don’t be too hard on him.”

“But still…”

With that, Rohana began to walk ahead of Heath.

The sound of her heels echoed on the stone path, and her quick steps gradually picked up speed.

Kaiden, having just dismounted from his horse and brushing off the dust, watched her as she almost ran toward him.

“No…”

The moment she was within arm’s reach, Kaiden, as always, moved swiftly and forcefully, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Rohana, momentarily speechless, found herself unconsciously taking a deep breath, savoring the rare sense of relief she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Then, snapping back to her senses, she quickly pushed him away.

“You’re leaving tomorrow anyway, so why come all this way…?”

“It still felt too long.”

“Long? It was just a week!”

Unlike the scolding Rohana, Kaiden maintained his usual calm expression as he looked at her. Her sleek black hair fell down, adorned with a diamond pin on one side.

Rohana didn’t stop there, continuing her nagging. Kaiden glanced briefly at Heath, who was approaching from a distance, before returning his gaze to her.

She was beautiful in the moonlight, but under the bright autumn sun, she was even more radiant.

‘Or maybe…’

Kaiden stopped himself from trying to decide which was better, as it was too difficult to pick.

“Let’s have lunch together, at least.”

“Huh?”

Rohana continued her rambling, as if she hadn’t heard him, but Kaiden simply watched her with the same consistent gaze and then stepped forward.

Soon, more interruptions would arrive. Before that, there was something he hadn’t done in a long time.

Kaiden wrapped his arms around her waist and bent down. He had to tilt his head quite a bit to reach her, but she was worth it, more than worth it.

A shared breath of excitement passed between them. In every such moment, Kaiden felt truly alive.

After a brief kiss, Kaiden looked down at her. Rohana stared up at him, dazed for a moment, before she started speaking again. He hadn’t known before how much she could talk.

If she could speak her mind, Rohana would probably say she never realized how impulsive Kaiden was either.

When Kaiden smiled, Rohana couldn’t help but smile back, as if resigned to the situation.

“Let’s just have lunch and then leave quickly.”

“I’ll take the rest of the day off after lunch.”

“Your leave starts tomorrow.”

“That’s alright.”

The moment she heard “alright,” a range of emotions flickered across Rohana’s face. She remembered hearing those very words when she had been pulled from the emerald clutches of death.

‘It’s alright now.’

It’s alright now.

Reflecting on that moment, Rohana instinctively moved closer to Kaiden.

“Fine, let’s do that,” she said with a sigh, linking her arm with his.

***

For the Emperor and Empress of the Empire, even a vacation was an extension of their duties. And this time, they were set to visit the northern region.

After a pleasant lunch with Heath and Sirirul, Rohana and Kaiden left the southern region earlier than expected.

“Where are we going?” Rohana asked as she draped a light purple cloak over her shoulders.

“As long as we arrive in the North by tomorrow afternoon, we’ll be fine.”

“That’s true.”

“Since we’ll be in the carriage, we’ll get there eventually. Do we really need to know exactly where we’re going?”

Even though it was rare, Kaiden’s playful tone threw Rohana off. She couldn’t help but drop her usual line of questions when he acted like this.

“Just somewhere that won’t be too hard on the staff, wherever that may be,” she muttered, climbing into the carriage.

“Yes, understood.”

With a smile, Kaiden closed the carriage door. Rohana quietly leaned her head against the window, basking in the warm sunlight. She had been on the move for days, and her exhaustion was real. Plus, with Kaiden’s familiar scent nearby, she felt herself relax.

Somehow, she fell asleep.

She barely closed her eyes for what felt like a second when the carriage came to a stop. The warmth of the sun had vanished, and it was now dark outside.

Rohana shook her head lightly, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. The surroundings were eerily quiet.

She heard Kaiden’s footsteps as he dismounted from his horse. Then, the carriage door opened.

“Looks like you managed to get some rest,” Kaiden remarked in a gentle voice, noticing she had just woken up.

“Yes,” Rohana replied, sweeping her hair back as she extended her hand to disembark. Kaiden took her hand, just as he always did.

As soon as she stepped down, Rohana let out a gasp.

It was a gasp of delight. Whether intentionally kept a secret or known only to a few, the familiar back gate of the duke’s estate was quiet, with only a few smiling servants bowing in greeting.

“Are we in Nopthal?” Rohana whispered.

Kaiden smiled.

“We’ll stay here in secret for a while,” he whispered back, making her entire body tingle.

“Why are we doing this?” she asked, slightly flustered.

“Because I’d rather spend a day here, quietly with you, than deal with all the formalities at the palace.”

Kaiden answered honestly, then wrapped her in his cloak.

“Won’t this make us look even more suspicious?”

“We’re already suspicious enough.”

“And this is… so improper…”

But Kaiden didn’t listen to her nagging. In an instant, he lifted her up into his arms, and Rohana found herself unable to finish her sentence.

Kaiden’s private chamber was left just as it was. The Delcliff family, who had faced ruin, had no remaining heirs aside from Kaiden, leaving no one to inherit the title of duke. Thus, the duke’s estate was only used when needed, and so the owner’s seat always remained empty.

The room was impeccably maintained, spotless without a speck of dust. As Rohana lay in Kaiden’s arms, she looked around, lost in thought.

The long, grand window that had left such a strong impression on her the first time she saw it now gleamed under the bright moonlight.

“Hmm…”

Kaiden, standing in the middle of the drawing room with her in his arms, let out a sound of contemplation.

“Why?” she asked.

“Where should we go?”

“Sorry?”

Despite holding her for what seemed like a long time, Kaiden showed no signs of fatigue as he glanced around.

“We have the library… the bedroom…”

“Have we used the drawing room yet?” Rohana replied impulsively, then immediately covered her mouth with both hands.

Her balance wavered for a moment as she clutched his collar, but Kaiden held her securely, pulling her closer.

Rohana couldn’t believe she had said such a thing. She wished her flushed cheeks weren’t visible, but the moonlight was too bright to hide them.

“Oh my…”

Kaiden, genuinely surprised, marveled at her honesty, a tone of admiration in his voice. Rohana tried her best to avoid his gaze, but it was impossible while nestled in his arms.

Eventually, her violet eyes met his.

“Don’t say anything! Let’s just move on!”

Her unusually red lips trembled, and she saw Kaiden’s lips curve into a charming smile. After that, no more words were needed.

Under the bright moonlight, Rohana’s pale back glowed. Her breaths grew increasingly ragged as Kaiden’s large hands wrapped around her slender waist. Her long, flowing black hair swayed along with the movement. Though no loud sounds were made, her occasional gasps caused the veins in Kaiden’s hands to stand out.

Their legs intertwined and shifted several times.

In the end, it was Rohana who tired first. As always, Kaiden expertly carried the shy Rohana to the bedroom.

His hands, which had been gently brushing back her hair, trailed from her collarbone down to her waist. Another breath escaped her, and Kaiden caught it with his lips.

Under the brilliant moonlight and surprisingly starry sky, they fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.

***

When Rohana awoke, the dawn light was a faint blue. As usual, Kaiden had risen before her.

“My lady!”

One of the servants gasped when she saw Rohana, who had quickly washed and donned her robe, and hastily corrected herself.

“Oh… no, I mean, Your Majesty!”

“Have you seen His Majesty?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The servant naturally led her to the garden. As Rohana followed, she realized they were heading toward the innermost garden.

The innermost courtyard was a place where Kaiden had forbidden anyone from entering.

“He said to bring you here when you woke,” the servant explained.

Puzzled, Rohana nodded in acknowledgment, and the servant smiled before quietly retreating. The door to the central courtyard was open—something Rohana had never seen before.

Her dress brushed against the dew-soaked grass, dampening the hem.

“Kaiden?”

The moment she stepped into the garden, she was speechless.

Perennials, phlox, vervain, autumn indigo.

The garden was filled entirely with shades of purple.

In addition, there were countless other unknown flowers glowing in radiant purple hues. Inside the small glass greenhouse, lavender and summer-blooming purple flowers thrived.

“Kaiden?”

At the sound of her voice, Kaiden, wearing only a white shirt, turned to look at her.

No words were needed to understand what this sea of purple signified.

“When I came here as a child, one of my doctors told me to tend the garden,” Kaiden said as he approached. His silver hair, still damp, shimmered in the light.

“They said it would help with my emotional development.”

Step by step, he drew closer.

“I didn’t intend for it to turn out like this, but somehow, it did.”

A breeze passed through the layers of purple flowers. The fragrance and colors were overwhelming. No, more than that, something far more powerful stirred within her. Tears welled up in Rohana’s violet eyes.

“I’ve always wanted to show you this,” Kaiden said with a smile.

Rohana slowly opened her mouth to speak. It was something she had said many times before, but now, in this moment, it felt essential to say it again.

“Kaiden.”

His black eyes, beneath his silver hair, gazed at her intently. She looked up at him, already so close, as if in a dream.

“I love you.”

As always, that breathtaking smile spread across his lips. A deep breath passed between them, and soon, the rising sun glittered as it opened up the blue sky.

‘It’s alright now.’

With that final thought, Rohana let her mind go, surrendering herself to him. She knew everything would be fine, so there was no need for further thoughts.

The warm sunlight poured down over them both.

It was a dazzlingly ordinary and beautiful autumn morning.

~~End ~~

TL Note: Thank you so much Dear Readers for reading ‘Contract Marriage with the Villain Who Will K＊ll Me’ until the end. Lot of love guyss 😘😘